Rollover pressure car wash apparatus and methods of operating same

Abstract

A variable pressure spray type vehicle laundry apparatus in which a carriage is mounted for longitudinal displacement along overhead parallel beams and an inverted L shaped spray arm carrying both horizontally and vertically directed nozzles circumscribes the vehicle to be laundered. In the preferred embodiments two reversely similar L shaped spray arms are used and caused to operate through a butterfly type cycle to spray various fluids at different pressures on the vehicle. For low pressure operations, the twin arm system is centered over the vehicle and both spray arms are supplied with low pressure fluid at the same time. For high pressure operations, the left and right spray arms are operated in sequence and each is maintained at an optimal spray arm to vehicle spacing during its operating cycle. The carriage is provided with a laterally translatable shuttle structure for this purpose.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to systems for causing one or more spray nozzle support arms to traverse a path which circumscribes an object such as an automobile as well as to operating methods therefor. The invention and the various sub-combinations thereof are advantageously applied to a vehicle laundry of the rollover type.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The manufacture, sale and operation of automobile laundering equipment is big business in the United States and many other countries. The term “automobile laundering”, as used herein, refers to wet washing the external surfaces of virtually any type of vehicle from ordinary passenger cars to busses, trucks, vans and even train cars and airplanes. Moreover, the principles and structures described herein can be applied to any fluid spray system including, by way of example, painting, prepping and corrosion-proofing.[0003]One of the most popular forms of vehicle laundering equipment is the so-called “rollover” ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]In the hereinafter-illustrated forms, the apparatus of the subject invention comprises at least one inverted L-shaped spray nozzle carrier which is pivotally mounted at or near the inboard distal end thereof to powered pivot system which in turn is mounted on an overhead carriage for longitudinal movement over and relative to the vehicle. The combination of pivotal and longitudinal movements are such as to cause the arm and the nozzles therefor to circumscribe an object in the laundering area, thus to provide full coverage but without undesirable overlap.

[0009]In the preferred and fully accessorized embodiment, the carriage arrangement provides for lateral as well as longitudinal displacement of the pivot center relative to the treatment area. With this capability, pivotal movement, lateral movement, longitudinal movement and pressure s

Problems solved by technology

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