GB817155A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for washing vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

817,155. Washing vehicles. NEAVERSON, R. A., and NEAVERSON, P. A. Jan. 2, 1956 No. 49/56. Class 138(1). Apparatus for washing vehicles comprises a spraying tube e.g. 18, Fig. 3, adapted to extend at least partly round the upper part of a vehicle, a carriage 1, Fig. 1, on which the tube is mounted for movement longitudinally of a vehicle a runway e.g. 13a, 14a, for the carriage a stationary liquid supply trough, e.g. 14, and means e.g. 4, on the carriage for feeding liquid under pressure to the tube from longitudinally advancing feed locations in the interior of the trough. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the carriage 1 has wheel pairs 6, 8 and 7, 9 on axles 10 and 11, the axle 11 being drivable in either direction from a reversible, electric motor 2 through a belt 5a, a reduction gear 5, a belt 26a and a clutch 12. The wheels run on rails 13a, 14a formed by the side walls of a water trough 13 and a detergent liquid trough 14, the troughs being supported by brackets 15 and bearers 15a. A pump 4 on the carriage 1 is driven by the belt 5a and draws detergent liquid from the trough 14 by a pipe 120. The pump 4 supplies liquid through a control valve, (not shown,) to a spray arch 18, Fig. 3. Back-to-back pumps 3 and 32 have inlet pipes 119 and 33 which draw water from the trough 13. The outlets of the pumps 3 and 32 are connected through non- return valves 131 and 34 with a common control valve 30 which is connected to spray arches 16 and 17, Fig. 3, so that only one pump supplies water to the arches, dependent on the direction of rotation of the motor 2, which drives the pumps 3 and 32 through belts 3a. A control panel 16a is provided at each side of the arched spray tube system and is provided with "forward" "reverse" and "stop" push buttons 19 and levers 20, 21, 22 for controlling the clutch 12, the control valve 30 and the control valve, (not shown), of the pump 4, respectively. A panel frame 38 having an opaque or transparent screen is mounted at each side of the spray tubes and a waterproof apron 37, depends therefrom and is provided with arm holes 37a whereby an operator can manipulate nozzles 36a on flexible pipes 36 depending from the ends of the spray tubes 17, the pipes 36 being under control of valves 35. Limit switches 24, 25, Fig. 1, are provided on the carriage 1 to co-operate with fixed stops at the ends of the runway, which switches either stop or stop and reverse the motor 2. The switch gear for the apparatus is shown diagrammatically at 23. Also mounted on the carriage 1 is an exhaust fan 70 driven by a motor 71 whereby a vehicle interior may be cleaned by suction through tubes 75, (one only, shown in Fig. 2), and the dirt collected in a bag 78. The motor 71 is controlled by on-and-off buttons of a push button switch 80, Fig. 3. In another embodiment the rails are separate from the troughs and supported by mounting brackets, One trough is then supported below the carriage from the mounting brackets whilst the other trough is carried by a wall adjacent the apparatus. In a further embodiment the spray tubes are adjustable for height relative to the carriage, a cross bar having vertical side members being supported below the carriage and the spray tubes having mounting members with rollers therein engaging in the vertical side members. The spray tubes are connected to the pumps through articulated pipes and are raisable and lowerable by a manual winch and cables.