Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Apparatus – With apparatus using centrifugal force
Reexamination Certificate
2003-11-18
2004-06-08
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Apparatus
With apparatus using centrifugal force
C034S085000, C210S512100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745489
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of devices for drying articles, particularly hydrophobic articles such as plastic flats or egg carrying trays. The present invention provides a means for drying of these flats which will most likely occur immediately after washing thereof which is a spin drying operation for centrifugally spinning the water or other cleansing solution thereof by high speed rotation of a stack of wet flats.
There are other means of drying such flats such as high speed air blowers or heated airstreams, however, spin drying has significant advantages in speed and in drying efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many prior art devices have been utilized for the washing and drying of trays and egg carrying flats and other configurations have been utilized for spin drying of various articles such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,100 patented Sep. 2, 1952 to S. L. Vitale on a “Drying Machine Having Centrifugal Units”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,871 patented Jan. 31, 1967 to F. O'Conor and assigned to Ametek, INc. on a “Centrifugal With Cover And Brake Assembly”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,180 patented Jun. 4, 1968 to G. W. Balz et al and assigned to Roto-Finish Company on a “Continuous Centrifugal Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,656 patented Dec. 21, 1976 to L. P. Grotto on a “Method And Apparatus For Cleaning Cylindrical Air Filters”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,635 patented Dec. 27, 1977 to H. Y. Kuhl on an “Apparatus For Drying Plastic Trays”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,215 patented Jan. 16, 1979 to H. Y. Kuhl on a “Process For Drying Hydrophobic Articles”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,293 patented May 22, 1979 to A. Spiel et al and assigned to Nabisco, Inc. on a “Continuous Cooking Apparatus And Process”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,241 patented Oct. 9, 1979 to J. W. M. Clapp and assigned to Thermoplastic Compounders Limited on an “Apparatus For Cleaning Containers”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,830 patented Nov. 13, 1979 to D. R. Hanson on a “Dryer For Mesh Baskets”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,440 patented Mar. 24, 1987 to G. M. Karl and assigned to Eastman Kodak Company on a “Spin Drying Apparatus”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,777 patented Oct. 27, 1987 to H. Y. Kuhl on a “Method And Apparatus For High Capacity Washing, SanitiZing And Drying Of Stacks of Flats”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,192 patented Nov. 26, 1991 to F. Guelfi et al and assigned to Colged S.p.A. on an “Automatic Machine For Washing Self-Service Trays And Similar Items”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,041 patented Feb. 9, 1993 to R. M. Anderson et al on a “Machine For Washing Plastic Fragments To Prepare Them For Recycling”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,876 patented May 25, 1993 to B. I. Berit and assigned to Sanborn, Inc. on an “Automatic Spin Dryer”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,733 patented Sep. 8, 1998 to J. Hougham and assigned to The Great Norther Equipment Company on a “Dryer System For Vegetables”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,575 patented Oct. 9, 2001 to J. E. Aikins et al on a “Passive Spin Dryer For Continuous And Batch Processing”; and United States Patent Publication No. US2002/0033550 A1 published Mar. 21, 2002 to K. Suehara on a “Method For Recycling Used-Up Plastic Products And washing Process Of Crushed Plastic And Apparatus Therefor”.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unique apparatus for spin drying of a stack of flats including a housing which defines a base level therein at which level stacks of flats are transported for drying. The housing may also include a slotted wall extending circumferentially therearound to facilitate retaining of fluids expelled from the stack of trays during the spin drying operation itself. The slotted wall preferably is formed of a translucent material to facilitate observation of the operation of the apparatus for drying flats for monitoring and other reasons.
A lifting head is preferably included defined within the housing which is vertically movable to allow movement upwardly into contact with the undersurface of a stack of flats positioned thereabove at the base level to facilitate lifting thereof upwardly to a position above this base level. This higher position is referred to as the spin drying level. The lifting head is preferably movable rotatably relative to the housing about a lifting axis of rotation which extends vertically therewithin. The lifting head also includes a support plate preferably which is rotatably mounted therein and preferably includes a plurality of support pins extending vertically therefrom which are adapted to facilitate engagement of the support plate with respect to the undersurface of the stack of flats to facilitate retaining therein during upward movement.
A stack lifting device may be positioned within the housing at a location below the base level which is defined as the retracted position. This stack lifting device may preferably include an extensible pneumatic cylinder which urges movement of the lifting head upwardly into abutment with respect to the undersurface of a stack of flats at the base level for lifting thereof upwardly to the spin level for facilitating drying thereof when spun. The stack lifting device is preferably positionable at a retracted level below the base level within the housing in the normal steady state position. The stack lifting device is also preferably attached to the lifting head and is also vertically movable upwardly therewith to facilitate lifting of the head means into engagement with a stack of trays at the base level from beneath for lifting thereof vertically upward to a spin level for spin drying.
A drive engagement device is also preferably mounted within the housing at a position above a stack of flats positioned therein at the base level. This drive engagement device is mounted within the housing means to be rotatably movable therewith about a drive axis of rotation. This drive axis of rotation is preferably positioned below the lifting axis of rotation and is aligned vertically therewith to facilitate of the stack of flats during drying when engaged by the drive engagement device from above and the lifting means from below. Also the drive axis of rotation and the lifting axis of rotation are preferably oriented axially coincident with respect to one another.
The drive engagement device is adapted to engage a stack of flats from above responsive to movement of the stack of flats upwardly into abutting contact therewith in order to urge rotational movement of the stack of flats responsive to rotational movement of the drive engagement device. This device will include a spinner plate which is rotatable about the drive axis of rotation and is adapted to engage a stack of flats moved upwardly into contact therewith. The spinner plate preferably include a registration apparatus adapted to positively engage a stack of flats into contact therewith to provide simultaneous coordinated rotation of the stack of flats responsive to powered rotation of the drive engagement device. The registration apparatus will preferably include a plurality of alignment pins mounted in the spinner plate and extending downwardly therefrom to facilitate registration of the stack of flats with respect to the spinner plate for providing simultaneous rotational movement of the stack of flats responsive to powered rotation of the spinner plate. The alignment pins are preferably positioned in a pin array adapted to register with the stack of flats and cause same to rotate whenever the spinner plate is caused to rotate. The pin array preferably forms a rectangular profile to facilitate engaging of the corners of the stacks of the flats which are normally of rectangular shape.
A drive device is mounted within the housing above the stack of flats. The drive means is operatively attached to the drive plate for urging rotational movement thereof responsive to operation of the drive to spin dry a stack of flats held at the spin level between the drive engagement device in abutment therewith from above and the lifting head in abutment with the stack of flats from below.
Lazarus Ira S.
O'Malley Kathryn S.
Sperry, Zoda & Kane
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