Patent GB-1007797-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to vehicle cleaning apparatus
Inventor: GILLANDERS RODERICK DHU
IPC: B60S3/04
Filed: 1962-08-13
Abstract: 1,007,797. Cleaning vehicles. LONDON TRANSPORT BOARD and METERLUBE Ltd. Nov. 12, 1963 [Aug. 13, 1962; July 30, 1963], Nos. 31041/62 and 30197/63. Heading B7J. Apparatus for cleaning the underside of a vehicle comprises a carriage 20, Figs. 1 and 2, adapted to run on wheels 21, 22 beneath the vehicle, a cleaning lance 26 provided with upwardly divergent spray nozzles 51 being pivotally mounted on the passage at 25 for horizontal swing- ing movement, means, e.g. a double acting pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly 29 for swinging the lance from side to side and through a predetermined area, and means, e.g. a piston and cylinder assembly 35, for moving the carriage beneath the vehicle in timed relation to the horizontal swinging movement of the lance. Compressed air is supplied to the assembly 29 under the control of air relay valves 32, 33 at the limits of swinging movement of the lance and a reversing valve 60. An extension 27 of the lance also operates an air relay valve 34 to actuate the single acting assembly 35 which makes its return stroke under the action of a spring. when the valve 34 is operated the piston-rod 36 rotates the axle 24 of the wheels 22 step-by-step through an arm 37, a ratchet 38 under the urge of a spring 39, and a ratchet wheel 40, provided with a locking pawl 41. The axle 24 is drivably connected to the axle 23 of the wheels 21 by a chain 49 and sprockets 48, 47. The track of the carriage wheels is adjustable, as indicated The lance 26 comprises sections 26a, 26b articulated at 43 and pivotal relative to each other against the action of springs 44. The nozzles 51 of the nozzle assembly 50 are pivoted about a horizontal axis on the lance section 26a and are oscillatable about that axis by a piston-rod 53 of a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly 54. The lance sections pivot relatively to each other when the assembly 50 encounters a wheel 45 or 46 of the vehicle to be cleaned. In a modification the divergent nozzles 51 are replaced by a single nozzle carried by an arm rotatable on the end of the lance section 26a about a vertical axis by the reaction of the nozzle jet. Moreover the lance section 26b may be below the section 26a instead of above it as shown in Fig. 1. The assembly 29 is arranged to swing the lance more slowly near the vehicle wheels than elsewhere in its arcuate movement. Referring to Fig. 6, the piston 57 of the assembly 29 has opposite projections 63- and 64 respectively engageable in enclosed spaces 69 and 70 at the ends of the cylinder. These spaces are in communication with annular spaces 72 and 73 through ports 71 adjustably controlled by needle valves 74. When the piston is in the middle part of its stroke there is no restriction in the escape of air from one side of the piston. However, when the piston nears either end of its stroke, e.g. consider the right-hand end of the cylinder in Fig. 6, the appropriate projection 64 enters the space. 70 and air in the space 73 can only escape under control of the right-hand needle valve. Similar control is effected when the piston projection 63 enters the space 69. According to Provisional Specification the lance may also be oscillatted in vertical planes. The cleaning fluid may be cold water or hot water with or without steam. A boiler and pump may be provided to supply the hot water. The carriage may be driven continuously by a cable and winch drum operated by an electric motor and the drive may be of constant or variable speed all as described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9 (not shown).