Building cleaning apparatus

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the invention

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning the exterior surfaces of buildings. It relates particularly to ap- 30 paratus of this kind which can perform all of its cleaning functions as it is moved, usually downwardly, alongside a building without having any personnel aboard. It relates more particularly to an apparatus of the kind described which except for reliance on external means for 35 raising and lowering it and an external source of electrical power is fully self contained and capable of programming its own operations. It relates still more particularly to apparatus of the nature in question which is capable of performing a full scope of individual clean- 40 ing operations including spraying on of washing liquid, brushing of external building surfaces including the surfaces of protruding vertical beams, blowing dry of upper and lower window sill areas ad adjacent strips of wingramming its own operations. It relates still more par- 45 dow glass, and sponging and squeegeeing of window glass areas and adjacent opaque or sill areas of the building. It relates even still more particularly to such an apparatus which is capable of releasably maintaining its own properly spaced or aligned relation to the building being 5θ cleaned, and further is capable of great flexibility of programming according to the nature and configuration of the surface of the building to be cleaned.

Description of the prior art ₅₅

The traditional method of cleaning the exterior surfaces, particularly the window surfaces, of large buildings has been manual cleaning done by men on scaffolds lowered from the roofs of these buildings. With changing architectural concepts calling for increasing use of 60 glass and bright metal surfacing for the opaque areas of buildings between the windows the total amount of surface to be kept clean has tended to increase for modern office buildings of a given size, and further the size of office or commercial buildings generally has tended to be- 65 come greater with a corresponding increase in at least the clear glass or window area needed to be kept clean on a per building basis. All of this has had a substantial effect of increasing the cost of keeping the exterior surfaces, even only the window surfaces, of large, new buildings 70 clean by the traditional method, especially in view of rapidly rising labor costs on a man-hour basis.

For the foregoing economic considerations, taken together with the consideration of the general desirability of eliminating hazardous work, there has been for some time and now there is increasingly an incentive for developing apparatus capable of cleaning the exterior surface of a building without the requirement of any man or men riding on the apparatus. The possibility of designing such an apparatus has become more substantial as newlyconstructed office buildings have tended to become smoother or more regular in surface; that is, they are seldom characterized by the very deep window sills or far-out projecting cornices or balustrades or the ornately sculpted or cast decorations such as shields, lions, gargoyles or heroic figures which were not uncommon on buildings erected in earlier times. This is, of course, true with respect to not only large office or commercial buildings but also large residential structures such as high rise apartment buildings.

Another significant and favorable development, one going along with the general smoothing of the exterior surfaces of large buildings, is that beams of various cross sectional configurations can be and now frequently are installed vertically along, or projecting through, these surfaces for both decorative effect and service as guidance members or tracks for window or building cleaning scaffolds. While not essential to the success of unmanned cleaning machines or apparatus, the actual or at least potential availability of such vertical beams is at least helpful. It is also helpful that modern office buildings are frequently being constructed with tracks on their roofs on which cars can run carrying hoisting and lowering winches and outwardly extending davits or booms for the cables on which cleaning scaffolds are hung. This makes shifting of a scaffold or a self-contained or automated building cleaning machine from location to location around a building relatively easy.

Several designs of unmanned or automated building cleaning machines, intended principally for the cleaning of windows only, have been concevied and patented. In this connection, as rather recent examples of the state of the art, reference may be had to U.S. Patent No. 3,080,592 to C. Hassage and U.S. Patent No. 3,298,052 to M. G. Wolfe. The disclosures of the prior art, besides showing means for spraying on water or a detergent formulation as a cleaning liquid, usually show a brush mechanism of some sort, and in all such cases known to the present applicant they show rotary brushes turning about axes either parallel or normal to the windows which they are to clean. Brushes of this nature practically necessarily leave some regions of the windows untouched, either along the tops and bottoms or in the corners thereof if the windows be even somewhat inset from the opaque or masonry surfaces of a building.

Further, even though some examples of the prior art disclose wiping or squeegeeing mechanisms, none of them are deemed to show mechanisms fully effective for wiping the top and bottom window stirps or for cleaning and drying these areas and the adjacent sill areas, again where the windows have any significant extent of inset. Still further, no building cleaning machine or apparatus of the prior art known to the applicant has its appendages which actually touch the building being cleaned, i.e., its brush tufts or bristles, its wiping elements such as sponges and its squeegee blades arranged for automatic movement in and out according to variations in building contour. Thus none of them do, for example, disclose brushes which can scrub an inset transparent area or window with a given pressure or intensity of contact and then move out to scrub a masonry or metal sheathed wall surface with the same intensity, or perhaps pull back out of contact with the latter surface entirely.

3,497,902

Even further the applicant knows of no prior art building cleaning apparatus which is capable of cleaning the building beams along which it travels vertically, nor of releasably or yieldably clamping itself inwardly to these beams and adjusting itself laterally with respect thereto for achievement of consistently correct positioning in relation to the building which it is cleaning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The building cleaning apparatus of the present invention is capable of operation in an unmanned, automatic fashion, and is intended to clean both the opaque and the transparent surfaces of a building, even when the latter has some significant degree of inset from the former. This apparatus is self contained except for reliance on external cables for hoisting and lowering and the furnishing to it of electric power for the operation of various motors. It carries its own supply of washing water or detergent solution and spraying or pressure discharging system for the same, and in particular it includes means to remedy the shortcomings noted above of the building cleaning apparatuses of the prior art.

The inventive apparatus includes brushes or brush assemblies which are movable and driven in a recoprocating end-to-end or side-to-side manner. Movement of this nature applied to a flatfaced brush allows the brush to be fully effective in cleaning all surfaces of a window, especially including its top and bottom strips adjacent its sills. Of course this brush movement is equally effective for cleaning the apoque or masonry surfaces of a building between its windows. Further, the present apparatus includes a compressed air system operable to emit blasts of air to drive gross amounts of water off of the top and bottom strips of inset windows and also off of the adjacent sills.

Still further the apparatus of this invention has its sponges and squeegee blades used on window surfaces all on horizontally shiftable mountings so that all of these members or elements which actually come in contact with building surfaces can be moved in toward the building or pulled back from it as appropriate upon changes in contour of the building as seen or sensed by the descending cleaning apparatus. This horizontal movement is effected automatically by signals sent out from a control center in the apparatus to power-actuated drive or shifting mechanisms. Even futrher the inventive apparatus has rotating brushes in addition to the aforementioned reciprocating brushes which serve to clean or burnish the surfaces of the building beams along which the apparatus travels. Besides this the apparatus of the present invention includes power-actuated clamping means for securing the apparatus onto the building beams and locating it with respect thereto and thus with respect to the building in both the in-and-out and side-to-side senses. Even in the engaged condition, however, these means are at least slightly yieldable to accommodate waviness or other moderate irregularities in rail shape or form without the apparatus becoming bound thereby as it descends along a building while performing its cleaning operations thereupon.

With respect to apperance, the apparatus of the present invention is capable of being fully enclosed within a unitary, box-like housing from which only the apparatus appendages actually coming into contact with a building protrude. Access to the various individual mechanisms is available through hinged cover plates. The top cover plates provide unobstructed standing and walking room for building inspectors who may occasionally ride on the. apparatus, and a personnel safety or guard railing is designed to be carried by the apparatus in those cases. Landing legs are installed for proper seating of the apparatus on a street or sidewalk at the end of a descending run.

The nature and substance of the present invention as well as its objects and advantages will be more clearly perceived and fully understood upon referring to the following description and claims considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which are briefly described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents an isometric view of the building cleaning apparatus of this invention showing the apparatus disposed in cleaning position adjacent the face of a building;

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 represent fragmentary sectional views representative of typical building constructions wherein are shown certain particular protrusions upon which the building cleaning apparatus may be disposed as it moved thereover;

FIG. 5 represents a somewhat diagrammatic transverse sectional view through the building cleaning apparatus taken along line 5—5 in FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the relative placement therewithin of certain of its mechanical and electrical components;

FIG. 6 represents another somewhat diagrammatic transverse sectional view through the apparatus taken along line 6—6 in FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the relative placement therewithin of certain other of its mechanical and electrical components;

FIG. 7 represents a sectional plan view through the apparatus along line 7—7 in FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the disposition therewithin of water storage tanks and the mechanism for advancing and retracting the brush assembly;

FIG. 8 represents a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 8—8 in FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing said advancing and retracting mechanism;

FIG. 9 represents a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 9—9 in FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows showing supporting means for said advancing and retracting mechanism;

FIG. 10 represents a somewhat fragmentary sectional plan view of the apparatus taken along line 10—10 in FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the cycling drive for and with the brush and air blast components of the apparatus;

FIG. 11 represents an enlarged fragmentary end view of the support means for the brush and air blast systems, the view being taken along line 11—11 in FIG. 10 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 12 represents an enlarged fragmentary transverse view taken along line 12—12 in FIG. 10 looking in the direction of the arrows showing in section certain components of the brush and air blast systems;

FIG. 13 represents an enlarged fragmentary transverse view taken along line 13—13 in FIG. 10 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the motor drive for the brush and air blast systems;

FIG. 14 represents an exploded isometric view of the brush and air blast systems and a portion of the drive mechanism for these systems;

FIG. 15 represents a side or end view of the assembled sponge and squeegee mechanism of the building cleaning apparatus of the present invention taken along line 15— 15 in FIG. 17 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 16 represents a front view of the sponge and squeeee mechanism of FIG. 15 taken along line 16—16 in FIG. 17 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 17 represents a plan view of the sponge and squeegee mechanism taken along line 17—17 in FIG. 16 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 18 represents a somewhat fragmentary exploded isometric view of the configurations and relative positions of the components of the sponge and squeegee mechanism of FIG. 15;

FIG. 19 represents an overall side or end view of the

3,497, 5 building cleaning apparatus suspended in working position alongside a building;

FIG. 20 represents a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a clamping mechanism for engaging, positioning and retaining the inventive apparatus in working position _ on and along the face of a building; ^u

FIG. 21 represents a fragmentary front view of the clamping mechanism of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 represents a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of another clamping mechanism; ₁₀

FIG. 23 represents a plan view of the clamping mechanism of FIG. 22 with its roller elements oriented to allow the building cleaning apparatus to be withdrawn from the face of a building;

FIG. 24 represents a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of still another clamping mechanism;

FIG. 25 represents a front view of the clamping mechanism of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 represents a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of even still another clamping mechanism; ₂θ

FIG. 27 represents a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of additional members of the clamping mechanism of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 represents a fragmentary and somewhat diagrammatic side view of an alternate arrangement of the ₂g sponge and squeegee mechanism;

FIG. 29 represents a transverse sectional view through a typical brush plate of the inventive apparatus;

FIGS. 30, 31 and 32 are somewhat diagrammatic side or end views of the brush assembly of the inventive appa- ₃θ ratus in a sequential series of positions passing an indented window, and showing also a brush position control sensor;

FIG. 33, 34, 35 and 36 represent somewhat diagrammatic side sectional views of the air blast cycling valve 35 of the inventive apparatus in a sequential series of operating conditions as its sensor passes an indented window;

FIG. 37 represents a somewhat diagrammatic sectional plan view of a brush arrangement for cleaning vertical T-beams extending from the face of the building; 40

FIG. 38 represents in a somewhat reduced scale a plan view of a plurality of brush arrangements similar to that of FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 represents a face view of the composite brush arrangement of FIG. 38;

FIG. 40 represents a side view of a safety device used ⁴³with the cables for elevating and lowering the building cleaning apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 41 represents a mechanical and electrical power and control circuit diagram for the inventive apparatus;

FIG. 42 represents a fragmentary alternate power and ³θ control circuit diagram in which a connection from the air pressure tank to the cleaning water supply tank is provided for forcing water to the brush assemblies, and

FIG. 43 represents a face or front view of the building cleaning apparatus of the present invention taken along ³³line 43—43 in FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT θθ

Referring now to the drawings in detail, especially FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the building cleaning apparatus of this invention generally designated 48 has a housing 50 having a back cover 51 which is maintained on a frame 52 by means of hinges 53 and secured in place by bolt- 65 latch members 54 and 55. In like manner the upper surface of the housing is provided with hinged covers 56, 57 and 58. At each end of housing 50, cable slings 60 and 61 are attached to ears 62, 63, 64 and 65 and provide a means for elevating and lowering the inventive 70 apparatus. Disposed at each corner of the upper surface of frame 52 are upstanding pins 67, 68, 69 and 70, and midway between pins 67 and 69 there is a like pin 71 attached to the frame. A retaining frame 72, shown in phantom outline, is removably mounted on housing 50 75

902 as its vertical members have sliding fits on pins 67 through 71. This frame serves as a guard rail so that an operator may stand safely on covers 56, 57 and 58, and as the cleaning apparatus is raised and lowered be transported up and down the face of a building to examine its condition of cleanliness and repair. Frame 72 may be secured to its locating pins 67 through 71 by means of small cross pin retainers not shown.

It is to be further noted in FIG. 1 that on the face of a building 74 with respect to which apparatus 48 is in working position there is a plurality of vertical T-beam members 75 which are arrayed in a regular pattern and spacing, and which may and do serve as guidance means for the cleaning apparatus. As seen particularly in FIG. 2 the wall of building 74 may include various post members 76 from which the T-beam members 75 extend. Between the several posts 76 there may be glass panels or windows 77 which are mounted at a determined distance in or indentation from the face of the wall. The cleaning of the wall including the cleaning of the glass is more fully discussed hereinbelow in connection with the operation of building cleaning apparatus 48.

Referring next to FIG. 3 there is shown a building 80 having spaced vertical posts or pillars 81. Attached to and extending outwardly from each of these pilars are two angles 82 and 83. These angles have their outer legs turned toward each other so as to provide an interior channel vertically disposed to the face of the building along each pillar or column. Between adjacent columns or posts 81 there are mounted glass panels 84 in the manner of panels or panes 77 in FIG. 2 above. Referring next to FIG. 4, a building 85 is provided with vertical posts or columns 86 each of which has extending outwardly therefrom, and possibly formed integrally therewith, a square vertical facade member 87 which may be made of metal or concrete or any other suitable material. These members may be solid or they may be hollow. Located between the various posts or columns 86 are glass panels 88 as in FIGS. 2 and 3 above. Angles 82 and 83 and facade members 87, besides T-beams 75, may serve as guidance means for a building cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring next to FIG. 5, cleaning apparatus 48 carried by its slings is disposed in working position to be a determined distance from the face of the building 74. This spacing or distance is maintained by means of a plurality of upper and lower ball rollers 89 and 90 running on the outer flange faces of T-beams 75. These rollers are carried in frame 52 in such manner as to extend a determined distance from the face thereof. They are spaced in the frame so as to bear on the faces of a plurality of T-beams simultaneously. A clamping mechanism which is more fully described hereinafter serves to maintain frame 52 and hence the whole apparatus 48 in engagement and alignment with the T-beams 75 and hence with the face of the building. Extending below the frame are relatively short legs or pins 91 and 92. These legs support the building cleaning apparatus when the apparatus has reached the ground, pavement or other landing surface.

Referring next to FIG. 6, the frame 52 carries across its bottom members a support plate 94 upon which is mounted a gearmotor 95 which carries or has attached to it a lead screw 96. Gearmotor 95 is contemplated as reversible to turn lead screw 96 in either direction desired so as to cause an engaged nut 97 to be moved in or out along the screw. Nut 97 depends from a platform 98 upon which is mounted the brush and air blast equipment more fully shown and described in conjunction with FIGS. 10 through 14.

Referring next to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 it may be seen that the end of lead screw 96 distant from gearmotor 95 is carried by flanged ball bearing assembly 99. Platform 98, illustrated in FIG. 6, also appears in FIGS. 8 and 9, and in FIG. 9 is shown as supported by shaft 101 which is one of a pair of shafts 101 and 102 slidably passing

3,497,902 through ball bushings 103 carried in blocks attached to the underside of the platform. One end of shaft 101 is carried by one of a pair of pedestals 104 and its other end on frame 52 in an attached support collar 105. The platform 98 and the equipment it carries are moved toward and away from the building to be cleaned in accordance with the rotation of screw 96 as the latter is turned by motor 95 and drives nut 97.

Referring next to FIGS. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 it is to be noted that platform 98 carries a pair of support brackets 110 and 111. These brackets are drilled to receive and retain a pair of support rods 112 and 113. These rods are carried in vertically spaced parallel array and blocks 114 and 115 containing bushings 116 and 117 are adapted to slide along them. These blocks are sized and configured to fit within and support a rectangular housing member 118 which as shown in FIG. 10 carries two brush assemblies 119. Retention of rods 112 and 113 in their supports 110 and 111 is effected by means of collars 120 and 121 which may be pinned or otherwise attached to the rods.

Referring particularly to FIG. 14 it may be seen that housing 118 is drilled to receive and retain on its front face an I-beam member 122. This member is attached to housing 118 by means of bolts and nuts mountable in aligned holes 124 and 125. The forward face of I-beam 122 is drilled for attachment to it of an angle 126. This angle carries an air blast manifold, chamber or header 127 having flexible tubular discharge tips 128 which are removably carried in short pieces of stiff tubing 129 extending from the interior of the chamber which has a compressed air feed inlet 130.

A series of bushing holes 131 are formed in I-beam 122. Around these holes and on the forward face of the beam means are provided for attaching three bushings 132, and a T-bolt 134 is slidably carried in the center bushing. The end bushings each slidably carry a support bolt 136. T-bolt 134 and support bolts 136 each have their forward end drilled to receive and carry a rod 138 which is characterized by a series of tranverse drilled holes disposed to accept cotter pins 140. Thrust shoulders on the rod are provided by washers 142. Rod 138 is pivotally retained in drilled holes 143 defined in the ends of a brush support bracket 144. This bracket 144 and rod 138 are supported in the transverse journal portions of bolts 134 and 136. Two tension springs 145 are attached at their one ends to lower wing or tab portions of the bracket 144 and at their other ends to I-beam 122 so as to urge the bracket 144 into a downward rotation around the shaft 138. A stop bolt 146 mounted in a threaded hole 147 in beam 122 is adjustable to limit the angular displacement of the bracket 144. A lock nut 148 is mounted on stop bolt 146 to retain the desired adjustment thereof.

Attached to the face or forward portion of bracket 144 is a fluid chamber 150 having extending lugs 151 whereat it is fastened to wing portions 152 of bracket 144 by means of bolts not shown. The chamber 150, which has end closure plate inserts 153, is connected through its rear panel by means of tubing 154 to a source or supply of washing or cleaning fluid such as water containing some ammonia or a dissolved or admixed detergent. The forward panel of chamber 150 has three horizontal rows of apertures 155, 156 and 157 formed therein as seen particularly in FIG. 14. The apertures in central row 156 are aligned to feed the washing or cleaning fluid into and through a row 161 of holes or apertures disposed horizontally centrally in a brush plate 158. The fluid supply when pressureized is caused to be squirted through the forward portion of this brush plate which is secured to fluid chamber 150 by the same bolts which fasten together this chamber and bracket 144. At the same time fluid is discharged above and below the brush plate through rows of apertures 155 and 157 respectively.

Referring to FIG. 29 along with FIG. 14, it is to be noted that brush plate 158 is characterized by five hori8 zon-tal rows of holes 159, 160, 161, 162 and 163. The holes of row 161 align axially with those of row 156 in chamber 150 as aforesaid to serve as fluid passageways, while those of rows 159 and 160 on the one hand and those of rows 162 and 163 on the other hand serve for mounting pluralities of brush tufts of suitable, standard material such as plastic in upper group 164 and lower group 165 respectively. The holes of central row of holes 161 in the brush plate may be regarded as dispensing nozzles, as may those of top and bottom rows of holes .155 and 157 in chamber 15®. The hole of row 161 discharge washing liquid essentially straight out from plate 158 between brush groups 164 and 165, while those of rows 155 and 157 are drilled or otherwise formed on axes inclined sufficiently upwardly -and downwardly respectively that -washing liquid emitted or dispensed -from them passes at least a little above upper brush group 164 and at least a little below lower brush group 165. Thus a building surface being cleaned is wetted ahead of both descending brush groups, between the groups, and behind both groups. Liquid and loose soil left behind upper group 164 is removed by air blasting, sponging and/or squeegeeing as appropriate.

Referring again particularly -to FIGS. 10 and 14, it is to be noted that housing member 118 is provided with a pair of local external stiffening plates 168 and 169 on its rearwardly facing surface and a pair of internal transverse stiffening sleeves or tubes 170. Fastened in -and extending rearwardly from these plates respectively and passing through -these sleeves are pins 171 and 172. As seen particularly in FIG. 10, a tie or thrust rod or link 173 extends between these two pins. The left end of link 173 is bifurcated to receive one end of a connecting arm 174 which is actuated by a crank -arm 175 which in turn is cycled -by means of a gearmotor 177 which is shown also in FIG. 13. As the output shaft 178 of motor 177 is rotated the outer end of crank arm 175 transcribes a circle and drives the left end of the connecting arm 174. The right end of the connecting arm oscillating -about pin 172 reciprocates housing member 118 and all parts attached to it along rods 112 and 113. In actual reduction to practice, it is contemplated that the housing -member 118 would travel approximately -two inches on either side of -a nominal dead center, which limits of travel are shown in phantom outline in FIG. 10.

Referring next to FIGS. 15 through 18, there is shown a sponge and squeegee mechanism generally designated 179 which provides means for removing the sprayed-on washing fluid and loosened soil or dirt from the window surfaces of a building. A support plate .180 is the principal -base for this mechanism including a sponge 182 which may be of foamed plastic. This sponge is of a rectangular cross section and, as shown, is retained and supported between lower and upper clamp plates 184 and 185. These clamp plates are mounted on either side of the horizontal leg of an angle 186. The upper clamp plate 185 -carries -a spring-biased piano hinge 190 whose right hand -leaf (FIG. 15) is attached to the cl-amp plate and angle. The outer or left hand leaf of the hinge carries and has -attached to it upper and lower squeegee clamp plates 191 and 192 which have their outer ends configured to -form lower and upper jaws snugly engaging -and retaining a diamond-shaped back edge portion 193 of a squeegee body .194. A flexible blade member 195 of relatively soft rubber is removably carried in a longitudinal slot in the front edge or surface of -the -body member 194 which is of relatively stiff -but still at least semi-flexible -material such as extruded rubber. The thin blade 195 is thus disposed to swing or be swung upwardly in an arc having its center at the pin of piano hinge 190. The spring in this hinge, however, tends to urge the squeegee downwardly into a substantially parallel relationship to sponge 182 -as shown. Angle 186 is attached through clamp plate 184 to a pair of slide members 198 which rest on plate 180

3,497,902 and are maintained in aligned sliding position by means of opposed retaining guides 199. These guides permit the sponge and squeegee to be cycled within closely determined limits.

Still referring to FIGS. 15, 16 and 17, it is to be noted that each angle 186 has attached to its vertical leg two spring pins 200. Each pin has its head end attached to the angle and its shank is fitted within a compression spring 202, and further is slidably carried in and extends through a bushing 203 mounted on a Z-bracket 204 which is also, attached to the base member 180. Each spring 202 is confined between the Z-bracket and the head of pin 202. The forward travel of angle 186 is controlled and limited by means of two bars 206 whose one ends are attached to angle 186 and whose other ends are attached to the plunger portions 209 of solenoids 210 mounted on plate 180. The sponge and squeegee mechanism 179 is in operating position at its maximum outward or forward displacement and in an inactive position when drawn to its inward location -as in FIG. 15. This inward location is reached by the actuation of solenoids 210 causing bars 206 to be drawn rightwardly by the movement of plungers 209. The bars 206 draw the angle .186 and its attached slide members 198 inwardly so that the sponge and squeegee are clear of the face of the building.

Also carried by the upper forwardly extending legs of Z-brackets 204 is an upper piano hinge 212 which, in the manner of hinge 190, is also spring biased to urge the outer leaf downwardly and toward the leg of the Z-bracket. This piano hinge 212 has attached to its outer leaf a pair of squeegee clamp plates 213 and 214 similar to the plates mounted on hinge 190. A squeegee body 215 and flexible blade 216 are removably mounted in the clamp plates 213 and 214. Carried on the underside of the support plate 180 and at a determined distance therefrom by means of spacers 220 is a plate 222. This plate supports a cycling bar 224 which is adapted to retain a roller 225 on its forward end. A pair of angles 226 are attached to plate 222 to provide a spaced guide for the bar 224. A pair of bolts 227 are mounted in the angles and extend between them. Slots 228 are formed in bar 224 and are sized to allow the bar to slide smoothly across the shank portion of the bolts 227.

A tension spring 230 is attached at one end to one of the angles 226 and at its other end to an outwardly extending wing portion 231 of bar 224. This spring is disposed to urge the bar forward to an outer limiting position determined by the slots 228. A microswitch 234 is mounted on member 222, and has its moveable member or plunger 235 disposed to engage and be actuated by the rearward or rightward movement of bar 224 and thereupon energize both solenoids 210 to draw the sponge and squeegee back from contact with the face of the building against the forward thrusting force of springs 202. The positioning of the cycling bar from plate 180 by spacers 220 is a matter of design in any particular case depending upon the speed of descent of the cleaning apparatus along a building and the indent configurations or contourings of the building.

Referring again to FIG. 5 there is shown an air compressor 236 which is driven by a motor 237. The compressor air thus provided is stored in tank 238 from whence it is fed to air blast manifold 127 and thence through the discharge tips 128. The compressed air may be stored at a pressure of about eighty to ninety pounds per square inch. With air at this pressure several operations using pneumatic actuating cylinders are performed for the positioning of the apparatus on or against the building. One embodiment of an air-actuated positioning and clamping apparatus is shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 wherein building 74 has vertical T-beam members 75 extending outwardly from its external or exposed surface. Looking at the right hand one of two beams shown in FIG. 20, a clamp arm 250 is pivotally carried on a support member 252 attached to apparatus frame 52. Also carried upon this support member is an air cylinder 253 whose piston rod 254 is pivotally attached to one end of the arm 250. A roller 255 is carried on the other end of g arm 250, and is mounted so as to be in engagement with the underside or inside of one of the flanges of the Tbeam 75 when the rod 254 is in the position shown in FIG. 20. As the rod 254 is moved outwardly, the roller 255 is moved in an arc until the roller 255 is swung free 1q of any possible engagement with the T-beam 75.

To clamp the frame of the cleaning apparatus to the building, the cylinder 253 is actuated to cause the roller 255 to swing in an arc and bring the roller into engagement with the flange of the T-beam until the ball rollers 15 90 set in frame 52 engage the face of the beam. The mechanism of cylinder or actuator 253 has at least some resilience responsive to the pressure in the cylinder and permits a certain amount of irregularity to exist in the configuration and construction of the T-beam and build20 ing without binding or seizing of the clamping mechanism as the cleaning apparatus moves along the building. Sideways positioning of the apparatus frame to the edges of the T-beams is effected by means of arms 260 each having a roller 262 carried on one end thereof. Referring 25 particularly to FIG. 21 it may be seen that each arm 260 is pivotally carried on support member 252. An air cylinder 263 has its piston rod 264 connected to the end of the arm distant from roller 262 and as the rod is moved the roller 262 is swung in an arc. In the condition of FIG. 30 21 this roller has been swung into engagement with the edge of T-beam 75 so that when opposed rollers 262 are actuated toward each other as in FIG. 20 the whole cleaning apparatus 48 is moved to and maintained in a proper side-to-side alignment with the T-beams of the 35 building 74.

Referring next to FIGS. 22 and 23, there is shown a positioning and clamping mechanism suitable for use with an apparatus 48 working on building 80 of FIG. 3 which has its oppositely or inwardly facing angles 82 and ⁴⁰ 83 on each pillar 81 spaced apart so as to receive the shank of a rod end member 270 and certain elements mounted on it. This rod end is formed with like rightangle extending portions in the nature of a T-head carrying rollers 271 and 272. When the rod 270 and its rollers 45 are oriented or positioned at ninety degrees to their position in FIG. 22 they are movable in and out of the opening between the members 82 and 83. Such an orientation and movement are shown in solid and dashed outline in FIG. 23. To act as a clamp, the rod end 270 and its rollers 50 are moved from outside the opening to the inner position shown in dashed outline after which the rod end is rotated ninety degrees to bring the common axis of rollers 271 and 272 into a horizontal attitude. In this orientation and attitude the rod 270 is drawn outwardly 55 by means of an air cylinder or the like (not shown) to bring rollers 271 and 272 snugly against the interior flange surfaces of angles 82 and 83 so that the several ball rollers 90 on the frame 52 are drawn into engagement with the face of angle 82. A roller 274 carried on an arm 275 is 60 movable toward the angle 83 so as to engage the exterior side or web surface of this angle and bring the frame 52 into a determined transverse orientation with respect to the angle and then, acting with an oppositely paired roller 274 and arm 275 not shown, maintain the cleaning 65 apparatus in proper side-to-side alignment with the face of the building. Arms 275 are contemplated as being moved in response to the actuation of air cylinders not shown.

Referring next to FIGS. 24 and 25, there is shown a 70 positioning and clamping mechanism suitable for use with an apparatus working on building 85 of FIG. 4 which has a square facade member 87 on each pillar 86. A pair of rollers 280 and 281 are each formed with a pair of spaced protruding ring portions 282. Each of these rollers is 75 rotatably carried on a header member 284 pivotally

3,497,902 mounted on an outer shaft end 285 of an arm 286. The other end of arm 286 is rotatably located on a vertical shaft or pin portion 287 of a post member 288 carried on frame 52. Attached to and extending outwardly from the main body of the post are a pair of stop arms 290 and 291 providing spaced opposed shoulder surfaces. Between the shoulder surfaces of these arms is disposed a lug 293 which is a part of arm 286 and is moved as the arm is moved, A resilient spring or cushion block 294 of rubber or the like is disposed between arm 290 and lug 293 and provides a means for urging the header member 284 toward the facade member 87. Extending rearwardly from and as an integral part of the header member 284 is an actuating arm or lever member 296 to which is pivotally attached a clevis end of a link 298 which is actuated by an air cylinder or other means not shown.

In response to the reciprocal vertical movement of this link 298 the header member 284 is moved around shaft end 285 to a position adjacent the facade member 87, that is, into its orientation or attitude shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, so as to swing the rollers 280 and 281 into engagement with the vertical facade member 87. To disengage these rollers from this member the link 298 is moved up or down so as to rotate header 284 to an attitude such that the longitudinal axes of the rollers are substantially parallel to the face of the facade member 87. The vertical shaft 287 and shaft end 285 are contemplated as being disposed at right angles to each other. Resilient block 294 urges the end of arm 286 and header 284 toward the vertical facade member 87 so that, as seen in FIG. 24, the inner ring portion 282 on roller 280 and the outer ring portion 282 on roller 281 tend to engage the opposing sides of facade 87. Outward thrust or sway or swing of the cleaning apparatus away from the face of the building tends to increase this two-point engagement of the facade member by the ring portions of the rollers which tend to draw the header toward the facade member. When desired, link 298 may be moved slightly downward to incline the rotative axes of the rollers 280 and 281 to a slight angle from and above a normal or right angle disposition to the face of the vertical facade member. This slight skewing tends further to draw the frame 52 of a downwardly moving cleaning apparatus toward the building. Of course the positioning and clamping mechanism shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 would be present at least as a pair of mechanisms on any particular building cleaning apparatus 48.

Referring next to FIGS. 26 and 27 there is shown another positioning and clamping mechanism suitable for use with an apparatus working on building 74 in FIGS. 1 and 2 which has T-beams 75 extending from its pillars 76. In the employment of this mechanism, which like the mechanism of FIGS. 20 and 21 would be used at least in pairs with any particular building cleaning apparatus 48, one of the inner flange surfaces of T-beam 75 is borne upon by clamping roller 302 carried on one end of arm 303. This arm is substantially centrally pivotally mounted on a support member 304 reciprocably carried on frame 52. On its other end arm 303 carries a cam follower 305 which is shown as a roller. A tension spring 306 has one end attached to support 304 and another to arm 303 near roller 302 so as to urge cam follower 305 toward and against a cam track member 307. The support 304 is moved in and out as indicated by the arrows and permits and causes follower 305 to traverse the contour of the cam track member. Roller 302 is swung in an arc around pivot pin 308 as urged by spring 306 and as limited by the contour of the track member 307. The movement of support 304 is effected by an air cylinder or electric motor not shown.

Means for the lateral adjustment of cleaning apparatus 48 with respect to T-beam 75 and the building from which it extends is shown particularly in FIG. 27. An alignment roller 309 is carried on one end of an arm 310. This arm is pivotally carried on reciprocably movable support member 311. On its other end the arm 310 carries a cam follower 312 which like follower 305 is preferably a roller. A tension spring 313 has one end attached to arm 310 in a manner tending to rotate the arm to maintain cam follower 312 against a cam track member 314. Support member 311 may be moved either with support member 304 or independently of it in the direction of the arrows causing or permitting spring biased roller 309 to be swung toward or away from T-beam 75 as cam follower 312 runs along cam track member 314 with arm 310 turning about its pivot pin 315.

Referring next to FIGS. 19 and 40, building cleaning apparatus 48 is shown as carried by cable sling 60 beyond which of course there is another sling 61. These cables are reeled in or out to carry the cleaning apparatus up or down the face of building 74. A motorized crane apparatus 320 of a kind known to the art is supported on rails 321 and 322 disposed on the roof 323 of the building. A retaining shoe or clip 324 is provided to clamp the crane 320 at selected locations along the rails. A cable reel 326 to wind up or pay out cable 60 thereon is carried on and is driven by a motor in the crane apparatus. A boom 327 extending from the base of the crane apparatus carries on its outer end a sheave 328 over which the cable 60 passes. Arrangements similar in the foregoing and other pertinent respects are present for the handling of cable 61.

In the winding and unwinding of cable 60 from reel 326 it is desirable to provide a safety apparatus whereby the downward or pay out speed of the cable may be limited to a determined value with any speed in excess of this causing the cable to be automatically gripped so as to stop the further paying out of the cable. A simple safety device is shown in FIG. 40 wherein sheave 328 carries cable 60 in a groove formed in its periphery. A brake block 330 is disposed above the cable, and is just out of contact therewith. Pivotally carried by shaft 332 is nip member 334 which has a weight 335 adapted to retain it in the illustrated attitude as the cable 60 travels over sheave or pulley 328 in the direction of the arrow and at a maximum selected speed. A spring 337 carried by support 338 upholds the leftward arm portion of nip member 334 when pulley 328 is at rest or is traveling counterclockwise. A friction clutch 340 carried on shaft 332 is adjustable so that as pulley 338 is rotated by the passage thereover of cable 60 the nip member is urged clockwise around shaft 332. When the speed of the cable 60 in the direction of the arrow is in excess of a safe speed clutch 340 urges nip member 334 to rotate with pulley 328 and to overcome the effect of weight 335 so that wedge lip 341 of member 334 is brought into engagement with cable 60 whereby this lip is moved clockwise to pinch the cable between itself and brake block 330, and arrest or at least decelerate the descent of building cleaning apparatus 48.

The safety stop mechanism or device shown in FIG. 40 is provided to indicate simply one of several possible means for limiting the downward rate of travel of the cleaning apparatus. A considerable number of safety devices for cables are known, and in certain states and cities only certain approved safety apparatus for this general purpose may be employed. It is contemplated that such approved designs will be used with actual reductions to practice of the present invention in conformity with the applicable codes.

Referring next to FIGS. 33 through 36 there is provided an operation sequence of views of a valve control for timing and regulating the flow of air under pressure from tank 238 to and through the flexible discharge tips 128 carried by air blast chamber 127 shown in FIG. 12. In this control an air valve generally indicated as 345 includes a cylindrical housing 347 within which a piston body 348 is reciprocably movable. A midportion 349 of the piston 348 is of a reduced diameter to provide an air

3,497,902 passageway around the piston as needed. At its upper end the piston is connected to a rod 350 which extends through the housing 347. A compression spring 352 located in the lower portion of cylinder 347 acts to urge the piston 348 and rod 350 upwardly, or toward the rod end. A pivoted arm 354 is carried by the apparatus frame 52 and has one end engaged with the upper or outer end of rod 350. The other end of the arm 354 carries in spaced array a pair of follower rollers 356 and 357 which are disposed to engage building wall 74 and move the arm or allow it to be moved in response to changes in the profile or outline configuration of the wall. Cylinder 347 is equipped with a pair of connections providing an air inlet 359 and an air outlet 360. These connections are formed on opposite sides of the cylinder and are disposed to lie in a common plane which is at right angles to the axis thereof. As the reduced portion 349 of piston 348 is brought in way of inlet 359 the pressurized air from the inlet passes around this reduced section and flows to and through the outlet 360 to the tubular discharge tips 128.

As thus used, the valve 345 and its associated mechanism constitute a simple air flow control device whereby as rollers 356 and 357 follow the contour of the building the arm 354 is moved to bring the reduced midportion 349 of the piston into and out of communication with the air inlet and outlet. When the upper and lower full diameter portions of the piston are in way of the inlet and outlet there is no flow of air through the valve 345. In FIGS. 34 and 36 the reduced diameter is in communication and pressurized air flow occurs. This situation obtains as the follower rollers on arm 354 pass by the upper sill of a window 77 in the course of descent of building cleaning apparatus 48 and again as they pass by its lower sill. The spacing between follower rollers 356 and 357 along the extension of arm 354 as illustrated determines the duration of the air blast at and adjacent the upper sill of the window. This blast is contemplated to be significantly longer than the blast at and adjacent the lower sill.

Referring next to FIGS. 5, 37, 38, 39 and 43 there is shown in particular the brush arrangement for cleaning the vertical T-beam members 75 of the building 74. This arrangement includes a face brush 365 mounted on a spindle 366 which is rotated by a motor 368 (FIG. 5). Face brush 365 has a bristle portion 369 which is movable to a position whereat it engages and polishes the face or outer flange surface portion of a given T-beam as in FIG. 37. Also carried on spindle 366 and rotated therewith is a stem brush 370 having a bristle portion 372 adapted to engage and clean one face or surface of the web or stem of any T-beam 75. The brushes 365 and 370 are contemplated as being moved leftward from a disengaged position indicated in dashed outline in FIG. 37 to a cleaning position shown in solid outline in the course of the whole building cleaning apparatus 48 being engaged initially for a passage down and along any particular group of T-beams. As the whole apparatus 48 is moved down the face of the building, three T-beams are cleaned simultaneously by three brush arrangements in which face brushes 365 and stem brushes 370 are disposed as in FIGS. 38 and 39. As thus seen, the farthest left T-beam 75 has its face cleaned by a brush 365 and the right surface of its stem by a brush 370 both of which are mounted on spindle 366. At the same time the farthest right T-beam 75 has its face and the left surface of its stem cleaned by similar brushes 365 and 370 both of which are mounted on a spindle 366. The central or middle T-beam 75 has its face cleaned by brush 365 mounted on a rightwardly offset spindle 366 which also carries a stem brush 370 disposd to clean the right surface of the stem of this T-beam. Another stem brush 370 carried by a leftwardly offset spindle 371 is disposed to engage and clean the left surface of the stem of the central T-beam. As seen in FIG. 5 this last-mentioned spindle is driven by a motor 374 which is positioned at a level lower than that of the three motors 368.

Referring next to the circuit diagram of FIG. 41 there are shown the several power and control connections to the various components of the inventive building cleaning apparatus as so far described. For the operation of this apparatus a control center 380 of a design within the ability of the prior art is provided which includes programming equipment in the nature of timers and relays of conventional construction and operation, and which is supplied with electrical power through main cable 381. Although not shown in its full extent, this power cable is carried up from building cleaning apparatus 48 along with hoisting cables 60 and 61 to the roof of the building being cleaned, and is paid out and reeled in by mechanism of known design. The desired sequence and duration of and for the several processes of the overall cleaning operation include the movement of the brush assembly 119 which is positioned to in and out limits by gearmotor 95 in response to electrical power fed from the center to and through conductors 382 and 383. The brush assembly 119 is reciprocated from side to side by gearmotor 177 in response to power fed along conductors 385 and 386. Fluid for cleaning is supplied to assembly 119 from a storage tank 388 by means of a motor and pump 389 which discharge it through a conduit 390. An electrically-operated valve 392 in this conduit serves as a discharge stop valve for the pump to effect precise turning on and shutting off of the flow of cleaning fluid. Electrical power from the control center 380 to the motor and pump 389 is provided through conductors 394 and 395 while the electrical control signals for valve 392 are provided through a conductor 397.

The air compressor 236 driven by motor 237 supplies pressurized air to storage tank or receiver 238 from whence air flows to valve 345 through inlet conduit 359 and thence through outlet conduit 360 to air blast chamber 127 for distribution to and final emission through flexible discharge tips 128. Electrical power from control center 380 is fed to the motor 237 through conductors 399 and 400. The sponge and squeegee mechanism 179 shown in the upper left of the FIG. 41 has one side of microswitch 234 supplied with current through a conductor 402 and originating from the control center 380. The other side of this microswitch is connected by conductor 403 to one side of solenoid 210 while the other side of the solenoid is connected through conductor 404 to an appropriate electrical supply and program in the control center.

The clamping mechanism such as that shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 for engaging the T-beams 75 and positioning apparatus 48 with respect to building 74 is actuated with pressurized air fed through a supply conduit 406 from tank 238. Teed off from this conduit is a line 407 which furnishes the air under pressure to a four-way valve 409. This valve is controlled by electrical signals sent from the control center through conductor 410. Air cylinder 263 is connected at one end to valve 409 by means of conduit 412 and at its other end this cylinder is connected to the valve by means of conduit 413. An air line 415 is teed off from supply conduit 406 to a four-way valve 417 which is controlled by signals fed to it from the control center through conductor 418. Cylinder 253 has one end connected to valve 417 by means of a conduit 420, while the other end of this cylinder is connected to the valve by means of a conduit 421.

One of the operting assemblies of the T-beam cleaning brush system of FIG. 38, specifically the farthest left assembly, is shown in the upper right hand portion of the circuit diagram of FIG. 41. A means for moving this assembly laterally toward and away from the T-beam 75 upon which it is to operate includes an air cylinder 423 which is disposed and connected to shift motor 368 which rotates and carries brushes 365 and 370, and which is

3,497,902 on. a moveable mounting of any suitable kind. From supply conduit 406 'a line 425 is angled off to a four-way valve 427 which receives and is controlled by electrical signals fed through conductor 428 from control center 380. Air is supplied and exhausted between one end of _gcylinder 423 and valve 427 by means of a conduit 430, and the other end of the cylinder is fed air from and exhausts air to said valve by means of a conduit 431. The motor 368 is controlled and supplied with electric power through conductors 433 and 434. Motor 368 which has been illustrated and described as driving the farthest left operating assembly of the T-beam cleaning brush system of FIG. 38 is only one of four motors for this general purpose, that is, for the purpose of driving various brush operating assemblies. There are two more motors 368 and a motor 15 374. Associated with each of these motors to impart appropriate lateral movement to it and the brush or brushes it carries is a sutable pneumatic mechanism including an air cylinder such as cylinder 423 and a control valve such as valve 427. These additional motors, cylinders and 20 valves are not illustrated in FIG. 41 because it is considered that the nature of their compressed air connections from conduit 406 and electrical connections from control center 380 will be appareent from what has in fact been illustrated, they being essentially repetitive 25 thereof.

Referring next to FIG. 42 there is shown an alternate arrangement of a fragmentary portion of the circuit diagram of FIG. 41. In this alternate circuit the washing or cleaning fluid stored in tank 388 is discharged therefrom 30 by pressurized air rather than by the pump 389. This air under pressure is fed by conduit 440 from receiver 238 to the top of fluid supply tank 388. The liquid material in tank 388 now under pressure is fed through conduit 441 to valve 392. This valve permits or prohibits flow 35 through conduit 390 to the brush assembly 119 with conduit 390 in this case being an extension of conduit 441. In all respects except those just described the diagram of the functions shown in FIG. 41 is continued identically in the circuit of FIG. 42. ⁴⁰

Referring next to FIG. 43 there is shown a face or front view of the building cleaning apparatus 48 as the same is presented to a building 74 being cleaned. Pairs of upper and lower ball rollers 89 and 90 project through a front cover plate 443 and are disposed to bear and run upon the faces of the outer ones of any grouping of three vertical T-beam members 75 of the building. Two sponge and squeegee mechanisms 179 are disposed in spaced side-by-side array, and are movable forward and back through appropriately shaped openings in the front cover plate. Below each of these mechanisms is an opening in plate 443 through which one roller 225 carried by the associated cycling bar 224 protrudes. Below these rollers are face plate openings for the rollers 302 and 309 of paired clamping mechanisms disposed to engage 55 the outer two of the three vertical T-beam members of the building providing immediate running surfaces for the apparatus 48. Below and inwardly of these clamping rollers are openings in the face plate for a pair of brush assemblies 119 and their associated air blast assemblies θθ of flexible tubular discharge tips 128. Below these brush assemblies 119 which cycle side to side to clean the gross surface of the building are beam cleaning brushes 365 and 370 disposed to clean the three vertical T-beam members as in FIGS. 38 and 39. 65

USE AND OPERATION

It is contemplated that for each installed cleaning apparatus 48 of this invention a crane 320 will be provided on each building 74. The cables 60 and 61 as they are γθ wound or unwound on or from reels 326 raise and lower the cleaning apparatus at a speed of travel determined according to the particular problems of cleaning such as the materials and configuration of construction of the building. The beam and facade configurations of FIGS. 75 ¹⁶

2, 3 and 4 are not intended to anticipate or represent in precise delineation all of the many configurations of vertical beams which may be used and additionally it is possible that a building to be cleaned will not itself provide any outwardly or inwardly formed vertical guides. In those buildings whereon or wherein no practical guide beams are inherently provided, it is contemplated that temporarily rigged guidance cables be provided to extend from the roof to the ground. In such arrangement these cables are movable to desired exact positions between cleaning passes and may be run through temporary or special guidance follower means on apparatus 48 such as pad eyes.

As soon as the cleaning apparatus 48 is in suitably aligned, clamped position at the uppermost portion of the building being cleaned and lowering of the apparatus by crane 320 has been started, the control center 380 continues to function and energizes the circuit of gearmotor 95. Lead screw 96 is turned by this motor to move platform 98 outwardly until the tufts 164 and 165 of brush assemblies 119 are brought into contact with the building. Liquid material which has been compounded to have the desired washing or cleaning properties is fed from tank 388 through conduit 390 to valve 392 by either air pressure or pump action. This valve 392 is opened to permit the washing liquid to flow to chamber 150 and thence through dispensing nozzles 155,161 and 157 to impinge upon the contiguous surface of the building. At the same time that cleaning liquid is sprayed from and through brush assembly 119, the motor 177 is operating. This motor turns crank arm 175 to reciprocate the housing member 118 and the two brush assemblies 119 which it carries. This action causes brush tufts 164 and 165 to scrub back and forth across the moistened surfaces of the building with which they come into contact as the cleaning apparatus descends. As stated earlier, the total side to side stroke of the brush assemblies may be about four inches, and they may have a cyclic rate of operation of about one hundred and fifty to two hundred full to and fro strokes per minute.

The brush assemblies 119 may tilt upwardly on rod 138 due to rubbing effects on a uilding, particularly when they pass by and over window sills, while at the same time tending to be held downwardly in good contact with the building surfaces by springs 145. The splaying or flaring of the upper and lower rows of brush bristles or tufts, about fifteen degrees (15°) above and below the horizontal, taken together with the tilting of the brush assemblies, insures penetration of the bristles into essentially all surface recesses. Washing liquid or fluid sprayed out through dispensing nozzles 157 moistens and loosens soil on the building ahead of lower brush groups 165; liquid sprayed out through nozzles 161 maintains moistness of any soil remaining to be scrubbed by upper brush groups 164, while liquid dispensed from nozzles 155 keeps any residue of soil still present on the building after final brushing in a wet state to be subsequently removed by blowing, sponging or squeegeeing or any combination of these methods. All of these beneficial wetting and brushing or overall washing effects are enhanced by the double rows of tufts or bristles in each brush group 164 and 165, and are achievable on buildings generally, whether a given building be essentially smooth sided, i.e., with its window glass surfaces essentially flush with its opaque surfaces, or have its windows significantly inset from its opaque surfaces on either square or slanting sills.

Referring now to FIGS. 30 and 31, it is to be noted that in certain instances the building 74 may not require cleaning of its entire outside surface but only of its window pane areas. In this circumstance the actuation of brush assemblies 119 may be triggered by a sensing device which includes a roller 450 carried on one end of a movable arm 452. The right or other end of the arm is disposed to bear upon a microswitch 453 connected to the control center when roller 450 is running on an opaque

3,497,902 surface of building 74 and the tufts of brush assembly 119 are withdrawn from contact with that surface. This is the condition shown in FIG. 30. As roller 450 traverses or rolls down an opaque surface of building 74 as cleaning apparatus 48 descends it comes onto the inwardly and downwardly sloped upper sill 454 of inset window 77. The arm 452 is now moved inwardly or leftwardly by a spring or pneumatic means (not shown) until the roller 450 just touches or at least closely approaches the surface of window 77. This movement of arm 452 results in a signal being sent to and from the control center 380 as the arm ceases to bear on microswitch 453. In response to this signal the brush assembly 119 is moved inwardly into contact with the window 77 and then is cycled from side to side while at the same time washing liquid is caused to be dispensed against the surface of the window. This is the condition of FIG. 31.

Referring next to FIG. 32 it may be seen that when the roller 450 descends into contact with lower slope sill 456 it commences to urge the arm 452 rightwardly or outwardly, and continues to do so until the arm again bears upon microswitch 453 to cause a new signal to be sent to the control center 380. This signal programs the operation of motor 95 to cause the brush assembly 119 to be moved away from window 77 to a position similar to that which it has in FIG. 30 out of engagement with the opaque surface of building 74. The side-to-side cycling of the brush assembly and the discharge of washing liquid from dispensing nozzles 155, 161 and 157 are now stopped. Variations of this control schedule are of course possible with each programming actuation being established to satisfy the particular conditions of contour and cleaning pertinent to any individual building. The program for the movement of the brush assemblies 119 may provide for any selected portions of the building to be cleaned or if desired all portions of the building may be cleaned. For example, on certain occasions it may be desired that only selected windows in the face of the building be cleaned. On other occasions only the opaque face portions of the building may be programmed to be cleaned with the cleaning of the glass omitted.

Referring next and again to FIGS. 33 through 36 there is shown a typical operational sequence of conditions of the air blast cleaning device. In this sequence the roller 356 on pivot arm 354 traverses down the opaque surface of the building 74 until it approaches the recess for a window 77 (FIG. 33). Roller 356 then moves onto the upper sill 454 briefly until the smaller roller 357 on arm 354 comes in contact with the opaque surface of the building (FIG. 34). Arm 354 has now moved a small amount counterclockwise and the reduced diameter central portion 349 of the spring-biased piston 348 has been brought in way of the inlet 359 and the outlet 360 so that air under pressure flows to and through the flexible tubular discharge tips 128 which have now been moved in toward the building. Air emitted from the tips as a prolonged blast displaces the residual cleaning liquid and loose soil or dirt from the upper sill 454 and a small upper strip or portion of the window 77. As cleaning apparatus 48 moves further downward to allow arm 354 to be rotated into its orientation of FIG. 35, it is to be noted that the smaller roller 357 on the arm runs or is carried off of the upper sill 454 but does not come into contact with window 77. The piston 348 meanwhile has been moved by spring 352 to the top of the housing or cylinder 347 with its lower larger diameter portion coming in way of the inlet 359 and outlet 360 to shut off the flow of compressed air to the tips 128.

There is no further discharge of air from tips 128 until with continuing descent of apparatus 48 the larger roller 356, as shown in FIG. 36, is brought into contact with the lower sill 456. Arm 354 is now moved clockwise against the force of spring 352 bringing piston 348 again into a position within cylinder 347 such as that shown in FIG. 34. This allows air to blow or blast through tips 128 against the building at or somewhat below lower sill 456 to dispose of surplus water or cleaning fluid and soil deposited or run down there during the cyclic actuation of a brush assembly 119. Further downward movement of building cleaning apparatus 48 will bring roller 356 again onto the vertical opaque surface of building 74 with further clockwise rotation of arm 354 depressing piston 348 into its position within cylinder 347 shown in FIG. 33 and shutting off the flow of air to discharge tips 128 after only a rather short blast has been emitted from them. These tips will simultaneously be moved back out from the building along with brush assembly or assemblies 119.

Referring next and again to FIGS. 6, 15 and 43 it should be observed that each sponge and squeegee mechanism is located above the corresponding brush assembly 119 and air discharge tips 128. Movement of a given sponge 182 and lower squeegee blade 195 is programmed in response to actuation of their sensing roller 225 as the latter is urged inwardly or forwardly by means of spring 230 to tend to be maintained in engagement with the face of the building. In accordance with the reciprocation of cycling bar 224 which carries roller 225, signals from microswitch 234 are fed to the control center 380 which programs the energization of solenoid 210 correspondingly. The solenoid 210 is thus actuated to cause the sponge 182 and squeegee blade 195 to be moved in and out relative particularly to window surfaces with and against the force of springs 202 in response to the linear movement of roller 225 and cycling bar 224. The associated auxiliary or upper squeegee blade 216 which is supported from the upper leg of Z-bracket 204 may be used as shown to remove any surplus washing liquid left on the opaque surfaces of the cleaned building. In an operation where window surfaces are being cleaned, as the roller 225 moves inwardly toward the glass 77 the sponge 182 is programmed to be moved inwardly by springs 202 to come into wiping contact with the glass.

In a wiping and downwardly moving condition each sponge 182 distributes and absorbs at least a substantial portion of the washing liquid previously deposited on the glass from its correspondingly dispensing nozzles 155, 161 and 157. Lower squeegee blade 195 immediately above the sponge operates in a customary manner to remove essentially all of the remaining liquid or residual moisture from the glass. When the roller 225 has moved far enough down that it comes into contact with the lower sill of the window and it and cycling bar 224 are moved outwardly to trip switch 234, a signal is fed to the control center causing solenoid 210 to be actuated to pull back the sponge and lower squeegee, out of contact with at least the window surface. As sponge 182 is pulled back it is still going down, and will wipe and be effective across the surface of the lower sill. The lower squeegee blade may swing upwardly on piano hinge 190 as necessary, always tending to be restored to working or wiping orientation by the spring loading of this hinge. If sponge 182 be flexed upwardly into contact with the lower squeegee blade and assembly there will be a desirable effect of pressing absorbed liquid out of the sponge.

In certain instances it may be advantageous to have the upper squeegee blade 216 moveable toward and away from the building 74 independently of the lower squeegee in order that it may follow any contour of the outside surface of the building. Here reference is made to the arrangement of FIG. 28. Roller 225 on cycling bar 224 as it moves inwardly is brought near to but not in contact with the window glass 77. Sponge 182 and lower squeegee blade 195 are operated in the maimer just described above. The upper squeegee system includes a signaling device having a roller 460 carried on the depending portion of an angled arm 461 steadily biased inwardly toward the building. This roller is disposed to move down and along the vertical opaque surface of building 74 and then follow along an upper sill 454 until another, smaller

3,497,902

1θ roller 462 at the bend of arm 461 is brought into contact with the surface of the building and runs onto upper sill 454.

Arm 461 continues to move horizontally inwardly, and upon achieving a certain inward displacement activates a microswitch 463 to send a signal to control center 380. Upper squeegee blade 464 which has been following down along the vertical opaque surface of building 74 is now moved or permitted to move inwardly by signals from the control center triggered by the signal from the microswitch. Thus blade 464 follows along upper sill 454, and may make a downward pass in contact with window 77. As the blade reaches the bottom of the win· dow the operations just described will be essentially reversed so that the lower sill (not shown) will be squeegeed, and then blade 464 continue on down along the vertical opaque surface of building 74 below the window. Whether or not the upper squeegee blade be movable inwardly and outwardly, it may be swung upwardly as necessary on its piano hinge 212 and always tend to be returned to a horizontal attitude by the spring loading of this hinge.

The operation of the squeegee system as so far illustrated and described has been in connection with the cleaning of a building having fairly gently sloping upper sills to its windows as in FIG. 28, with the existence of lower sills of the same nature being assumed at least from the showings of FIGS. 33 through 36. In this situation the lower squeegee blade 195 of a descending building cleaning apparatus 48 may be moved inwardly fairly slowly and still come into contact with a window pane 77 essentially at the top thereof. For corresponding reasons in this same case the lower squeegee blade may travel essentially all the way down the window pane in contact therewith and then be pulled back or withdrawn therefrom without either it or sponge 182 or sensing roller 225 below it becoming bound on the lower sill.

A significant case which must be considered in addition to the foregoing is the one in which a building has inset windows with square sills, i.e., essentially horizontal sills. In this case the lower squeegee blade must be brought in very rapidly if it is to catch window pane 77 at or very close to its top, so fast in fact that there may be substantial danger of the glass being shattered by the blade. To avoid this danger, and it is important that it be avoided, the drive on the blade must be programmed or somehow restrained as by dash pots to cause or allow the blade to come in only rather slowly, just as in the case of a window with a slanting upper sill. For this reason it is not deemed that lower squeegee blade 195 or indeed any squeegee blade will be fully effective to wipe the strip of glass of a few inches vertical width or depth at the top of an inset window having square or horizontal sills. The resulting situation, i.e., the lack of squeegeeing or wiping of a horizontal strip of each window at its top is substantially alleviated according to the present invention by the air blast system described already in connection with FIGS. 33 through 36. This system, working through a plurality of air discharge tips, gives a prolonged blast of compressed air against the top horizontal strip of a window to blow the same dry, and is also effective in blowing moisture and loose soil off of the window’s upper square sill.

Once lower squeegee blade 195 is in contact with the glass surface of a window having square sills, sponge 182 of course having come in contact with this glass shortly ahead of it, it may travel all of the way down the glass within the contemplation of the present invention. The only critical consideration here is that sensing roller 225 below both the lower squeegee blade and the sponge have a sufficiently large diameter or be sufficiently far back out of contact with the window glass surface that it will have no difficulty in running back off of the horizontal surface of the lower sill. Sponge 182 may come down flat on that surface as building cleaning apparatus 48 con tinues its descent and will simply be flexed upwardly toward the descending lower squeegee blade. Blade 195 and its mounting elements will come down on the sponge and tend to press the absorbed liquid out of it. There is no danger of the lower squeegee elements becoming bound on the lower sill of the window since the whole lower squeegee structure may swing upwardly around the axis of its hinge 190 in response to pressure from below. Of course this will be only a transient effect as the sponge and lower squeegee are pulled back by action of the control center triggered by the outward or backward movement of sensing roller 225 and cycling bar 224.

As the sponge and lower squeegee are pulled back the sponge will make a strong wiping pass outwardly on the lower sill because of the downward pressure exerted on the sponge by the squeegee. The lower sill and to some extent the bottom horizontal strip of window glass may also be given a short blast of air to dry and clean them in keeping with the showing of FIG. 36. Primarily, however, the air blast system is relied upon to dry the upper sill and the top horizontal glass strip of a window having square sills, and not the lower sill and bottom horizontal glass strip. The latter surfaces may be adequately sponged and squeegeed as described above. Action by the lower squeegee to press liquid out of sponge 182 against the lower sill may be obtained to at least an appreciable extent in the cases of windows having sloping lower sills as well as in those of windows whose lower sills are square or horizontal. The pertinent timing arrangements especially as affecting the pulling back of the sponge and squeegee mechanism need just to be made at control center 380. Thus it is within the contemplation of the present invention that each sponge of apparatus 48 will be essentially self-drying or self-cleaning after each usage on a window surface having even only a small amount of inset. Dirty liquid pressed out of a sponge will simply run down onto the still soiled external surfaces of a building in the path of the descending cleaning apparatus.

Referring again and finally to FIGS. 37, 38 and 39, building protrusions such as vertical T-beams 75 may tend to become discolored through oxidation or the accumulation of airborne dirt on them. Cleaning of these beams is effected through brushes 365 and 370 which are carried on motorized spindles 366. The bristles of these brushes may be fed with an auxiliary cleaning liquid so as to perform a certain washing or scrubbing action as well as acting to burnish or polish. The particular conditions of cleaning will dictate the brush and bristle construction, the speed of operation of the brushes and also whether or not auxiliary cleaning material or fluid is required. It has been pointed out hereinbefore that the brushes and their motors are mounted so that they may be shifted out of the way of the various vertical beams on the face of the building as the cleaning apparatus is moved up or into the face of the building, and the brushes are also shiftable out of engagement with the vertical beams during the moving of cleaning apparatus 48 from one position to the next around the building. The control center 380 provides programmed operations for the various shifting or engaging and disengaging movements of rotary brushes 365 and 370. For these and the several other programmed operations or timed movements entering into and characterizing the overall function of the building cleaning apparatus 48 each control center 380' will be individually designed within the established concepts to provide the sequence and duration of operations necssary for the individual building being cleaned.

CONCLUSION

There has thus been illustrated and described in considerable detail the structure and the mode of operation of an apparatus capable of being raised and lowered alongside a building, and with no personnel aboard effecting all necessary operations on the building to clean either or both the opaque and the window surfaces thereof, in3,497, 21 eluding cleaning both outside and certain inside or recessed surfaces of at least some vertically oriented protrusions on the building which may serve as guidance means or tracks for the apparatus. Although no personnel need be present aboard the apparatus for the sake of its _rown operations, it is nevertheless capable of carrying them ⁰as a matter of convenience to allow direct and close inspection to be made visually of all portions of a building’s exterior surface.

The apparatus includes power-operated positioning and clamping means for effecting its properly spaced or closely contiguous running relationship to a building to be cleaned, both in the in and out sense and the side to side sense. It has a washing liquid spray or dispensing system which is especially arranged to wet the surface of the 15 building to be cleaned ahead of the apparatuses brush bristles to prepare the surface to be brushed or scrubbed, through these bristles or between groups of bristles to maintain the surface continuously moist during the brushing operation, and behind the brush bristles to leave 20 the scrubbed surface in moist condition for a final removal of liquid-loosened and liquid-admixed soil by sponging and squeegeeing.

An especially significant feature of the invention as illustrated and described is its system of transversely re- 25 ciprocable brushes which allow a vigorous scrubbing effect to be achieved on essentailly all of the outwardly-facing exterior surface of a building, particularly including the upper and lower portions of recessed windows and the associated sill surfaces at both top and bottom. Action of 30 the brushes is enhanced in these somewhat hidden regions by having the brushes limitedly tiltable or pivotable on a horizontal axis or axes parallel to the face of the building, thus allowing the tips of the bristles to poke into most nooks and crannies around a window. Besides 35 the transversely reciprocable brushes which might be considered to be main brushes, the rotary brushes for cleaning and burnishing vertical beams on the building surface are deemed an advance in the art, especially as they are installed on power-operated shiftable mountings to allow 40 them to be engaged with or disengaged from a vertical beam or beams as appropriate in the course of shifting the whole apparatus from position to position around a building in the course of making successive cleaning runs or passes. _ 45

Another particularly notable feature of the present inventive apparatus is its air blast system, and more particularly the means for controlling the same to provide principally only a prolonged blast of air to blow dry the upper sill of a recessed window and the associated or qq adjacent narrow horizontal top strip of window glass. Of course the air blast system could be set to discharge air under pressure for liquid and loose soil removal all the way down a building, but for most of the building’s exterior surface including its window glass areas this purpose may 55 be adequately served by sponging and squeegeeing and, to be sure, evaporate drying. The glass region just at the top of a recessed window, particularly a window fairly deeply recessed on square sills, is very difficult to wipe both safely and adequately with an automatic squeezee as ex- <;o plained in detail hereinbefore, and of course the underside of a square upper sill is equally hard to squeegee properly. Thus air blasting or blowing away of loosened soil and free liquid is needed on those surfaces, and by having the air blast triggered or controlled to operate <35 principally just at and on these surfaces a great economy in the generation and consumption of compressed air is achieved.

Novelty and an advance in the art are also to be found in the sponge and squeegee mechanism which is relied 70 upon generally for the greater part of the removal of free liquid and liquid-loosened soil from the exterior surface of a building which has been scrubbed by the brush assembly of an apparatus according to this invention. The sponge effects a gross removal of loose and dirty liquid 75

902 while the squeegee blade or blades perform, in effect, a polishing or finishing drying stroke of wiping, especially upon window glass areas in the path of travel of the apparatus as the squeegee mechanism moves horizontally in and out to follow the contour of the building. The sponge is carried on this movable or shiftable mechanism, and by its closely spaced positioning below a squeebee blade and/or blade holder it is caused to be pressed out subsubstantially free of liquid on successive lower window sills. This self-clearing or self-drying feature of the sponge is of considerable practical utility.

The present invention may be embodied in more than one particular form without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore the embodiment herein pictured and described in detail is to be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the claims hereinafter set forth all variations, modifications and changes which fall within the metes and bounds of these claims or which form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are thus intended to be embraced by the claims.

Accordingly, protection by Letters Patent of this ininvention in all its aspects as the same are set forth in the appended claims is sought to the broadest extent that the prior art allows.