No excuse to be dirty again
Page 62
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AN AUTOMATIC self-propelled vehicle washer which allows trucks and buses to be cleaned by slowly driving alongside the parked vehicle is now widely used in Italy. The equipment, of particular use for dealing with vehicles sent to special events or other locations without fixed washing installations, has also already been adapted by the Italian railways to wash down trains at platforms of terminal stations without them having to be shunted to cleaning sidings.
The equipment, made by Dragoni S.A., of Lugo, Ravenna, is slowly driven alongside the vehicle to be washed and consists of a diesel-engined carrier supporting a single vertical rotating brush driven by an hydraulic motor.
Hydraulic transmission is also used in the drive to the road wheels to give a maximum speed of 6 km/h. Service speed, when in operation, is variable according to the condition of the vehicle to be cleaned. Three versions are manufactured including the "Universal", a machine with a brush height of up to 306cm, and the means of raising the brush carrier by an additional 100cm, The "Standard" model (as seen in the photograph) is identical except for omission of the extra height facility. The "Basic" model has exceptionally low overall height 264cm and possesses a brush carrier with a 160cm roller to cope with full-height bodywork which is cleaned in two passes.
Dragoni washers are completely self-contained and incorporate a 500-litre water tank, 60-litre detergent tank and a diesel fuel tank for extended operating periods. The water spray system is powered by a pump driven off the diesel engine. A separate 12v electrically-driven pump is fitted in the detergent mixer circuit. The vertical cleaning brush consists of interchangeable 18cm sections.
To obtain the best brush action when in operation, the brush carrier is provided with hydraulic dampers to compensate for driver error or movement of the unit over uneven ground. For better results with bodywork with sloping sides the brush carrier can be inclined to a maximum of seven degrees. Minimum space requirement for use of the "Drive along" washer is a 3mwide strip, preferably with a good surface.