US1483972A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19 1924. 1483 H. E. HOOVER 7 972 SUCTICN CLEANER Filed June 10 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb., 19 1924.

` H. E. HOOVER suc'rIoN CLEANER Filed June 10 19518 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 TIIFII Feb. 19 ,A 1924.

H.*E. HOOVER `SUCTIQN CLEANER Filed June Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

HOWARD EARL HOOVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR,

BY Mnsnn ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE HOOVER COMPANY, OF'NORTH CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHO.

S UCTION CLEANER.

AApplication filed J'une 1o, 1918. Serial No. 239,090.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD EARL Hoovnn, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Suction Cleaners, of which the following is a specication.

4My invention relates to improvements in suction SWeepers. It has for one object to provide a new and improved --form of sweeper which will be low in height and therefore well adapted to travel under furniture for cleaning purposes, which, can be easily assembled and disassembled, light in weight, durable, smooth running and inexpensive to manufacture. Other objects of my invention vwill appear from time to time in the specifica-tion. y

The invention' is illustrated more or less "diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 1S a side elevation;

Figure 2 is a plan View vwith parts in section;

Figure 3 is a section;

Figure 4 is of Fig. l;

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the hose pipe connection in place.

Figure 6 is an end view of the end closing cap and shaft with nut removed;

Like parts are indicated by similar figures in all the drawings.

A is a laterally extended elongated suction nozzle housing having a downwardly extended open suction mouth A1. Integral with this housing and extending rearwardly from it is a fan casing A2. This fan casing is open on one side as indicated and is bounded on the other side by a wall A3 which divides the casing into the fan chamber AAx and a suction chamber A5, the wall A3 being apertured as at A6 in register with an aperture A7 inthe outer wall A8 of the suction chamber. This `aperture is closed by a removable cap A1" flanged as at A10 held in vposition .by the clip member A11 and the spring A12 engaging the screw A13. Extending rearwardly and tangentially from front elevation with parts in a section along the line 4-4 the fan chamber is a discharge passage A14 terminating in an extended 'ange A1.

B is a roller or wheel mounted for rotation on a cylindrical sleeve B1. Through this cylinder sleeve is passed a stud B2 having a head B3 adapted to engage a bracket B4 projecting outwardly from the housing A2. This bracket B4 is slotted as at B5. A washer B on the stud B2 engages the end of the sleeve B1. A similar washer B7 engages the other end of the sleeve and is engaged by al nut Bs screw-threaded on the stud so that tightening up of this nut compresses the washer between the nut and the head and locks the whole assembly in adjusted positionalong vthe slotv B5 with respect to the bracket B4 thereby making possible to raise or lower the height' of the rear end of the suction cleaner from the floor and thereby raise and lower the suction mouth toward or from the floor by rotating it aboutthe supporting wheels B9 B9 which l are rotatably mounted on brackets B10 B10. These wheels are not adapted to be adjusted in height but the studs are present asin connection with the wheel B and the sleeve washer arrangement wheels may be locked in position by compression of the sleeve, but this does not affect the rotation of the wheel on the sleeve. Attention is called to the fact that the wheels adjacent the nozzle are 'turned' inward, and that the suction mouth and the nozzle overhang a considerable distance beyond the front -supporting wheels, thereby making it possible to run the cleanerl along the edge of a rug without danger of the wheels dropping oft' the rug onto the fioor or causing the nozzle to bind on the carpet or rug itself.

C is a motor housing closed at one end as indicated, and provided at the other end with a flange C1 adapted to be 'fastened on to the open side of the fan housingA2 to close it. Within this motor housing is a motor not here shown, but it drives afan shaft C2. rIhis shaft carries the fan Cs housing or chamber A", and also a pulley b4 located within the suction chamber A5. This pulleyv C4 drives an open belt C which in turn travels'on a pulley C6 on the brush C7 and rotates it. This brush C7 is made' up' in the fan( is the same so that the once about the brush and. reachin from end to end thereof. lllhie brush' body is enlarged at the ends as at C10, and these enlar 'ed ends or cups contain the oilless bearing sleeves C11, which bearings rotate on the brush shaft C12.

rli`he end walls oi the suction nozzle are apert'ured as at D and each aperture is closed by a removable cap D1 which cap is flanged as at D2. Each flange has projecting radially outwardly therefrom at one `point a lug E'provided with a stud D in register with a series of holes D5 arranged about the periphery of the aperture D. The shaft C12 passes through one of these caps D1y at each end and is shouldered as at D to limit movement of the cap and shaft. D" is a nut screwed on a reduced end of the shaft C12, whereby by tightenin it u the cap and shaft may be rigidly astene together.

The ends of the shaft C12 are Hattened at either end asv at D11 and these flattened ends engage the Hat sided or irregular shaped holes D12 in the caps D1 so that when you rotate the cap at one end of the shaft you rotate the cap at the othgr end through the same angle and it would be possible to dispense with the means for holding one of the caps against rotation and rely on the shaft passing through to keep it from rotating when the one on the other end is held but, of course, it is better to make them both the same and thus make assurance doubly sure.

shouldered makes it impossible for too great tightening of the nuts on the shaft to jamb the caps D1 against the ends of the bearings.

Thus, no matter how tight you lock thecaps will result in moving the-shaft up or? down to raise or lower the brush toward or' from the floor for the purpose ofadjustment. -This'of course can only be done when.

the nuts are released and the paps are pulled out enough so that the pins on the lugs come out of the holes to permit rotary movement or adjustment.W Da is an annular ilange exi' tending inwardly from each cap surrounding the* flange D9 on the endv of the brushv which lange D? is located withinthe cup thus formed. D10, D1 are -perforations through the caps whereby a blast of air'may enter into the space between the end ofthe;

vbrush and the cap, and thence out .the two flanges to assist in keelngf clean the bearings upon which the b. 'n 1s mounted, and preventing fouling'or bihdngj by foreign matter which mightv otherwise work 'into the bearing space' andl lock this The fact that the ends of the shaft are parts together, or interfere with the rotation of the brush.

.It will be observed that the front wall of the suction nozzle housing is curvedas at E, that the most forward projecting part of that wall carries a protecting band or turniture guard E1 held 1n position by screws E2, the wall extends rearwardly and downwardly from such projecting part so as to conform more or less to the curve passed over by the ends of the bristle bunches as they rotate. The lower edge of the wall is reinforced as at E? and these reinforced portions are erforated. to permit passage of the spring rush guard lingers E3. These ingers are grouped in U-shaped pairs, having a stralght base portion E4 resting against the outer wall of the suction nozzle housing. Thisassembly is held in position by two screwsll5 engagin lthe portion E- adjacent both ends so that t e spring fingers themselves are. held in position, project downwardly and rearwardly across the mouth of the nozzle and are then bent upwardly so that they more or less lconform to the path travelled by the ends of the bristle bunches. E is a ange which extends forward from the rear wall of the housing beneath the ends of the guard fingers so that it is imposible for rugs or floor coverings to be drawn into the nozzle far enough to interfere with the brush, but such coverings are held by the suction ofthe fan up against the f open mouth and the ard lingers in such position that the brush bristles may act upon them. AObviously merely withdrawing .the screws will make it possible to withdraw any pair of fingers independent of any others.

A F is a dust bag having an' open mouth as indicated, terminating in a bead F1 and slipped on to a removable flanged sleeve F2. The o en mouth is held on to this flanged sleeve y a clamping or locking ring F3, and

the sleeve itself is held in position against the Harige A15 -by means of ears F* through which pass the' studs F'i which 4in turn are v.engaged by the thumb nuts F whereby the .parts may be clamped in position so that the i dustJaden lair discharged radially from the 'fan chamber will be caught in the dust bag. v G is a handle bail. It communicates with A sweeper manipulating handle G1l and may y 'made itself in two parts as indicated,

bound together by a sleeve G2'which clamps them onto the 'end of the sweeper handle.

Thefree ends of the bail are pivoted one of `them upon the brackets Gr3 G2 on the motor housing C, the other upon a pin G1 on the fan housing A2., Grs is the handle bail stop.

:It is pivoted at yone end on the stud Gre on .the fan housing. It is providedwith anl irregular elongated slot G7', on'one side of which are two adjacent hook' members Gs G.

G1 is a pin projecting from the handle bail headed at each end and adapted to lie within the slot G7 to limit the movement of the handle bail. stop rests by gravity .on the pin, that the only Way to get it out of the position shown in Figure l is to lift it up by engaging the foot piece G11. When 'this is done the handle may be moved clear down `into a position where it does not rise above the top of the fan housing, or it may be moved until it standsstraight up. As soon, however, as the bail is moved back, it will drop down into the position shown in Figure 1 when the eX- cursion or rocking movement of the handle with respect to the sweeper is more or less limited as is necessary to permit adjustment during operation to suit the height or convenience of the operator.

In order that the device may be used to suck air through a pipe for use with the ordinary type of hand cleaning tool not here illustrated, the cap A larged coupling member H is put into the opening A1 and the opening A6 closing them both and shutting off the suction nozzle from the fan chamber. This couplingmemberhas thrust into it the connecting end H1 of the suction hose H2. It is adapted to be held in position by the spring latch H3 which engages the pin A13. Of course before this connection is made the brush belt will have to be disconnected from the pulley on the fan shaft.

It will be evident that while l have shown in my drawings an operative device, still many changes might be made both in size, j

shape and arrangement of parts without departing materially from lthe spirit of my invention and I Wish, therefore, that my drawings be regarded as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use and operation of my invention are as :tollows:

Because of the fact that the motor is at one side of and behind the suction nozzle and its axis of rotation is parallel with the suction nozzle, the height of the machine is .so reduced that it may be run `under beds, chairs, tables and the like, machines can not be run. In this connection thehandle bail is a narrow rigid structure and it may completely down below the top of the machine. It is thus possible'to run clear in under a bed without interference. 1

The latch or lo'k for limiting the movement of the handle bail is always in operation. When the pin on the bail is at one end of the slot handle will be held in a substantially horizontal position, when at the other end of the slot the handle will be held in a substantially vertical position. The hori zontal position is used when cleaning under a bed or the like.

used when storing the sweeper. The two It will be understood that the p is removed'and an en- Where ordinary be dropped down so as to falll The vertical position is intermediate positions are immediately assumed when you rotate the handle from either one of the extreme positions. rlhe weight of the stop causes it to drop down' whenl it is released so that the hook members on the upper side of the slot come into opposition to the pin and thus limit the rotational movement of handle and bail with respect to the housing to that narrow movement which is desirable during the operation to permit the position of the handle to conform to or to change with the convenience of the operator. l

The height of the nozzle above the floor may be adjusted in the obvious way, by releasing the tension on the stud and moving the roller and stud up and down with respect to the slot in the bracket. As soon as the proper position has been reached thel stud is tightened up and the parts will be locked in position, and this is done without any possibility of clamping the roller or wheel itself, because the single cylindrical sleeve in the roller takes up the pressure ani rotects the roller' against binding. The roller itself can easily be taken down or re newed by merely pulling out the stud and releasing and separating the sleeve, the roller, and the two washers. AThis may be done in lconnection with any one of the three wheels or rollers of the machine.

The adjustment of the height of the brush which is frequently necessary `because the brushes wear though the carpet does not, is accomplished by releasing the tension on the central brush shaft. This makes it possible to move both of the caps closing the holes in the ends of the nozzle housing out until the studs carried by them clear the locking holes in the outer end walls. Then these caps may be rotated and since the brush is eccentrically mounted on the cap, the rotation raises or lowers the -is so obvious 1t 1s not essential to go to the expense of roviding any automatic device to compel tlie operator to make the adjustment the same at both ends, but in order to make assurance doubly sure the ends of the shaft where they go through the adjusting plates are flattened on one side to conform to flattened holes in the plates sothat when you rotate one end of the shaft the plaie on that end must rotate the other end and the plate on,it to the same distance.

When the device is used to clean draperies and the like by means of the suction hose or when it is desired to change or renew or adjust the belt, the capopposite the end of the fan and motor shaft is removed by releasing brush. Obviously in order to get proper operation, the adjust- 'since of course the only thing that holds the two caps in place is the tension on the shaft. Of course 'it would be possible to means associated takeout all the guard fingers and let the brush come out to the open mouth, but this would be a 'very diiiicult proceeding, and this would not be done'under ordinary conditions when removing it endw'ise is so much easier.

I claim 1'. The combination with a suction hood having apertured ends, of plates mounted for rotation in such' apertured-ends, a brush shaftextending through said plates and eccentric thereto, a brush mounted for rotation on said shaft and means cooperating' with the shaft for holding the plates in posij tion on the hood.

2.` The combination 'iyith a suction hood having apertured ends, of plates mounted for rotation in such apertured ends, a brushf.

shaft eccentrically mounted -on said plates and al brush rotatably mounted on the shaft, with the shaft for abutting one side of the plate, means associated with tllie shaft, for abutting the other side of the p ate, the two said means and means for locking the plates in position against rotation.A

3. The combination with an open mouthed suction hood having apertured vends, plates mounted for rotation. in such apertured ends,

a brush shaft extending through said pla-tes and eccentric thereto, a brush mounted for rotation on said shaft, means for exerting a tension on said shaft to draw said plates inwardly to seat and lock them on the hood v4and means for adjustably holding said plates against rotation, l lng lnward movement vent binding of the brush.

plates against rotation.

4... The combination with a suction hood having apertured ends, of plates mounted in such apertured ends, said apertures and plates' so shaped that the platemay occupy dlfferent relative rotational positions with reference to the aperture, a brush shaft eX- -tend1ng through said\ thereto, a brush mounte plates and eccentric for rotation on said shaft and means ,for drawing said plates inwardly to seat and'secure the lates on the hood, means for adjustably holding 'said and means for limitof said plates to pre- .5. In a suction sweeper a hood, a brush mounted' for rotation therein, the end of the adapted to clamp the plate between 1 are apertured, rotatably mounted plates for assente hood being apertured, in combination with. an integral member comprising a combined closure, brush adjuster and brush thread guard.

6. In a suction sweeper, a hood, a brush mounted for rotation therein,y the end of the hood being apertured, a unitary combined aperture closure, brush adjuster and bearing thread guard plate removably seated in the laperture and mounted for rotation therein, the brush being eccentrically mounted on the plate and the plate being fianged to overhang the end of the brush, and means for securing the plate in position.

7. In a suction sweeper having a housing with apertured end walls, a brush mounted for rotation therein, a plate seated in the the brush being eccentrically mounted on the plate, 'the plate being 'flanged to overhang the end of: the brush, there being a similar Aaperture and mounted for rotation therein,

plate at the other end of the brush, a connectwith air inlet holes opposite the end of thev brush, means for locking said plates in position longitudinally and means preventing the plates from rotating.

9. ln a suction sweeper, a lioodwho'se ends closing said apertures, a brush eccentrically mounted on said plates for rotation, air inlets in the plates opposite the end of the brush to prevent the brush from fouling and means for locking said aperture closure in position.

10. In a suction sweepen, a hood whose ends are apertured, platees for closing said apertures, a brush eccentrically mounted on said plates for rotation,-air inlets in the plates opposite the .end of the brush to prevent the bru'shfrom fouling, means for '"i- .115

tating the plates and. locking them in position so as to adjust the height of the brush inthe hood and means plates against turning.

11. In a suction sweeper, a hood Whose ends are anertured, plates forclosing said apertures, a brush eccentrically mounted on said plates for rotation and air inlets lin4 the plates opposite the' end of the: .brush to `prevent `the brush from fouling,"delectors associated with said air inletsiDO` govern the direction of How of the'air' currents and means for rotating the plates and'locklng for securing saidl them in position so as to adjustthegheight of the brush in the hood.

t 12. En. asuction sweeper having a housing I with a ertued end Walls, a brush support and adJustment member comprising a plate rotatably mounted in said housing, said plate having a brush bearing ecoentrioally positioned Within it and provided with unobstruoted openings adjacent said brush bearing.

In testimony whereof, I aHiX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses this 7th day of June, 1918.

' HOWARD EARL HOOVER.

Witnesses:

MARION L. INGRAHAM, MINNIE M; LINDENAU.

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