Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
  • A47L11/4072—Arrangement of castors or wheels
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/02—Floor surfacing or polishing machines
  • A47L11/03—Floor surfacing or polishing machines characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
  • A47L11/408—Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents

Definitions

• This invention is related generally to spreaders for particulate compositions and, more specifically, to applicators for applying particulate carpet-cleaning compositions for dry extraction carpet cleaning.
• Dry extraction carpet cleaning methods bring liquid chemical cleaning agents into contact with soiled carpet fibers by means of a particulate carpet-cleaning composition. Many tiny porous particles, partially saturated with specific liquid cleaning agents, are- applied to the carpet and brushed through, it in a specific manner. With, this action the moist particles remove the soil from the carpet fibers and the carpet is left dry and clean after vacuum removal of the now-soiled particles.
• Another concern with respect to the handling of such particulate carpet-cleaning compositions relates to obtaining proper adjustment of an applicator, that is, to a selected dispensing setting or to a closed condition. Adjustment of such applicators may be difficult at best and controlling the dispensing of such particulate compositions is a specific concern of carpet-cleaning professionals.
• compositions of great importance are of great importance to how well they function.
• Certain highly effective compositions of this type are made up of porous particles which are of irregular sizes and irregular shapes and significant amounts of liquids. Because of these characteristics such compositions are not free flowing, but often agglomerate to some extent such that dispensing onto carpets by means of an applicator is difficult.
• Such carpet-cleaning compositions will flow inconsistently if at all through the typically small apertures in such apertured dispensing containers. Even with larger apertures of the type which are adjustable in size, dispensing is uncontrollable or impossible. Unacceptably erratic dispensing rates occur, particularly when the apertured dispensing container is either full or fairly close to empty.
• the particulate carpet-cleaning composition often "bridges" even fairly large dispensing apertures if they have sharp corners or irregular shapes. For carpet cleaners, predictability of dispensing rates is of great importance. Even dispensing allows better cleaning and allows better cost estimates.
• particulate spreaders of the prior art are rather difficult to fill.
• a variety of filling mechanisms are disclosed in the prior art, including some with end openings, often requiring removal of a wheel or disassembly of the container, and some having lateral doors or alignment apertures.
• a supply of particulate materials is stored in a separate container above the turning mechanism, making the devices much more complex.
• the filling process itself can tend to cause excessive spilling of the particulate compositon.
• an improved applicator for spreading particulate carpet-cleaning compositions More specifically, there is a need for an improved applicator providing reliable control of the dispensing rate for non-free flowing particulate carpet-cleaning compositions which is simplified in structure and operation, which serves both as a containment vehicle and as a substantially air-tight dispenser, and which allows quick and easy filling without losing control of the particulate composition.
• Another object to provide an improved applicator for crumbly, liquid-impregnated particulate compositions for dry carpet cleaning overcoming some of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
• Another object of this invention is to provide an improved applicator useful with non-free flowing particulat compositions such as are used in dry extraction carpet cleaning.
• Another object of this invention is to provide an improved applicator for such compositions which prevents significant loss of the volatile content of such compositions during extended periods of storage within the applicator.
• Another object of this invention is to provide an improved applicator for such compositions which is easily adjustable. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved applicator for such compositions which while being substantially vapor-tight is still easily adjustable for dispensing at a particular rate or for closing. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved applicator for such compositions which dispenses with reliable control regardless of whether the apertured dispensing container is nearly full or nearly empty. Another object is to make cost estimating for carpet cleaning jobs more accurate.
• Another object of this invention is to provide an improved applicator for particulate carpet-cleaning compositions which is easily opened for fast filling and which allows filling without spillage.
• Another object is to provide an improved applicator having the above qualities which is simple in construction and simple to understand and use.
• the applicator of this invention is of the type having floor-engaging wheels on either side of an apertured dispensing container which dispenses the composition while rotating as the applicator is pushed across the floor. It allows controlled application of such particulate compositions.
• the dispensing container has a cylindrical body formed of relatively rotatable inner and outer concentric cylindrical members having tightly contacting outside and inside surfaces, respectively, of about equal diameter. The inner and outer cylindrical members are in 360" frictional nested engagement, such that properly adjusted they provide, along with appropriate end members, a substantially vapor-tight enclosure.
• Dispensing apertures which are in one of the cylindrical members may be tightly closed by the contact of the other cylindrical member, depending on their relative positions.
• First and second wheel members are non-rotatably secured to the inner and outer members, respectively, at opposite ends of the cylindrical body.
• the wheel members are of diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body. While remaining in tight surface-to-surface frictional engagement, the cylindrical members in this invention are easily rotated with respect to each other by opposed manual rotation of the wheels, moving the cylindrical members into a selected dispensing position or to a substantially vapor-tight closed position.
• the frictional engagement of the cylindrical members of this invention minimizes any loss of volatiles during extended storage of the composition in the container. Storage in the applicator overnight or for several days becomes possible.
• the wheel-cylinder configuration of this invention allows easy rotational adjustment even with such tight frictional engagement.
• a pivot member is concentrically secured on the outer surface of each wheel in position for attachment to a mounting bracket which is used for attachment of an applicator push handle.
• the dispensing container encloses an axle-free void space for containment of the carpet-cleaning composition to be dispensed.
• the pivot means preferably includes a spindle and the mounting bracket has spindle-engaging ends.
• the first wheel is secured.to one end of the inner cylindrical member and a circular end member is secured to the other end of the inner cylindrical member in position immediately adjacent to the second wheel.
• a circular end member is secured to the other end of the inner cylindrical member in position immediately adjacent to the second wheel.
• Such end member supports the cylindrical shape of the inner member and helps assure the 360° frictional engagement along the length of the cylindrical body.
• a pocket is preferably formed on the periphery of such end member and a stop member is secured within the pocket, thus securing it with respect to the inner cylindrical member.
• a plurality of openings are in the outer cylindrical member each positioned to receive the stop member, such that the cylindrical members may be held in predetermined relative rotational positions.
• the stop member is preferably a spring-loaded button which is biased toward the outer cylindrical member such that it snaps through one of the openings to hold the cylindrical members in selected relative rotational position. Depression of the button by the thumb of the user allows disengagement of the button from the outer cylindrical opening and relative rotation of the inner and outer cylinder. Depression of the button can be accomplished by the thumb of a hand gripping one of the wheels.
• the end member, attached to the inner cylindrical member is preferably rotatably secured to the pivot member by an axially located connecting member extending through the end member. This helps secure the inner and outer cylindrical members in fixed relative axial positions.
• the inner and outer cylindrical members form inner and outer major filling openings, respectively, spanning all or nearly all of the width of the cylinders.
• Such two filling openings are alignable by relative rotation of the cylindrical members for easy and convenient filling of the container, eliminating any need for disassembly or cover removal.
• all dispensing apertures are closed. This fact and the large size of such filling openings allow filling without spillage of particulates.
• Certain highly preferred embodiments have a specific form of non-rotatable attachment of each wheel member to one of the cylindrical members.
• Such wheel members each have a concentric axially extending protuberance which forms an annular edge the diameter of which is less than the diameter of the cylindrical body.
• the cylindrical member attached to such wheel member has a circular wheel-engaging free edge which is secured to the annular edge formed by the protuberance.
• each wheel member serves as a wheel, as means to maintain the cylindrical shape of the cylindrical member, and also as means to enclose the space within the cylindrical body.
• the dispensing container of this invention has an arrangement of dispensing apertures which provides accurate control of dispensing of the crumbly particulates used for carpet cleaning.
• the outer cylindrical member has a first array of dispensing apertures which are closed or open depending on the relative rotational position of the inner cylindrical member with respect thereto.
• the inner cylindrical member preferably has a second array of dispensing apertures formed on it and movable with it for such selective closing of the dispensing apertures on the outer cylindrical member.
• the second array preferably includes a plurality of subsets of arrays selectively alignable with the first array by movement of the inner cylindrical member to set different dispensing rates.
• the inner cylindrical member also has, adjacent to one of the subsets, a closing area which when aligned with the first array closes all first array apertures in the outer cylindrical member.
• the second array subsets preferably include a high-rate subset which when aligned with the first array leaves all first array apertures wide open and at least one reduced-rate subset which when aligned with the first array closes some of the first array apertures while leaving others wide open.
• the high-rate subset provides a relatively heavy application of carpet-cleaning composition while lighter applications are provided by the other subset.
• dispensing apertures either wide-open or completely closed and varying the dispensing rate by varying the number of wide-open dispensing apertures, as described above, allows predictable dispensing characteristics for non-free flowing particulate compositions such as are frequently used in carpet cleaning.
• compositions are dispensed predictably and at acceptably constant rates throughout the dispensing cycle, that is, when the dispensing container is full, half full, and near empty. Little or no "bridging," as previously described, occurs.
• the dispensing predictability is such that a carpet cleaner can properly estimate the amount of composition required for a carpet-cleaning job and thus properly estimate his cost.
• the first array apertures, in the outer cylindrical member are aligned in a row parallel to the axis of the outer cylindrical member.
• the apertures of each of the subsets of the second array of apertures are aligned in a row parallel to such axis.
• the subsets of the second array have differing arrangements from each other in that they have different numbers of apertures with blocking areas in-between.
• FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the applicator of this invention.
• FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation.
• FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged sectional detailed view taken along section 3-3 as indicated in FIGURE 2.
• FIGURE 4 is an enlarged axial sectional view of the dispensing container element of the applicator shown in FIGURE 1.
• FIGURE 5 is a reduced partially exploded elevation of FIGURE 4, showing the principal cylindrical members unnested with their wheel members attached.
• FIGURE 6 is a sectional view without background taken along section 6-6 as indicated in FIGURE 5.
• Applicator 10 for a particulate carpet-cleaning composition in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention.
• Applicator 10 is of the type with floor-engaging wheels 12 on either side of an apertured dispensing container 14 which dispenses the carpet-cleaning composition onto the carpet as it rotates, primarily by the force of gravity.
• Container 14 is a hollow cylindrical body formed of a first (or outer) cylindrical member 16 and a second (or inner) cylindrical member 18.
• Inner cylindrical member 18 has an outside surface 20'and outer cylindrical member 16 has an inside surface 22.
• the diameters of outside and inside surfaces 20 and 22 are equal or essentially equal such that outer and inner cylindrical members 16 and 18 are in 360° frictional nested engagement.
• Outer and inner cylindrical members 16 and 18, while frictionally engaged, are relatively rotatable about their common axis when sufficient relative rotational force is applied. However, their frictional engagement is such that their relative rotational positions will not change unless substantial rotational force is intentionally applied.
• Outer cylindrical member 16 has three identical arrays of dispensing apertures 24, sometimes each referred to herein as a first array. Such first arrays are spaced circumferentially about outer cylindrical member 16. Each first array consists of six dispensing apertures 24 aligned in a row which is parallel to the axis of the cylindrical body and extends along its length.”
• inner cylindrical member 18 which is adjacent to outer cylindrical member 16, serves as a control means to selectively close some of the first dispensing apertures while leaving others wide open, as hereafter described.
• inner cylindrical member 18 For each first array of dispensing apertures 24 in outer cylindrical member 16, inner cylindrical member 18 has a second array of twelve dispensing apertures 26, 28 and 30. Thus, there are three identical second arrays of apertures circumferentially spaced about inner cylindrical member 18. Dispensing apertures 26, 28 and 30 are movable by rotation of inner cylindrical member 18 for selective closing of first dispensing apertures 24. Each second array reacts with its counterpart first array at the same time and in an identical manner as cylindrical members 16 and 18 are rotated relative to each other.
• Each such second array of dispensing apertures 26, 28 and 30 consists of three subsets of arrays, that is, dispensing apertures 26, dispensing apertures 28 and dispensing apertures 30.
• the apertures of each such subset are aligned in a row parallel to the axis of the cylindrical body.
• apertures 26 form a high-rate subset which when aligned with apertures 24 of outer cylindrical member 16 will provide a relatively heavy application of particulate carpet-cleaning composition on the carpet.
• Each high-rate subset is congruent with each first array of apertures 24 in outer cylindrical member 16, such that when aligned therewith all first array apertures 24 are wide open.
• dispensing apertures 28 For each second array of apertures, dispensing apertures 28 form a reduced-rate subset which when aligned with the first array of dispensing apertures 24 leaves four dispensing apertures 24 wide open and closes (covers) the two other dispensing apertures 24. When such reduced-rate subset is aligned with dispensing apertures 24, a moderate application of composition results. Likewise, dispensing apertures 30 form a further reduced-rate subset which when aligned with the first array of dispensing apertures 24 leaves two of apertures 24 wide open while covering the remaining four. This provides a light application of carpet-cleaning composition.
• each of the apertures 24 is either wide open or completely closed.
• inner cylindrical member 18 has a closing area 32 adjacent to the subset of dispensing apertures 30.
• Inner cylindrical member 18 may be rotated relative to outer member 16 such that the three closing areas 32, one adjacent to each second array, are aligned with the three first arrays of dispensing apertures 24 in outer cylindrical member 16 to close all the dispensing apertures 24 in outer member 16.
• first and second wheel members 34 and 36 there are a pair of wheels 12, namely, first and second wheel members 34 and 36.
• Wheel members 34 and 36 each have an outer surface 38 which has a concentric axially-extending annular protuberance 40 forming an annular edge 42.
• Annular edges 42, used for attachment to outer and inner cylindrical members 16 and 18, have a diameter less than the diameter o outer cylindrical member 16.
• Inner cylindrical member 18 has a circular wheel-engaging free edge 44 while outer cylindrical member 16 has a similar free edge 46.
• Free edge 44 is non-rotatably secured, by an adhesive or otherwise, to annular edge 42 of first wheel member 34.
• Free edge 46 is non-rotatably secured in similar manner to annular edge 42 of second wheel member 36.
• first and second wheel members 34 and 36 are non-rotatably secured with respect to inner and outer cylindrical members 18 and 16, respectively, at opposite ends of the cylindrical body formed by cylindrical members 16 and 18.
• This arrangement allows outer and inner cylindrical members 16 and 18 to be relatively rotatable very easily by grasping first and second wheel members 34 and 36, one in each hand, and rotating them manually in opposite directions. This configuration provides excellent leverage for relative rotation of cylindrical members 16 and 18 even though the frictional engagement of cylindrical members 16 and 18 is substantial.
• first and second wheel members 34 and 36 with inner and outer cylindrical members 16 and 18 allows easy adjustment by relative rotation.
• first and second wheel members 34 an 36 with inner and outer cylindrical members 18 and 16 also serves to maintain the cylindrical shape of cylindrical members 16 and 18.
• first wheel member 34 is attached at a first end 48.
• a circular end member 52 having an outer diameter matching the inner diameter of inner cylindrical member 18, is secured by adhesive or otherwise.
• End member 52 is secured to inner cylindrical member 18 in an axial position immediately adjacent to second wheel member 36. End member 52 helps to make container 14 substantially vapor-tight. It also serves to support the cylindrical shape of inner cylindrical member 18, thereby enhancing the 360° frictional engagement of cylindrical members 16 and 18 along their lengths.
• Outer surfaces 38 of wheel members 34 and 36 each have a solid pivot member 54 concentrically secured thereto by screws 55 which extend through the wheel members.
• Pivot members 54 facilitate attachment of a yoke or mounting bracket 56 with respect to which container 14 will rotate as applicator 10 is pushed across a carpet.
• Each pivot member 54 includes an axially extending spindle 58 non-rotatably secured thereto by a screw 60, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, which is set in central threaded bores 74 extending through pivot members 54.
• Mounting bracket 56 includes a pair of legs 62 each of which define spindle-receiving opening 64.
• a pair of washers 66 and a bearing member 67 facilitate the rotational relationship of bracket legs 62 with spindle 58.
• container 14 encloses an axle-free void space fo containment of a particulate carpet-cleaning composition.
• Mounting bracket 56 also includes a cross member 68 to which an upright handle member 70 is attached. Applicator 10 is used for applying a particulate carpet-cleaning composition by grasping handle member 70 and pushing applicator 10 across the carpet. During such pushing, container 14 rotates about the axis defined by spindles 58 and composition within container 14 is dispensed through dispensing apertures 24.
• a hood 71 is also attached to cross member 68 of mounting bracket 5 . Hood 71 serves to shield much of container 1 from view and also provides a handy surface for application of instructional information and the like.
• Outer and inner cylindrical members 16 and 18 are maintained in the proper relative axial positions by rotatable attachment of end member 52, previously described to the pivot member 54 which is attached to second wheel member 36.
• Such attachment is by means of an axially-located shoulder bolt 72 which extends into the aforementioned central threaded bore 74 in such pivot membe 54.
• Shoulder bolt 72 extends into bore 74 in a direction opposite that of screw 60 used for mounting of spindles 58 to such pivot members 54.
• End member 52 has a concentric annular void 76 formed on it the purpose of which is to avoid interference with screws 55 during the relative rotation of end member 52 and adjacent second wheel member 36.
• inner and outer cylindrical members 18 and 16 form large inner and outer filling openings 78 and 80, respectively.
• Inner and outer filling openings 78 and 80 are alignable by relative rotation of cylindrical members 16 and 18 and, whe aligned, allow easy filling of container 14 with a particulate carpet-cleaning composition.
• Filling openings 78 and 80 and dispensing apertures 24, 26, 28 and 30 are arranged on cylindrical members 16 and 18 such that when filling openings 78 and 80 are aligned for filling, all dispensing apertures 24 are covered. That is, closing areas 32 of inner cylindrical member 18 cover dispensing apertures 24 in outer cylindrical member 16 during filling.
• a spring-loaded button 82 which cooperates with a plurality of button-receiving openings 84.
• Button 82 and openings 84 serve as means to stop inner cylindrical member 18, after relative rotation with respect to outer cylindrical member 16, at a selected proper position of rotational alignment. In such proper positions of rotational alignment, each dispensing aperture 24 in outer cylindrical member 16 is either wide open or completely closed.
• spring-loaded button 82 is secured in a pocket S6 formed in the periphery of end member 52. In this way, spring-loaded button 82 is secured with respect to inner cylindrical member 18.
• Button 82 has a rounded distal end 88 which is spring biased such that it extends through a hole 87 in inner cylindrical member 18.
• the spring biasing of button 82 is such that, depending on the relative rotational positions of outer and inner cylindrical members 16 and 18, it either bears against inside surface 22 of outer cylindrical member 16 and or extends through one of the openings 84 in outer cylindrical member 16.
• openings 84 in outer cylindrical member 16 is such that when button 82 engages each one of them, outer and inner cylindrical members 16 and 18 are in one of the proper positions of selective alignment.
• Rounded distal end 88 may be depressed easily by finger contact to disengage button 82 from an opening 84. Such disengagement is facilitated by bevelings 90 in outer cylindrical member 16 around each of the openings 84.
• button 82 and openings 84 are located immediately adjacent to second wheel member 36 such that button 82 may be depressed by the thumb of one hand of the operator hand as it grasps second wheel member 36. This is particularly convenient since the operator's other hand is usually engaged grasping first wheel member 34 for the relative rotational adjustment of cylindrical members 16 and 18 as earlier described.
• Cylindrical members 16 and 18, wheel members 34 and 36, end member 52, and hood 71 are preferably made of plastics having high impact strength and rigidity.
• a preferred material for wheel members 34 and 36 and end member 52 is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, such as ROYALITE from Uniroyal, Middlebury, Connecticut.
• Wheel members 34 and 36, end member 52, and hood 71 are preferably vacuum formed to their desired shapes.
• the cylindrical members are preferably made of polyvinyl chloride.
• the cylindrical members, wheel members and end member are of sufficient thickness to provide required rigidity and structural stability.
• Hood 71 need not be as thick and sturdy.
• Pivot members 54, spindles 58, mounting bracket 56, and handle member 70 are preferably made of metal. Pivot members 54 are relatively thick metal pieces. Many other materials are acceptable. Appropriate materials would be apparent to those skilled in the art who are familiar with this invention.

Landscapes

• Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
• Detergent Compositions (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26726357

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 1988
  • 1988-04-27 JP JP50415888A patent/JPH0638937B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1988-04-27 WO PCT/US1988/001390 patent/WO1988008756A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1988-04-27 AU AU17092/88A patent/AU599802B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1988-04-27 EP EP19880904419 patent/EP0315658A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1988-05-05 CA CA000566054A patent/CA1282736C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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