Vehicle washing apparatus

Claim 2

In an apparatus for washing a vehicle as the vehicle moves through the apparatus, a supporting structure, a carriage mounted for rotation on the supporting structure about a horizontal axis and disposed in the path of travel of the vehicle as it moves through the apparatus, liquid spray means mounted on the carriage and facing to the rear in a direction toward the approaching vehicle for discharging high pressure liquid against the surface of the vehicle, second liquid spray means mounted on the carriage and facing forwardly in a direction away from the approaching vehicle, guide means on the carriage and disposed to ride ovEr the surface of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through the apparatus with liquid being discharged through said first spray means to effectively clean the front, top and rear surfaces of the vehicle as the carriage rides thereover, said carriage pivoting with respect to the supporting structure as the carriage rides over the vehicle to invert the carriage from its original position at the end of the washing cycle, whereby said second liquid spray means faces rearwardly toward the next approaching vehicle.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, and including means for selectively supplying cleaning liquid to said first liquid spray means and for preventing supply of said liquid to the second liquid spray means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, and including first liquid supply means for supplying liquid to said first liquid spray means, second liquid supply means for supplying liquid to said second liquid spray means, first valve means for controlling the flow of liquid in said first supply means, second valve means for controlling the flow of liquid in said second supply means, means for opening said first valve means and simultaneously closing said second valve means when the carriage is in its original position to supply liquid only to said first spray means, and means for closing said first valve means and opening said second valve means when the carriage is in its inverted position to supply liquid only to said second spray means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the carriage includes a frame and said first and second supply means are located within the frame.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first and second valve means comprises a valve member movable between a first valve seat in said first supply means and a second valve seat in said second supply means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first and second valve seats are disposed in axial alignment and said valve member is a ball movable between the valve seats.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the axes of the valve seats are disposed generally vertical when the carriage is in its original position, whereby the ball will fall by gravity when the pressure of the liquid is released to seat in the lower of the two valve seats.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide means includes two sets of wheels with one set of wheels facing forwardly and the other set of wheels facing rearwardly.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each set of wheels comprises at least two vertically aligned rows with the axes of the wheels in one row being vertically offset from the axes of the wheels in the adjacent rows.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second liquid spray means each comprises a series of rotatable spray nozzles.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the axes of the spray nozzles are disposed at an angle to the axis of rotation of the nozzle to thereby increase the pattern of discharge of the nozzle.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second liquid spray means comprises a pair of arms mounted for oscillating movement on said carriage, a plurality of liquid spray nozzles mounted for rotation on both the front and rear surfaces of each arm, drive means on the carriage, first connecting means connecting the drive means to the nozzles to rotate the nozzles, and second connecting means connecting the drive means with each arm for oscillating the arms with respect to the carriage.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for washing a vehicle as the vehicle moves through the apparatus, a supporting structure, means for mounting the supporting structure for movement in a substantially vertical plane, a carriage mounted on the supporting structure for rotation about a horizontal axis, said carriage including a frame member, a first series of rotatable guide members mounted for rotation on said frame member about axes transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle, said guide members facing rearwardly in the direction toward the approaching vehicle, a first series Of rotatable spray nozzles mounted on the frame member of the carriage and facing rearwardly and disposed to discharge a high pressure cleaning liquid against the surface of the vehicle, a second series of rotatable guide members mounted for rotation on said frame member about axes transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle and facing forwardly away from the approaching vehicle, a second series of rotatable spray nozzles mounted on the frame member and facing forwardly, drive means mounted on the carriage for rotating said spray nozzles, said carriage arranged to ride over the top surface of the vehicle as the vehicle passes through the apparatus with said liquid being discharged through said first series of nozzles to effectively clean the front, upper and rear surfaces of the vehicle as the carriage rides thereover, said carriage pivoting with respect to the supporting structure as the carriage rides over the vehicle to invert the carriage from its original position at the end of the washing cycle, whereby said first guide members and first nozzles face forwardly and said second guide members and said second nozzles face rearwardly toward the next approaching vehicle, and means for selectively supplying cleaning liquid to one of said series of nozzles and for preventing the supply of cleaning liquid to the other of said series of nozzles whereby the liquid is discharged from the series of nozzles facing the vehicle and is not discharged from the series of nozzles facing away from the vehicle.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for washing a vehicle as the vehicle moves through the apparatus, a supporting structure, means for mounting the supporting structure for movement in a substantially vertical plane, a carriage mounted on the supporting structure for rotation about a horizontal axis, said carriage including a frame member, a first series of rotatable guide members mounted for rotation on said frame member about axes transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle, said guide members facing rearwardly in the direction toward the approaching vehicle, a first series Of rotatable spray nozzles mounted on the frame member of the carriage and facing rearwardly and disposed to discharge a high pressure cleaning liquid against the surface of the vehicle, a second series of rotatable guide members mounted for rotation on said frame member about axes transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle and facing forwardly away from the approaching vehicle, a second series of rotatable spray nozzles mounted on the frame member and facing forwardly, drive means mounted on the carriage for rotating said spray nozzles, said carriage arranged to ride over the top surface of the vehicle as the vehicle passes through the apparatus with said liquid being discharged through said first series of nozzles to effectively clean the front, upper and rear surfaces of the vehicle as the carriage rides thereover, said carriage pivoting with respect to the supporting structure as the carriage rides over the vehicle to invert the carriage from its original position at the end of the washing cycle, whereby said first guide members and first nozzles face forwardly and said second guide members and said second nozzles face rearwardly toward the next approaching vehicle, and means for selectively supplying cleaning liquid to one of said series of nozzles and for preventing the supply of cleaning liquid to the other of said series of nozzles whereby the liquid is discharged from the series of nozzles facing the vehicle and is not discharged from the series of nozzles facing away from the vehicle.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 13, and including following means for moving the carriage in a generally horizontal plane, said last named means being operable to move the carriage in a first forward stroke of movement as the vehicle approaches the carriage to thereby enable the series of nozzles facing the vehicle to effectively clean the forward surface of the vehicle, and said following means being operable as said carriage rides down the rear surface of the vehicle to move the carriage in a second forward stroke of movement to enable the carriage to follow the rear of the vehicle and effectively clean the rear surfaces thereof.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said following means includes a support member to support the carriage, a supporting structure, said supporting member being pivotally connected to the supporting structure about an axis extending transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle, whereby the carriage is movable in a vertical plane, a foundation, means for pivotally connecting said supporting structure to said foundation about a second axis generally parallel to said first named axis, and means for pivoting said supporting structure about said second axis to thereby move the carriage in a generally horizontal plane.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said supporting structure includes a pair of vertical supports straddling the path of travel of the vehicle, the lower ends of the vertical supports being pivotally connected to said foundation, said supporting structure also including a cross member connecting the upper ends of the vertical supports together, said supporting member extending between the vertical supports and above the path of travel of the vehicle and being pivotable with respect to said vertical supports.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for pivoting comprises hydraulic means operably connected to at least one of said vertical supports.