GB734834A - Improvements in floor cleaning machines - Google Patents

Abstract

734,834. Floor cleaning machines; rotary brushes. COWLARD, Ltd., S. R. June 30, 1952 [March 30, 1951], No. 7474/51. Classes 19 and 138 (1). In a floor cleaning machine of the kind comprising a chassis mounted on wheels and/or castors and provided with a power-driven member for driving one or more brushes which rotate in a horizontal plane, each wheel and/or castor is mounted on the chassis for independent and continuously-variable adjustment so that the height of the chassis from the ground and thus the pressure on the brushes can be varied. On the chassis 10, Figs. 1, 3, which includes a top plate 11 with a peripheral flange 12, is mounted a U-shaped handle 34, 35, an electric motor 26 and a detachable cleansing liquid tank 37 having an outlet tap or taps 38. The chassis is supported on one or two front castor wheels 14 and two rear wheels 13, and wheel 14 or 13, Figs. 4, 5, being mounted on the end of stem 17 which screws into the plate 11 by means of a handle 19 and is lockable in adjusted position by a nut 20. The fork 16, Fig. 5, for the wheel 13 is secured to its associated stem 17 whereas the fork 21, Fig. 4, of the wheel 14 can rotate relatively to its stem. A pinion 28, Fig. 3, on the motor shaft 27 meshes with a gear-wheel 29 engaging another gear-wheel 29, each gear-wheel having secured thereto a disc 30 provided with keyhole slots 31 to detachably receive headed studs 32 mounted on the back of a star-shaped brush 15. Spaces 33 along each limb of the star are free from bristles to prevent them packing together. The brushes 15, Fig. 3, rotate in opposite directions and their paths of rotation overlap. Steel brushes may be used for very dirty floors. Instead of the taps 38 a pair of discharge pipes controlled by a needle valve operable from the handle 34, 35 may be used. Four brushes may be provided and the chassis may carry an additional tank for receiving dirty water collected by means of a nozzle mounted at the rear of the chassis, suction then being caused by an impeller motor. Switches for the motor 26 and impeller motor, if provided, may be mounted on the handle. According to the Provisional Specification the needle valve may be spring- loaded to a closed position and connected by a cable to the handle control. Also the suction nozzle may be a " fish-tail," spring-loaded into contact with the floor and raised or lowered by a cable controlled from the handle. Furthermore, the dirty liquid tank is provided with baffle means.