GB1305702A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1305702 Sterilisation apparatus MATHER & PLATT Ltd 16 Feb 1970 [20 Feb 1969 1 May 1969] 9195/69 and 22181/69 Heading A2D [Also in Division B8] Sterilising apparatus for rows of cans comprises an endless conveyer 27, loading and discharging zones 21, water legs 22, 24, a steam leg 23, a spray cooling leg 25, and a conveying leg 26 between the leg 25 and the zones 21. Endless conveyer 27. Endless chains 28 support can carriers 29 each comprising an X- shaped beam 33, Fig. 4, surrounded by a perforated casing 34 which can rotate relative to the beam but which may be rotated therewith. The spaces 36 formed by the beam 33 are asymmetrical so as to facilitate discharge of a row of cans to a conveyer 31 and to positively locate cans being loaded from a conveyer 30. The casing has an inlet/outlet slot 35 and is rotatable by the engagement of a toothed plate with an agitating chain 54 which may move in the same or opposite direction to the chains 28. To ensure that each carrier 29 is in the correct attitude before entering the loading and discharging zones, means 52, 53 on the carrier cooperate with a guide track 56 provided on the housing 20 of the machine. Baffles 63 between each carrier are connected between the endless chains 28. In use, the carriers containing the cans are continuously rotated but, before they enter the zones 21 they are disengaged from the chain 54, their attitude is corrected, if required, and an indexing mechanism, Fig. 11 (not shown), causes rotation of the X-shaped beam 33 such that a space 36 is opposite the slot 35 and the cans are discharged. The beam 33 is rotated through 90‹ at each discharge station of the conveyer 31 and, by corresponding rotation, each carrier is loaded at the stations of the conveyer 30. The beam 33 is then rotated through 45‹ to take the slot 35 out of register with any of the spaces 36. At each discharge station a pivotal gate (69), Fig. 11 (not shown) is operated by a fluid ram (72) to allow a row of cans to leave a space 36.