Vehicle wash apparatus

Claim 2

A car washing apparatus including a carriage mounted for movement along a predetermined path to wash an automobile parked in such path, said apparatus comprising: a. a top mop mounting assembly mounted on said carriage for movement therewith, said mounting being swingable on said carriage from a position transversely of the direction of travel of the carriage to a position longitudinally of said direction; b. means selectively swinging said mounting assembly to said transverse position for mopping said automobile; c. means selectively swinging said mounting assembly to said longitudinal position; d. and means responsive to change of direction of the path of the carriage and operatively connected to the mop mounting means when in said position longitudinally of the path of the carriage to swing the mop mounting assembly toward the automobile but spaced therefrom for reducing the area required for movement of the car washing apparatus and carriage and mop assembly.

Claim 3

A car washing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including: a. means operatively connected to said mop mounting assembly for oscillating a mop thereon transversely of the path of movement of the carriage when the mop mounting assembly is positioned transversely of the path of the carriage.

Claim 4

A car washing apparatus as set foRth in claim 1 wherein the top mop mounting assembly includes: a. a swingable arm positioned above the vehicle when the mounting assembly is positioned transversely of the direction of travel of the carriage; b. a mop movable longitudinally of said arm and depending therefrom to wipe the vehicle; c. means operatively connected to said mop for oscillating same on said arm as the carriage moves in its path.

Claim 5

A washing apparatus for washing a parked vehicle positioned in a washing position comprising: a. a mobile carriage mounted for movement in an orbit around the vehicle wash position; b. a spray boom supported on said carriage; c. spray nozzles on said boom with each having an orifice arranged to provide a fan shaped spray directed toward the vehicle; d. an arm positioned at an elevation above the top of a vehicle to be washed; e. means oscillatably mounted on the carriage and supporting said arm; f. mop means carried by said arm and depending therefrom to wipe upper surfaces of a vehicle in the washing position, said mop means consisting of a plurality of side by side strips of fabric material; g. means urging said arm to retracted position whereby said mop is out of contact with the vehicle; h. means overcoming said urging means to move the arm relative the carriage to position the mop means in vehicle contacting position; i. control means for said overcoming means to selectively operate same whereby the mop means contacts the vehicle on washing orbits of the carriage.

Claim 6

A washing apparatus for washing a parked vehicle positioned in a washing position comprising: a. a mobile carriage mounted for movement in an orbit around the vehicle wash position; b. a spray boom supported on said carriage; c. spray nozzles on said boom with each having an orifice arranged to provide a fan shaped spray directed toward the vehicle; d. an arm positioned at an elevation above the top of a vehicle to be washed; e. means oscillatably mounted on the carriage and supporting said arm; f. mop means carried by said arm and depending therefrom to wipe upper surfaces of a vehicle in the washing position, said mop means consisting of a plurality of side by side strips of fabric material; g. means urging said arm to retracted position whereby said mop is out of contact with the vehicle; h. means overcoming said urging means to move the arm relative the carriage to position the mop means in vehicle contacting position; i. control means for said overcoming means to selectively operate same whereby the mop means contacts the vehicle on washing orbits of the carriage.

Claim 7

A car washing apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means oscillatably mounting the arm includes: a. a post swingably mounted and bodily movable to a position rearwardly of the spray boom; b. said arm being arranged on the post and extending therefrom and laterally of the carriage when said post is rearwardly of the spray boom.

Claim 8

A washing apparatus for washing a parked vehicle in a washing position comprising: a. a continuous track around the vehicle washing position in close proximity thereto; b. a mobile carriage; c. means on the carriage and engaging the track whereby the carriage moves in a path around the vehicle wash position; d. a spray boom supported by the carriage and having a plurality of nozzles directing high pressure sprays against the vehicle; e. an upright standard; f. means swingably mounting said standard for movement about a vertical axis adjacent the boom support whereby the standard swings from a position generally centrally of the carriage to a position rearwardly of said boom support; g. an arm at the upper end of the standard and extending therefrom; h. a mop frame on said arm; i. a mop having a plurality of side by side strips of fabric depending from said mop frame and adapted to wipe a vehicle when the frame mop arm extends from the standard over the vehicle being washed; j. means for oscillating said mop frame longitudinally of said mop arm when the arm extends over the vehicle; k. means urging the standard mounting to a position wherein the standard is generally centrally of the carriage and the mop arm extends rearwardly of the path of travel of said carriage; l. means connected with the mop arm when the standard is in said generally central position and operative in response to the means engaging the track to move the mop arm for a minimum of operating space; m. operation means connecting to said standard mounting to swing same to the position rearwardly of the boom; n. control means for the washing apparatus and operative to activate said operation means during washing cycles of the carriage and deactivate said operation means during rinse cycles; o. means activated by said control means to apply hot water and detergent through the spray nozzles during the washing cycles and water during rinsing cycles.

Claim 9

A washing apparatus for washing a parked vehicle in a washing position comprising: a. a continuous track around the vehicle washing position in close proximity thereto; b. a mobile carriage; c. means on the carriage and engaging the track whereby the carriage moves in a path around the vehicle wash position; d. a spray boom supported by the carriage and having a plurality of nozzles directing high pressure sprays against the vehicle; e. an upright standard; f. means swingably mounting said standard for movement about a vertical axis adjacent the boom support whereby the standard swings from a position generally centrally of the carriage to a position rearwardly of said boom support; g. an arm at the upper end of the standard and extending therefrom; h. a mop frame on said arm; i. a mop having a plurality of side by side strips of fabric depending from said mop frame and adapted to wipe a vehicle when the frame mop arm extends from the standard over the vehicle being washed; j. means for oscillating said mop frame longitudinally of said mop arm when the arm extends over the vehicle; k. means urging the standard mounting to a position wherein the standard is generally centrally of the carriage and the mop arm extends rearwardly of the path of travel of said carriage; l. means connected with the mop arm when the standard is in said generally central position and operative in response to the means engaging the track to move the mop arm for a minimum of operating space; m. operation means connecting to said standard mounting to swing same to the position rearwardly of the boom; n. control means for the washing apparatus and operative to activate said operation means during washing cycles of the carriage and deactivate said operation means during rinse cycles; o. means activated by said control means to apply hot water and detergent through the spray nozzles during the washing cycles and water during rinsing cycles.