Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a brushing and washing
machine, more particularly to a machine for the cleaning
of vertical surfaces such as the surfaces of shipping
containers, transport vehicles, and buildings.
5. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, vertical surfaces such as the side
walls of shipping containers, transport vehicles such
as furniture removal vans, refrigerated vans and the
walls of buildings are cleaned manually by the use
10. of a high pressure water jet and a broom or the like.
High pressure water jets are suitable for removing
a great deal of the loose grime which accumulates on
such vehicles and containers and buildings, but a broom
or some brushing means is required to remove the film
15. of grime which adheres to the surfaces.
U.S. Patent No. 2636198 discloses a portabLe brushing
machine for washing vehicles of the type for transport
to and from a vehicle, the machine being carried on
the forks of a fork lift truck. The machine has a
20. water storage tank, a pump and valve arrangement to
deliver water spray to a brush rotatable on a vertical
axis, the brush mounted on a vertically reciprocal
bar. A power unit is provided on the tank to drive
the hydraulic pump to rotate the brush and vertically
25. reciprocate the bar, and lever control means to auto-
matically control the operation.
U.S. Patent No. 2950492 discloses a portable vehicle
washing machine mounted on a road transport vehicle,
the machine having a cylindrical brush rotatable about
30. a vertical axis.
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The brush can be moved Laterally and transversely
of the vehicle, and the bru~;h is mounted on a carriage
so that the brush tends to move the working position
to provide a constant pressure on the surface being
washed.
U.S. Patent No. 2854680 sho~s a vehicle washing
machine wherein the brush is suspended from an overhead
rail. This unit is not mobile and cannGt be taken
to the washing area.
It is an object o~ this invention to provide a
portable brushing and washing machine which is suitable
for the cleaning of vertical surfaces.
BRIEF STATEMENT _F THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention there is provided
a mobile machine for brushing and washing vertical
surfaces, of the type comprising a framework, means on
the framework for receiving the forks of a fork-lift
truck, and a vertically disposed cylindrical brush
rotatable about its axis for contacting a vertical
surface to be brushed and washed. The brush has an axle
means mounting the axle of the brush to the framework so
that the brush protrudes from the framework. A tank is
mounted on the framework for containing wash liquid and
a pump has an inle~ connected to the tank and an outlet
line connected to plurality of spray nozzles disposed
adjacent the brush for spraying wash liquid onto the
brush. A hydraulic motor is provided for driving the
brush and pump. The outlet line is also connected to
the bottom of the tank through a fitting which agitates
the liquid in the tank as pumped liquid flows through
the fitting and the spray nozzles, and is provided with
- a means for adjusting the pressure in the line and in
the spray nozzles. The hydraulic motor is mounted on
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the framework axially abo~e the axis of the brush and
directly connected to the upper end of the axle of the
brush for rotating the latter. The lower end of the
brush axle is drivingly connected to the pump through
step-up gearing. Hydraulic lines are connected at one
end to the hydraulic motor and have opposite ends
connectable to a hydraulic pump on a fork-lift truck. A
spring-loaded rotatable reel is mounted on the framework
and the h~draulic lines are wrapped around the reel
int~rmediate their ends so as to accommodate variations
in the required length of the hydraulic lines between
the hydraulic motor and the hydraulic pump on the fork-
lift truck.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the machine, and
FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof, parts in both
drawings being omitted for the sake of clarity.
In a preferred form of the invention the machine
is mounted in a framework 1 which is adapted to be
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lifted and carried by the forks of a forklift truck
in channels 2. The framework 1 has lower horizontal
members 3, upright 4, upper members 5 and bracing members
6.
5. On the framework 1 there is mounted a tank 2 to
contain water with the addition of detergent if desired
and also a brush 8 adap~ed to rotate about a vertical
axis. The brush can be of a form which is conventionally
used in equipment for the washing of motor vehicles,
10. and is shown in broken lines for clarity and is only
shown in part.
The brush is preferably mounted on one side of
the framework 1 on vertical member 9 having an extension
arm 10 carrying bearings and brush axle 11 to extend
15. laterally therefrom, and also mounted on the framework
1 there is a vertical array of spray nozzles 19 to
spray the water and detergent onto the surface being
cleaned.
Preferably the brush 8 is driven by a hydraulic
20. motor I3 which can be mounted on the upper end of the
brush to be attached to the axle 11 of the brush, the
lower end of the axle;ll of the brush mounted in bearings
14 and drlving the pump 15 preferably through step-up
gearing 16 to pump the water from the tank 7 through
25. lines 17, 18 to the bottom of the spray line 12 carrying
the array of spray nozzles 19, line 17 having a control
and s~op~valv~ 24 provlded therein.
The upper~end of the spray line 12 is connected
back to~the bottom of the tank, the fitting 20 at the
30. ~ ~bottom~of the tank preferably including a venturi so
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that the water in the tank is continuously agitated
with the detergent. The spray line at the top, that
is at the opposite end to the inlet of the spray line
is provided with an adjustable valve 23 so that the
5. pressure in the spray line and spray nozzles can be
suitably adjusted to achieve the desired spray pattern,
the excess liquid being returned through the venturi
fitting to the bottom of the tank.
The hydraulic motor 13 can be supplied with hydraulic
lO. fluid under pressure from the hydraulic system of the
forklift truck and one convenient way of doing this
is to disconnect one of the hydraulic controls from
the hydraulic control valve and connect the hydraulic
lines from the hydraulic motor to the control valve.
15. The controls of a forklift truck include a movement
for side shift, or a tilting or rotation movement,
and one of these can be disconnected and have the
hydraulîc motor connec~ed thereto while still allowing
the raising and lowering of the forklift mechanism.
20. Preferably a further control valve can be added to
control the hydraulic motor, thus still allowing side
schaft and tilt or rotation for controlling the position
of the brush.
A spray deflecting guard can be provided on the
25. framework adjacent the brush to prevent the spray being
carried back onto the forklift truck and operator,
this deflector extending from the spray line back around
the brush.
In operation the brush can be rotated in either
30. direction depending upon which direction is selected
by the control valve.
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A spring loaded reel 21 can be provided on the
framework around which the hydraulic lines 22 can pass,
thus allowing the forklift to be raised and lowered
as desired, the spring loaded reel 21 taking up the
5. slack in the hydraulic lines in the lower position
and allowing the reel to unwind the hydraulic lines
during the upward movement of the forklift.
Thus there is provided a versatile mobile unit
for the cleaning of vertical surfaces, and where the
lO. surfaces are ribbed, the forklift can be tilted to
a slight degree to allow the brush to more easily
penetrate into the crevices adjacent the ribs, and
by reversing rotation of the brush as desired, effective
cleaning of irregular surfaces can thus be obtained,
15. Thus the unit can be taken to the vertical surfaces
to be cleaned and with a shipping container, furniture
removal van or the like the vertical surfaces can be
easily cleaned by taking the unit to the container
or vehicle. The container itself can also be cleaned
20. on the vehicle and does not have to be removed therefrom.
In an alternative arrangement the drive can~be
provided by any other means, and if desired a small
internal combustion engine and hydraùlic pump and
hydraulic system can be mounted on the framework itself
25. to produce a unit which can be operated without the
requirement of the hydraulic connection to the hydraulics
of the forkli~t truck. In this respect also the drlv~ng
motor could be a small electric motor which ~f course
would have to be suitably shielded from the cleaning
30, water.
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