US1903018A - Mopstick head - Google Patents

Description

March 28, 1933. .1. w. WQHLHIETER 1,903,013

MOPSTICK HEAD Filed Mafoh 25. 1931 INVENTOR JOSEPH W. WO/lL/f/ETER m a M ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A,

JOSEPH w. WOHLHIETER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AssIGiIoa T KnYsToivE STAMPING CORPORATION,A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY MOPSTICK HEAD Application-filed March 25, 1931. Serial No. 525,066.

I While this invention relates in general to m opstick heads it relates more particularly 7 to that type having substantially inverted T- shaped gripping jaws extending transversely to the handle stick, and the shank or stem of one of which is pivotally connected to the shank or stem of the other for transverse gripping and releasing movements. Commonly these jaws are pressed into gripping relation by means of some sort of positively acting screw clamping device which also may be operated to release the jaws. Commonly also only one of these jaws is movable, the other jaw having a fixed relation dle stick of the mop, so that when a mop is gripped between these jaws it is out of center line with the handle stick, thereby obviously rendering the use of the mopstick more or less inconvenient, as well as less effective.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide an improved mopstick which may be conveniently and quickly operated for gripping or releasing the mop and which will be convenient and effective in use for mopping purposes. More general objects of the invention are to provide a mop head construction which is light, strong, durable, of few parts,

and of which the major parts may be cone veniently and inexepensively stamped and formed from suitable sheet metal. Other and more particular objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In carrying out the invention, a pair of gripping jaws which are pivoted together are operated in their gripping action through the intermediary of a spring which is interposed in the operating connections. Also each of such jaws is separately pivotally mounted on a head member by which both of the jaws are carried, this head member being firmly and rigidly secured on the lower end portion of the handle stick. As a further feature of the invention, the pivotally connected stems or shanks of the T-shaped gripping jaws have a relatively longitudinally sliding cam engagement with a cooperating cam element where-V to the han vertical section on the stationarily suppprted relatively to the above noted head mem er and may convenientlybe formed in the same piece therewith, while the pivotal connection between the jaws has sliding movement longitudinally of such head member and the handle stickto whichit is secured. The invention further includes various features of construction and combinations of parts, as will appear from the following description. V

One embodiment of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawing, will now be par-V ticularly described and thereafter the invention will be pointed out in claims, reference now being had to the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a mopstick head construction embodying the invention, secured on the lower end portion of a handle stick and showing the grippingjaws as closed, but with the mop itself omitted; j v

Fig. 2 is a; reduced inverted planview of Fig. 1; r o

Fig. 3 is a front elevation as viewed from the right in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view in partial central line 44 of Fig. 1; and J i V Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. lbu't with the gripping jaws open and is in otherre'-- spects a central vertical sectiononthe line 5 5ofFig.3. i m r The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing will now be particularly described with reference to such drawing. The lower end portion of a handle stick 1 is shown as flattened on one side as at 2, and this lower" end portion may be slightly tapering-if so desired. This end portion of the stick '1 snugly fits withina rather long ferrule socket 3 having a flattened side wall 4 which cooperates with the flattened side 2 of the handle stick to prevent rotationof the latter in the ferrule 3, as well as also serving a'further purpose, as will hereinafter appear. In the embodiment of the invention shown in thedrawing, the ferrule 3 constitutes the inner, or upper" portion of a one-piece head member which;

whichcomprises a pair of similar opposite fiat parallel side walls 5 and a pair of opposed and 5. If desired, for the sake of increasedv strength in the rear flaring wall 6, of course the adjacent edges of the sheet metal along this seam 8 may be soldered or otherwise secured together, asindicated in Fig. 5.

It will be noted from the drawing that the parallel walls 5 are spaced a greater distance from one anotherwthan the diameter of the ferrule 3, so as thereby to form outer shoulders 9 at'the points of junction and merging together of these walls 5 and the flaring walls 6, with the circular portions of the walls of the ferrule 3. It may be noted also in this connection that the flat wall 1 of this ferrule 3 is at the front, adjacent the front flarmg wall 6-. Half way between the above noted cam members 7 and in a plane which is coincident with the axes of the handle stick 1 and ferrule 3, the edges of the respective parallel walls 5 have inturned projections or lugs 10- which constitute cam members and the lateral edges of which form cam guides. The purpose of these cam members 7 and 10 will be presently described. At'a middle point of their width and also in the above noted axial plane, the parallel walls 5 have through them rather long straight longitudinal slots 11, the purpose of which will also presently appear.

In further carrying out the invention in accordance with the embodiment thereof shown in the drawing, a pair of substantially similar generally T-shaped mop-gripping members or gripping jaws 12, having stems or shanks 13 formed in the same piece therewith, are-provided. These gripping members or jaws 12, as a .whole, to include their stems 13, may each be desirably stamped and shaped from suitable heavy and strong sheet metal,

so as to have'a minimum of weight together with a maximum of strength. The T-heads 12 extend transversely in parallel relation with one another and are movable to and from one another for releasably gripping and holding a mop (not shown) between them. Each of these mop-gripping heads 12 is shown as of nearly semi-circular arcuate shape in cross section and as tapering outwardly from its stem 13, which latter is shown as of a substantially rectangular rather shallow trough shape in cross section,'with the web portion of said trough slightly longitudinally concavely curved, while the flanges of this web are slightly conveXly curved along their edges, with a gradual taper towards the end of the stem 13, as clearly shown in the drawing. The outer or lower mop-gripping edges of the T-heads 12 may be desirably provided with relatively interfitting undulations, as shown at 14: in Fig. 2, for thereby more securely holding the gripped mop between them, or these gripping edges may be otherwise shaped for effectively serving. this pur- OSG. p The trough-shaped or substantially U- .shaped stems or shanks 13 of the gripping aw members extend upwardly into the above described projecting receptacle or socket, with their flanges at their inner ends disposed inoverlapping relation with one another for the respective stems 13 and there pivotallyconnected together. The shape or contour of these stems 13 are such that their web portions form cam members which have a sliding cooperating engagement with the cams formed by the outwardly curved cam edges 7 of the flaring walls 6, while the adjacent inner edges of the-flanges of these stems 13 form sliding cam members which have a cooperating engagement with the inturned cam lugs 10 on the edges of the parallel walls 5, as clearly shown in the drawing, particularly in Figs. 1 and 5.

The inner or upper ends of the stems 13 of the gripping jaws 12 are pivoted together by means of pivot pins or journals 15 passing through their overlapping flanges and extending out through the guide slots 11, to the outer sides of the flat parallel walls 5, being slidably guided for longitudinal movement along these slots 11 almost but not quite throughout the length of these longitudinal slots, as clearly indicated in the drawing in Figs. 1, 3 and 1 for the inner or upper position, and in Fig. 5 for the lower or outer position. The pivot pins 15 have inner turnedov'er end portions 16 for preventing their escape outwardly. At the outer sides of the walls 5 these pivot pins 15 have substantially similar turned-over portions 17 which are continued as extensions to form a pair of substantially upwardly extending operating links. The upper end portions of these links 17 are rebent inwardly in the form of hooks 18. These hook. ends 18 "of the links 17 are pivotally connected to the projecting side edge portions of a longitudinally curved sheet metal handle lever 19 of substantially usual form.

The inner end of this handle lever 19 is shown as provided with an eye 20 by means. of which it is pivotally connected to the upper terminal convolution of a substantially usual coiled compression spring or thrust spring 21 which surrounds the ferrule socket 3 and the other or lower end of which abuts against theabove noted outer shoulders 9. In the construction shown in the drawing, idle upward shifting movement ofthis spring 21 is prevented and also at the same time the ferrule 3 of the above described head member is further secured on the handle stick 1,

by means of a staple 22 which engages over the lowermost convolution of the spring21 and passes through the wall of theferrule 3 into the handle stick 1 adjacent to its lower end. However, it is obvious that various other substantially different devices could be utilized for serving either one or the other or both of these purposes. It may be noted that the flattened side wall 4 of the ferrule 3 provides a desirable free space as well as also a bearing surface for the pivot eye of the handle lever 19 on the coil of the spring It is believed that the manner of operation and advantages of the invention should be clearly evident from the preceding descripdepending upon the thickness of the ma terial of the mop. In such case, the slidable pivots 15 of the jaw members 12 will be stopped by the gripped mop at a lower point along the guide slots 11 than is shown in Fig. 1, for example, and since the handle lever 19 is a floating lever interposed between and pivotally connected to the operating links 17 and to the spring 21, this handle lever will then be stopped by the links 17 ata lower position than that shown in Figs. 1 and 3, by reason of the yielding of the spring 21, which will then be further compressed. In any case this compressed spring 21, in cooperation with the cam members 7 and 13, will hold the gripping jaws 12 in secure gripping relation with the interposed mop, re-

gardless of whether the latter is thicker or thinner, and accordingly holds these jaws apart to a greater or a less extent.

During the first or initial part of movement of the handle lever 19 away from its locked position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the spring 21 will be relieved of its compression, and thereafter, with continued outward and downward movement of this handle lever 19, the operating links 17 will move their .pivots 15 outward or downward along the guide slots 11, in which the pivot pins 15 are also pivoted as well as slidable, thereby causing the above described cooperating cam members to spread the grippingjaws 12 a. considerable distance apart from one another, as is shown in Fig. 5, since the spring 21 is prevented from upward movement as a whole by the staple 22. In view of the fact that both of the gripping jaws 12 are equally pivotally moved relatively to the head member which includes the ferrule 3, these jaws will at all times and in. any position thereof be symmetrically disposed and at equal distances from the center line or axes of the handle stick 1 and ferrule 3 of the head member upon which these gripping jaws are mounted. Among various modifications in construc-, tion which might be made while still more or less effectively carrying out the idea of the invention in accordance with the principle thereof, it might be noted that the inner ends of the stems 13 of the gripping jaws 12 might be deprived of their sliding.

against shoulders such as 9, for then moving.

these cams outward instead of'moving the pivots 15 and gripping jaws inward, as shown in the drawing. Also it should be obvious from the drawing that instead of the two separate pivot pins 15, a single pivot pin or the like could extend all of the way across from one side to the other, through the overlapping flanges of the gripping jaw stems 13 at both sides and out through both slots 11 in the walls 5 of the cam socket, and in fact such a construction in this respect is shown in my later copen-ding application Serial No. 573,060, filed November 5,'1931,,f0r mopstick heads. may be made in the construction shown in the drawing and above particularly described,

within the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Iclaimzj 1. In a mopstick head construction, the

combination of a head member having a s6 curingpo-rtion by which it may be attached to a handle stick and having a projecting terminal socket portion of substantially rectangular cross section, said socket portion I having two parallel walls and two outwardly flaring walls, each of saidparallel walls being provided with a longitudinal slot, a pair of:

T-shaped' mop-gripping members the T- heads of which form parallel gripping jaws and the stems of which'extend into said socket portion respectively adjacent to its flaring walls, pivot means connecting the inner ends of said stems and slidable in said slots, the edgeportions of said flaring wallsand the; adjacent outer sides of said stemsforming cooperating cam elements which draw said gripping aws together when said pivot means is retracted along said slots, a spring acting to retract said pivot means along thesaid slots for causing said jaws to grip the mop, and manually operable means for re In fact, various modifications- 4 1,eos,0 1s

leasing said spring and for thereafter mov ing said pivot means outwardly along said jaws to open.-

2. Ina mopstick head construction, the

combination of a head member having a securing portion by which it may be attached to a handle stick and having a projecting terminal socket portion of substantially rectangular cross section, said socket portion hav-- ing two parallel walls and two outwardly flaring walls, each of said parallel walls being provid'ed with a longitudinal slot, a pair of T-shaped mop-gripping members the T-heads of which form parallel gripping jaws and the stems of which extend into said socket portion respectively adjacent to its flaring walls, pivot means connecting the inner ends of said stems and slidable in said slots, the edge portions of said flaring walls and the adjacent outer sides of said stems forming cooperating cam elements which draw said gripping jaws together when said pivot means is retracted along said slots, a cam'guide on said socket portion to cooperatewith the adjacent inner sides of said stems for spreading said gripping jaws when said pivot means is moved outwardly along said slots, a spring acting to retract said pivot means along the said slots for causing said jaws to grip the mop, and manually operable means for releasing said spring and for thereafter moving said pivot means outwardly along said slots for thereby opening said gripping jaws.

3.-In a mopstick head construction, the combination of a head member having a securing. portion by which it may be attached to a handle stick, a projecting terminal'socket mounted on said member of substantially rectangular cross section having two parallel walls and two outwardly flaring walls, a pair of T-shaped mop-gripping members the stems of which extend into the said socket respectively adjacent to its flaring walls, pivot means connecting together the inner ends of'the said stems, the said pivot means and socket being mounted for relative sliding movement longitudinally of the socket, the edge portion of said flaring walls and the adjacent outer sides of said stems forming cooperating cam elements which draw said gripping members together when the direction of the said relative sliding movement is such that the said stems enter into the said socket, a cam guide on said socket to cooperate with the adjacent inner sides of said stems for spreading said gripping members when the direction of the said relative sliding movement is such as to move the said stems out of the said socket, a spring acting to produce said relative sliding movement in the direction for causing said gripping members to grip the mop, and manually operable means for releasing said spring and for thereafter imparting said relative sliding movement in the direction-for opening said gripping members to release the mop.

4. In a mopstick head construction, the combination of a head member having a securing portion by which it may be attached to a handle stick, a projecting terminal socket of substantially rectangular cross section having two parallel walls and two outwardly flaring walls, a pair of T-shaped mop-gripping members the stems of which extend into said socket respectively adjacent to its flaring walls, pivotmeans connecting together the inner ends ofsaid stems, the said pivot means and the said socket being mounted for relative sliding movement in a direction longitudinal of the socket, the edge portions of said flaring walls and the adjacent outer sides of said stems forming cooperating cam elements which draw said gripping members together upon relative sliding movement of said pivot means and said socket in a direction to cause the said stems to enter into the socket, and manually operable operating means interposed between the said socket and the said pivot means for producing the said relative sliding movement in each direction thereof.

5. A mopstick head comprising a member including a handle-receiving section and a socket section adapted to cooperate with a pair of gripping jaws, the wall of the socket section having a pair of opposed elongated slots therethrough for a jaw operating element, a spring surrounding the handle-receiving section of the member, a lever pivoted on the spring, a jaw-operating element pivotally secured to the lever and extending through the slots in the wall of the socket section, and

a pair of opposed gripping jaws having stems extending into and being slidably mounted in the socket section, the said jaw stems being pivotally secured to the jaw-operating element and the distance between the aw stems when withdrawn into the socket being such that the stems bear against the wall of the socket in the closed position of the jaws.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

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