Vehicle washing installation

Claim 2

In a vehicle washing installation, the combination comprising means for moving a vehicle to be washed along a longitudinal path of travel from an entrance to an exit of said installation; a first rear brush pivotally supported on a first side of said path of travel and having a park position out of said path of travel; a second rear brush pivotally supported on a second side of said path of travel and having a park position out of said path of travel; said first and second rear brushes being normally not rotating in said park positions; a first front brush pivotally supported on said first side of said path of travel and having a park position in said path of travel; a second front brush pivotally supported on said second side of said path of travel and having a park position in said path of travel; said first and second front brushes being disposed in longitudinal juxtaposition in said park positions and being pivotable toward said first and second sides of said path of travel, respectively, with movement of the vehicle such that a central portion of the front end of the vehicle is washed by both said first and second front brushes; said first and second rear brushes being disposed closer to the entrance of said installation than are said first and second front brushes; said first and second rear brushes having a vertical dimension greater than the vertical dimension of said first and second front brushes; said first and second rear brushes being vertically mounted on first and second support arms longitudinally staggered along said path of travel such that said first rear brush is closer to the entrance of said installation than is said second rear brush; and control means responsive to pivoting movement of said first and second front brushes toward said first and second sides, respectively, of said path of travel as said vehicle moves from the entrance to the exit of said installation to start rotation of said first and second rear brushes, respectively, and to move said first and second rear brushes, respectively, to engage the sides of the vehicle whereby said first and seCond rear brushes each engage and wash only a portion of a side of the vehicle.

Claim 3

The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second front brushes are vertically mounted on third and fourth support arms, respectively, and each of said third and fourth support arms includes a pair of pivotally mounted, parallel, horizontal members, a clevis hingedly connected with said members and carrying said front brushes, and a spring biasing said clevis toward said horizontal members and further comprising an inverted U-shaped frame diagonally disposed across said path of travel and including first and second side columns longitudinally staggered on said first and second sides of said path of travel, said first and third support arms being pivotally mounted on said first side column and extending in opposite directions therefrom and said second and fourth support arms being pivotally mounted on said second side column and extending in opposite directions therefrom.

Claim 4

The invention as recited in claim 2 wherein said first and second rear brushes are controlled by first and second air cylinders secured to said first and second side columns, respectively, said first and second air cylinders pivoting said first and second rear brushes into said path of travel whereby said first and second rear brushes pivot to wash the rear end of the vehicle.

Claim 5

In a vehicle washing installation, the combination comprising means for moving a vehicle to be washed along a longitudinal path of travel from an entrance to an exit of said installation; a first rear brush pivotally supported on a first side of said path of travel and having a park position out of said path of travel; a second rear brush pivotally supporged on a second side of said path of travel and having a park position out of said path of travel; said first and second rear brushes being supported in staggered longitudinal positions on said first and second sides of said path of travel; said first and second rear brushes being normally not rotating in said park positions; a first front brush pivotally supported on said first side of said path of travel and having a park position in said path of travel; a second front brush pivotally supported on said second side of said path of travel and having a park position in said path of travel; said first and second front brushes being disposed in longitudinal juxtaposition in said park positions and being pivotable toward said first and second sides of said path of travel, respectively, with movement of the vehicle such that a central portion of the front end of the vehicle is washed by both said first and second front brushes; each of said first and second rear brushes having a vertical dimension greater than the vertical dimension of each of said first and second rear brushes, respectively; a frame extending diagonally across said path of travel and having first and second side columns; said first front brush and said first rear brush being pivotally mounted on said first side column of said frame, and said second front brush and said second rear brush being pivotally mounted on said second side column of said frame; first air cylinder means secured to said first side column to pivot said first front brush and said first rear brush in opposite directions; second air cylinder means secured to said second side column to pivot said second front brush and said second rear brush in opposite directions; first control means secured to said first side column of said frame and responsive to movement of said first front brush to start rotation of said first rear brush and to actuate said first air cylinder means to force said first rear brush against a side of the vehicle adjacent a front edge of a front door thereof; and second control means secured to said second side column of said frame and responsive to movement of said second front brush to start rotation of said second rear brush and to actuate saId second air cylinder means to force said second rear brush against the other side of the vehicle adjacent a front edge of a front door thereof whereby said first and second front brushes wash the front end and sides of the vehicle and said first and second rear brushes wash the rear end, a portion of the sides and the side windows of the vehicle.

Claim 6

In a vehicle washing installation, the combination comprising means for moving a vehicle to be washed along a longitudinal path of travel from an entrance to an exit of said installation; a first rear brush pivotally supported on a first side of said path of travel and having a park position out of said path of travel; a second rear brush pivotally supporged on a second side of said path of travel and having a park position out of said path of travel; said first and second rear brushes being supported in staggered longitudinal positions on said first and second sides of said path of travel; said first and second rear brushes being normally not rotating in said park positions; a first front brush pivotally supported on said first side of said path of travel and having a park position in said path of travel; a second front brush pivotally supported on said second side of said path of travel and having a park position in said path of travel; said first and second front brushes being disposed in longitudinal juxtaposition in said park positions and being pivotable toward said first and second sides of said path of travel, respectively, with movement of the vehicle such that a central portion of the front end of the vehicle is washed by both said first and second front brushes; each of said first and second rear brushes having a vertical dimension greater than the vertical dimension of each of said first and second rear brushes, respectively; a frame extending diagonally across said path of travel and having first and second side columns; said first front brush and said first rear brush being pivotally mounted on said first side column of said frame, and said second front brush and said second rear brush being pivotally mounted on said second side column of said frame; first air cylinder means secured to said first side column to pivot said first front brush and said first rear brush in opposite directions; second air cylinder means secured to said second side column to pivot said second front brush and said second rear brush in opposite directions; first control means secured to said first side column of said frame and responsive to movement of said first front brush to start rotation of said first rear brush and to actuate said first air cylinder means to force said first rear brush against a side of the vehicle adjacent a front edge of a front door thereof; and second control means secured to said second side column of said frame and responsive to movement of said second front brush to start rotation of said second rear brush and to actuate saId second air cylinder means to force said second rear brush against the other side of the vehicle adjacent a front edge of a front door thereof whereby said first and second front brushes wash the front end and sides of the vehicle and said first and second rear brushes wash the rear end, a portion of the sides and the side windows of the vehicle.

Claim 7

The invention as recited in claim 4 wherein said first and second rear brushes are vertically mounted on first and second support arms, respectively, said first and second front brushes are vertically mounted on third and fourth support arms, respectively, said first and third support arms are pivotally mounted on said first side column of said frame and extend in opposite directions therefrom, and said second and fourth support arms are pivotally mounted on said second side column of said frame and extend in opposite directions therefrom, each of said third and fourth support arms including a pair of pivotally mounted, parallel, horizontal members, a clevis hingedly connected with said members and carrying a respective one of said front brushes, and a spring biasing said clevis toward said horizontal members.

Claim 8

The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said control means is further responsive to said first and second front brushes returning to said park positions to stop rotation of said first and second rear brushes.

Claim 9

The invention as recited in claim 4 wherein said first control means is further responsive to said first front brush returning to said park position to stop rotation of said first rear brush, and said second control means is further responsive to said second front brush returning to said park position to stop rotation of said second rear brush.