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US 4,715,287 AGranted
Vehicle conveyor and wheel engaging dolly
AssigneeBelanger, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Wentworth, Graham J. Astley
Life of this patent
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AssigneeBelanger, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Wentworth, Graham J. Astley
Estimating the term…
A conveyor for transporting a vehicle through a car wash along a track having specially-adapted, low profile roller dollies which rise upon contacting a vehicle wheel. The dolly includes an arcuate arm which is hinged to a connector link on one end and supports three pair of rollers. The first pair of rollers is connected to the arm below the track and the second pair of rollers is connected to the opposite end of the arm from the first pair and is positionable above the track to ride upon the top surface of the track. The third pair of rollers is intended to engage the wheel of the vehicle to be moved along the track and is located on the arm between the two ends at a position radially spaced from the concave arc upon which the first and second pairs of rollers are aligned. The third pair of rollers rolls upwardly and rearwardly upon contacting a vehicle wheel and pivots the arm about the second pair of rollers. The pivoting movement of the arm causes the first pair of rollers to pivot until they engage the lower surface of the track.
A tire engaging roller dolly adapted to be connected to a chain forming part of a conveyor for transporting a vehicle in one direction along a substantially horizontal track, comprising an arm having a surface on the side of the arm adapted to face the chain, said arm being hingedly connected on a first end to a connector link of the chain by a first pin which is adapted to extend through the link and the arm, a first pair of rollers being secured to the first pin, said arm having a second pin disposed at a second end space from the first and and aligned with the first rollers, a second pair of rollers being secured to the second pin, a third pin disposed on the arm parallel to the first and second pins at a point intermediate the first and second pins and spaced from said aligned first and second rollers, said third pin having a third pair of rollers secured thereon for engaging a tire of a vehicle adapted to be moved by the conveyor, whereby said second pair of rollers is adapted to ride upon the upper surface of the track with the third pair of rollers in a first position and said first pair of rollers spaced below said track until the third pair of rollers engages the tire, and upon engaging the tire, the third pair of rollers is adapted to roll upwardly along the vehicle wheel until the first pair of rollers are pivoted about the second pair of rollers and into contact with the lower surface of the track.
A tire engaging roller dolly adapted to be connected to an endless chain forming part of a conveyor for transporting a vehicle in one direction along a substantially horizontal track, comprising an arcuate arm having a concavely curved arcuate surface on the side of the arm adapted to face the chain, said arm being hingedly connected on a first end to a connector link of the chain by a first pin which is adapted to extend through the link and the arm, a first pair of rollers being secured to the first pin, said arm having a second pin disposed at a second end spaced from the first end and aligned on an arc with the first rollers, a second pair of rollers being secured to the second pin, a third pin disposed on the arm parallel to the first and second pins at a point intermediate the first and second pins and spaced radially outwardly from the arc on which said first and second rollers are aligned, said third pin having a third pair of rollers secured thereon for engaging a tire of a vehicle adapted to be moved by the conveyor, whereby said second pair of rollers is adapted to ride upon the upper surface of the track with the third pair of rollers in a first position and said first pair of rollers spaced below said track until the third pair of rollers engages the tire, and upon engaging the tire, the third pair of rollers is adapted to roll upwardly along the vehicle wheel until the first pair of rollers are pivoted about the second pair of rollers and into contact with the lower surface of the track.
A conveyor for transporting a vehicle in one direction along a substantially horizontal track having an endless chain and at least one tire-engaging dolly connected to the chain, comprising an arm having a surface on the side of the arm facing the chain, said arm being hingedly connected on a first end to a connector link of the chain by a first pin which extends through the link and the arm, a first pair of rollers being secured to the first pin, said arm having a second pin disposed at a second end spaced from the first end and aligned with the first rollers, a second pair of rollers being secured to the second pin, a third pin disposed on the arm parallel to the first and second pins at a point intermediate the first and second pins and spaced from said aligned first and second rollers, said third pin having a third pair of rollers secured thereon for engaging the tire of a vehicle to be moved by the conveyor, whereby said second pair of rollers rides upon the upper surface of the track with the third pair of rollers in a first position and said first pair of rollers spaced below said track until the third pair of rollers engages the tire, and upon engaging the tire, the third pair of rollers rolls upwardly along the vehicle wheel until the first pair of rollers are pivoted about the second pair of rollers and into contact with the lower surface of the track.
A conveyor for transporting a vehicle in one direction along a substantially horizontal track having an endless chain and at least one tire-engaging dolly connected to the chain, comprising an arcuate arm having a concavely curved arcuate surface on the side of the arm facing the chain, said arm being hingedly connected on a first end to a connector link of the chain by a first pin which extends through the link and the arm, a first pair of rollers being secured to the first pin, said arm having a second pin disposed at a second end spaced from the first end and aligned on an arc with the first rollers, a second pair of rollers being secured to the second pin, a third pin disposed on the arm parallel to the first and second pins at a point intermediate the first and second pins and spaced radially outwardly from the arc on which said first and second rollers are aligned, said third pin having a third pair of rollers secured thereon for engaging the tire of a vehicle to be moved by the conveyor, whereby said second pair of rollers rides upon the upper surface of the track with the third pair of rollers in a first position and said first pair of rollers spaced below said track until the third pair of rollers engages the tire, and upon engaging the tire, the third pair of rollers rolls upwardly along the vehicle wheel until the first pair of rollers are pivoted about the second pair of rollers and into contact with the lower surface of the track.
A method of transporting vehicles in one direction along a substantially horizontal track with an endless conveyor having a tire-engaging dolly having an arcuate arm hinged on a first end to a connector link on the chain by a first pin which extends through both sides of the chain and the arm, a first pair of rollers being secured to spaced ends of the first pin, said arm having a second pin disposed on the arm at a second end spaced from the first and aligned on the arc with the first rollers, a second pair of rollers being secured to spaced ends of the second pin, a third pin disposed on the arm parallel to the first and second pins at a point intermediate the first and second pins and spaced radially outwardly from the arc on which first and second rollers are aligned, said third pin having a third pair of rollers disposed thereon for engaging the wheel of a vehicle to be moved by the conveyor, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.