Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Apparatus – Automatic controls
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-08-28
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Apparatus
Automatic controls
C134S111000, C134S104200, C134S104400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279587
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to manual parts washers, and in particular, to parts washers for cleaning such things as automotive parts, machinery parts and various items of equipment, using appropriate solvents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Manual parts washers are commonly used in many industries, and are particularly popular in the automotive service sector. The most basic type of parts washer includes a metal cleaning sink with a hinged lid. The sink is mounted on top of a conventional sixteen or thirty gallon drum of solvent. Solvent is applied to the parts to be washer through a brush mounted on the end of a hose, or through a fixed nozzle in a faucet-like arrangement. Usually, a submersible pump is located in the drum to supply the solvent to the cleaning brush or nozzle.
As the parts are washed, the solvent becomes contaminated with various contaminants, such as dirt, metal particles, oil, grease, paint, etc., and the contaminated solvent drains back into the drum through a drain hole in the bottom of the sink. Sometimes a filtration unit is provided to catch solid particulate contaminants before the contaminated solvent returns to the drum, but filtration devices are not effective for removing dissolved contaminates, such as greases and oils. Eventually, even with good filtering systems and frequent replacement of the filter elements used therein, the solvent becomes contaminated to the point where the drum of contaminated solvent has to be replaced with a new drum of fresh solvent. This is expensive and results in down-time while the solvent drum is being replaced.
In order to overcome these disadvantages, it has been proposed to incorporate a solvent recycling unit, such as a distillation apparatus, right into the parts washer. When the solvent becomes too contaminated, the solvent is transferred from the solvent drum to the recycling unit, where it is cleaned, and then the solvent is returned to the solvent drum. While this reduces the cost of replacing the solvent, a difficulty with this arrangement is that the parts washer cannot be used while the solvent is going through the recycling process. Further, recycling apparatus is prone to breakdown, and if a breakdown occurs during the recycling process, the parts washer is out of commission totally until the recycling apparatus is repaired.
In the present invention, the parts washer is adapted to be coupled to an independent recycling apparatus that continuously cleans the solvent, so that the parts washer is usable at all times, and if the recycling apparatus breaks down, it can simply be replaced with another unit without affecting the operation of the parts washer.
According to the invention, there is provided a parts washer comprising a cleaning sink having a bottom wall defining a sink drain therein. A solvent delivery tube is attached to the sink and has an outlet device for directing solvent onto a part to be washed in the sink. A solvent container is located below the sink. The container is adapted to contain cleaning solvent and has an inlet opening for receiving solvent from the sink drain. The container also has a container wall including a bottom wall portion. An extraction conduit extends into the solvent container for withdrawing solvent from the container. The extraction conduit is connected to the solvent delivery tube. A pump is operatively coupled to the extraction conduit for pumping solvent from the container to the solvent delivery tube. A clean-out tube extends into the container to a location adjacent to the container bottom wall portion. The clean-out tube has an outlet end portion located outside of the container. Also, means are provided for activating the pump for circulating solvent from the container, through the solvent delivery tube and back to the container.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2385150 (1945-09-01), Miller
patent: 2595838 (1952-05-01), Fuglie
patent: 2646585 (1953-07-01), Whittington
patent: 2675012 (1954-04-01), Scales
patent: 2721566 (1955-10-01), Brucker
patent: 3156248 (1964-11-01), Rand
patent: 3352310 (1967-11-01), Doyscher
patent: 3416544 (1968-12-01), Paiva
patent: 3971394 (1976-07-01), Osboren
patent: 4353381 (1982-10-01), Winters
patent: 4688585 (1987-08-01), Vetter
patent: 5303725 (1994-04-01), Hilgren
patent: 5349974 (1994-09-01), Mansur
patent: 5401328 (1995-03-01), Schmitz
patent: 5470477 (1995-11-01), Fransworth
patent: 5518013 (1996-05-01), Mansur
patent: 5549128 (1996-08-01), Mansur
patent: 5669401 (1997-09-01), Mansur
patent: 5769912 (1998-06-01), Mansur
patent: 5827374 (1998-10-01), Mansur
patent: 5924148 (1999-07-01), Flowers
Ridout & Maybee LLP
Stinson Frankie L.
LandOfFree
Parts washer with solvent recycling does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Parts washer with solvent recycling, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Parts washer with solvent recycling will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2483521