WHEEL WASHING APPARATUS

• US 3,729,763 A
• Filed: 08/04/1971
• Issued: 05/01/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert M. Coley
• Original Assignee: Robert M. Coley
• Inventors: Coley, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/168,867
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 15/DIG.2,21R,21B,21C,21D,97 214/340
• US Class Current: 15/53.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/042 Wheel cleaning devices integral with vehicle B60S1/00

Abstract

Wheel washing apparatus adapted to be associated with automatic car wash means for use in washing the outside surfaces of vehicle wheels, either prior to or after washing the vehicle body. The wheel washing apparatus includes a pair of laterally spaced wheel washing stations located on the apparatus and operatively associated with each other for contacting and washing the outside surfaces of vehicle wheels supported in position adjacent the station. Each of the wheel washing stations includes means for dispensing a cleansing medium on the vehicle wheels and means for effecting a scrubbing action of the wheels to effectively clean the wheels in a washing operation. Wheel supporting and rotating means is positioned adjacent each of the wheel washing stations for rotating the wheels to effect the scrubbing action on the wheels. The wheel supporting and rotating means includes a roller assembly supported adjacent each wheel washing station, with the roller assembly including a number of roller elements rotatable about substantially parallel axes with the axes of the roller elements being angularly disposed relative to the axis of the vehicle wheels for automatically centering the vehicle wheels between the laterally spaced wheel washing station in response to rotation of the roller support elements. The roller support elements include power drive means selectively operable between driving and non-driving conditions. The power drive means includes braking means which is applied automatically to hold the roller elements in a braked condition in response to movement of said power drive means to a non-driving condition.

Claims

1. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus comprising, in combination:

a. laterally spaced wheel washing stations positioned on said apparatus and operatively associated with each other for washing the outside surfaces of vehicle wheels supported in position adjacent said stations, said wheel washing stations including means for dispensing a cleansing medium on said vehicle wheels, and means for effecting a scrubbing action on said wheels; and

, b. means on said apparatus for supporting and rotating vehicle wheels positioned adjacent said washing stations, said wheel supporting and rotating means operable for automatically centering vehicle wheels between said laterally spaced wheel washing stations.

2. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means is operable for automatically centering said vehicle wheels in response to rotation of said wheel supporting means.

3. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 2 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means includes a roller assembly located adjacent each wheel washing station, with said roller assembly including a number of roller elements rotatable about substantially parallel axes and positioned in vertical spacing relative to each other to support vehicle wheel means positioned thereon, and wherein at least one of said roller elements of said roller assembly is power driven for effecting rotation of said vehicle wheel means in a washing operation.

4. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as described in claim 3 further characterized in that the rotatable axes of said wheel supporting roller elements are angularly disposed relative to the axis of said vehicle wheel means whereby rotation of said vehicle wheel means by said wheel supporting and rotating roller elements will effect said automatic centering of said vehicle wheels relative to said wheel washing stations.

5. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as dEfined in claim 4 further characterized in that said rotatable wheel supporting roller elements are rotatable about substantially horizontally oriented axes with said roller element axes being angularly disposed relative to the axis of said vehicle wheels.

6. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 5 further characterized in that said horizontally oriented angularly disposed axes of said rotatable elements diverge away from a center line drawn between said wheel washing stations in the direction of movement of vehicle means into position on said wheel washing apparatus.

7. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means includes power driving means selectively operable between driving and non-driving conditions, and wherein said wheel supporting and rotating means includes braking means operatively associated with said power driving means and operable between braking and non-braking conditions and movable to said braking condition in response to movement of said power driving means to said non-driving condition.

8. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus comprising, in combination:

a. laterally spaced wheel washing stations positioned on said apparatus and operatively associated with each other for washing the outside surfaces of vehicle wheels supported in position adjacent said stations, said wheel washing stations including means for dispensing a cleansing medium on said vehicle wheels and means for effecting a scrubbing action on said wheels; and

, b. means on said apparatus for supporting and rotating vehicle wheels positioned adjacent said washing stations, said wheel supporting and rotating means includes power driving means selectively operable between driving and non-driving conditions for effecting rotation of said wheel supporting and rotating means, and wherein said wheel supporting and rotating means includes braking means operable between braking and non-braking conditions, said braking means being operatively associated with said power driving means for movement to said braking condition in response to movement of said power driving to said non-driving condition.

9. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 8 further characterized in that said power driving means includes an operable control shaft, with power motor means operatively associated with said control shaft for effecting rotation of said control shaft in response to operation of said power motor means in said driving condition and wherein said braking means is operatively associated with said control shaft for applying a braking action to said control shaft in response to operation of said power motor means in said non-driving condition.

10. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 8 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means is operable for automatically centering said vehicle wheels between said washing stations in response to rotation of said wheel supporting means.

11. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 10 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means includes a roller assembly located adjacent each wheel washing station, with said roller assembly including a number of roller elements rotatable about substantially parallel axis and positioned in vertical spacing relative to each other to support vehicle wheel means positioned thereon, and wherein at least one of said roller elements of a roller assembly is power driven for effecting rotation of said vehicle wheel means in a washing operation.

12. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as described in claim 11 further characterized in that the rotatable axes of said wheel supporting roller elements are angularly disposed relative to the axis of said vehicle wheel means whereby rotation of said vehicle wheel means by said wheel supporting and rotating roller elements will effect said automatic centering of said vehicle means relative to said wheel washing stations.

13. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 12 further characterized in that said rotatable wheel supporting roller elements are rotatable about substantially horizontally oriented axes with said roller element axes being angularly disposed relative to the axis of said vehicle wheel means.

14. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 13 further characterized in that said horizontally oriented angularly disposed axes of said rotatable elements converge toward a center line drawn between said wheel washing station in a direction opposite movement of vehicle means into position on said wheel washing apparatus.

15. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus comprising, in combination:

a. laterally spaced wheel washing stations positioned on said apparatus and operatively associated with each other for washing the outside surfaces of vehicle wheels supported in position adjacent said stations, said wheel washing station including means for dispensing a cleansing medium on said vehicle wheels, and means for effecting a scrubbing action on said wheels;

b. means on said apparatus for supporting and rotating vehicle wheels positioned adjacent said wheel washing station, said vehicle wheel supporting and rotating means including selectively operable power drive mean movable between driving and non-driving conditions; and

, c. a control station operatively associated with said wheel washing stations and said wheel rotating means, said control station including selectively movable switch means operatively associated with said wheel rotating means for controlling operation of said wheel rotating means between said driving and non-driving conditions, said control station including additional switch means operatively associated with said dispensing means and said wheel scrubbing means for effecting operation of said dispensing means and said wheel scrubbing means, said additional switch means being operable between an off position, a dispensing position and a wheel scrubbing position and wherein said dispensing means is in an off condition when said scrubbing means is in a scrubbing position and said scrubbing means is in an off position when said dispensing means is in an on position.

16. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 15 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means is operable for automatically centering said vehicle wheels in response to rotation of said wheel supporting means.

17. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 16 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means includes a roller assembly located adjacent each wheel washing station, with said roller assembly including a number of roller elements rotatable about substantially parallel axes and positioned relative to each other to support vehicle wheel means positioned thereon, and wherein at least one of said roller elements of a roller assembly is power driven for effecting rotation of said vehicle wheel means in a washing operation.

18. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as described in claim 17 further characterized in that the rotatable axes of said wheel supporting roller elements are angularly disposed relative to the axes of said vehicle wheel means whereby rotation of said vehicle wheel means by said wheel supporting and rotating roller elements will effect said automatic centering of said vehicle means relative to said wheel washing stations.

19. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 18 further characterized in that said rotatable wheel supporting roller elements are rotatable about substantially horizontally oriented axes with said roller element axes being angularly disposed relative to the axis of said vehicle wheel means.

20. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 19 further characterized in that said horizontally oriented angularly disposed axes of said rotatable elements diverge away from a center line drawn between said wheel washing station in the diRection of movement of vehicle means into position on said wheel washing apparatus.

21. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as described in claim 15 further characterized in that said wheel supporting and rotating means includes selectively operable power driving means operable between driving and non-driving conditions, and wherein said wheel supporting and rotating means includes braking means operatively associated with said power driving means and operable between braking and non-braking conditions and movable to said braking condition in response to movement of said power driving means to said non-driving condition.

22. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as defined in claim 21 further characterized in that said power driving means includes an operable control shaft, with power motor means operatively associated with said control shaft for effecting rotation of said control shaft in response to operation of said power motor means in said driving condition and wherein said braking means is operatively associated with said control shaft for applying a braking action to said control shaft in response to operation of said power motor means to said non-driving condition.

23. Vehicle wheel washing apparatus as described in claim 22 further characterized in that said control shaft is adjustable relative to said power driven motor means and wherein said braking means includes mounting means for maintaining said braking means in aligned position relative to said control shaft in response to adjustment of said control shaft relative to said power driven motor means.