US1813325A

US1813325A - Carpet sweeper

Info

Publication number: US1813325A
Application number: US170213A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earle R Smith
Original assignee: GILLETTE SWEEPER CORP Ltd
Current assignee: GILLETTE SWEEPER Corp Ltd
Priority date: 1927-02-23
Filing date: 1927-02-23
Publication date: 1931-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1948-07-07

Description

July 7, 1931. SMITH 1,813,325

CARPET SWEEPER Filed Feb. 25, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR f/LQLE E. SM/TH ATTORN EY y 93 E. R. SMITH 1,813,325

CARPET SWEEPER Filed Feb. 23, 1927 a Sheets-Sheet z Wiguunuunuu 'N OR 25 2/. 22 I Emu R. SMITH ATTORNEY July 7, 1931. I R SMITH 1,813,325

CARPET SWEEPER Filed Feb. 25, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 5421.5 2. SMITH ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE m B. SMITH, I408 ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASBIGNOR TO GILLETTE SWEEPER CORPORATION LTD, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA cmn'r swnnrnn My invention relates to carpet sweepers, and it has for a purpose the provision of a sweeper in which brush-cleaning combs are mounted so as to normally vitate to brushcleaning positions and toi s freely movable to positions in which they do not function for brush cleaning but instead are adapted ,to be cleaned by the brush when the latter is rotated.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a carpet sweeper wherein the mounting for the brush-cleaning combs functions .to protect the brush against the deposit of dust and other matter thereon, thereby confining the dust so that it is ultimately deposited into pans provided for collecting all matter entering the sweeper body.

A further purpose of my invention is the P provision of a carpet sweeper in which means is provided for definitely adjusting the rotary brush vertically so' as to render the sweeper efiicient in the sweeping of rugs and carpets of various thicknesses, the sweeper body being resiliently mounted on its wheels 2 in order to allow a downward movement of the rotary brush when a downward presure is manually exerted on the sweeper body through the medium of' the conventional handle and thereby making it possible to bring the brush into an intimate contact with the surface that is swept and to effect. a thorough cleaning action when required. I will describe only one form of carpet sweeper embodying my invention and will then point 5 out the 'novel features thereof in the claims. In the accompanying drawings,- Figure 1 is a view showing in side elev-ationone form of carpet sweeper embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a central, vertical sectional view of the sweeper shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the sweeper shown-in the preceding views; 5 Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hood Figure 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view view showing the mounting of one of the combs on the hood.

In the drawings, my invention, in its present embodiment, is shown as comprising, a body B, preferably, although not necessarlly,

formed of metal, so as to provide a top wall 15, side walls 16 having concave portions 16a, and end walls 17, the ends of the side walls rojecting beyond the end walls, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. As is best illustrated in Figure. 3, the end walls 17 are provided at corresponding points with openings 18 through which extend the opposite en s of a rotary brush 19 provided with relatively small wheels 20 carrying stub shafts 21 journaled in levers 22. The'brush 19 is conventional in construction and, as shown in F igure 2, it has its lowermost portion disposed between a pair of trays or pans 23 also formed of metal and pivotally mounted on the end walls 17 of the sweeper body at the points indicated at 24, in order that they may be swung outwardly from the body whenever it is required to dump the contents therefrom.

The sweeper body B is supported forrolling movement by means of two pairs of wheels 25 disposed at opposite ends of the body and having frictional engagement at their peripheries with the peripheries of the wheels 20, so that, by a reciprocative movement of the body upon a surface, the brush 19 will be caused torotate alternately in opposite directions. The wheels 25 of each pair are mounted on the opposite ends of an axle- 26, the latter being of U-form and constructlustrated in Figure 3, the intermediate portion of the shaft 26 is bowed so that its medial portion reposes within a groove 28 formed in theconeave portion 16a of the corresponding side wall 16. The groove serves the purpose of maintaining the shaft in a proper position within the sweeper body in order that the shaft may function by its inherent resiliency to'yieldably urge the wheels 25 diagonally downward, and thereby to maintain the peripheries of the wheels in a proper frictional.

engagement with the wheels 20. By reason of 1ts mounting, the axle 26 is capable of such a pivotal movement as to allow, when a down-.

ward pressure is exerted upon the-sweeper body through the conventional handle 29,

the body to move downwardly in order that the brush 19 may be brought into an intimate contact with the surface that is swept. As soon as the sweeper body is relieved of the downward pressure the resiliency of the two axles 26 functions to restore the body and thebrush 19 to their normal elevated positions.

The brush 19 is also capable of vertical adjustment, independently of the downward pressure exerted upon the sweeper body, in

order to render the brush eflicient in its sweeping action of ru 5 or carpets of various thicknesses and in or er to insure the proper rotative movement of the brush, particularly in the sweeping of relatively thick rugs or carpets. This vertical adjustment is effected through the medium of the levers 22 which, as shown in. Figure 3, are pivoted upon U-shaped end brackets 30 secured at their ends to the sides 16 of the sweeper body. The levers 22 are ivoted at the points indicated at 31, their ree ends being operative ly connected with each other by a U-shaped yoke 32 arranged so that its end portions extend through the end walls 17 of the sweeper- .body and thus the yoke is rotatable therein. Secured to one of the levers 22 is a plate 33 provided at one end with a segmental rack 34 which constantly meshes with a pinion 35 fixed to the adjacent stub shaft 21, the latter bein extended so as to provide a crank 36, whic is disposed exteriorly of the adjacent bracket 30 so that its free end can engage within any one of a series of openings 37 arranged 'areuately in a plate 38 secured to the adjacent side wall 17 of the sweeper body. By means of this construction, the crank 36 can be mani ulated so as to rotate the elevate from its lowe most position. This.

movement is transmitted to v the other lever 22 through the connecting yoke 32 in such a manner that both levers move simultaneously, thereby effecting a vertical adjustment of the rotary brush 19. It will, of course, be understood that any desired adjustment of the brush can be maintained by inserting the free end of the crank 36 into the proper opening 37 thereby latching the crank in the adjusted position.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a hood 39 is positioned in the sweeper body directly above the brush 19 in order to provide a mounting for a pair of

stripping combs

40 and 41 and in. orderto shield the upper portion of thebrush against dust, dirt and other debris that is liable to fall upon the brush. This hood 'isprovided at its ends with a plurality of ears 42 by which it is secured in fixed position within the sweeper body. It is of arcuate form in cross section in order to provide clearance for the brush in either of its rotary movements and in order to cause the dust and dirt. deposited thereon to be dischar ed downwardlyinto either of the trays 23. onversely, the hood coacts with the trays in order to prevent sweepings from coming in contact with the brush, should the sweeper be inverted, jarred or tilted.

. The

combs

40 and 41 are of the construction shown in Figure 5, and they are thus provided with angular lips 43 at their upper edges. Through these lips attaching rings 44 extend for hingedly securing the combs to the longitudinal edges of the hood 39. The

mounting of the combs is such that they are suspended from the longitudinal edges of the hood so as to occupy diametrically opposed positions with respect to the axis of the brush,-

and, under the action of gravity, to normally tend to occupy. a combing or stripping POSI- tion, as illustrated by the comb 41 in Figure 2. Either comb is normally prevented from 00-.

cupying this position, however, by reason of the bristles of the brush, but it'jlS normally adapted to be in contact with the brush, and.

the comb therefore assumes the stripping position when the brush is rotated-1n such a direction that its bristles move upwardly of: the comb. When the bristles are moving downwardly in respect to the comb, they function to swing the comb to a n'onstripping position with respect to the brush, as illus-.

trated by the comb 40in Figure 2. From this operation, it will be manifest that, according .as the brush is rotated in one direction or the other, either one comb or the other will automatically assume a stripping or'combing action with respect to the bristles of the brush, while the other comb will automatically assume a nonstripping' position. In the strip ping position 0 either comb, it serves tore move fibrous materials such as hairs and threads from the brush, as fast as they are collected by the bristles of the brush. Fibrous no accumulations are thus prevented from forming upon the brush, and the sweeper is thereby maintained at a degree of maximum efficiency. In the non-stripping position of either comb the downward movement of the bristles along the teeth thereof effects the removal of fibrous accumulations from the teeth of the comb, so that the latter is automatically cleaned while the other comb is cleaning the brush.

An importantffeature in the mounting of the combs is that they utilize the action of gravity in order to occupy the stripping position, and that, in their so doing the necessity of providing mechanical means, such as springs, is eliminated.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of carpet sweeper embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may gravitate to a stripping position in which its teeth are extended between the bristles thereof so that the bristles travel lengthwise of the teeth when in contact therewith, while the other comb is moved by the brush to a nonstripping position with respect thereto.

EARLE B. SMITH.

be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

' I claim as my invention:

1. A carpet sweeper comprising a body, a brush rotatable in the body, a hood secured within the body and disposed directly above the brush, and combs having angular extensions hingedly mounted on the hood so that the combs are on opposite sides of the brush and are virtually level with the axis of the brush, when the carpet sweeper is in its 0p-, erative position, and that thereby the combs are free to respond to the action of gravity.

2. A cleaner for the rotary brushes of carpet sweepers, comprising a pair of stripping combs for the brush, and means for mounting the combs for movement so that one or the other will gravitate to a stripping position with respect to the brush according as the latter is rotated in one direction or the other, while the other comb is adapted to be moved by the brush to a non-stripping. position in which it is cleaned by the brush during rotation of the latter, said means comprising a hood disposed directly above the brush and adapted to shield the brush, and the combs being pivot-ally mounted on the hood so as to be disposed substantially at opposite sides of the brush and virtually level with the axis of the brush, when the carpet sweeper is in its operative position.

3. A carpet sweeper comprising a body, a brush rotatable in the body, a hood secured within the body, disposed directly above the brush and extending partially around opposite sides of the brush, and combs mounted for movement on the hood for stripping engagement with the brush.

4. A carpet sweeper comprising a body, a brush rotatable in the body, a hood secured within the body, disposed directly above the brush and extended partially around opposite sides ofthe brush, a pair of stripping combs for the brush, and means for mounting