Control system for horizontal scrubbing brush of vehicle-washing station

Claim 1

In a vehicle-cleaning station, in combination: a portal frame straddling the path of a vehicle to be scrubbed, said frame and said vehicle being relatively movable along said pAth; a pair of vertical tracks at opposite jambs of said frame; a horizontal bar provided with end rollers engaging said track, said end rollers being centered on a pivotal axis; a generally cylindrical scrubbing brush suspended from said bar with its cylinder axis horizontal and transverse to said path; normally inoperative hoist means on said frame for elevating said support means, the latter normally tending to descend and to lower said brush unto an underlying vehicle surface, said support means being swingable about a pivotal axis parallel to said cylinder axis; drive means for rotating said brush about said cylinder axis, said brush yielding in the direction of relative vehicle motion upon encountering a relatively steeply inclined vehicular surface with consequent swinging of said support means about said pivotal axis; and inclination-responsive switch means on said support means for actuating said hoist means upon such swinging from a normal position by a predetermined minimum angle, said switch means comprising a weighted element freely pivoted on said bar and a mounting element rigid with said bar, one of said elements being provided with a camming profile, the other of said elements being provided with a follower displaceable by said profile in a relatively swung-out position of said elements.