US1856875A - Vacuum cleaner floor tool - Google Patents

Description

' INVENTOR. .705 46% 6a Jeoz zarcf.

May 3, 1932. J. E. LEONARD VACUUM CLEANER FLOOR TOOL Filed Jan. 4, 1930 Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH EARL LEONARD, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO AIR-WAY ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CORPORATION, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE VACUUM CLEANER FLOOR TOOL Application filed January 4, 1930. Serial No. 418,471.

My invention, relating as indicated to combination fioor brushes and polishers, has specific reference to floor brushes and polishers which are in the form of an attachment adaptable to be removably secured to the suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner.

In order that a combined floor brush and polisher may expediently accomplish the pur- I A pose for which it is designed it is necessary' thatthe tool be readily adaptable to accom plish either the brushing or the polishing operation without the necessity of a bothersome attachment or interchange of parts, which is a source of great inconvenience as well as a hindrance to the efiicient operation of the tool. Brushing and polishing attachments as now applied to the suction nozzle of vacuum cleaners require an interchange of the several tools to accomplish these purposes, and even in the use of combined brushing and polishing attachments it is necessary to bodily remove such attachment and then replace it on the suction nozzle in a reversed position. It is an object of my invention to 25 provide a combination brush and polishing device which can be removably secured to the suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner and when so secured in one position need not be removed when it is desired by the operator of the device to change from a brushing to a polishing operation, or vice versa. Other ob- ]ects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then; consists .of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used. In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of 'a favorite type of vacuum cleaner showing the attachment comprising my invention secured thereto; Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary side elevations ofisuction nozzles in different positions showing the attachment comprising my invention secured thereto; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view of the nozzle illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the nozzle shown in Fig. 2.

l-tcferring more specifically to the drawings and more especially to Fig. 1, the vacuum cleaner here shown for purposes of illustration consists of a motor 1, a fan casing 2, to which are secured the inlet conduits 3 and 4:. The conduit 4 here shown serves as a handle by means of which the tool is manipulated and conduits 3 and 4 are selectively placed in communication with the fan chamber by means of the valve element 5. The fan chamher 2 has an air discharge connection 6 in communication therewith which'is adapted to secure the neck 7 of the dust collecting and,

air filtering unit 8. The unit 8 is removably secured to the hande 4: by means of the clamps 9.

The terminal portion of the air intake conduit 3 as most clearly shown in Fig. 4 has a circumferential flange 10 formed integrally therewith which is secured by the collar member 11 to the annular ring 12. The annular ring 12 is rigidly secured to the body of the suction nozzle'l3 by means of the rivets 14.

The annular member 12 has a circumferenmember 12 the body 13 of the suction nozzle is free to revolve with respect to the intake conduit 3? As most clearly shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, the attachment comprising my invention consists of longitudinal elements 21 and 22 which are angularly disposed and rigidly secured by means of the supporting members 23 and 24. The member 21' will preferably be in the form of a brush 'unit which has a plurality of tufts of bristles -25 rigidly secured therein and extending therefrom to the floor surface, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The member 22 will preferably be in the form of a polishing unit, which may consist of any material, which is suitable .for this purpose.

The brushing and polishing attachment has secured thereto a plurality of clamping means 26, most clearly shown in Fig. 4 by means of bolts 27. The clamping members 26 have hooked ends 28 which are adapted to be engaged by the aperture formed therefor in the forward lip of the suction nozzle. The upper terminal portion of the clamp member 26 is formed into a laterally extending element 29 which has an aperture formed centrally thereof adapted to engage the screw head 30. By means of the clamping members 26 the attachment comprising my invention is substantially and rigidly supported on the body of the suction nozzle. The single bolt 27, by means of which each of the clamping means 26 is secured to the brushing and polishing attachment enables such attachment to be secured to the body of the nozzle with either one of the surfaces in the floor contacting position.

p In the operation of this device the attachment is secured to the nozzle in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 with the brushing member extending downwardly when the'nozzle is in the position illustrated by this figure. After the wax has been thoroughly scrubbed into the floor surface the handle 4 is tipped down and the entire tool pivoted on the supporting wheel 31 so that the nozzle 13 is lifted from the floor. Nozzle 13 is then turned to the opposed normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, and in this position the waxing element 22 is in normal-relation to the floor surface which is to be polished. The angular disposition of the two elements comprising the attachment enables the element 22 to occupy a normal position with respect to the floor over which the tool is operated when the nozzle has been turned to the position shown in Fig; 3. Without this angular displacement of the two members of the attachment a proper contact between the polishing tool and the floor could not be ob tained unless the entireattachment was removed from the nozzle and replaced in inverted position.

The arrangement of the various parts of the brushing and polishing attachment comprising my invention afiords a means for accomplishing the entire waxing and polishing operation of hard wood floors and the like without in any wa necessitating the removal or readjustment 0 an of the operating parts of the mechanism. It will be noted that a different arrangement of the several parts comprising my invention may be made without departin from the principles thereof, and the brushing and polishing elements here chosen for purposes of illustration may well be supplanted byother elements to accomplish like purposes.

1 Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be em loyed instead of the one explained, change e'ing made-as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the follow- .ing claims or theequivalent of such stated face of said nozzle and theother of said elements extending away from said face and away from said mouth at an acute angle to said face whereby when the nozzle is in normal working position said first mentioned element will contact the floorand when the nozzle is in an inverted position, said other element will contact the floor.

2. In combination with a vacuum cleaner including .a suction nozzle mounted for swivelling movement about an axis that is inclined relative to the mouth of said nozzle, a floor tool attached to said nozzle and extending longitudinally thereof, said floor tool including a brush and a polishing element,

one of which lies substantially parallel to the swivelling movement about an axis that is ill-- clined relative to the mouth of said nozzle, a floor tool attached to said nozzle and extending longitudinally thereof, said floor tool including a pair of floor contacting elements sub-tending relative to each other an obtuse dihedral angle, one of said elements being positioned in a plane at right angles to the plane of the nozzle mouth and the other of said elements extending away from the forward face of the nozzle and away from said mouth at an obtuse angle to the plane of said mouth whereby when the nozzle is in normal working position said first mentioned element will contact the floor and when the nozzle is in an inverted position, said other ele- 1 mentwill contact the floor.

4. In combination with a vacuum cleaner including a suction nozzle mounted for swivelling movement about an axis that is inclined relative to the mouth of said nozzle, .a floor tool attached to said nozzle and exw I n tending longitudinally thereof, said; floor tool including a pair of floor contacting elements sub-tending relative to each other an obtuse dihedral angle, one of said elements being positioned in a planeat right angles to the plane of the nozzle mouth and the other 4 of said elements extending away from the forward face of the nozzle and away from said mouth at an obtuse angle to the plane of said mouth whereby when the nozzle is in normal working'position said first mentioned element will contact the floor and when the' nozzle is in an inverted position, said other element will contact the floor, the working a face of said other element lying in a plane sub-tending an acute dihedral angle with the s plane'of said mouth. k 5. In combination with a vacuum cleaner including a suction nozzle mounted for swivelling movement about an axis that is v inclined relative to the mouth of said nozzle, a floor tool attached to said nozzle and ex-' tending longitudinally thereof, 'said floor tool including a pair of floor contacting ele-- 5 ments one of which ispositioned to contact the floor when the nozzle is in normal working position, and the otherof said elements extending away from the face of the nozzle and away from the nozzle mouth at an acute angle to said face whereby when the nozzle is inverted, said other element willcontact the floor. g y 1 2Sgigned by me, this 27th day of December,

7 as JOSEPH EAR LEONARD.-

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