Crate dryer

Details Crate dryer Crate dryer

2001-03-13

2002-09-10

Wilson, Pamela (Department: 3749)

Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids

Apparatus

With apparatus using centrifugal force

C034S058000, C217S005000, C217S036000, C217S122000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06446352

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for drying washed and rinsed crates or cases.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Crates and cases are used by the wholesaler, auction hall, factory and the like for containing and transporting all sorts of products. After the products have been sold at the retailer's the crates are returned. The crates are then washed in order to be used again.
In the course of time the wish arose to have disposal of not only cleansed, but also dry crates. To that end various dryers have been thought up, such as compressed-air-operated blowers. A drawback of this however is that for a quick treatment of the crates to be dried a lot of so-called flat-airblasting nozzles are necessary and therefore a lot of (expensive) compressed air.
Alternatively high-pressure fans are also used, which however requires a high power, otherwise the drying capacity is to limited.
Shake devices are also used, but still quite a lot of attached water is left behind on the crates.
Crates are also dried with the help of hot air, in connection with fans. The crates are often made of synthetic material, as a result of which they do not absorb heat very well and the drying process takes quite a long time.
Another alternative is drying crates with the help of infrared radiation, but here again there is the drawback that the crates are made of synthetic material and therefore do not conduct heat very well.
Finally the drying of crates under vacuum is mentioned. The advantage of this is that a lower temperature can be worked with, but a drawback is that special —and therefore expensive—measures have to be taken in order to realise a vacuum surrounding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to improve on this. To that end the invention provides a device for drying washed and rinsed crates or cases, comprising a frame and receiving or accommodation spaces carried by the frame for the crates or cases, in which the accommodation spaces are attached to a rotating shaft and are situated on either side of it in a symmetrical manner, and furthermore comprising means for rotating the rotating shaft and thus the accommodation spaces in order to cast off the water present on the crates or cases from them through centrifugal forces.
By using centrifugal forces the crates can be dried quickly with simple equipment. It is noted here that it is known per se to rotate crates quickly in order to dry them, but a vertical stack of crates is then rotated about the stack axis, during which imbalance may occur and the centrifugal forces often turn out to be insufficient.
Preferably the rotating shaft is horizontally positioned. This facilitates connection to supply and discharge devices for the crates to and out of the drying device, respectively, preferably parallel to its rotating shaft.
Preferably the accommodation spaces have boundaries that are adjustable in distance one to the other, so that a positive placement in the accommodation spaces can be realised for either various heights or widths between sets of crates.
The crates are kept in their places in a simple manner when the boundaries of the accommodation spaces comprise angle sections destined for engaging about the longitudinal edges of the crates.
Preferably the device is furthermore provided with a screen stationary with the frame for radially outward stopping of the water cast off from the crates, and with a collection tray for water intercepted by the screen.
From another aspect the invention provides an assembly of a device according to the invention and a supply device for crates to be dried and/or discharge device for dried crates, in which either the supply device or discharge device is in line with or can be brought in line with at least one accommodation space.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1542929 (1925-06-01), Woolrich et al.
patent: 1599557 (1926-09-01), Craig
patent: 1756281 (1930-04-01), Cherrington
patent: 5675905 (1997-10-01), Hougham
patent: 5802733 (1998-09-01), Hougham
patent: 5992042 (1999-11-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 6053351 (2000-04-01), Dunton et al.
patent: 6112429 (2000-09-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 230766 (1944-04-01), None
patent: 198 33 416 (1900-01-01), None
patent: 41 40 989 (1992-07-01), None
European Patent Office Search Report for European Patent Application No. 01200940.3-2301 dated Aug. 10, 2001.

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