US3108301A - Brush cleaning device for generally vertical surfaces - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 29, 1963 E. JONES 3,103,301

BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE FOR GENERALLY VERTICAL SURFACES Filed Aug. 2, 1960 I V 67 ,a/ /9 m /5 mm' F100 40 E- 5 l 3 45 45 rw/j/ IN V EN TOR.

I; 0Y0 E: clbA/ss United States Patent BRUSH CLEANHJG DEVHCE FQR GENERALLY VERTICAL SURFACES Lloyd E. Jones, Arcadia, Calif., assignor to industrial Brush fiornpany, Arcadia, Calif., a corporation of Qalifornia Filed Aug. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 46,982 3 Claims. (Qt. 15-77) This invention relates to a surface treating device for washing, cleaning, or otherwise performing an operation or treatment on a generally vertical surface of a wall, member, or the like in a novel manner. The invention is particularly directed to a portable lightweight power operated brush device for cleaning a highway guard rail.

One construction of a highway guard rail widely used throughout the country is that which includes a plurality of spaced supporting posts interconnected at a suitable height above ground level with a continuous strip of metal which is usually painted with a suitable light reflecting coating in order that the guard rail will be clearly observed during the day and will become readily visible at night in the light beams of headlights of approaching vehicles. The metal strip may be of different configuration and shape, such as convex, W section, zig-Zag section or other suitable structural section adapted for resisting impact, impeding progress of a vehicle, and deflecting the vehicle back onto the highway. Heretofore such guard rails were cleaned by crews of men manually washing the reflective coating or paint on the surface of the guard rail which faced the highway and such manual cleaning, washing, and scrubbing of the highway guard rail was not only tedious, time consuming, but also highly expensrve.

This invention contemplates a portable, readily movable device whereby such highway guard rails may be readily treated, washed, and cleaned with a minimum of labor and in a very rapid, effective and eflicient manner. The present invention is embodied in a. device which may be supported from and carried by the guard rail and which carries motor means for rotating a pair of brush rolls. The manner in which the device is supported and the brush means are driven enables an operator to wash and scrub the surface of the guard rail thoroughly and completely while the device is advanced along the guard rail at a walk. The invention contemplates such a device wheremeans are provided for readily transporting the device from one section of guard rail to another section which may be located across the highway or in spaced relation to the section of guard rail just washed. It will be understood from the following description that the invention contemplates that other means may be substituted for the brush rolls for treating the surface of a guard rail or other generally vertical surface to be treated. By way of example, such other means may include painting rolls supplied with paint under pressure, abrasive rolls for removing surface coatings, Waxing rolls, and the like.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to disclose and provide a surface treating device for treating, brushing, washing, and cleaning generally vertical surfaces in a novel, eflicient manner.

An object of the invention is to disclose and provide a cleaning device for a generally vertical strip-like surface of considerable length, such as a highway guard rail.

Another object of this invention is to disclose and provide a device for washing generally vertical surfaces in a novel manner wherein the device is supported or suspended from the member or structure as a guard rail having the surface to be treated, washed, or cleaned.

A further object of this invention is to disclose and provide a device of the character stated above wherein the device is supported in such a manner that gravitalhlfldfihl Patented 0st. 29, 1963 tional'forces are used to urge the brush means carried by the device into selected pressure contact with the surface being cleaned.

A still further object of this invention is to disclose and provide a surface treating device adapted to be supported by means located at or closely adjacent to the surface being cleaned, and wherein means are provided for selective adjustment of the pressure engagement of the device with the surface being cleaned.

More specifically, the invention contemplates a portable, relatively light-weight surface treating device comprising a housing having a working side with an opening through which a pair of oppositely rotatable brush rolls may project for engagement with the surface being cleaned. Means for supporting the device are provided in spaced relation to said working side face of the housing means whereby a force couple is provided which tends to urge the brush rolls into pressure engagement with the surface being cleaned. Motor means are carried by the housing for driving the brush rolls therein in opposite directions so that cleaning fluid applied to the surface to be cleaned will be temporarily captured and retained within the housing and will serve to maintain the brush rolls in wet condition as the device is advanced along the surface being cleaned. Means are carried by the housing for adjusting the position of the brush rolls with respect to the surface being cleaned so as to compensate for brush wear and to provide proper pressure engagement of the brush rolls with the surface being cleaned.

These and many other objects of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings, in which an exemplary embodiment of this invention is shown.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a device embodying this invention supported from a highway guard rail of convex configuration, a portion of the rail being taken away.

PEG. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 1, the end view being taken from the plane indicated by line Hl-'I I=I of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the drive means for rotating the brush rolls.

In the embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, a device generally indicated at fl is shown supported from a highway guard rail ll. of convex section and having a convex highway-facing surface 12 which may be coated with a light-reflecting material or substance such aswhite paint, various paint compositions, or other suitable reflectant material. The guard rail 11 is supported along its length by longitudinally spaced posts (not shown) positioned in the ground at suitable intervals. The guard rail ii is supported usually by suitable nuts and bolts (not shown) from the highway side vof such posts. The top edge 13 of such a guard rail 11 is virtually continuous and free from post interference throughout the length of the guard rail.

The device it? may comprise a suitable rectangular open frame means 15 which may include end frame members 16 and 17, a bottom frame member 18 and a top frame member 19, said frame members 16, 17, 1S and 19 being interconnected at their ends as by welding so as to provide a rigid rectangular frame structure. The members 315, 17, 13 and I) may be of any suitable structural section illustrated here as of channel section.

A housing means 26 made of suitable light weight metal sheet or metal plate may be carried by the frame means 15 and may include a bottom wall 21 supported from the bottom frame member 18, a back wall 22, end walls 23 and 24-, and a top cover 25 supported on the top frame member 19. The housing means 24? provides a brush roll chamber 2d having a side working opening 27' facing the guard rail surface 12. The top cover 25 may be extended beyond the opening 27 as at 28 so as to project over the top edge of the guard rai ii. The housing may be attached to the frame means in any suitable manner, as by nut and bolt assemblies, spot welding and the like.

Within the chamber 26 formed :by the housing means 29 may be mounted a pair of brush means or brush rolls 39, said brush rolls 3-3 being mounted on shafts 31 disposed in spaced parallel relation and mounted in suitable well-known journal means carried by the top and bottom frame members 19 and 18. In this example the brush rolls are each of spool shape and are provided with a configured or convex peripheral portion corresponding in curvature to the convex surface 12 of the guard rail 11. At opposite ends, each brush roll 38 may be provided with end cylindrical portions 33. is best shown in FIG. 3 the peripheral portions 32, 33 of the brush rolls 30 project beyond the opening 27. The space between the working side face of the housing from opening 27 to the convex surface 12 of the guard rail may be referred to as a working zone. The brush rolls may be of any suitable brush construction and may include bristles of natural materials, synthetic bristle composition, soft or still bristles, metal bristles, or the like depending upon the purpose for which the device is to be used.

Means to rotate the brush rolls 3-9 may include a motor means 35 carried at the top of housing 2%? and supported on a plate extension 36 connected with the top frame member 15 The motor means 35 may be any suitable relatively small, light-weight, gasoline driven motor, and may include a carburetor 37 carried by the motor housing and a gas supply tank 33 supported from the plate extension 36. The motor means 35 may include a motor shaft 39, which may carry at its bottom end a drive gear 4% in meshed engagement with a gear 41 carried by a jack shaft 42 upon which may be supported a pair of spaced sprockets 43 and 44. Sprocket 43 may be connected by a chain 45 to a brush roll sprocket 46 carried on an extension of the brush roll shaft 31. Sprocket 44 may be connect-ed by a chain 4-7 to a sprocket 48 carried on the extension of the shaft 31 of the adjacent brush roll. The drive chain 4-7 may be crossed so that if the direction of rotation of the motor is considered counterclockwise (as viewed from the top) the brush roll 30 adjacent to the motor will be driven in a counterclockwise direction while the remote brush roll 30 will be rotated in a clockwise direction. The drive means for the brush rolls may be provided any selected gear ratio so that a selected peripheral speed of the brush rolls may be attained and so that each brush roll 30 is rotating at approximately the same revolutions per minute.

To facilitate portability and movement of the device 19 when not supported on a guard rail, the frame means 15 may be provided with forwardly-extending brackets 50 which may support axle 51 of a front wheel 52. At the opposite end or rear of device 10 a pair of handles 53 and 54 may be secured as by welding adjacent the top of frame means 15. Each handle 53 and 54 may comprise an elongated piece of tubular bar stock or any other suitable stock from which a handle of selected length may be made. Handle 53 extends parallel to the frame means 15 and to the working zone. Handle projects from the frame means 15 at an angle and in diverging relation to handle 53 so as to provide suitable space between ends of handles 53 and 54 for convenient grasping thereof by the operator. In order to maintain the device 10 upright on the ground when it is not held by the operator a leg 55 of angle section may be secured to frame end member 16 in angular relation therewith so that the points of contact of the wheel 52. and the bottom end of the leg 55 may be in sufficient lateral spaced relation to provide lateral stability so that the device will not tip or fall.

Means to support the device it) from a guard rail 11 and out of contact with the ground surface may comprise a pair of longitudinally spaced support wheels 53 mounted for free rotation on axles 59 supported in pairs of parallel forwardly and rearwardly projecting brackets 60 and 61 respectively. The brackets 6t; and 61 are secured to the top portions of end frame members 16 and 17 in any suitable well-known manner as by welding. It may be noted from FIG. 3 that axles 59 project from the side working face of the housing 26 a distance such that the plane of the Wheels 53 lies approximately in a plane lying parallel to the brush roll shafts 31 and tangent to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portions 33 of the brush rolls. The rolling tread or circumference of each wheel 58 may be generally l-shaped, as at 62, and provides an enlarged outboard flange 63.

When the device llfi is mounted on the top edge of the rail 11 in such manner that the top edge is received in the \l-shaped configuration 62 of the wheels 58, it will be noted that the center of gravity of device it} which lies approximately between parallel planes passed through brush roll axes 31 and motor shaft 39, will provide a force couple acting about the top edge I13 of the rail 11 tending to turn the device 19 downwardly and inwardly toward surface 12 of the rail 11. Means to position the device It) so that the peripheral portions 32 of the brush rolls will properly engage the convex surface of the guard rail may comprise a pair of longitudinally spaced positioning rollers 65 adapted to rollingly engage, as at 66, lower surface portions of the convex face 12 of the guard rail (HQ. 3). Each roller 65 may be carried by a yoke 67 secured to an arm 68 pivoted at 69 to the respective end frame member 16 and 17. Arm 68 may be provided with a transverse slot 70 and a threaded nut and bolt assembly 71 carried by the end frame member may be received in said slot 70 so as to permit pivotal movement of the arm 68 about its pivot 69 to cause the rollers 65 to be adjustably positioned with respect to the side working face 27 of the housing means. It will be readily seen that adjustment of the arm 68 will either advance or retract the roller 65 and such advancement and retraction will cause the peripheral portions of the brush rolls 36 to press against the convex surface being cleaned to a greater or less extent.

In operation of the device vll), it will be understood that the device may be moved to the location of the guard rail by Wheeling it on front wheel 52 and guiding it by the handles 53 and 54. When it is placed alongside a guide rail the device 10 is of sufficiently light weight that the operator can raise the device 10 so as to place the support wheels 58 in engagement with the top edge of the guard rail 11. Upon doing so the device will automatically position itself with respect to the surface 12, as determined by the position of positioning rollers 66 which engage a portion of face 12 adjacent the bottom edge. The device 10 is thus suspended or hung from the top edge of the guard rail 11.- Virtually the entire device is supported at one side of the guard rail and only the flange 63 and a portion of the brush rolls extends *eyond or to the back side of the guard rail The motor 35 may be started and the two brush rolls 30 will revolve in counter-revolution. Since both rotate at approximately the same rate there will be no tendency of the brush rolls in their contact with the guard rail to rapidly advance or rapidly move the device 19 in either a forward or a rearward direction. As a result, the operator has direct control over movement of the device on the rail and may simply push the device along the rail at a normal walking rate. When the operator stops, the device will also be stopped and will not travel along the rail under its own power.

Means for spraying a liquid cleaning or washing solution such as a detergent, soap or the like, upon the surface of the guard rail in front of the device 10 is generally indicated by a spray nozzle 75. Such cleaning solution may be supplied from a tank truck having means for introducing such detergent, soap or other cleaning fluid to a stream of Water which is directed by nozzle 75 against the surface 12 of the guard rail. If desired, the nozzle '75 may be carried by the device and a portion of the solution may be directed against the leading brush roll to thoroughly wet the same. As the device advances over the wet surface 12 the brushes scrub the surface, the solution is caused by the lead brush roll 30 to be thrown against the trailing brush roll '30 and spray of the solution thrown from said brush rolls in their rotation is directed against the back wall of the housing 20. The trailing brush roll is moistened or wet by spray thrown from the leading brush roll and tends to further scrub the surface 12 as it passes over the areas just previously scrubbed by the leading brush roll. As the operator passes the scrubbed portions of surface 12 the tank truck may provide a rinsing stream of water from nozzle 76 to the scrubbed surface 12.

It will be readily apparent that the brush rolls 30 may be slightly varied in their rate of revolution so that the leading brush roll is rotated at a slightly greater speed than the trailing brush roll so that the amount of pushing force required by the operator to advance the device 11} may be somewhat reduced. It will also be understood that any substantial difference in the rate of rotation of the two brush rolls will produce instability in the device and will make the device difiicult to control as it is advanced along the guard rail 12.

As the brush rolls wear, the positioning rollers 65 may be adjusted so that the surface of the brush roll is always in desired pressure contact with the guard rail surface 12. Moisture collected in the housing may be drained therefrom by the provision of suitable openings (not shown) in the bottom wall 2 1 of the housing.

It will be understood that the concave configuration of the brush rolls may be modified in order to correspond to the configuration of other sections of guard rail. For example, a guard rail may be of a W section, in which case the brush rolls may be so configured so as to provide cleaning of the W section in a manner such that proper brush pressure could be uniformly applied throughout the width of the W section guard rail. In the event guard rail supports or posts of such other section guard rails interfere with continuous rolling passage of the device 10, the device 10 may be simply and conveniently lifted past such obstructions. In some instances it may be desirable to mount the device 10 from a motor-driven vehicle which may be driven alongside the guard rail. In this event suitable alignment devices (not shown) may be provided for maintaining the proper brush pressure, and the support wheels 58 will serve to properly guide and align the device along the rail while at the same time partially supporting the device from the rail.

It will also be understood that the invention contemplates that the brush rolls may be removed and pressure-fed painting rolls may 'be substituted therefor so that such a configured guard rail may be painted by a device embodying the function and operation of this invention.

It will also be understood that the invention contemplates the use of other means in place of the brush rolls exemplarily illustrated, as for example pressure fed paint rollers, abrasive rolls or drums for removal of surface coatings, wax applicators, and other devices which may treat, prepare or finish a generally vertical surface.

Other modifications and changes may be made within the spirit of this invention, and all such changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a highway guard rail washing device for use on a guard rail having a top edge and a highway-facing surface, the combination of: a frame means generally vertically disposed and having a side working face adapted to face the surface of said guard rail; a pair of brush rolls mounted for opposite rotation about parallel axes spaced from said side working face, said brush rolls having peripheral portions extending beyond said side working face and being configured to correspond to the curvature of said guard rail surface; means to rotate the brush rolls including a motor means carried by the frame means; and means on the frame means to support the pair of brush rolls in operative contact with said guard rail surface, said support means comprising a pair of support wheel rollab le along the top edge of the guard nail, and a pair of positioning wheels rollably engaged with said guard rail surface in spaced relation to the engagement of said pair of support wheels.

2. In a washing device as stated in claim 1 including adjustment means for said positioning wheels for compensating for wear of said brush rolls.

3. In a highway guard rail cleaning device for use on a guard rail having a top free edge and a surface extending downwardly from said top edge, the combination of: a housing means provided with a chamber and with an opening at one side thereof; a pair of brush rolls mounted for rotation with their axes within said chamber and having peripheral portions extending through said opening for contact with said surface on said guard rail; and means for supporting and positioning said housing means with the brush rolls in operative contact with said guard rail surface, said support means including a pair of wheels rollingly engageable with the top edge of the guard rail and a pair of positioning wheels rollably engageable with a portion of the surface of said guard rail spaced from said top edge. I

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 750,307 Russel Jan. 26, 1904 849,777 Freestate Apr. 9, 1907 1,647,499 Bly Nov. 1, 1927 1,901,908 Hoyos Mar. 21, 1933 2,015,768 Thompson Oct. 1, 1935 2,098,262 Temple Nov. 9, 1937 2,102,537 Kahn Dec. 14, 1937 2,118,276 Temple May 24, 1938 2,543,348 Briese Feb. 27, 1951 2,823,398 Curran Feb. 18, 1958

Claims (1)

1. 3. IN A HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL CLEANING DEVICE FOR USE ON A GUARD RAIL HAVING A TOP FREE EDGE AND A SURFACE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TOP EDGE, THE COMBINATION OF: A HOUSING MEANS PROVIDED WITH A CHAMBER AND WITH AN OPENING AT ONE SIDE THEREOF; A PAIR OF BURSH ROLLS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION WITH THEIR AXES WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING PERIPHERAL PORTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING FOR CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACE ON SAID GUARD RAIL; AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND POSITIONING SAID HOUSING MEANS WITH THE BRUSH ROLLS IN OPERATIVE CONTACT WITH SAID GUARD RAIL SURFACE, SAID SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF WHEELS ROLLINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE TOP EDGE OF THE GUARD RAIL AND A PAIR OF POSITIONING WHEELS ROLLABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH A PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF SAID GUARD RAIL SPACED FROM SAID TOP EDGE.

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