Vehicle overhead washing apparatus

Claim 2

A vehicle washing apparatus comprising a support means; a rotatable brush means having a substantially horizontal axis; an arm pivotally attached at one end to said support means and adapted to carry said brush means, said arm being rotatable about the pivot axis between an initial rest position wherein said arm extends downwardly and A raised position wherein said arm and brush means are raised to a height sufficient to permit a vehicle to pass underneath; a counterbalancing arm attached to said brush carrying arm adjacent said pivot axis and extending from said pivot axis in a direction generally away from that of said brush carrying arm; and means for providing a variable counterbalancing force on said counterbalancing arm whereby the downward force on said brush means is made maximal when said arm is in said rest position and is made minimal when said arm is in said raised position.

Claim 3

A vehicle washing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising damping means connected between said counterbalancing arm and said support means whereby sudden movement of said arm may be damped.

Claim 4

A vehicle washing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said counterbalancing means is adapted to provide automatically variable counterbalancing force depending upon the position of said counterbalancing arm.

Claim 5

A vehicle washing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means attaching said counterbalancing arm to said brush carrying arm includes means for adjusting the angular relationship between said counterbalancing arm and said brush carrying arm about said pivot axis.

Claim 6

A vehicle washing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said counterbalancing means is provided with biasing means adapted to urge said counterbalancing means toward the condition of minimum downward force on said brush means.

Claim 7

A vehicle washing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said counterbalancing means comprises a movable weight, whereby said variable counterbalancing force is effected by varying the distance of said weight from said pivot point, thus varying the counterbalancing moment about said pivot point.

Claim 8

A vehicle washing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said movable weight is supported by a wheeled carriage carried in rolling contact by said counterbalancing arm and movable longitudinally of said arm between two travel limit stops.

Claim 9

A vehicle washing apparatus comprising a supporting frame; a rotatable brush means having a substantially horizontal axis; an arm pivotally attached at one end to said supporting frame and adapted to carry said brush means, said arm being rotatable about its pivot axis between an initial rest position wherein said arm extends downwardly and a raised position wherein said arm and brush means are raised to a height sufficient to permit a vehicle to pass underneath; a counterbalancing arm attached to said brush carrying arm adjacent said pivot axis and extending from said pivot axis in a direction generally away from the direction of said brush carrying arm; means for providing a variable counterbalancing force on said counterbalancing arm, said means comprising a counterweight carried by said counterbalancing arm and supported by a wheeled carriage carried in rolling contact with said counterbalancing arm and movable longitudinally of said arm between two travel limit stops, one stop being located adjacent the end of said arm away from said arm attachment and the other stop being located proximal said attachment, and biasing means attached to said counterbalancing arm and adapted to urge said counterweight toward said one stop, the strength of said biasing means being such that said counterweight is moved away from said other stop and toward said one stop when said brush means is raised from said rest position and said counterbalancing arm is correspondingly lowered, whereby the moment counterbalancing said brush means is increased by the outward movement of the counterweight along said counterbalancing arm thereby reducing the downward force on said brush means as it is raised to clean the upper surfaces of the vehicle; and damping means connected between said counterbalancing arm and said support means whereby sudden movement of said arm may be damped.

Claim 10

A vehicle washing apparatus comprising a supporting frame; a rotatable brush means having a substantially horizontal axis; an arm pivotally attached at one end to said supporting frame and adapted to carry said brush means, said arm being rotatable about its pivot axis between an initial rest position wherein said arm extends downwardly and a raised position wherein said arm and brush means are raised to a height sufficient to permit a vehicle to pass underneath; a counterbalancing arm attached to said brush carrying arm adjacent said pivot axis and extending from said pivot axis in a direction generally away from the direction of said brush carrying arm; means for providing a variable counterbalancing force on said counterbalancing arm, said means comprising a counterweight carried by said counterbalancing arm and supported by a wheeled carriage carried in rolling contact with said counterbalancing arm and movable longitudinally of said arm between two travel limit stops, one stop being located adjacent the end of said arm away from said arm attachment and the other stop being located proximal said attachment, and biasing means attached to said counterbalancing arm and adapted to urge said counterweight toward said one stop, the strength of said biasing means being such that said counterweight is moved away from said other stop and toward said one stop when said brush means is raised from said rest position and said counterbalancing arm is correspondingly lowered, whereby the moment counterbalancing said brush means is increased by the outward movement of the counterweight along said counterbalancing arm thereby reducing the downward force on said brush means as it is raised to clean the upper surfaces of the vehicle; and damping means connected between said counterbalancing arm and said support means whereby sudden movement of said arm may be damped.