US2064587A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1936. F L TE T 2,064,587

VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l /6 I I -lNV T ORNEY Dec. 15, 1936.

F. cARLsTEDT VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented l5, 1936 ta s I attain a'il'i CLEANER Fredrih @arlstedt, Stockholm, Sweden, asslgnorto Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del. a corporation of Delaware Application tune as, 1934, Serial No. 32,911 In Genny July 8, 1933 *2 Claims. (er. 183-37) In my application, Serial No. 710,421, filed on February 9, 1934, Patent No. 2,044,830, issued June 23, 1936, there is disclosed and claimed a different conditions of vacuum cleaner action.

For example, in cleaning heavy fabrics, such as rugs, a high vacuum is desirable in order to draw air through the cloth or the like for the purpose of removing embedded dirt, as well as for removing dirt adhering to the surface of the cloth. On the other hand, when cleaning a smooth surface, such as a hardwood floor, a

high'vacuum is not necessary, but a large air quantity at lower pressure differential suffices and permits cleaning agiven area in a quicker time.

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of this general type and has for its o'b- -ject to provide an electrically driven vacuum cleaner, having at least one of the air impellers mounted on one end of the motor shaft and at least one other of the impellers mounted on the other end of the motor shaft. Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying draw-' ings, which form a part of the specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention;. 1

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, or on line 2-2 of. Fig. 3; I

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is .a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; Y g Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, similar to Fig. 3, of a portion of the device but with the valve member in a different position; I

Fig. 6 is a. cross-sectional view taken on the line 6+6 of Fi 5;

- Fig. '1 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a valve member employed in the embodiment illustrated in Figs/1 through 7; and

Fig. 9 is a top view of the motor housing shown in Fig. 3, the parts abovethe housing having been removed.

Referring more particularly to-Figs. 1 through 3 reference character H5 designates an air-tightcasing mounted on a pair. of wheels IIS and a .5

caster Ill. Casing II 5 comprises a horizontal,

preferably oval, portion H8 and a cylindrical portion H9 having a substantially vertical axis. A nozzle I20 is secured to one end of horizontal portion III! by means of spring clips I2I. annular flange I22 on a cylindrical mouthpiece I 23 is clamped between the. nozzle and the end of the casing. Secured to mouthpiece I23 is a dust-bag I 2i of suitable material, which is impervious with respect to dust, but allows the i5 passage therethrough of air. The shape of this bag is preferably that shown in Fig. 3. If desiredya flap valve I25 may be provided in the nozzle 520 in order to prevent the escape through the nozzle, when the vacuum cleaner is idle, of 20 dirt previously collected within the bag. Flap valve E25 may be pivotally mounted byrmeans of a well known type of hinge having a spring tending to hold the valve in closed position; and valve I125 is held open during operation of the cleaner by the passage of air through the nozzle.

surface on which the cleaner is supported by means of the wheels H6 and the caster III. A

handle I56, pivoted to the cleaner at I57, is pro: vided for moving the latter over the surface to be cleaned.

Mounted within the vertical cylindrical portion II 9 of the casing is an electric motor I21. 35 The motor includes a housing I28 and anarma- I ture shaft I29. The shaft I29 extends through both ends of the motor housing and is provided at either end with fan impellers I30 and "I. Impeller I is surrounded by a fan housing I32 40 supported by the motor housing andhaving an inlet opening I33 which is permanently in communication with the interior of easing IIB. Motor housing I28 is provided with openings I34 which establish communication between the interior of the motor housing and the interior of fan housing I32. Openings I34 constitute outlet openings for the lower impeller.

The lower end of the motor and fan-housing I32 are'surrounded by a guard I35, which may 50 consist of perforated sheet metal or a reinforced wire screen. The purpose of guard I35 is to prevent the dust bag I from beingdrawn into the inlet opening I38.

Fan impeller I3I is arranged to be rotated 5 within a fan housing comprising the upper part with.

- I23 is provided with apertures I31, which open into the spaces I38 bounded by an extension wall I39 of the motor housing, a rotatable valve memberuI 40v and radially extending walls I preferably cast integral with the motor housing. The shape of valve member I40 is shown in Fig. 8. The valve member is rotatably mounted within the extension wall I39 of the motor housing and is provided with an operating handle I42, which extends through a slot in the casing.

Adjacent to its periphery the valve member I40 is provided with a number of openings I43 whichcorrespond in number to the number of spaces I38. In the embodiment illustrated there are three'spaces I38 and three openings I43. Alternating with the spaces I33 are spaces I44 which arein communication with the interior of the casing I I9 by virtue of openings I45. The center of valve member I40 is provided with an opening I40 which constitutes the inlet opening for the upper fan impeller. Valve member I40 is provided around opening I46 with sections I41 01 a circular wall. The number of sections I4I is equal to the number oi spaces I38 or I44, which, as previously pointed out, in the present embodiment is three. The lower ends of sections I" contact a circular shoulder I48 formed on the motor housing. Arcuate webs I58 are formed between. radial walls I over spaces I44. These webs are of greater extent than openings I43 in valve member I40, so as to close the openings when the latter are turned into alignment there- The upper end of the cylindrical portion II9 of the casing is formed as a perforated plate I49. A filter I of cloth or other suitable material impregnated, if desired, with a disinfectant or deodorant, is held in place on the upper side of plate I49 by meanso'i a cap I5I, which may be adapted to frictionally engage the upper end of casing I I9. A perforated plate I52 is fixed within cap I5I seats to hold the filter I50 in place, and

' to prevent the filter from being blown up against I to reduce the resistance to airflow when the device is being used as. a suction, cleaner, while making it possible to exhaust all the air through the hose or the like attached to opening I 53 when it is desired .to use the cleaner as a blower.

With valve member I40 in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the fan impellers I30 and I3I are connected for parallel flow of air. Rotation of impeller I30 causes air to be drawn in through nozzle I20, thrcTugh the dust bag and through inlet opening I33 in the fan housing I32. From here the air is ejected through openings I34 into the motor housing, where itserves to cool the motor. From the motor housing the air passes through openings I31 into the spacesl33. With the valve member I40 in the position shown, the openings I43 at the periphery thereof are in alignment with the spaces I33, and consequently the air passes into the'housing o! impeller I3I at the outer periphery thereof, which is,in effect, the outlet of this impeller. The rotation of impeller I3I draws air from the interior of easing II5 through the openings I45 into the space I44. With the valve member I40 in the position assumed, the vertical sections I41 are in alignment with the spaces I38, as clearly appears from Fig. i

4, and hence there is communication between spaces I44 and the center opening I46 in the valve member. Hence the air is drawn through space I44 into the inlet of impeller I3I and is discharged by the impeller into the outer periphery of the housing, where it joins the air discharged from impeller I30. The air from both of the impellers thence passes through perforated plate I49, filter I50, perforated plate I52 and through opening I53 and also openings I54, if these latter openings are open.

In the event that it is desired .to operate the fan impellers in series, handle I42 is moved to the other end of the slot whereby valve member I40 is turned to the positionshown in Figs. 5 and 6. Impeller. I30 supplies air to spaces I38 in the same mariner as previously described.

However, openings I43 in valve member I40 are no longer in alignment with spaces, I30, and the vertical walls I41 have also been moved out of alignment with these spaces, so that the air is free to flow through the central opening I46 into the valve member, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

This air is acted upon by impeller "IV and is dischar'gedirom the cleaner in the same manner as previously described. With thevalve member I40 in'this position, vertical walls I41 are in alignment with the spaces I44, and hence prevent the upper impeller I3I from drawing air directly from the interior of the casing through openings I45. Openings I43 in valve member I40 are closed due to the fact that they are in alignment with webs I50, thus assuring against recirculation of air discharged from impeller-HI back into the interior of the casing.

It will be seen that, for either positionof the valve member, at least one of the impellers circulates air through the motor housing. With the impellers connected in series, both oi them aid in this circulation. The lower impeller I30 discharges air into one end oi the motor housing. while theupper impeller I3I withdraws air from the other end of the housing.

While a more or less specific embodiment oi. the invention has been'disclosed, it will be obvious that other embodiments of the invention may be made. For example, more than two tan impellers. may be provided and connected in series or in parallel. The greater the number of pellers the greater the difference in efl'ect betw series and parallel connection. The scope ofthe present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims viewed in art. r

What I claim is:

the light of the prior 1. A vacuum cleaner including a motor having a housing, a fan impeller mounted at each end oi. said motor to be driven thereby, and means for alternatively. connecting said impellers for series or parallel flow of airtherethrough, one of said impellers being arranged to circulate air through'said housing during both series an parallel flow.

2. A vacuum cleaner including a motor having with said opening 01' air therethrough, one arranged to circulate air a housing, a fan impeller mounted at each end of said motor to be driven thereby, the interior of said housing forming a discharge passageway for one of said impellers, said housing being formed with an opening adjacent to'the other impeller, and movablevalve means associated for alternatively establishing communication between said opening and the inlet of said other impeller or the outlet of said other impeller.

4. A vacuum cleaner including a casing, a dust bag in said casing, a plurality of impeller fans in said casing including fan housings having inlets and outlets, the inlet of one of said housings being permanently in communication with the interior of said casing, means providing a passageway permanently in communication with the outlet of said one of said housings, a motor for driving said impellers located in said passageway, and movable valve means for establishing communication between said passageway and the inlet of the other of said housings and alternatively for establishing communication between said passageway and the outlet of said other housing and between the interior of said casing and inlet of said other housing.

5. A vacuum cleaner includinga casing, a dust bag in said casing, a plurality of impeller fans in said casing including fan housings having inlets and outlets, the inlet of one of said housings during parallel flow andbeing permanently in communication with the interior of said casing, a filter member, the outlet of the other of said housings being arranged in permanent communication with said filter member, means .providing a passageway permanently in communication with the outlet of said one of said housings, a motor for driving said impellers located in said passageway, and movable valve means for establishing communication between said passageway and the inlet of the other of said housings and alternatively for establishing communication between said passageway and the outlet of said other housing and between the casing and the inlet of said other housing.

6. A vacuum cleaner including a casing, a motor having a housing mounted within said casing, a fan impeller mounted at each end of said motor to be driven thereby, and means for alternatively connecting said impellers for series or parallelflow therethrough, one of said impellers being arranged to circulate air through said housing during parallel flow, the other of said impellers being arranged to circulate air between said casing and said housing during parallel flow and both of said impellers being arranged to circulate air through said housing during series .flow.

'7. A vacuum cleaner including a motor having a shaft, 2. fan impeller mounted at each end of said shaft to be driven thereby, and valve means for selectively connecting said impellers for series or parallel flow of air therethrough, said valve means being disposed between said motor and one of said impellers and formed with an opening through which said shaft extends.

a FREDRIK CARL-STEDT.

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