US3908907A

US3908907A - Machine for washing the under parts of vehicles in general

Info

Publication number: US3908907A
Application number: US533593A
Authority: US
Inventors: Manuel Carlos Beltran
Original assignee: FABRIL AUTOMAQ S A I C A F I
Current assignee: FABRIL AUTOMAQ S A I C A F I
Priority date: 1973-12-18
Filing date: 1974-12-17
Publication date: 1975-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-30
Also published as: DE2459959A1; AR196960A1; BR7410513A

Abstract

Machine for washing the undersides of vehicles includes carriages mounting rotating sprinklers 5. The carriages are connected by a rigid strap, linearly movable on parallel rails 1 bedded in a recessed tit 3 and are supplied with water by hoses 7 wound on end reels. A drive motor 16 rotates roller 15 on which are wound draw cables 14 coupled to the reels and carriages.

Description

United States Patent Beltran Sept. 30, 1975 [54] MACHINE FOR WASHING THE UNDER 2,226,668 12/1940 Newman 239/184 PARTS OF VEHICLES IN GENERAL 2,879,945 3/1959 Johnson 3,102,545 9/1963 Knight, Jr. et a1. 239/186 [75] Inventor: Manuel Carlos Beltran, Bucnos Aires, Argentina 73' Assignee: Fabril Automaq S.A.1.C.A.F.l., Kmg

. Altai/1e Agent, 01 FlrmSughrue, Rothwell, Mlon, Buenos Aires, Argentina Z1nn & Macpeak [22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1974 Appl. No.2 533,593

Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 18, 1973 Argentina 251602 US. Cl 239/184; 239/186 Int. Cl. BOSB 3/18 Field of Search 239/184, 186, 187, 185

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ellis 239/186 [57] ABSTRACT Machine for washing the undersides of vehicles includes carriages mounting rotating sprinklers 5. The carriages are connected by a rigid strap, linearly movable on parallel rails 1 bedded in a recessed tit 3 and are supplied with water by hoses 7 wound on end reels. A drive motor 16 rotates roller 15 on which are wound draw cables 14 coupled to the reels and carriages.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Sept. 30 1075 1 on 3,908,907

T MUG U85 Patent Sept. 30,1975 Shem 2 on 3,908,907

MACHINE FOR WASHING THE UNDER PARTS OF VEHICLES IN GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a machine for automatically washing the underparts of vehicles in general. Various modifications have been made to this machine which substantially improve its operating capacity as compared to that which is currently known in the art, such that the machine is capable of washing vehicles of great length such as trucks, buses and railway carriages.

2. Description of the Prior Art Current machines of this type consist of a carriage adapted for alternating linear displacement on which is mounted a water sprinkler. This carriage moves on rails of corresponding length to the standard length of the chassis of vehicles and is supplied with liquid under pressure by way of a hose coupled to one side of the sprinkler. This causes serious difficulties which obstruct the ready sliding of the carriage, since, due to the volume and pressure of the liquid flowing through it and because of the diameter and thickness of its walls, the hose is an element having a heavy structure which tends to slow down the carriage and thus requires greater force on the part of the drive means. As the drive means was designed to operate without impediment, this may be damaged. Furthermore, it has been found in practice that the disposition and displacement of the hose constitutes a difficult problem which renders the system inadequate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improvements which have been made to this machine are designed to eliminate these negative features. The hose is now disposed in a frontal position with respect to the carriage and is coupled to the same in such a way that it both supplies the liquid flow and acts as its pulling means. To this end, the hose is wound on and offa reel which is located on one of the ends of the rails and which is rotated by a cable which is attached to and wound on the same reel at a different part from the hose. The cable is wound in the opposite direction to the hose and extends as far as a drive pulley disposed at the other end of the rails, from which it returns and is linked to the carriage at a point opposite its coupling with the hose. Although this solution is considered effective and has been shown to be so in practice when it is used with washing equipment of equivalent length to the length of a standard car, it is obvious that if it were used with a vehicle of greater length such as a bus or railway carriage it could not be equally effective as the length of the unwound hose would render the hose excessively heavy which would directly affect the carriage and would no doubt render impossible its essential, regular, alternating displacement. Furthermore, it would be necessary to provide a reel of substantial size which would make it difficult to arrange it in a logical and adequate manner.

The above-described problem has been solved through the ingenious and simple expedient of doubling the length of the machine and by providing it with two sprinkler carriages. each of which is only displaced as far as the middle of the total length of the machine, and comprising independent reels and hoses disposed at both ends of the machine. However, this new constructive form only requires a single drive means which simultaneously activates both carriages by way of transmission means consisting of a transversal and central roller about which run the draw cables of the carriages. The carriages themselves are firmly connected together by means of rigid strap which keeps a constant distance between the two carriages. In this way the drawing force produced at the central roller is uniformly distributed to each sprinkler carriage and simultaneously transmitted to the reels and hoses which are provided with means permitting the passage of the water under pressure as they effect the necessary rotating movements.

The mechanism also comprises an automatic electrical device designed to limit the alternating displacements of the carriages in conformity with the requirements imposed by the length of the vehicle body to be washed so as not to unnecessarily waste the hydraulic and drive forces employed.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof provided in reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the new improved machine for washing the chassis of vehicles.

FIG. 2 is a plan view according to FIG. 1 which also shows the electrical elements for automatically controlling the same.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a detailed, elevational, partial sectional view of the construction of the reel about which the hose and the drawing cable are wound. The drawing also shows the column providing the flow of liquid which also constitutes the axis of the reel and the additional electrical means for the automatic control of the device.

FIG. 5 is a partial, perspective view of the machine.

FIG. 6 shows a complementary device designed to guide the hose correctly on the reel during the winding operation.

To bring the drawings in conformity with the description the identical parts or elements which are disclosed in the different figures have been designated by a common reference letter or number.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The machine in question consists of a pair of parallel rails 1 which are disposed on the bottom 2 of a longitudinal recess 3 of quadrangular section. In the case of the present machine, the carriages a) slide in an alternating linear movement on the rails l. The carriages a) consist of mobile frames 4, in the center of each of which is disposed a water sprinkler 5, to the central barrels 6 of which the ends of corresponding hoses 7 are coupled. The hoscs 7 are wound on and off the supporting part 8 of the respective reels b) disposed at each end of the recess 3. Thus, a reel b) corresponds to each carriage a). Each reel b) is freely mounted about a fixed axis 9 which extends coaxially from the column 10 supplying the liquid under pressure which is supplied to the hose 7 by way of its connection with the intermediate rotary socket 11 (FIG. 4), at which point the column 10 is terminated. The above-mentioned reels b) which rest on the bearings 12 disposed at their base also comprise as an extension of their supporting parts 8, the lower supporting parts 13 to which are attached the respective ends of the draw cables 14 which are wound on or off the same and which extend along the length of the recess 3 as far as the drive roller transversally disposed in the center of the same. The cables 14 pass round the roller 15 and then return so that their opposite end 14 is secured to the corresponding frame 4 of the carriage a). As has been stated, the transversal roller 15 marks the center of the recess 3 and each carriage a) completes its alternating linear sliding movement on the rails 1 at the point corresponding to each center of the recess 3. The transversal roller 15 is a drive roller and it receives power from the electric motor 16 by way of the reducer and inverter box 17 and by corresponding transmission means. its rotational movements are produced by the drawing cables 14 which rotate it and act on the carriages a) in both linear directions. It is necessary to state that each carriage a) is connected to a circuit which comprises the hose 7 which is capable of being wound on and off the supporting part 8 of the reel b) which, in turn, receives on its lower supporting part 13 which is less high than the main reel and has a different winding direction, the draw cable 14 which, after passing round the drive roller 15 is attached on its return to the carriage a) at an opposite point 14' to the end of the hose 7. As a result, when one of the carriages a) is drawn to the center of the recess 3, the other carriage effects an inverse withdrawal movement to the relevant end. These conditions which are essential for the effective operation of the device are ensured by the cooperation of the strap 18 which rigidly connects the two frames 4 of the carriages a), thus preventing the possible slipping of the draw cables 14 on the surface of the drive roller 15 from varying the equidistance which must prevail between the carriages a). To improve its operating capacity, the strap 18 rests on and slides on a central roller 19 which is freely disposed at the end of a support 20 which rises at right angles to the bottom of the recess 3. To assist the perfect winding of the hose 7 on the supporting part 10 of each reel b), the device is provided in the proximity of each of the latter with elements 21 which are slightly inclined with respect to the perpendicular and which are cylindrical at their main upper part which extends from a truncated lower part surrounded by an annular lug at its base. As this element 21 freely rotates about an axis 22 secured to the bottom of the recess 3, the hose 7 slides on the same and, owing to its predetermined inclination, the guide tends to superpose the turns of its winding in a logical manner. Likewise, the draw cables 14 are each provided with tensioning pulleys 23 in the proximity of the point where they begin to be wound on the lower supporting parts 13 of the reels h).

The electric motor 16 receives the pulses which are transmitted to it by way of the automatic electrical control device 0) which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 and which is housed in a box 24 having an external control panel. Inside the control panel there are provided various current interrupters or inverters designed to be activated by way of cams 26 integral with the shaft 27 which is also the axis of the pulley 28 outside of the box 24 which receives the rotational movement of the reel b) by way of its coaxial pulley 29 and its transmission belt 30. The operation of this automatic control system 0) enables the machine to follow a work system corresponding to the length of the chassis to be washed. On the basis of this concept, the operation of the device is programmed by means of the control panel and the carriages a) effect their alternating linear movements in accordance with the position of the interrupters or inverters 25 in relation to the cams 26 corresponding to each case. It is necessary to take into account the substantial difference in the diameters of the smaller pulley 29 integral with the reel b) and the larger pulley 28 associated with the cam shaft 27, consisting in that the rotations of the reel b) are only received in the control box in a minimum quantity which is nevertheless sufficient to produce the corresponding pulses.

The constructional and operational advantages of the present invention are apparent from the above description and accompanying drawings. This invention can be considered as an effective means for automatically washing the underparts of vehicles in general and we do not consider it necessary to provide further details on this subject apart from stating that the inventor is obviously entitled make further modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved machine for washing the-under parts of vehicles in general which is housed inside a longitudinal recess of quadrangular section and comprises a pair of rails on which a carriage bearing a frame is displaced linearly in an alternating manner, said frame comprising a sprinkler head to which is coupled a hose conveying the liquid under pressure, characterized in that two carriages bearing sprinkler elements are provided and they are rigidly connected together by means of a longitudinal rigid strap keeping the carriages disposed in two outer parts of the recess and further in that the end of the rails and in correspondence with each of the carriages, reels are provided about which the hoses corresponding to the sprinkler of each carriage are adapted to be wound and unwound with the cooperation of respective guide members, said hoses being connected to respective rotarysockets coaxially interposed in the columns supplying the liquid under pressure, said columns also constituting the respective axes of each reel, to which, in turn, the ends of corresponding draw cables are attached at a lower supporting part of each reel with a different winding direction to the hoses, said draw cablesextending to the center of the recess in which the unit is lodged until it passes round a transversal drive roller and returns so that its opposite end is attached to the frame of the respective carriage; at least said reels having been provided with an integral and coaxial pulley connected by transmission means to another pulley or larger diameter integral with a cam shaft capable of acting on elements for controlling the operation, the interruption and reversing of the movement of the motor connected to said transversal and central drive roller.

2. An improved machine for washing the under parts of vehicles in general according to claim 1, wherein the rigid strap which connects the carriages bearing the sprinkler elements rests on a roller freely disposed on the end of a support which projects at right angles from the bottom of the recess containing the machine.

3. An improved machine for washing the underparts of vehicles in general as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide members for winding the hoses on the reels are disposed adjacent to each reel on the input side of each hose and consist of cylindrical, elongated elements reels consist of drums having a main, upper supporting part on which the hose is wound and a lower supporting part on which the draw cable is wound; said drums also comprising a central tube for axially coupling it on the column supplying the water under pressure and the base of said drums resting on corresponding bearings. l

Claims

1. An improved machine for washing the under parts of vehicles in general which is housed inside a longitudinal recess of quadrangular section and comprises a pair of rails on which a carriage bearing a frame is displaced linearly in an alternating manner, said frame comprising a sprinkler head to which is coupled a hose conveying the liquid under pressure, characterized in that two carriages bearing sprinkler elements are provided and they are rigidly connected together by means of a longitudinal rigid strap keeping the carriages disposed in two outer parts of the recess and further in that the end of the rails and in correspondence with each of the carriages, reels are provided about which the hoses corresponding to the sprinkler of each carriage are adapted to be wound and unwound with the cooperation of respective guide members, said hoses being connected to respective rotary sockets coaxially interposed in the columns supplying the liquid under pressure, said columns also constituting the respective axes of each reel, to which, in turn, the ends of corresponding draw cables are attached at a lower supporting part of each reel with a different winding direction to the hoses, said draw cables extending to the center of the recess in which the unit is lodged until it passes round a transversal drive roller and returns so that its opposite end is attached to the frame of the respective carriage; at least said reels having been provided with an integral and coaxial pulley connected by transmission means to another pulley or larger diameter integral with a cam shaft capable of acting on elements for controlling the operation, the interruption and reversing of the movement of the motor connected to said transversal and central drive roller.

3. An improved machine for washing the underparts of vehicles in general as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide members for winding the hoses on the reels are disposed adjacent to each reel on the input side of each hose and consist of cylindrical, elongated elements slightly inclined with respect to the perpendicular and provided with truncated bases and annular lugs, said elements being freely rotatable about fixed axis projecting from the bottom of the recess housing the machine.

4. An improved machine for washing the under parts of vehicles in general as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reels consist of drums having a main, upper supporting part on which the hose is wound and a lower supporting part on which the draw cable is wound; said drums also comprising a central tube for axially coupling it on the column supplying the water under pressure and the base of said drums resting on corresponding bearings.