BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more clearly understood by reference to this specification in view of the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention apparatus, and shows a golf ball at a position on one side for being inserted into the apparatus and at a position on the other side for removal from the apparatus, and showing an external source of electric power depicted symbolically as a separate box to represent (in this case) a vehicle battery.
FIG. 2 is a rear view of the embodiment seen in FIG. 1, again showing the ball positioned for insertion and for removal, and showing the electric power source.
FIG. 3 is a left side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, also showing the ball positioned for insertion and showing the electric power source.
FIG. 4 is a right side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, also showing the ball positioned for removal and showing the electric power source.
FIG. 5 is a right side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut I-I, showing the ball as it approaches the lower end of the apparatus entry chute, with the apparatus rotator removed for better visibility.
FIG. 6 is a right side view of the rotator, shown separated from the rest of the apparatus.
FIG. 7 is a right side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut I-I, showing the rotator now in place (and cut by cross-sectional cut I-I), with the ball seen in the lower end of the entry chute.
FIG. 8 is a right side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut I-I, showing the ball in a rotator hole being moved by the rotator through the lower portion of the apparatus.
FIG. 9 is a left side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut II-II, with the rotator removed for better visibility.
FIG. 10 is a left side view of the rotator, shown separated from the rest of the apparatus.
FIG. 11 is a left side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut II-II, showing the rotator now in place (and cut by cross-sectional cut II-II), with the ball seen in a rotator hole being moved by the rotator through the upper portion of the apparatus.
FIG. 12 is a left side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut II-II, showing the rotator soon after it has passed the entrance to the exit chute, with the ball seen in the upper end of the exit chute.
FIG. 13 is a front view of the embodiment in FIG. 3, as seen through cross-sectional cut III-III, showing the ball being moved by the rotator through the lower portion of the apparatus at the point where the ball is centered at cross-sectional cut III-III.
FIG. 14 is a front view of the embodiment in FIG. 3, as seen through cross-sectional cut III-III, showing the ball being moved by the rotator through the lower portion of the apparatus at the point where the first ball-roller assembly is centered at cross-sectional cut III-III.
FIG. 15 is a front view of the embodiment in FIG. 3, as seen through cross-sectional cut III-III, showing the ball being moved by the rotator through the upper portion of the apparatus at the point where the ball is centered at cross-sectional cut II-II.
FIG. 16 is a left side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut IV-IV, showing part of the top portion of the apparatus with a limit switch box depicted with a plunger rod extending downwardly from it and a cam wheel at a rotated position.
FIG. 17 is a left side view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as seen through cross-sectional cut IV-IV, similar to FIG. 16 but showing the cam wheel at a different rotated position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 show the exterior of an embodiment of the present invention apparatus 1, together with a golf ball 2 and an external electric power source 3, such as a battery on a golf cart or other vehicle. Although this embodiment is adapted for cleaning golf balls, the invention is intended to include other embodiments that are adapted, by appropriate variations in dimensions and other physical characteristics, for cleaning one or more other types of balls such as baseballs, ping pong balls, and ball bearings. FIGS. 1-3 show a path (indicated by the downward arrow) for the ball 2 to enter the apparatus via the apparatus entry chute 4. In FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the ball 2 is seen at the lower end of the apparatus exit chute 5 after being cleaned, and a path is shown (by the upwardly curved arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2) for removal of the cleaned ball 2 from the apparatus.
FIGS. 1-4 also show the apparatus 1 with a housing 6 secured to a base plate 7 by two housing supports 8. Preferably, the material used to make the housing 6, plate 7, and supports 8 is stainless steel and the supports 8 are secured to the housing 6 and the plate 7 by welding. However, any other conventional structural material suitable for making these parts, such as aluminum, and any other conventional means suitable for securing them, such as screws, can be used. The housing 6 comprises a center section shown here as a cylinder 9 with walls 10 secured to its left (entry) and right (exit) sides. (Note that the wall 10 shown on the left (entry) side of the housing is also referred to herein as the “entry wall,” and the wall 10 shown on the right (exit) side of the housing is also referred to herein as the “exit wall.” Each of the walls 10 is substantially a mirror image of the other, but with one located on the entry side of the housing 6 and having an entry opening 30 and the other located on the exit side of the housing 6 and having an exit opening 58. Of course, in a rear view, as shown in FIG. 2, the left side of the housing 6 appears to be on the right side and the right side of the housing 6 appears to be on the left side.) Screws 11 are used for removably securing the walls 10 to the cylinder 9 to form a watertight seal. But, any conventional fasteners or other means for securing the walls 10 to the cylinder 9, including use of welds, adhesives, clamps, or molding, can be used.
FIGS. 1-4 show the ends of a rotator shaft 12, with the left end of the rotator shaft 12 seen in FIGS. 1-3 as having a large sprocket 13 secured to it. The large sprocket 13 is connected via a drive chain 14 to a small sprocket 15. (The large sprocket 13 is visible only in FIG. 3 and the small sprocket 15 is not visible in the figures presented herein. However, the locations of both the large sprocket 13 at the upper end of the drive chain 14 and the small sprocket 15 at the lower end of the drive chain 14 are indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2). The small sprocket 15 is secured to a drive shaft 16 that is connected via a gearbox 17 to an electric motor 18. The electric motor 18 is shown electrically connected by a motor cable 19 to an electric control box 20. (In the embodiment shown here, the electric control box houses conventional circuitry for automatically switching the motor “on” and “off” in response to receiving a start signal for “on” and a shut-off signal for “off,” as further discussed below.)
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a cam 21 is shown secured to the rotator shaft 12, between the outside of the wall 10 on the left (entry) side of the housing 6 and the large sprocket 13. Thus, the cam 21 rotates with the rotator shaft 12. The cam 21 is shown in FIG. 2 as being in a rotational position that places the high point of the cam in contact with the bottom of a switch-actuating plunger rod 22 seen as protruding downwardly from a limit switch box 23. As shown in FIG. 2, the limit switch box 23 is attached, such as by screws, to the outside of the wall 10 on the entry side of the housing 6. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the limit switch box 23 is electrically connected to the control box 20 by a limit switch cable 24 (shown plugged into the limit switch box 23 using a limit switch connector plug 25).
It should be understood that the relationship shown in FIG. 2 between the plunger rod 22 and the cam 21 is illustrative of only one rotational position of the cam 21 and not intended to represent their relationship at all rotational positions of the cam 21. As the rotator shaft 12 rotates, the relationship between the plunger rod 22 and the cam 21 varies accordingly. During a portion of the rotational cycle of the cam 21, it contacts and displaces the plunger rod 22 upwardly as shown in FIG. 2. However, at another portion of the rotational cycle the cam 21 does not displace the plunger rod 22, thereby allowing the plunger rod 22 to move downwardly to resume a non-displaced position until the cam 21 again rotates to the portion of its cycle for displacing the plunger rod 22. Preferably, the shape of the cam 21 and the proximity of the extended plunger rod 22 are selected for the cam 21 to not contact the plunger rod 22 during the non-displacement portion of the cam's rotational cycle. But, alternatively, the shape of the cam 21 and its proximity to the plunger rod 22 can be selected for the plunger rod 22 to function as a cam follower that remains in continuous contact with the cam 21.
FIGS. 1-4 also show a start sensor 26 attached, such as by threading, to an opening on the top side of the entry chute 4. The start sensor 26 is directed toward the inside of the entry chute and is selected and calibrated for detecting the presence of the ball 2 in the entry chute 4, and upon such detection sending an electrical signal via a start sensor cable 27 to the control box 20. The entry chute is also shown with an underside hole 28 which, depending on the type of sensor used, may be necessary for operation of the start sensor 26. Preferably, the start sensor 26 is a photo sensor, although alternate embodiments could be made using any other sensor capable of detecting the presence of the ball in the entry chute 4, and in some embodiments, operation of the start sensor 26 may not require an underside hole 28.
Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the exit chute 5 has a ball-removal access opening 66, to facilitate removal of the cleaned ball 2 from the apparatus 1 by hand. However, other embodiments could provide any other conventional means for separating the cleaned ball 2 from the apparatus 1, such as by not closing the lower end of the exit chute 5.
The gearbox 17, motor 18, and control box 20 shown in FIGS. 1-3 are attached, by any conventional means such as screws, to an L-shaped support bracket 29 that is secured, by any conventional means such as welding, to the base plate 7. As with the housing 6, base plate 7, and supports 8, the entry chute 4, exit chute 5, and bracket 29 are preferably made of stainless steel but can be made of aluminum or any other conventional structural material or combination of materials, preferably a material or materials with known characteristics of strength, rigidity, durability, and resistance to corrosion deemed best suited for the purposes described herein.
FIG. 5 shows the lower end of the entry chute 4 protruding into the housing 6 through an entry opening 30 in the wall 10 on the left side of the housing 6, with the ball 2 seen within the entry chute 4. The housing is comprised of a lower chamber 31 and an upper chamber 32. The lower chamber 31 contains a scrubbing channel 33 lined with a plurality of brush bristles 34. The internal shape of the scrubbing channel 33, as better seen by also referring to FIGS. 9 and 13-15, is substantially that of a partial semi-toroid formed by rotating a cut circular shape (essentially two opposed concentric arcs) about the centerline of the rotator shaft 12 along an arc that passes through at least part of the lower chamber 30. The scrubbing channel 33 has a left scrubbing channel surface 35 and a right scrubbing channel surface 36. FIG. 5 shows the left scrubbing channel surface 35. Bristles 34 on both the left scrubbing channel surface 35 and the right scrubbing channel surface 36 protrude into the scrubbing channel 33 for scrubbing the ball while it passes through at least a portion of the lower chamber 31. Preferably, as seen in FIG. 5, the lower chamber 31 contains a cleaning liquid 37 (which can be a detergent solution or any other conventional liquid effective for assisting in cleaning undesirable materials from the ball) for helping, together with the bristles, to clean the ball 2 while it travels through the lower chamber 31. Preferably, the cleaning fluid 37 is not left in the apparatus for extended periods of non-use. The cleaning fluid can be added via the entry chute 4 and drained (by tilting the apparatus) via the exit chute 5; or, any conventional means for facilitating the insertion and/or drainage of the cleaning fluid, such as plugable holes or tubes, can be added.
Although their functions will be more apparent when viewed in conjunction with other figures discussed below, FIG. 5 also shows a friction pad 51, the edge of a supporting inner cylinder 54, the edge of a supporting outer cylinder 55, and a plurality (four seen in this figure) of drying roller pads 56 with each roller pad 56 being rotatably secured to the inner cylinder 54 and outer cylinder 55 by a roller pad shaft 57. Preferably, each pad shaft 57 is rotatable relative to its roller pad 56 and relative to both the inner and outer cylinders 54,55; but, optionally, the pad shaft 57 can be fixed relative to either its roller pad 56 or the inner and outer cylinders 54, 55. Preferably, as shown in other figures discussed below, the inner cylinder 54 and outer cylinder 55 are made as part of the inside surface of each wall 10, such as by forming them together by casting, machining, or molding them from the same piece; or, alternatively, by making the cylinders 54, 55 separately and securing them to their respective wall 10 by any conventional means such as by fasteners, welds, or adhesives. Thus, preferably, the right inside of the housing also comprises a supporting inner cylinder 54, supporting outer cylinder 55, and plurality of rotatable roller pads 56 with pad shafts 57.
FIG. 6 shows a right-side view of an uninstalled rotator 38 that includes a ball-moving section 39, a ring support 40, and a radial support 41. The ball-moving section has a rotator shaft hole 42 for securing the rotator 38 to the rotator shaft 12 so that, when so secured and installed in the housing 6, the rotator 38 will rotate with the rotator shaft 12. A setscrew or any other conventional means can be used for so securing the rotator 38 to the rotator shaft 12. The ring support 40 and radial support 41 are seen in FIG. 6 as providing structural support and a counter-balance for the ball-moving section 39. However, in alternate embodiments, either the ring support 40, the radial support 41, or both, may be modified or replaced with any other conventional structure capable of providing the desired support and balance to the rotator 38, or may be eliminated entirely if such additional support and/or balance is deemed unnecessary. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the size of the ball-moving section 39 might be increased (such as by increasing the length of the arc it fills, or even making it as a full circle) so that the ball-moving section 39 alone provides all the structural support it needs. And, counter-balancing may not be needed or cost-effective in some applications.
The ball-moving section 39 is shown in FIG. 6 as including a first rotator hole 43 with its associated first ball-roller assembly 44, and a second rotator hole 45 with its associated second ball-roller assembly 46. Each ball-roller assembly is shown as comprising a ball-roller wheel 47, a friction wheel 48, and a set of friction wheel fasteners 49 for securing the ball-roller wheel 47 and friction wheel 48, by any conventional means such as by use of a setscrew, to a friction wheel shaft 50 (not visible in FIG. 6 but shown in FIG. 14, discussed below). When installed and in operation in the housing 6, the rotator 12 receives a ball from the entry chute 4 into either the first rotator hole 43 or the second rotator hole 45 which, if the rotator 12 were installed and operating in the housing, would move the ball 2 as the rotator 38 is rotated by the rotator shaft 12. Operation of the apparatus with the ball 2 in the first rotator hole 43 is substantially similar to operation of the apparatus with the ball 2 in the second rotator hole 45. Potentially, the apparatus can be operated with a ball in both rotator holes 43,45 at the same time. In alternate embodiments, the rotator 12 may have either only one rotator hole, or may have more than two rotator holes if properly adapted to accommodate them. Preferably, each rotator hole would have its own associated ball-roller assembly. For convenience, this description will, unless otherwise stated, describe the apparatus based on use of only one ball 2 which, as shown in FIGS. 6, 8, 10, and 11, is in the first rotator hole 43 while being moved by the rotator 12.
FIG. 7 shows the rotator 38 installed in the housing, with the ball 2 at the lower end of the entry chute 4. As noted above, the presence of the ball 2 in the entry chute 4 would have been detected by the start sensor 26, which would have sent a signal via the start-sensor cable 27 to the control box 20 (shown in FIGS. 1-4 but not visible in FIG. 7). The control box 20, has conventional circuitry and components for causing the motor 18 to switch “on,” by closing an electric power circuit, in response to the signal from the start sensor 26. The closed electric power circuit creates an electrical connection that supplies electric power from the power source 3 (shown in FIGS. 1-4 but not visible in FIG. 7), via its power source cable 52. (Only a portion of the electric power cable 52 is visible in FIG. 7, but more of it is visible in FIGS. 1-4 where, in FIGS. 1 and 3, it is symbolically shown plugged, via a conventional power cable plug 53, into the control box 20.) While switched “on,” the motor 18 transfers torque to the rotator 38, via the drive shaft 16, gears in gearbox 17, small sprocket 15, drive chain 14, large sprocket 13, and rotator shaft 12 (of these components, only the rotator 38 and rotator shaft 12 are visible in FIG. 7, but each of the others is described elsewhere herein with reference to other figures such as FIGS. 1-4). The motor 18, power source 3, and intervening electrical components are conventional items selected for use based on the level of torque and rpm needed to rotate the rotator 38, fully loaded with its capacity of balls 2, at a modest rotational rate of speed such as 30-40 degrees per second through the lower chamber 31 and upper chamber 32, with due consideration for the resisting forces provided by the components between the motor 18 and the rotator 38 and within the upper and lower chambers 31,32.
In FIG. 7, the rotator 38 is shown in motion, as indicated by the arced arrow around the rotator shaft 12, at a point prior to receiving the ball 2. As the rotator 38 continues to rotate past the lower end of the entry chute 4, the ball drops into the first rotator hole 43 and is urged by the combined first rotator hole 43 and its associated ball rotator wheel 47 along a path defined by an arc running substantially coincident with the centerline of the scrubbing channel 33. (In alternative embodiments, the path of either the ball 2 or the rotator 38, or both, can be offset somewhat from the centerline of the scrubbing channel.) The ball 2 is then confined within the first rotator hole 43 by, and is scrubbed by, the bristles 34, and is also wetted by the presence of a cleaning liquid 37 in the lower chamber 31, while the ball 2 continues to be moved by rotation of the rotator 38 through the scrubbing channel 33.
In FIG. 8, the ball 2 is shown at a position substantially at the bottom of its travel through the scrubbing channel 33 in the lower chamber 31. The ball 2 is seen in FIG. 8 after it has dropped from the lower end of the entry chute 4 into the first rotator hole 43, and has been moved forward into, and through a portion of, the scrubbing channel 33 by the first rotator hole 43 and its associated ball-roller wheel 47 (which, as discussed above, move with the rotator 38 in response to the torque produced by the motor 18). As also shown in FIG. 8, (with reference to both the first ball-roller assembly 44 and the second ball-roller assembly 46) the friction wheel 48 is turning, thus causing its associated wheel shaft 50 and ball-roller wheel 47 to turn, in the direction indicated by the elliptical arrow around the top of the of the wheel shaft 50. The friction wheel 48 is caused to turn by being in contact with the friction pad 51 while the friction wheel 48 is moved by the rotator 38 through at least a portion of the lower chamber 31. (The relationship between the friction wheel 48 and friction pad 51 may be better understood by also referring to FIG. 14 discussed below.) Thus, in addition to any turning of the ball 2 caused by its contact with the bristles 34, the scrubbing and cleaning of the ball 2 is enhanced by it also being spun as a result of it being in contact with the ball-roller wheel 47 while the ball 2 is being carried through the scrubbing channel 38. Preferably, the friction wheel 48 and the ball-roller wheel 47 are made of a rubber (or rubber-like) material; but, any material may be used for making the friction wheel 48 that creates sufficient friction with the friction pad 51, and for making the ball-roller wheel 47 that creates sufficient friction with the surface of the ball 2, to cause the spinning of the ball 2 by the ball-roller wheel 47.
FIG. 9 shows the upper end of the exit chute 5 protruding into the housing 6 through an exit opening 58 in the wall 10 on the right (exit) side of the housing 6. Preferably, in order to avoid potential interference with an incoming ball 2, the center of the upper end of the exit chute 5, as shown in FIG. 9, is at a higher elevation than the center of the lower end of the entry chute 4, as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 also shows the right inside of the housing 6, similar to the left inside of the housing 6 shown in FIG. 5, with the right scrubbing channel surface 36 shown to comprise a plurality of bristles 34. However, FIG. 9 shows more bristles 34 on the right side. (The exit chute 5, as shown in FIG. 9, interferes with the right scrubbing channel surface 36 less than the entry chute 4, as shown in FIG. 5, interferes with the left scrubbing channel surface 35.) Preferably, as shown in FIG. 9, the right inside of the upper chamber 32 includes the same number of roller pads 56, at substantially the same angular locations, as are shown in FIG. 5 for the right inside of the upper chamber 32. Although, in other embodiments, the number and relative positioning of the roller pads can be varied as desired.
FIG. 10 shows the uninstalled rotator 38 as viewed from the left side to be substantially a mirror image of it as viewed from the right side, as shown in FIG. 6 and described above.
FIG. 11 shows the inside of the housing, as viewed from the left looking toward the right (exit) side, with the ball 2 in the first rotator hole 43 at substantially the highest point of its travel through the upper chamber 32 after having passed through the lower chamber 31 as shown in FIG. 8 and described above. As seen in FIG. 11, the ball 2 is being moved by the rotator 38 through the drying section of the upper chamber 32, the drying section being the section occupied by the roller pads 56, in the direction indicated by the arced arrow around the rotator shaft 12. (This is the same angular direction shown in FIG. 8 but viewed from the opposite side.) As the ball 2 is moved through the upper chamber 32, the ball 2 encounters and displaces the surfaces of the roller pads 56, causing the roller pads 56, while being encountered by the ball 2, to turn about their respective pad shafts 57. (This can be seen more clearly by also referring to FIG. 15 discussed below.) Thus, the surface of the ball 2, after being wetted in the lower chamber 31, is dried (at least in part) by the roller pads in the upper chamber 32. As shown in FIG. 11, the ball 2 is not being actively spun by the ball-roller wheel 47 since the friction pad 51 for this embodiment does not extend into the upper chamber 32. (The friction pad 51 is not shown in FIG. 11 but is shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8 as being located within the left inside of the lower chamber 31). In other embodiments, the upper chamber 32 could have a friction pad 51 for turning the friction wheel 48, and thereby turning the ball-roller wheel 47 and the ball 2, while the ball 2 is moving through the upper chamber 32. It should be noted that other embodiments could have the roller pads 56 replaced by one or more drying surfaces that do not turn about a shaft when encountered by the ball 2, such as stationary drying surfaces. FIG. 11 also shows that, as the ball 2 continues to be moved through the upper chamber 32 it will come into substantial alignment with the upper end of the exit chute 5, where it can drop into the exit chute 5. (The ball 2 also may be biased toward the exit chute 5 by residual pressure from one or more roller pads 56 or by any other conventional means, such as a spring or other compressible object, for biasing the ball 2 in that direction.)
FIG. 12 shows the first rotator hole 43 at a rotated position slightly past its alignment with the upper end of the exit chute 5. At approximately the time of alignment between the first rotator hole 43 and the upper end of the exit chute 5, the ball 2 would have dropped (and/or been biased) out of the first rotator hole 43 into the upper end of the exit chute 5. Thus, FIG. 12 shows the ball 2 in the upper end of the exit chute 5. The rotator 38 stops automatically, as further discussed below, at or after the time it reaches the angular position at which the first rotator hole 45 has come into alignment with the upper end of the exit chute 5. Preferably, the lower end of the entry chute 4 and the upper end of the exit chute 5 are sufficiently separated in elevation for the second rotator hole 45 to align with the upper end of the exit chute 5, and thereby release any ball 2 that was in the second rotator hole 45, before the first rotator hole 43 passes the lower end of the entry chute 4. This arrangement permits the first rotator hole 43 to receive another ball 2 from the entry chute 4 without first having to cycle through the lower and upper chambers 31,32. Of course, embodiments can be made wherein the rotator does not stop until it is moved through at least part of another cycle, in order to position the first rotator hole 43 (or any other rotator hole) for receiving another ball 2 from the entry chute 4. And, in those embodiments, such separation in elevation between the upper end of the exit chute 5 and the lower end of the entry chute 4 would not be necessary.
FIGS. 13-15 show the inside of the housing 6 as seen from the front, at several angular positions of the rotator 38 after the ball 2 has been received into, and is being moved through, the lower and upper chambers 31, 32. In FIGS. 13-15, the rotator shaft 12 is shown passing through the walls 10 on the left side and on the right side of the housing 6 (although the rotator shaft 12 need not pass all the way through the wall 10 on the right side), with a ball-bearing assembly 59 (only the top and bottom portions being visible in these figures) shown recessed into each of the walls 10, on the right and left sides of the housing 6. Each ball-bearing assembly 59 is shown encircling and supporting the rotator shaft 12, and resisting lateral movement of the rotator shaft 12 by encountering a rotator shaft shoulder 60 (only the top and bottom portions being visible in these figures). (Although a ball-bearing assembly is shown in FIGS. 13-15, other embodiments can use any bearing assembly, such as a roller-bearing assembly, or other conventional means to facilitate rotation of the rotator 12 relative to the wall 10.) FIGS. 13-15 also show the limit switch box 23 having therein a limit switch 61, shown symbolically simply as a rectangle with a limit switch lever 62 in contact with the top of the switch-actuating plunger rod 22. Preferably the outer surface of the roller pads 56 is made of a flexible liquid-absorbent material (such as terry cloth or any other conventional drying material) supported, as shown in FIGS. 13-15, by an inner core 63 made of a compressible material (such as natural or synthetic sponge or any other conventional material that will compress and produce resistance pressure when encountered by the ball 2 moving through the upper chamber 32, and that will thereafter resume substantially the form it had before the encounter). The roller pads 56 also preferably have a sleeve 64 made of any stiff material such as stainless steel that is suitable for providing the core 63 protection against wear due to direct contact between it and the roller pad shaft 57. FIGS. 13-15 also show the locations of the supporting inner cylinder 54 and outer cylinder 55, in both the lower chamber 31 and the upper chamber 32, and show a lower-chamber base material 65 serving as a base for the left scrubbing channel surface 35, the right scrubbing channel surface 36, the bristles 34, and the friction pad 51.
FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the housing 6 interior with the ball 2 in approximately its lowest position of travel through the scrubbing channel 33, which is shown bounded on the left and right respectively by the left scrubbing channel surface 35 and the right scrubbing channel surface 36. The ball 2 is shown in FIG. 13 being scrubbed by the bristles 34 as the rotator 38 is rotating in the direction indicated by the elliptical arrow around the rotator shaft 12.
FIG. 14 shows the configuration of the housing 6 interior with the first ball-roller assembly in approximately its lowest position of travel through the scrubbing channel 33. The friction wheel 48 is shown in FIG. 14 as being in contact with the friction pad 51. As shown in FIG. 14, the rotator 38 is rotating in the direction indicated by the elliptical arrow around the rotator shaft 12, and the friction wheel 48, which is moving with the rotator 38, is caused, by its frictional contact with the stationary friction pad 51, to turn (and thus cause the ball-roller wheel 47 to turn) in the direction indicated by the elliptical arrow around the ball-roller wheel 47. Because the ball 2 is being urged forward (into the page as seen in FIG. 14) by the ball-roller wheel 47, the surface of the ball 2 is receiving a frictional force from the ball-roller wheel 47, which frictional force is tending to spin the ball 2 in a rotational direction opposite the rotational direction of the ball-roller wheel 47. (Conceivably, in an alternate embodiment, the friction wheel and friction pad could be replaced by any other combination of conventional parts wherein one part is caused to turn by moving relative to and making contact with the other part, such as by replacing the friction wheel with a gear wheel and the friction pad with a gear track.) Thus, as shown in FIG. 14, particularly in conjunction with the other figures herein showing the ball in the lower chamber 31, the ball 2 is caused to spin by the ball-roller wheel 47 (in addition to any turning of the ball 2 caused by its contact with the bristles 34 and/or the first rotator hole 43) while the ball 2 is being moved through the brush chamber 33. The resulting spinning direction of the ball 2 is not indicated in FIG. 14, or in the other figures showing the ball in the brush chamber 33, since the resulting spinning direction will depend on the magnitude and direction of the several turning forces acting upon the ball 2. Preferably, the ball-turning wheel 47 and the friction wheel 48 are each made of a material such as natural or synthetic rubber, thermoplastic polymer, or other conventional material that will provide sufficient frictional forces (between the friction wheel 48 and the friction pad 51 and between the ball-turning wheel 47 and the surface of the ball 2) for the frictional force between the ball-turning wheel 47 and the ball 2 to dominate the turning forces acting upon the ball 2. As shown in FIGS. 13-15, the friction pad 51 is a part of the base material 65, with the friction pad preferably roughened sufficiently to serve as a substantially non-skid surface for turning the friction wheel 48 as described herein. Alternatively, the base material 65 can be coated by or secured to another material that provides the non-skid surface desired for the friction pad 51. The base material 65 preferably is a thermoplastic polymer, but can be any material suitable for supporting the bristles 34 and the surfaces as described herein.
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, while the rotator 38 is moving the ball 2 through the lower chamber 31, the cam 21 is not displacing the switch-actuating plunger rod 22. However, the cam 21 will approach, and may initiate contact with, the bottom of the plunger rod 22, as shown in FIG. 15, at or shortly after the first rotator hole 43 has moved past its highest point of travel through the upper chamber 32. (The relationship between the cam 21 and the plunger rod 22 are also discussed above in connection with FIG. 2 and below in connection with FIGS. 16 and 17.)
FIG. 15 shows the configuration of the housing 6 interior with the ball 2 in approximately its highest position of travel through the drying section in the upper chamber 32. As seen in FIG. 15, roller pads 56 on each side of the ball 2 are engaged, and each roller pad 56 and its inner core 63 is compressed, by the ball 2 as it is moved by the rotator 38 through the space between the two roller pads 56. The two roller pads 56 shown in FIG. 15 are being pressed against the ball 2 by the reactive pressure from the inner cores 63, and are being rotated in opposing directions, as indicated by the elliptical arrows around the lower ends of the roller pad shafts 57. Thus, the roller pads 56 act to absorb at least some of any residual cleaning liquid from the surface of the ball 2 before the ball 2 reaches the position where the first rotator hole 43 (the one in which the ball is traveling in the figures presented herein) is sufficiently aligned with the upper end of the exit chute 5 for the ball to drop (and/or be urged) into the exit chute 5 where it can then roll through the wall exit opening 58 to the ball-removal access opening 66 (or to other means for removing the ball 2).
FIG. 16 shows the cam 21 being rotated by the rotator shaft 12 in the direction indicated by the arced arrow, and before displacing the switch-actuating plunger rod 22. With the cam 21 in the angular position shown in FIG. 16, the rotator 38 would be at an angular position approximately 30 degrees before reaching a shut-off angular position, the shut-off angular position being a predetermined angular position of the rotator 38 at which the motor 18 is to be switched “off.”
FIG. 17 shows the cam 21 after rotating to a position that displaces the plunger rod 22. The plunger rod 22 is displaced sufficiently to activate the limit switch 61, and thereby cause the motor 18 to be switched “off,” when the angular position of the cam 21, and thus the rotator 38, has reached the shut-off angular position. (Preferably, this would be slightly before full displacement of the plunger rod 22 shown in FIG. 17.) The shut-off angular position is determined based upon the desired stop position (the angular position desired for the rotator 38 to stop), and an evaluation of the angular distance the rotator 38 will cover before stopping after the motor 18 is switched “off.” Preferably, the stop position will place the first rotator hole 43 (and any other rotator hole with a ball occupying it) at a point after the ball 2 has dropped (and/or been urged) into the exit chute 5 and before passing the point at which the first rotator hole 43 is in alignment with the lower end of the entry chute 4 for receiving another ball. The angular distance needed for the rotator 38 to stop can be readily determined based upon the angular momentum of the rotator 38 and the resistance to its continued movement by other components after the motor is switched “off.” It may be necessary, or convenient, to do a limited amount of testing of any particular embodiment in making this determination. However, with a modest rotational speed of the rotator 38, such as the 30-40 degrees per second mentioned above, the resistance generated by the combination of the motor 18 (when “off”) and the components described herein that connect the motor 18 to the rotator 38 and that make contact with the rotator 38 and with the parts connected to it, has been found to result in the rotator 38 stopping almost immediately after the motor 18 is switched “off.” For example, in a prototype, it was found that a rotator would stop within approximately 1-3 degrees after the motor was switched “off,” where a D.C. electric motor that operated at approximately 2,000 rpm was used to rotate a rotator at approximately 6 rpm, with the resistance after switching the motor “off” believed to be almost entirely from the switched-off motor and from the gearbox and sprockets/chain used for achieving the reduction in rpm. (Of course, an alternative embodiment could utilize any conventional brake system adapted to activate and assist in stopping the rotator 38 when the motor 18 is switched “off.”) The motor 18 remains “off” until again switched “on” by the start sensor 26 sensing the introduction of another ball 2. As noted above, however, alternative embodiments could employ conventional means for electronically counting the number of balls inserted via the entry chute 4 and the number of balls exiting via the exit chute 5 to permit continued rotation of the rotator 38 until all of the inserted balls have exited.
It should be understood, that the present invention contemplates and includes all conventional adjustments and modifications to the embodiments described or shown herein, including alternate embodiments of the present invention that have conventional differences in size, shape, proportion, orientation, or direction of rotation from those described or shown herein, without departing from the present invention.
Accordingly, the invention claimed is not limited to the embodiments described or shown herein, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the claims and is limited only by such claims.
Patent Application
20080000036
