GB2054365A

GB2054365A - Floor cleaning machine

Info

Publication number: GB2054365A
Application number: GB8020613A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Staehle & Co G GmbH
Current assignee: Staehle & Co G GmbH
Priority date: 1979-06-25
Filing date: 1980-06-24
Publication date: 1981-02-18
Also published as: DE2925599C2; DE2925599A1; IT8005170A0; CH647140A5; IT1200975B; GB2054365B

Abstract

A floor cleaning or polishing machine has a driven circular brush 4 mounted thereon in a substantially horizontal plane in such a manner that it is adjustable from a raised position to a lowered operating position, a holder 5 for the brush being spring biassed towards the surface 8 to be cleaned and linked to a mechanism 9-14 operable by the operator to move it between the raised and lowered positions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Machine for the cleaning and care of floor and similar surfaces The invention relates to a machine for the cleaning and care of floors or similar surfaces, comprising a power driven circular brush mounted in a chassis movable on supporting rollers and casters, the brush being capable of rotary movement in a horizontal or approximately horizontal plane and adjustable between a working position, in which it is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and a raised position.

According to the present invention there is provided a machine for the cleaning and care of floors or similar surfaces, comprising a power driven circular brush mounted in a chassis movable on supporting rollers and casters, the brush being capable of rotary movement in 3 horizontal or approximately horozontal plane and adjustable between a working position, in which it is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and a raised position, wherein the holder carrying the circular brush is, on the one hand, acted upon by an operating spring biassed towards pressing the circular brush against the surface to be cleaned while, on the other hand, being linked to an adjusting and locking mechanism with the aid of which it can be raised by the operator and locked in the raised position.

The operating spring may for instance be designed as a tension spring acting upon the chassis on the one hand and upon the holder carrying the circular brush on the other hand. This holder suitably forms part of the drive assembly containing the motor driving the brush. The machine according to the invention offers the advantage of providing a cir cular brush which is pressed against the surface to be cleaned with a constant pressure, the pressure being exerted on the circular brush being of a resilient nature, so that the brush can easily adapt to any irregularities of the surface to be cleaned or avoid any obstructions placed in its way, while the mechanism pressing the brush downwards can easily be engaged and disengaged by the operator.An especially simple embodiment of the adjusting and locking mechanism results from having the upper end ofthetension spring serving as operating spring act upon a part of the operating lever representing the adjusting and locking mechanism, one end of which lever is pivotably linked to the holder for the circular brush. One end of this operating lever could for instance be pivotably connected to the holder for the circular brush, while the other end is designed for operation as a pedal or the like, the lever being pivotably mounted on the machine chassis about midway between its ends.

The adjustment of the operating lever and thus the drive assembly and its locking in the desired position is especially simple if, as a further development of the invention provides, the adjusting and locking mechanism comprises a locking pin provided, for instance, on the operating lever and a locking groove provided, for instance in a ratchet lever, one end of which may be pivotably linked to the machine chassis, while the free end contains the locking groove.

The locking groove suitably opens out towards the side facing the locking pin, the stay and the drive assembly, its lower side being defined by a guide face extending upwards at an angle from the stay, while its upper side is defined by a hook-shaped projection, the upper periphery of which extends parallel to the guide face. An arrangement of this type provides for easy raising of the operating lever by foot pressure, the locking pin sliding extremely smoothly and quasi-automatically into the locating groove and the locking groove by way of the inclined surfaces associated with these grooves.To the upper ratchet lever, a trailing disk pivotable round the swivelling axis of the operating lever may be allocated, this trailing disk moving between an effective position, in which it locks the ratchet lever in its disengaged position, and a position of rest, in dependence of the swivelling movement of the operating lever. In this way the ratchet lever is securely and positively locked in any of the various position it has to adopt.

Finally, the tension of the operating spring can be adjusted by allocating, according to a further development of the invention, a tensioning lever to the operating spring, this lever being pivotably mounted on the chassis about midway between its ends, one of which is connected to the operating spring, while the other end is designed as a control element. This tensioning lever may be adjustable between a "zero position", in which the circular brush and the drive assembly are pressed against the surface to be cleaned by their own weights only, and a "maximum position", in which the spring force applied to the drive assembly reaches its maximum value.In this way, the operator can easily and without using force adjust the tension of the operating spring and thus the force it exerts on the operating lever and thereby on the drive assembly and the holder for the circular brush, in orderto adapt the machine to the prevailing working conditions and to ensure its optimum setting for the job to be done.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial lateral section, in diagrammatic presentation, of a machine according to the invention, the circular brush serving as the cleaning tool being in contact with the surface to be cleaned and thus in working position.

Fig. 2 presents the machine in the same way as Fig. 1,the circular brush, however, being locked in its raised position.

Fig. 3 shows the arrangement according to Figs. 1 and 2, the circular brush being operated to return to its lowered working position, Fig. 4 presents the machine according to the invention in the same way as Figs 1 to 3, the mechanism for adjusting the tension of the operating spring, however, being shown in different positions, Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view of a detail ofthe arrangement according to Fig. 1, This print embodies corrections made under Section 117(1) of the Patents Act 1977.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic top view of the machine according to Figs. 1 to 5, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged lateral view of the ratchet lever of the machine according to Fig. 1.

The machine according to the invention for the cleaning and care of floors or similar surfaces com prises a chassis or housing 1 movable by means of supporting or running rollers 2 fixed in the direction of travel and casters 3, and a circular brush 4 serving as the cleaning tool, which is so attached to the chassis or machine housing by means of its holder 5, which forms part of the drive assembly 6 containing the mator (not illustrated), that it can rotate in a hori zontal or approximately horizontal plane. This circu lar brush can, as indicated by the arrows 7, be moved from a working position, in which it is in con tact with the surface 8 to be cleaned, to a raised position as illustrated in Fig. 2, and vice versa.

The circular brush and the holder 5 carrying it respectively are acted upon byan operating spring 9, which is biassed to press the circular brush against the surface to be cleaned. This operating spring 9, which is designed as a tension spring, acts upon the chassis on the one hand - as will be described below - and upon the holder carrying the circular brush on the other hand. The tension spring is aligned approx imately vertically, its lower end acting upon the chassis - as will be explained below - while its upper end acts upon the holder for the circular brush. The holder 5 forthe circular brush is further linked to an adjusting and locking mechanism, by which it can be raised and locked in the raised position by the operator.For this purpose, the tension spring 9 serv ing as operating spring acts upon an operating lever 5 11 in point 10, which lever forms part of the adjust- ing and locking mechanism and is pivotably linked to the holder 5 forthe circular brush in point 12, while its other end 13 is designed as a pedal for use of the operator. Midway between its ends, the operating lever 11, which extends approximately horizontally, is pivotably mounted on the machine chassis in point 14, thus being capable of vertical swivelling movement.As can be seen in Fig. 6, that section of the operating lever 11 which extends between the swivelling axis 14 and the pivot 12 linking it to the holderforthe circular brush is designed as a fork, the legs 11 a and 11 b of which contain the drive assem bly 6, while their free ends are pivoted in 12. The tension spring 9 serving as operating spring acts upon the operating lever (point 10) about midway between the pivot 12 linking it to the holderforthe circular brush and the swivelling axis 14 of the operating lever. When the pedal 13 is therefore operated and the operating lever 11 swivels in a clockwise direction round the swivelling axis 14, the circular brush is lifted off the surface to be cleaned against the action of the spring 9.When the pedal is released, the circular brush rests against the surface to be cleaned, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Operation is therefore easy and convenient.

A simple constructive solution is achieved by fit ting the drive assembly 6 in a height-adjustable mannerto pedestals 20 mounted on the chassis; for this purpose, guide plates 21 ofthe drive assembly are secured to the pedestals by means of fixing bolts 22, which are inserted in approximately vertical slots 23 and can be adjusted upwards and downwards according to the arrows 24. The operating lever, i.e.

its legs 11 a and 11 b, is pivotably mounted in the guide plates. Fig. 6 further shows that swivelling axis 12a extending between the two pivots 12 forms an angle awith the axis 12b extending at a right angle to the longitudinal axis. Together with the eccentric mounting of the circular brush 4 on the drive assembly 6, this arrangement provides for a very convenient configuration with reference to movement.

In order to lock the drive assembly and the circular brush in the required position, the adjusting and locking mechanism comprises a locking pin 30, which may for instance be fitted to the operating lever 11, and a locking groove 31, which may for instance be provided in a ratchet lever illustrated in detail in Fig. 7. One end 33 ofthe ratchet lever32 is pivotably mounted on the chassis, while its free end carries the above mentioned locking groove 31, which will be described in more detail below. On the ratchet lever acts a spring 34 aligned approximately horizontally and designed as a tension spring, which presses the end of the ratchet lever carrying the locking groove 31 against the locking pin 30.One end of the spring 34 is connected to the chassis in 35, while its other end acts upon the ratchet lever in 36, about midway between its link 33 to the chassis and the locking groove 31. The end of the tension spring 34 remote from the ratchet lever acts, in 33, on a stay 37 extending approximately vertically from the chassis, its other end carrying the swivelling axis 14 of the operating lever. The locking pin 30 extends outwards from the operating lever at an approximately right angle; it may be a pin inserted through a bore in the operating lever and projecting on both sides.The whole assembly is so arranged that, if viewed in the direction of forward movement, i.e. from the back towards the front of the machine, the pivot 33 of the ratchet lever32 is followed by the locating point 38 for the stay 37 carrying the swivelling axis 14 of the the operating lever 11, the point of application 39 more about which later- and finally the guide for the drive assembly for the circular brush. This arrangement represents a very simple design solution.

Fig. 7 shows very clearly that the locking groove 31 opens out towards the side facing the locking pin 30, the stay 37 and the drive assembly 6, its lower side being defined by a guide face 40 extending upwards at an angle from the stay, while its upper side is defined by a hook-shaped projection 41, the upper periphery 42 of which extends at an angle and parallel to the guide face 40. Adjacent to the lower end of the guide face 40, there is a locating groove 44 opening upwards arranged below the locking groove 31.

This design ofthe locking groove and its surrounding edges enable the locking pin, which is pressed into the groove and against its surrounding edges by spring action, to move into the locking or the locating groove with ease.

By the joint action of the locking pin and the locking groove provided at the upper end ofthe ratchet lever, the operating lever can thus be locked in a position in which the circular brush is raised from the surface to be cleaned. In order to retain the ratchet lever in the position in which the operating lever is effectively locked, a trailing disk 50 is pro vided, which is pivotable round the swivelling axis 14 of the operating lever 11 and can be moved, in dependence on the swivelling movement of the operating lever, from an effective position locking the ratchet in its disengaged position to a position of rest and back. The clockwise swivelling movement of the trailing disk into its effective position is accompanied by an also clockwise swivelling movement of the ratchet lever into its disengaged position.The trailing disk is further provided with a longitudinal slot 51 extending approxamately vertically and engaging the locking pin on the operating lever, this longitudinal slot being so dimensioned and arranged that the locking pin, when resting in the locating groove, simultaneously extends through the lower part of the longitudinal slot.

The trailing disk is further acted upon by an approximately vertically aligned spring 52 designed as a tension spring, which is connected to the chassis or the associated machine housing in point 53, while its other end acts upon the trailing disk in point 54, which lies between the longitudinal slit 51 of the trailing disk through which the locking pin extends, and its swivelling axis 14, the tension spring 52 being biassed towards moving the trailing disk 50 into its effective position. This arrangement provides a simple design solution to the problem posed for this application.

An especially advantageous arrangement with respect to the magnitude of the forces to be applied and to efficacy provides for the swivelling axis 14 of the operating lever 11 to be parallel to the swivelling axis 33 of the ratchet lever 32 and the swivelling axis 14 of the trailing disk 50, so that the swivelling movements performed under spring action by the operating lever (spring 9), the ratchet lever (spring 34) and the trailing disk (spring 52) are on parallel planes while the swivelling movement of the operating lever under spring action takes, however, an opposite course to the swivelling movement performed by the trailing disk under spring action.

When the pedal 13 is operated (1st stage), as is illustrated in Fig. 2, the locking pin 30 on the operating lever 11 engages the locking groove 31 of the ratchet lever 32 below the projection 41. The drive assembly with the tool is lifted off the floor, thereby being disengaged, and the machine can be transported without difficulty. By increasing the pressure on the pedal (2nd stage) as is illustrated in Fig. 3, the drive assembly is returned into working position, since, as the operating lever 11 is pressed down, the locking pin slides along the face 40 of the ratchet lever 32 towards and into the locating groove 44, thus preventing a further downward movement of the pedal.In this way, the ratchet lever is forced backwards, i.e. swivelled counter-clockwise, the rear part ofthetrailing disk 50 being pulled downwards by the locking pin's movement in the longitudinal slot 51 of the trailing disk and thus locking the ratchet lever. As soon as the operating lever 11 is released, the drive assembly with the circular brush is returned into working position. The locking pin 31 now moves the trailing disk 50 upwards, making the locking action of the ratchet lever32 ineffective, and the cycle of operation can begin anew. The longitud inal slot in the trailing disk 50 could, if required, be replaced by a round or circular hole of suitable dimensions.

The brush can therefore be raised, lowered and locked in its raised position by foot action in one direction.

A further developement of the invention provides for an adjustment of the tension of the operating spring 9, which can be achieved from outside with out opening the machine cover, which is not illustrated in the drawing. In this way, the pressure exerted by the brush on the floor can be adjusted and increased considerably in comparison with known comparable arrangements.

For this purpose, the operating spring 9 is provided with a tensioning lever 60 pivotably mounted at 61 on the chassis, approximately midway between its ends, one end being connected to the operating spring in point 39, while the other end 62 is designed as a control element, either in the shape of a pedal or in the shape of a handle. The swivelling axis 61 of the tensioning lever 60 extends parallel to the swivelling axis 14 of the operating lever, and the swivelling movements performed by the tensioning lever under the operator's control are in the same plane and direction as the movements of the operating lever.The assembly is so arranged that the tension lever can be adjusted between a "zero position", in which the circular brush and the drive assembly are pressed against the surface to be cleaned by their own weights only, and a "maximum position", in which the spring force applied to the drive assembly carrying the circular brush reaches its maximum value. In this way, the tension of the operating spring can be increased in a very simple manner.

In orderto lock the tensioning lever in the set position and thus maintain the desired spring tension during the desired period, the free end of the tensioning lever is allocated a locking device 70, with the aid of which the tensioning lever can be locked in various positions. This locking device consists of a stepped block with several steps 71,72 etc., which engage the free end of the tensioning lever. The lowest setting corresponds to the lowest pressure, the highest setting to the highest pressure; the operator can adjust the pressure applied to the surface to be cleaned to its optimum level, depending on the degree of contamination and the nature of the floor surface to be cleaned.

With respect to the forces which are applied, the best ratio for the distance between the swivelling axis of the tensioning lever and its free end on the one hand and the distance between the swivelling axis and the point of application of the operating spring on the tensioning lever on the other and is 3: 1.

Instead of being attached to the operating lever 11, the operating spring can be suspended in the guide plate.

Claims

1. A machine for the cleaning and care of floors or similar surfaces, comprising a power driven circular brush mounted in a chassis movable on support ing rollers and casters, the brush being capable of rotary movement in a horizontal or approximately horizontal plane and adjustable between a working position, in which it is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and a raised position, wherein the holder carrying the circular brush is, on the one hand, acted upon by an operating spring biassed towards pressing the circular brush against the surface to be cleaned, while, on the other hand, being linked to an adjusting and locking mechanism, with the aid of which it can be raised by the operator and locked in the raised position.

2. A machine according to Claim 1, wherein the operating spring is designed as an approximately vertically aligned tension spring, the lower end of which acts upon the chassis, while the upper end acts upon the holder carrying the circular brush, which holder may be part of the drive assembly containing the motor driving the circular brush.

3. A machine according to Claim 2, wherein the upper end ofthetension spring serving as operating spring acts upon a part of the operating lever representing the adjusting and locking mechanism, one end of which is pivotably linked to the holderforthe circular brush, while the other end may, for instance, be designed as a pedal for operator control, the operating lever preferably being pivotably mounted on the machine chassis about midway between its ends.

4. A machine according to Claim 3, wherein that section of the operating lever which extends between the swivelling axis and the pivot linking it with the holder for the circular brush is designed as a fork, the legs of which contain the drive assembly, their free ends being pivotably connected to it, while the tension spring serving as operating spring may, for instance, act upon the operating lever about midway between the pivot linking it with the holder for the circular brush and the swivelling axis of the operat ing lever.

5. A machine according to any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the drive assembly is fitted in a height adjustable manner to pedestals mounted on the chassis, by way of guide plates of the drive assembly, in which the operating lever is pivoted, being secured to the pedestals by means of fixing bolts inserted in approximately vertical longitudinal slots.

6. A machine according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the adjusting and locking mechanism comprises a locking pin, which may, for instance, extend outwards from the operating lever at an approximately right angle, being fitted to the operating lever, and, to complement the locking pin, a locking groove, which may, for instance, be provided in a ratchet lever, one end of which may be suitably mounted on the chassis, while its free end carries the locking groove.

7. A machine according to Claim 6, wherein the ratchet lever is acted upon by a spring biassed towards pressing the end ofthe ratchet lever which carries the locking groove against the locking pin and designed as a tension spring acting in an approximately horizontal direction, one end of the spring being connected to the chassis, while its other end acts upon the ratchet lever about midway between its pivotable link with the chassis and the locking groove, the end of the tension spring which is remote from the ratchet lever, for instance, acting upon a stay extending approximately vertically from the chassis, its free end carrying the swivelling axis of the operating lever.

8. A machine according to Claim 6 or7, wherein the locking groove opens out towards the side facing the locking pin, the stay and the drive assembly, its lower end being defined by a guide face extending upwards at an angle from the stay, while its upper side is defined by a hook-shaped projection, the upper periphery of which extends at and angle and parallel to the guide face, and wherein, adjacent to the lower end of the guide face, there may, for instance, be a locating groove opening upwards provided below the locking groove.

9. A machine according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein, if viewed in the direction of forward movement, i.e. from the back towards the front of the machine, the chassis is fitted with the pivot for the ratchet lever, the locating point for the stay carrying the swivelling axis of the operating lever, the point of application of the operating spring and, finally, the guide for the drive assembly for the circular brush.

10. A machine according to any of Claims 1 to 9, wherein a trailing disk pivotable round the swivelling axis of the operating lever is provided for the ratchet lever, this trailing disk moving, in dependence of the swivelling movement of the operating lever, between an effective position locking the ratchet lever in its disengaged position and a position of rest, whereby the clockwise swivelling movement of the trailing disk into its effective position may, for instance, correspond to an also clockwise movement of the ratchet lever into its disengaged position.

11. A machine according to Claim 10, wherein the trailing disk is provided with a longitudinal slot extending approximately vertically and engaging the locking pin on the operating lever, this longitudinal slot being preferably so dimensioned and arranged that the locking pin, when resting in the locating groove, simultaneously extends through the lower part of the longitudinal slot.

12. A machine according to Claim 10 or 11, wherein the trailing disk is acted upon by a spring biassed towards forcing it into its effective position, this spring being suitably designed as an approximately vertically acting tension spring connected to the chassis or the associated machine housing on the one hand, while acting, on the other hand, upon the trailing disk in a point lying between the longitudinal slot through which the locking pin extends and its swivelling axis.

13. A machine according to any of Claim 1 to 12, wherein the swivelling axes of the operating lever, the ratchet lever and the trailing disk are parallel to each other and the swivelling movements performed under spring action by the operating lever, the ratchet lever and the trailing disk are on parallel planes, while the swivelling movement of the operating lever under spring action takes, however, an opposite course to the swivelling movement performed by the trailing disk under spring action.

14. A machine according to any of Claims 1 to 13, wherein the tension of the operating spring is adjustable by providing, for instance, a tensioning lever pivotably mounted on the chassis approximately midway between its ends, one end being connected to the operating spring, while the other end is, for instance, designed as a control element, whereby the swivelling axis of the tensioning lever may suitably be parallel to the swivelling axis of the operating lever and the swivelling movements of these two components performed under the operator's control may be in the same plane and direction.

15. A machine according to claim 14, wherein the tensioning lever can be adjusted between a "zero position", in which the circular brush and the drive assembly are pressed against the surface to be cleaned by their own weights only, and a "maximum position", in which the spring force applied to the drive assembly carrying the circular brush reaches its maximum value.

16. A machine according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the free end of the tensioning lever is allocated a locking device, with the aid of which the tensioning lever can be locked in various positions, this locking device consisting, for instance, of a stepped block with several steps which engage the free end of the tensioning lever.

17. A machine for the cleaning and care of floors or similar surfaces, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.