US3785295A

US3785295A - Car conveyor, in particular for a washing car machine

Info

Publication number: US3785295A
Application number: US00266619A
Authority: US
Inventors: O Kuikkonen
Original assignee: RATEKO
Current assignee: RATEKO
Priority date: 1972-03-21
Filing date: 1972-06-27
Publication date: 1974-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-15
Also published as: FI46826B; DE2218719A1; FI46826C; FR2177367A5

Abstract

Car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washing machine, which moves the car with the aid of stops pushing against the wheels on one side at least and which consists of an elastic tube flattening under the car wheel to full closure, into which tube a liquid or gaseous pressure medium is conducted so that the stop moving the car wheel is formed of the inflating tube. The tube has been composed of hollow wedge-like parts, which have been placed one into the other and joined at their outer rims so that within the tube chambers are formed, and that at the narrower end of the wedge-shaped part there is an aperture for conducting the pressure medium from one chamber to the other.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,785,295

Kiukkonen 1 Jan. 15, 1974 CAR CONVEYOR, IN PARTICULAR FOR A 3,610,392 10/1971 Parker 104/155 HI A CH 3,691,961 9/1972 Zeljman 104/155 [75] Inventor: Olli Juhani Kiukkonen, Kotka,

Finland Primary Examiner- Robert G. Sheridan Assistant Examiner- Richard A. Bertsch [73] Assignee: Rateko 0y, Karhula, Finland Att0rneyToren and McGeady [22] Filed: June 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 266,619

[57] ABSTRACT Car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washing machine, which moves the car with the aid of [30] Foreign Application Priority Data stops pushing against the wheels on one side at least Mar. 21. 1972 #5151161L.".......'ll.f......;..... 7 76/72 n hich consists of an elastic tube flattening under the car wheel to full closure, into which tube a liquid 52 11.5. c1. 104 155, 104/172 B, 198/1 or gaseous pressure medium is conducted so that the [51] Int. Cl. B65g 35/00 p moving the Car Wheel is formed of the inflating [58] Field of Search 104/172 B, 154, 155; tube The tube has been p d of hollow' wedge- 193/1 like parts, which have been placed one into the other and joined at their outer rims so that within the tube [56] Refer Cit d chambers are formed, and that at the narrower end of UNITED STATES PATENTS the wedge-shaped part there is an aperture for con- 236,555 1/1881 Conger 104/155 gt the pressure medwm from one chamber to the 2,856,139 lO/l958 Lockwood 104/155 6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures CAR CONVEYOR, IN PARTICULAR FOR A WASHING CAR MACHINE The present invention concerns a car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washing machine, which moves the car with the aid of stops pushing against the wheels at least on one side of the car and which consists of an elastic tube that is flattened to full closure under the car wheel, and into which tube liquid or gaseous pressure medium is conducted so that the stop moving the wheel is formed by the inflated tube.

Car conveyors employed in car washing machines are usually mechanical and they are based on the use of a chain or equivalent, which conveys the car at a constant speed from one washing phase to the other. Conveyors of this kind are complex and expensive, in addition to which it has been found in practice that they are easily damaged and that they expose the workers to danger. Endeavours have therefore been made to introduce simpler and less dangerous conveyors. One such is a tube which is flattened under the wheel so that it is fully closed and into which a liquid under pressure is supplied. On the upper wall of the tube transverse ridges have been provided, which under the car wheel are urged into a corresponding grove in the lower wall of the tube, thereby sealing the tube to be closed at this point. However, it is difficult to make a structure of this kind completely tight despite the fact that the serrations engage with each other. This also means that air cannot be used as pressure medium. Furthermore, in this design the ratio of the propagating force and lifting force is low.

The aim of'the present invention is to provide a car conveyor which is free of the drawbacks mentioned above. A car conveyor according to the invention is characterized in that the tube has been formed of hollow, wedge-like sections which have been placed one in the other and attached to each other by their outer edges so that in the tube chambers are formed, and that at the narrower end of the wedge-shaped part there is an aperture for conducting the pressure medium from one chamber to another. A conveyor of this kind has, above all, the advantage of reliability in service and that as a pressure medium also a gas, such as compressed air, may be used. In a conveyor according to the invention the ratio of the propulsive force and the lifting force is also substantially higher than in any structures of prior art.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention the parts constituting the tube are conical. It has found to be particularly advantageous if the parts constituting the tube are oblique cones, the apertures at their narrower end lying closer to the lower surface of the conveyor than to its upper surface. Each such chamber forms a stop of appropriate shape, which efficiently pushes the car wheel and at the same time the entire car forwardly.

According to another advantageous embodiment one may also form the tube of membranes which have been attached to each other and to the lower surface of the conveyor so that they constitute chambers. In this case, too, the chambers are wedge-shaped and such that with their aid the most efficient car-transporting force possible is obtained.

In some car washing machines it is advantageous to make such arrangements that the car moves at different speeds in different washing stages. It is then possible according to a third advantageous embodiment to make such arrangements that the tube has been subdivided into at least two consecutive zones into each of which separately pressure medium may be introduced.

In order that spikes, or equivalent guards against slipping, which may be found on the car tire, or sand carried along with the tire might not damage the elastic tube constituting the conveyor, it is furthermore possible according to an advantageous embodiment to make such arrangements that a protective carpet has been placed upon the tube.

The invention is described in the following with the aid of an example with reference to the attached drawing, wherein: A

FIG. I shows wedge-like parts, of which the elastic tube has been formed,

FIG. 2 presents the elastic tube, with the wedge-like parts mutually joined,

FIG. 3 shows a car conveyor in elevational view and partly in section,

FIG. 4 shows the section along the line lV-IV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows the section along the line VV in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows the car conveyor at the point where the car wheel resides, as seen from the side and sectioned,

FIG. 7 shows schematically the car conveyor and the car, viewed from above,

FIG. 8 presents another embodiment in schematical presentation, and

FIG. 9 shows the wedge-like part according to a third embodiment.

In FIG. 1 those parts have been separately shown which constitute the principal part of the conveyor, that is the tube which is flattened to full closure under the car wheel. Each part 4 is composed of a conical portion 11 and a cylindrical portion 12. The free outer edge of these, 5, attaches tightly to the juncture 13 of the conical and cylindrical portions of the next part. For introduction of pressure medium into the tube 2 in the part 14 an aperture 15 opening to one side has been formed. Correspondingly, the narrower end of the exit part 16 has been shaped as a downwardly opening exit port 17. All parts except this exit part 16 have at their narrow end an aperture 7.

In FIG. 2 these

parts

16, 4 and 14 have been joined, whereby in the interior of each part a separate chamber 6 is formed. The pressure medium proceeds from the introduction part 14 towards the exit part 16, passing from the chamber 6 through the aperture 7 into the corresponding chamber of the next part.

In FIG. 3 a car conveyor having a plurality of zones has been shown. The pressure medium is introduced through the aperture 15 at the initial end of the zones, and it escapes through the apertures 17 at the ultimate ends of the zones. In FIG. 4 there is seen the supply duct 18, through which the pressure medium is conducted to the zones, and the exit duct 19, through which the pressure medium escapes. In the cross section seen in FIG. 5, a protective carpet 10 has been placed upon the elastic tube 2, and topmost there are guiding borders 20, which keep the car wheel centred upon the conveyor.

In FIG. 6 the situation is depicted in which the car wheel 3 has flattened the tube 2 to full closure. Pressure medium is then introduced through the supply aperture 15 at the initial end of the zone into the chamber 6, whereby the pressure of the pressure medium urges the wheel in forward direction. At the same time pressure medium passes through the aperture 7 into the chamber formed by the next wedge-like part, which pushes the wheel further, thus transporting the car forwardly. The pressure medium proceeds from one chamber into the next as the wheel 3 moves forward, until it emerges through the exit port 17 of the exit part at the end of the zone. Simultaneously, however, the next zone has already commenced to move the car forwardly.

In the schematic drawing of FIG. 7, the car conveyor has been formed of one zone only. The pump 21 then supplies pressure medium to the initial end of the conveyor. In the case of FIG. 8 there are several zones, and the pump 21 supplies pressure medium to the initial end of each zone. Valves 22 are used to regulate the amount of pressure medium going to each individual zone.

In FIG. 9 an alternative design has been presented for forming the tube 2. Instead of the conical and cylindrical parts one may use membranes 9, of which the upper sides and sides of the chambers 6 are formed. The lower surface 8 of the conveyor serves as lower part of the tube, the tube 2 composed of the membranes 9 being tightly pressed against it.

It is obvious to one skilled in the art that different embodiments of the invention may vary within the scope of the claims set forth below. For instance, it is not essential what shape the chambers 6 have or how the parts constituting the chambers are attached to each other. It is essential that the tube 2, which can be flattened, has been formed of wedge-like parts, which by the aid ofa pressure medium produce a force pushing the car wheel 3 forwardly. The pressure medium may be liquid or gaseous.

I claim:

1. Car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washing machine, which moves the car with the aid of stops pushing against the wheels on one side at least and which consists of an elastic tube flattening under the car wheel to full closure, into which tube a fluid pressure medium is conducted so that the stop moving the car wheel is formed of the inflating tube, wherein the improvement comprises that the tube has been composed of hollow wedge-like parts, which have been placed one into the other and joined at their outer rims so that within the tube chambers are formed, and that at the narrower end of the wedge-shaped part there is an aperture for conducting the pressure medium from one chamber to the other.

2. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the parts constituting the tube are conical.

3. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the parts constituting the tube are oblique cones, the apertures at their narrower end lying closer to the lower surface of the conveyor than to its upper surface.

4. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube has been composed of membranes attached to each other and to the lower surface of the conveyor so as to form chambers.

5. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube has been divided into at least two consecutive zones, to each of which pressure medium can be separately conducted.

6. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that upon the tube a protective carpet has been placed.