GB2160091A

GB2160091A - Sweeping machine

Info

Publication number: GB2160091A
Application number: GB08516451A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Oakley
Original assignee: NORTHERN SCIENT EQUIPMENT LIMI
Current assignee: NORTHERN SCIENT EQUIPMENT LIMI
Priority date: 1984-04-05
Filing date: 1985-06-28
Publication date: 1985-12-18
Also published as: GB8516451D0

Abstract

A sweeping machine consists of a frame 10 for mounting on the tines 27 of a fork lift truck. The frame 10 supports a cylindrical brush 14 and a collecting box 12 located forward of the brush 14. The brush 14 is driven by a rear road wheel 20 through a chain drive mechanism such that the brush 14 rotates in an opposite sense to that of the road wheel 20. Jockey wheels 18, located forward of the pivot 25, support the front of the machine and cooperate with the road wheel 20 and frame pivot 25 to accommodate changes in the ground level. The brush 14 is mounted on arms 11 which are pivotally secured to the frame 10 and adjustable such that their attitude may be changed in order to alter the level of the brush 14 with respect to the frame 10. The contents of the collecting box 12 may be quickly removed by raising the entire machine above a suitable hopper and unlocking a hinged bottom 31 in the collecting box 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sweeping machine The present invention relates to sweeping machines and especially to such a machine which is suitable for sweeping factory floors and similar large areas.

Existing sweeping machines range from the small domestic machine which is pushed over the floor by hand to a road-sweeping machine which is a specially designed vehicle with its own motive power for travelling along the road and driving the sweeping brush or brushes. Existing machines for cleaning factory floors and yards are similar to road-sweeping machine in being purpose built and having powerdriven brushes as well as a drive for the wheels.

They are consequently very expensive and this expense can only be justified where the area to be cleaned is large enough to keep the machine in use for the greater part of each day.

The present invention is based on the idea of using a fork-lift truck, which many factories use for handling large parts and bulk supplies, to provide the driving power for a sweeping machine, both to transport the machine over the ground and to ensure the rotation of the brush. This has the added advantage that the machine can be lifted by the truck to enable dirt to be emptied into a hopper or other container. Moreover the machine in accordance with the invention is so designed that there is no requirementfora drive transmission coupling between the machine and the fork-lift truck. As a result attaching the machine to the truck and removing it after use are simple, rapid operations.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a sweeping machine for attachment to a fork lift truck, the machine having a main frame structure, a sweeping brush mounted on the frame structure, a collecting box to receive matter swept up by the brush, supporting wheels, including a road wheel which is mounted on the frame structure to roll over the surface to be swept and connected to drive the brush in a sweeping action, and a coupling structure constructed to receive the lifting fork of the truck, the coupling structure being pivotally connected with the frame structure to allow the frame structure to swing about an axis parallel to the road wheel to accommodate changes in ground level.

In a preferred construction the coupling structure extends rearwardly from the pivot axis over a part of the frame structure carrying the road wheel while the brush and the collecting box are located in front of the pivot axis. When the collecting box is in front of the brush it is preferable for the brush to rotate in the opposite sense to the road wheel in order to sweep dirt directly from the floor into the box. This can be achieved by the use of a chain drive in which the drive to the brush is taken from the outside of a chain which runs around a chain wheel rotated by the road wheel.

The fork-lift truck provides the power to push the sweeping machine over the floor. It also enables the machine to be lifted and held over a hopper or skip for emptying of the collecting box. For this purpose the collecting box is preferably constructed with a door on its underside which can be released to allow the dirt to fall out of the box.

By way of example a preferred construction of the machine in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sweeping device according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the device in Figure 3, Figure 3 is a plan view of one half of the device in Figure 1 showing the relative positions of the brush drive gearing.

Referring to the Figures, the machine has a rectangular frame 10 made up of square-section metal tube. The frame 10 is approximately square in plan. Within the frame 10 at the front of the machine and extending over the full width is a collecting box 12 with a slot 13 along the rear face to receive the dirt. A cylindrical sweeping brush 14 is mounted on arms 11 behind the collecting box 12 to rotate about an axis parallel to the box 12 and sweep material on the floor 15 forward into the box 12. The box 12 has a trailing skirt 16 to deflect material upwards from the floor 15. A hood 17 covers the top of the brush 14.

The frame 10 of the machine is carried by two castor wheels 18 attached to brackets 19 at the front of the frame 10 and by a single road wheel 20 mounted within the rear part of the frame 10. The road wheel 20 is mounted centrally on a shaft 21 which extends across the frame 10 and is carried by bearings 22 on the side members of the frame 10.

The road wheel 20 is fitted with a rubber tyre 23 to ensure that it is rotated by contact with the ground 15 and the shaft 21 of the road wheel 20 is coupled to drive the brush 14 as will be described in more detail below.

To accommodate for wear of the brush 14 it is mounted on arms 11 which are pivotally mounted on the shaft 21 of the road wheel 20. Each arm 11 is fitted with a vertical bolt 9 on the brush end which extends through a thread hole in the frame 10 to engage a surface of the frame 10, fixedly securing the arm 11 in a required position. Screwing the bolt 9 in or out thus raises or drops the brush 14 relative to the wheels.

Upstanding bracket 24 on the frame 10 close behind the brush hood 17 and located approximately equidistant from the front and rear members of the frame 10 serve to support a pivot shaft 25 to which are attached two rearwardly-extending channel members 26 intended to receive the tines 27 of the fork of the fork-lift truck. The two channel members 26 are braced by a cross bar 28 joining their rear ends. Clamping screws 29 are provided to fasten the channel members 26 to the tines 27. The road wheel 20 is located between the two channel members 26.

Posts 30 on the rear member of the frame 10 limit the downward swing of the channel members 26 about the axis of the pivot shaft 25.

When the channel members 26 have been secured to the tines 27, the fork-lift truck can be used to push the sweeping machine over the floor 15. The frame 10 rides on the road wheel 20 and castors 18 and is free to tilt about the pivot shaft 25 as it passes over irregularities and changes of level ofthefloor 15.

Rotation of the road wheel 20 turns the brush 14 to sweep dirt into the collecting box 12. When the machine is lifted by the fork-lift truck the weight of the brush 14 and collecting box 12 at the front of the frame 10 ensures that the posts 30 on the rear member of the frame 10 engage with the channel members 26 to limit further tilting. The collecting box 12 can then be positioned over a container and the bottom 31 of the box 12 unlocked and allowed to swing open to release the contents into the container.

The drive from the road wheel 20 to the brush 14 is effected by a sprocket and chain transmission mounted adjacent one side of the frame 10. The shaft 21 of the road wheel 20 carries a large chain wheel 32 which is coupled by a first chain 33 to one of a pair of sprockets 34 on a common idler shaft 36.

The first chain 33 is tensioned by a jockey wheel 39 and a drive sprocket wheel 40 fixed on the brush shaft. The outside of the second chain 38, on one run between its end sprockets 39,40, is in contact with the other of the pair of sprockets 34 driven by the first chain 33. Thus a reverse drive is transmitted to the brush 14to turn it in the opposite sense to the road wheel 20.

Claims

1. A sweeping machine for attachment to a fork lift truck, the machine having a main frame structure, a cylindrical sweeping brush mounted on the frame structure, a collecting box to receive matter swept up by the brush, a coupling structure constructed to receive the lifting fork of the truck, supporting wheels, including a road wheel which is mounted on the frame structure, with its axis parallel to that of the brush, to roll over the surface to be swept and connected to rotate the brush in an opposite sense to that of the road wheel the connection comprising a chain wheel, driven by the road wheel and connected to drive a loop of chain by engaging the outer periphery of the chain, the chain being looped between an idler sprocket and a driven sprocket fixed to a shaft of the sweeping brush.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chain wheel is driven by the road wheel through a further loop of chain looped around a sprocket fixed to a shaft of the road wheel.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the road wheel consists of a single wheel mounted on a shaft in a laterally central position with respect to the frame.

4. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sweeping brush is mounted between the collecting box and the road wheel, the collecting box having a slot in its side adjacent the brush through which matter is received by the box.

5. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the collecting box includes a lockable hinged bottom surface and a trailing flap on the edge of that bottom surface nearest the brush to direct matter into the box.

6. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the brush is mounted between arms which are pivotally secured to the frame at an end of each arm remote from the brush, adjusting means being located on each arm adjacent the brush to vary the height of the brush relative to the frame structure.

7. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein castor wheels are mounted on the frame in front of the point about which the machine is pivotally suspended.

8. A machine substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.