GB1322755A - Method of and apparatus for cleaning pipes - Google Patents

Abstract

1322755 Cleaning pipes M N J WOMBWELL and B K COOKE 20 Oct 1970 [13 April 1970] 17354/70 Heading F2N A method of cleaning pipes for conducting beverage liquid such as beer from a number of containers to respective dispensing taps comprising the steps of: (a) disconnecting the pipes from the containers; (b) connecting said pipes through respective connectors to a common manifold; (c) flushing residual liquid from the pipes; (d) interconnecting the outlets of at least two of the taps through a pump and a reservoir for cleaning fluid; (e) operating the pump to cause a recirculatory flow of cleaning fluid in a closed circuit including the said pipes, the manifold, the pump, and the reservoir; and (f) subsequently breaking the closed circuit and rinsing said pipes with a flow of clean water. A shown in Fig. 2 the connectors H1-H10 (adapted to connectors C1-C10 on containers A1-A10) are transferred to connectors MC1- MC10 on a manifold M. Excess fluid may be purged from the pipes P1-P10 by pressure from gas bottle B. The outlets of tape T4-T5 are connected to the outlets of taps T8-T9 via pump PP and reservoir R, fluid from the reservoir being circulated round the system by the pump. Air may be entrained via lines AL and heads IH, and swirl inducers may be associated with the taps and the manifold connectors to enhance the de-yeasting of the pipes. When cleaning is completed the heads 14 are removed from the reservoir and the pipes DL directed to the sink S to drain the system. The reservoir is then emptied and half filled with clean water and the heads IH replaced. Water is then pumped through the system to the sink. In the system shown in Fig. 3 the procedure is as follows: (a) the pipes P 1 -P 6 are connected to manifold M and the residual liquid purged as before; (b) the taps T 1 -T 3 are connected to taps T 4 - T 6 via manifolds m 1 , m 2 , m 3 as shown; (c) detergent solution is made up in sink S, valve V 2 opened and the pump started so as to part fill reservoir R with fluid; (d) valve V 2 closed and pressure gas admitted to reservoir R via valve V 3 . The valve NRV is a non-return valve so that fluid is expelled from the reservoir and through the pipes to the pump. Thereafter the pump maintains recirculation under pressure; (e) pump stopped and valve V 2 opened whereupon the pressure in the system purges the fluid to the sink; (f) valve V 3 closed; (g) water tap WT opened to part fill the reservoir. Valve V 3 opened and WT left on so as to force water under pressure through the pipes to the sink; and (h) WT turned off and after pressure has purged the system of water valve V 3 is closed. The connectors CM to the manidol M and CR to the reservoir are preferably valved connectors of the kind used in beer kegs. The gas source to the manifold m (which may be ring shaped as in Fig. 2 or linear as in Fig. 3) may be carbon dioxide or compressed air. The pump PP may be peristatic.