Vehicle washing equipment

Claim 2

In vehicle-washing equipment the combination which comprises: first conduit means for passing water from a source of water under pressure to a point at which water may be applied to a vehicle, said first conduit means including pump means adapted to substantially increase said source pressure prior to said point at which water may be applied to a vehicle; means defining an additive receiving chamber including a wall portion movable to vary the size of said chamber; second conduit means connection said chamber to said first conduit means for introducing additive into water passing from said source at a point upstream of said pump at which said source pressure of said water is reduced by operation of said pump; and means operable to selectively divert water under said source pressure from said first conduit means into operative association with said movable wall portion, whereby said chamber is reduced in size and said additive is forced therefrom into said first conduit means at said point of reduced pressure.

Claim 3

Vehicle-washing equipment according to claim 1, wherein said first conduit means is branched intermediate a point at which it is connectable to said source and said pump to define wash water and rinse water conduits, said point at which said additive is forced into said first conduit means being disposed in said wash water conduit, said wash water conduit having normally closed solenoid operable additive valve means disposed downstream of the last said point, and said rinse water conduit having normally closed solenoid operable rinse valve means, and there is further provided electrical control means for energizing said valve means and said pump means, such that when said pump means is energized said additive and rinse valve means are alternatively energized to permit passage of additive containing and nonadditive containing water to said point at which water may be applied to a vehicle.

Claim 4

Vehicle-washing equipment according to claim 1, wherein said equipment further includes solenoid-operated additive valve means; solenoid-operated rinse valve means; and electrical control means for energizing said valve means and said pump means, whereby when said pump means is energized said additive and rinse valve means are alternatively energized to permit passage of additive containing and nonadditive containing water to said point at which water may be applied to a vehicle.

Claim 5

In vehicle-washing equipment, the combination which comprises: first conduit means adapted to pass water under pressure from a source to a point at which such water may be applied to a vehicle; a reservoir for storing a supply of additive to be added to said water; means defining a pair of adjacently disposed chambers whose volumes vary inversely in accordance with the movement of said wall portion disposed therebetween, one of said pair of chambers being an additive receiving chamber and another of said pair of chambers being a water-receiving chamber; means operable to draw additive from said reservoir into said additive receiving chamber and subsequently force additive under pressure from sad additive receiving chamber into said first conduit means, said operable means including second conduit mEans connecting said additive receiving chamber to said first conduit means, third conduit means connecting said reservoir to said additive receiving chamber, fourth conduit means connecting said water-receiving chamber to said first conduit means, fifth conduit means connecting said water-receiving chamber to drain, and valve means operable to connect said water chamber alternatively to said first conduit means and drain, said valve means including pressure valve means disposed in said fourth conduit means and pressure release valve means disposed in said fifth conduit means, said first conduit means being branched intermediate said source and said point at which water may be applied to a vehicle to define wash water and rinse water conduits, said wash water conduits having additive valve means, said rinse water conduit having rinse valve means, said second conduit means being connected into said wash water conduit upstream of said additive valve means, said fourth conduit means being connected into said first conduit means upstream of said additive valve means and said rinse valve means and said point at which said second conduit means is connected into said wash water conduit; and control means, said control means being adapted to control operation of said additive, said rinse, said pressure and said pressure release valve means such that additive containing water may be passed via said wash water conduit to said point at which it may be applied to a vehicle when said additive and pressure valve means are open and said rinse and pressure release valve means are closed, and nonadditive containing water may be passed via said rinse water conduit to said point at which it may be applied to a vehicle and water passed to drain from said water chamber to draw additive from said reservoir when said rinse and pressure release valve means are open and said additive and pressure valves are closed.

Claim 6

In vehicle-washing equipment, the combination which comprises: first conduit means adapted to pass water under pressure from a source to a point at which such water may be applied to a vehicle; a reservoir for storing a supply of additive to be added to said water; means defining a pair of adjacently disposed chambers whose volumes vary inversely in accordance with the movement of said wall portion disposed therebetween, one of said pair of chambers being an additive receiving chamber and another of said pair of chambers being a water-receiving chamber; means operable to draw additive from said reservoir into said additive receiving chamber and subsequently force additive under pressure from sad additive receiving chamber into said first conduit means, said operable means including second conduit mEans connecting said additive receiving chamber to said first conduit means, third conduit means connecting said reservoir to said additive receiving chamber, fourth conduit means connecting said water-receiving chamber to said first conduit means, fifth conduit means connecting said water-receiving chamber to drain, and valve means operable to connect said water chamber alternatively to said first conduit means and drain, said valve means including pressure valve means disposed in said fourth conduit means and pressure release valve means disposed in said fifth conduit means, said first conduit means being branched intermediate said source and said point at which water may be applied to a vehicle to define wash water and rinse water conduits, said wash water conduits having additive valve means, said rinse water conduit having rinse valve means, said second conduit means being connected into said wash water conduit upstream of said additive valve means, said fourth conduit means being connected into said first conduit means upstream of said additive valve means and said rinse valve means and said point at which said second conduit means is connected into said wash water conduit; and control means, said control means being adapted to control operation of said additive, said rinse, said pressure and said pressure release valve means such that additive containing water may be passed via said wash water conduit to said point at which it may be applied to a vehicle when said additive and pressure valve means are open and said rinse and pressure release valve means are closed, and nonadditive containing water may be passed via said rinse water conduit to said point at which it may be applied to a vehicle and water passed to drain from said water chamber to draw additive from said reservoir when said rinse and pressure release valve means are open and said additive and pressure valves are closed.

Claim 7

Vehicle-washing equipment according to claim 4, wherein said first conduit means is connected to a source of water under pressure and includes pump means disposed downstream of said additive and rinse valve means and serving to substantially increase said source pressure.

Claim 8

Vehicle-washing equipment according to claim 5, wherein said additive, sad rinse and said pressure release valve means are solenoid-operated valves normally closed when deenergized, said pressure valve means is a solenoid-operated valve normally open when deenergized, and said control means is an electrical control circuit including a three position switch having OFF, ADDITIVE and RINSE positions, said pump and said valve means being deenergized when said switch is in said OFF position, said pump means and said additive valve means being energized when said switch is in said ADDITIVE position, and said pump means and said rinse, pressure and pressure release valve means being energized when said switch is in said RINSE position.

Claim 9

Vehicle-washing equipment according to claim 4, wherein said first conduit means includes pump means and pressure reducing means, said pump means being disposed upstream of said wash water and rinse water conduits and the point at which said fourth conduit means is connected into said first conduit means, and said pressure-reducing means is disposed within said wash water conduit upstream of the point at which said second conduit means is connected thereinto.

Claim 10

Vehicle-washing equipment according to claim 7, wherein said additive, said rinse and said pressure release valve means are solenoid-operated valves normally closed when deenergized, said pressure valve means is a solenoid-operated valve normally open when deenergized, and said control means is an electrical control circuit including a three-position switch having OFF, ADDITIVE and RINSE positions, said pump and said valve means being deenergized when said switch is in said OFF position, said pump means and said additive valve means being energized when said switch is in said ADDITIVE posItion, and said pump means and said rinse, pressure and pressure release valve means being energized when said switch is in said RINSE position.

Claim 11

Vehicle-washing equipment according to claim 4, wherein said wash water conduit is provided with a check valve upstream of the point at which said second conduit means is connected thereinto to prevent flow of additive upstream within said wash water conduit and there is additionally provided sixth conduit means connecting said reservoir into said fourth conduit means including normally closed first valve means, said normally closed first valve means being adapted to be opened such that said switch is in said OFF position water from said source may be admitted into said reservoir and said reservoir having a closable opening through which additive may be admitted therein for mixing with water admitted as aforesaid.