Ships – Implements – Hull cleaning
Patent
1996-02-26
1997-06-17
Swinehart, Edwin L.
Ships
Implements
Hull cleaning
B63B 5900
Patent
active
056387644
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a floating boat washing means, comprising a great number of floats, at least two pairs of rotating scrubbing brushes, and supporting frames for scrubbing brushes, on which supporting frames the scrubbing brushes have been rotatably carried.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
All kinds of vegetation is rapidly formed on the bottom of boat, which slows down the speed of the boat and increases the fuel consumption. Soiling is prevented primarily by the use of different toxic paints. The use of toxic paints is being restricted in several countries because of the environmental detriments thereof. This development has given rise to a vigorous need to have as automatic boat washing means as possible. A proper cleaning of the bottom of a boat can be performed by pulling the boat ashore but it is an expensive measure. Boat washing means floating in the water are known in the art, such as means according to patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,095, U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,286 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,701. According to said patents, a boat is pulled with a mechanical conveyor between a washing means located between two pontoons, in which the brushes guided by a complicated mechanism carry out the washing. Such means are complicated and expensive. Also a boat washing means according to Finnish utility model No. 574 is known. In order to operate properly, said means requires four pairs of scrubbing brushes, wherefore the structure is also relatively expensive.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the present invention is to provide a boat washing means floating in the water, in which the scrubbing brushes settle so that they conform to the bottom of the boat both transversely and longitudinally to the boat to be washed. The rest of the aims of the invention and the advantages to be gained therethrough become apparent in the description of the invention.
The aims of the invention are achieved by means of a boat washing means floating in the water supported by floats and the at least four scrubbing brushes have been rotatably carried onto a frame surrounding the brush, said frame being rotatably carried on the bogie frame, said bogie frame being made to move vertically and rotate around the transverse axis of the boat. The invention is characterized in that the boat washing means comprises furthermore a rotating bogie frame, whereon the supporting frames have been bearably carried, and that the bogie frame has been attached on the frame structure of the boat washing means, or an equivalent fixed structure by means of support arms and suspension triangle articulated at both ends in that the bogie frame is rotatable around the transversal axis of the boat to be washed, whereby the scrubbing brush pairs of the boat washing means move vertically to one another.
With a boat washing means according to the present invention numerous advantages are gained. Firstly, the brushes settle lifted by the floats and guided by the bogie frame optimally conforming to the boat bottom. Secondly, the boat can be pulled through the washing means merely with the aid of two pairs of brushes without a traction winch because the bogie construction guides both pairs of brushes into contact with the bottom early at the beginning of the washing process. Thirdly, a side of the boat is washable automatically with the aid of a side brush bearably carried to the supporting frame of the scrubbing brushes proper. Fourthly, the means can be made so short and light in weight that it can be moved on wheels of its own, pulled by a car.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described more in detail referring to an advantageous embodiment of the invention presented in the figures of the accompanying drawings, to which the invention is not exclusively intended to be confined.
FIG. 1 presents an advantageous embodiment of the boat washing means in top view. The boat to be washed moves from the right to the left.
FIG. 2 presents the boat washing means in the entry direction of t
REFERENCES:
patent: 3561391 (1971-02-01), Locati
patent: 3800732 (1974-04-01), Hill
Starkmatic Oy
Swinehart Edwin L.
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