Ralph Gary Turnbull

US Patent:

61290998, Oct 10, 2000

Filed:

Sep 17, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/932644

Inventors:

James B. Foster - Bloomfield Hills MI
Ralph Gary Turnbull - Howell MI
Jack W. Smylie - Farmington Hills MI

International Classification:

B08B 302
B08B 1300

US Classification:

134 57R

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for cleaning articles such as pallets, totes, containers, bins, trays, carts, and other like articles. The apparatus includes a main housing having a conveyor system on which articles are transported into and through a washing chamber. The apparatus is versatile and employs adjustable guide rails to hold in place a wide variety of different sizes and configurations of a wide assortment of articles. A plurality of high pressure, jet-stream spray nozzles rotating at high speeds are supplied with a high pressure wash fluid. The spray nozzles provide rapid, powerful, knife-like jet streams of wash fluid which impact the surfaces of the articles moving through the washing chamber repeatedly to lift and blast off contaminants adhered to the articles. The apparatus is portable and includes a closed-loop water reclamation system having a plurality filter assembly and is environmentally friendly. Contaminant-entrained wash fluid is collected in a collection tank, filtered and supplied back to a clean tank for reuse.