Patent ID: 8795439

Claim:
An apparatus for cleaning contaminants from a construction mat comprising: an outside shell defining a washing chamber with an entrance and an exit; an automated conveyor assembly for translating the construction mat through the entrance and out the exit of the washing chamber; a plurality of elongated horizontally extending rigid tines vertically spaced apart from one another procreate the entrance and adapted to engage and scrape opposed major side surfaces of the construction mat; a first hydraulically operated door assembly connected to the washing chamber at an entrance opening, wherein the first hydraulically operated door assembly comprises a first pair of hydraulic non-planar doors having rounded end panels that are adapted to cover the entrance opening when closed and to guide the construction mat into the washing chamber when opened, wherein an interior surface of each non-planar door of the first pair comprises a convex-shape that faces the interior surface of an opposing non-planar door of the first pair when closed; a second hydraulically operated door assembly connected to the washing chamber at an exit opening, wherein the second hydraulically operated door assembly comprises a second pair of hydraulic non-planar doors having rounded end panels that are adapted to cover the exit opening when closed and to guide the construction mat away from the washing chamber when opened, wherein an interior surface of each non-planar door of the second pair comprises a convex-shape that faces the interior surface of an opposing non-planar door of the second pair when closed; a liquid spray system in the washing chamber for removing contaminants from the construction mat, the spray system directing cleansing liquid under pressure at the construction mat when the construction mat is traversing the washing chamber on the conveyor assembly, the spray system including: first and second manifolds positioned on opposite sides of the entrance of the washing chamber, the manifolds having a plurality of nozzles forming pressurized streams; and a closed loop liquid reclamation assembly including: a holding tank at a base of the washing chamber for holding a quantity of cleansing liquid; a first high-pressure pump supplying cleansing liquid to the first and second manifolds of the liquid spray system under high pressure; and a second high-pressure pump for moving the sprayed liquid through a filter means in the loop for removing particulate material from the liquid before it is returned to the holding tank.