US1181995A

US1181995A - Floor-cleaner.

Info

Publication number: US1181995A
Application number: US5488015A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hezekiah H Crawford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-10-08
Filing date: 1915-10-08
Publication date: 1916-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1933-05-09

Description

H. H. CRAWFORD.

FLOOR CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED 001.8. 1915.

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Witnesses Attorneys HEZEKIAH H. CRAWFORD, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, invio..

Application filed October 8, 1915. Serial No. 54,880.

To all whom At may concern:

Be it known that I, HEZEKIAH H. CRAW- ronn, a citizen of the United States, residing at. El Paso, in the count)7 of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Floor-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is a device for cleaning orscrubbing ioors, and aims to provide a novel and improved device of that character.

It is the object of the inventionto provide a fioor cleaner embodyinga continuous belt or apron adapted to be actuated and to move upon the iioor for cleaning or scrubbing the same, the device having means for supplying water to Vthe belt, means for wringing the dirty water from the belt and caching it, and means for tightening the be t.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention hereinv disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof, portions being broken away. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional details taken on the linesl 4-4, 5-5 and G-6, respectively, of Fig. 1.

In carrying o ut the invention, there is employed an elongated tapered casing 1 constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material, and comprising the upper and lower longitudinal sections 2 and 3 of channel-shape and having their edges bent back and interloclred, as at 4, for securing the sections together. The sections are slid together by a longitudinal movement relative to one another,[and the casing is' ordinarily inclined in use, the upper end of the sections 2 and 3 being closed, and being overlapped and secured together, as at 5. rllhe lower end of the casing 1 is open, as at 6.

Bars 7 are secured to the sides of the casing adjacent the upper end thereof and projecting beyond said end, and the projecting ends of said bars 7 are connected by a cross handle 8 whereby said handle may be grasped for pushing or moving the device over the floor.

A transverse roller 9 is mounted within the casing adjacent the upper end thereof, and is provided with terminal runnions 10 journaled between rollers 11 carried by the sides of the upper section 2 of the casing, whereby the roller 9 will rotate easily. A

hand crank 12 upon the outside of the casing is attached to one trunnion 10, whereby said crank can be rotated for rotating the roller 9. rl`he crank 12 can be operated by one hand while the other hand is used for grasping the handle 8. T he roller 9 iscomposed of rubber or other equivalent material. A second transverse roller 18 of rub ber or equivalent material is carried by the casing beyond the open end 6 thereof, said roller 18 being mounted upon a transverse shaft or axle 14 terminally engaged with the protruding arms 15 of an arched or yoke-shaped slide 16 movable snugly within the casing adjacent the open end thereof.

An endless belt or apron 17 is trained or passed around the rollers 9 and 13, that portion of the belt which passes around the roller 13 being exposed so as to move upon the floor. The belt 17 may be of any suitable construction, and may be provided with bristles if desired.

rlhe slide 1G is adjusted for tightening or loosening the belt, and to this end, a transverse shaft 18 is journaled through the side portions of the slide. A spacing sleeve 19 is preferably mounted upon the shaft 18 between the side portions of the slide, to hold said slide in shape. rllhe projecting termi- `nals of the shaft 18 work withiny longitudinal slots 2O with which the side of the casing is provided, and gear wheels 21. are keyed upon the shaft 18 within the slots 20, and mesh with rack teeth 22 along the lower edges of the slots 20, whereby when the shaft 18 is rotated, the slide 16 will be moved in one direction or the other for loosening or tightening the belt. The shaft 18 has a head 23 at each end, and a rod 24 is slidable diametrically through one'of the heads 23, and has an angularly extending terminal or finger 25 engageable inwardly through an aperture 2G with which the respective side of the casing is provided beyond the end of the respective slot 20. rlhe rod 24 is flexible or resilient, whereby the l i finger 25 canibelwithdrawn from the aper ture 26, and the finger 25 may then be swung. outwardly, whereby the rod 24 provides a crank for enabling the shaft l18 to be rotated easily. This allows the belt to be tightened orloosened, as desired, and after the belt has been adjusted properly, the linger 25 being brought adjacent the aperture vor closed end thereof. The terminals of the aXle orshaft 28 are engaged with a pair of bars `29 slidable through the closed end of the casing,and.projecting into housings 30 engaged with the handle 8 and bolted or otherwiseattached to: the closed end of the casing. 'Coiled wire expansion springs 31 are disposed within the housings 3() between blocks 32 therein and collars 33 secured upon the bars 29, whereby the springs 31 force the bars or vstems 29 inwardly to move the roller 27 toward the roller 9 for wringing or squeezing the water from the belt 17. The blocks 32 slidably receive the outer ends of therbars 29 to assist in guiding said barsfor proper movement. s A water tank or reservoir 34 1s mounted lwithin the casing between the ends thereof,

Y and isdisposed between the upper and lower Y runs Vof the belt 17, the edge portions of the tank whichV is flat being secured to the sides of the Leasing 'to be properly supported thereby. The tank 34 embodies lower and upper channel-shaped sections 35-36 having their flanges overlapped and secured together, as seen in Fig. 3, and said flanges are secured to the sides ofthe casing section 2. The upper run of the belt 17 moves within the upper section 36 of the tank, or over the tank. The upper end of the tank 34 has ywater readily.

one or more air vents 37, preferably providedwith check orball valves 38, to pre-- vent the escape of water, but to allow the in- Gne side of the tank 34 is provided adjacent the upper end of the tank with an outstanding nipple 39 projecting through the respective side of the casing, and normally closed by a removable screw cap 40. This cap 40 may be removed to enable the tank to be filled with Attached to the lower end f of the Vtank is a pet cock 41 whose spigot or valve 42 has a handle 43 projecting through the respective side of the casing, whereby said valve may be operated from the eXterior of the casing. .The pet cock 41 is attached to" and discharges into a transverse pipe144 forming a.v discharge nozzle. The

casing for cleaning it out.

ends of the pipe 44 are attached to the ex- 'tensionsA 45 of the edge portions of the flat tank 34, whereby the pipe 44 is carried by the tank. The pipe 44 has a series of apertures 46 directed toward the lower run of the belt, whereby the water is sprayed from the pipe 44 onto the lower run of the belt. l/Vhen the valve 42 is opened, the water is free to flow into the pipe 44 so as to be sprayed onto the belt.

Secured within or upon the lower section 3 of the casing is an elongated fiat receptacle 47 for catching the dirty water, the upper end of the receptacle 47 being open and being disposed below the roller 27, whereby the dirty water wrung from the belt will flow downwardly into the receptacle 47 to be caught thereby. One side of the receptacle 47 has an outstanding nipple 48 adjacent the lower end of said receptacle and projecting through the respective side of the section 3, and normally closed by a removable screw cap 49. The cap 49 may be removed for draining the dirty water from the receptacle 47.

The upper end of the section 3 is offset, and the offset portion is provided with a nipple 50, normally closed by a removable screw cap 51, and said cap 51 may be removed, whereby water can be run into the A bail-shaped handle 52 is terminally pivoted to the top of the casing, as at 53, between the ends thereof, and can be used in connection with the handle 8 for carrying or manipulating the casing.

The upper end of the casing is supported bymeans of a pair of legs 54 having their upper ends pivotcd, as at 55, to the bottom of the casing adjacent the upper end thereof, and each of the legs 54 has a rearwardly projecting arm 56 connected by a retractile spring 57 with the casing, whereby the springs 57 tend to swing the legs 54 to vertical position, for properly supporting the casing. lVheels 58 are pivotcd to the lower ends of the legs 54 to run upon the floor, said wheels being preferably pivoted between the lower ends of the legs 54 and the limbs of a yoke 59 attached to a cross piece 60 secured to the legs. A spacing sleeve 61 is preferably disposed upon the handle 8, to hold the housings 30 and bars separated, and this sleeve 61 can rotate upon the handle for the convenience of the opcrater.

In use, after the fresh water tank 34 is filled, the valve 43 is opened, to allow the water to be sprayed onto the lower run of the belt as desired. The crank 12 is then Arotated in the proper direction, to move either run kof the belt downwardly, and at the same time, the casing is pushed or moved about upon the floor. The moistened belt is thus moved downwardly into engagement with the.1oor,`fo1 cleaning or scrubbing the same, and the dirty water will be absorbed by the belt and carried upwardly with the upper or lower run of the belt. The dirty water is wrung from the belt between the ro-llers 9 and 27, and the dirty water is caught by the receptacle 47. The dirty water may be drained off from time to time by removing the cap 49.

The present device provides an easy and convenient means for cleaning or scrubbing the floor, and is of advantage for obvious reasons.

A catch 62 is secured to the bottom of the casing for engaging the cross piece 60 when the legs 64 are swung against the casing out of the way, whereby the legs will be held in such position, until they are released manually.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A floor cleaner comprising an elongated inclined casing having its lower end open, a roller carried by the casing adjacent the open end thereof, a second roller mounted within the casing adjacent the upper end thereof, means for rotating the sec- 0nd roller, a belt trained around said rollers, a water tank disposed between the upper and lower runs of the belt and secured to the sides of the casing, the water tank having a iilling nipple projecting through one side ofthe casing, the casing havin@ a water re ceptacle therein below the said tank and belt and having an open upper end below the second roller, and a spring pressed roller within the casing cooperating with the second roller to provide a wringer for wringing the water from the belt, the tank having spraying means to wet the belt. Y

2. A iioor cleaner comprising an elongated inclined casing comprising upper and lower channel-shaped sections having their edges bent back and interlocked, the upper ends of said sections being closed and attached together, the lower end of the casing being open, a roller carried by the casing adjacent the open end thereof, a second roller mounted within the casing adjacent the upper end thereof, means for rotating the seco-nd roller, a belt trained around said roll-V y water from the belt.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing having one end open, a slide movable within the casing adjacent the open end thereof and having arms projecting there from, a roller mounted between said arms, a second roller mounted within the casing adjacent the opposite end thereof, a belt trained around said rollers, a shaft extending through said slide and having a gear, one side of the casing having a slot in which said shaft works Vand having rack teeth along one edge with which said gear meshes, and means for rotating and holding said shaft. v

4. In a device of the character described, a casing having one end open, a slide movable within the casing adjacent the open end thereof and having arms projecting there from, a roller mounted between the arms, a second roller mounted within the casing adjacent the opposite end thereof, a belt trained around sad rollers, a shaft extending through said slide and having a gear, one side of the casing having a slot in which said shaft works and having rack teeth along one edge with which said gear meshes, and a rod slidably engaging one end of said shaft and havingV an angularly extending finger, the casing having an aperture for receiving said finger.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HEZEKIAI-I H. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

Il. W. FOSTER, R. B. Ruolo.

@epics el.' thlla patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of atents, Washington, D. C.