GB816871A - Improvements in or relating to windscreen wiper apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

816,871. Windscreen cleaners. O'Shei W. E. Oct. 10, 1955 [July 8, 1954., Aug 6, 1954, Sept. 12, 1955], Nos. 20040/54, 22937/54 and 26028/55. Class 138(1). Relates to windscreen wiper apparatus for wrap-round windscreens and is characterised in that the wiper at each of the highly curved side zones of the screen is oscillatable on a spindle which is swivellable in a substantially horizontal plane so that the wiper blade will be maintained substantially normal to the surface of the side zone and also substantially parallel to the axis of curvature of the screen. As shown in Fig. 1, wiper blades 3 carried by arms 3a mounted on wiper spindles 5 clean the rearwardly directed side or wing portions of the " wrap-around " windscreen 1, whilst a wiper blade 2 carried by the arm 2a mounted on the spindle 4 cleans the frontal portion of the windscreen 1. Only the spindles 5 are mounted for swivelling movements in a horizontal plane, the axial direction of the spindle 4 being fixed. The wiping arcs of the blades 3 are approximately 90 degrees whereas the wiping arc of the blade 2 approaches 180 degrees, and they all move together in the same direction. However, to facilitate parking of the blades, one blade 3, Fig. 1, is arranged to be approximately vertical when the other blades reach their parking positions shown. The vertical blade 3 is then turned down towards the blade 2 to its parked position. In order that the blades 3 shall be approximately parallel to the axes of curvature of the highly curved portions of the windscreen 1 as they wipe thereover, they are inclined, as shown relative to the arms 3a. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the spindle 4 is mounted in a bearing 11 fixed to a frame 10 in alignment with the shafts 15 of a suction motor 16 and driven from the shaft 15 by crank arms 12, 14 and a connecting pin 13, the motor being supported from the frame 10 by spacers 17. The pin 13 is connected by links 30, 30a and pins 37 with crank arms 36 for oscillating the spindles 5. Each shaft 5 has a ball member 18 mounted in a bearing housing 20 fixed on the frame 10. The shaft 5 or an aligned extension 5a, in the case of side wiper shown in Fig. 2 is supported in a bearing 21 of a U-shaped bracket 22 pivoted to the housing 20 by screws whose axis pass through the centre of ball 18. Pivotally attached to the bracket 22 by screws 26 is a stirrup 25 on one end of a link 24, Fig. 3, the other bent end of which, engages in a cam slot 27 in a cam plate 28 secured to the spindle 4, the link 24 passing through an aperture 29 in the spacer 17. Clearly as the spindle 4 oscillates the spindles 5 will be oscillated through the links 30, 30a and arms 36 and the brackets 22 will swivel the outer end of the spindles 5 outwardly as the blades 3 pass outwardly over the highly curved portions of the windscreen. The spindle 5 shown in Fig. 2, may be declutched from the arm 36 by pushing a knob 38 of the extension spindle 5a inwardly against a spring 39. A clutch port 33 on the spindle 5a is then declutched from a clutch part 34 on a sleeve 35 secured to the arm 36. The control knob 38 may be interconnected with the start control of the motor. If desired the declutching of the spindle 5 and its turning down to a horizontal position may be effected automatically upon operation of the parking control. The lengths of the arms 12, 36 are arranged so that the desired smaller arc of wipe of the outer blades 3 is obtained. If desired there may be more than one wiper blade for cleaning the frontal area of the windscreen. Specification 666,474 and 748,759 are referred to.