Patent US3911938A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.

US3911938A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fully automatic vehicle wash water reclaim system

Assignee: Allen Telecom LLC

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Filing: 1973-11-28

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Granted: 1975-10-14

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Expires: 1993-11-28

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Abstract

Abstract The automatic vehicle wash water reclaim system of the present invention includes wash and rinse spray arches for spraying wash and rinse water on a vehicle located in wash and rinse bays. A collection sump is provided for receiving used wash water drained from the wash bay and includes a partition separating such sump into a water collection and skimmer compartment and a water storage compartment. A wash water pump is provided for drawing water from the wash water sump and pressurizing the wash spray arch. A separator is provided for separating water from sludge and a separator pump is provided for drawing water from the collector compartment and directing it to such separator for the separation of the clean water from the sludge for return to the storage compartment. A rinse water collection sump is provided for receiving used rinse water drained from the rinse bay and a rinse water pump is included for drawing water from such sump to direct it through a series of filters and to the rinse arch. The filter series includes two stages of filter tanks, each stage having their inlets and outlets connected in parallel and the inlets of the first stage being connected to the rinse pump discharge and the inlets of the second stage being connected with the outlets of the first stage. The outlets of the second stage are connected in parallel direct to the rinse arch. The filter tank inlets are also connected together by means of a back wash manifold and such back wash manifold leads to both the wash sump and the rinse sump when both are used. Valving is provided in the filter arrangement for selectively directing all the water from the sump in a forward direction, to flow in sequence through the first stage and then the second stage of filters and for selectively directing the water from such pump forwardly through all but one of the filter tanks and in a back flow direction through the remaining tank to thereby enable back washing of each of such filter tanks with water drawn and filtered by all filters except one from the rinse sump. Automatic control means is provided for controlling the pump and filter valving arrangement. An electro-mechanical system may be provided to chemically treat both the used wash and rinse water as each is recirculated to the collection sump.

Inventors

👤 Dale E Wiltrout

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —

Jurisdiction US

Data Source google_patents

Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 14:28

CPC Classifications

B; B08; B08B; B08B3/00; C; C02; C02F; C02F1/00; C02F1/28; C02F1/008; C02F1/40; C02F2103/00; C02F2103/44

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10

Claim 1

Independent Claim 485 words

An automatic vehicle wash water reclaim system comprising: wash spray means for spraying water onto a vehicle passing through a wash bay formed in a vehicle path; wash sump means disposed beneath said vehicle path for collecting used water from said vehicle path and including partition means separating said sump means into a collector compartment and a clean water compartment; wash drain means for draining water from said vehicle path into said collector compartment; first conduit means connected between said clean water compartment and said spray means and including first pump means for drawing water from said sump and spraying it through said spray means; a sludge separator for separating water from sludge; second conduit means leading from said collector compartment to the inlet of said sludge separator and including second pump means; third conduit means leading from the water outlet from said sludge separator to said clean water compartment; rinse spray means for spraying rinse water on a vehicle passing through a rinse bay formed in said vehicle path forwardly along said path from said wash bay; rinse sump means including partition means separating said rinse sump means into a rinse water collector compartment and a rinse clean water compartment; drain means for draining used rinse water from said rinse bay to said rinse sump; rinse conduit means leading from said clean rinse water compartment and including a rinse pump means; first and second pairs of reverse flow filter tanks having a forward and reverse flow direction; filter conduit means leading from said rinse pump outlet to said filter tanks and connecting said filter tank inlets of said first pair in parallel with said rinse pump, the outlets of said first pair of tanks with the inlets to the second pair of tanks and connecting the outlets of said second pair of filter tanks with said rinse spray means and also connecting said rinse pump in parallel with the inlets to all of said filter tanks; back wash conduit means connecting said filter tank inlets with said rinse sump; individual valve means in said filter conduit means for controlling flow from said rinse pump means to the inlets of said respective filter tank inlets and operative during filtering of said wash water to direct water forwardly in parallel flow through said first pairs of tanks and then in parallel through said second pairs of tanks, said valve means being further operative during back wash of said tanks to selectively direct flow forwardly through any selected three of said tanks and in the reverse direction through the remaining filter tank; individual valve means in said back wash conduit means for controlling flow from said tank inlets through said back wash conduit means; a make-up conduit means leading from the outlet from said filter tank to said wash sump; and control means for controlling said wash pump, separator pump, wash and rinse pumps and valve means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 31 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said valve means includes pneumatic actuators; and said control means includes pneumatic conduits leading to said pneumatic actuators.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 that includes: oil and wax absorbing pillows in said sump means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 26 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 that includes: an oil and wax absorbing pillow in one of said sump means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 that includes: a disposable sludge drum for collecting sludge from said separator.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 64 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said wash sump includes a skimmer projecting downwardly from the top wall thereof along a line intermediate the inlet to said sump means from said wash bay drain and the inlet to said wash water conduit, said sKimmer terminating at a lower edge spaced from the bottom of said wash sump.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 83 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said partition means in said rinse sump means is in the form of a skimmer projecting across said rinse sump means at a point intermediate the inlet to said sump means from said rinse bay drain and the inlet to said rinse pump conduit means and projecting downwardly from the top wall of said sump means to terminate in a lower edge spaced from the bottom of said sump means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 55 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said wash drain means includes a shallow screen pit, a conduit leading from the wash bay to said drain pit, a drain screen disposed in said screen pit and a sump conduit leading from said screen pit to said wash sump means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 53 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said rinse bay drain means includes a shallow screen pit, a conduit leading from said rinse bay to said screen pit, a screen in said screen pit and a sump conduit leading from said screen to said rinse sump means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 34 words

Automatic vehicle wash water reclaim apparatus as set forth in claim 1 that includes: a recycle conduit leading from the water outlet from said sludge separator to said collector compartment in said wash sump.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3421835A Cited

US3739913A Cited

US3774625A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-10-13	1979-04-14	1979-10-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-10-13	1983-04-14	1983-10-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-10-13	1987-04-14	1987-10-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

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