US2092581A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Sept 7, 1937- w. H. Kl'rTo 2,092,581

SUCTION CLEANER Filed July 18, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 7, 1937. l

w. KITTo sCTIoN CLEANER Filed July 18, B5]

.'5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Sept. 7, 1937. W, H, K11-T0 2,092,581

SUC-NYON CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 18, 195,1

Patented Sept. 7, 1937 n .l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER William H. Kitto, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a crporation of Ohio Application July 18, 1931, Serial No. 551,672

17 Claims. (Cl. 15-6) The present invention relates to suction cleantion cleaner, a new and nevel combination of ers generally, and particularly to new and imrotary agitating and gyratory agitating means. proved surface-agitating means for a suction A further object is the provision, in a suction K cleaner. More specifically the invention comcleaner, of vibrating agitating means which are prises a new and novel combination of surfacedriven from the rotary agitator. A still furbeating and brushing means with pile-agitating ther object is the provision, in a suction cleaner, means in a suction cleaner. Y of the combination of a rotary positive agitator It has long been the practice of suction cleanand vibrating nozzle lips which arel actuated by er builders to incorporate surface-agitating the rotary agitator. A further object is the means as the requirement of such means for provision in a suction cleaner, ofa rotary agitator l complete cleaning was Well recognized. In the provided with eccentric means to positively acearlier cleaners the surface-agitating means tuate the movable nozzle lips construction. Still comprised rotary brushes which were generally another object is the provision, in a suction positioned within the suction cleaner nozzle and cleaner, of an eccentrically mounted rotary driven through power-transmitting means from agitator which is connected to and adapted to 1r the motor which drove the suction-creating fan. actuate movable agitating nozzle lips. These In other types of cleaners a vertically or horiand other more specific objects will appear upon zontally reciprocating beater or agitating memreading the following specication and.claims ber was positioned within the nozzle and driven and upon considering in connection therewith by some suitable means. In its later developthe annexed drawings to which they relate. 20

ment the modern suction cleaner was provided In the drawings in which preferred embodi-` with a rotary positive beating agitator within ments of the present invention are disclosed: its nozzle, that is,a.rotary member provided with Fig. l is a side View of a modern suction rigid surface-contacting members which funccleaner embodying a preferred embodiment of tion, in operation, to positively vibrate the surthe present invention with the end Wall of the face covering undergoing cleaning to dislodge the nozzle in section upon the line I-I of Figure 2; `embedded foreign matter therefrom. Brushes Fig. 2 is a cross section through the cleaner were usually provided in combination with the nozzle upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

rotary rigid surface-contacting elements. It Fig. 3 is a partial cross section upon the line has been discovered in the laboratories that .3 3 of Fig. 2; 30

the agitation of the pile of the surface covering, Fig. 4 is a section upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 5; even in the absence of surface covering vibra-` Fig. 5 is a partial cross section upon the line tion, in the sense of vibrating the entire body of 5-5 of Fig. 4;

the covering at the point of cleaning, is effective Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of one end of to dislodge embedded and impacted foreign mathe agitator-supporting frame and the nozzleterial at the base of the pile. It has also been lip-supporting frame, the rotary agitator being found that this pile agitation or vibration is parremovedfrom the construction;

ticularly effective when it takes place at the ex- Fig. 7 is a View of the spring detail embodied act pOint at Which the Cleaning air iS effective. in the nozzle lip frame being a partial section To accomplish this last result the nozzle lips of taken upon the line 1-1 of Figure 4; 40

the cleaner have, in some cleaners, been positively actuated. In some embodiments the entire Suction cleaner nozzle was actuated in Order i ection similar to Fi e 5 being .to accomplish this lip vibration while in the Flg' 9 s 9' s guf h h leaner 4;, more preferred embodiments the lips were moved oglalsvlsle to'gifnnggd tefei; of a relative to the nozzle. In the` present invention applicant has embodied for the first time in a second embodiment ofthe present invention, and suction cleaner, rotary agitating means and DOsibein? .takefl upon' fhe' une 9 9 loin f tively-actuated nozzle lips and has provided new Flg- 10 1S a' Sectlon upon the me 0 Fig. 8 is a partial section upon the line 8 8 of Fig. 4; A

:lo and novel means for the actuation ofthe lips Fig. 9; 50 to accomplish their surface-pile-defiecting and Fig. 11 is a section upon the line lI-H 0f vibrating function. i Fig, 9;

It is an object of the present invention to pro- Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of the resilient vide a new and novel suction cleaner construcsupporting element for the agitator in they emr tion. It is another object to provide, in a sucbodiment shown in Figs. 9 to 15 incluslve; 05

Fig. 13 is a view in perspective of the enclosing cup member for the element shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a view in perspective of one end of the vibrating agitating elements and one of their supporting end members;

Fig. 15 is a side view of the rotary agitating agitator and the vibrating agitators removed as a unit from the supporting frame;

Fig. 16 is a side view of a different type of rotary agitator adapted to beembodied in the construction shown in Figs. 9 to 14 inclusive.

Referring again to the drawings, and Figures 1 to 8 in particular, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in a modern suction cleaner comprising a nozzle I; a .fan chamber 2, which is interiorly connected to said nozzle through the air passageway 3; and an exhaust outlet 4 to which is attached, by suitable means 5, the dust bag 6. A motor casing 1 is positioned immediately above the fan chamber 2 and houses a suitable driving motor, the shaft 8 of which extends downwardly through the fan chamber 2 where it carries the suction-creating fan 9. I A belt-receiving pulley I8 is carried at the lower end of the motor shaft '8. 'Ihe cleaner is movably supported by means of front supporting `wheels and rear supporting Wheels l2, l2, there being means, indicated generally by the reference character I3, by which the nozzle I may be raised and lowered about the front supporting wheels l|I as an axis. As in the usual suction cleaner a pivoted handle 4 is provided through the use of which the operator can easily move the cleaner over the floor.

A rotary agitator, indicated generally by the reference character I5, is positioned within the nozzle I andv comprises a cylindrical body I6 which carries upon its surface the rigid elongated .beating velements I1, |1, which extend helically from common end points, and the longitudinally extending brushes I8, I8, which are positioned below .the surface of body I6 and extend thereabove at a 'height substantially equal to .the height of the beater elements I1, |1. Spacer elements I9, I9 are positioned upon the surface of the body |6 between the beater elements |1, I1 and the brush element |8, I8 which lfunction to prevent the undue displacement .of the surface covering within the nozzle between the successive contacts of the said beater elementsvand the said brush elexr'ients.` Body |6 is rotatably mounted upon the stationary through-supporting shaft by means of bearings 2|,2| at theends of the agitator. Each bearing comprises an inner race 22, which is seated upon th'e reduced end of the stationary shaft'28, and an outer race 23, which is seated in a suitable seat formed in the agitator end plate 24 of the body |6. Between the outer race 23 of the bearing and the enclosing seat in the agitator end plate'is positioned a cup member 25 which is provided with an outwardly 'extended portion at the side of the bearings 2| which has a cylindrical seat 26 which is eccentric with respect to the shaft 28 for a purpose which will soon beapparent. Each end of stationary shaft 28 issupported in a slot 21 in the adjacent end plate 28 of the agitator-supporting frame, the latter comprising the two end plates 28, 28, each pivoted as at 29 to the nozzle of the cleaner, and the transversely-'extending members 38 and 3| which extend across the nozzle between the end plates and contact the front and rear nozzle walls, respectively. To prevent the unintended displacement of "the agitator-supporting shaft 28 a pivoted locking plate 32 is provided on each end member 28 which is pivoted at 33 which, through being provided with a cam surface 34 and being pivoted under the force of a spring 35, cooperates with the' slot 21 to maintain the shaft in position.

Encircling the eccentric seat 26 on each cup member 25 carried by each end of the agitator is a bearing 36 the inner race 31 of which nonrotatably seats upon the portion 26 and the outer race 38 of which seats in an end member or plate 39 which is provided centrally, as is clearly seen in Figure 6, with a seat 48. Each end member 39 is formed of a lower portion 4| and an upper portion 42 which is pivoted at one side, by means of the pivot pin 43, to the lower portion 4|. A spring 44 encircles the pivot pin 43 and serves to force the two portions together. At the rearward side of each end member 39, opposite the pin 43, is positioned a thumb lock spring 45 which is carried by the upper portion 42 and which is provided with a projectingportion 46 of which is adapted to seat within a suitable opening 41 formed in the side wall of the lower portion 4I and which in place functions to lock the two portions together. Between the end members 39, 39, which are positioned at the opposite ends of the rotary agitator, extend the surface-contacting members or lips 48 and 49 respectively. These lip members are rigidly attached to the lower portions 4|, 4| of the end members 39, 39 and are sealed, throughout their entire length, to the adjacent members 38 and 3|, respectively of the agitator-supporting frame by means of the rubberized fabric strips or , seals 58 and 5| which are suitably connected therebetween, and which are sufficiently flexible as to offer no resistance to relative movement between the lips 48 and 49 and the' members 38 and- 3|.

To prevent any rotation of the lip-carrying end members 39, 39 upon the rotation of the agitator, which is itself connected from its reduced central pulley portion through the belt 52 to the pulley I8 on the motor shaft 8, springs 53, 54, and 55 are provided on the front, the top, and the rear walls of the nozzle I at each end thereof. 'I'hese springs contact the sides of the end members 39, 39 and clearly prevent any appreciable rotation invthose members though offering substantially no reslstanceto vibratory orftranslatory movement thereof, within certain limits. The presence of these springs 53,54, and 55 at the ends of the nozzle in contact with the end members 39, 39 removes anyrstress from the seals 58 and 5 I, which might otherwise be imposed thereon upon the operation ofthe cleaner.

In theoperation of ,the suction cleaner, ,constructed in accordance with this preferred embodiment of the invention, upon the rotation of the cleaner motor the suction-creating fan 9 revolves at high speed creating a reduced pressure inthe fan chamber 2 which is immediately effective in the nozzle I, connected to the fan Achamber by means of the air passageway 3, re-` sulting in the lifting of the surface covering below the nozzle I into contact with transversely extending lips 48 and 49 which define the nozzle mouth. The rotation of the-motor shaft 8 is transmitted, through the pulley I8 and belt 52, to agitator I5 which is rotated at high speed upon its bearings 2|, 2| carried by the stationary shaft 28 which is itself carried by the end members 28, 28 of the agitator-supporting frame. Upon the rotation of the agitator I5 the .cup members 25, 25 carried atv the ends thereof, together with their eccentric seats 26, 26, are also 'rotated resulting in the revolution of the lip-carrying end members 39, 39, which are vresiiierltly positioned relative to the nozzle by the springs 53, 54 and 55, and which enclose by ltheir central seats 40, 48 the eccentrics 26, 26, about the shaft 20 of the agitator. Attention is specifically directed to the fact that the end members 39, 39 do not rotate about the shaft 29 as an axis but instead revolve thereabout. As the lips 48 and 49 are rigidly connected to the end members 39, 39 they receive the identical motion which is imparted thereto and in eifect describes small circles and so function to agitata. flex and vibrate the pile of the surface covering with which they contact. As the air drawn into the suction nozzle by the suction-creating fan must enter the nozzle underthe lips 48 and 49. they being sealed to members which contact the nozzle walls, it is apparent that the agitation effected by the vlips 48 and 49 is at the exact point of cleaning air effectiveness. It is clear, therefore, that in the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present embodiment, the` surface covering is agitated, in the sense ofbeing beaten, vibrated and brushed by the rigid beating elements of the rotary agitator and by the brush elements l thereof, and the pile of the covering is additionally vibrated and exed by the agitating lips 43 and 49.

To remove the agitator l5 from the supporting `frame within which it is mounted it is only necessary to pivot the end members 28, 23, together with their cross members 36 and 3|, downwardly from the nozzle about their pivot points 29, 29. With the supporting frame pivoted downwardly to the position shown in Figure 1 it is then possible to pivot the upper portions 62, 42 of the end members 39, 39 in a counterclockwise direction relative to the lower portions 4|, 4| thereof, it being only necessary to exert an inward force upon-each thumb lock spring 45 in order to detach the detent 46 from its seat 41 in the member 4| to make that movement possible. With the 7 portions 42, 42 pivoted from the portions`4l, 4|

of the end members, it is then only necessary to pivot the locking cam members 32, 32 against the force exerted by the springs 35, 35 in order to permit the endsof the agitator-supporting axle 29 to be removed outwardly from the slots 21, 21

in the end members 28, 28. The replacement of the agitator in the nozzle is simply the reverse operation. A

Referring now to Figures 9 to 15 inclusive a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed, the suction cleaner nozzle being again indicated by the reference character The rotary agitator 51 comprises a hollow cylindrical body 5B having end members 59 and which is provided upon its surface with the rigid elongated beaters 68, 60 and carries below its surface the removable brush elements 6|, 6|, as in the previous embodiment. Agitator 61 is rotatably and eccentiically mounted upon the stationary supporting f shaft 62 by means of the bearings 63, 63 which are seated in seats 64, 64, in each end plate 59. As' is clearly seen in Figure 9 the imaginary center axis of the cylindrical body 58 is the center line indicated by the reference character A, while the center line of the shaft 62, and so the bearings 63, 63 as well as the 'seats 64, 64, is the center line indicated by the reference 'character B. As in the previous embodiment the agitator 53 is connected by the belt 52 to the shaft of the driving motor. 'Threaded on to the end of shaft 62 is a stationary end member or thread guard 65 which is concentric with the shaft 62 being ofsulcient diameter to enclose the end of the cylindrical agitator body at its greatest radius from theg shaft. Secured to each. thread guard- 65 by means of spaced headed screws 66,166, of winch there are four at each end, is an end plate 61, an insert or ller member 65a being provided therebetween to insure suflicient seating surface for the end plate. Carried by and extending between the end plates 61, 61 at each end of the agitator which are the transversely extending surface-contacting members 6 8 and 69 which extend entirely across the nozzle mouth parallel to the agitator 51 and spaced therefrom.

The agitator-supporting frame comprises pivoted end plates which are here indicated by the reference character 10, 10 and which are pivoted at the rear of the nozzle uponthe pins 1| 1|. Between members 10, 19 of the agitator-supporting frame is a front transverse member 12 which lies against and in contact with the front wall of the nozzle and, in the present embodiment, extends downwardly at an angle therefrom to form the front nozzle lip. There is no rear transverse member in the agitator-supporting frame, as in the first embodiment, the rear nozzle lip 13 being rigidly carried by the nozzle I, As in the rst embodiment each end member 10 of the agitator-supporting frame is provided with a slot, here indicated by the reference character 14, and in this slot is positioned a pin 15 which in each instance is locked in place by a cam member 16 under the influence of a pivoting spring 11.` 'I'he pin 15, in each end of the nozzle is carried by a cup member 18 which encloses and firmly seats a resilient rubber disk 19 which is provided with four spaced seats 80, 80 etc. which are adapted to receive and seat the extended heads of'the screws 66, 66, aforedescribed.

In the operation of the present embodiment of the invention, constructed in accordance with the showings of Figures 9 to l5 inclusive, upon the rotation of agitator 51 the agitator in starting rotates about the center line B, of the shaft 62. As the rotational speed of the agitator increases, however, it tends to rotate about its own imaginary center axis, which is indicated in Figure 9 by the line bearing the reference character A, and accomplishes this end before its normal speed is attained. Upon the agitator rotating about this imaginary axis it is apparent that the shaft.

62 will revolve once, upon each rotation of the agitator, about the imaginary center line A in a circle having a radius equal to the distance between the two center lines. This relative movement of the shaft 62 relativeito the cleaner nozzle and to the supporting agitator frame is made possible through the resilient mounting of the supporting screws 66, 66 etc. in the resilient bodies 19, 19 at the agitator ends. As the agitator revolves about its own absolute and instantaneous center, that indicated by the axis line bearing the reference character A, the end plates 61, 61, carried rigidly upon the axle 62 receive a translational or revolutional motion in that they are revolved about the imaginary axis of rotation of the agitator., This motion of the end plates 61, 61 is, of course, eifective in the surface-contacting agitating elements'68 and 69, which in the present embodiment are not nozzle lips, but merely positively actuated agitating elements which are adapted to vibrate and flex the pile of the surface covering= which they contact. Each agitator 68 and 69 positively vibrates the surface covering with which it contacts upon being vibrated by the motion aforedescribed.

To remove the agitator from its supporting frame within the nozzle it is only necessary to pivot the end members 10, 18 downwardly from the nozzle, pivot the locking cam members 16, 16 rearwardly to permit the withdrawal of the supporting pins 15, 15 from the slots 14, 14, and the rotary agitator, together with the vibrating agitators 68 and 69 and their supporting end members 61, 61, can be withdrawn as a unit. Thereafter the unit can be disassembled in an obvious manner.

Referring now to Figure 16 in particular a further type of agitator, indicated generally by the reference character 80, is shown which is adapted to be embodied in the modification shown in Figures 9 to 14. Agitator 88 comprises an elongated body 8| having a centrally located pulley 82; spaced bristle tufts 83, 83 etc. are carried by the body 8l, the latter being rotatably and eccentrically mounted at each end upon a shaft 84 through a bearing 85, the body and the supporting shaft 84 having different center lines. It is apparent that, upon the rotation of agitator 88, as in the last described embodiment, the agitator will, at high speed, rotate about its own imaginary center line resulting in the revolution of the supporting axle thereabout and thereupon resulting in the movement of end members 86, 86 together with the transversely-extending agitators 81, as in the aforedescribed embodiment. Spaced supporting means 88, 88 etc. are provided on the end members 86, 86 which are adapted to be seated in the seats 80, 8D of the resilient discs.

I claim:

l. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle, a rotary agitator mounted in said nozzle, a movably mounted transversely extended surface-agitating element in said nozzle, a member at the end of said agitator connected to said element, means mounting said member for movement in all directions in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said agitator and preventing rotation thereof, said member being also connected to said agitator eccentrically relative to the axis of rotation to be actuated thereby upon rotation of said agitator for the purpose of actuating said element.

2. In a suction cleaner, a rotary surface-beating agitator, means to rotate said agitator, an elongated thin surface-contacting element at the side of said agitator of such thickness that it is adapted to penetrate between adjacent tufts of pile of a surface covering undergoing cleaning, and means to vibrate said element in a direction having a horizontal component.

3. In a suction cleaner, an agitator including rigid beaters, means to actuate said agitator, an elongated thin surface-contacting element at the side of said agitator, and means to vibrate said element, said surface-contacting element forming a nozzle lip for said cleaner.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body, a rotary agitator carried by said body, means to rotate said agitator, an eccentric carried by said agitator, a member carried by and supported on said eccentric for translation relative to the center of rotation of said agitator upon its rotation, means preventing rotation of said member about its own axis, and a surface-contacting element connected to said member' at a point spaced from said eccentric and movable therewith.

5. In a suction cleaner, a body, a rotary agitator carried by said body, means to rotate said agitator, eccentrics carried by said agitator at the ends thereof, members carried by and supported on said eccentrics, means preventing rotation of said member about their own axes, and a surface-contacting agitating element connected between said members at the side of said agitator.

6. In a suction cleaner, a body, a rotary agitator positioned in said body, means to rotate said agitator, eccentrics mounted at the ends of said agitator and adapted to be rotated therewith, members mounted on the eccentrics, means preventing rotation of said members and permitting limited displacement thereof in all directions in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said agitator, surface agitating elements connected between said members and means sealing said elements to the surrounding nozzle so that they define the sides of the nozzle mouth and function as nozzle lips.

7. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, a rotary agitator including an elongated body in said nozzle, bearing means associated with said body eccentrically positioned relative to its axis of rotation and surrounding that axis, members seated on said bearing means, means preventing rotation of said members about their own axes, surface-contacting means extended at the sides 0f said body and carried by said members, and means to rotate said agitator.

8. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, a rotary agitator in said nozzle including a body, a shaft eccentrically and rotatably supporting said body, a member rigidly connected to said shaft and movable therewith, a surface-contacting agitating element carried by said member, means supporting said member and said shaft for translation, and means to vrotate said body, the mass of said body being such that it rotates about its true center at its normal speed of rotation.

9. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, a rotary agitator in said nozzle including a body, a shaft eccentrically and rotatably supporting said body,

means resiliently supporting said shaft in said .i

nozzle, an elongated thin surface-agitating element connected to said shaft and movable therewith, and means to rotate said body, characterized by the fact that at its normal speed of rotation said body rotates about its center as an axis causing said shaft to move relative thereto.

10. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle, a surface-contacting lip under which cleaning air passes dening one side of the mouth of said nozzle and movable relative thereto, a surface-contacting agitator in said nozzle, and means to actuate said agitator and said lip.

11. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle, a surface-contacting lip under which cleaning air passes defining one side of the mouth of said nozzle and movable relative thereto, a rotary surface-contacting agitator in said nozzle, power-transmission means connected to said agitator, a driving motor, and means connecting said lip to said agitator to vibrate the former upon the rotation of the latter.

12. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle, a rotary agitator including a shaft supporting said agitator at its end, a member at the end of said agitator, a bearing eccentrically mounted on said agitator surrounding said shaft, and supporting said member to impart motion to it upon the rotation of said agitator, resilient means preventing the rotation of said member about its own axis upon the rotation of said agitator, a surface-agitating element mounted on said member to move with it, and means to rotate said agitator.

13. In a suction cleaner, a body having a nozzle portion, a rotatable body carried on said rst mentioned body at said nozzle portion, means to rotate said rotatable body, an eccentric carried by said rotatable body, a member carried by and supported on said eccentric for translation relative to the axis of rotation of said rotatable body, means preventing rotation of said member about its own axis, and a surface-contacting elementl carried by said member. and movable with it.

14. In a suction cleaner, a body, a rotatable trically and rotatably supporting said rotatable body, a member connected to said shaft and movable therewith, a surface-contacting agitating element carried by said member, means supporting said member and said shaft for translation, the mass of said rotatable body being such that it rotates about its true center at its normal speed of rotation thereby causing said member and element to be vibrated, and means to rotate said rotatable body.

15. A suction cleaner having a nozzle mouth and an air passageway leading therefrom, a fan chamber open to said passageway at a point spaced from said mouth, a driving shaft extended through said fan chamber into said passageway,

a fan on said shaft in said chamber to create a reduced pressure in said passageway and nozzle upon the rotation of'said shaft, a. rotatable unbalanced mass mounted for rotation and translation at the nozzle mouth, power transmission means connecting said mass to said shaft to cause rotation in the former, and a non-rotatable surface-contacting beater element connected to and translatable with said mass. 10

16. The construction recited in the preceding claim in which resilient means support said unbalanced mass forwv translation in the nozzle mouth. body on said rst-mentioned body, a shaft eccen- 17. A suction cleaner having a nozzle mouth and an air passageway leading therefrom, a fan chamber open to said passageway at a point spaced from said mouth, a driving shaft extended through said fan chamber into said passageway, a fan on said shaft in said chamber to create a reduced pressure in said passageway and nozzle upon 'the rotation of said shaft, a rotatable member in said nozzle mouth, a surface-contacting element mounted for translation, a translatable member carriedv eccentrically by said rotatable 25 member and carrying said element, and means preventing rotation of said translatable member.

WmLIAM H. Krlr'ro.

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