US3304566A

US3304566A - Mat cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3304566A
Application number: US521944A
Authority: US
Inventors: Doerschlag Christian
Original assignee: Dura Corp
Current assignee: TA ACQUISITION CORP; Dura Corp
Priority date: 1966-01-20
Filing date: 1966-01-20
Publication date: 1967-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-21

Description

Feb. 21, 1967 c. DOERSCHLAG MAT CLEANING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20. 1966 INVENTOR. CH S IAN D0RSCHLA I I /2 am MAT CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHRISTIAN DOERSCH LA BW D AT'Y MEWS Feb. 21, 1967 c. DQERSCHLAG MAT CLEANING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 20. 1966 INVENTOR. CHRISTIAN DOERSCHLAG l TRDFZNEVS FIG. 3

United States Patent Ofifice 3,304,566 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 3,304,566 MAT CLEANHNG APPARATUS Christian Doerschiag, Zanesville, Ohio, assignor to Dura Corporation, Oak Park, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 243, 1966, Ser. No. 521,944 9 Claims. (CI. 77)

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for washing, scrubbing and drying mats such as vehicle floor mats, for example.

In the typical automatic vehicle washing system, the interior of the vehicle to be washed is initially manually cleaned. Owners of many vehicles utilize supplemental mats to cover the interior floors of the vehicles which mats become covered with dirt, mud, or the like and must be cleaned with a washing liquid. The cleaning process has heretofore been accomplished by an attendant removing the mat from the interior of the vehicle, applying a washing liquid thereto to loosen and remove the accumulated dirt, rinsing the mat, and finally manually drying the same.

The object of the present invention is to produce an apparatus for automatically washing, scrubbing, and drying articles such as vehicle floor mats, for example.

Another object of the invention is to produce an automatic washing apparatus for vehicle floor mats and the like, wherein both of the upper and lower surfaces of the mat are treated simultaneously.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from reading the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the outer housing of the mat cleaning apparatus of the invention diagrammatically illustrating the path of a mat therethrough;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus with the outer housing removed and certain parts brokenaway to more clearly illustrate the invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of the invention with portions broken-away to clearly illustrate the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an automatic mat washing apparatus embodying the features of the invention and including an outer housing generally indicated by reference numeral 10 comprising a front wall 12 and a pair of opposed spaced apart

side walls

14, 16. The front wall 12 is provided with an opening or mat receiving aperture 18 which has -a cooperating outwardly projecting shelf support 20. A mat M, typically formed of clear plastic, rubber, or the like resilient material, is adapted to be received by the apparatus through the aperture 18. The mat M is caused, by a plurality of driven brushes and drying rollers, to be explained in greater detail hereinafter, to be pulled or driven through the apparatus and in its cleaned and substantially dried condition may be received at the uppermost portion of the apparatus on a slightly inclined surface 22,

The apparatus comprises a pair of spaced apart Ver tically disposed

side plates

24 and 26 which are adapted to receive an arcuate assembly of bearings for journalling opposite ends of a series of drive rolls 32. The ends of the shafts of the drive roll 32 adjacent to side plate 24 are provided with sprockets 34 which are keyed or otherwise suitably secured thereto. The sprockets 34 are drivingly interconnected by an endless chain 36. The tension of the chain 36 is maintained by an idler sprocket 38 which is suitably journalled in a bearing member disposed in the side plate 24. The sprockets 34 are driven by a drive sprocket 40 which is keyed to one end of a shaft 42. The other end of the shaft 42 is provided with a sprocket 44 which is coupled to a sprocket 45 of a drive motor 46 through a suitable step-down or reduction gear train.

More specifically, the gear train for. driving the rolls 32 comprises a primary drive sprocket 48 which is connected to the motor sprocket 45 by a chain 50. Keyed to the same shaft as the sprocket 48 is a smaller sprocket 52 which is connected to a larger sprocket 54 by a chain 56. A smaller sprocket 58 is keyed to the same shaft as the larger sprocket 54 and in turn is connected to the sprocket 44 by a chain 60. In a typical installation, the gear reduction is such that in order to obtain one revolution of the drive sprocket 44, there must be approximately twenty-five revolutions of the armature of the motor sprocket 45.

Cooperating with-the drive rolls 32 are two sets of

idler rolls

62 and 64. The set of idler rolls 62 is interdigitated between the idler rolls 64 and the rolls are arranged such that their longitudinal axes are parallel With one another. It will be appreciated that the opposite ends of the

idler rolls

62 and 64 are journalled within bearings suitably mounted in the

side plates

24 and 26. As is clearly apparent from the drawings, in the preferred embodiment, the outside diameters of the rolls 62 are larger than the outside diameters of the rolls 64.

The mounting of the drive rolls 32 and the idler rolls 62 and 64 is achieved such that each set of rolls is disposed in an arcuate path which paths are all struck from the same center point. More specifically, all of the center points of rotation of the drive rolls 32 are on an arc struck from a common center point. Likewise, the center points of the

idler rolls

62 and 64 are on respective arcs struck from the same center point as the drive rolls 32. However, it will be noted that the center points of the idler rolls 62 and 64 are slightly radially offset from the center point of the particular drive roll 32 with which they cooperate. As will be more clearly apparent hereinafter, this relationship is among the important features of the invention and provides the means by which the mat M, being treated, can be readily driven through the desired arcuate path.

Preferably, the drive rolls 32 and the idler rolls 62, 64 are each covered with a layer of resilient material such as for example a cylindrical layer of foamed polyurethane resin.

At the inlet or entrance of the assembly, there are disposed two cooperating pinch rolls 66 and 68 immediately adjacent the mat receiving aperture 18 0f the outer housing. The pinch rolls 66, 68 are journalled to rotate within respective bearings mounted in the

side plates

24 and 26. The upper roll 66 is provided with a gear element 67 mounted on the shaft thereof and positioned on the outer side of the plate 24. The lower roll 68 is provided with a gear element 69 mounted on the shaft thereof and positioned on the outer side of the plate 24. The gears 67 and 69 are disposed such that the teeth are in meshed gearing relation. The lower roll 68 has a sprocket 70 keyed thereto adjacent the inner surface of the side plate 24. The sprocket 70 is drivingly interconnected with the chain 36 which is also adapted to drive the sprockets 34 of the drive rollers 32.

It will be appreciated that as the sprocket 70 is caused to be rotated, the pinch roll 68 and its associated gear 69 will be rotated. Simultaneously, the gear 69 will drive the gear 67 causing the associated pinch roll 66 to rotate in a direction opposite to that of the roll 68.

Disposed in spaced relation behind the pinch rolls 66, 68, there is a pair of cooperating

cylindrical brushes

72 and 74. These brushes are of a conventional type and have radially extending bristles which may be formed of synthetic or natural material. The

brushes

72 and 74 are mounted to rotate in bearings disposed in the

side plates

24 and 26. One of the ends of the shafts of the

brushes

72 and 74 is caused to project through the side plate 26. The shaft of the upper brush 72 is provided with a sprocket 76, while the shaft of the lower brush 74 contains a sprocket 78 (FIG. 2). The shaft which supports the brush 74 and contains the sprocket 78, also carries the

sprockets

48 and 52 which are keyed or otherwise suitably secured thereto.

The brushes are driven by a chain 80 which engages a pair of spaced

idler sprockets

82 and 84 which are suitably journalled in bearings mounted on a rearwardly extending brace or crossbar 85. The chain 80 also engages the sprockets 76 and 78 and since the sprocket 78 is keyed to the same shaft as the sprocket 48, the rotation of movement thereof is imparted by the motor sprocket 45 of the drive motor 46 through the chain 50. Accordingly it will be seen that assuming the motor sprocket 45 is caused to be driven in a counterclockwise direction, the sprockets 48 and 78 will be driven in a counterclockwise direction and the sprocket 76 will be driven in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the associated

scrubbing brushes

72 and 74 will be caused to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, thereby imparting the desired scrubbing action to the mat M which is driven therebetween by the pinch rolls 66 and 68, and the

cooperating rolls

32, 62 and 64.

Between the pinch rolls 62, 64 and the

brushes

72, 74, there is disposed an upper water delivery pipe 86 and a spaced lower water delivery pipe 88. The upper pipe 86 is provided with a plurality of holes of nozzles formed therein to direct water downwardly toward the zone between the

brushes

72 and 74. The lower water delivery pipe 88 is provided with a plurality of holes or nozzles formed therein to direct water upwardly toward the zone between the

brushes

72 and 74. The

pipes

86 and 88 are coupled to a source of washing liquid which may typically be water or under certain operating conditions be water and soap or detergent mixture. It will be understood that the fluid delivered by the

pipes

86 and 88 constitutes the primary or initial washing medium for the mat M.

A pair of spaced apart horizontally disposed rinse pipes 94 and 96 are positioned, as shown in FIG. 4, to supply the necessary rinse fluid, typically water, to the mat M travelling between the

rolls

32, 62, and 64. The pipes 94 and 96 are provided with a plurality of holes or nozzles which are formed to deliver respective sprays of water on the upper and lower surfaces of the mat M being cleaned.

An inclined plate 102 is mounted between the

side plates

24 and 26 to collect the fluids employed in washing andrinsing the mat M and emanating from the

supply pipes

86, 88, 94, and 96. A collection trough 104 is disposed at the lower end of the plate 102 to collect the material falling on the inclined surface of the plate 102. The trough 104 is suitably connected to a drain to remove the material deposited therein, not shown.

In operation, the mat M is placed on the support 20 and is manually moved inwardly until the leading edge of the mat is engaged by the revolving pinch rolls 66 and 68. The pinch rolls 66 and 68 force the mat to travel between the

counter rotating brushes

72 and 74. As the mat travels between the

brushes

72 and 74, the liquid emanating from the

supply pipes

86 and 88 is directed in part on the opposite sides of the mat and also moistens the bristles of the brushes to aid in the brushing and scrubbing operations.

The mat is then caused to be moved by the driven rolls 32 through the space between the outer peripheries of the driven rolls 32 and the idle rolls 62, 64, and both sides thereof are adequately rinsed by the water emanating from the supply pipes 94 and 96.

After the mat surfaces have been rinsed, the mat is caused to be moved between the rolls 32 and the

rolls

62, 64 which function to move the water remaining thereon. Finally, the mat M is deposited on the support 22 and is ready to be reinstalled into the automobile.

During the operation of the apparatus, the Water from the

supply pipes

86, 88, 94, and 96 initially contacts respective surfaces of the mat being cleaned and thence falls by gravity to the inclined plate 102 and then is collected in the trough 104.

Since the drive rolls 32 are slightly radially offset from the associated rolls 62, 64, the leading edge of the mat M is turned slightly upwardly as it travels from one set of associated rolls to another. Thus, a rather large number of rolls can be employed and assembled in a relatively compact space.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning a substantially flat mat element comprising:

a first and second set of rolls disposed in parallel closely spaced generally vertically extending arcuate paths, the rolls of each set being adapted to rotate about parallel axes to receive the mat element between the outer peripheral surfaces thereof, the rolls of said second set being radially offset from the rolls of said first set to effectively cause the mat element to be directed arcuately upwardly as it passes between the rolls of said first and second sets;

means for driving certain of said rolls;

means for delivering the mat element between said sets of rolls;

means for brushing the surfaces of the mat element; and

fluid supply means for delivering fluid to the mat element for cleaning purposes.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rolls of said first and second sets are provided with resilient material on the peripheries thereof.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and second sets of rolls are spaced from one another an amount suflicient to provide a squeegee action on the mat element passing therebetween.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein only said first set of rolls is driven by said driving means.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said delivery means includes a pair of substantially coextensive driven rolls.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said brushing means comprise a pair of counter rotating cylindrical brush elements.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said fluid supply means includes a first spray for delivery a washing fluid to the mat element for assisting said brush means in removing accumulated foreign matter and a second 3,304,566 5 6 fluid spray means for delivering a rinsing fluid to the mat References Cited by the Examiner element subsequent to being brushed. UNITED STATES PATENTS 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said brushing means is disposed to accomplish the brushing action 1,817,332 8/1931 Worran 15 77 on the mat element prior to entry thereof between the rolls 5 3,930,575 10/ 1933 Wy 6t 31 15 77 X of said first and Second Sew 3,098,249 7/1963 ,Tice et al 15 102 X 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second set of rolls is comprised of small rolls interdigitated be- CHARLES WILLMUTH P'Zmary Exammer' tween larger rolls. E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT MAT ELEMENT COMPRISING: A FIRST AND SECOND SET OF ROLLS DISPOSED IN PARALLEL CLOSELY SPACED GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING ARCUATE PATHS, THE ROLLS OF EACH SET BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE ABOUT PARALLEL AXES TO RECEIVE THE MAT ELEMENT BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACES THEREOF, THE ROLLS OF SAID SECOND SET BEING RADIALLY OFFSET FROM THE ROLLS OF SAID FIRST SET TO EFFECTIVELY CAUSE THE MAT ELEMENT TO BE DIRECTED ARCUATELY UPWARDLY AS IT PASSES BETWEEN THE ROLLS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SETS; MEANS FOR DRIVING CERTAIN OF SAID ROLLS; MEANS FOR DELIVERING THE MAT ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID SETS OF ROLLS; MEANS FOR BRUSHING THE SURFACES OF THE MAT ELEMENT; AND FLUID SUPPLY MEANS FOR DELIVERING FLUID TO THE MAT ELEMENT FOR CLEANING PURPOSES.