Patent ID: 8082618
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: B60S

Abstract:
1. A car wash roll assembly for laundering a vehicle in a vehicle cleaning process as the vehicle proceeds along a predetermined direction of travel, comprising: a drive shaft assembly having a pair of opposing ends and having a longitudinally extending axis of rotation, said drive shaft assembly having a plurality of protrusions uniformly spaced about a shaft periphery of said drive shaft assembly; an actuator in communication with said drive shaft assembly to effectuate rotation about said axis of rotation as commanded; a plurality of spacers having a spacer opening, said spacer opening having a plurality of mating notches for engagement with a respective one of said plurality of protrusions on said shaft periphery to effectuate rotation of said plurality of spacers as said drive shaft assembly rotates; a plurality of cloth rolls consisting of a single sheet of non-woven material having an inner edge secured by a clinch ring to create a non-pleated finishing surface for engaging the vehicle as it proceeds along the horizontal path of travel, each of said plurality of cloth rolls being disposed between two of said plurality of spacers; and a cap secured to said drive shaft at one of said ends for applying sufficient pressure to said spacers to create friction between each of said cloth rolls and said spacers to sandwich and secure each of said cloth rolls between a pair of adjacent spacers such that said plurality of spacers and said plurality of cloth rolls can be rotated as a unit without relative movement therebetween.