US2021139A

US2021139A - Rug and carpet cleaning machine

Info

Publication number: US2021139A
Application number: US627995A
Authority: US
Inventors: Willis L Barthold
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-01-08
Filing date: 1932-08-08
Publication date: 1935-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1952-11-19

Description

NW. N, 935.. w. L. BARTHOLD 9 L RUG AND CARPET CLEANING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 8, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 130 J 2'22 a I 4 I (:2 as 254- l l I D L O H T R A B L w RUG AND CARPET CLEANING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 1932' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 9 K JI u IL 6 J 0 8 HI/1 w 4 8 w. ABA/7 7710.40

Nov. 19, 1935. w. L. BARTHOLD RUG AND CARPET CLEANING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 8, l932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 3mm w. L. BAIPTHULD Nov. 19, 1935. w. BARTHOLD RUG AND CARPET CLEANING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 0riginal Filed Jan. 8, 1952 W. L. BART/ 0L0 N0v.19, 1935. w. L, BARTHOLD RUG AND CARPET CLEANING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 8, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Lify. 12,

9 M a m w, 1

0o 8 oo 0 3 JM 00 a $0 00 M 0 Q E z gwue/wbo'o m4. BAliTf/OLD Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIE Original application January 8, 1932, Serial No. 585,591. Divided and this application August 8, 1932, Serial No. 627,995

2 Claims. (01. 15-40) This invention relates to machines for cleaning woven floor coverings and the application is a division of my co-pending application filed January 8, 1932, and serially numbered 585,591.

The invention has for one of its principal .aims the provision of efficient means by which a floor covering may be subjected to a plurality of successive cleaning operations such, for example, as beating, vacuum, scrubbing and rinsing, all while being passed a-single time through the machine thereby reducing the labor charge incident to handling the floor covering and at the same time affecting the complete removal of dirt, giease and the like and restoring the original lustrous appearance of the covering so far as is possible to do so.

Among other things, the invention will be found to embody a novel rug beater consisting of a rotary element having supporting rods upon which tubular beating elements are loosely mounted so that as the rotary element is turned, the tubular beating elements will, by centrifugal force, be moved into striking engagement with the rug passing through the machine to remove from the rug the dirt embedded therein, there being a novel vacuum arrangement associated with the heater to carry off the dirt thus removed from the rug.

With further reference to the vacuum arrangement it is pointed out that the discharge conduit thereof may extend into a container for water so that the dust-laden air is, upon passing through the water, caused to give up the dirt therein, thereby preventing the air about the machine from being contaminated by the dust removed from the carpet or rug as the case may be.

Another feature of the invention will be found to reside in the scrubbing means embodying a plurality of oscillating elements having interlocking or interfitting edge portions operating in overlapping paths assuring the thorough scrubbing of the rug or carpet for the full width thereof or an uninterrupted section thereof, as distinguished from the possibility of leaving uncleaned streaks between the brushes as in the case of other machines her etofcre designed for rug scrubbing purposes.

The invention also embodies a novel wringer arrangement designed to extract moisture from the rug to reduce the time required for the drying process.

Provision will also be found to be made for the adjustment of the supply means for the rinsing fluid so that a spray of water co-extensive with the width of the rug may be furnished to the rug.

The scrubbing elements and the means to furnish soapy fluid thereto will be found to be capable of adjustment to correspond to the width of the rug and thereby avoid waste of soapy fluid. '5

Another important advance of the invention will be found to be marked by the simple means by which the machine may be adjusted to various operating conditions and further, in the means by which the various operating elements are 10; driven in consonance to the end that the uniform travel of rugs or carpets through the machine is assured and the proper operation of the feeding, scrubbing, rinsing and other rug cleaning agents brought about.

A further aim is to provide a machine of the character specified which requires a minimum of operating attention as compared with other machines for the same purpose, and which by reason of the comparative simplicity thereof affords ready access to the various elements therein for the purpose of inspection and repair.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine, parts being broken away and sectioned to illustrate the internal construction,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the machine, the view illustrating the means by which the various rug cleaning agents are operated in consonance,

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1, the view being taken in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 6-4: of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 'l---'! of Figure l,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine, parts being broken away and sectioned to illustrate the internal construction,

' Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, illustrating a beater embodied in the invention,

Figure 10 is a vertical transverse sectional View, takenon line Ill-Ill of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line |i-ll of Figure 9,

Figure 14 is a detail horizontal sectional view' taken on line i4|4 of Figure 13,

Figure 15 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustrating a wringing mechanism embodied in the invention.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 3i? designates a .bed

' or frame having end walls 3! and 32 and an intermediate wall 34, these walls being joined by I-beams 35 or other means having the strength required to hold the bed together and against distortion under the influence of vibration and other strains to which rug cleaning machines are inevitably subjected.

As shown in Figure 1, a super-frame is mounted above the bed or main frame and is provided with

end walls

38 and 39 and an intermediate wall 40, all of which walls are joined by a suitable member of I-beams 4| or the equivalent thereof.

The super frame is adjustable vertically with respect to the main frame or bed and from Figures '1, 4, 5, and 10 it will be seen that the super frame is provided at the four corners thereof with depending attaching standards M movable vertically through bosses M5 in the end walls 3! and 32 of the main bed and being threaded through worm wheels 48. It is clearly illustrated in Figure 4 that the worm wheels 48 are held against axial movement by the upper and lower 'walls of the transverse recesses 58 within which the same are mounted so that when the worm wheels are turned, together, of course, the super frame will be raised or lowered depending upon the direction of rotation of the worm wheels.

By reference to Figures 4 and 7 it will be seen that the

end walls

39 and 32 of the main bed have the inner surfaces thereof provided with it will be seen that an actuating shaft 56 is extended longitudinally of the bed and has a motion transmitting connection with the shafts 52 through the intervention of motion transmitting gears 58 or the like. Figure 1 illustrates that the actuating shaft 55 is suspended from one of the I-beams 35 by brackets to and is provided at one end with a hand wheel 62 forming a means by which motion may be imparted to the shaft to bring about the raising or lowering of the super frame. It is believed to be clear that the worm

wheel'and worm connection

48 and 54 between the standards and the shafts 52 provides a self-locking arrangement by which the super. frame is held in an adjusted position without the aid'of additional holding means, it being noted in this regard that the worm wheels 43 are incapable of turning the worms 54 while on the other hand the. worms may turn the worm wheels.

Of course, it is entirely within the scope of the invention to provide a motor drive for the shaft 56.

'Figures'Z and'6 illustrate that the walls 3| and 34 of the bed or main frame are provided with laterally spaced bearings 65 forming supports for lower pressure rolls 68, the latter being positioned below upper rolls Ill and cooperating therewith in defining an inlet to the machine and at the same time cooperating in the formation of a beating chamber. More particularly, the pairs of upper and lower rollerslfl and:68 respectively, cooperate in forming the sides of a beating chamber while asshown in Figure 5, a transversely curved member 12 is extended closely between the lower rollers 68 to form the bottom of the beating chamber. A hood or top wall it extends closely between the upper rollers it to cooperate therewith to form the top of the beating chamber.

Referring" now to Figure 8 it will be seen that one end of the beating chamber and more particularly the outer end thereof, is defined by a plate it; fitting closely aboutthe pairs of upper and lower ro'llers and having connection with an outlet conduit iii. Thus, the pairs of upper and lower rollers, the bottom member T2, the hood l4 and the end member 16 cooperate in the formation of a beating chamber one end of which is allowed to remain open for the admission of air. More specifically, the member 16 defines one end of the chamber while the other end located at opposite ends of the rollers is open to the atmosphere. 7

Referring now to Figure 1, it will be seenthat the outlet conduit '58 is provided at an interme .mediate point therein with a vertical chamber 88 having a transverse reticulated member 82 to arrest the passage of large particles of dirt and refuse. The inlet to. the chamber 89 is by way of the lower end thereof While the outlet from the chamber is from the upper end thereof necessitating the upward travel of dust-laden air through the reticulated member 82;

The outlet end of the conduit 18 has connection with a blower 33 by which a suction through the previously described beating chamber is produced and a suitable source of power such, for example, as an electric motor 84 may be employed to drive the blower 83.

The outlet from the blower is by way of a pipe 35 discharging into a water container 88 at a point below the level of water in the container sothat the ascent of the air through the water will result in the separation of the dust from the air, whereby the air finally discharged will be free of dust. In this manner the atmosphere about the machine is prevented from being contaminated by the dust extracted from the rugs.

able number of the discs may be employed and cooperate with the tie rods '94 in defining a plurality of sections and, upon each of the tie rods '94 there is loosely mounted a beater tube 96 of flexible material. As shown in Figure 9, each beater tube has a bore substantially greater than the diameter of the tie rod thereby allowing the tube to flap into engagement with the rug during .the rotation of the beater. Although this movement of the beater tube with respect to the tie rod 94 is slight, it is nevertheless, sufficiently abrupt to bring about the efiective loosening and 'ly aligned discs Q2 joined by tie rods 94. A suitremoval of the dirt in the rug. Of course, the ends of the more or less yieldable beater tubes 96 are free from pressure contact with the discs 02 so that the section of the beater tubes is not in any manner restrained.

The beater tubes 96 of one section of the beater are staggered with respect to the beater tubes of the contiguous sections and in this manner different and spaced portions of the rug are struck intermittently and progressively causing a vibration or wavering of the rug conducive to the eflicient extraction of dirt. Also, it will be seen that the beater tubes 96, especially when thrown outward by centrifugal force, extend beyond the peripheral edges of the discs 96 so that the discs are prevented from interfering with thestriking engagement of the tubes with the rug.

Is is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5 that the beater is located within the beater chamber defined by the rollers 68 and I and dthe members I2 and 14 so that the dirt extracted by the beaters is carried off by the conduit "I8.

Figure illustrates that the intermediate portion of the roller 68 closer to the inlet side of the machine rides on a pair of anti-friction rollers I03 which, in turn, are carried by a bracket IOI, the bracket being rigidly mounted upon the I- beam 35 immediately below. This figure also illustrates that the other lower roller 68 rides upon the rollers or wheels I02 of brackets I04, these brackets being secured through the aid of suitable fastening devices to the I-beam 35 immediately below. In this manner, therollers 08 are prevented from sagging under the pressure thereon.

Upon leaving the beating and vacuum mechanism, the rug passes beneath a scrubbing mechanism embodying a plurality of brush heads I06 having bristles for engagement with the upper surface of the rug.

As shown in Figures 1 and 13 the brush heads I06 are mounted on a. plurality of depending shafts I I0 having the lower portions thereof provided with suitable means such as nuts II2 to limit downward movement of the brush heads. In Figure 13 the brush heads are shown to be keyed to the associated shafts and in this connection it is pointed out that the brush heads may be raised manually on the shafts so that the same will ride on the upper end of keys. When the brush heads are thus held in a raised position a rug may be threaded through the machine with facility or the brush heads may be held in this elevated position for the purpose of repair or cleaning.

The depending shafts II 0 are shown to be bored longitudinally for the full length thereof to form fluid conduits, the lower portions of which discharge centrally of the brush heads to furnish fluid, either clear of soap bearing, to the rug or carpet being cleaned.

From Figures 1, 2, and 4 it will be seen that the branches I20 of'a manifold I22 have connected with the upper ends of the brush supporting shaft H0 and such branches are provided with individual valves I26 which the flow of fluid to the brush heads may be controlled. This allows fluid to be furnished to a selected number of brushes and is of special advantage when small rugs are being cleaned because it is obviously undesirable to furnish fluid to a space beneath which there is no rug.

Of course, in carrying out the invention the manifold I22 may be carried by suitable means such as brackets I30 and may extend from a suitable source of supply. The brackets I30 shown to be mounted upon one of the I-beams 4! of the super frame to locate the manifold I22 at the inlet side of the machine with the 5 valve I26 available for convenient regulation.

In Figures 1, 13, and 15 it is illustrated that the shafts I I0 are rotatably extended through bearings I40 carried by one of the I-beams 4| and the upper portions of the shafts have connection with spur gears IM, the spur gears being interlocked to form a train by which the motion of one gear is imparted to the other.

Particular attention is now invited to Figures 12 and 13 in which it is illustrated that the gear 15 I44 at one end of the machine has rigid. connection in any suitable manner with a smaller spur gear I46, which is engaged by a gear segment or lever rack 48. The member I48 is shown to be fulcrumed at one end to a bracket I52 and has connection at a point betweenthe ends thereof with a link I54. Figure 12 clearly illustrates that the link I55 is pivoted at what might be said to be the outer end thereof to a crank I58 keyed or otherwise secured to the upper portion of a vertical motion transmitting shaft I59. It is believed to be clear that rotation of the shaft I59 constantly in the same direction will bring about the rocking of the segment I48 and the oscillation of the brush heads.

By thus oscillating the brush heads, the nap of the rug is raised and is cleaned on all sides. This oscillation of the brush heads also causes the bristles of the brushes to work between the constituent parts of the nap so that the bristles are brought into direct pressure and cleansing engagement with the nap side of the warp of the rug. In this manner both the nap and the warp are thoroughly cleansed.

With reference to Figures 8 and 12 it will be 0 seen that the brush heads are somewhat in the form of scalloped disks defining radial interlocking projections causing the brushes to operate in overlapping paths so that the rug is cleaned uniformly from one end of the gang of brushes to the other without interruption or the creation of streaks such as are left in those machines where the brushes are laterally spaced or do not operate in overlapping paths. This overlapping of the brushes continues even after the brushes have become worn so that uniform cleaning is provided at all times.

As shown in Figure 4, the .rug is held in position beneath the brush heads by spaced parallel rollers I68. Any suitable number of such rollers may be provided and the same are shown to be mounted between the ends thereof on brackets I63 through the intervention of suitable antifriction elements.

Figure 4 also illustrates that upper and lower rollers I70 and I72 are located at what might be said to be the rear side of the gang of brushes and cooperate with the

rollers

68 and 70 at the front side of the gang of brushes in the formation of a sort of scrubbing chamber within which there is placed the soapy fluid either directly or through the passages in the shafts H0.

Referring now to Figure 6, it will be seen that the rollers "I0 and H8 are carried by bearings I75 slidably attached to the super frame by flanges I16 and having stems I78 slidable through barrels or bosses ISfl. Expansion springs are shown to be mounted within the bosses I80 and have the lower ends thereof engaged with shouldered portions of the stems I18 so as to urge the Attention is now invited to Figure 4, in which it is illustrated that from the rollers I10 and I12, the carpet passes upward over one or more 7 transverse rolls it!) and is subjected to the action of a rinsing fluid discharged by way of a transversely extending rinsing head or pipe I92. The rinsing head is provided with a control element 282 for use in regulating the width of the spray to correspond to the width of the rug.

The material being treated passes from the rollers H and I12. beneath a constantly rotating helical scraper 144 having rounded edges for pressure contact with the rug so as to extract therefrom all possible soap. As shown in Figure 2, the scraper is driven by an endless sprocket chain 15f having connection with the upper wringer roll 230 through the intervention of appropriate sprocket wheels. From Figure 2 it will be seen that the employment of a pair of meshing gears between the chain 15! and the scraper provides for the turning of the scraper in the direction opposite the direction of travel of the It is shown in Fig. that the engagement of the beater M4 withthe adjacent portion of the rug causes the rug to dip and form a sort of trough between the adjacent supports.

After being rinsed and scraped, the rug or carpet, as the case may be, is subjected to :a wringing'action made possible by the provision of upper and lower wringer rolls 23%], the lower wringer roll having the terminal portions thereof provided with pintles rotatably carried by bearing brackets, 232 while the upper wringer roll is provided at the ends thereof with pintles mounted on vertically adjustable bearings 234. It is shown in Figure 6 that the bearings 234 are carried by flanged portions 235 of the super frame and that these bearings have threaded connection with vertically movable links 249.

Figure 6 illustrates in detail that the links 2 19 are slidable through bosses in the super frame and are pivotally connected at the upper portions thereof to levers 242, the outer portions of the levers being pivoted to short links 246 while the inner portions of the levers are provided with openings slidably receiving adjusting screws 250. The adjusting screws 250 are threaded through the hubs of worm wheels 252 and the worm wheels are engaged by worms 2% mounted on a shaft 256. The shaft 258 is extended through the walls 38 and $3 of the super frame and, through the intervention of the

worm connection

252, 254, has operative connection with theadjusting screws 250 so that by turning the shaft through the aid of the handle 269 or any other convenient means, the upper wringer roll. may be raised or lowered or placed under the proper tension. It is shown clearly in Figure 6 that expansion coil springs 264 are mounted on the upper portions of the adjusting screws 250 between the levers 242 and the heads of the screws and. these springs provide a yieldable motion to pressure transmitting connection between the feed screws and the levers, which yieldable connection protects the wringer against excessive pressure.

Particular attention is invited to Figure 1 in which it is illustrated that the hub or attaching portion of the crank handle 23!! is keyed for limited longitudinal sliding motion onthe shaft 256 so that the lugs 26! of the hub may be advanced into interlocking engagement with the hub of the adjacent worm wheel 254. 7

When the crank handle 260 is thus interlocked '5 with the adjacent worm wheel 254 through the intervention of the lugs 26!, both worm wheels 254 may be turned together, bringingiabout the co-extensive raising or lowering of both ends of the upper wringer roll 23B. 10 Of course, it is desirable to bring about the co-extensive raising and lowering of the upper wringer roll during the use of the machine for cleaning rugs of generous widths, for example, On the other hand,

those about nine feet wide. should rugs of a less width, for example, those about three feet wide, be run through the machine, a uniform wringer pressure on the rug is brought about by first lowering the upper wringer roll coextensively from both ends and thenre- 'tracting the crank handle 260 and subsequently turning the same to relieve, in part, the downward pressure on the end of the upper wringer roll remote from the crank handle. 1

In this connection it is pointed out that when narrower rugs are turned thru the machine, the 7, same arenot centered with respect to the'various rolls but are located toward-the side of the machine having the crank handle 260 and by backing up on the crank handle 260 the spring upper wringer roll through the intervention of 40 'a train of gears 214.

The gears 214 are rotatably mounted on an angle arm 215 and a. link 2'58 pivotally connected to the arm 215 maintains a constantly operative connection between the two uppermost gears of the train regardless of the adjustment of the upper wringer roll with respect to the lower wringer roll, it being noted in this connection that the uppermost gear of the train is secured upon the pintle at one end of the 7 upper wringer. 59

Coming now to the driving means for the various movable parts such, for example, asthe beater, the feed rollers, the brush heads and the wringers, attention is invited to Figure 2, in which the main driving motor 300 is shown to be mounted at one end of the machine and is provided with a' drive shaft with which there is associated a clutching mechanism 302 of any preferred type.

The motor 300 and more particularly the main drive shaft thereof has connection with a trans- 60 mission or speed change device 394 and the speed change device is provided with a shaft 306. Upon the motion transmitting shaft 396 there is keyed or otherwise secured, a sprocket gear 308 about which an endless sprocket chain 3|0'is trained. 55

Referring now to Figure 13 it will be seen'that the sprocket chain 3H is also trained about a sprocket wheel 312 keyed upon the 'hub of a beveled gear 314, the beveled gear being located within an appropriate housing 3H5 and having constant mesh with a beveled gear 3|! keyed on the lower portion of the upwardly extending drive shaft 159 for the various brush heads. Thus, it will be seenthat the operation of the motor 300 ,willbring about the turning of the shaft I59 mental gear I 48 and the link I54 the latter being driven by the crank on the upper portion of the shaft I59.

With further detailed reference to Figure 14,

it will be seen that the beveled gear 3I1 has constant mesh with a beveled gear 320 keyed upon the shaft 322 and thereby serving to rotate this shaft constantly in the same direction. Incidentally, the shaft 322 is rotatably extended thru the hub of the gear 3M and has driving connection at the outer end thereof with a sprocket wheel 326. From Fig. 3 it will be seen that the sprocket wheel 326 has driving connection with a sprocket wheel 330 of much smaller diameter and keyed upon the shaft 90 of the beater.

Particular attention is invited to the fact that the motion transmitting mechanism illustrated in Figure 13 serves as a means to bring about the turning of the beater in the direction of travel of the rugs so that when temporarily joined ends of rugs are presented to the beater, the same will simply ride over the beater and will not fold inward as would be the case were the beater turned in the direction opposite the direction of travel of the rugs. In other words, the power take-01f from the driving means for the brush heads includes a reversing mechanism by which the beater is rotated in the direction opposite the direction of travel of the rugs through the machine.

Coming now to the means by which the various rollers are rotated together, attention is invited to Figures 2 and 8 from which it will be seen that an endless sprocket chain 340 is trained about a sprocket wheel on the shaft 306 and about a sprocket wheel 342 on a motion transmitting shaft 344.

In Figure 3 it is clearly illustrated that the shaft 344 has slidably mounted thereon a com bination gear 346, the separate gear sections thereof being adapted for selective engagement with the combination gear 348 mounted upon the extended end of the pintle of the roller I12 providing a speed change mechanism. The combination gear 346 has connection with a manually operated lever 36E] providing a means by which either of the sections of the combination gear may be engaged with the mating section of the gear 348 so that the roller I12 and the .parts driven thereby are rendered capable of regulation as to speed.

Having explained how the roller I 12 is rotated attention is now invited to Figure 6 illustrating that this roller has mounted thereon a sprocket wheel 360 about which a sprocket chain 362 is trained, this wheel also being trained about a sprocket wheel 366 upon the extended portion of the pintle of the adjacent roller 68. Another sprocket chain 310 is trained about appropriate sprocket wheels secured to the adjacent ends of the rollers 68 to bring about the rotation of both of these rollers at the same speed, Thus, it will be seen that the roller I12 acts as a motion transmitting means between the source of power and the two lower rollers 68.

With further reference to Figure 6 it will be seen that the sprocket chain 210, which has driving engagement with the lower wringer rolls 230, is trained about an appropriate sprocket wheel keyed to the roller I12 so that the roller I12 is further caused to act as a motion transmitting means between the source of power and the wringer.

It has been explained that the upper and lower wringer rolls 23ll are driven together and at the same speed through the intervention of the train 5 of gears 214 and that such train of gears are mounted in a manner which allows of adjustment of the pressure between the wringer rolls.

Coming now to the means by which the upper roller I10 and the two rollers 19 are rotated, at- 1 tention is invited to Figure 2, in which it is shown that a spur gear 409 is rigidly mounted upon the pintle of the driven roller I12 and has constant mesh with a gear rigidly mounted upon the pintle of the upper roller I12 thereby causing this upper 15 roller to turn in the direction of travel of the rug.

It is now pointed out that, as shown in Figure 2, an endless sprocket chain 408 is trained about suitable sprocket wheels upon the pintles 20,

of the upper roller I10 and the adjacent roll 10. From what might be said to be the innermost roller Ill, motion is transmitted to the outer roller 16 thru the intervention of an endless sprocket chain M2, it being apparent that this chain is trained about appropriate sprocket wheels secured to the terminal portions of the, two rollers Ill.

To prepare the machine for operation, the super frame is raised slightly by rotation of the hand wheel 62 in the proper direction andwhen the super frame is thus elevated, a space will be brought about between the several rollers and the brush heads will be elevated so that either a rug or a dummy may be threaded through the machine and when a rug has thus been threaded through the machine and a number of rugs have been detachably joined to be run through the machine in succession, the motor 390 is start,- ed and a cleansing fluid, furnished to the brushing heads through the branch pipe I20, or if desired, a soapy fluid may simply be thrown into the cleansing chamberdefined by the roller I10 and the adjacent parallel roller 10. Theoscillation of the brushheads in themannerdescribed is will bring about the thorough washing and cleansing of both sides of the nap so that all dirt will be effectively removed from the rug.

Of course, before reaching the scrubbing position the dry rug is caused to move across the beater and is there subjected to the vigorous beating action of the various beating tubes, these beating tubes being thrown into beating contact with theunder side of the rug by centrifugal force.

Since, as previously described, the beating ele ments 96 in the various longitudinally spaced sections of the beater are staggered the rug will be subjected to a compound beating action. That is to say, the staggered arrangement of the beating element will cause the rug to waver transversely and since the heaters are driven at a comparatively high speed, this arrangement will have the effect of imparting to the rug a vibration conducive to the complete loosening and removal of the dirt, this action being in concert with the direct centrifugal contact of the beating element with the underside of the rug.

The dirt thus removed from the dry rug is carried off by the vacuum or suction in the beating chamber and the passage of the dust-laden air from the chamber through a water container will cause the deposit of the dust in the water 75 thereby preventing the contamination of the at mosphere about the machine.

The rugs upon leaving the beater pass beneath the brushing elements in the manner described and then move upward over the support I98, at

which point the rugs are subjected to the rinsing water-discharged by force from the'rinsing head I92 and this, of course, has the effect of removing the soapy fluids so that the rugs remain only to be subjected to the action of the wringer by which the major portion of moisture is removed therefrom. V 7

As shown in Figure 4, a collector pan 418 is mounted beneath the wringer and certain of the other rolls to receive the drippings from the rug and is shown to be depressed toward the central portion thereof where there is shown to be located a depending outlet pipe 18! the lower portion of which discharges into the exhaust pipe 86 from the beater.

The introduction of the drippings from the pan H8 into the exhaust line brings about the mixture of the recovered dust with the rinsing Water and this mixture may be carried ofi to a suitable point of discharge. The mixture of the rinsing water with the exhaust from the beater insures a more perfect control of the dust recovered from the rugs and prevents the contamination of the atmosphere about the machine with this dust.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be seen that the bed of the machine has a longitudinal dimension substantially greater than that of the rollers allowing rugs of a length greater than the "length of the rolls to be handled, it being apparent, however, that where a rug greater than the length of the rolls'is passed through the machine, the rug will have to be passed through a second time for the purpose of cleaning that part of the rug which was not treated during the first passage of the rug through the machine.

On the other hand, should it be desired to pass through the machine a number of small rugs having a width less than the length of the roll ers, the rinsing heads I92 may be adjusted to cut Off a portion of the outlet openings therein, so

that the spray will be of a width corresponding" approximately to the width of the rugs, this being a simple matter of adjustment of the handle 2B2.

By the same token, when rugs of a width less than the length of the rollers is passed through the machine, certain of the brushing heads I06 may be raised to inoperative positions and the supply, of cleaning fluid to the cleaning heads not in use may-be cut off. 10

A machine constructed in accordance with this invention will be recognized as designed to perform a number of diiierent operations with a reduced handling of the rug and therefore,

contemplates the use of a reduced number of men for a task that is recognized in'the industry as one of the first magnitude. 7

It is to be understood that the form of invention herewith shown and described is to be taken merely as a preferred exampleof the same and that such minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts may be made as will remain within the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is 2 claimed is,: i 1. In a machine of the class described, a support, upper and lower wringer rollsj associated with the support, the upper wringer roll being provided at the ends thereof with pintles, bearings associated with said pintles and being provided with links, levers connected intermediate the ends thereof to said links, and a common means for selectively adjusting one of said levers singly or adjusting the levers. together.