GB2110176A

GB2110176A - Brush assembly for vehicle washing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2110176A
Application number: GB08230477A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Theiler; Pierre Zeyer
Original assignee: THEILER R FERRUM SA
Current assignee: THEILER R FERRUM SA
Priority date: 1981-10-29
Filing date: 1982-10-26
Publication date: 1983-06-15
Also published as: GB2110176B; DE3239530A1; FR2515589A1; IT8223950A0; IT1155410B

Abstract

A pendular assembly for mounting rotating vertical brushes for an automatic vehicle washing apparatus. A support bearing (10) for the brush spindle 8 is mounted to the trolley 3 via a three point double suspension means which allows the brush to tilt in all directions. A reduction motor 9 with a hollow shaft is supported by a plate integral with the support bearing 10 forming a single mechanical unit to follow the tilting movements of the spindle 8. A detector 16 retracts the trolley 3 on pronounced tilting of the brush. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A pendular assembly for mounting rotating vertical brushes The invention relates to a pendular assembly with an omnidirectional detector for mounting vertical brushes for use in automatic vehcile washing gantries.

Automatic washing machines possess at least two rotating vertical cylindrical brushes intended for washing the approximately vertical portions of vehicles, such as radiator grilles, wings, sides and backs.

Correct washing necessitates close and constant contact between the brushes and the vehicle body without excessive speed or pressure. This is essential for the vertical brushes which perform the majority of the washing work.

To this end, the brushes are mounted on trolleys on a gantry so that they can be moved apart and together with forward and backward rectilinear movements along the gantry transversely to the washing direction.

The actual brushes are mounted pivotally to the trolley so as to be able to tilt slightly and to reach the recessed portions of the vehicle.

At present there are only two methods of producing the kinematic connection between the spindle of a vertical brush and the corresponding trolley.

In a first method, the brush spindle is mounted pivotally to the trolley in the plane of the gantry and in a more elaborate method the spindle swings freely in two intersecting planes, one parallel and the other perpendicular to the movement of the gantry.

With this design, the brush can perform all the compound movements in these two general directions. To this end, the spindle which will permit movement in transverse planes is mounted in a cradle oscillating about a longitudinal axis.

In the two foregoing methods, the detection unit comprises a finger and wheel switch cooperating with a slot or a shaped recess. On either side of a central position, the wheel leaves its housing and transmits a detection signal to the unit controlling the movement of the trolley which thereby moves away or nearer as the case may be.

The first embodiment limits the swinging movement of the spindle bearing the brush to pendular movements transversely to the washing direction.

Consequently, the marked changes in the shapes of vehicles to be washed are translated by greater tilting of the brush in the transverse plane. This greater tilting is detected in the detection unit and is used to control the retraction of the trolley. The resultant instantaneous contact is inadequate for perfect washing.

The second alternative achieves substantially better results. In fact, in this case, the brush spindle is able to perform various tilting movements in all the vertical planes passing through its axis, thus permitting shapes to be matched better during a sudden change of profile or of concavity and the recessed portions to be reached more effectively.

However, dead angles are observed in the case of excessive tilting or of excessive changes of shape.

For example, the brush rests instead of controlling the movement apart in the case of a 450 inclination.

The present invention provides a pendular assem blyfor mounting rotating vertical brushes, the assembly being mounted on a trolley which is movable along a gantry of an automatic vehicle washing apparatus, in which a support bearing for a driving spindle is mounted on a body of the trolley by a double suspension means so as to be able to swing in any direction, the said support bearing mounting at its upper end a support plate for a reduction motor and a detector assembly mounted to the trolley for detecting the swing of the assembly in any direction.

The appliance has the following advantages in addition to those mentioned above: Improved washing, safety, simplicity and reliability. Minimum maintenance, and easy assembly.

Other technical characteristics and advantages are set out in the following description which is given as a non-limiting example of an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic view in a vertical section of the pendular assembly according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a vertical section of the assembly shown in Figure 1 in more detail.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the trolley showing the distribution of the connecting elements forming the suspension means.

Figure 4 shows a general elevation of a gantry of an automatic vehicle wash illustrating the possible inclinations of the assembly according to the invention.

Figure 5 shows schematically, from above, the positioning of the brush in various extreme positions.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below without restricting the protection defined by the claims.

The same applies to the suspension means capable of assuming various shapes, and to the detector. In fact, the invention remains valid whatever the detecting principle.

The vertical washing brushes 1 are mounted to be movable along a gantry 2 by trolleys 3, the trolleys being caused to effect rectilinear movements apart and together over a track constituted by the shaped sections 4 of the upper cross beam 5 of the gantry 2.

The vertical brushes 1 comprise a cylindrical spindle 6 on which there is mounted via a fixing flange 7 a driving spindle 8 connected to a reduction motor 9.

The spindle 8 is mounted on the trolley via a support bearing 10. It also connects with the reducing gear by a hollow shaft 11 of the reduction motor 9 and terminates with an end 12 provided with a detectable element 13, for example a metal contact 14, facing the sensitive surface 15 of a suitable detector 16 mounted to the trolley body via a The drawing(s) originally filed wasiwere informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

suspension arm 17.

The support bearing 10 is mounted so as to be able to swing on the body of the trolley 3 via a double omnidirectional suspension means 18, for example of the type with three upper fixing points and three lower fixing points, in the following manner.

A central support disc 19 integral with the support bearing 10 rests on damping blocks 20 in a regular radial arrangement, as shown in Figure 3. One side of each of these blocks is fixed to the central disc 19 and the other side of each block is fixed to the body of the trolley 3 alternatively above and below the disc 19. The blocks 20 are arranged at identical angular intervals.

Rigid rubber damping cylinders of the type used in cars can advantageously be used as blocks 20.

This suspension means enables the brush to perform angular movements in all directions from its vertical rest position.

The reduction motor is mounted on a support plate 21 connected to the end of the support bearing 10 via an attached support 22 to the bearing 10 via an intermediate damping block 23 to absorb the stress of the starting torque.

The support bearing is thus integral with the motor block. The tilting of the brush causes the tilting of the upper assembly.

During operation, the vertical brushes are subjected to various tilting movements resulting from their passage along the vehicle body.

The suspension means according to the invention enables tilting in all directions to be absorbed.

During more pronounced tilting, the deviation of the end of the spindle 8 will cause the element 13 to move away from contact with the detector 16 which may be of the magnetic induction type.

A signal from the detector 16 immediately instructs the carriage to retract. The brush then moves into a more vertical work position under the influence of the restoring spring.

A preferred embodiment of the invention makes use of a more elaborate detector 24 which will supply to a control box 25, for example an electronic control box, data about the value and the direction of the angle of inclination of the brush.

The box 25 is connected directly or via an adaptation and monitoring module 26 to the trolley translation motor. It controls this movement on the basis of the data from the detector thus providing a genuine servomechanism.

According to this embodiment, the movements of the trolley are to be controlled by a set value representing the optimum inclination of the brush.

Thus, throughout the washing operation and whatever the external disturbances and disturbances originating from the variations in the shape of the vehicle body, the brush will automatically adopt its optimum inclination.

In this mode of operation, it is advantageous to eliminate any sliding or slipping of the trolley, for example by effecting the drive by a rack type device.

The invention has been described in detail above.

However, it is obvious that modifications of a secondary nature, by variations in parts described or by substitutions by equivalent parts, equipment or means and other changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention described by the claims. This is the case in particular with the detection assembly which can employ many different variations in physical values.

Claims

1. A pendularassemblyfor mounting rotating vertical brushes, the assembly being mounted on a trolley which is movable along a gantry of an automatic vehicle washing apparatus, in which a support bearing for a driving spindle is mounted on a body of the trolley by a double suspension means so as to be able to swing in any direction, the said support bearing mounting at its upper end a support plate for a reduction motor and a detector assembly mounted to the trolley for detecting the swing of the assembly in any direction.

2. A pendular assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the double suspension means comprises a plurality of damping blocks fixed between a central disc integral with the support bearing and the body of the trolley, the blocks being arranged alternatively above and below the disc and at substantially identical angular intervals.

3. An assembly as claimed in claims 1 and 2, in which the double suspension means is of a three point type having three blocks above the disc and three blocks below the disc.

4. An assembly as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3 in which the damping blocks are made of rigid rubber.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the support plate of the reduction motor is mounted on an attached support integral with the support bearing via an intermediate damping block.

6. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, in which the end of the driving spindle comprises a detectable element for detection by the detectors.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6, in which the detectable element is a metal contact.

8. An assembly as claimed claims 1, 6 and 7, in which the detector is of the magnetic induction type.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the detector is of the angle detection type.

10. An assembly as claimed in claims 1 snd 9, in which the detector is connected through a control box to the trolley translation motor in order to effect servo-control by means of which the movements of the trolley bring the brush back into a position of optimum inclination.

11. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A pendular assembly with onmidirectional detection for rotating vertical brushes mounted on trolleys which are actuated with movements of retracting and closing travel along the gantries of automatic vehicle washing stations, characterised in that the support bearing 10 for the driving spindle 8 is mounted so as to oscillate with respect to the body of the trolley 3 via a double suspension means 18, the said bearing 10 mounting at its upper end the support plate 21 of the reduction motor 9 so as to constitute a mechanical unit travelling at a nc.lina- tion to the brush in front of a detection assembly 16 integral with the trolley.