Abstract:
A washing station includes a sloped deck with sidewalls surrounding one or more sides of the deck, the sidewalls including flexible barriers. The flexible barriers are made of two rows of adjacent semi-rigid, substantially transparent panels hanging from a bar, with the semi-rigid panels of one row offset from the flexible panels of the second row such that an elongate washing wand can be threaded between panels through the barrier while the operator of the washing wand can observe the equipment or vehicle to be washed through the flexible barrier. The deck is constructed of deck modules that may be easily disconnected so that the deck modules can be moved by a forklift. Wash water run off is collected in a sloped, covered trough that contains a sump pump positioned in a filtered compartment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention pertains to washing stations onto which machinery and vehicles can be driven to allow them to be washed with run off collected by the washing station structure. 
         [0002]    Various washing stations have been developed which have the purpose of collecting debris and contaminants removed from a vehicle or equipment being washed. Conventional washing stations include a platform onto which the equipment is moved, usually by driving the equipment onto the platform by use of an inclined ramp. The platforms are provided with collection means to collect run off from the washing process and may include rigid upstanding walls or sides of the platform, such as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,655,396 and 6,799,591. Another version of a washing station is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,489 where a roof joins the upstanding rigid sidewalls. In many applications, a water recycling system is located near the washing station so that run off can be filtered, treated and cleansed sufficiently so that it can be reused to wash subsequent equipment vehicles or placed upon the washing station. 
         [0003]    In most applications, washing is accomplished by a person spraying pressurized water onto the equipment being washed. In order to do this, the washing station must either have no sidewalls or if there are sidewalls, the sidewalls must be low enough to allow the operator to direct a spray of water over the sidewalls and onto all surfaces of the equipment to be washed. Such washing stations allow the spray operator to be hit by spray reflecting from the washed item. Because the need to clean vehicles exists in all climates and weather conditions, the operator spraying the equipment may be subjected to reflected spray in cold conditions that will make the spraying job very unpleasant. Furthermore, a substantial need exists for the washing station to be portable so that it can be moved close to a job site so that the equipment to be washed will not distribute debris and contaminants over a wider area than necessary as it is moved to the washing station. 
         [0004]    A need exists for a portable washing station which can be easily moved without using a crane, and further a strong need exists for a washing station which allows the spray operator to be protected from overspray and reflected spray while washing the equipment located on the washing station. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention provides a washing station, also commonly called a washing pad, on which vehicles, construction machinery and other large equipment may be placed for washing with the washing station containing the debris and effluent from the washing process. The washing station includes a deck assembled from a series of modular sections joined to create a sloped platform to cause the deck to drain to one side. Each modular section includes fork openings so that the unassembled deck sections can be lifted and moved by a forklift. The top plate of each modular section overhangs its support frame by a small amount at the lower end of the modular member so that run off exiting the deck can drop into a collection trough. The collection trough is composed of end-to-end disconnectable trough sections located adjacent the lower side of the deck such that the top plates of the modular sections slightly overhang the open top of the collection trough assembly. The bottom of the trough assembly slopes downward to one end of the trough assembly from which liquid may be pumped. Removable cover members rest on the open top of the collection trough assembly and each includes a tab that is received in a slot in the modular deck section adjacent the cover. A filter enclosure is located in the trough at its collection end to strain particulates from the wash water run off before the filtered run off is pumped or suctioned from within the filter enclosure to be transferred to a water recycling system associated with the washing station. An easily replaceable sump pump is located within the filter enclosure in the trough assembly to draw filtered run off to the water recycling system. 
         [0006]    The deck may also be assembled of two series of modular sections, each making a separate deck section with each deck section sloped downward toward the other deck section in order to drain run off into a trough assembly which is placed between the deck sections. This arrangement allows construction of a doublewide washing station by using standard modular sections of the deck. 
         [0007]    The deck is surrounded on three sides by sidewall assemblies that include sidewall frame members, rigid lower wall panels mounted to the lower portions of the frame members and a flexible barrier above the rigid wall panels which includes flexible narrow curtain panels that hang from an upper rail of the sidewall frame members. The curtain panels are arranged in two closely spaced offset rows with spaces between adjacent curtain panels so that the flexible curtain of the sidewalls will form a non-rigid barrier but also one that will permit a spraying wand to be threaded between adjacent flexible panels by deflecting adjacent panels slightly. The flexible panels are preferably transparent or translucent so that an operator of a spraying wand can see through the flexible panel barrier to aim the washing spray onto the desired part of the equipment to be washed. 
         [0008]    Ramp members are supported at their lower ends on the ground surface and at their upper ends upon a rail or wall edge by a hook structure thereby allowing the ramp members to be adjusted to easily change the spacing between them, in order to accommodate differing wheel separations of vehicles which may be driven up the ramp members and onto the deck. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, the objects of this invention are: 
         [0010]    (a) to provide an improved washing station with sidewalls which provide a barrier to shield the spray operator while permitting the operator to see the equipment to be washed and to pass the spraying wand through spaces between adjacent curtain panels in the sidewalls; 
         [0011]    (b) to provide a washing station having a deck constructed of modular components that does not require a crane to relocate the deck; 
         [0012]    (c) to provide a washing station with ramp members which can be easily varied in spacing to accommodate vehicles of varying wheel spacing; 
         [0013]    (d) to provide a washing station which can be easily expanded to accommodate very large machinery to be washed; 
         [0014]    (e) to provide a washing station which allows collection of filtered run off by a sump pump that can be easily replaced when necessary; 
         [0015]    (f) to provide a washing station with flexible panel sidewalls through which the vehicle to be washed can be observed. 
         [0016]    These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from examination of the description and claims that follow. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a front right perspective of a washing station according to the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view, in perspective, of the washing station of  FIG. 1 , with parts thereof omitted to ease in understanding of interrelationships of the structural components. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a greatly enlarged view in perspective of a segment of the curtain wall, with the lower ends of curtain panels cut away. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view in perspective of a trough section of the run off collection trough of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view in perspective of a deck module of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation of the deck module of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged side plan view of the deck module of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged view in perspective of a trough cover of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged front elevation of a ramp member of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the washing station invention  2  is seen to include a platform or deck  4 , ramp members  6 ,  8 , sidewalls  10 ,  12 , end wall  14 , and run off collection trough  18 . A vehicle or other machine to be washed or decontaminated may be moved up ramp members  6 ,  8  onto deck  4  to rest thereon during the washing or decontamination flowage thereof. Because deck  4  is sloped toward trough  18 , run off from washing or decontamination will move by gravity toward trough  18  where it will be collected. Run off reaching trough  18  will be filtered and may be drawn from trough  18  to a water treatment and recycling system not shown in the drawings but exemplified by a Mi-T-M® WCL series water treatment system manufactured by the Mi-T-M Corporation of Peosta, Iowa. (See http://www.mitm.com). 
         [0027]    Application of washing fluid, which may be a detergent solution, heated or cool water, or another satisfactory solvent, may be accomplished by spraying a high pressure spray onto the item to be washed from a pressure washer wand which may be inserted through curtain wall  86  in gaps between overlapping curtain panels  16  of sidewalls  10 ,  12  and end wall  14 . 
         [0028]    Sidewalls  10 ,  12  and end wall  14  include an open framework  30  comprising a lower frame assembly  70  and an upper frame assembly  72 . Lower frame assembly  70  comprises upright members  20  and lateral members  22 ,  24 . Upper frame assembly  72  comprises top rail  36  supported on standards  74 . Standards  74  may be supported on selected upright members  20 . Each of lateral frame assemblies  70  and upper frame assemblies  72  may be constructed in eight foot lengths so that open frameworks  30  may be disassembled into components of length not exceeding eight feet. Rigid panels  28  are also eight feet in length and are mounted to lower frame assemblies  70 . 
         [0029]    Curtain walls  86  are located above rigid panels  28  and comprise plural curtain panels  16  which are suspended from top rails  36  of open frameworks  30 . The lower end  26  of each curtain panel  16  lies against an inside face  38  of the rigid panel  28 . Curtain panels  16  are non-rigid, being flexible or semi rigid clear polyvinyl chloride strips or other clear flexible or semi-rigid polymer strips. 
         [0030]    From reference to  FIG. 2 , it may be understood that washing station  2  is modular in construction. Deck  4  comprises multiple deck modules  42  which are selectively joined in series. Deck modules are preferably eight feet in length and two or four feet in width so that deck  4  may be assembled in increments of two or four feet. Each deck module  42  includes transverse fork openings  44  so that a forklift or fork equipped end loader or skid loader can load and move the deck modules  42 . 
         [0031]    Trough  18  comprises trough sections  48 ,  49  which may be constructed in eight foot lengths. First trough section  48  longitudinally joins second trough section  49  to form trough  18 . Trough sections  48  and  49  are joined at open ends  50 ,  51  respectively thereof. As best seen in  FIG. 4 , first trough section  48  includes a cross rail  127  mounted thereunder to raise open end  50  thereof above removal end  54  thereof. Second trough section  49  is provided with cross rail  127  that decline in height from distal end  130  to open end  51  thereof. The assembled trough  18  therefore is sloped toward removal end  54 . 
         [0032]    A multi-walled filter element  52  may be received in removal end  54  of trough  18  to create a compartment  56  for placement of a submersible sump pump (not illustrated) to be used to draw filtered run off from trough  18  as it accumulates. Filter element  22  serves to separate large particulates from the run off wash water. 
         [0033]    The inclusion of cross rail  127  and tapered longitudinal rails  132  causes floor  128  of trough  18  to slope downwardly from distal end  130  to removal end  54  to facilitate drainage of run off toward filter element  52  and sump pump compartment  56 . Rails  132  are taller at distal end  130  of second trough section  49  than at open end  51  thereof. 
         [0034]    Covers  62  rest upon the open top  46  of trough sections  48 ,  49  but permit run off from deck  4  to enter the open top  46  of trough  18  through openings in the open top  46  left uncovered by covers  62  at tab edges  66  thereof. 
         [0035]    Curtain walls  86  comprise curtain panels  16  which are retained to top rails  36  by attachment strips  40 . Curtain panels  16  are preferably substantially transparent or translucent semi-rigid or flexible polymer strips about eight inches in width. Curtain panels  16  are preferably constructed of clear polyvinyl chloride of 0.08 inch thickness. Curtain panels  16  are preferably about five feet to about six feet in length, so long as a curtain wall  86  and rigid panel  28  serve to make a barrier to spray reflecting from the equipment being washed. 
         [0036]    Deck side panels  76 , which may be 8 feet in length, are mountable to the higher ends  58  of deck modules  42  and enclose them. Trough side panels  78  assist in retaining trough sections  48  in abutment with lower ends  60  of deck modules  42  when selected deck modules  42  have been assembled into deck  4 . Closed deck end panel  80  may be assembled to lateral frame assembly  70  when used as part of end wall  14 . Extension panel  84  extends across distal end  130  of trough  18 . Rail extension  146  joins top rail  36  of end wall  14  with the top rail  36  of sidewall  12  and provides a support for flexible panels  16  to hang over an opening between end wall panel  28   a  and sidewall  12 . 
         [0037]    Entry end panel  82  is elongate having ends  136  and  138  which mount to the first deck module  42   a . Entry end panel  82  includes a projected central region  140 , which is spaced away from first deck module  42   a  when ends  136  and  138  are mounted to the first deck module  42   a . Referring additionally to  FIG. 9 , brackets  68  of ramps  6 ,  8  may hook over top edge  142  of entry end panel  82  so that first ends  106 ,  108  of ramps  6 ,  8  may slide along central region  140  in order to permit easy adjustment of the separation of ramps  6 ,  8 . Trough panel  85  extends across removal end  54  of trough  18  and joins trough side panel  78 . 
         [0038]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a segment of curtain wall  86  is illustrated, showing arrangement of curtain panels  16  suspended from attachment strip  40 . Curtain panels  16  are arranged in spaced apart, side by side fashion. For illustration, four curtain panels  16   a ,  16   b ,  16   c  and  16   d  are seen in  FIG. 3 . It is seen that curtain panels  16  are arranged in two closely spaced offset rows  100 ,  102  arranged such that outer panel row gaps  90  are left between outer panels  16   a ,  16   c  and inner panel row gaps  92  exist between inner panels  16   b  and  16   d . Therefore a washing wand being held by a spray operator may be threaded between flexible outer panels  16   a  and  16   c  through outer panel gaps  90  and between inner panels  16   b ,  16   d  through inner panel gap  92 . Except for a small opening created as the curtain panels  16  are deflected by penetration of the thin elongate washing wand, the curtain wall  86  created by the arrangement of overlapping adjacent curtain panels  16  remains inviolate and prevents sprayed fluids reflecting from the equipment being washed from contacting the washing wand operator. If a second spray operator is washing from the opposite side or from the end of the washing station  2 , overspray passing the equipment being washed will not strike an other spray operator. 
         [0039]    It is to be understood that curtain panels  16  are arranged in outer rows  100  and inner rows  102  such that portions of the first face  94  of a curtain panel  16  in the outer row  100  will be in close proximity or in touching abutment to the opposing second face  96  of two adjacent curtain panels  16  of the inner row  102 . That is, in the illustration of  FIG. 3 , first face  94  of curtain panel  16   c  abuts both a portion of second face  96  of curtain panel  16   b  and a portion of second face  96  of curtain panel  16   d  while a central segment  98  of first face  94  of curtain panel  16   c  is exposed to inner curtain gap  92  of inner row  102  of curtain panels  16 . Preferably the width of gaps  90  and  92  is approximately equal to fifty percent of the width of curtain panels  16  so that, in reference to  FIG. 3 , approximately twenty-five percent of the width of first face  94  of curtain panel  16   c  closely opposes or abuts second face  96  of curtain panel  16   b  and approximately twenty-five percent of the width of first face  94  of curtain panel  16   c  closely opposes or abuts second face  96  of curtain panel  16   d.    
         [0040]    In the case of end wall  14 , flex panels  16  may be longer in the area below rail extension  146  so that a flexible barrier is made across the space between rigid panel  28  and of end wall  14  and side wall  12 . 
         [0041]    Referring now additionally to  FIGS. 5-7 , one deck module  42  is illustrated. Deck module  42  comprises a top plate  110  supported by longitudinal beams  112 ,  114 , and  116 . Each of beams  112 ,  114 ,  116  is of C-shaped construction. Beams  112 ,  114  and  116  are tapered in height from higher end  58  of deck module  42  to its lower end  60  such that top plate  110  is sloped downward so run off will drain toward lower end  60  and fall off overhang  118  of lower end  60  into trough  18  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). 
         [0042]    An elongate slot  120  is formed in top plate  110  to receive a tab  64  of a cover  62  (see  FIG. 8 ). The cooperation between slots  120  of deck modules  42  and tabs  64  of covers  62  provides proper location of covers  62  over trough sections  48 ,  49  leaving a gap over open top  46  of trough  18  where covers  62  do not extend. 
         [0043]    Deck module  42  is provided with fork openings  44  to allow deck modules  42  to be easily transported by a forklift or other lifting fork equipped machine. 
         [0044]    Deck module  42  includes transverse support ribs  122  which are used to strengthen the deck module  42 . Support ribs  122  pass through each of beams  112 ,  114 ,  116  and are welded thereto to strengthen the deck module  42 . One set of support ribs  122  is attached to beams  112 ,  114 ,  116  immediately below top plate  110  and a second set of support ribs  122  is located at the bottom  132  of deck module  42 . 
         [0045]    First edge  124  of top plate  110  of each deck module  42  cantilevers to overlie the exposed upper end  126  of first support beam  112  of the next adjacent deck module  42  such that each top plate  110  is supported in part by the first beam  112  of the neighboring deck module  42 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 8  provides an enlarged perspective of a trough cover  62  showing the downwardly directed tabs  64  thereof which extend from first edge  66  such that a gap remains between first edge  66  and overhang  118  of each deck module  42  of deck  4  when tabs  64  are located in slots  120  of top plates  110  of deck modules  42 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 9  shows a ramp member  6 , ramp member  8  being identical thereto. Ramp member  6  includes first end  106  from which bracket  68  extends such that depending leg  144  depends from extending leg  148  downward to be captured behind top edge  142  of central region  140  of entry end panel  82  (see  FIG. 2 ). Ground supported end  104  of ramp  6  may be provided with slide pads  107  thereon. 
         [0048]    By making all components of the wash station  2  modular, it can be understood that the wash station can be enlarged in increments and could be doubled in width with trough  18  centered between deck assemblies with lower ends  60  of the deck modules  42  of a first deck assembly opposing lower ends  60  of the second deck assembly. With such an arrangement, the run off would drain to the center of the deck and into the trough  18  for removal of the used water and its treatment and recycling. 
         [0049]    The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible in light of the above disclosure or such may be acquired through practice of the invention. The embodiments illustrated were chosen in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.