A car wash conveyor including a simplified and improved track structure using cut out flat support plates for mounting three tiers of tracks. The support plates allow equal widths of an intermediate and lower track, and incorporation of integral stanchions for support of tire guide rollers. The chain take up mechanism and the roller control mechanism together form an assembly able to be installed into the conveyor or removed for service as a single unit.

In an automobile conveyor having an endless conveyor chain within a framework having top plates to support the tire of an automobile, and a plurality of roller dollies spaced along the length of the chain normally positioned for movement within the framework, the improvement which comprises a split collar clamp having first and second sections that are clamped around the driven shaft of the conveyor. The first section of each clamp is angled with respect to the vertical so that the shaft is cradled against the pulling force of the drive sprocket. The second section of the clamp is removably attached to the first section so that the clamp is accessible from the top plate of the conveyor for easy access and removal of the driven sprocket, bearing members and transverse sprocket shaft through the top plate.

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.

A car washing apparatus having a continuous conveyor that moves along a conveyor path and a guide rail with an upper surface on which wheels of the vehicle roll thereby moving the vehicle from the proximal end to the distal end upon conveyor movement. The guide rail has a concave recess surface formed in the rail facing upwardly to receive and seat a vehicle wheel. A roller member, mounted to the continuous conveyor engages and drives the wheel until the wheel is driven into the recess surface. The first roller disengages the wheel while the conveyor continues to move. Subsequently, a roller member re-engages the wheel and pushes the wheel from the recess surface.