Patent GB-736380-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a combined windshield cleaner and washer
IPC: B60S1/50
Filed: 1953-06-23
Abstract: 736,380. Windscreen cleaners. TRICO PRODUCTS CORPORATION. June 23, 1953 [July 3, 1952], No. 17399/53. Class 138 (1). Relates to a combined windscreen wiper unit and windscreen washer unit, each having a separate control, wherein operation of the washer unit control also sets the wiper unit in operation, the arrangement being such that the wiper continues to operate for a short period of time after the washer operation ceases and is thereafter arrested. In the embodiment of  Figs. 1 and 2, the wiper shaft 8 is driven from a suction motor 4, having a control valve 9 operable from a rotatable knob 14 by a cable 10, and suitable transmission 7. The washer comprises a suction motor 17, pump 18, reservoir 19, nozzle 37 and a control button 21. Suction for the motors 4, 17 is obtained from the engine intake manifold 15 through a pipe 16 and through pipes 28, 27 respectively. Referring to Fig. 2, the wiper-operating knob 14 is mounted on the upper end of a rotatable shaft 13 which carries at its lower end a pinion 12 meshing-with a rack 11 fixed to the cable 10. The washer control button 21 has a stem 57 mounted coaxially with the shaft 13 and when depressed, this stem can seat a valve 58 on a port 59 and through a spacer 60 can unseat a valve 23 from a port 22 against a spring 24. The space between the ports 22, 59 communicates with the pipe 27 and motor 17 and also by a passage 48 and metering check valve 47 with the chamber 44 of a control motor. The space above the port 59 communicates with atmosphere whilst the space below the port 22 communicates with the suction pipe 28. Mounted for pivotal movement at 51 on the casting for the controls is a lever 50 which is connected at its lower end to the rod 49 of the piston 45 operating in the control motor chamber 44 against a spring 46. The upper end of the lever 50 pivotally carries a pawl 52 urged upwardly by a spring 53 connected to the lever. In operation when the button 21 is depressed the port 59 is sealed from atmosphere by the valve 58 and the port 22 is opened to the suction pipe 28. Suction is thus applied to the pipe 27 and washer motor 17 so that a piston 25, Fig. 1, is raised against a spring 26 whereby the piston 36 of the pump 18, which piston is connected to the piston 25 by a rod 35, is also raised to draw in liquid from the reservoir 19. On reaching the top of its stroke the piston 25 causes a plate 31 pivoted at 32 to close the motor suction port 30 and to open an atmospheric vent 34 whereafter the spring 26 causes the piston 25 and thus the piston 36 to move downwardly to expel liquid from the pump 18 to the nozzle 37 for a predetermined interval. At the same time as suction is applied to the pipe 27 it is also applied to the motor chamber 44 to cause the lever 50 to move to the full line position, Fig. 2, against the action of the spring 46. When this happens the pawl 52 is caused by a cam surface 55 to be moved against its spring 53 into engagement with a tooth on the wiper-operating rack 12, the engagement being ensured by a cam 56 on the pawl engaging the end of the rack which is thereby pushed by the lever 50 to operate the control valve 9 of the wiper motor. When the washer motor piston reaches the top of its stroke to vent the motor chamber, the. atmosphere is then placed in communication with the motor chamber 44. The release of the button 21 allows ingress of more air through the opened port 59. However, the flow of air to the chamber 44 is restricted by a bleed passage 61 below the valve 47 and hence the movement of the piston 45 under the action of spring 46 to a position 62 will be retarded. At position 62 the wiper will be parked, while when the piston 45 reaches its final position 63 the pawl will be released from the rack. The wiper rack may be operated independently when desired by rotating the knob 14. If the wiper is already operating at a given speed below the maximum speed, operation of the button 21 will then cause the washer to function and the wiper speed to be increased to a maximum. After the washer has operated, the wiper rack will be moved back auto-  matically to its original operating position. In another embodiment, Figs. 5 and 6, the washer comprises a bellows 65 collapsible by the actuation of a foot pedal 76. Liquid is drawn into the bellows from a reservoir 83 and expelled through a restricted passage to a nozzle 72, the usual non-return valves 81, 82 being interposed in the water circuit. When the bellows is collapsed by the rapid movement of the pedal 76, the liquid within the bellows is placed under pressure and since it can only escape slowly through the restricted passage, the wall 73 of the bellows is distended. The collapsed but distended bellows acts thereafter in the manner of a spring motor, the liquid being expelled for an interval until the wall 73 returns to its normal shape except as it may be deformed by the depressed pedal. The pedal also operates a lever 100 against the action of a spring (not shown) which lever is connected by a cable 90 to a gear casing 98, Fig. 6. A cable 91 for the wiper motor control valve 85 is also connected to the gear casing 98. As shown in Fig. 6, the cables 90, 91 are pivotally secured at 93 to racks 94, 95 respectively, which racks are inter- ,connected by a pinion 99. When the pedal is depressed the cable 90 is pushed and assisted by a compression spring 111 to move the rack 94 in a guideway 96. This movement is transmitted by the pinion 99 to the rack 95 movable in a guideway 97 whereby the cable 91 is pushed to open the wiper motor control valve 85. It will be seen that whereas the washer will operate for a predetermined time the wiper will continue to operate so long as the pedal remains depressed. If desired the wiper may be operated independently and when operating the washer can be operated at will. This is achieved by a segmental gear 109 and cam 105 mounted on a shaft 107 operable by a knob 108. The teeth of the gear 109 can only mesh with the rack 95. By turning the knob 108 the teeth of the gear mesh with the rack 95 and cause the movement of the rack and cable 91. At the same time the cam 105 engages a plain surface 104 of the rack 94 and causes it to pivot to the dotted position 94<SP>1</SP> against a spring 101 whereafter it can be reciprocated by the pedal in a guideway 106. When the foot pedal is released the spring (not shown) for the lever 100 dominates the compression spring 111 to restore the racks, when working conjointly, to the position shown in Fig. 6. Instead of the racks being pushed by the cables the arrangement may be such that they are pulled. If the wiper motor is electrical the wiper rack in the last-mentioned case has an insulated cam lug which operates to close a pair of contacts in the motor circuit as the rack moves. In another modification of a pedal-operated system (see Figs. 14 and 15), the washer rack 129 is mounted below the wiper rack 128 and the two racks are normally interconnected by a pinion 130 so that when the cable 131 of rack 129 is pulled, the rack 128 will push its cable 132 to operate the wiper motor control valve. The shaft 135 of the manual wiper control knob carries a pinion 136 and upper and lower cams 138, 137 displaced at about 90 degrees relative to each other. The arrangement is such that when the pinion 136 is in mesh with the rack 128 to facilitate manual control of the wiper, the cam 137 causes the rack 129 to pivot at 142 against a spring 144 and to be unmeshed from the pinion 130. Alternatively, if the wiper and washer are to be used conjointly the shaft 135 is rotated so that the rack 128 is moved out of mesh with the pinion 136 against a spring 146 but still remains in mesh with pinion 130 by the aid of a strap 147, and the rack 129 is moved back in mesh with the pinion 130. Thus the washer and wiper can be operated independently or conjointly. A time delay unit similar to the motor 44, 45 may be associated with the foot pedal or the pedal may be held-over by a latch which can be disengaged by the toe of the foot against the urge of a spring. A further embodiment described with reference to Figs. 19 to 23 (not shown) is somewhat similar to the embodiment of Fig. 1 except that the washer control button when depressed operates contacts to energize an electromagnetic control valve for the suctionoperated washer motor. Also a time lag suction motor is mounted on the wiper motor casing and is in communication by a pipe with the washer motor. This time lag motor operates a slide member which can push directly against the wiper motor control valve. The slide member is fixed to the armour surrounding the manually-operable cable connected to the wiper motor control valve. The slide member is held away from the control valve during manual operation of the wiper, by means of a spring- pressed pawl. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specifications 662,241 and 667,656.