GB2082448A - Carpet sweepers - Google Patents

Abstract

A carpet sweeper having a rotatable brush (2) driven by wheels (6). The tufts of the brush (2) are arranged in helical rows with each tuft being in line with a chord line so that the tufts are offset from the centre line of the brush. The carpet sweeper has a control (24) for adjusting the height of the brush (2) and lever (16) for simultaneously opening the dust trays (5) which both open in the same direction. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to carpet sweepers This invention relates to carpet sweepers.

While carpet sweepers have been known for many years, one of the problems with carpet sweepers is to obtain satisfactory operation of the carpet sweeper in both directions of operation. Thus carpet sweepers have been designed to give an effective sweeping action in the forward direction, but on the reverse direction the sweeper is not effective and often tips towards the user, sometimes oscillating up and down about the wheels closest to the user.

One of the problems is that the carpet sweeper tends to tip and tilt towards the user due to the fact that the brush is effectively digging into the carpet being swept and the force required by the user to overcome this resistance of the brush on the carpet tends to cause that edge of the sweeper nearest the user to tilt downwardly while the farthermost side or edge of the sweeper tends to kick upwardly. One way of attempting to overcome this problem is to apply a downward pressure on the carpet sweeper as it is being drawn to the user but even then this is not entirely satisfactory and also is tiring for the user for it is difficult to apply this downward pressure while drawing the carpet sweeper toward the user.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carpet sweeper which will effectively sweep in the direction away from the user, and not be subject to any tipping or tilting action in the direction toward the user.

A further object is to provide a brush for a carpet sweeper in which the brush gives an improved sweeping action when moved in the direction away from the user.

A further object is to provide a carpet sweeper having a low overall height so that it is able to more effectively sweep under low pieces of furniture such as beds, chairs and the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a carpet sweeper having an improved dust tray arrangement and operating mecha nisi.

Brushes for carpet sweepers conventionally employ a plurality of tufts of brushes mounted radially on the brush board, the tufts being usually arranged in helical rows around the brush board.

It is now been found that instead of the tufts of bristles being radial or passing through the axis of the brush board, that by having the brush bristles parallel to the radius but displaced circumferentially therefrom improved sweeping action results.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carpet sweeper; Figure 2 is a similar view, portion being cut away, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2, Figure 4 is a view of the brush, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lines 5-5 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings the brush 1 is provided with rows of tufts 2 and each tuft is not truly radial, but is parallel to a radius 3 with each tuft 2 in the helical row in the brush board 4 being offset circumferentially in the same circumferential direction. This offset can be of the order of 1/8 inch, thus each tuft is on an extension of a chord line situated 1/8 inch from the centre of the brush board.

The brush is inserted into the carpet sweeper in such a way that in the forward stroke, that is in the direction away from the user, that the tufts of the brush due to the rotation of the brush in a direction opposite to the rotation of the wheels in the forward direction move downwardly toward the surface being swept so that each tuft of the brush is generally vertical to the floor while in contact with the floor or surface being swept, and then as the brush further rotates greater pressure is applied to the bristles due to the fact that the tuft is still moving downwardly toward the floor and then as the tuft passes what may be called bottom dead centre a rapid flicking action occurs to flick the debris into the dust trays 5 when in the closed position (not shown).

The tuft lengths can be so chosen that the ends of the tufts could contact the floor when the tuft is generally vertical and then as the brush rotates the pressure is applied, the tuft deflects and then rapidly flicks to remove the dust and debris. Thus the tuft position creates a delayed contact with the surface being swept on the forward stroke and an advanced contact on the return stroke, and thus greater penetration on the forward stroke and ease of brush revolving on the return stroke.

On the return stroke as the brush would be rotating in the opposite direction, the brush only gives a light sweeping action to the surface being swept removing further debris, and due to the light sweeping action an easy drive from the wheels 6 to the brush takes place and thus the carpet sweeper is easy to return and rolls freely on this return stroke.

The tufts of the brush can be inclined to the sides of the carpet sweeper and the tufts would then still be in a plane which is parallel to the axis of rotation.

It will be realised that the brush of the carpet sweeper is more effective in its action when the carpet sweeper is moved away from the user, and to this extent the handle 7 for the carpet sweeper is attached to the body of the carpet sweeper in such a way that the carpet sweper can only be used in the required direction.

Thus the handle 7 is adapted to be mounted in a handle connector 8 pivoted on the upper surface of the carpet sweeper body 9, the connector 8 in its collapsed position being recessed and the handle not increasing the height of the body of the carpet sweeper to any great extent.

The connector is pivoted to the body to extend in one direction only and thus the carpet sweeper can only be operated in the required direction so that the brush operates in the required manner.

As the brush is adapted to be easily removed for cleaning to remove hair, string and the other materials which can accumulate on the brush board, the brush is provided with means whereby the brush can be inserted only in the required manner in the carpet sweeper and the brush could not be turned end for end and inserted. Thus the housing wall of the carpet sweeper is provided with different sized slots 10. with the brush board 4 being provided with corresponding diameters 11, 12 so that the brush could not be reversed in the body.

As the handle connector 8 is recessed to keep the overall height of the carpet sweeper to a minimum, the handle connector 8 then protrudes inwardly into the body 9 of the carpet sweeper and in order to prevent undesired friction between the bristles of the brush and the recessed portion of the body, the brush board 4 is formed with a tapered or hourglass central section 13 with correspondingly longer tufts of bristles so that these more readily flex as they pass over the recessed portion.

The dust trays 5 of the carpet sweeper are hinged about pivots 14, 15 to the body 9 are interconnected to be operated from a single lever 16, and to this extent the forward dust tray 5 is pivoted about pivot 14 adjacent the forward edge of the carpet sweeper while the other dust tray 5 is pivoted about pivot 15 adjacent the brush, so that in operation both dust trays move in uniston, and both dust trays open away from the handle.

The carpet sweeper has a single lever 16 pivoted to the body and connected by an integral hinge a member connected to the dust tray 5 having its pivot point adjacent the edge of the carpet sweeper so that raising the lever will cause the dust tray to open.

The dust tray 5 at each end is provided with a further pivot point 17 connected by an arcuate lever 18 to the corresponding pivot point 19 on the other dust tray 5, to ensure that both dust trays will operate in a simultaneous manner. in this way by operation of the one lever, and tilting of the carpet sweeper in one direction both dust trays are emptied simultaneously.

This is a decided improvement over the existing carpet sweepers in which the dust trays pivot in opposite directions. and require that the carpet sweeper be tilted in first one direction and then the other to ensure that both dust trays are emptied.

The wheels 6 are mounted on axles 20 in slots 26 on the body 9, the axles being connected by a spring 27 to bias the wheels towards the brush. The brush is mounted in the slots 10. and is supported in position by a brush height adjust frame 21 which is gene; ally U-shaped to engage in each end of the brush board 4, extend through handle adjust bearings 22 on the body side wall, and extend across the side of the body adjacent the handle. The arms of the U-shaped frame are bent upwardly so that the cross portion 23 extends across below the top surface of the body.

A brush adjust slide 24 is mounted to protrude through a slot in the upper surface of the body, and engages the cross portion 23 to move this to cause the frame 21 to pivot about the adjacent bearings 22 so that the brush is moved generally vertically to adjust the height of the brush. The slide is guided by inclined walls 25 on the body so that as the slide is moved across the body by the user it also moves at right angles thereto, to thus pivot the frame 21 to adjust the brush height.

The brush is then adjustable for various types of surfaces being swept, from short pile to high or shag pile surfaces.

The handle connector 8 is pivoted by pivots 26 to the upper surface of the body, the connector pivoting from a horizontal position to the vertical position shown in dotted lines.

The inner end of the connector is provided with a blind hole 27 in which is positioned a plunger 28 which is biassed by a spring 29 against a plate 30. The plate 30 follows generally the contours of the recess, is anchored at one end 31 on the body, the other end 32 being attached to spring 33 attached to the lever 16.

The spring 29 is a relatively strong spring sufficient to apply a frictional force to the plunger 27 so that the handle when positioned in an intermediate angle is frictionally held in position. This frictional force is such that the connector 8 is considered to be rigid with the body. In this way as the sweeper is pulled towards the user there is then no tendency for the sweeper to tip and tilt about the pivotal connection of the connector to the body, and thus about its wheels closest to the, user. This overcomes the problems of tipping and tilting in the movement towards the user.; Although various forms of the invention have been described in some detail it is to be realised that the invention is not to be limited thereto but can include various modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

1 A brush for a carpet sweeper, said brush comprising a cylindrical brush board to which is attached a plurality of tufts in a plurality of helical rows, each tuft extending from the brush board as extensions of chord lines through the brush board to be offset from the centre line to create a delayed contact with the surface being swept on the forward stroke and advanced contact on the return stroke and thus greater penetration on the forward stroke and ease of brush revolving on the return stroke.

2. A brush for a carpet sweeper as in claim 1 characterised in that the brush ends have means co-operating with means on the carpet sweeper to ensure that the brush is correctly positioned in the carpet sweeper.

3. A brush for a carpet sweeper as in claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that the brush board is of hourglass configuration while the outer ends of the bristles are at the same radial distance from the axis of the brush board.

4. A carpet sweper adapted to receive a brush as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, said carpet sweper wherein said sweeper upper surface is provided with a recess towards its rearward edge for a handle connector, said recess extending into the space adjacent said brush whereby the bristles deflect over said recess.

5. A carpet sweeper as defined in claim 1 wherein said handle connector is pivoted to the body of the carpet sweeper, said pivoting movement being frictionally restrained whereby the pivoting action does not take place during use of the carpet sweeper to maintain the carpet sweeper stable during the return stroke.

6. A brush for a carpet sweeper as in claim 4, wherein said carpet sweeper has forwad and rearward dust trays, said forward dust tray being pivoted adjacent the forwad edge of said carpet sweeper, and said rearward dust tray is pivoted adjacent said brush whereby both dust trays pivot in the same direction.

7. A brush for a carpet sweeper as in claim 6, whereby said dust trays are interconnected by links, said forward dust tray being operated by a lever pivoted to the upper surface of said sweeper.

8. A carpet sweeper having a body, wheels supporting said body and driving a rotatable brush in said body, and means to vertically adjust the position of the brush in said body.

9. A brush for a carpet sweeper as in claim 8, wherein said means comprises a Ushaped frame pivoted to said body and engaging the ends of said brush, and cam slide means to engage the U-shaped frame, to pivot the frame to adjust the brush position.

10. A brush for a carpet sweeper, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A carpet sweeper, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.