US2070688A

US2070688A - Suction cleaner

Info

Publication number: US2070688A
Application number: US704622A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald G Smellie
Original assignee: Hoover Co
Current assignee: Hoover Co
Priority date: 1933-12-30
Filing date: 1933-12-30
Publication date: 1937-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 1954-02-16

Description

Feb. 16, 1937. D. G. SMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 30, 1933 INVENTOR Donald 6.5mellz'e ATTORNEY Patented, Feb. -16, 11937 PATENT orrlca 2,070,688 SUCTION CLEANER Donald G. Smollie, Canton, Ohio, aasignor' to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December so, 1933-, Serial No. 704,622

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general. and particularly to new and novel improvements inthe construction of the suction cleaner nozzle.- More specifically the inventioncomprises the provision of a suction cleaner nozzle having pile penetrating lips which are tiltably'mounted and which are resiliently urged to a normal vertical position. 1

It is an object'of the present invention to provvide anew and improved suction cleaner. It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner nozzle. A-still further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner nozzle in which the lips are pile penetrating, are-pivotally'mounted, and are resiliently urged to a normal vertical position. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a modern suction cleaner embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partial cross-section through the cleaner nozzle showing the lips constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the nozzle shown in Fig'ure 2;' f Figure 4 is a cross section similar to Figure 2,

showinga second preferred embodiment of the cleaning function. In the operation of the clean- 1 er, however, pile penetrating lips extend to a relatively great distance into the pile of the covering and increase the force required to move thecleaner. This increase in force required is undesirable. In order to eliminate this undesirable force increase the pile penetrating lips of the cleaner, constructed in accordance with the present invention, are so mounted that they are permitted to tilt, being resiliently urged to a normal vertical position. The tilting action makes easier the sliding action of. the lip or lips through the covering, and the force required to move the "cleaner is correspondingly decreased.

,In' the 'drawing a modern cleaner isshown. The

reference character 1 indicates the cleaner nozzle which is interiorly connected, as in the usual cleaner, to the fan chamber 2 which houses the suction-creating fan 3 driven by an unshown motor positioned within the motor casing 4. I The 5 suction-creating fan 3 functions in the'operation of the machine. to 'draw cleaning air through] the nozzle l and exhaust it, withthe dirt or foreign matter which is suspended therein, into the dust bag 5 which is removably attached to the exhaust 10 outlet of the fan chamber. The cleaner is movably supported by means of'front and rear wheels 6 and I, there being two of the former which are spaced and which are movable vertically relative --to the machine by means of the manual adjust- 16 ing means 8 for the purpose of raising and lower-' ing the nozzle I relative to the surface covering undergoing cleaning. As in the usual cleaner a pivoted handle 23 is provided-to the upper end of which the dust bag 5 is attached and supported 20 in the usual manner. The parts described in the foregoing paragraph comprise the usual suction cleaner and no invention is claimed in their general arrangement or combination except as hereinafter specified. 25

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 in particular a crosssection through the nozzle I discloses the lower end or mouth of the nozzle defined by the front .and rear nozzle walls 9 and III. The mouth is seen to be surrounded by the usual furniture 30 guard H. The lower edges of the walls 9 and iii are spacedat aconsiderable height above the'covering undergoing cleaning and the surface-contacting front and rear lips, I! and l3'respectively,

are movably carried by the walls by means of 35 resilient strips I, ll. These strip members are preferably of rubber and normally hold the lips vertically as shown in Figure 2. The upper ends into the covering pile. "I'he frictional force of the covering on .the lips flexes the resilient strips l4. l4 and pivots the lips-about the, line at which the strips are secured to the nozzle, and the lips are tilted'rearwardly. When. the cleaner is moved in' the reverse direction, that is rearwardly, the lips are tilted forwardly. The net result is aidecrease in the force required to move 55 mounted throughout its length and defining one the cleaner as the lips slide through the pile of the covering more easily when tilted.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5 a second preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. In this embodiment the flexible strips which supported the lips in the first embodiment have been eliminated. Instead lips l2 and-l3 are riveted upon shafts l6, it which are pivotally carried by the nozzle end walls. Seals ll, II enclose the outer sides of the shafts l8, l6 sealing them to the nozzle walls. Removable plate elements l8, l8 of metal are secured to the nozzle walls by means of screws l9, I9 etc., and clamp the elements i I, I1 thereto. The nozzle lips are normally held in their vertical positions'by means of spring arms 20, 20 which extend through two pins 2|, 2| carried on the inner sides of the lips. Springs 20, 20, of which there may be a pair at each end of the nozzle, are carried by the nozzle end walls on pins 22, 22. The operation of this embodiment of the invention is identical with that first described. The movement of the cleaner over the surface covering in the cleaner operation results in the pivotal movement of the lips resulting in decreased force requirement for movement.

'mouth, a surface-contacting lip carried by said nozzle defining one side of said mouth, the entire surface-contacting portion of said lip being movable horizontally and relative to. said nozzle mouth under the force exerted by a surface covering thereagainst 'in the movement of said I cleaner thereover. and means resiliently opposing movement of said lip relative to said nozzle mouth with a lesser force than the frictional force exerted by the surface covering in the operation of the cleaner. I

3. The construction recited by the preceding l claim characterized in that said lip includes a metallic surface-contacting portion which is mounted relative to said nozzle by a resilient flexible strip. Y

4. The construction recited by the second preceding clsim' characterized in that said lip is pivotally mounted relative to said nozzle and is spring-urged to a vertical position.

5. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a nozzle open to said means and having a mouth, a surface-contacting pile penetrating lip defining a side of said nozzle mouth adapted to extend into and between adjacent tufts of the pile of a surface covering undergoing cleaning in the operation of the machine, said lip being mounted for tilting movement relative to the nozzle mouth, and means resiliently opposingthe movement of said lip from the vertical position with a force less than the pivoting force exerted thereon by the surface covering undergoing cleaning.

6. A suction cleaner including a nozzle and a nozzle lip thereon defining one side ofthe nozzle mouth, said nozzle lip being pivotally and movably mounted, means resiliently. urging saidlip to a vertical position, the pivotal axis being so positioned that said lip can assume a multiplicity of angular positions during its contact with a surface covering, said lip being pivotable by a force exerted thereon by a surface covering undergoing cleaning in the movement of said cleaner thereover.

"I. The construction recited in the preceding claim characterized in that means are provided to resiliently hold said lip in its vertical position.

8. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, rigid nozzle lips defining the sides of the nozzle mouth, said lips being pivotally mounted relative to said nozzle and adapted to. assume a multiplicity of angular positions relative thereto under a pivoting force exerted thereon by a surface .cov-

ering slipping thereunder, and resilient means urging said lips to a vertical position.

9. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a mouth, a tiltable lip defining aside of said mouth under which cleaning air must pass in entering, said lip being tiltable about an axis above the plane of surface contact under the frictional force exerted by a contacting surface covering in the movement of the nozzle thereover, and means acting to yleldingly resist the tilting of said lip.

10.In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a mouth, and a tiltable lip defining a side of said mouth under. which cleaning air must pass in entering, said lip comprising a surface-contacting portion and a resilient flexible portion connecting and sealing said surface-contacting portion to the wall of the nozzle, said resilent flexible portion being sufficiently flexible to permit of flexing under a frictional force exerted by a surface covering undergoing cleaning against said surface-contacting portion.

of said lip under a'frictional force exerted by a surfacecovering undergoing cleaning.

DONALD G. SMIELLIE.