GB1573501A

GB1573501A - Cleaning device

Info

Publication number: GB1573501A
Application number: GB3656275A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SALT R
Current assignee: SALT R
Priority date: 1976-12-06
Filing date: 1976-12-06
Publication date: 1980-08-28

Description

(54) AN IMPROVED CLEANING DEVICE (71) I, RAYMOND SALT, a British subject of The Meadows, Forton, Garstang, Preston, PR3 OBL, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention concerns a cleaning device and in particular, though not exclusively, a device adapted to collect refuse such as leaves, paper and the like and farmyard refuse.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device which will operate effectively on an uneven surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device which is of relatively simple yet robust construction.

Thus according to the present invention, there is provided a cleaning device including a refuse receiving container mounted upon wheels, and a cleaning unit mounted on said container and having a ground contacting adjustable refuse collector element or series of elements, a first flailed rotor mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the container wheels, a second flailed rotor mounted adjacent to the first rotor and rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the first rotor, a housing for said rotors carrying at one end the collector element or elements adjacent the first said rotor and opening adjacent its other end into said container, and drive means for said rotors and at least one pair of said container wheels.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to two embodiments thereof and the accompanying drawings in which: - FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation, with parts broken away, of one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the device of Fig. I, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another part of the device of Fig. 1, and FIG. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a second embodiment of the cleaning device.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the first embodiment of cleaning device consists basically of a cleaner unit A and a wheeled chassis on which is mounted a tipping body B.

The chassis includes side frame members 10 and cross members (not shown). A fixed rear axle 11 is carried by the chassis and on this axle 11 are rear wheels 12.

Adjacent the rear wheels 12 and mounted on one side frame member 10 of the chassis is a hydraulic motor 13 which, by gearing or chain and sprocket device or the like serves, in use, to drive the rear wheels 12. It is, of course, possible to drive the rear wheels 12 by a motor other than a hydraulic motor 13 if desired.

The tipping body B is pivotally mounted on the chassis side members 10 rearwardly of the wheels 12 by pivot pins 14. A door 15 is pivotally mounted on the body B by pivot pins 16. At the forward end of the chassis 10 is a beam type front axle 17 which is pivotally mounted centrally between the chassis side members 10. The front axle 17 is provided with a steering pin 18, which also serves as the axle pivot pin and secured to the free end of this pin 18 are track rods 19 to which steering rods 20 are pivotally attached. The steering rods extend forwardly to be connected to a pivotally mounted steering handle 21 mounted on the cleaner unit (yet to be described).

The axle 17 is provided with wheels 22.

Between the wheels 12 and 22 and mounted below each of the chassis side frame members 10 is a bracket 23 on which is pivotally mounted a cylinder 24 of a hydraulic tipping ram 25 for the body B.

Mounted on the beam axle 17 at each side of the centre thereof is a forwardly extending frame support bar 26 and secured to each of these bars 26 are channel section guides 26a. The lower extremities of the guides 26a extend below the frame support bars 26 and secured between them is a cross tie 26b. At the upper extremities of the guide is a further cross tie 26c. Slidably mounted in the guides 26a is a beam 26d which is mounted across the rear of the cleaner unit A.

The cleaner unit A is offset relative to the longitudinal centreline of the chassis 10 for a purpose hereinafter referred to.

A hydraulic jack has its ram 28 secured to the beam 26d, and its cylinder 27 is pivotally mounted between the frame support bars 26. The beam 26d, and thus the cleaner unit A can then be raised and lowered relative to the chassis 10. If desired there may be provided springs (not shown) to assist the jack in raising the cleaner unit A.

The unit A, which is offset relative to the centreline of the chassis 10 so that, in use, a cleaner rotor, described below, can operate to clean the ground directly below the one extreme edge of the body B, includes a housing consisting of side plates 30 which are spaced apart by a distance somewhat greater than half of the width of the body B. The beam 26d is secured to these sides plates 30.

Extending between the side plates 30 are front and rear housing plates. The front housing plate which is secured to the side plates 30 is formed to have upper and lower arcuate portions 31a and 31b and is of unitary form. The rear housing plate is formed from an upper arcuate section 32a, a lower arcuate section 32b and a centre section 32c. The upper and lower sections 32a and 32b are fixed to the side plates 30. The lower section 32b is also secured to the side plates 30 and is provided along its upper edge with a hinge 33. The centre section comprises a first plate 32c, hingedly secured to the upper edge of the lower section 32b and a flap 32d hinged to the first plate 32c. The flap 32d overlies the outer face of the lower region of the upper section 32a. The centre section is adjustable relative to the arcuate parts 32a and 32b of the rear housing plate.

The form of the front and rear housing plates is such that together they define upper and lower substantially cylindrical enclosures 34 and 35 respectively in which are mounted, as described below, a pair of cleaner elements.

At the upper rear region of the enclosure 34 is provided an opening 36 (see Fig. 2) which is aligned with an opening 37 in the front wall of the body B.

Removably attached to the lower edge of the side walls is a base unit comprising side walls 35 held apart by an angle section tie bar, one part 36a of which is shaped to form an extension of t'we lower curved section 32b of the rear wall of the housing. Along the lower extremity of the part 36a of the tie bar is a hinge 37a on which are two or more arcuate elements 38 (see Fig. 3). The elements 38 form downward extensions of lower curved section 32b of the rear wall of the housing.

The elements 38 are hinged in order that, in use, they can rise and fall as the device is moved over uneven ground. At the forward end of each side wall 35 is an inwardly directed pin 39 onto which can be mounted an angle plate 40 which serves to direct material into the mouth of the cleaner unit A for collection by the blades of a rotor yet to be described.

Rotatable within the upper and lower generally cylindrical enclosures 34 and 35 is a rotor consisting of a spindle 41 and 42 respectively. The spindles carry spaced apart discs 43 upon which are axle pins 44 for pivotal cleaner elements (see Fig. 2).

As can be seen there are three discs 43 on the spindles 41 and 42. The outer discs 43 are provided with two diametrically opposed pins 44 and the centre discs carry four such pins, here being two on each face thereof. The two pins 44 on each face of the centre disc 43 are diametrically opposed and these pins are offset by 90" relative to the pins 44 of the outer discs 43. As shown in Fig. 2 each of the pins 44 carries a flail 45 in the form of a plate having at its outer edge a weight 46. Each flail plate is provided at its inner edge with a tubular element 47 into which a pin 44 can be located. Means such as a split pin is provided on each pin 44 at its free end to prevent the flails 45 from sliding off the pins 44. Externally of the housing of the cleaner unit A and carried on a suitable platform 48 is a prime mover 49 which is conveniently a small internal combustion engine. The output shaft 50 of the engine, through a clutch, serves to drive a chain sprocket 51 enwrapped by a chain 52 which enwraps a chain sprocket 53 on the spindle 41 of the upper rotor. Drive is such that the upper rotor will be caused to rotate anti-clockwise. A second chain sprocket 54 on the spindle 41 is enwrapped by a chain 55 which enwraps a sprocket 56 mounted on a spindle 57 secured on the side wall 30 of the housing. A pinion 58 is also mounted on the spindle 57 for rotation with the sprocket 56 and this meshes with a pinion 59 mounted on the spindle 42 of the lower rotor. This spindle is thus caused to rotate clockwise.The drive ratio of the spindles 41 and 42 may be 1:1 or if desired the lower rotor may be caused to rotate at a greater or lesser speed than the upper rotor. Also mounted on the engine output shaft 50 is a second sprocket enwrapped by a chain 60 which serves to drive a sprocket mounted on the drive shaft 62 of a hydraulic pump 63 mounted below the platform 48. Hydraulic lines (not shown) extend from the pump 63 to the hydraulic motor 13.

In use, the motor 49 is started and the clutch is engaged thus to drive the rotors and, via the hydraulic motor 13, the rear wheels of the machine. As the machine is moved over the ground to be cleaned dirt is collected and as it passes into the mouth of the lower cylindrical enclosure 35 it is thrown upwardly by the flails to be collected by the flails of the upper rotor and thrown into the tipping body.

Adjustment of the position of the cleaner unit A relative to the chassis 10 is achieved by actuating the ram 28 and thus the blades 38 can be positioned correctly to enable the dirt to be collected. When it is desired to move the machine from place to place the ram 28 is extended to lift the cleaner unit A to ensure that the scrapers 38 are well clear of the ground.

The rams 24 and 28 may be supplied with hydraulic fluid from the pump 63.

The invention is not restricted to the details set out above. For example, the flails of the upper rotor can, if desired be constituted by brushes.

It is also possible to locate the cleaner unit at the rear of the tipping body if desired. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 4. In this arrangement the rotary cleaning unit again consists of a chassis 64 having four ground wheels 65. One pair of wheels 65 is mounted on an axle 66 which can pivot for steering purposes and the other pair are mounted on an axle 67 having a chain sprocket 68 thereon.

The chassis 64 carries a container 69 into which refuse is, in use, fed.

Mounted on the end of the container 69 adjacent the drive wheels 65 is a rotor housing 70 which extends across the width of the container 69. The housing has a closed top 71 and an open base 72 and adjacent the top 71 is an opening 73 which corresponds to an opening 74 in the adjacent end wall of the container 69.

Mounted on the top of the housing is a prime mover and clutch 76.

The housing 70 has plain side walls 77 and a rear wall 78, that is the wall remote from the container 69, which at its ends is radiused to correspond with the radius of a pair of rotors 79. The front wall 80 of the housing is double radiused intermediate its ends in a manner such that one radius corresponds to the radius of one rotor 79 and the other, oppositely directed, radius corresponds to the radius of a second rotor 79.

The radiused lower end 78a of the rear wall 78 serves as a scraper and is composed of a plurality of sections thus to provide a plurality of independently movable flaps.

The rotors rotate, in use, about vertically spaced axes 81 which are parallel to the axle 67 of the driven road wheels 65.

The lower rotor 79 consists of a drum or hub having four flail-like blades 82 thereon. Alternate blades 82 are of flexible material and the intermediate blades are rigid. The blades are spaced apart at 900.

The upper rotor also has a drum or hub from which extend four blades 83, each of theses blades is of flexible material.

Both rotors are driven from the prime mover.

The drive means for the apparatus consists of a belt or chain drive 84 from the prime mover to one side of the clutch 76 and through the clutch through a 90" drive to a vertical drive shaft (not shown) having a worm at its lower extremity. A worm wheel 85 mounted on an external container frame member 86 serves to drive a chain sprocket 87 which is itself wrapped by a chain 88 which enwraps the chain sprocket 68 of the driven axle 67. The rotor drive consists of a belt pulley, or chain sprocket 89, on the prime mover onput shaft 90 and belt pulleys or chain sprockets 91 on the rotor 79. In the particular device being described it will be assumed, for simplicity of description that chain sprockets are used. Thus a first rotor drive chain 92 enwraps the prime mover sprocket 89 and the sprocket 91 of the upper rotor 79.A second sprocket (not shown) on the upper rotor spindle 81 is enwrapped by a second rotor drive chain 93 which also enwraps the sprocket 91 of the lower rotor spindle 81. A differential speed drive is provided between the two rotors 79 and conveniently the ratio is approximately 2:1 with the upper rotor 79 rotating at the higher speed. Practical drive speeds are approximately 1000 and 500 r.p.m.

In use, the scraper 78a serves to collect refuse as the apparatus is moved over an area of ground to be cleared and as the rotors 79 rotate the lower rotor blades 82 carry the refuse upwardly into the housing and throw it towards the upper rotor 79 the blades 83 of which transport the refuse upwardly and throw it through the opening 73 of the housing 70 into the container 69.

In order to avoid damage to the lower rotor blades 82 when operating on uneven ground the rotor 79 is set to give an approximate ground clearance of about one inch. Damage to the scraper sections 78a due to uneven ground is obviated by virtue of their pivotal mounting on the housing 70.

The apparatus is not restricted to the details given above. For example, instead of using scrapers 78a a one piece flexible squeegee can be used. In this case the lower rotor 79 would be set to give a somewhat smaller ground clearance in order that refuse is thrown towards the squeegee as the rotor rotates. The squeegee would then collect the refuse for transportation upwardly through the housing first by the lower rotor and then by the upper rotor.

Also, angle plates may be attached to the housing for directing dirt to be collected towards the lower rotor.

It should be appreciated that a squeegee of the kind just referred to can be utilised in the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: - 1. A cleaning device including a refuse receiving container mounted upon wheels, and a cleaning unit mounted on said container and having a ground contacting adjustable refuse collector element or series of elements, a first flailed rotor mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the container wheels, a second flailed rotor mounted adjacent to the first rotor and rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the first rotor, a housing for said rotors carrying at one end the collector element or elements adjacent the first said rotor and opening adjacent its other end into said container, and drive means for said rotors and at least one pair of said container wheels.

2. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1, in which a single ground contacting element is provided, said element being in the form of an arcuate collector plate pivotally mounted at the lower end of the housing, said plate having a ground contacting leading edge.

3. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1, in which a single ground contacting element is provided at the lower end of the housing, said element being in the form of a flexible material squeegee.

4. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1 in which a plurality of side-by-side arcuate collector plates are provided at the lower end of the housing, said collector plates being mounted on a common pivot axis for independent pivotal movement relative to said pivot.

5. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1 in which at least the first flailed rotor within the housing includes a spindle having a plurality of spaced apart rigid flails thereon, said flails being pivotally mounted on discs secured to said spindle and carrying pivot pins for the flails, the pivot pins being mounted on said discs parallel to the spindle.

6. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 5 in which the rigid flails are weighted at their free ends.

7. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the first flailed rotor is mounted in the lower region of the housing.

8. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1 in which both rotors are provided with rigid flails carried on pins mounted on spaced apart discs secured to rotor spindles.

9. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1 or 8 in which the rotors are arranged to rotate in opposed directions.

10. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the second flailed rotor is provided with pivotally mounted flails which are in the form of brushes.

11. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the housing includes side walls and front and rear walls, said front and rear walls being contoured to define substantially cylindrical spaces in which the rotors are mounted.

12. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 11 in which the rear wall of the housing includes an adjustable element located in the region of the junction of the substantially cylindrical spaces.

13. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the housing carries a prime mover and a clutch, there being a drive connection between the clutch and the rotors and a pair of driven wheels of the device.

14. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the housing carries a prime mover and a clutch and a hydraulic pump, there being a drive connection between the clutch and the rotors, and between the clutch and the pump, which latter serves to supply hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic motor adapted to drive a pair of wheels of the device.

15. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the housing is mounted adjacent the nondriven, steering wheels of the device.

16. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 15 in which the steering wheels of the device are carried on a beam type axle which latter is provided with mounting means for the housing.

17. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 16 in which the mounting means for the housing includes a pair of spaced apart channel section elements within which is slidably mounted a beam upon which is secured the housing, there being means for moving the beam to adjust the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. ground the rotor 79 is set to give an approximate ground clearance of about one inch. Damage to the scraper sections 78a due to uneven ground is obviated by virtue of their pivotal mounting on the housing 70. The apparatus is not restricted to the details given above. For example, instead of using scrapers 78a a one piece flexible squeegee can be used. In this case the lower rotor 79 would be set to give a somewhat smaller ground clearance in order that refuse is thrown towards the squeegee as the rotor rotates. The squeegee would then collect the refuse for transportation upwardly through the housing first by the lower rotor and then by the upper rotor. Also, angle plates may be attached to the housing for directing dirt to be collected towards the lower rotor. It should be appreciated that a squeegee of the kind just referred to can be utilised in the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3. WHAT I CLAIM IS: -

1. A cleaning device including a refuse receiving container mounted upon wheels, and a cleaning unit mounted on said container and having a ground contacting adjustable refuse collector element or series of elements, a first flailed rotor mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the container wheels, a second flailed rotor mounted adjacent to the first rotor and rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the first rotor, a housing for said rotors carrying at one end the collector element or elements adjacent the first said rotor and opening adjacent its other end into said container, and drive means for said rotors and at least one pair of said container wheels.

position of the housing relative to a chassis of the device.

18. A cleaning device as claimed in Claim 13 in which the drive connection between the clutch and the driven wheels of the device includes a worm and worm wheel, the latter being operably associated with a chain and sprocket means for driving the driven wheels.

19. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12 in which the housing is provided with means whereby angle plates may be attached thereto for directing dirt to be collected towards the lower rotor.

20. A cleaning device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.