Method and apparatus for cleaning container closures

Claim 1

In an assembly including a hopper holding container closures including cap portions and skirt portions extending outwardly of the cap portions, a capping machine spaced downwardly from said hopper, and an apparatus for removing contaminants from inner surfaces of the closures while the closures are traveling downwardly from said hopper to said capping machine; the improvements wherein said apparatus comprises liquid spray means for directing a generally horizontal spray of liquid against inner surfaces of the cap portions of said closures, gas spray means for removing liquid from the closures, said gas spray means directing a generally horizontal stream of gas against the inner surfaces of the cap portions of said closures, said gas spray means being spaced downwardly from the liquid spray means, an enclosure limiting spray of liquid beyond the apparatus, belt means forcing the closures past the liquid and gas spray means and controlling the rate of travel of the closures, said belt means comprising a plurality of laterally spaced, flexible endless belts having downwardly traveling principal sections inside the enclosure frictionally engaging the cap portions of the closures, and an elongated, generally vertical chute having a pair of opposed fixed side walls defining an elongated pathway for the closures, each of said side walls including a generally planar vertical panel extending laterally of and in proximity to skirt portions of the closures from the cap portions to mouth openings of the closures, said chute maintaining the cap portions generally vertical.

Claim 8

A method for removing contaminants from inner surfaces of container closures during travel from a hopper to a capping machine spaced downwardly from the hopper, said closures including cap portions and skirt portions extending outwardly of the cap portions, said method comprising the steps of transferring the closures downwardly from the hopper to the capping machine while simultaneously confining the closures in an elongated generally vertical chute having a pair of opposed fixed side walls defining an elongated pathway for the closures; orienting the closures in said chute to maintain said cap portions generally vertical; directing a generally horizontal spray of water against inner surfaces of the cap portions of said closures; directing a generally horizontal spray of air against inner surfaces of the cap portions of said closures, thereby to remove water from said closures; forcing the closures downwardly past said spray of water and said spray of air by frictionally engaging the cap portions of said closures with vertically oriented, generally downwardly traveling principal sections of a plurality of laterally spaced, flexible endless belts made of an organic polymeric material; enclosing the spray of water within an enclosure; and draining water from the enclosure.

Claim 9

A method for removing contaminants from inner surfaces of container closures during travel from a hopper to a capping machine spaced downwardly from the hopper, said closures including cap portions and skirt portions extending outwardly of the cap portions, said method comprising the steps of transferring the closures downwardly from the hopper to the capping machine while simultaneously confining the closures in an elongated generally vertical chute having a pair of opposed fixed side walls defining an elongated pathway for the closures; orienting the closures in said chute to maintain said cap portions generally vertical; directing a generally horizontal spray of water against inner surfaces of the cap portions of said closures; directing a generally horizontal spray of air against inner surfaces of the cap portions of said closures, thereby to remove water from said closures; forcing the closures downwardly past said spray of water and said spray of air by frictionally engaging the cap portions of said closures with vertically oriented, generally downwardly traveling principal sections of a plurality of laterally spaced, flexible endless belts made of an organic polymeric material; enclosing the spray of water within an enclosure; and draining water from the enclosure.