High pressure jet wall cleaner apparatus

• US 4,112,535 A
• Filed: 06/21/1976
• Issued: 09/12/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C H Heist Corporation
• Original Assignee: C H Heist Corporation
• Inventors: Keeney, Joseph G., Wild, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/697,964
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 15/98, 15/50 R, 15/50 C, 15/302, 134/172, 134/198, 134/200, 134/183
• US Class Current: 15/98
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 23/002 Arrangements for cleaning building facades

Abstract

(1) A wall cleaning unit including a housing with an open side for placement in contiguous relationship to a wall, upper and lower spray bars in the housing for directing high pressure water against the wall, sealing members on the housing around the opening for effecting sealing relationship with the wall, an outlet on the housing for conducting liquid away from the housing, and a high pressure liquid jet arrangement for creating a venturi effect to produce a suction for pressing sealing members against the wall. (2) A system for washing vertical walls including a vehicle mounted for movement along the top of the wall, a boom on the vehicle, a reel on the boom for moving a spray housing vertically on the wall, a source of high pressure water, a second reel on the boom for mounting a hose conducting high pressure water to the spray housing, and a motor on the vehicle for selectively moving the boom to cause the spray housing to move toward and away from the wall. (3) A vehicle for raising and lowering a spray housing including a frame, wheels on the frame for moving the frame in a first direction, a boom mounted on the frame for movement in a direction which is transverse to the direction of movement of the vehicle for moving a spray housing toward and away from a vertical wall, and a reel on the boom for mounting a cable for attachment to the spray housing.

Claims

1. A unit for cleaning a substantially even wall surface comprising a housing, an opening in said housing for placement in contiguous relationship to said wall surface, means in said housing for projecting high pressure water against the portion of said wall framed by said opening, means in communication with said housing for conducting water away from said housing, sealing means for physical engagement with said wall, and affixing means for affixing said sealing means on said housing substantially entirely around said opening to confine said water in said housing by preventing escape of water between the junction of said sealing means with said wall.

2. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing means comprise flexible elongated strip members, and wherein said affixing means comprise elongated rigid strip members for mounting said flexible elongated strip members on said housing.

3. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing means includes wiping means for wiping said wall after said opening has traversed said wall.

4. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 3 including means for evacuating said housing to cause said sealing means to be drawn into engagement with said wall.

5. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for projecting said high pressure water against said wall comprises a manifold including first and second vertically spaced portions, a plurality of first jet means on said first portion of said manifold and a plurality of second jet means on said second portion of said manifold.

6. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 5 wherein said first portion of said manifold is located above said second portion of said manifold, divider means, and means mounting said divider means on said housing between said first and second portions of said manifold to prevent flow from said first portion of said manifold from interfering with impingement on said wall of water emanating from said second portion of said manifold.

7. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 1 including means for evacuating said housing to cause said sealing means to be drawn into engagement with said wall.

8. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for projecting said high pressure water against said wall comprises a manifold including first and second vertically spaced portions, a plurality of first jet means on said first portion of said manifold and a plurality of second jet means on said second portion of said manifold.

9. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first portion of said manifold is located above said second portion of said manifold, divider means, and means mounting said divider means on said housing between said first and second portions of said manifold to prevent flow from said first portion of said manifold from interfering with impingement on said wall of water emanating from said second portion of said manifold.

10. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 1 including means attached to said housing for suspending said housing relative to said wall.

11. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for projecting said high pressure water against said wall comprises a manifold including first and second vertically spaced portions, a plurality of first jet means on said first portion of said manifold and a plurality of second jet means on said second portion of said manifold.

12. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 11 wherein said sealing means includes wiping means for wiping said wall after said opening has traversed said wall.

13. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 12 wherein said first portion of said manifold is located above said second portion of said manifold, divider means, and means mounting said divider means on said housing between said first and second portions of said manifold to prevent flow from said first portion of said manifold from interfering with impingement on said wall of water emanating from said second portion of said manifold.

14. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 11 wherein said first portion of said manifold is located above said second portion of said manifold, and wherein said first jet means are offset relative to said second jet means.

15. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 11 including means for removably mounting said manifold in said housing.

16. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 11 wherein said first portion of said manifold is located above said second portion of said manifold, divider means, and means mounting said divider means on said housing between said first and second portions of said manifold to prevent flow from said first portion of said manifold from interfering with impingement on said wall of water emanating from said second portion of said manifold.

17. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 16 wherein said first jet means are offset relative to said second jet means.

18. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 1 including guide means on said housing for determining the extent of contact between said sealing means and said wall.

19. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 18 wherein said sealing means includes wiping means for wiping said wall after said opening has traversed said wall.

20. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 19 including means for evacuating said housing to cause said sealing means to be drawn into engagement with said wall.

21. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 20 wherein said means for projecting said high pressure water against said wall comprises a manifold including first and second vertically spaced portions, a plurality of first jet means on said first portion of said manifold and a plurality of second jet means on said second portion of said manifold.

22. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 21 wherein said first portion of said manifold is located above said second portion of said manifold, divider means, and means mounting said divider means on said housing between said first and second portions of said manifold to prevent flow from said first portion of said manifold from interfering with impingement on said wall of water emanating from said second portion of said manifold.

23. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 18 including means for evacuating said housing to cause said sealing means to be drawn into engagement with said wall.

24. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 18 wherein said guide means comprise a plurality of wheels on said housing.

25. A unit for cleaning a substantially even wall surface comprising a housing, an opening in said housing for placement in contiguous relationship to a wall, means in said housing for projecting high pressure water aganist the portion of said wall framed by said opening, sealing means, affixing means for affixing said sealing means on said housing substantially entirely around said opening for physical engagement with said wall to prevent escape of water between the junction of said sealing means with said wall, and means for evacuating said housing to cause said sealing means to tend to be drawn into engagement with said wall.

26. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 25 wherein said sealing means includes wiping means for wiping said wall after said opening has traversed said wall.

27. A wall cleaning unit comprising a housing, an opening in said housing for placement in contiguous relationship to said wall, means in said housing for projecting high pressure water against the portion of said wall framed by said opening, means in communication with said housing for conducting water away from said housing, and means for evacuating said housing to cause said housing to be drawn toward said wall, said means for evacuating said housing comprising high pressure water jets for directing high pressure water at said means for conducting water away from said housing.

28. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 27 wherein said sealing means includes wiping means for wiping said wall after said opening has traversed said wall.

29. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 28 wherein said means for projecting said high pressure water against said wall comprises a manifold including first and second vertically spaced portions, a plurality of first jet means on said first portion of said manifold and a plurality of second jet means on said second portion of said manifold.

30. A wall cleaning unit as set forth in claim 29 wherein said first portion of said manifold is located above said second portion of said manifold, divider means, and means mounting said divider means on said housing between said first and second portions of said manifold to prevent flow from said first portion of said manifold from interfering with impingement on said wall of water emanating from said second portion of said manifold.