US1036365A - Cleaning apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

E. C. STAFFORD.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAE. 6, 1909.

LSSD f Fatented Aug.20,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 n H if WITNESSES: INVENTOH E. C. STAFFORD.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 11.4.3.6, 1909.

lj. Patented Aug.20,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WiTNEssEs: aNvENToR AQLAQ?? TTnn sTATEgs TATTNT ermee.

EARL C. STAFFORD, OF WILKINSB'URG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HOWARD SMALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND CHARLES ADUREN, 0F BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom, ifm/ay concem:

Be it known that I, EARL C. STAFFORD, residing at Wilkinsburg', in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the, United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Apparatus, Dof which improvements the following is an specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements C in apparatus for cleaning floors, carpets, etc., and has for its object a construction and combination of parts or elements whereby the apparatus may be employed to clean carpets, etc., the dirt being drawn up through and from the carpet, or as a blowing apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a receptacle permeable only by air for the collection of dirt and dust, such receptacle being capable of being removed with the contained dirt, etc., and another substituted therefor.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my 'improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the vacuum chamber and exhaust pump on an enlarged scale and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the exhaust pump.

ln the practice of my invention the parts of the apparatus, consisting of an air pump' and vacuum chamber, are preferabl mounted on a truckV 1 for convenience o moving the apparatus. rThe vacuum chamber 2 is connected to the inlet of the air pump, which is preferably of the rota`ry type, so that there will vbe a steady pull of air through the chamber 2. The head or cover 3 of the chamber has an air tight seat, preferably countersunk, as at 4, in a ring 5 which is seated on a packing ring 6 in a groove in the upper end of vacuum chamber 2, as shown 1n Fig. 2. l

The head or cover is provided on its under side with an annular flange 7 projecting down into the vacuum chamber, and on its upper side withan inlet chamber 8, which is connected to the vacuum chamber by a port or opening 9 within the flange 7 The head or cover 1s rovidedv with a nozzle 10 communicating with the inlet chamber and adapted to be connected to a flexible pipe 11 when cleaning. Tn order to regulate the vacuum, a normally closed inlet valve is provided to admit air at some point between, the cleaning head and the exhaust apparatus. This valve is preferably adja- .cent to the inlet chamber 8 as for example 1n the nozzle 10, and consists of a shell 12 screwing into an opening in the nozzle and a valve 13 arranged to close in the inner end of the shell. The valve is held closed by a spring 14 surrounding the stem of the valve and interposed between the end of the shell and a nut 15 screwing onto the stem.

The valve mechanism is so constructed that it is held closed by the spring 14 act- 1ng agamst atmospheric pressure on the valve, so that by adjusting the tension of the spring any deslred vacuum may be obtained without varying the speed of the pump, and by pressing on the stem of the valve, the vacuum can be entirely destroyed or reduced to a minimum.

A dirt receptacle 16 permeable to air, but impermeable to dust or dirt is arranged in such manner within the chamber that the air drawn in through the nozzle must pass through the receptacle .on its way to the pump, so that any dust or dirt entering with the air, will be retained by the receptacle and the receptacle held in operative or receptive condition by the inflow of air. This receptacle is preferably formed o f a suitable fabric inthe form of a bagfand is detachably secured by'a spring ring 17 to the annular flange 7. f This construction permits of the easy removal of the receptacle, the cover being held in position by atmospherlc pressure. EX erience has shown that very fine particles o dust will pass through a single thickness of material suiciently porous to permit of the passage of air. It has been attempted to overcome this escape by employing1 two thicknesses ofA material in forming t e receptacle, but it has been found that such a receptacle becomes clogged, and is very difficult to clean, the dust lodging between the two layers of cloth. By arrangmg the receiving receptacle 16 within a secondreceptacle 18 formed of material permeable to air, the walls of the receptacles being separated or out of contact, so that the retardation of the air caused in passing through the walls of the inner receptacle may be overcome to some extent in the space vbetween the two receptacles.' As above stated when two receptacles formed Patented Aeg. 2o, 1912.

distance that the air and particles carried through the first, can acquire a considerable velocity, it is found that some of the dust,l

etc., will be carried through the first and also through the second, due to the velocity acquired between the two receptacles. This outer receptacle may be supported in any suitable manner but is preferably secured toA v a flange 19 on the ring y 5, supportingthis cover. This -construction permits of the easy removal of the outer receptacle for cleaning.

The inlet chamber 8 is preferably formed by a glass bell resting on a packing ring on the cover .3, and held in place by a rod 20 attached to .the cover and passing up through the bell, anda nut 21 screwing onto the rod. By making the walls of the inlet transparent the operation of the apparatus can be watched, and the necessity of any7 change immediately determined.

It has heretofore been the practice to employ a centrifugal failin carpet cleaning apparatus, thus necessitating a high speed of rotation of the fan to obtain a sufficient vacuum to remove any dirt and with the most efficient fan a vacuum sufficientI to draw the dirt under the carpet through the latter could not be Vobtained within reasonable limits of operating expenses. In lieu of such fan I employ a positively operating rotary pump and' can obtain any required vacuum by small changes in speed of the pump.

This pump consists of a shell or cylinder 22 having one head as 23, provided with a tubular bearing 24 eccentrically arranged, as shown in Fig. 3. A blade o erating drum 25 is arranged within the cylinder and has its journal 26 mounted in the bearing 24. The drum is made of such a diameter that when its journaln is mounted in the bearing 24, the outer periphery of the drum will be nearly in contact with the inner periphery of the cylinder for a short peripheral distance. The blades 27 are provided at their inner ends with sleeves 28 for the reception.

of the supporting spindle 29, which has its slotted cylindrical blocks 32 are mounted inv the slots in the drum, the blade passing through the slots in the blocks.

The pump may be operated by any suitable-motor preferably an electric motor con- Sstructed to be operated by the usual incandescent light current. In cleaning carpets the flexible pipe having a suitable exhaust head 33 is'connected to the nozzle 11, but when the apparatus is to be used for blowing, a flexible pipe is attached to the outlet pipe 34 of the pump.

'I claim herein as my invention:

l. In a cleaning machine, the combination of a chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports or openings, depending receptacles having permeable walls arranged vin the chamber, one within but separated from the other, the receptacles being so arranged that the inlet port will discharge into the inner receptacle, and means for maintaining a practically uniform flo/w df air through "the chamber and receptacles.I

2. In a cleaning machine, the combination of a chamber'provided with inlet and outlet ports or openings, depending receptacles having permeable walls arranged in the chamber, one within but separated from the other, the receptacles being so arranged that the inlet port will discharge intothe inner receptacle, said outer receptacle being adapt- -ed to be maintained separated from said inner receptacle by the flow of air through said ports. v v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

' EARL C. STAFFORD.

Witnesses:

' CHARLES BARNETr, EDWARD F. MosER.

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