GB1442258A - Road vehicle wheel washing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1442258 Cleaning vehicle wheels WILLIAM MOSELEY (ENGS) Ltd 20 Feb 1975 [7 March 1974] 10173/74 Heading B7J Apparatus for the in situ washing of the wheels W of road vehicles comprises a pair of parallel rollers 12, 11 arranged to support between them the wheels W of one axle of a vehicle in peripheral driving engagement with at least one 11 of the rollers; releasable braking means 18 for inhibiting the rotation of the roller 11; power drive means, e.g. electric motor 39 coupled to the axle 16 of the roller 11 via a centrifugal coupling 40, reduction gear 38, disc coupling 37 and a free wheel mechanism 36 so that, when the braking means 18 are released the roller 11 can be driven either by the vehicle drive wheels or by the power drive 39; and a pump 20 driven by the roller axle 16, pulley wheel 19 and a belt 26 for delivering liquid under pressure to a spray pipe 35 adapted to spray jets of liquid on to the wheels W. The other roller 12 of the pair is freely rotatable and the pair of rollers 11, 12 and another pair of freely rotatable rollers 13, 14 are mounted in a frame 10 over a pit. A further pump 20 is driven from the axle 17 of the roller 13 which is provided with brake means 18 and is connected to a spray pipe 35 between the rollers 13, 14. The hydraulically operable disc brakes 18 are controlled by a hand lever 51 also connected to a stop valve 52 in a water supply pipe 28 which is connected to the inlets of the pumps 20 by conduits 27 and to the inlet of the pump 43 by a conduit 44. The outlet of the pump 43 is connected to one end of the associated spray pipe 35 by a conduit 45 and non-return valve 50. Another non-return valve is provided between the other end of the spray pipe 35 and a conduit 30 connected to the outlet of the associated pump 20. In use the rollers 11, 13 are braked and a vehicle driven on to the apparatus to position the front wheels between the rollers 11, 12 and the brakes 18 are then released. The vehicle driver operates a pedant switch to start the motor 39 whereafter the front wheels are rotated and liquid is supplied to the relevant spray pipe 35 via the pump 43. A time switch can be provided to switch off the motor 39. The brakes 18 are operated again until the vehicle rear driving wheels are positioned between the rollers 11, 12. After releasing the brakes 18 the rollers 11, 12 are driven by the vehicle engine but drive is not transmitted to the reduction gear because of the free wheel mechanism and the pump 20 supplies the spray pipe 35 with liquid. When the vehicle has four driving wheels W the rear pair impart drive to the free rollers 13, 14. The free wheel 36 may be replaced by a magnetic clutch operable when the motor 39 is started. A second power drive means with pump may be connected to one of the rollers 13, 14.