Patent EP-2719831-A1 (EP)
Inventor: CACCIOTTI ANGELO
IPC: E01H1/10
Filed: 2013-10-09
Abstract: Improved multi-purpose truck (430) for re-establishment of safe and practicable road conditions, after car accidents, through cleaning of the road platform, said truck being equipped by: 
- a water tank (414), containing clean water or a solution (434) of water mixed to a special washing liquid ( ecological surfactant ) and a special treatment liquid for the road platform (so called  molecular chain destroyer,  to be sprayed on oil and related oil products), and a suction tank (405) containing emulsion (436) obtained by collection of the washing/treatment liquids and the polluting liquids (435); 
- a high-pressure water gun (408), including a rain jet adjustment, providing a jet of the above said solution (434) on the road platform, where polluting functional liquids (435) (lubricating oils, fuels, cooling substances, etc.) have been eventually lost by vehicles as a consequence of car accidents or breakdown; 
- a suction system (433) suitable to remove, from the road platform, the above resulting emulsion (436), obtained from polluting liquids (435) mixed to the washing/treatment solution (434); furthermore, through the terminal element or suction tube (407), solid and not biodegradable debris are removed/aspirated, these debris being related to typical car equipments (broken glasses, parts made of plastic, metals, remaining parts of structures, etc.), 
characterized in that further comprising: 
- two separate and independent modules, one of which, that is the module of the powers (426) is related to the generation of power that is necessary for the functioning of the belonging parts, and the other one, so called module of the tools (427) is placed towards the center of the road, at the left side of the multi-purpose truck (430), that is the driver's side, and containing said high-pressure water gun (408) system and said suction system (433) necessary to carry out the washing and suction operations, so that to reduce weight and encumbrance and to facilitate the movements of operators (428, 429), during the cleaning steps; 
- a security system for controlling the filling of said suction tank (405), consisting of a switching valve (423), with both manual and automatic activation, positioned between a depressor (406) and said suction tank (405); the automatic switching of the valve (423) prevents to continue the suction of air from the tank (405), when the liquid in said suction tank (405) has reached an upper limit, or when a manual switching occurred after that all the polluting liquid (435) has been aspirated from the road platform, thus preventing the aspiration of wet air and/or air mixed with particles of pollutant, that could compromise the correct functioning of the suction system (433); such switching determines the suction of outer air that conveyed into a pressure tube (425) can be used for the operation of drying the road, after that it has been washed; besides, in case of a routine maintenance of the overall system, the manual switching is very useful, as it allows the circulation of air only from the outer environment, capable of removing any particles of liquid and pollutants accumulated over time; 
- a sensor of level (424) measuring the quantity of liquid in said tank (405) (electrolevel) that, when said level exceeds a maximum capacity allowed, is able to activate electrically some mechanical means causing the automatic switching of said valve (423) connecting to a source air point, not anymore from inside the tank (405) but from the external environment.