GB1198415A - Improvements in or Relating to Apparatus for Washing Vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,198,415. Vehicle washing apparatus. J. F. BIRCH. 18 Jan., 1969, No. 3022/69. Heading B7J. Vehicle washing apparatus comprises a horizontal rotary brush 12 for cleaning the roof of a vehicle 15 and a set 13a of vertical brushes 13 for washing the sides of the vehicle 15, the apparatus also including either an additional horizontal brush disposed so that the vertical brushes are between vertical planes through the rotational axes of the horizontally disposed brushes, or, as shown, an additional set 13b of vertical brushes 13 disposed on the opposite side of a vertical plane through the rotational axis of the horizontal brush 12 to the set of brushes 13a. The brushes 12, 13 are supported on a gantry 11 movable on rails 16 along the length of the vehicle 15 and the vertical brushes 13 are fitted to the gantry by pairs of pivotal arms 14 one at the top and one at the bottom of each brush 13. The brushes 13 are held against the vehicle with a predetermined pressure but during a pass of the gantry 11 along the vehicle 15 to the right of Fig. 1 means are provided for holding the set of brushes 13a away from the vehicle and during a pass to the left for holding the set of brushes 13b away from the vehicle 15 or alternatively, in the arrangement comprising an additional horizontal brush, means are provided for holding that horizontal brush which is in advance of the set in the direction of movement of the brushes relative to the vehicle away from the vehicle. The pivotal arms 14 associated with the set 13a or 13b cause the brushes of the set to maintain contact with vehicle 15 to clean the ends thereof until the arms 14 are at right angles to the direction of gantry movement when further gantry movement separates the brakes 13 from the vehicle. In the embodiment of Fig. 2 (not shown) the pivotal axes (17a) of the pivot arms of a set of vertical brushes 13a or 13b are off-set relative to each other along the vehicle. In the modification of Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 (not shown) an auxiliary vertically disposed brush 21 is fitted between each pair of upper and lower pivot arms 14 intermediate the pivotal axis of the pivot arms 14 and the axis of the vertically disposed rotary brush 13 associated therewith. Each auxiliary brush 21 is of smaller height than its associated vertical brush 13 and rotates in the opposite direction thereto i.e. in the same direction as the movement of the gantry 11.