US2086054A

US2086054A - Window cleaning device

Info

Publication number: US2086054A
Application number: US20579A
Authority: US
Inventors: Swenson Albin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-05-09
Filing date: 1935-05-09
Publication date: 1937-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1954-07-06

Description

July 6', 1937. A. swENsoN E 2,086,054

WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE Film1J May 9, 1935 sheets-sheet 2 v lNvENToR Alban Swenson Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE Albin Swenson,

New York, N. Y.

Application May 9, 1935, Serial No. 20,579

Claims.

The present invention relates to devices for cleaning the outer surfaces of windows from a position within a room.

While many attempts have been made to pro- 5 vide machines of this type, marketable success has not been attained for many reasons. General cumbersomeness, difficulty of operation, the necessity of providing attaching means, etc., have deleteriously affected the commercial acceptance of such devices heretofore.

The present invention seeks to obviate these faults and a major object of the invention is to provide a simple, eiiicient, portable device for the purpose which is self-contained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which, when in use, may be appropriately associated with the surfaces of the window panes to be cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide, 20 in a device of this character, means for guiding such a device for transverse movement along the base rail of a window frameV to afford a minimum of effort in its operation.

vA further object of the invention is to provide,

25 in a device of this character, means for guiding said device along rail portions of the inner window sash, whereby the window washing means maybe properly associated with the outer surfajcev of either of the window panes of either that 30 sash or the outer window sash.

A still further object of the invention is tor provide novel means for operating the window cleaning means from a position within a room.

Otherobjects such as the provision of-water 35 supply'fmeans for the window cleaning means; the provision of means for counterba'lancng the window washing means; the provision of novel operating connections between the window washing means and the manually operating means;

4G etc., and the previously mentioned objects will become more apparent after perusal of the following speoication in which is described a pre- I ferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic showing of the novel connection means for operating the window washing means.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of an alternate form of manual means for operating the window washing means.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the window frame ID is provided with the usual base rail II and with the window sashes I2 and I3 respectively inner and outer, the sash I2 being provided with the window pane I4 and the sash I3 with the window pane I5. Y

It is apparent that the inner surfaces of these panes can readily be cleaned from av position within the room, and in order to clean the outer surfaces of these window panes the herein con-y Another pair of rollers 22 are adapted to en-Y gage the outer edge of the base rail II,'and a third'pair of rollers 23 are arranged to `engage the inner surface of the bottom rail of the inner sash I2. At the upper end of the column I there Vis preferably provided a long faced roller 24 for engagement against the inner face of the upper rail of said ,inner sash, 1n this manner the base with its columns may be guided lfor transverse movement in the window frame.

The column I8 is in this instance shown as being provided with vertical guideways 25 for guiding the vertical movementv of a frame 2B having portions 2l engaged in the gudevvays and rollers 2S similarly engaged.

A shaftV 29 is transversely positioned in the frame 26 and upon this shaft is afxed, in a suitable manner, a handle 30. Also positioned on the shaft 29 there may be provided a flanged drum 3l free on said shaft but looked.Y thereto by means suchas the nut 32 on the threaded portion 33 of the shaft.

At the upper end of the column I8 there is Y provided a transverse pin 34 upon which is mounted for free rotation a pulley 35 and at the base of said column a similar pin 36 freely carries two such pulleys 3'I and 38. Y

Also guided in the column I8 is a counter- The weight 38 having a chain or cable 40 trained about a pulley 4l on the pin 34 and connected to the drum 3| as at 40'. This counterweight is also provided with another cable 42 trained about a pulley 43 on the pin 36 and connected to the same point 46 on the drum 3l. This counterweight 39 not only balances the weight of the frame 26 and the portions attached thereto, but also the window washing means hereinafter described.

The column 20, provided with the vertical guideways, 44 serves to guide the window washing means generally indicated at 45. This window washing means preferably comprises a frame 46 having spaced shafts 41, each provided with rollers 48 engageable in the guideway 44.

Intermediate the two shafts 41 there is positioned a shaft 49 upon which is mounted a pulley 56. Upon projecting ear portions l of the frame 46 there is tiltably mounted at 52 a member in the form of a bellcrank lever having leg 53 projecting into the hollow of the column 2D, and another leg 54 normally substantially vertically disposed outside the column. At the mounting point 52 there is preferably provided means, such as the torsional spring 55, normally tending to move the bellcrank 53--54 in the direction of the arrow (Figure 2).

The free end of the leg 54 serves to mount a water tank or chamber 56, the upper end of which is provided with perforations 51, and in association with said tank there is positioned a rubber squeegee 58. This squeegee is adapted to contact the outer face of either window pane I4 or l5 for washing and cleaning said face in a manner well known.

The upper end of the column 2U is provided with a pin 59 freely mounting a pulley 60, and at the base of column 20 a pin 6l supports the pulley 62 for rotation and similarly a pin 63 supports a pulley 64.

The connection means between the frame 26 and the frame 46 may comprise chain means or the like, but in this instance there is illustrated cable means for the purpose trained about the various pulleys in the following manner.

A chain or cable 65 is attached to the flanged wheel 3l as at 66 then trained about the

pulleys

38, 62 and 60 and having its other end attached as at 61 to the frame 46. Another chain 68 is attached as at 69 to the flange wheel 3l and then trained about the

pulleys

35, 31, 64 and 50 to be attached at to the free end of the leg 53 of the squeegee carrying bellcrank.

Should the chains or cables stretch unduly, the nut 32 may be loosened and the drum 3l rotated to take up any slack in the cables. Fixing the nut 32 against the adjacent face of the drum and thus jamming it against the handle 36 makes the device again ready for operation.

From the foregoing manner it can be seen that as the handle 36 is moved upwardly the frame 46 is similarly moved and for a like distance, and as the handle 36 is moved downwardly the frame 46 also moves in that direction. However, the squeegee which is normally held out of contact with the window pane by the spring 55 may be brought into contact with the outer surface of the desired window pane by swinging the handle 30 upwardly as shown in Figure 2. This rotates the drum 3i so as to shorten the effective length of the cable 68, thereby swinging the bellcrank 53-54 inwardly towards the surface to be contacted. When the handle is released the squeegee bellcrank, through the medium of its spring 55, returns to a non-window engaging position.

At 1l there is shown a tank preferably supported on the base I6, and in this tank there may be positioned cylinder and piston means 12 for forcing water from within the tank through a rigid connection 13 and a flexible connection 14 into the tank 56.

The usual valve means 15 may be employed for assuring one-way passage of the water in the said connection.

It is apparent that a desired number of reciprocatory movements of the handle 16 of the piston cylinder means will force sufficient water into the tank 56 so it may overflow through the orifices 51 for wetting the window pane to be operated on by the squeegee 58.

The alternate fo-rm of construction, shown in Figure 6, somewhat simplifies the frame structure 26 by merely providing a pivot 11 for the handle 30 upon said frame and connecting the cable 68 to a projecting portion 18, on said handle.

With this structure the effective length of the cable 68 is not shortened but the rocking of the handle 3U pulling on said cable 68 pulls upwardly on the leg 53 of the squeegee bellcrank to position the squeegee against the window surface to be cleaned. When this structure, as shown in Figure 6, is employed, other means quite apparent would be employed in compensating for stretch or slack in the cable 68.

From the foregoing it can be seen that a simple, efficient and entirely practical device has been provided for the purpose intended. It is also apparent however that immaterial changes in the size, proportion and arrangement of the parts may well be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. These claims therefore should be interpreted in View of the prior art rather than on this specific disclosure.

What I claim as new and desire Letters Patent, is:

1. A window cleaning device comprising a base, means adapting said base for transverse movement along the base rail of,a window frame, a column on said base disposed on the room side of the window sashes in said window frame, another column disposed on the opposite side of said sashes, window washing means carried by said second column, said means comprising a vertically swinging member carrying a water receiving tank portion and a squeegee associated with said tank portion, and means in the rst mentioned column operatively connected with the window Washing means for reciprocatorally moving said window washing means vertically, and for swinging the mentioned member towards and away from the outer face of the window pane in one of the sashes.

2. A window cleaning device comprising a base, a pair of spaced columns mounted on said base, window washing means mounted for vertical movement on one of said columns, a squeegee tiltably mounted on said window washing means, handle means movable on and tiltable relative to the other column, and connection means between said window washing means and squeegee and said handle means whereby when the handleis moved vertically said window washing means and said squeegee are vertically movable by said handle means and whereby when the handle means is tilted said squeegee may be tilted towards the surface to be washed.

to secure by 3. In a window washing device, a base, a pair of 75.

spaced columns, window washing means vertically movable in one of said columns, a squeegee mounted on said windowk washing means, said squeegee being normally urged away from the surface to be washed, handle means movably guided on the other column, an adjustable drum associated with the handle means, and oscillatable thereby, cable connecting means between said drum and said squeegee and window washing means, whereby said window washing means and said squeegee are vertically moved when the handle is vertically moved and whereby said squeegee is tilted to contact a surface to be washed when said handle is tilted to oscillate the drum.

4. In a device of the character described, windo-w washing means comprising a vertically movable frame, a tiltable lever mounted on said frame, a squeegee carried by one end of said lever, means normally positioning said squeegee in non-engaging relation with a surface to be washed, a slidably mounted tiltable handle means remote from said window washing means and operatively connected therewith by cables for reciprocating said frame by reciprocation of the handle means, an end of one of said cables being attached to the other end of the tiltable lever for pressing said squeegee against a surface to be Washed upon tilting of the handle. Y

5. In a device of the character described, Window washing means comprising a vertically movable frame, a tiltable lever mounted on said frame, a squeegee carried by one end of said lever, means normally positioning said squeegee in non-engaging relation with a surface to be washed, a slidably mounted tltable handle means remote from said Window washing means and operatively connected therewith by cables for reciprocating said frame by reciprocation of the handle means, an end of one of said cables being attached to the other end ofthe tiltable lever for pressing said squeegee against a surface to be washedr upon tilting of the handle, a water tank associated with the squeegee, and means for supplying water to said tank, said tank being provided with water emitting orices.

ALBlN SWENSON.