Patent US3777326A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3777326A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle washing apparatus
Assignee: California Car Wash Systems Inc
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Filing: 1971-12-10
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Granted: 1973-12-11
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Expires: 1991-12-10
Abstract
Abstract Parallelogrammatic vehicle washing apparatus for washing a vehicle moving along a predetermined path relative to the apparatus and including a pivotally supported carrier arm normally projecting transversely of the predetermined path. A vertically extending parallelogrammatic linkage is carried on its upper end from the free end of the carrier arm and has a brush supported from the lower extremity thereof for rotation about a vertical axis. Drive means is provided for rotating the brush and controlling movement of the carrier arm and parallelogrammatic linkage for normally maintaining the linkage extended with the brush disposed in the vehicle path and responsive to engagement thereof by the front of the vehicle to be washed to retract the parallelogrammatic linkage while the free end of the carrier arm moves forwardly to draw the brush across the front of the forwardly moving car and to then swing the free end of the carrier arm rearwardly, while extending the linkage, to move the brush rearwardly along the side of the vehicle and responsive to the brush clearing the rear corner of the vehicle to move the free end of the carrier arm forwardly to move the brush inwardly along the rear of the car and forwardly therewith.
Inventors
- 👤 D Haley
- 👤 R Bergantzel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:15
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60S; B60S3/00; B60S3/04; B60S3/06; B60S3/063; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S15/00; Y10S15/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
223 words
Vehicle washing apparatus for washing a vehicle as it moves along a predetermined path relative thereto and comprising: a support stand adjacent said path; carrier means mounted on said support stand and movable forwardly and rearwardly relative to said path; brush means normally disposed in said path for rotation about a vertically extending axis; vertically extending pivotally connected parallelogrammatic linkage means carried on its upper extremity from said carrier means and mounting said brush means from its lower extremity; and drive means for rotating said brush means and controlling said carrier and linkage to cause said carrier means when said brush means is engaged by the front of said vehicle to move said lower extremity of said linkage forward along said path while retracting said linkage to move said brush means across the front of said vehicle to one side of said path while relative movement between said vehicle and stand continues and to then cause said carrier to move said lower extremity of said linkage rearwardly along said path to move said brush means rearwardly along the side of saId vehicle and then cause said linkage to move said brush means inwardly across the rear of said vehicle while said carrier moves said lower extremity forward along said path to maintain said brush means in contact with the rear of said vehicle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
223 words
Vehicle washing apparatus for washing a vehicle as it moves along a predetermined path relative thereto and comprising: a support stand adjacent said path; carrier means mounted on said support stand and movable forwardly and rearwardly relative to said path; brush means normally disposed in said path for rotation about a vertically extending axis; vertically extending pivotally connected parallelogrammatic linkage means carried on its upper extremity from said carrier means and mounting said brush means from its lower extremity; and drive means for rotating said brush means and controlling said carrier and linkage to cause said carrier means when said brush means is engaged by the front of said vehicle to move said lower extremity of said linkage forward along said path while retracting said linkage to move said brush means across the front of said vehicle to one side of said path while relative movement between said vehicle and stand continues and to then cause said carrier to move said lower extremity of said linkage rearwardly along said path to move said brush means rearwardly along the side of saId vehicle and then cause said linkage to move said brush means inwardly across the rear of said vehicle while said carrier moves said lower extremity forward along said path to maintain said brush means in contact with the rear of said vehicle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said drive means includes control means responsive to engagement of said brush means by the front of said vehicle to retract said linkage to move said brush means across the front of said vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said parallelogrammatic linkage means is formed by a single parallelogrammatic frame.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said drive means includes control means normally extending said linkage means to hold said brush means in said normal position and responsive to forward movement of said brush means from said normal position to release said linkage for retraction of said brush to be moved across the front of said vehicle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said carrier is in the form of a transverse arm pivotally carried one extremity from said stand and normally projecting transversely of said vehicle path and rotatable to a forward position to carry said brush means to a full forward position and to a rearward position to move said brush to its full rearward position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
103 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said linkage means normally projects generally downwardly and inwardly and said apparatus includes: control means for normally holding said linkage means projecting downwardly and inwardly and responsive to forward movement of said brush from said normal position to release said linkage means to free said linkage means to retract to a generally vertical position to move said brush means across the front of said vehicle and forwardly therewith to a full forward position and further responsive to rearward movement of said brush rearwardly from said full forward position to extend said linkage means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said carrier means includes a carrier arm pivotally mounted on one end from said support stand and having said parallelogrammatic linkage mounted from the free end thereof; and said drive means includes biasing means connected to said carrier arm for urging said carrier arm rearwardly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein: said drive means includes piston means connected with said linkage means and responsive to movement of said carrier arm rearwardly of said neutral position to urge said linkage means to its extended position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein: said biasing means includes fluid cylinder means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein: said drive means includes cylinder means normally urging said linkage to its extended position and responsive to movement of said carrier arm forwardly of said neutral position to release said linkage for retraction thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
236 words
Vehicle washing apparatus for washing the vertical surface of a vehicle traveling along a predetermined path relative thereto and comprising: support means; carrier means mounted from said support means for travel forwardly and rearwardly along said path; linkage means pivotally mounted on one end to said carrier means for rotation about an axis extending parallelly of said path and projecting vertically from said carrier means; brush means; brush mounting means for mounting said brush means from the extremity of said linkage means opposite said one end for rotation of said brush about a vertical axis, said mounting means including pivot means for rotating the axis of said brush means relative to the axis of said linkage means and being operative in response to rotation of said linkage means to maintain said brush axis substaNtially vertical as said linkage is pivoted about its said one end; and drive means for maintaining said carrier arm normally projecting transversely of said path to dispose said brush means in said path and operative upon engagement of said brush means by one end of said vehicle to initiate forward movement of said carrier means from its normal position to enable said brush to move forwardly with said vehicle and to concurrently rotate said linkage means in one direction to retract said linkage and draw said brush to one side of said car path for washing of one side of said vehicle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
236 words
Vehicle washing apparatus for washing the vertical surface of a vehicle traveling along a predetermined path relative thereto and comprising: support means; carrier means mounted from said support means for travel forwardly and rearwardly along said path; linkage means pivotally mounted on one end to said carrier means for rotation about an axis extending parallelly of said path and projecting vertically from said carrier means; brush means; brush mounting means for mounting said brush means from the extremity of said linkage means opposite said one end for rotation of said brush about a vertical axis, said mounting means including pivot means for rotating the axis of said brush means relative to the axis of said linkage means and being operative in response to rotation of said linkage means to maintain said brush axis substaNtially vertical as said linkage is pivoted about its said one end; and drive means for maintaining said carrier arm normally projecting transversely of said path to dispose said brush means in said path and operative upon engagement of said brush means by one end of said vehicle to initiate forward movement of said carrier means from its normal position to enable said brush to move forwardly with said vehicle and to concurrently rotate said linkage means in one direction to retract said linkage and draw said brush to one side of said car path for washing of one side of said vehicle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
96 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein: said carrier means is movable rearwardly of its normal position; and said control means includes means responsive to said brush clearing said front corner of said vehicle to move said carrier means rearwardly beyond said normal position while rotating said linkage means in the direction opposite said one direction to extend said linkage and further responsive to the rear corner of said vehicle clearing said brush means to move said carrier means forwardly to carry said brush forwardly and inwardly across the rear of said vehicle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
Vehicle washing apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein: said carrier means includes a horizontally projecting arm carried pivotally on one end from said support means and having said linkage means mounted from the free end thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-12-10 | 1977-06-11 | 1977-12-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-10 | 1981-06-11 | 1981-12-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-10 | 1985-06-11 | 1985-12-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |