Brush assembly for vehicle washing apparatus having a flexible elastic coupling

In a vehicle washing apparatus having a supporting frame, a brush assembly supported by said frame for washing one or more of the front, side and rear of a vehicle moving relative thereto comprising:

• a brush support arm pivotably mounted on said frame at one end of said brush support arm;
• a brush for washing the vehicle moving relative thereto;
• a shaft for supporting said brush in a normal operating position;
• a coupling device for coupling said shaft to said brush support arm, said coupling device comprising flexible coupling means responsive to the force of the vehicle against said brush for flexing in any direction to tilt said brush, said flexible coupling means, upon flexing in any direction, further generating a restoring force equal in all directions to urge said brush toward its normal operating position;
• and
• motor means coupled to said shaft for rotating said shaft and said brush in the opposite direction at the surface of the vehicle to the direction of movement of said brush assembly relative to the vehicle to generate a rotary reaction force against the vehicle which walks said brush along the surfaces of the vehicle, said motor means cooperating with said flexible coupling means by generating a rotary reaction force which adds to the restoring force caused by the flex of said flexible coupling means to walk said brush around one or more of the front, side and rear surfaces of the vehicle.

In a vehicle washing apparatus having a supporting frame, a brush assembly supported by said frame for washing one or more of the front side and rear of a vehicle moving relative thereto comprising:

• a brush support arm pivotably mounted on said frame at one end of said brush support arm;
• a first shaft pivotably mounted at the other end of said brush support arm;
• motor means mounted on said brush support arm for rotating said first shaft;
• a brush for washing the vehicle moving relative thereto;
• a second shaft for supporting said brush in a normal operating position;
• and
• a coupling device for coupling said first and second shafts together to transmit the rotation of said first shaft to said second shaft and said brush, said coupling device comprising flexible coupling means responsive to the force of the vehicle against said brush for flexing freely in any direction to tilt said brush, said flexible coupling means, upon flexing in any direction, further generating a restoring force equal in all directions to urge said brush toward its normal operating position, wherein said motor means rotates said brush in the opposite direction at the surface of the vehicle to the direction of movement of said brush assembly relative to the vehicle to generate a rotary reactive force against the vehicle which walks said brush along the surfaces of the vehicle, said motor means cooperating with said flexible coupling means by generating a rotary reaction force which adds to the restoring force caused by the flex of said flexible coupling means to walk said brush around one or more of the front, side and rear surfaces of the vehicle.

A vehicle washing apparatus for washing a vehicle moving relative thereto comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of rotating brush assemblies mounted on opposite sides of said frame, each of said brush assemblies comprising:
• a brush support arm pivotably mounted on said frame at one end of said brush support arm;
• a brush for washing the vehicle moving relative thereto;
• a shaft for supporting said brush in a normal operating position;
• a coupling device for coupling said shaft to said brush support arm, said coupling device comprising flexible coupling means responsive to the force of the vehicle against said brush for flexing freely in any direction to tilt said brush, said flexible coupling means, upon flexing in any direction, further generating a restoring force equal in all directions to urge said brush toward its normal operating position;
• and
• motor means coupled to said shaft for rotating said shaft and said brush in the opposite direction at the surface of the vehicle to the direction of movement of said brush assembly relative to the vehicle to generate a rotary reaction force against the vehicle which walks said brush along the surfaces of the vehicle, said motor means cooperating with said flexible coupling means by generating a rotary reaction force which adds to the restoring force caused by the flex of said flexible coupling means to walk said brush along one or more of the front, side and rear surfaces of the vehicle to thereby wash the vehicle.