Abrasive cleaning

Claim 2

Apparatus for abrasive cleaning of a workpiece, comprising in combination, container means, means for charging said container means with an abrasive, means for mixing a fluid with said abrasive, conduit means including first and second conduits each having a work end, first means connecting said work end of said first conduit to a first part of a workpiece to be cleaned, second means connecting said work end of said second conduit to a second part of any said workpiece to be cleaned, and bidirectional means to direct a fluid and abrasive mixture under pressure from said container means through said first conduit to said first part of any said workpiece to have said abrasive return to said container means via said second conduit and alternatively to direct a fluid and abrasive mixture under pressure from said container means through said second conduit to said second part of any said workpiece to have said abrasive return to said container means via said first conduit.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid is a liquid.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid is a mixture containing air and water.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mixing means includes a venturi.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said charging means includes manual valve means to permit entrance of abrasive and fluid to said container means.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said container means includes first and second tanks, and said bidirectional Means directs a fluid and abrasive mixture from said first tank to said second tank and alternatively from said second tank to said first tank.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including an air pressure source, and said mixing means including means to entrain air into abrasive in said first conduit.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said mixing means includes means to entrain air into abrasive in said second conduit.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including an air pressure source, and said mixing means including means to mix abrasive and a liquid and means to entrain air into said first conduit to mix with said liquid and abrasive mixture therein.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said mixing means includes means to mix abrasive and a liquid and means to entrain air into said liquid and abrasive mixture in said second conduit.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mixing means includes a venturi having a throat opening, and means connecting said throat opening to said container means to aspirate abrasive from said container means into said conduit means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including an air pressure source, and wherein said mixing means includes a venturi connected in said conduit means with the throat opening of said venturi connected to said air pressure source to aspirate air into said conduit means.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid includes a liquid, said mixing means includes an abrasive valve in said container means, a liquid valve in said container means positioned therein above the highest level of abrasive in said container means, first and second venturis for said container means and each having a throat opening, means connecting the throat opening of said first venturi to the outlet of said abrasive valve, an air pressure source, and means connecting the throat opening of said second venturi to said air pressure source to obtain a mixture of liquid, abrasive and air in said conduit means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid includes a liquid, said container means includes first and second tanks, said bidirectional means including first and second liquid level switches in said first and second tanks, respectively, and control means connected with said switches to control the direction of the liquid and abrasive mixture flow in said bidirectional means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said workpiece has at least two openings to internal passages, said first connecting means including means connecting said work end of said first conduit to a first opening in a workpiece, and said second connecting means including means connecting said work end of said second conduit to a second opening in any said workpiece.

Claim 17

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid is air.

Claim 18

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said workpiece has a plurality of openings to internal passages, said second connecting means includes a manifold having a master opening and a plurality of valved openings connected to a plurality of openings in any said workpiece to be cleaned, means to actuate said valved openings, said work end of said second conduit being connected to said master opening, and control means in said bidirectional means to alternatively actuate said valve openings to alternatively direct fluid and abrasive mixture through different openings in any said workpiece.

Claim 19

Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein said control means in said bidirectional means includes timer means to sequentially actuate said solenoid valves during each portion of the cycle to sequentially clean each of the openings in the workpiece.

Claim 20

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including an air pressure source, said fluid including a liquid, first and second tanks in said container means, said bidirectioNal means including first and second liquid level switches in said first and second tanks, respectively, bidirectional valve means in said bidirectional means, and control means connecting said switches to control actuation of said valve means to direct air under pressure into said first tank to circulate liquid and abrasive mixture from said first conduit to a first part of a workpiece to be cleaned and to said second tank via said second conduit, and said second switch controlling said control means and reversing said valve means upon the liquid level in said second tank ascending to the level of said second switch to thus circulate liquid and abrasive from said second conduit to said second part of said workpiece and return to said first tank via said first conduit.

Claim 21

Apparatus as set forth in claim 19, including an air passageway from the top of said first and second tanks to said first and second conduits, respectively, to entrain air in said liquid and abrasive mixture.

Claim 22

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including an air pressure source, said fluid including a liquid, first and second tanks in said container means, said bidirectional means including an abrasive valve and a liquid valve for each of said first and second tanks, bidirectional valve means in said bidirectional means, control means in said bidirectional means opening both of said abrasive valves and both of said liquid valves and directing air pressure by said bidirectional valve means into said first tank to circulate liquid and abrasive from said first tank to a first part of a workpiece to be cleaned and to said second tank via said second conduit, said control means reversing said valve means to direct air pressure into said second tank to thus circulate liquid and abrasive mixture from said second conduit to said second part of said workpiece and return to said first tank via said first conduit, means in said control means to close both said abrasive valves to perform a flushing cycle of liquid only from said first tank to said second tank and then reversing for liquid flow from said second tank to said first tank, and means in said control means to close both of said liquid valves to perform a drying cycle to have air only pass from said first tank through said conduit means to said second tank.

Claim 23

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid includes a liquid, a liquid pump, bidirectional valve means in said bidirectional means, first and second tanks in said container means, said bidirectional means including control means to control actuation of said valve means to direct liquid from said second tank under pressure into said first tank to circulate liquid and abrasive mixture from said first conduit to a first part of a workpiece to be cleaned and to said second tank via said second conduit, and said control means reversing said valve means to thus circulate liquid and abrasive from said second conduit to said second part of said workpiece and return to said first tank via said first conduit.

Claim 24

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including an openable housing within said conduit means, and means in said housing to hold a part to be cleaned by said abrasive on the external surfaces thereof.

Claim 25

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said workpiece has at least three openings to internal passages, said first connecting means including means connecting said work end of said first conduit to a first opening in a workpiece, and said second connecting means including means connecting said work end of said second conduit directly to a second and a third opening in any said workpiece.

Claim 26

Apparatus for abrasive cleaning of a workpiece, comprising in combination, container means, means for charging said container means with an abrasive, conduit means having a work end, means connecting said work end of said conduit means to a first part of a workpiece to bE cleaned, a source of liquid, an air pressure source, means to mix abrasive from said container means with a liquid from said liquid source and direct it to said conduit means, and means in said mixing means to entrain air from said air pressure source into said conduit means to direct a mixture of liquid, air and abrasive through said conduit means to said first part of any said workpiece.

Claim 27

Apparatus for abrasive cleaning of a workpiece, comprising in combination, container means, means for charging said container means with an abrasive, conduit means having a work end, means connecting said work end of said conduit means to a first part of a workpiece to bE cleaned, a source of liquid, an air pressure source, means to mix abrasive from said container means with a liquid from said liquid source and direct it to said conduit means, and means in said mixing means to entrain air from said air pressure source into said conduit means to direct a mixture of liquid, air and abrasive through said conduit means to said first part of any said workpiece.

Claim 28

Apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said mixing means includes venturi means.

Claim 29

Apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said mixing means includes first and second venturis each having a throat opening, means to direct abrasives to the throat opening of said first venturi, and means to direct air to the throat opening of said second venturi.

Claim 30

Apparatus as set forth in claim 27, wherein said venturis are connected in series.

Claim 31

Apparatus as set forth in claim 25, including bidirectional means to direct said mixture of liquid, air and abrasive to said first part of a workpiece to be cleaned and alternatively to a second part of a workpiece.

Claim 32

Apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said source of liquid is under pressure from said air pressure source to establish a substantially equal air and liquid pressure on the abrasive mixture at a given time, and said mixing means including venturi means to establish a lower pressure at the throat of the venturi means to enable entrainment of the abrasive and the air into the liquid.

Claim 33

Apparatus as set forth in claim 30, including an air passage from said container means to the throat opening of said venturi means to entrain air into said conduit means.