Vehicle washing apparatus
AssigneeJ. Smith Engineering
InventorsJames H. Smith, Jeffrey D. Allen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle washing apparatus particularly adapted for the thorough washing of vehicle wheels including a wheel washing device or unit including a pivotally mounted carrousel supporting a rotary spray head and control means for actuating the carrousel to sweep the spray head across and along the wheel as the wheel moves past the washer unit. The carrousel is preferably computer controlled to move in response to the increments of travel of the vehicle so that the washer unit consistently tracks the vehicle wheels regardless of the length of the wheel base or the speed of travel of the vehicle.
Claims17
A vehicle wheel washing apparatus comprising:
- (a) an elongated track along which a vehicle wheel is adapted to roll in a longitudinal wheel path as the vehicle moves in a longitudinal vehicle path,
- (b) motive means for moving the vehicle in said longitudinal vehicle path,
- (c) a washer frame,
- (d) means movably mounting said washer frame alongside said track for sweeping movement of said washer frame relative to a vehicle wheel in an adjacent wheel path,
- (e) an elongated, hollow shaft having an inlet portion, and outlet end portion, and an elongated rotary axis,
- (f) bearing means rotatably mounting said shaft on said washer frame for rotary movement about said rotary axis,
- (g) a spray head mounted on said outlet end portion of said shaft for rotary movement with said shaft,
- (h) said spray head including a plurality of spray outlets arranged to rotate in a plurality of spray orbits coaxial with said rotary axis, said spray outlets being directed generally toward said wheel path,
- (i) liquid supply means for introducing liquid into said inlet portion of said shaft,
- (j) drive means for rotating said shaft to produce a rotary spray path of the liquid discharged from said spray outlets,
- (k) sweep actuator means for reciprocably moving said washer frame through a sweep path including an initial frame position in which said rotary spray path initially intercepts a wheel in said wheel path, an intermediate frame position and a final frame position in which said rotary spray path intercepts said wheel in said wheel path as said wheel leaves said rotary spray path,
- (l) said sweep actuator means further directing said rotary orbital streams of liquid from said spray head in said rotary spray path which continually intercepts portions of said vehicle wheel continuously rolling along said track in said wheel path, while said washer frame is in one of said frame positions,
- (m) control means responsive to the position of the vehicle on said track for actuating said sweep actuator means to move said washer frame through said sweep path from said initial frame position to said final frame position while said wheel is continually intercepted by said rotary spray path in all said frame positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.