Washing Debris Carrying Items on Wash Pads

Abstract

A method of washing a debris carrying item on a wash pad that includes placing the item on the wash pad, using wash fluid to remove the debris from the item, and collecting at least one of the wash fluid and debris in a catch trough disposed in fluid communication with the wash floor. The method also includes moving at least one of the wash fluid and debris to an evacuator disposed in fluid communication with the catch trough, and elevating debris from a collection height to a dump height for dumping. The evacuator substantially removes wash fluid received from the catch trough.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of washing a debris carrying item on a wash pad, the method comprising:
 placing a debris carrying item on a wash floor of the wash pad;   using wash fluid to remove the debris from the item;   collecting at least one of the wash fluid and debris in a catch trough disposed in fluid communication with the wash floor;   moving at least one of the wash fluid and debris to an evacuator disposed in fluid communication with the catch trough, the evacuator substantially removing wash fluid received from the catch trough; and   elevating debris from a collection height to a dump height for dumping.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising disposing the catch trough in fluid communication with a longitudinal central portion of the wash floor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using a conveyer disposed along the catch trough and the elevator for moving at least debris along the catch trough at the collection height and elevating the debris to the dump height for dumping. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving a conveyer disposed along at least one of the catch trough and the elevator to move debris collected on the evacuator to the elevator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising moving a flight of a conveyer disposed along at least one of the catch trough and the elevator to scrape collected debris off of the evacuator. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising moving a flight of the conveyer to move the scraped debris to the dump height for dumping. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elevator comprises a housing having an entrance connected to the evacuator and an exit at the dump height, the housing comprising conveyer guides for guiding the conveyer from the housing entrance to the housing exit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising arranging the elevator to support the conveyer at angle of between about 10 degrees and about 90 degrees with respect to the catch trough. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising arranging the catch trough to extend along an entire length of the wash pad. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising arranging the wash floor to have at least one portion inclined at an angle of between about 1 degree and about 30 degrees with respect to level ground, the wash floor being inclined to promote at least one of wash fluid and debris movement toward the catch trough. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising arranging the evacuator to be connected to one end of the catch trough, and arranging the catch trough to cause fluid flow towards the evacuator. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evacuator comprises:
 an evacuator trough defining an aperture; and   a fluid mover disposed in fluid communication with the evacuator trough aperture, the fluid mover drawing wash fluid though the evacuator trough aperture for delivery to a wash fluid destination.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising delivering the wash fluid removed by the evacuator to at least one of a fluid treatment system and fluid recirculation system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising arranging a debris collector over the evacuator trough aperture.