VEHICLE WASHING INSTALLATION WITH REVERSE WASH CYCLE

• US 3,737,934 A
• Filed: 06/04/1971
• Issued: 06/12/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas W. Skweres
• Original Assignee: Thomas W. Skweres
• Inventors: Skweres, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/149,995
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 15/DIG.2,21D,21E,53,97
• US Class Current: 15/53.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/063 the axis of rotation being approximately vertical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/02 Car cleaning plants

Abstract

A vehicle washing installation including a lengthwise movable wash rack for washing a stationary vehicle. The lengthwise movable wash rack includes two brushes of which one of the brushes is located to wash one of the sides of the vehicle during lengthwise movement of the rack. The other of the brushes is mounted for transverse movement and is actuated at the start and end of the lengthwise movement of the rack to wash the front and rear ends of the vehicle. During the lengthwise movement, the movable brush is located to wash the opposite side of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle washing apparatus for washing a stationary vehicle comprising:

a wash rack of substantially inverted U-shape movable lengthwise of the vehicle, a first and second vertical brush means mounted on said rack for cleaning both sides, the front and the back of said vehicle, each of said brush means being rotatable about a vertical axis, means mounting said first brush means at one side of the rack and means mounting the second brush means for movement between the sides of the rack, motors and means for automatically controlling the motors to move said brush means through a cleaning cycle for cleaning said vehicle, said cleaning cycle being initiated with both brush means positioned at the same side of the rack with their vertical axes spaced from each other in the direction of movement of the rack and with each axis in a plane substantially parallel to said direction of movement, and said cleaning cycle comprising moving said second brush means to the other side of the rack to clean the front of said vehicle in a single pass, moving said rack along the length of the vehicle from its front to its back to clean both sides of the vehicle with said brush means and then moving said second brush means back across the rack to its initial position at the same side of the rack as said first brush means to clean the back of the vehicle in a single pass and to complete the cleaning cycle.

2. A vehicle washing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motors are automatically controlled to move said brush means through a second cleaning cycle for cleaning a second vehicle, said second cleaning cycle being initiated with said second brush means at the same side of the rack as said first brush means in the position of the end of said first cycle, said second cleaning cycle comprising moving said second brush means to the other side of the rack to clean the back of said second vehicle in a single pass, moving said rack along the length of said vehicle from its back to its front to clean both sides of said vehicle with said brush means and then moving said second brush means back across the rack to its initial position at the same side as the first brush means to clean the front of the vehicle in a single pass and to complete the second cycle.

3. A vehicle washing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cleaning cycle includes first moving said second brush means only part way towards the other side of the rack and then moving said rack towards the vehicle and completing the movement of said second brush means to said other side of the rack.

4. A vehicle washing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said washing cycle includes moving said rack away from said vehicle at the end of the cycle after said second brushing means is at the same side of the rack as said first brush means whereby said apparatus is in position to start a second cleaning cycle for a second vehicle and return to the position of the rack and brushes at the initiation of the first cycle.