Aircraft cleaning

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of moving the suspension comprises the step of directing the suspension to the inlet of an axially progressing cavity pump and connecting a hose to the outlet of said pump, carrying the suspension through the hose under pressure toward the nozzle, and distorting the exiting suspension to a fan shape spray as it strikes the surface of the aircraft.

Claim 6

Apparatus for cleaning the exterior surface of aircraft comprising: a mixing chamber having an inlet and an outlet and positioned with said inlet generally vertically above said outlet, means for supplying a cleaning solution to said inlet of said mixing chamber, means for supplying small, light, resilient, liquid-absorbent bodies that are insoluble in the cleaning solution to said inlet of said mixing chamber, means for controlling the supply of the cleaning solution and the resilient bodies to said mixing chamber to provide a volume ratio of cleaning solution to resilient bodies of from about 3 to 1 to about 1 to 1, means within said mixing chamber for mixing the cleaning solution and said resilient bodies to provide a uniform suspension of the resilient bodies in the solution at said outlet of said mixing chamber, said means for mixing including a rotating member positioned within said chamber and formed to move the solution and the resilient bodies vertically downward centrally of said chamber and upward along the walls of said chamber, and discharge means connected to said outlet of said mixing chamber to move a said suspension out of said mixing chamber and to impel it from a nozzle spaced from the exterior surface of an aircraft a distance between about 1 foot and about 20 feet with a controlled velocity to strike the exterior surface of the aircraft with an impact pressure of from about 0.05 p.s.i. to about 40.0 p.s.i.

Claim 7

Apparatus for cleaning the exterior surface of aircraft comprising: a mixing chamber having an inlet and an outlet and positioned with said inlet generally vertically above said outlet, means for supplying a cleaning solution to said inlet of said mixing chamber, means for supplying small, light, resilient, liquid-absorbent bodies that are insoluble in the cleaning solution to said inlet of said mixing chamber, means for controlling the supply of the cleaning solution and the resilient bodies to said mixing chamber to provide a volume ratio of cleaning solution to resilient bodies of from about 3 to 1 to about 1 to 1, means within said mixing chamber for mixing the cleaning solution and said resilient bodies to provide a uniform suspension of the resilient bodies in the solution at said outlet of said mixing chamber, said means for mixing including a rotating member positioned within said chamber and formed to move the solution and the resilient bodies vertically downward centrally of said chamber and upward along the walls of said chamber, and discharge means connected to said outlet of said mixing chamber to move a said suspension out of said mixing chamber and to impel it from a nozzle spaced from the exterior surface of an aircraft a distance between about 1 foot and about 20 feet with a controlled velocity to strike the exterior surface of the aircraft with an impact pressure of from about 0.05 p.s.i. to about 40.0 p.s.i.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said discharge means includes a progressing cavity pump connected between said outlet of said mixing chamber and said nozzle to move a said suspension without disrupting the uniformity of the same.