US1682902A - Vehicle-washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 192s. 1,682,902

H. S. GIBSON VEHICLE WASHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1924 Sept. 4, 1928.

, 1,682,902 H. s. GIBSON VEHICLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 14. 1924 4 SheetsSheet 2" 4Sheets-Sheet 3 H. S.,GlBsoN VEHICLE WASHING MACHINE Flled Aprll 14, 1924 Sept. 4, 1928.

Sept. 4, 1928.

H. S. GIBSON VEHICLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q www@ @1M/ou mug/U Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,682,902 PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD s. GIBSON, or WASHINGTON, :DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, AssIGNOR OF ONE- LFOURTI-I TO DORSEY F. ASBURY AND THREE-FOURTHS TO HELEN MILLS GIBSON, :BOTH OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. t i" VEHICLE-WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed April 14, 1924. Serial 110.706,354.

My invention relates to Washing apparatus, and has particular reference to improvements in machines for Washing vehicles, particularly automobiles, my aim being to provide a machine for this purpose by means of which a maximum number of vehicles may be Washed in a minimum amount of time and at relatively low cost.

Vtith the foregoing and other purposes in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangen'ient of parts as will be hereinafter morcfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Whereinllike characters of reference denote corresponding` parts in the different views Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle washing machine embodying the novel and essential features of my invent-ion;

Figure 2, a topplan view;

Figure 3, a transverse section on the lines 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4, a transverse section on the line 4- 4 of Figure l; f

Figure 5, an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the machine; v

Figure (3, a detail view of one of the stop devices associated with one of the fixed spray devices of the machine;

- F igurc 7, a view similar to Figure 6 showing the stop device moved to released position; and

Figure 8, a detail view of one of the stop devices associated with one of the movable spray devices.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed my improved machine, in its embodiment herein illustrated, consists of a frame and that this frame is divided into or includes three separate operating stations disposed in advance of one another,

so that a vehicle entering the lnachine at` one end of the frame passes through each of said operating stations before it emerges from the machine at the other end of the frame. The frame is designated generally at 10 and the three operating stations at 1-, and c, respectively. the tirst of these latter vbeing a soaking and washing station, the -econd, a. washing and rinsingstation, and the third, a drying station. A. vehicle enteringr the machine is halted at station a where it is subjected to sprays of preferably aerated water over a suitable period of time to soften and partially remove accumulations therefrom. It then is moved to station b where it again is subjected to sprays of,

preferably aerated Water over a suit-able period of time to further soak and rinse the same as operators at this station manually remove any tenacious accumulations not removed at station ai. After being thoroughlv cleansed and rinsed at station b, it is moved to station c where it is subjected to sprays of warn'i air to dry the same before it emerges from the machine. By this method of first soaking a vehicle at one station and then moving it to a rinsing station and subsequently to a drying station, it is obvious that a maximum number of vehicles may be cleansed in a minimum amount of time, for as soon as one vehicle has been moved from station a to station I), another vehicle may be moved into station a to be soaked in readiness to be moved to station b immediately the vehicle in station is moved to station c.

Frame 1() is composed ofv a plurality of uprights 11 arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of the machine and connected by stringers 12 the uprights of each pair bemg spaced transversely of the machine and connected at their upper ends by preferably arched members 13.

Midway between the upright-s 1l and extending longitudinally through the frame 1() is a trestle 14C composed in this instance of uprights 15 and transverse connecting members 16, and supported by this trestle are two transversely spaced tracks 17, 17 each consisting of upper and lower pairs of rails also extending longitudinallythrough the machine. i

Supported on the tracks 17, 17 is an endless conveyor composed in this instance of two link belt-s 1S. 18 each of which is provided with numerous supporting wheels or rollers engaging the tracks 17, 17 whereby the belts are Ji'recly movable over said tracks. At each end of the machine is a sprocket wheel or wheels 19 over which the belts 18, 18 extend and arranged to drive the sprocket wheel or wheels at one end of vthe frame, whereby the belts 1 8, 18 are caused to be moved along the tracks 17 17, is a motor or other suitable power device 20.

The conveyor belts 18, 18 are adapted to iso A' by a ve the` machine, .or its wheels rotated when 1t be engagled by the wheels of a vehicle, whereicle` may be moved bodily through is held against such bodily movement, and in order to prevent. lateral movement of a vehicle off of said belts, guard plates 21, 21

are provided, the same extending above the forms 23, 23 and directly below these platforms, are other operator supporting platforms 24, 24, this arrangement permitting workmen to easily reach all parts of a vehicle as is manifest.

A water supply pipe extends longitudinally of the machine at the tops of operating stations a and b and is provided at suitably spaced intervals therealong with spra heads instance of devices 27, 28 with water outlet' 25, while connected with said supp y pipe are branch pipes 26 leading to front and rear wheel spray devices 27 and 28, respectively, provided at each side of both of said operating stations.

At each side of operating station c are front and rear wheel spray devices 29 and 30, respectively, designed to supply warm air from any desired source to a, vehicle to dry the same after it `has been washed and rinsed at stations a and b'. In this instance the. spray devices are supplied with warm air through pipes 31 connected with a shell 32 surrounding a heater 33, a blower 34 being provided to force air through said. shell to said spray devices.

i Each of the aforesaid front and rear wheel spray devices 27, 28 and 29, 30 consists of a vertically disposedpip'e, provided, in the apertures 35, as shown in Figure 4, and. in the instance of pipes 29, 30 with air spray nozzles 36, the pipes at each operating station being relatively movable whereby they may be adjusted longitudinally of the machine towards and away from each other to be disposed in substantially the same desired predetermined relation to vehicles of different length. f

1n the present Iembodiment of my invention the rear wheel spray devices or pipes supply pipe, and by means of a wei ht 43 or equivalent means, is maintaine normally at its limit of swinging movement towards its associated rear wheel spray' device 28l or 30, preferably against a stop 44, as shown at each of the operating stations a, b and c in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Alixed to each front wheel spray device or pipe 27 -29, at or near the lower end of the latter, is a bracket 45, and pivoted to this bracket for swinging movement in a horizontal plane is an arm 46 carrying at its free end a roller 47 that is held normally across the path of movement of a wheel of a vehicle passing through the machine by yieldable means such as a coil spring 48 connecting arm 46 with bracket 45, said spring being of such strength that a greater force is required to swing the arm 46 to a position with the roller 47 disposed out of the path of movement `of a wheel of a vehicle passing through the machine, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, than the force necessary to swing the spray pipe away from limit stop 44 against anot er limit stop 49.

The operation is apparent and as follows: With the conve or belts in operation and moving in the irection of the arrow d in Figure 1 of the drawings, operators at opposite sides of station a lift the weighted arms 39 to swing rollers 38 downward as shown in Figure l, out of the path of movenient of the front wheels of a vehicle entering the machine and hold said arms lifted until the front wheels of the vehicle pass by same, when the arms are released and weights 41 s wing the rollers 38 to the position shown in Figure 6 to engage with the rear wheels of the vehicle and halt the same. If the vehicle is longer than the normal distance between the front and rear wheel spray devices, its front wheels will en ge with the rollers 47 and swing the front wglileel spray devices or pipes away from the rear wheel spray devices or pipes until the vehicle is halted by the rear wheels thereof engaving with rollers 38, when both the front an rear spray devices will be disposed in substantially the same predetermined relation to the front and rear wheels of the vehicle, the adjustment of the spray devices to predetermined positions with respect to vehicles of different length thus being automatic as is manifest. I

v'llhe conveyor belts continue to move after the vehicle has been halted and since the vehicle cannot move forward through the machine and wheels are rotated baclgwards by said conveyor which obviously facilitates the cleaning action of water issuing from the apertures 35.

When the vehicle has remained at station a over a desired period ot time, the arms 39 are again lifted and it is moved bodily by the conveyer belts towards station b, during which movement the front wheels thereot acting against rollers 47 swing the iront spray devices until they reach the limit stops 49, when said rollers are moved outward against the torce ot the springs t8 by the iront vehicle wheels and said wheelsthus pass by the sameu The weights i3 then swing the iront spray devices to the rear where they are engaged by the rear wheels ot the vehicle as the latter is carried along the conveyor belts and the operation pist recounted is repeated. The complete operation set tortli in the foregoing then occurs at stations b and c. U

Preferably each pipe constituting' the iront and rear wheel spray devices at stations a and b is provided with branch tender spray pipes 50, and, as shown in lllig. l, the machine may be `placed 'in a pit to dispose the conveyor belts at the level oi the surtace over which vehicles travel to enter the machine, or, as shown inl Figure 5, inclined approaches 5l may be provided at the ends oit the machine it it is desired to position the conveyor belts at an elevation.,

l claim l. ln a vehicle washing machine, a movable spray device, stop meansto halt a vehicle passing through the machine, and means whereby said spray device is moved by a vehicle passing through the machine to a predetermined position with respect to a portion ot the vehicle.

Q. lin a vehicle washing machine, iront and rear ispray devices, one of which is movable towards and away trom the other, and a member carried by said movable spray device engageable by a portion eta vehicle passing through the machine whereby s uch spray device is moved with the vehicle in a predetermined relation with respect thereto, said member being yieldable whereby the vehicle may pass bythe same when the movable spray device isl held against movement.

3. lin a vehicle washing machine, a spray device, and a stop engageable with a portion .y

ot a vehicle passing through the machine to halt the vehicle in predetermined relation to said spray device, said stop being movable to a released position and being positioned to be held released by a vehicle passing through the machine.

1l. ln a vehicle washing machine, a. movable spray device, and a member carried by said .movable spray device enga eable by a vehicle passing through the mac ine whereby said spray device is moved with said vehicle, said member being yieldable and posi-- tioned to be forced out of the path of the vehicle by the vehicle during its passage fthrough the machine.

5. In a vehicle washing machine, a spray device, and a stop device to halt a vehicle passing through themachine in predeterrespect to the other spray device, and means operable by a vehicle passing through the machine to move said movable spray device with the vehicle in a predetermined relation thereto.

7. ln a vehicle washing machine, a movable spray device, a member thereon engageable by a vehicle passing through the machine whereby the spray device is moved in a predetermined relation with the vehicle, and a spring holding said member normally in a osition to be engaged by the vehicle where y the member may yield to permit the vehicle to pass by the same when the spray device is held against movement.

8. ln a vehicle washing machine, a conveyor upon which the wheels ot a vehicle are adapted to rest, means tor driving said conveyor whereby the yvehicle is carried through the machine and whereby the wheels thereof are caused'to rotate when the vehicle proper is held against movement, a spray device, and a stop in the form of a roller engageable with a wheel ot a vehicle resting on said conveyor whereby the vehicle is halted in predetermined relation to said spray device,

9. ln a vehicle washing machine, a conveyor upon which the wheels of a vehicle are adapted to rest, means for driving said conveyor whereby the vehicle is carried through the machine and whereby the wheels thereof are caused to rotate iwhen the vehicle proper is held against movement, a movable spray device, and a member carried by said spray device engageable by a `vehicle passing through the machine whereby the spray device is moved to a predetermined position with respect to the vehicle, said member consisting ot a roller engageable with a wheel of the vehicle.

10. In a vehicle washing' machine, a movable spray device, a member thereon engageable by a vehicle passing through the machine whereby the spray device is moved in a predetermined relation with the vehicle,v

yieldable means holding said member normally in a position to be engaged by a vehicle, a stop against which the spray device is adapted to abut when moved by a vehicle passing through the machine, whereby such vehicle may overcome said 'ieldable holding means and pass by sai member, and means holding said spray device normally spaced from said stop.

l1. In a vehicle washing machine, in combination, a vehicle trackway in the form of an endless carrier on which a Vehicle is adapted to move through the machine, a

cleaning device adjacent to said carrier, and a releasable positive stop device located in the path of a portion of a vehicle moving through the machine on said carrier for stopping the vehicle in a redetermined position with respect to said c eaning device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto arix my Signature.

HOWARD S. GIBSON.

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