US 7,243,605 B1 · Car wash conveyor

Abstract

An auto-laundry conveyor of three-tier design using upper, lower and intermediate track rails with a narrow slot between them. Dollies are provided in an endless loop conveyor chain and each dolly comprises a combination of a center link, a pair of reversely similar tire engaging rollers, a pair of reversely similar track engaging rollers outboard of the tire engaging rollers and a pair of reversely similar stabilizing rollers outboard of the track engaging rollers. The stabilizing rollers are effectively larger in diameter; i.e., higher than the track engaging rollers so as to prevent rolling contact between the stabilizing rollers and the track surface and to receive the tread surface of an off-center tire and keep the tread surface from interfering with rolling movement of the track engaging rollers. The conveyor is manufactured in 10-foot lengths except for the entry and exit sections which are of lengths X and Y wherein X plus Y equals 10 feet. An open track structure is used to prevent the accumulation of dirt and debris.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An auto-laundry conveyor dolly of the type intended to roll on a slotted track comprising:

an axle member,
a center link mounted on the axle member for connecting the dolly into a conveyor chain;
a pair of tire engaging rollers mounted on the axle member in reversely similar relation to and on opposite sides of the center link to fit into the slot of the slotted track when in operation and to engage and push on the tire of an automobile being driven along the auto-laundry conveyor;
a pair of track engaging rollers mounted on the axle member in reversely similar relationship to the center link and on opposite outboard sides of the tire engaging rollers, the track engaging rollers being coaxial with and of a smaller diameter than the tire engaging rollers and resting on and rolling relative to the track when in operation;
and
a pair of tire stabilizing rollers mounted on the axle member in reversely similar relation to the center link and on opposite outboard sides of the track engaging rollers, the tire stabilizing rollers being effectively of the same diameter as the tire engaging rollers at a tangent point of tire contact so as to prevent a tire from engaging a track engaging roller during operation of the dolly.

3 more elements

An endless loop chain apparatus for use in an auto-laundry conveyor having a plurality of spaced dollies of the type intended to roller on a slotted track comprising:

an endless loop chain;
and
a plurality of dollies connected into the chain in relatively uniform spacing, each of said dollies comprising an axle member, a center link mounted on the axle member for connecting the dolly into a conveyor chain, a pair of tire engaging rollers mounted on the axle member in reversely similar relation to and on opposite sides of the center link to fit into the slot of the slotted track when in operation and to engage and push on the tire of an automobile being driven along the auto-laundry conveyor, a pair of track engaging rollers mounted on the axle member in reversely similar relationship to the center link and on opposite outboard sides of the tire engaging rollers, the track engaging rollers being coaxial with and of a smaller diameter than the tire engaging rollers and resting on and rolling relative to the track when in operation, and a pair of tire stabilizing rollers mounted on the axle member in reversely similar relation to the center link and on opposite outboard sides of the track engaging rollers, the tire stabilizing rollers being effectively the same diameter as the tire engaging rollers at a tangent point of tire contact so as to prevent a tire from engaging a track roller during operation of the dolly.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Car wash conveyor

Life of this patent

Car wash conveyor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12