GB2159044A - Floor sweeper - Google Patents

Abstract

A floor sweeper comprising a body 11 supported on wheels 12 has a side brush 21 mounted outboard of each wheel arranged to direct debris inwardly to the path of the main roller brush 14. Individual tufts of each side brush may be differently oriented from adjacent tufts to provide progressive displacement of debris. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Floor sweeper This invention relates to floor sweepers.

Floor sweepers, also known as carpet sweepers, have been in use for many years and usually include at least one roller brush rotatable about a horizontal axis at right angles to the direction of movement of the sweeper. Four wheels in axle pairs are usually provided to support the sweeper, the wheels driving the roller brush by friction.

The roller brush is normally geared up with respect to the driving wheels in order to improve the sweeping effectiveness. Usually the roller brush and at least one co-operating dustpan are transversely located between the driving wheels.

One problem with floor sweepers is that it is difficult to arrange for effective sweeping right up to a skirting board or other edge boundary.

It has been proposed, for example in British Patent 1,361,323, to mount auxiliary rotary brushes on the front corners of the sweeper to sweep outboard of the sweeper body. Such corner brushes increase the cost and complexity of the floor sweeper substantially, but do not always sweep debris effectively into the path of the main roller brush.

It has also been proposed to provide rotatable auxiliary brushes on the end of the roller brush and outboard of the driving wheels. Such end brushes can sweep effectively up to the skirting board but deposit debris in front of the end brush at the end of the sweeping track. End brushes stir the debris but cannot sweep into the dustpan since this is located between the driving wheels.

These and other proposals to provide a sweeping action outboard of the driving wheels require some redesign of a conventional sweeper; this can entail extensive modification of manufacturing tooling especially where the sweeper body is a large plastics moulding.

The present invention provides a side brush arrangement for a floor sweeper which is of economical construction and gives effective sweeping outboard of the driving wheels.

According to the present invention there is provided a floor sweeper having a body, wheels to support the body for reciprocal movement, primary brush means, a dustpan and secondary brush means outboard of said wheels, the secondary brush means being arranged on the sweeper such that, in use, debris is progressively projected by successive bristles towards the path of the primary brush means.

In one embodiment the secondary brush means comprises a brush strip substantially aligned with the direction of sweeper movement, the free ends of the brush bristles being disposed progressively inward of the sweeper towards said primary brush means. The brush bristles are arranged generally outward and downward of the sweeper body so that in use, they tend to move debris progressively toward the primary brush means by virtue of the effective angle of successive bristles with respect to the direction of sweeper movement. Several reciprocal movements of the sweeper will ensure that debris is moved into the path of the primary brush means. Where the floor is uneven or the sweeper is used on carpet the bristles tend to flick debris towards the primary brush means as the bristles are bent by contact with the floor and from time to time restore themselves to their natural position.

The brush may be an attachment fixed in any convenient way or may form an integral part of the sweeper. The invention thus provides an economical and effective way of sweeping the floor surface outboard of the sweeper wheels.

Preferably the bristles are arranged progressively between a first orientation outward and downward of the sweeper body and a second orientation substantially downward of said body.

In this arrangement a single brush strip is shaped, and permanently deformed prior to attachment to the sweeper. The brush body may be a plastics extrusion which is tufted as a continuous process and subsequently cut into suitable lengths. This arrangement obviates specially shaped brush body mouldings which may need to be individually tufted with bristles. Special brush forms are however within the scope of this invention provided always that the bristles are arranged so as to progressively deflect debris towards the primary brush means.

Alternatively integral parts of the sweeper may be directly tufted with bristles.

In order that the secondary or auxiliary brush can work more effectively for both directions of sweeper movement the bristles may be arranged in a shallow "vee" formation so that they extend from a first orientation outward and downward of the sweeper to a second intermediate orientation substantially downward of the sweeper and thence to a third orientation outward and downward of the sweeper.

Preferably the brush is symmetrical about its midpoint.

The brush bristles may be provided as discrete tufts, each tuft being orientated at a suitable angle to provide progressive displacement of debris.

In an alternative embodiment the bristles may extend in substantially the same orientation, the respective roots of sequential bristles being arranged in a shallow "vee" formation. In a conventional single roller brush sweeper the auxilliary brush would be symmetrical about the centre line of the roller brush.

Auxiliary brushes are preferably provided on both sides of the sweeper; at least some of the bristles thereof extending outboard of the sweeper body to sweep right upto a skirting board or other boundary edge.

Other features of the invention are disclosed in the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly sectioned, of a floor sweeper according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly sectioned, corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a three-quarter view of a side brush attachment seen from below; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the side brush attachment of Figure 3 seen from below.

With reference to the drawings there is shown a sweeper body 11 having supporting wheels 12, 13 in axle pairs and driving a roller brush 14. The diameter of the driving portion 15 of the roller brush is less than that of the driving wheels 12, so that the roller brush 14 is geared up to rotate faster than the wheels. Bristles 16 extend all around the periphery of the roller brush core to sweep debris into dustpans (not shown) provided on either side of the roller brush and disposed between the wheel pairs 12, 13. The dustpans may be opened for emptying by any convenient means and are held in the closed position by, for example, bias means or a releasable latch.

A comb (not shown) may be provided to clean the bristles of the roller brush. A pushing handle (not shown) is provided for attachment to a bail 17 of the sweeper by any convenient method.

A side brush 21 is mounted on the sweeper body outboard of the driving wheels. The side brush comprises a plastics moulding 22 having a single row of bristles 23 fixed therein. The moulding 22 is a plastics extrusion and is shaped into a shallow vee form aftertufting with bristles 23 so that the leading and trailing bristles are progressively angled outward of the sweeper body as shown in Figure 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

In operation the side brush 21 acts to sweep the floor surface outboard of the driving wheels 12,13; the angled bristles tending to move debris progressively into the path of the main roller brush as the sweeper is moved to and fro on the floor. On uneven floors or on carpet the bristles 23 are deformed and from time to time restore themselves to their natural position so flicking debris towards the roller brush.

In the specific embodiment shown in the drawings the side brush 21 acts for both forward and reverse movement of the sweeper. In practice several reciprocal movements of the sweeper will ensure that the floor is swept completely right upto the skirting board.

The side brush may be attached to the sweeper by any convenient means, for example rivets or adhesive, or may be contained in a special housing of the body as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. The brush may alternatively be tufted directly into an integral part of the sweeper.

The side brush may have bristles fixed in a moulding of another advantageous shape, or may for example have bristles orientated in the same direction but set progressively inward and outward of the sweeper to suit the intended purpose.

The side brush moulding 22 may be shaped into shallow vee form before or after tufting with bristles 23 and may be shaped with or without the application of heat depending on the moulding material.

The density and length of bristle may be varied to suit operating conditions; more than one row of bristles may be provided. The stiffness of adjacent tufts of bristles may be varied to give optimum effectiveness, for example the bristles towards the ends of the side brush 21 may be more flexible than the bristles in the centre.

If desired the side brush could progressively flick debris towards the main roller brush for only one direction of sweeper movement; such a brush would have bristles angled progressively outward from one brush end to the other or may have bristles of a common angle set progressively outward with respect to the sweeper body. Brushes may be provided on either side of the sweeper as shown in the preferred embodiment; more than one side brush may be provided in tandem on either side of the sweeper.

In this specification reference to debris includes reference to dust, dirt and other detritus which may, in use, be picked up by a hand operated floor sweeper.

Claims (10)

1. A floor sweeper comprising a body, wheels to support the body for reciprocal movement, primary brush means, a dustpan, and secondary brush means outboard of said wheels characterised thereby that said secondary brush means is arranged on the sweeper such that, in use, debris is progressively projected by successive bristles towards the path of the primary brush means.

2. A floor sweeper according to claim 1, characterised thereby that said secondary brush means comprises a brush strip substantially aligned with the direction of sweeper movement, the free ends of the brush bristles being disposed progressively inward of the sweeper towards said primary brush means.

3. A floor sweeper according to Claim 2, characterised thereby that said bristles are arranged progressively between a first orientation outward and downward of the sweeper body and a second orientation substantially downward of said body.

4. A floor sweeper according to Claim 2, characterised thereby that said bristles are arranged between a first orientation outward and downward of the sweeper body, a second orientation substantially downward of said body and a third orientation outward and downward of said body.

5. A floor sweeper according to Claim 4, characterised thereby that said first and third orientations are the same.

6. A floor sweeper according to any preceding claim characterised thereby that the bristles are arranged in discrete tufts.

7. A floor sweeper according to Claim 6 characterised thereby that the roots of said tufts are substantially in line.

8. A floor sweeper according to any preceding claim characterised thereby that secondary brush means are arranged on both sides of the sweeper.

9. A floor sweeper according to any preceding claim characterised thereby that at least some of said bristles extend outboard of the sweeper body.

10. Afloor sweeper substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.