Car wash conveyor
View Patent ↗An auto-laundry conveyor of three-tier design using upper, lower and intermediate track rails with a narrow slot between them. Dollies are provided in an endless loop conveyor chain and each dolly comprises a combination of a center link, a pair of reversely similar tire engaging rollers, a pair of reversely similar track engaging rollers outboard of the tire engaging rollers and a pair of reversely similar stabilizing rollers outboard of the track engaging rollers. The stabilizing rollers are effectively larger in diameter; i.e., higher than the track engaging rollers so as to prevent rolling contact between the stabilizing rollers and the track surface and to receive the tread surface of an off-center tire and keep the tread surface from interfering with rolling movement of the track engaging rollers. The conveyor is manufactured in 10-foot lengths except for the entry and exit sections which are of lengths X and Y wherein X plus Y equals 10 feet. An open track structure is used to prevent the accumulation of dirt and debris.
1. An auto-laundry conveyor track comprising:
at least a pair of parallel spaced apart vertical support members;
a first pair of upper dolly track rails mounted to the inside surfaces of the vertical supports in reversely similar relationship and defining a longitudinal slot therebetween, each of said first pair of rails comprising an angle iron having orthogonal legs which define an inwardly and downwardly opening included angle;
a second pair of track rails mounted below the upper rails to the vertical support members in spaced apart fashion, each of said second pair of rails comprising an angle iron having orthogonal legs which define an outwardly and downwardly opening included angle; and
a third pair of track rails mounted to the vertical support members in spaced apart fashion each of said third pair of rails comprising an angle iron having orthogonal legs which define an outwardly and downwardly opening included angle.
2. An auto laundry conveyor track comprising:
a pair of spaced apart flat metal vertical support members;
a slotted top track comprising a pair of angle iron members mounted to and between the vertical support members in reversely similar relationship and defining a longitudinal slot therebetween, each of said angle iron members defining downwardly and inwardly opening included angles;
a first horizontal support plate mounted to and between horizontally spanning the vertical support members below the top track and defining a pair of laterally spaced apart seats;
a middle track defined by a pair of flat monoplanar metal strips having laterally opposite exposed edges and mounted in parallel spaced apart relationship on said seats;
a second horizontal support plate mounted to and between horizontally spanning said vertical support members below the first support plate and defining a pair of laterally spaced apart seats; and
a bottom track defined by a pair of spaced apart parallel monoplanar metal strips having laterally opposite exposed edges and mounted to respective seats on said second horizontal support plate;
the slot between the angle irons and the spacing between said middle and bottom track strips all being in vertical alignment.