US3623176A - Floor-treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

WHEELS SUPPORT A HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT ON A SURFACE TO BE TREATED. A BRUSH ROLLER IS MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING FOR TURNABLY ENGAGING THIS SURFACE. MOUNTING MEANS MOUNTS THE BRUSH ROLLER WITH FREEDOM OF ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN A LOWER AND AN UPPER POSITION WITH REFERENCE TO THE SURFACE. BIASING MEANS PERMANENTLY URGES T HE BRUSH ROLLER TO ONE OF THESE POSITIONS. A CONTROL MEMBER IS RELEASABLY COUPLED WITH OF THE HOUSING AND HAS AN OUTER MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE PORTION AND AN INNER CONTACT PORTION WHICH COOPERATES WITH THE MOUNTING MEANS. THE CONTROL MEMBER IS TURNABLE BETWEEN TWO TERMINAL SETTINGS IN ONE OF WHICH IT MOVES THE BRUSH ROLLER TO THE OTHER OF ITS POSITIONS AGAINST THE OPPOSITION OF THE BIASING MEANS. DETENT MEANS PREVENTS UNINTENTIONAL TURNING MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL MEMBER BEYOND ITS TERMINAL SETTINGS NAD PRECLUDES AXIAL-SHIFTING OF THE CONTROL MEMBER.

Description

NOV 30, 1971 G. LEIFHEIT ETAL 3,623,176

FLOORTREATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. l2, 1960 2 Shoots-Sheet 1.v

AWE/vra? NOV 3Q 1971 G. LEIFHEIT ETAL 3,623,175

. FLOOR-TREATING APPARATUS l Filed DEC. l2, 1969 n 2 ShGBtS-ShBSt l nited States Patent 3,623,176 FLOOR-TREATING APPARATUS Gunter Leifheit and Johannes Liebscher, Nassau (Lahn), Germany, assignors to Leifheit International Gunter Leifheit KG., Nassau (Lahn), Germany Filed Dec. 12, 1969, Ser. No. 884,623 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 14, 1968, P 18 14 730.3 Int. Cl. A471 11/32 U.S. Cl. 15-42 34 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Wheels support a housing for movement on a surface to be treated. A brush roller is mounted in the housing for turnably engaging this surface. Mounting means mounts the brush roller with freedom of adjustment between a lower and an upper position with reference to the surface. Biasing means permanently urges the brush roller to one of these positions. A control member is releasably coupled with the housing and has an outer manually engageable portion and an inner contact portion which cooperates with the mounting means. The control member is turnable between two terminal settings in one of which it moves the brush roller to the other of its positions against the opposition of the biasing means. Detent means prevents unintentional turning movement of the control member beyond its terminal settings and precludes axial shifting of the control member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to Hoor-treating apparatus, and more particularly to floor-treating apparatus used for sweeping of rugs, carpets and the like.

Floor-treating apparatus, and particularly carpet sweepers utilizing brush rollers, are already known to be provided with means for adjusting the position of the brush between upper and lower positions so that the brush can be moved closer to or farther from the rug or other oor surface, for instance in dependence upon the height of the nap of the rug which is being treated. However, these known apparatuses require for their construction, particularly to permit the adjustment of the brush between its upper and lower positions, relatively complicated arrangements, which not only makes them diicult to manufacture and assemble, but which accordingly makes them expensive to produce and expensive to sell.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved floor-treating apparatus of the type under discussion.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide such a Hoor-treating apparatus which is simpler to construct, requires less materials for its construction, and is less expensive than those known from the prior art.

In pursuance of the above objects, and those which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a floor-treating apparatus which comprises, briefly stated, a housing and wheels which support this housing for movement on a surface. A brush roller is mounted in the housing and adapted to turnably engage the surface. Mounting means mounts the brush roller turnably and with freedom of adjustment between a lower and an upper position with reference to the surface being treated. Biasing means permanently urges the brush roller to one of its positions and a control member is releasably coupled with the housing and has an outer manually engageable portion and an inner contact portion cooperating with the mounting means. The control member is turnable between two terminal settings in one of which it moves the brush roller to the other of its positions against the opposition of the biasing means. Detent means prevents unintentional turning movement of the control member beyond the terminal settings thereof, and precludes axial shifting of the control member.

By utilizing the construction according to the present invention the heretofore necessary separate mounting means for the control member which eiTects adjustment of the brush roller positions, has been eliminated with a Iconcomitant savings in material, reduction in complexity of construction, and reduction in the cost of manufacturing, assembling and selling the apparatus.

To simplify the construction of the control member and the housing portion with which the control member is coupled it is advantageous to utilize a disconnectable coupling and, in order to prevent undesired separation between them, cooperating projections and recesses provided on the control member and the housing and constituting the coupling are advantageously of different configuration, that is the various projections are different from one another and in correspondence therewith the mating recesses are also different from one another. It is advantageous to provide three projections and corresponding recesses of which two of each are of rectangular and one of triangular outline, with the two rectangular projections and corresponding recesses advantageously either being of diiferent length and/or of different Width. This provides for a quick and reliable assembly of the control member to the housing.

Of course, means must be provided for preventing the control member from turning beyond its two terminal settings. This means is advantageously in form of an abutment provided on the control member and an abutment provided on the housing so that the control member can be turned only through a region in which the projections of the control member which serve for coupling the same with the housing, do not come into mating releasable registration with their corresponding recesses. It is further advantageous to provide the control member with a cam track and to provide the abutment directly on the cam track, with the abutment of the. housing being provided ono a portion of a pivotable linkage which cooperates with the mounting for the brush roller and effects adjustment in the position of the mounting and thereby of the brush roller. This eliminates the need for a separate abutment. Advantageously, the abutment on the cam track is located intermediate the two opposite end portions of the cam tra-ck so as to permit a complete adjustability of the brush roller between its upper and lower positions despite the limitation imposed on the turning movement of the control member.

The housing can advantageously consist of synthetic plastic material, but may also be made of other material. It has two transversely spaced side walls which extend in at least substantial parallelism with the direction of movement of the housing over the surface, that is which extend in direction normal to the axis of rotation of the brush roller, and in accordance with the invention journal supports are provided on the inner sides of these side walls, with portions of the journal supports serving to connect the same with the respective side walls. This eliminates the need for separately securing the journal supports to the side walls, as is the case in known constructions. A particularly simple and easy to manufacture construction is obtained if the journal supports are provided with stamped-out or otherwise displaced portions which extend at an angle to their general plane and are connected with the respective side walls. These journal supports may also in part serve to hold mounting members for pivotably mounting a bracket which straddles the housing at the exterior thereof and to which a handle such as a broom handle or the like-can be connected by which the operator effects movement of the apparatus over the surface to be treated. This can be accomplished by connecting the journal members-which are located at the outer sides of the respective side walls-to the housing via at least some of the aforementioned stampedout projections. lIt is also possible to provide the journal supports and housing side walls with registering apertures through which connecting portions of the bracket journal mountings extend to connect the journal mountings tothe housing side walls.

The mounting means for the brush roller comprises a U-shaped bracket whose lower side faces downwardly, that is towards the surface to be treated. In accordance with the invention portions of the lateral arms of this U-shaped bracket serve for mounting the same and also for mounting the brush roller itself, so that separate mounting means for the brush roller are avoided. This not only results in a significant saving in material but also in a saving of manufacturing time, both with reference to the production of the brush roller and the elimination of the time otherwise needed for providing the separate journalling members, as well as with reference to a saving in the time required for assembling the device. Advantageously the arms of the bracket are directed inwardly towards one another and have a certain limited elasticity, with the brush roller being mounted on the arms under lutilization of this elasticity. The journal supports may be provided with upright slots and the bracket mounting the brush roller may -be provided with projections which are slidably received in these slots so that the bracket can move between the upper and lower positions mentioned before. Advantageously, these projections are in form of deformed portions of the arms of the bracket whereby separate bolts or other means constituting the projections are eliminated.

The bracket which pivotably straddles the housing and to which the handle for gripping by an operator is connectable, is substantially C-shaped and has arm portions which are pivotably journalled in suitable apertures provided in' the journal supports. Advantageously, these apertures are 'bounded at least in part by marginal portions whose width in direction normal to the general plane of the respective aperture is greater than the thickness of the associated journal support. This can be accomplished by bending marginal portions bounding the respective apertures at a right angle to the general plane thereof, and in this manner wear of the portions of the arms of the C-shaped brackets which extend into these apertures and about which the C-shaped bracket pivots, is prevented efven over a very long period of use. In View of the fact that, due to the general construction and to the manner in which the device is used by the operator, the pivot portions of the arms of the C-shaped brackets norm-ally abut against the upper edges of the respective apertures, it is advantageous to have the lower edges be straight and the upper edges' be curved. This simplifies the manufacture and assures that the substantially round-cross-section pivot portions have as large as possible an area of contact with the marginal portions bounding the respective apertures.

` AIt is advantageous to construct the journal supports so that they have a center portion and two end portions located at opposite sides of the center portion, with the end portions being inclined towards the center portion and each consisting of a center section, an upper and a lower section. The end portions are slightly spaced from the center portion, springy and connected to the center portion-with which they are of one piece-by a strap section. The end portions are provided with cutouts into which parts of the axles for the Wheels of the apparatus extend. The mounting of the axles can therefore be accomplished in a most simple manner by deflecting opposite end portions of the respective journal supports away from one another, inserting the respective axle into their cut-outs and thereupon letting the end portions assume their normal position. The axles are thus retained reliably in their desired position and they have been assembled to the device without requiring the use of tools or any skill. The axles themselves are preferably of rod-shaped configuration and formed with at least one flattened section which engages in a corresponding slot on a stationary component of the device to thereby prevent the axle itself from turning. This excludes wear and tear on the journalling of the axles themselves and facilitates quick and simple mounting of the axles in non-rotatable condition. The flattened portion can be achieved by applying local deformation pressure to a section of the axle. A further advantage is that axles so constructed may readily be accommodated in storage magazines prior to use.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a simplified perspective view, partly broken away, illustrating the height-adjustment arrangement of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section illustrating a wheel and a portion of the associated axle of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partly sectioned detail View illustrating a portion of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a bottom-plan view of the control member of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the housing portion with which the control member in FIG. 6 is to be coupled; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section illustrating a further detail of the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before entering into a detailed discussion of the drawings it is deemed necessary to emphasize that in the various figures only those elements and portions thereof have been illustrated which are thought to be essential for an understanding of the present invention. For example, the receptacles for sweepings picked up by the brush roller are shown only diagrammatically, and in FIG. l the handle which is to be gripped by an operator is shown only fragmentarily. These and other omitted elements may be entirely conventional and may be any of the various well known constructions or configurations.

Discussing now the drawing in detail it will be seen that the apparatus illustrated in the drawing comprises a somewhat box-shaped downwardly open housing 10 having a lower circumferential edge portion which is provided With an elastic bumper 11, for instance of rubber, synthetic plastic material or generally elastomeric material so as to prevent damage to articles against which the apparatus may bump when in use. FIG. 2 shows that at the inner sides of two transversely spaced side walls of the housing 10 there are provided journal supports 12 which are discrete members. The journal supports are provided with stamped-out, cut-out or otherwise deformed tongues or projections 13, 14 which extend through nonillustrated slots in the associated side walls of the housing 10 and are bent over at the outer side of the side walls to thereby connect the journal supports to the side walls. One of these journal supports is illustrated in FIG. 3 where the housing is omitted for the sake of clarity, and the projections 13, 14 of the journal support 12 shown in FIG. 3 are in their starting position, that is in the position which they assume before the journal support 12 is connected to the associated side Wall of the housing 10.

FIG. 1 shows that the upper projections 13 may simultaneously serve to penetrate journal members 16 located at the outer side of the side walls of the housing 10 and serving to pivotably mount a C-shaped bracket 15 to which the handle is connected. In this manner, the projections 13 serve to mount these journal members on the housing 10.

An alternative possibility is shown in FIG. where the journal members 16 are mounted independently of the journal supports 12, being provided with connecting portions 17 which extend through registering cut-outs 18 in the housing and the journal supports 12 and abut connectingly against the inner side of the journal supports 12. The members 16 advantageously but not necessarily are made of synthetic plastic material and the projections 17 will then have the necessary elasticity for their insertion into the registering cut-outs 18.

The journal supports 12 are provided with guide projections 19 bent inwardly towards one another as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Guided by these is a bracket 20 of substantially U-shaped configuration which in turn supports a brush roller 22. The arms 20 of the bracket 20 have projections 21 on which the brush roller 22 is turnably mounted. These projections 21 are of one piece with the bracket 20 and preferably taper to a point. Additionally, the projections 21 are outwardly bent or offset in the region of the transition between the projections 21 and the associated arms 20', so that the outwardly extending projections 23 formed in this manner extend into slot-shaped recesses 24 of the journal supports 12 without requiring separate elements for this purpose. The bracket 20v constitutes a unit with the brush roller 22 and is movable between an upper and a lower position between the guides 19. Its upper position is determined by cooperation of the project-ions 23 with the recesses 24.

In the illustrated embodiment a member 25 cooperates with the bracket 20. It extends above the bracket 20 and is pivotably mounted with its ends in openings 26 of the respective journal supports 12. As shown in the drawing, and particularly in FIG. 3 thereof, the edges 27 of the openings 26 are widened by inwardly bending surrounding edge portions of the journal supports 12 in order to provide a wear-free journalling for the ends of the arms on the C-shaped bracket 25. It is also possible, however, to weld or otherwise secure additional separate portions to the journal supports 12 in lieu of the inwardly bent marginal portions. The drawing also shows that the upper edges bounding the openings 26 are curved and the lower edges are straight. This not only facilitates cutting and bending of the marginal portions 27, but also takes into vaccount the fact that at least in the illustrated embodiment the portions of the arms of bracket 25 are maintained in contact with the marginal portions 27 in the upper regions of the openings 26.

A control member 28 is turnably received in an opening 29 of the housing 10. A lower portion of the control member 28 is located Within the housing and an upper portion without the housing, with the latter being engageable manually by an operator so that the control member 28 may be turned about an upright axis to thereby eifect adjustment of the brush roller 22 between its upper and lower positions. To this end a cam track 30 is provided on the inner portion of the control member 28 and abuts the repeatedly off-set member 25. By turning the control member 28 in one direction of rotation the cam track 30 effects pivoting of the member 25 downwardly, with concomitant downward displacement of the carrier or bracket 20 between the guides 19. Springs 55 permanently bias the bracket or carrier 20 in upward directlon to its upper position.

The control member 28 is provided with an abutment 37 on the cam track 30, located between the terminal settings of the latter so as not to disadvantageously influence the range of adjustability of the bracket 20. The arrangement of the abutment 37 with reference to the projections 31, 32, 33 of the control member 28 is such that in opposite directions of rotation of the control member 28 the abutment 37 will engage the member 25 in any position of the latter, before the projections 31, 32 33 assume -with reference to their associated recesses a position in which the control member 28 could become disengaged from the housing 10. Of course, the projections 31, 32, 33 and the recesses mating with them and provided in the opening 29 of the housing 10 in which the control member 28 is turnably located, could al-so be of different configuration and/or be arranged at different angles with reference to one another. While there are three projections and corresponding recesses shown, it is possible to provide only two or more than three if desired.

Wheels 38 are provided on which the apparatus rolls over a surface being treated. One pair of these wheels 38 is mounted on one axle 39 and a second paid on a second axle 39, with both axles 39 extending at opposite sides of the brush roller 22 in parallelism therewith. The axles 39, with respect to which the wheels 38 are rotatable` are of rod-shaped configuration and provided each with at least one attened portion 40 which serves to prevent rotation of the axles 39 themselves. Springy portions 42 are provided with cut-outs 41 in which opposite ends of the axles 39 are lodged for rotation. These springy portions 42 are provided by producing slots 43 extending upwardly from the lower edges of the journal supports 12 and in substantial parallelism with the guide projections 19. Thus, the springy portions 42 remain connected with the center portions 45 of the respective journal supports 12 only by the straps 44. As mentioned before, the springy portions 42 which constitute end portions located at opposite sides of the respective center portions 45 are composed of three sections which are angled with reference to one another. The upper section 46 is connected via the strap portion 44 with the center portion 45, and it is inwardly bent with reference to the same. The middle portion 47 extends approximately parallel with the plane of the center portion 45 and is provided in the illustrated embodiment with the opening 41. The lower portions 48 are outwardly bent or angled. The lines separating the sections 46, 47 from one another and those separating the sections 47 and 48 from one another, extend in parallelism with the upper and lower edges of the journal support 12. Outwardly formed depressions 49 are provided in the inwardly directed sides of the lower -sections 48 extending upwardly from their lower portion to and into the middle sections 47 and to the cut-outs 41. This facilitates the quick and ready insertion of the opposite end portions of the axles 39 into the cut-outs 41. Because of the outward angling of the sections 48 with reference to one another, the spacing between them is larger than the length of the respective axles 39 whereas the spacing between the sections 47 of the opposed journal supports 12 is smaller than the length of the axles 39. Thus, the axles 39 are simply placed between the transversely spaced sections 48 and pushed upwardly, thereby outwardly displacing the sections 47 until the opposite ends of the axles 39 snap into the cut-outs 41. The recesses 49 serve as guides during such movement. Of course, the spacing between the oppositely located sections 47 is such that the axles can be removed only by subsequently bending the sections 47 outwardl-y away from one another.

Receptacles 51 for sweeping picked ofi` the surface by the brush roller 22 are located on the axles 39 adjacent the wheels 38 and extending in parallelism with the brush roller 22. These receptacles 51 are so arranged that the wheels 38 are located with almost no freedom of axial movement between the portions 42 and the not-in-detail illustrated side walls of the receptacles 51. The flattened portions 40 are in the illustrated embodiment so arranged that they extend into slots S2 provided in the side walls of the receptacles 51 and, because the latter are fixedly secured, the axles 39 cannot turn. Advantageously the receptacles 51 are secured against movement as illustrated, namely by mounting them on the bracket of the brush roller 22 by means of the springs 55 which, as pointed out earlier, also serve to bias the bracket 20 to its upper position.

The wheels 38 are provided with bores 57 into which the axles 39 extend. They are further'provided with enlargements 56 whose diameter corresponds to the width of the flattened portions `40 of the axles 39. This makes it possible to make the flattened portions 40 so long that even if a small axial shifting of the axles 39 or the receptacles 51 should occur during assembly or subsequently,

the engagement of the flattened portions 40 in their associated slots in the receptacles 51 is assured. This is shown in detail in FIG. 4. Furthermore, the wheels 38 are configured symmetrically not only with reference to their axes of rotation but also to their radial `central plane so that they can be mounted in any desired orientation and at any desired position with reference to the axles 39. The diameter of the wheels 38 is such that at the lowest possible position of the brush roller 22 they still roll on the surface being treated and that the wheels located at one side of the apparatus at opposite sides of the brush roller 22 are in motion-transmitting engagement (as shown in FIG. 2) with a drive wheel 58 for the brush roller 22.

-In the illustrated embodiment there are further provided two auxiliary brush rollers 59 as shown in FIG. 2, which can turn freely on the surface being treated and whose diameter is substantially smaller than that of the brush roller 22. The auxiliary brush rollers 59 have axles 60 which are turnably mounted in mountings 61 provided on the receptacles 51. The mountings 61 are each provided with two projections 62 and 63 as shown in FIG. 8, with one of these being provided at one margin (the projection 62) and consisting of two portions one of which is offset laterally with reference to the other portion, whereas the projection 63 extends approximately normal to the lgeneral plane of the mounting 61 and is of hook-shaped configuration. The receptacles 51 are provided with openings 64 and 65 into which the respective projections 62 and 63 engage. It is advantageous but not necessary that the mountings 61 and their projections consist of elastically deformable material, such as synthetic plastic, because this facilitates the connection with the receptacles 51.

Reference numeral 66 (see FIG. 2) identifies slotshaped openings which extend substantially normal to the surface on which the apparatus moves and which is to be treated, so that the auxiliary brush rollers 59 can move up and down within a limited range of movement. Exterior holding portions 67 are provided on the mountings 61 to make it readily possible to tilt the receptacles 51 about the axles 39 so that their contents may be easily removed.

It should still be emphasized once again that the illustrated exemplary embodiment is not to `be considered limiting in any sense. Obviously, a variety of changes and modifications may be effected without in any sense departing from the scope of the present invention. It is thus for instance possible to utilize a control member 28 which is provided with thread means or analogous means cooperating with suitable means provided on the bracket 20 for effecting the height adjustment in this manner. This would eliminate the member 25 without departing from the scope of the invention. A further possibility is to prevent the turning of the axles 319 by providing the flattened portions 40 at their outer axial ends and have them engage the corresponding slots provided in the journal supports 12 rather than in the receptacles 51 as shown. Again, these two modification possibilities are exemplary only, and others will offer themselves to those skilled in the art. Also, the configuration of the housing 10 itself may of course be different from what has been illustrated.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a :floor-treating apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made Without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying 'current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A floor-treating apparatus, comprising a housing; wheels supporting said housing for movement on a surface; a brush roller adapted to turnably engage said surface; mounting means mounting said brush rollel turnably and with freedom of adjustment between a lower and an upper position with reference to said surface; biasing means permanently urging said brush roller to one of said positions; a control member releasably coupled with said housing and having an outer manually engageable portion and an inner contact portion cooperating with said mounting means, said control member being turnable between two terminal settings, in one of which it moves said brush roller to the other of said positions against the opposition of said biasing means; and abutment means preventing unintentional turning movement of said control member beyond said terminal settings, and precluding axial shifting of said control member.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1; further comprising engageable and disengageable coupling means for coupling said control member to said housing.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, said coupling means comprising cooperating male and female coupling portions some of which are provided on said control member and some of which are provided on said housing.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said male coupling portions are projections, and wherein said female coupling portions are complementary recesses, and wherein at least one male coupling portion is different from the remaining male coupling portions and at least one female coupling portion is different from the remaining female coupling portions.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said male coupling portions comprise two substantially rectangular and one substantially triangular projection, and

wherein said female coupling portions are matingly configurated. l

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said two substantially rectangular male coupling portions each have a longitudinal and a transverse dimension, and wherein at least one dimension of one of said two substantially rectangular male coupling portions differs from the corresponding dimension of the other of said two male coupling portions.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said control member is turnable about a predetermined axis, and wherein said male projections and mating female recesses are distributed about said axis at different angular distances.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said abutment means comprising an abutment provided on said control member and positioned for preventing unintentional turning movement of said control member beyond said terminal settings thereof.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said mounting means comprising a mounting structure movable between said upper and lower positions, and a linkage connected with said mounting structure and including a section located adjacent said inner contact portion of said control member; said inner contact position being provided with a cam track contacting said section and operated for defiecting said linkage and thereby said mounting structure from said one to the other of said positions in response to turning movement of said control member to said one setting.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said abutment is provided on said cam track and other of said abutments is constituted by a portion of said linkage.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, said cam track having opposite ends each corresponding to one of said settings, and wherein said abutment on said cam track is located intermedia-te said opposite ends.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said housing having two Iopposite side walls transversely spaced nad extending in at least substantial parallellism with the direction of movement of said housing; and journal supports each associated with one of said side walls and each comprising connecting portions connecting it to the respective side wall.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, said connecting portions being a plurality of projections of one piece with the respective journal support and extending to one side of the general plane of the latter.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 12; further comprising a movable bracket straddling said housing and including a connecting member for connecting a handle to said bracket, and a pair of arms respectively extending along the outside of one of said side walls; securing means securing said arms to said housing for pivotal movement of said bracket about an axis normal to the direction of movement of said housing and extending through both of said side walls; and connecting means for arresting said lbracket in a plurality of pivoted positions relative to said housing.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein some of said connecting portions engage said arresting means and connect the same to said side walls.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, said side walls and said journal supports comprising registering openings and said securing means extending through the respective openings and engaging said side walls and journal supports for securing said arms thereto.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, said journal supports having a predetermined thickness, and the openings in said journal supports being bounded at least in part by journal support portions having a thickness which is greater than said predetermined thickness.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, said journal support portions being marginal portions bounding said openings at least in part and extending transversely to the general plane of the respective opening.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said openings have straight lower, and curved upper edges.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 12; further cornprising axle means mounting said wheels for turning movement; each of said journal supports comprising a center portion and two springy end portions located at opposite sides of said center portion inclined thereto and connected to said center portion at slight spacing by respective extensions; and wherein said end portions are provided with apertures journalling said axle means for rotation.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 20, each of said end portions comprising a plurality of mutually inclined sections.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, each of said end portions comprising a center section provided with one of said apertures, and an upper and lower section inclined relative to said center section, said lower section having lower edges and being provided with a channel extending from the respective lower edge to the associated aperture.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein said channels are depressions formed in the respective sections.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 20, said axle means comprising rod-shaped axles having axle portions located in the respective apertures; and cooperating engaging portions provided on said axles and center portions for preventing rotation of said axles with reference to said journal supports.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, said engaging portions comprising flattened portions provided on said axles, and slots extending radially from said apertures and receiving the respective flattened portions.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said mounting means comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket having an open side facing towards a surface on which said housing moves, a bight portion extending in substantial parallelism with such surface, and two arm portions extending at opposite axial ends of said brush roller substantially normal to such surface, and wherein said arm portions comprise sections engaging and journalling said brush roller for rolling movement.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, said arm portions having lower portions spaced from and inwardly oriented towards one another, said lower portions tapering in direction away from said bight portion.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, said housing having two opposite side walls transversely spaced and extending in at least substantial parallelism with the direction of movement of said housing; and journal supports each connected with one of said side walls overlying the inner side thereof.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, said journal supports having upright slots extending at least substantially normal to the surface on which said housing moves, and said arm portions having guide projections slidably received in the respective slots and defining by abutment at one end of the latter at least one of said upper and lower positions.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, said guide projections comprising deformations of said arm portions in the region of said sections thereof.

31. An apparatus a's defined in claim 1; and further comprising receptacle means for receiving and retaining sweepings which are removed from said surface by said brush roller.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 31, said receptacle means comprising at least two receptacles located at opposite sides of and extending along said brush roller.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 32; and further comprising journal members for auxiliary rollers, including mounting projections provided on said journal members and engaged in corresponding recesses provided in 1 1 12 said receptacles for mounting said journal members on References Cited the Same N TED STATES PAT N 34. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein each U I E TS of said journal members comprises two of said mounting 3145f405 8/1964 Hlmes et al- 15-41 R projections one of which is hook-shaped and extends sub- 5 3246'353 4/1966 Farnsworth 15-41 R stantially normal to the general plane of the respective FOREIGN PATENTS journal member whereas the other of said two mounting 261,848 5/1968 Germany V 15 42 projectlons extends from a marglnal portion of the journal member substantiall at right an les to said one 1529171 5/1968 France 15-41 R Y g 1,114,881 5/1968 `Great Britain 15-41 R mounting projection and comprises tWo portions one of 10 which is laterally olset with reference to the other. EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner

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