US1848314A

US1848314A - Suction cleaner

Info

Publication number: US1848314A
Application number: US483431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Butzer Eugene
Original assignee: Hoover Co
Current assignee: Hoover Co
Priority date: 1930-09-22
Filing date: 1930-09-22
Publication date: 1932-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1949-03-08

Description

March 8, 1932. E. BUTZER SUCTION CLEANER Filed Sept. 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet WANNA/A;

MP, lu!

March 8, 1932.

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Sept. 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

w M w Patented Mar. 8,1932

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE EUGENE BUZZER, OF BASEL, SWITZERLAND-, ASSIGNOB TO THE HOOVER COMPANY, OF NORTH CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO suc'rron CLEANER The present invention relates to suction cleaners, and particularly to improvements in that type of suction cleaner which employs a motor-driven agitator, and in which the power transmission is positioned within the dirt-laden air passageway- An object of the invention is the provision of an improvement in suction cleaner construction through the incorporation of which the performance of the cleaner will be improved. A further object is the provision of means in a suction cleaner to increase the life of the power-transmission. A still further object is the provision of means, in a suction cleaner of the type in which the power-transmi'ssion is positioned within the dirtladen air passage, which will divert the dirtladen air from. the power transmission. Another object is the provision in a suction cleaner construction, of the type in which power is transmitted from the driving pulley positioned substantially in the eye of the fan chamber to an agitator positioned in the nozzle mouth, of improvements, through the incorporation of which, the dirt-laden stream of air is diverted from the power-transmission pulley. Other and more specific objects will appear on reading the following specification and considering the drawings annexed thereto.

element in the present invention.

In the modern suction cleaner embodying positive agitation means, such as a rotary brush or rigid agitator within the suction nozzle in sucli a position that it is adapted to rotate in cdiitact with the surface covering in the operation of the machine, it is a common means of providing the rotating torque for such anagitator to continue the motor shaft through the fan chamber, in which the suction-creating fan for the cleaner is usually mounted, into the air passage immediately adjacent the fan chamber, which is commonly called the eye of the fan chamber, and thereto connect said shaft to means which transmit the rotating torque to the agitator. This power-transmission means may be a rotatable shaft, in which case a gear would be mounted at the end of the motor shaft in the fan chamber eye which would mesh with a gearpositioned upon the shaft. It is a more common method, however, to position a pulley upon the end of the motor shaft and also to place a pulley upon the rotating agitator and to convey power from one to the other by means of a belt. Inasmuch as this belt is positioned in the passageway used by the dirt-laden stream of air which passes from the mouth of the nozzle to the fan chamber in the response to suction created by the fan therein, it is clear that foreign matter suspended in the air may come into contact with the driving belt throughout its length and at the point at which it makes driving contact with the driving pulley at the eye of the fan chamber. Such a condition is undesirable whether the foreign matter be dirt, grit, strings or hair or matter of similar character. If the matter which contacts the belt and thedriving pulley be dirt and grit it is ground into the belt and the life of the belt is materially shortened. If it takes the form of strings and hair, etc., in many instances the belt is thrown off the driving pulley and it is necessary, if the machine is to be continued in o eration, to disassemble it, remove the foreign matter from the pulley and replace the belt. In many instances the elt is broken through stretching by an accumulation of foreign matter which becomes wrapped around the pulley and so increases the eifective diameter to such a point that the elastic limit of the belt is exceeded. Such a condition not only results in an unnecessary load upon the motor, but further in loss of efiiciency and time loss to the operator. It is to avoid and overcome such objectionable results that the present invention is directed.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed, comprising a modern type suction.

casing 1 immediately above the fan chamber 3 with its shaft 9 extending downwardly through the fan chamber 3, where the fan 8 is mounted upon it, into the air passageway immediately outside the fan chamber, which is called the eye of the fan chamber, where the pulley 10 is mounted. The entire construction is movably supported by means of spaced front supporting

wheels

11, 11 and by the rear vertically-adjustable supporting

wheels

12, 12 which are provided with means 13 by which the cleaner may be pivoted abput the axis of the front supporting wheels in order to vary the position of the nozzle relative to the covering undergoing cleaning.

The main casing 1 is provided with spaced

vertical walls

14, 14 within the nozzle 2, Fig. 2, which converge toward the inlet of the chamber 3. These walls define

wheel pockets

15, 15 at the rearward corners of, the nozzle 2 .within which are positioned the

front supporting wheels

11, 11 and also serve to define the sides of the air passage which leads from the mouth of the nozzle 2, which is defined by the

nozzle lips

16 and 17, to the fan chamber. The bottom of the air passage comprises the bottom plate 18 upon which the rear'nozzle lip 17 is integrally formed. At the rear of the air passage formed by the

walls

14, 14 and the bottom plate 18 together with the top of the casing 2, is positioned a removable housing 19 which forms a continuation of the air passage and serves to direct the air into the fan chamber 3.

Housing 19 is removably attached to the casing 1 by means of forwardly protruding

pins

20, 20 which seat in the rear wall of casing 1, and also by the rearwardly extending portion 21 which is removably held in place by a transversely slidable member 22, the construction being a well-known and much used one completely shown and described in the patent to Hettelsater, 1,575,363.

In the usual suction cleaner of this type the housing 19 is formed with a bottom surface which is a continuation of the bottom plate 18 of the air passage and its bottom surface is rounded into upwardly diverting side walls forming a chamber within which a driving pulley for the belt is positioned. The air which enters between the nozzle lips 1.6 and 17 passes 'rearwardly, into the air passage aforedescribed, and enters the housing. of the usual type, across its entire width and is deflected upwardly therein upon contacting the rear wall thereof passing, before it does so, the driving pulley and thereby bringing all foreign matter which it carries into contact with said pulley. In the housing, formed according to the present invention, however, the housing 19 is formed with a bottom surface 23 which is positioned above the bottom plate 18 of the air passage and is somewhat above the top of the driving pulley 10 which is positioned within the housing. The channel indicated by the reference character 24 is provided which extends the length of the housing and provides a seat withinwhich the pulley is seated. The surface 23, the channel 24 and the diverging wall 25 of the housing 19 ends in a plate 2.6 at their forward end, the lower extremity of which is substantially in line with the bottom of the channel 24 and which serves to close the air passage formed in the casing 1 which lies outside the housing described by walls 25, the seat 23 and the channel 24.

In the usual suction cleaner the driving belt is positioned within the air passage of the casing 1 and extends from the pulley 27 which is formed upon the rotatably mounted agitator 28 in the nozzle 2, to'the driving pulley which is positioned within the'housing forming the eye of the fan chamber. In a cleaner, constructed in accordance with the present invention, a baflie plate, indicated by the reference character 29, is positioned within the air passage casing being secured therein by suitable means such as

screws

30, 30. Baflle 29 comprises a plate, the sides of which fit comfortably and snugly adjacent the

walls

14, 14 of the air passage and the front portion 31 of which is flattened and lies upon the bottom plate 18 of the air passage. An intermediate section 32- slopes upwardly and 'rearwardly and ends in a flattened portion 33 which is substantially upon a level with the'surface 23 of the chamber 19. Baffle 29 is provided with a cutaway portion in'its approximate center, as indicated at 34, through which the driving belt, indicated by the reference character 35, may pass. The flattened portion 33 at the rear of the bafile'is slightly raised near its center immediately in the rear of the cutaway section 34 as is indicated at 22 so as not to interfere with the driving belt In the operation of the cleaner construction in accordance with the present invention, as the machine is operated upon the surface covering, air .and dirt are drawn through the nozzle 2 between the lips 16 and 1.7 and into the air passage within the nozzle in response to the suction created by the suction-creating fan 18. As the air with foreign matter enters the air passage it is deflected upwardly upon making contact with the baflle 29 positioned therein, and continues its rearward passage between that bafile and the bottom of the fan chamber. The air is deflected by the baflle above the level of the driving pulley and the belt 35 connected therewith and enters the which carries foreign matter to gain entrance into the air passage below the battle and so enters through the housing 19 in the vicinity of the driving pulley shaft at its point of contact with the belt 35 but the greater part of the air together with the matter carried thereby is deflected from the pulley by the construction aforedescribed and contact therewith is prevented.

Having clearly and completely described the present invention, I claim 1. In a suction cleaner a nozzle, an agitator in said nozzle, a fan chamber, a conduit connecting said nozzle and said fan chamber, an unprotected drive shaft extending through said fan chamber into said conduit, a fan carried by said shaft in said fan chamber, power-transmission means in said conduit extending from said agitator to said shaft, and

stationary means to deflect the dirt-laden air' in said conduit from the point of contact of said power-transmission means and said shaft.

2. In a suction cleaner a nozzle, an agitator in said nozzle, a fan chamber, an air passageway or conduit connecting said nozzle and said fan chamber, a drive shaft extending through said fan chamber into said conduit,

a fan carriedby said shaft in said fan chamber, power-transmission means in said conduit extending from said agitator to said shaft, and stationary means to deflect the dirtladen air in said conduit from the point of contact of said power-transmission means and said shaft, said means comprising a baffle positioned in said conduit which contacts the bottom wall of said conduit adjacent its forward end and which extends rearwardly and upwardly to a level above said point of contact of said power-transmission means an said shaft at its rearmost end.

3. In a suction cleaner a nozzle including a mouth, a rotary agitator positioned in said nozzle, :1 fan chamber, a conduit connecting said nozzle and said fan chamber, a drive shaft extending through said fan chamber into said conduit, a fan on said shaft in said fan chamber, a pulley on said shaft in said conduit, a power-transmitting belt in said conduit connecting said agitator to said pulley, and an air deflecting bafiie in said conduit having an opening through which said belt can pass, said bafiie making line contact with the side of said conduit adjacent said pulley at its forward end and extending laden air therein from said pulley.

4. In a suction cleaner a nozzle including a mouth, a rotary agitator positioned in sai nozzle, a fan chamber, a conduit connecting said nozzle and said fan chamber, a drive shaft extending through said fan chamber into said conduit, a fan on said shaft insaid fan chamber, a pulley on said shaft in said conduit, a power-transmitting belt in said conduit connecting saidagitator to said pulley, and an air deflecting baflie in said conduit, said baflie comprising a plate extending partially across said conduit, a portion of said plate extending parallel to and in contact with a side of said conduit, an intermediate portion of said Plate sloping rearwardly and upwardly and havin a slot for said belt, and a rear portion of sai plate extending substantially parallel to said first-mentioned portion andending substantially adjacent the inlet of said fan chamber and above said pulley.

5. In a suction cleaner comprising a nozzle, a fan chamber and an air passageway therebetweeman agitato'rwithin said nozzle, a driving shaft extending from said fan chamber into said air passageway, power transm ssion means connecting said agitator to said driving shaft, a removable housing forming ,the end of said passageway adjacent said fan therebetween, a rotatable agitator within said nozzle, a driving shaft extending from said fan chamber into said air passageway, a belt connecting said agitator to said shaft, a removable housing forming the end of sald passageway adjacent said fan chamber havlng a bottom surface between the fan chamber and the point of contact of said belt and said shaft,

and a channel .depending from Said bottom surface closely enclosing said belt and said shaft.

Signed at Basel, in the canton of Basel- City, and State of'Switzerland, this 28th day of August, A. D. 1930.

i EUGENE BUTZER. [L. 8.]