US1275747A - Automatic vacuum-cleaner. - Google Patents

Description

G, v. RASMUSSEN. AUTOMATIC VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLI CATION FILED FEB. 16. l9ll.

' Patented Aug. 13, 1918 IIVVENTOR GEORGE M HASMUSSEN ATTORNEYS GEORGE V. RASMUSSEN,OF NEW YORK, N; Y.

AUTOMATIC VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918 Application filed February 16, 1911. Serial No. 009,007.

To all whom it may concern. Be' it known that L'Gnoncn V. Rasmussen, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the cit of NewYork, county of. Rich mond, an State of New York, have invented certain newlanduseful Improvements in Automatic Vacuum Gleaners, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners, or sweepers as they are sometimes called. More particularly my invention relatesto a type of vacuum cleaner in which the cleansing tool and the suction producing mechanism is incorporated into asingle compact and organized structure which is moved as a whole over the floor or surface to be cleaned with the cleansing tool in contact with said surface the suction being automatically pro duced by virtue and in consequence of such movement. I therefore provide a manually operated cleaner which requires but one person for its operation. t a i The object of my invention is to provide a cleaner as aforesaid, which can be guided and operated by one person, which requires no power other than that expended by the operator as he movesit. over the fioor, which holdsthe cleaning tool proper with constant hll pressure and at a suitable, preferably constant, angletothe surface whlch is being cleaned while at the same time providing adjustment for any inequalities 1n said surface, and which provides further a uniform, continuous and ample suction for the purposes intended. A further object of my invention is to provide a cleaner as aforesaid of simple construction with all parts easily and quickly accessible, and of durable construction. Other objects will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a preferred form of cleaner made according to my invention; Fig. 2 represents the same in rear elevation; Fig. 3 represents a central lon itudinal section taken along the line 3-3 Fig. 2; and Fig. 4: is a plan view from above of the same cleaner.

Referring to the drawings, a main casmg 1 of wood or sheet metal is carried upon a system of four wheels 2 arranged in palrs, and provided with a yoke 3, pivotally attached to the casing, having a handle Arranged oppositely to one another withm the casing are fixed members 5 and 5 of two bellows 6 and 6 these members extendclear across the casing and ing substantiall he sides and bottom of said forming with t casing a rectangular suction chamber 7 a cover 8 having attached thereto a dust bag 9 closes the-suction chamber above. Downwardly convexed leaf- springs 10 and 11 pivoted to the casing at 12 and adapted to be swung down over said cover so as to be fastened in position by catches 13 are provided to hold this cover in position; leaf spring '11 has-riveted to its under side a subcover 14 adapted to engage snugly a suitable opening in cover 8 and giving access to the interior of the dust bag.

An inlet fixture 15, hollowed below to correspond with an opening in the cover 8,

is fixed to the top of said cover and provided with a nozzle 16 over which is slipped I a piece of flexible rubber tubing 17 the other end of saidtubing being engaged with the end of the tube 18 which carries at its extremity the cleaning tool proper 19. Tube 18 is carried upon the front end of casin 1 by two brackets 20 and21 carrying co-axlal bearings 20, 21, the latter being set somewhat in advance of the former, in which tube 18 is slidably held. An adjustable screw nut 22 fixed to tube 18 a little above bearing 21' forms an abutment between which and bracket 20' is fitted a spiral spring 23 which operates to press tube 18 downwardly'until stopped by a second adjustable nut 24 abutting against the top of upper bracket 20'. By means of the two nuts 22 and 24 the pressure with which the cleaning tool 19 engages the surface to be cleaned may be adjusted.

Each bellows 6 and 6' is provided with a movable member 25 and 25 connected by a link 26, 26 to a crank 27, 27' formed at the center of the two axles joining the two pairs of wheels and to which the wheels are rigidly fixed. Each axle is rotatably supported in bearings 28, 28 attached to the inclined front and back of easing 1.

Opposite ends of each axle just within the wheels 2 are provided with oppositely turned cranks 29, 29, the cranks belonging to wheels on each side of the case being joined by links 30. The central cranks 27 27' are set, with reference to one another, at an angle of so that when one bellows is fully expanded the other is fully closed and vice versa, the bellows being operated alternately. i

each bellows is provided with flap valves 31 in the usual way, so that as each bellows opens air is drawn up through the cleaning tool 19 the tubes 18, 17 and the fixture 15 through the dust bag 9 into said bellows, and as the bellows closes said volume of air is passed out through the movable member into the atmosphere.

To prevent the. suction from either bellows drawing up the dust bag 9 against the fixed member of said bellows so as to stop off the opening of its flap valve I prefer to attach a still rectangular bottom 32 to the lower end of said dust ha and to said bottom a pair of longitudinal y arranged strips 33 extending over nearly theentire space between the bellows members 5 and 5 which form-the opposite sides of suction chamber 7. This bottom and strips also serve to kee the dust bag fully extended and disten ed and from becoming twisted in any axles to which they wa in the suction chamber.

he cleaning tool 19 has swiveled engagement with the tube 18 and is joined, near opposite ends, to the casing 1 by spiral springs 34.

In operation my improved cleaner is simly moved forward and backward,-or either orward or backward, the direction of movement being immaterial, by means of the handle 4 over the surface to be cleaned; should the cleaning tool 19 press against said surface with too much or too little pressure a turn or two given to the adjustable nuts 22 and 24 will enable the desired quality of engagement to be quickly secured. this movement takes place the wheels 2 are revolved as one system turning the two are fixed and alternately operating the bellows 6 and 6 through the central cranks 27, 27 and links 26, 26' so as to produce a substantially continuous suction in the suction chamber 7 resulting in a continuous inrush of dust laden air into and through the dust ba 9 the dust remaining behind within said ag.

Should the cleaning tool 19 meet with an obstruction as to either end while my cleaner is being1 operated the tool will turn pivotally upon t e tube 18 against the resistance of the springs 34 but will be instantly restored to position when the obstruction is removed.

This condition is most likely to take place when the cleaner is run too close to a wainscotingor piece of furniture and at an angle. Cleaning tools of any desired type may readily be substituted for the tool shown in the drawings by disengaging the springs 34, any known type of removable swivel joint being employed for holding the cleaning tool in place.

0 remove the dust and clean out the dust bag it is only necessary to lift the two leaf springs 10 and 11 and remove the bag by lifting away the cover 8; the dustand bearin surface to be cleaned at speeds approximately those used with known suction cleaning tools connected with stationary or other suction a paratus. There being but few t ese may be made of the most approve type without materially adding to the cost of construction so that most of the power required to o erate the cleaner goes to the working of e bellows and the production of suction.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner the combination of a casing provided with a suction chamber, wheels supporting said casing, a cleaning tool carried by said casing and adapted to be turned with respect thereto about an upright axis, springs for resisting said tuming movement, a suction pump attached to said casing, a dust be within the suction chamber between the c eaning tool and the suction pum and means connected with the wheels and t e suction pump for operating said ump.

2. a vacuum cleaner of the class described the combination of a casing, a cleaning tool carried by said casing and rotatably and vertically movable relatively thereto, resilient means for pressing said tool downwardly and resilient means for resisting a rotative movement thereof.

3. In a vacuum cleaner of the class described the combination of a bracket, a cleaning tool slidably and pivotally supported by said bracket, springs engaging said bracket and said tool for pressing the latter downward, and springs engaged with said tool for resistin its pivotal movement.

4. In a vacuum 0 eaner of the class described the combination of a pivotally and slidably supported clean tool adapted to move up and down, yie ding means for pressing said tool downward, and yielding means for resisting ivotal movement.

5. In a vacuum 0 eaner of the class described the combination of a pivotally and slidably supported cleaning tool adapted to move up and down, and yielding means for pressing said tool downward, said downwardly acting yielding means being adjustable as to the force it exer 6. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a casing carried upon wheels and provided with a suction chamber, a cleaning tool carried by said casing and adapted to turn about an upright axis, yielding means for resisting said turning movement, and a suction pump operatively connected with said wheels for drawing air through the cleaning tool to the suction chamber.

7. In a vacuum cleaner, a support, a cleaning tool movably carried thereby, means for positionmg' said tool at var distances from the surface on which tool is operating and a spring exerting a downward pressure on said tool. v

8. In a vacuum cleaner asupport, a cleaning tool movably carried thereby, means for positioning said tool at varying distances from the surface on which said tool is operating, a spring exerting a downward pres- 15 sure on said tool and means for adjusting the tension of said ssring to vary the' degree oflplressure upon sai tool.

testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handin the presence of two subscribing 20 wltnesses.

GEORGE V. RASMUSSEN.

Witnesses:

Emu G. Wnmromm, Jomr A. Knnmmmcx.

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