US1069628A - Valve mechanism for pneumatic scrubbing appliances. - Google Patents

Description

A. E. MOORHEAD.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC SGRUBBING APPLIANCES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1909.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

- INVENTOR WITNESSES A TTORNE Y COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu., WASHINGTON, u. c.

UNITED STATS PATENT @FETQE ALBERT E. MOORI-IEAD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO AMERICAN ROTARY VALVE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC SCRUBIBING- APPLIANCES.

Application filed October 20, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. Moonirnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanism for Pneumatic Scrubbing Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a combined scrubbing and vacuum cleaning apparatus.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the valve, viewed from the other side from that shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a bent suction pipe, clamped, as shown at 2, to a flexible pipe 3 leading to a suction pump.

4 indicates a pipe secured at one end to a hollow handle 5, flexibly connected with the back of a brush 6, from which depend bristles 7 and flexible tubes 8 interspersed between the bristles. The brush itself forms no part of my present invention.

9 indicates a valve casing having a cylindrical extension 10 provided with an axially arranged passage and within which is contained one end of a union 11, the other end of which is connected to the pipe t. Said casing has opposite to, and in line with, the first extension second cylindrical extension 12 internally threaded at its outer end to receive the externally threaded end of the bent pipe 1. Said casing is also formed with a cylindrical arcuate chamber 13, having an annular shoulder 14: to receive a valve seat 15 which has a flange 16 confined between said shoulder 14 and the threaded end of the pipe 1. One end of said arcuate valve chamber 13 opens into the passage leading to the suction pipe while its other end extends laterally beyond said passage. The passage through the extension 10 opens into said arcuate valve chamber in line with said suction pipe. Passing through, and rotating in, the sides of the casing is a rock shaft 17, upon which is secured within the casing, a circular flap valve 18 and without the casing a thumb or handle piece 19, so that, upon depressing said thumb piece the valve is raised. Said casing is closed at the top by a cover 20 secured by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 5,1913.

Serial No. 523,654.

screws 21 and having formed integral'therewith a valve casing 22 having a valve seat 23. Said valve casing is closed at one end by a cap 24-, and at the other end by a gland 25 through which passes a valve stem 26 having a milled head or handle 27, and connected to a conical valve 28 which is normally pressed by a spring 29 against the valve seat 23 formed in said casing. Entering into that part of the interior of the valve casing which lies between the valve 28 and the cap 24 is a water supply pipe 31. The cover 20 is formed with an aperture 32 constituting a discharge port connecting the valve casing 22 with the interior of the valve casing 9. The following is the mode of operating the device. The connection to the suction pump being opened and suction thus being created in the bent tube 1, and the thumb piece 19 of the flap valve 18 being free from the hand of the operator, the flap valve 18 is held closed by the partial vacuum created in the tube 1. The operator then, by means of his thumb applied to the head 27 pushes in the valve stem 26, opening the valve 28 against the pressure of the spring 29. Water from the pipe 31 flows under pressure into the chamber 22, past the valve seat 23 and through the aperture 32 into the interior of the casing 9 and by the pipe 4: to the brush, whence it flows through the flexible tubes 8 on to the floor or other surface which is to be scrubbed. In this position of the valves 19 and 28 the pipe 4: and the extension 10 becomes an outlet for the water. When a sufficient amount Oi water has been permitted to flow on to said surface, the operator removes his thumb from the head 27 of the stem, whereby the conical valve 28 immediately closes by the action of the spring, 29, arresting the further supply of water. After sufiiciently scrubbing the floor to which the water has thus been supplied, the operator then applies his thumb to the thumb piece 19 and deprcsse the same to open the valve 18 thereby establishing communication between the pipe l and the extension 10 with the pipe 1 leading to the suction pump. With the valves 19 and 28 in this position, the pipe a and the extension 10 becomes an inlet for the dirty scrubbing water. The water is drawn to said suction pump from the pipe 1-, and also from the interior of the tubes 8 in the brush and from the surface of the floor or other surface to be cleaned, which latter water has commingled with the dust and dirt upon the floor in the act of scrubbing, so that the dirty water from said surface is drawn to, and through, the suction pump, and discharged in any suitable manner. One portion of the surface having been thus cleaned, the operator releases the thumb piece 19 and again presses inward the milled head 27, thereby supplying fresh water to another portion of the surface to be'cleaned, and then after scrubbing to a sufficient extent, depressing the thumb piece 19 to open the valve 18, and permitting the water which has collected the impurities on said surface to flow to the suction pump in the same manner as before, and so on indefinitely. By this means the operator can supply water to a surface, and remove the dirty water therefrom by the mere operation of transferring the pressure of the thumb of the hand which holds the device from one to the other of two valve controlling elements. Thereby the operation of scrubbing can be performed very easily and expeditiously.

I claim 1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a valve casing provided with top, bottom and side walls forming a valve chamber and having three ports or passages opening thereinto, two of said ports or passages being oppositely disposed and opening into the lower part of said valve chamber through the side walls thereof and the third port or passage opening into said valve chamber through the top wall thereof and arranged to discharge a fluid into \said valve chamber in the space between said oppositely disposed ports or passages, pipes, one in communication with each of said ports or passages, a flap valve pivotally mounted in said valve chamber, adapted to be swung toward and for closing one of said oppositely disposed ports or passages, said flap valve being normally retained in closed posit-ion and adapted to be. swung into the upper part of said valve chamber and out of the space between said oppositely disposed ports or passages, a lever arm located without the casing and having operative connection with said fiap' valve, a second valve adapted for normally closing said third port or passage, and means for opening said second valve.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a valve casing provided with a straight wall and an arcuate wall forming a sector-shaped valve chamber and two oppositely disposed ports or passages opening into said valve chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, one through the arcuate wall and the other through the straight wall thereof, pipes, one in communication with each of said oppositely disposed ports or passages, a rock-shaft journaled in said valve casing, a flap valve connected with said rock-shaft and adapted to swing in said valve chamber, said flap Valve being adapted for closing the port or passage in the straight wall and normally retained in closed position, a lever arm located without the casing and connected with said rockshaft, a second valve casing located above and rigid with the first-named casing and having a chamber provided with a discharge port or passage opening into the upper part of said sector-shaped valve chamber, said second valve chamber being provided with an inlet port and with a valve seat between said inlet and said discharge ports, a normally closed valve coacting with said valvcseat, and means operable from the outside of said second casing for opening said normally closed valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT E. MOORE-LEAD. lVitnesses FRANCIS M. VRIGHT, D. B. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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