Automatic carwash apparatus

Claim 2

A carwash apparatus, comprising guide means surrounding substantially the entire periphery of a car to be washed and having two ends, spray means mounted for traversing movement along said guide means from one end to the other and back and formed for directing a spray of liquid against the car to be washed, and positive stop means mounted adjacent each end of said guide means, wherein said spray means is formed for directing a plurality of liquids through said spray, and a control means is provided responsive to said traversing movement for causing said spray means to direct selected liquids of said plurality against the car.

Claim 3

A carwash apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said spray means comprises a carriage movable along said guide means, a spray manifold borne by said carriage and formed for directing spray simultaneously at the top and sides of the car, and drive means for propelling said carriage along said track.

Claim 4

A car wash apparatus as described in claim 2 and wherein said spray manifold comprises a generally L-shaped manifold attached to said carriage and disposed with one arm of said manifold extending above a portion of the car being washed and the other arm of said manifold being disposed generally vertically parallel to the side of the car, said manifold bearing spray nozzles along both of said arms communicating with said manifold to direct liquid sprays against the car.

Claim 5

A carwash apparatus, comprising a guide means surrounding substantially the periphery of a car to be washed and having two ends, spray means mounted for transversing movement along said guide means from one end to the other and back and formed for directing a spray of liquid against the car to be washed, positive stop means mounted adjacent each end of said guide means, said spray means comprising a carriage movable along said guide means, a spray manifold borne by said carriage and formed for directing spray simultaneously at the top and sides of the car, and drive means for propelling said carriage along said track, and wherein said spray means is formed for changing the angle at which the spray of liquid is directed against the surface of the car in a fashion reciprocating back and forth about the axis of said manifold as said spray means traverses said track.

Claim 6

A carwash apparatus, comprising a guide means surrounding substantially the periphery of a car to be washed and having two ends, spray means mounted for transversing movement along said guide means from one end to the other and back and formed for directing a spray of liquid against the car to be washed, positive stop means mounted adjacent each end of said guide means, said spray means comprising a carriage movable along said guide means, a spray manifold borne by said carriage and formed for directing spray simultaneously at the top and sides of the car, and drive means for propelling said carriage along said track, and wherein said spray means is formed for changing the angle at which the spray of liquid is directed against the surface of the car in a fashion reciprocating back and forth about the axis of said manifold as said spray means traverses said track.

Claim 7

A carwash apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said guide means comprises a two-ended track disposed above the roof level of the car.

Claim 8

A carwash apparatus as described in claim 5 and wherein said track is disposed substantially within a horizontal plane.

Claim 9

A carwash apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said guide means comprises a two-ended track disposed in a horizontal plane below the level of the roof of the car.

Claim 10

A carwash apparatus comprising a generally loop-shaped guide means surrounding substantially the entire periphery of a car to be washed and having two juxtaposed ends, spray means mounted for traversing movement along said guide means from one end to the other and back and formed for directing a spray of liquid against the car to be washed, and positive stop means mounted adjacent each end of said guide means, wherein said guide means comprises a plurality of two-ended tracks, with each track generally encircling a portion of the circumference of the car, and said spray means includes a pair of carriages, one mounted on each of said tracks for reciprocating traversal thereon from one of said ends to the other and each having a manifold mounted thereon, said manifolds each having a plurality of spray nozzles arrayed thereon and communicating with said manifold for impingement of a spray of fluid against the surface of the car, and wherein said tracks are disposed in a substantially horizontal plane below the level of the axles of the car.

Claim 11

A carwash apparatus comprising a generally loop-shaped guide means surrounding substantially the entire periphery of a car to be washed and having two juxtaposed ends, spray means mounted for traversing movement along said guide means from one end to the other and back and formed for directing a spray of liquid against the car to be washed, and positive stop means mounted adjacent each end of said guide means, wherein said guide means comprises a plurality of two-ended tracks, with each track generally encircling a portion of the circumference of the car, and said spray means includes a pair of carriages, one mounted on each of said tracks for reciprocating traversal thereon from one of said ends to the other and each having a manifold mounted thereon, said manifolds each having a plurality of spray nozzles arrayed thereon and communicating with said manifold for impingement of a spray of fluid against the surface of the car, and wherein said tracks are disposed in a substantially horizontal plane below the level of the axles of the car.

Claim 12

A carwash apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said carwash further comprises reversing means for reversing the direction of travel of said spray means along said guide means upon encounter of said spray means with said positive stop means.

Claim 13

A carwash as described in claim 9 and wherein said reversing means comprises a limit switch actuated by movement of said spray means with respect to said guide means in the vicinity of said positive stop means.