US3772725A - Car washing apparatus - Google Patents

Car washing apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3772725A
US3772725A US00263000A US3772725DA US3772725A US 3772725 A US3772725 A US 3772725A US 00263000 A US00263000 A US 00263000A US 3772725D A US3772725D A US 3772725DA US 3772725 A US3772725 A US 3772725A
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United States
Prior art keywords
boom
car
carriage
brush
path
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00263000A
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English (en)
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R Shelstad
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Individual
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Individual
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60S3/00—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles
    • B60S3/04—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles
    • B60S3/06—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle
    • B60S3/063—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle the axis of rotation being approximately vertical
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S15/00—Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
    • Y10S15/02—Car cleaning plants

Definitions

  • Frictional resistance between the brush and car causes the carriage to move axially towards the inner end of the boom while gravity maintains the brush in traction against the side of the car.
  • gravity urges the boom towards the starting position and the carriage is moved axially by gravity towards the free end of the boom.
  • a hydraulic damper controls the rate at which the boom swings back towards the starting position to insure proper scrubbing of the rear of the car.
  • Automatic car washing apparatus typically employs a pair of vertical rotary brushes, carried on an overhead arm, which scrub the front, sides and back of the car.
  • the arms are positioned in sequential order on opposite sides of a bay through which the car is driven or moved by a conveyor. As the car passes through the bay, the arms are moved so that each of the brushes first scrub laterally and outwardly from the center of the car, then longitudinally along the side, and finally laterally and inwardly back to the center of the car.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,733 describes a relatively elaborate hydraulic system, including various valving and controlling devices, for controlling the movement of the arms.
  • devices of this type require frequent maintenance and part replacement because of the large number of moving parts.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,034 describes an arrangement of springs, pulleys and weights for controlling the movement of the arms. Although having fewer moving parts, devices of this type require considerable supporting structure, making installation relatively expensive.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,537 describes the use of articulated arms which are operated by gravity. Devices of this type are considerably less complex in the other two discussed above; however, several moving components are still required.
  • the primary object of this invention is to provide a car washing'apparatus having a simplified wrap-around brush assembly which can be controlled with a minimum of moving parts and, thus, has reduced fabrication and maintenance costs.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide such a brush assembly which requires a relatively small space for installation and operation.
  • the car washing apparatus of this invention includes an overhead boom pivoted at its inner end about a fixed pivot axis positioned at one side of the car's path.
  • the boom In the starting position, the boom extends transversely of this cars path, preferably at about a angle to the path in the forward direction, and is pivotable from this starting position to a retracted position generally parallel to the cars path.
  • a carriage, from which a vertical rotary brush is suspended, is axially movable along the boom.
  • the boom is inclined downwardly toward its outer free end so that the carriage is biased by gravity towards a neutral position, disposed substantially in the center of the cars path when the boom is in the starting position.
  • the pivot axis for the boom is arranged at a slight angle to the vertical to provide this incline and to provide a gravity bias urging the boom toward the starting position.
  • control means is provided to control the rate at which the boom returns toward the starting position so that a substantially constant force is maintained between the brush and the car.
  • a spring loaded carriage stop menas can be provided on the outer end of the boom which permits the carriage to be released a predetermined distance past the neutral position, in the event the brush engages a larger than normal projection on the front of the car.
  • FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the wrap-around brush assembly of this invention, shown in the normally extended and retracted positions.
  • FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the brush assembly of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, detailed view taken along the plane designated 33 in FIG. 2.
  • FIGS. M are diagrammatic plan views of the brush assemblies illustrating their different positions as a car moves through the wash bay.
  • the car washing apparatus of this invention includes a pair of oppositely rotating, wrap-around brush assemblies which brush the right and left sides of a car as it moves along the predetermined path through a wash bay.
  • the car is either moved through the bay by a conventional conveyor means or driven through, with the wheels being guided in wheel guides in a conventional manner.
  • the two wrap-around brush assemblies, which are located sequentially on opposite sides of the bay, are arranged in substantially the same manner. Therefore, only the brush assembly located on the left side of the automobile (i.e. the drivers side) is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 1-3.
  • each wrap-around brush assembly 10 includes an overhead boom 12 mounted on a vertical standard 14 located at the side of the wash bay.
  • Boom 12 carries carriage 16, which is axially movable along the boom and from which a rotary vertical brush 18 is suspended.
  • boom 12 extends transversely of the washing bay at a 45 angle to the path of the car (designated by arrow 20) when in the starting position shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1.
  • Carraige 16 is biased (by gravity as explained below) to neutral position on the outer end of boom 12, disposing brush l8 centrally in path 20.
  • Carriage 16 has a plurality of rollers 22, M, 26 which engage and roll along the top, bottom and sides of the boom, respectively. These rollers are arranged to hold the carriage captive against the rocking forces imposed thereon when a car strikes brush 1% as it moves through the washing bay. These rollers are mounted on concentric shafts, which are adjustably mounted on the carriage so that the rollers can be adjusted into and away from engagement with the boom. Thus, the rollers can be adjusted to obtain good rolling engagement with the boom at the time of initial installation of the carriage and during use as the rollers wear.
  • the inward movement of carriage 16 along boom 12 is limited by springloaded stop pin 28 which extends transversely through slots 29 provided in the sides of the boom near the inner end thereof.
  • the outward movement of carriage 16 along boom 12 is limited by a spring-loaded stop pin 30, which extends transversely through slots 32 provided in the sides of the boom near the outer end thereof.
  • Brush 18 is mounted on a vertical drive shaft 36, which is driven by hydraulic motor 38.
  • Brush 18 is of conventional design having flexible bristles which are flailed outwardly by centrifugal force to impinge on and wipe the car body with a scrubbing action.
  • the brush of the assembly located on the drivers side of the automobile (the one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) rotates in a counterclockwise direction, while the brush of the assembly located on the passenger side of the automobile rotates in a clockwise direction.
  • Motor 38 is connected to a source of hydraulic fluid (not shown) by hoses 40 and 42. If desired, motor 38 can be a conventional electric motor, in which case an electrical cable (connected to a suitable source of electrical power) is used in place of hydraulic hoses 40 and 42.
  • Detergent is sprayed onto brush 18 by nozzle 43, the upper end of which is mounted on carriage 16. Detergent is supplied to nozzle 43 by hose 44.
  • the outlet head of nozzle is preferably adjustable so that detergent can be sprayed onto the brush, directly onto the car, or both.
  • Boom 12 has a vertical shaft 46 located near its inner end which acts as its pivot axis.
  • the upper and lower ends of shaft 46 are journaled in self-aligning, antifriction bearing 48 and 50, respectively.
  • Bearings 48, 50 are mounted to the outer ends of horizontal arms 52 and 54, respectively, which are located on the top portion of support standard 14. Arms 52 and 54 are positioned generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of car path 20. These arms extend outwardly from vertical standard 14 so that brush 18 will not strike the vertical standard when carriage 16 is moved against stop pin 28.
  • Upper bearing 48 is bolted to end plate 56 on upper arm 52 and lower bearing 50 is bolted to end plate 58 on lower arm 54.
  • lower end plate 50 has elongated slots 60 through which the lower bearing mounting bolts are installed. Slots 60 permit lower bearing 50 to be shifted transversely to the right with respect to the upper bearing 48 (as viewed in FIG. 3) so that the longitudinal axis of shaft 46 is at a small angle to the vertical (e.g. about 4.5 degrees). With shaft 46 so oriented, the longitudinal axis of boom 12 is substantially horizontal, when it is in a retracted position, generally parallel to path 20 (shown by the solid lines in FIG. 1 The boom inclines downwardly toward its outer-free end in the starting position.
  • Lower bearing 50 is adjusted to provide boom 12 with a sufficient incline so that carriage 16 is moved by gravity toward the neutral position, as the boom swings from the retracted position towards the starting position. Also, this angular orientation of the boom pivot axis creates a gravity bias urging the boom toward the starting position.
  • shaft 46 is preferably arranged to extend through the boom at a slight angle to the vertical.
  • the transverse axis of the boom remains substantially parallel with the floor to it swings back and forth. This permits the carriage to roll freely on the boom and provides uniform wearing of the rollers and the boom surface because of the uniform bearing load of the carriage on the boom.
  • the vertical axis of the brush is maintained substantially perpendicular and generally parallel to the side of the car, thereby producing a uniform scrubbing action. If shaft 46 is arranged vertically, the surfaces of the boom are tilted and the carriage is slightly cocked from the vertical. The resultant unbalanced bearing load inhibits carriage movement to some degree and causes nonuniform wearing of the rollers and the surfaces of the boom.
  • a vertical plate 62 is mounted on the bay side of arms 52 and 54.
  • Rods 64 extends through an opening in plate 62 and has a rod end bearing 66 at one end which is pivotally mounted on the inner end of boom 12 via pin 68.
  • Boom 12 is partially biased to the starting position by coil spring 70, which is guided on one end of rod 64 and bears against one side of plate 62, and coil spring 72, which is held on the opposite end of rod 64 by retainer 74 and bears against the otherside of plate 62.
  • a conventional hydraulic cylinder motion damper 76 connected between boom 12 and plate 62, controls the rate in which the boom swings back to the starting position during the brushing operation.
  • Damper 76 has conventional fluid flow control means which provides substantially unrestricted flow during extension of the piston rod 72 (as the boom swings towards the retracted position) and restricts the fluid flow to control the retraction rate of the piston rod (as the boom is swung back toward the starting position).
  • Outrigger bracket 80 mounted on and depending outwardly from the side of boom 12, holds hydraulic hoses 40, 42 and detergent supply hose 44 away from the brush so they do not become entangled therewith as the carriage travels back and forth on the boom during the brushing operation.
  • the wrap-around brush assemblies are located on opposite sides of the washing bay and are situated so they are engaged sequentially by a car moving through the bay. As shown in FIGS. 4-8, the assemblies are positioned so that car 82 first contacts assembly 10A located on the driver's side. Upon initial contact by car 82, brush 18, driven counterclockwise by motor 38, commences scrubbing the front of the automobile. The brush moves from the center toward the left front corner, as boom 12 is swung toward the retracted position by the forward movement of car 82.
  • springloaded stop pin 30 allows carriage 16 to move further toward the outer end of the boom, in the event the brush encounters a larger-than-normal projection, such as a protruding headlight or the like.
  • boom 12 has been urged by gravity generally to its starting position as shown in FIG. 6.
  • the rate at which the boom returns toward the starting position is controlled by motion damper 76 so that substantially uniform and constant pressure is maintained between the brush and the car.
  • Carriage 16 is then moved toward its neutral position by the combination of gravity and the frictional resistance between the brush and the car as shown in FIG. 7.
  • Spring 72 prevents the brush from bouncing away from the rear of the car as the carriage travels toward the neutral position. Spring '72 also compresses to allow the brush to go past the center of the automobile. Upon decompression, spring 72 repositions the boom to the starting position so a portion of the rear of the car is rescrubbed.
  • the car washing apparatus of this invention is arranged so that movement of the wrap-around brush is controlled with a minimum of moving parts.
  • the primary motivation of the brush is provided by the traction of the brush itself and by gravity, which maintains the brush in traction against the car body, returns the boom to its starting position, and returns the carriage to its neutral position.
  • the free standing unit although sturdy in construction, does not require a structural housing and is economical to fabricate. Furthermore, minimum space is required to accommodate movement of the overhead arm.
  • Car washing apparatus for scrubbing the front, one side, and rear of a car body as it moves along a predetermined path comprising:
  • an overhead boom pivoted at its inner end about a fixed axis positioned at one side of said path and 7 having an outer free end, said boom extending transversely of the path and inclining downwardly towards its free end when in a starting position and being pivotable between the starting position and a retracted position generally parallel to the path;
  • biasing means for biasing said boom toward the starting position
  • said biasing means includes means for positioning the pivot axis, so the pivot axis is displaced from the perpendicular outwardly from the car at its lower end to provide the downward incline of said boom when said boom is in the starting position, and to provide a gravity bias urging said boom toward the starting position.
  • said positioning means includes a laterally shiftable journal means carrying the pivot axis.
  • the car washing apparatus including a support means positioned at one side of the path and carrying said journal means, said journal means mounted on said support means so that the longitudinal axis of said boom is substantially horizontal when in the retracted position.
  • the car washing apparatus including control means which permits substantially free movement of said boom toward the retracted position and controls the rate at which said boom swings back toward the starting position from the retracted position, so that a substantially constant force is maintained between said brush and the car.
  • control means includes a fluid cylinder connected to said boom, said cylinder including a piston and a fluid control means which controls fluid flow to one side of said piston so it can move freely in one direction as said boom moves toward the retracted position and limits fluid flow to the other side of said piston so it moves at a controlled rate in the opposite direction as said boom swings back toward the starting position.
  • the car washing apparatus including a vertical standard positioned at one side of said path and carrying the pivot axis and wherein said biasing means includes a vertical plate mounted on said standard; a rod means slidably extending through an opening in said plate and including a first end pivotally mounted to the inner end portion of said boom and a second end extending through the opening;
  • the car washing apparatus including a spring-loaded carriage stop means positioned near the outer end of said boom which is normally engaged by said carriage when in the neutral position for permitting said carriage to move axially along said boom a predetermined distance from the neutral position in the event said brush engages a larger than normal projection on the front of the car.
  • Car washing apparatus for scrubbing the front, one side and rear of a car body as it moves along a predetermined path comprising:
  • a support means positioned at one side of the path
  • an overhead boom pivoted at its inner end about a fixed axis carried by said support means and having a free outer end, said boom extending transversely of the path and inclining downwardly towards its free end when in a starting position and being pivotable between the starting position and a retracted position generally parallel to the path;
  • the car washing apparatus including a spring-loaded carriage stop means positioned near the outer end of said boom which is normally engaged by said carriage when in the neutral position and permits said carriage to move outwardly along said boom a predetermined distance from the neutral position in the event said brush engages a larger than normal projection on the front of the car.
  • the car washing apparatus including control means which permits substantially free movement of said boom towards the retracted position and controls the rate at which said boom swings back towards the Starting position from the retracted position so that a substantially constant force is maintained between said brush and the car.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Vehicle Cleaning, Maintenance, Repair, Refitting, And Outriggers (AREA)
US00263000A 1972-06-15 1972-06-15 Car washing apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3772725A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US26300072A 1972-06-15 1972-06-15

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US3772725A true US3772725A (en) 1973-11-20

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US00263000A Expired - Lifetime US3772725A (en) 1972-06-15 1972-06-15 Car washing apparatus

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US (1) US3772725A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4950755A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2330632A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2190082A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3881208A (en) * 1974-02-11 1975-05-06 Detroit Tool & Eng Co Car-wash apparatus
US3892002A (en) * 1973-05-07 1975-07-01 John A Horner Car cleaning apparatus
US4359796A (en) * 1981-08-03 1982-11-23 Edward Holbus Car washing mechanism
US4424602A (en) 1981-10-07 1984-01-10 Belanger, Inc. Car washing apparatus
US4769868A (en) * 1986-10-14 1988-09-13 Victor Pagnanelli Car wash machine with rolling gravity pressure controlled wrap brushes
US5325559A (en) * 1990-12-27 1994-07-05 Belanger, Inc. Compact drive-through vehicle wash
EP1106457A3 (de) * 1999-11-30 2003-04-16 MTE Messing Technology & Equipment GmbH Kraftfahrzeug-Waschstrasse
US20100100224A1 (en) * 2008-10-21 2010-04-22 Stratasys, Inc. Adjustable head mount for digital manufacturing system

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5535246Y2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1975-02-05 1980-08-20

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1951067A1 (de) * 1969-01-18 1970-10-01 Ceccato & Co Ortsfeste,mit drei Buersten ausgestattete Waschanlage fuer Fahrzeuge im allgemeinen
US3540069A (en) * 1968-08-20 1970-11-17 Howard E Grant Automobile side and rear window washer
US3570034A (en) * 1969-02-26 1971-03-16 California Car Wash Car washing apparatus
US3662419A (en) * 1969-03-07 1972-05-16 Franco Dini Car washing apparatus

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3540069A (en) * 1968-08-20 1970-11-17 Howard E Grant Automobile side and rear window washer
DE1951067A1 (de) * 1969-01-18 1970-10-01 Ceccato & Co Ortsfeste,mit drei Buersten ausgestattete Waschanlage fuer Fahrzeuge im allgemeinen
US3570034A (en) * 1969-02-26 1971-03-16 California Car Wash Car washing apparatus
US3662419A (en) * 1969-03-07 1972-05-16 Franco Dini Car washing apparatus

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3892002A (en) * 1973-05-07 1975-07-01 John A Horner Car cleaning apparatus
US3881208A (en) * 1974-02-11 1975-05-06 Detroit Tool & Eng Co Car-wash apparatus
US4359796A (en) * 1981-08-03 1982-11-23 Edward Holbus Car washing mechanism
US4424602A (en) 1981-10-07 1984-01-10 Belanger, Inc. Car washing apparatus
US4769868A (en) * 1986-10-14 1988-09-13 Victor Pagnanelli Car wash machine with rolling gravity pressure controlled wrap brushes
US5325559A (en) * 1990-12-27 1994-07-05 Belanger, Inc. Compact drive-through vehicle wash
EP1106457A3 (de) * 1999-11-30 2003-04-16 MTE Messing Technology & Equipment GmbH Kraftfahrzeug-Waschstrasse
US20100100224A1 (en) * 2008-10-21 2010-04-22 Stratasys, Inc. Adjustable head mount for digital manufacturing system
US8153182B2 (en) * 2008-10-21 2012-04-10 Stratasys, Inc. Adjustable head mount for digital manufacturing system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2330632A1 (de) 1974-01-03
FR2190082A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-01-25
JPS4950755A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-05-17

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