The Allen Group Inc.

Transcontinental Car Wash Systems Limited

Ivan J Barber

Calvin Whetham

A vehicle wash system includes apparatus for washing side and rear surfaces of a vehicle and apparatus for washing the front and upper surfaces of a vehicle. The apparatus for washing the side and rear surfaces includes a side and rear follower mounted on a support frame to the side of a vehicle path and moveable from a first position to the side of the vehicle path to a second position inwardly of the side of the vehicle path, nozzles being mounted on the end of the follower. With the follower in the first position, the nozzles are directed towards the vehicle path and thus towards a side surface of a vehicle, and when the follower is moving between the first and second positions, the nozzles are directed along the vehicle path and thus towards the rear surface of the vehicle. The apparatus for washing the front and upper surfaces of the vehicle includes a follower pivotally mounted on a support frame and having a pair of spaced side members extending from the mounting and a cross member extending between the ends of the side members and moveable between a lower first position where the cross member is positioned in the path of vehicles on the vehicle path and a raised second position in which the cross member is above the path of vehicles. Nozzles are mounted on the cross member and a plurality of spaced sensors are mounted on the cross member for detecting the presence of a vehicle. A follower actuator is activated by the sensors to retain the follower and nozzles a predetermined distance from the vehicle. A nozzle and sensor actuator mounted on the support frame is provided for activation by the sensors for orienting the nozzles to spray washing fluid towards the vehicle. Nozzle and sensor orienting linkages extend between the nozzle and sensor actuator and the nozzles and sensors for maintaining the nozzle and sensor orientation as the front and top follower pivots relative to the frame.

Vehicle wash apparatus

A selectable dolly vehicle conveyor system having spaced dollies mounted between two drive chains and normally moving on a lower track concealed beneath an upper track. A ramp for shunting the rear part of a dolly to the upper track to push a vehicle, operates only when both the front wheel of such vehicle holds depressed a threadle switch located beyond the ramp and at the same time the front roller of such dolly has passed the ramp and depresses a dolly threadle plate on the lower track. This permits the front part of the dolly to pass the ramp unobstructed and ensures that only the rear part of the dolly will be shunted to the upper track, even though the front and rear parts of the dolly are longitudinally aligned.

Vehicle conveyor system having double chain drive and selectable dolly

There is disclosed a vehicle wash apparatus including a wash arch frame carried on tracks extending longitudinally of a wash stall in which a car to be washed is parked. Overhead arms are pivotally carried on their respective one ends from an overhead transverse horizontal pivot shaft and mount a horizontally disposed rotary top brush from the free ends thereof for selective lowering into a position for contacting the front of a vehicle to wash the grill and for travel rearwardly along the hood, top and trunk of the vehicle. Side brush arms are carried pivotally from the sides of the arch frame for rotation about vertical axes and project in a direction opposite the direction in which the top brush arms, in their retracted positions, project and are urged inwardly to wash the sides of the car as the arch carries the top brush rearwardly on the tracks. Such side arms are pivoted inwardly as the side brushes clear the rear corners of the car to carry the side brushes about the rear corners of the vehicle to wash the rear thereof as the top brush completes washing of the top of the trunk.

Compact rollover vehicle wash apparatus

A drum towel drier for vehicles, in which towel holders are pivotally mounted around the periphery of a rotating drum. Each towel holder carries a towel and also has a lever projecting therefrom. When the towel holder enters a vehicle drying sector, the lever contacts a fixed trip pin, causing the towel holder to rotate through an arc (in the same direction of rotation as that of the drum), pulling such towel holder's towel part way off the drum. This expedites unwrapping of the towels from the drum so that they can dry a vehicle. A guide rail below the drum limits the rotation of the towel holders so that the rear towel hangs lower than the towels forwardly thereof, to improve the distribution of towels on the vehicle.

Drum towel drier for vehicles

A vehicle washing apparatus is provided with an improved side and rear washing brush system. A generally cylindrical side and rear washing brush is provided which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis at the end of an arm terminating in upper and lower lateral members that carry the brush. The arm is rotatably mounted for lateral rotational movement with respect to a washing station framework and is biased so that the brush contacts the side of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through the washing station. As the vehicle passes the brush, a biasing means rotates the arm and forces the brush in behind the vehicle to maintain contact therewith and to traverse the rear of the vehicle with a force greater than that applied to hold the brush in contact with the side of the vehicle.

Vehicle washing apparatus with improved rear washer

Car washing apparatus including a primary arm pivotally supported at one end and extending rearwardly along the path of the car, a secondary arm pivotally supported on the free end of the primary arm and extending across the path of the car, and a rotary brush on the free end of the secondary arm. A secondary cylinder is connected between the primary and secondary arms, and the rod and blind ends of the cylinder are connected through flow controls to the control inlets of a 4-way valve. The 4-way valve controls a primary arm cylinder which retracts and extends the primary arm as required. When a car strikes the brush, the pressure increase at one end of the secondary arm cylinder pilots the 4-way valve, operating the primary arm piston and cylinder. When the brush passes the front corner of the car and the secondary arm begins to unfold under the influence of a bias spring, the pressure increase at the other end of the secondary arm cylinder pilots the 4-way valve oppositely, reversing the primary arm movement. The blind end flow control is provided with sufficient pressure relief to prevent, at low car speeds, false piloting thereof, but is restrictive enough to pilot the 4-way valve at car speeds above 10 feet per minute.

Car washing apparatus having slow speed relief

Vehicle washing and drying apparatus including an inverted U-shaped frame adapted to roll over a vehicle while it is in a stationary position and having mounted thereon a fluid spray device for spraying cleaning fluid onto the surface of the automobile. A drying device is also mounted on the frame and includes side nozzles for blowing drying air onto the sides of the vehicle and a top nozzle projecting downwardly from the top of the frame and intermediately articulated so the lower portion thereof forms a normally downwardly facing horizontally elongated lower level orifice for directing drying air onto the tops of low profile vehicles. The lower portion of such nozzle may be folded away to clear higher profile vehicles and exposes an upper level horizontally elongated orifice which directs drying air onto the tops of higher profile vehicles. A control device is provided for controlling retraction of the lower nozzle and is operative in response to a sensing device which senses the high profile vehicle to automatically retract such nozzle.

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Mississauga, Canada

Ivan J Barber