Abrading – Machine – Sandblast
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2001-12-11
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Machine
Sandblast
C451S038000, C451S040000, C451S090000, C451S103000, C451S104000, C451S113000, C451S326000, C134S104300, C134S117000, C134S135000, C134S151000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328639
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a system for abrasively cleaning small parts, and to a container for holding small parts undergoing abrasive cleaning. More particularly, the present invention pertains to such a system and container having the ability to retain the small parts securely as undergo abrasive cleaning, while minimizing the danger of dropping of the small parts, which might result in the parts becoming lost within the used abrasive material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In various businesses and industries, it is desirable to be able to clean small parts. By way of example, is often desired to clean small automotive parts, to remove grease, oil, paint, dirt, or other contaminants. Such small parts are frequently cleaned in an abrasive blast cleaning cabinet, sometimes referred to as a bead blaster. A typical abrasive blast cleaning cabinet is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,039 and is there described as including an abrasive collector bin and a cover member having a viewing window and arm apertures, with gloves attached to the arm apertures so that a persons hands can be inserted into the gloves to grip small parts within the abrasive blast cleaning cabinet. However, use of the abrasive blast cleaning cabinet in this manner requires the person to hold the small parts as they are being cleaned by blasting with abrasive material, such as sand. This inhibits the abrasive material from reaching all locations on the small parts and further presents the hazard of the person inadvertently dropping the small parts, with the result that the small parts become lost within used abrasive material that has collected on the bottom of the cleaning cabinet. To avoid this, those small parts having a suitable opening might be strung on a wire which is suspended in the abrasive blast cleaning cabinet. However, this is time consuming and tedious. Further, many small parts do not have an opening for passage of such a wire. U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,039 proposes to overcome these problems by providing a cleaning basket having a cylindrical main body portion and a frusto-conical neck portion that fits within the upper end of the main body portion, with a screen closing the lower end of the main body portion. The neck portion lower end cooperates with the upper end of the main body portion to define an area that intercepts small parts that are agitated within the basket, reducing the likelihood that those small parts will exit the basket through the open upper end. The abrasive material passes through screen on the lower end of the abrasive cleaning basket, while the small parts are unable to pass through the screen. However, since the abrasive material flows readily through the screen, little agitation of the abrasive material and the small parts occurs during the cleaning process unless the person holding the basket shakes the basket with the small parts in it. This is difficult to do while directing the abrasive cleaning material into the open upper end of the basket. Even then, only minimal agitation of the abrasive cleaning material occurs before it passes through the screen. Consequently, even with this basket, cleaning of small parts is difficult and time consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a system for abrasively cleaning small parts, and a container for holding small parts undergoing abrasive cleaning. In accordance with the present invention, a container for holding small parts undergoing abrasive cleaning includes a housing having an elongated body, one end of which is closed by a removable closure member and the other end of which is closed by a removable screen member which permits passage of abrasive material through it but prevents passage of the small parts. The screen member has an aperture through it so that a nozzle outlet can be inserted through the aperture and into the container to permit flow of abrasive material from the high pressure nozzle outlet into the container and into contact with small parts within the container to abrasively clean the small parts. The abrasive material contacts the closed sides and closed first end of the container which cooperates with the high pressure of the abrasive material source to agitate the abrasive material. This causes agitation of the small parts, increasing the contact between the abrasive cleaning material and the small parts, and so increasing the efficiency of the cleaning process. In addition, the agitation of the cleaning material results in much of the abrasive cleaning material ultimately passing out of the container through the screen member.
In another aspect, the present invention is a system for abrasively cleaning small parts including an abrasive cleaning cabinet having a bottom member and a cover which is pivotable between a closed position and an open position, with the cover having an observation window and a pair of arm apertures with gloves attached to the arm apertures to permit insertion of a person's hands through the arm apertures and into the gloves in the interior of the cleaning chamber. A container as described above is provided, and a nozzle is provided within the cleaning cabinet, permitting the person whose hands are in the gloves to grip the nozzle and the container while the small parts are in the container, to insert the nozzle outlet through the aperture in the container screen member and into the container, and to controllably spray abrasive material from the nozzle outlet into the container and into contact with the small parts. The high pressure from the nozzle cooperates with the closed sides and closed first end of the container to cause agitation of the abrasive material, and thus of the small parts, abrasively cleaning the small parts. Much of the abrasive material ultimately passes through the screen member and out of the container due to agitation of abrasive material caused by the high pressure from the nozzle in cooperation with the closed sides and closed first end of the container, with that abrasive material collecting in the cabinet bottom member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2601364 (1952-06-01), Byrnes
patent: 4949738 (1990-08-01), Hubbard
patent: 5044387 (1991-09-01), Hsu
patent: 5209784 (1993-05-01), Bellman
patent: 5453039 (1995-09-01), Weintraub
patent: 5988190 (1999-11-01), Borges
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Hail III Joseph J.
McDonald Shantese
LandOfFree
System for abrasively cleaning small parts and a container... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System for abrasively cleaning small parts and a container..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System for abrasively cleaning small parts and a container... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2599718