US2295687A

US2295687A - Brush

Info

Publication number: US2295687A
Application number: US294831A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert A Ponselle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-09-14
Filing date: 1939-09-14
Publication date: 1942-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1959-09-15

Description

p 1942- R. A. PONSELLE 2,295,687

BRUSH Fil ed Sept. 14, 1959 Crow: 19 4? ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRUSH Robert A. Ponselle, New York, N. Y.

Application September 14, 1939, Serial No. 294,831

Claims.

This invention relates to brushes for use in floor machines, in which the brushes are rotated by power in a generally horizontal plane. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a floor machine brush containing novel features of construction which facilitate its use and enable it to produce better results than similar prior brushes.

Brushes of the type referred to as heretofore commonly made comprise a back having tufts of bristles anchored in its lower surface and arranged in circular rows. The back has a central opening to receive part of the driving mechanism and around the opening on the upper surface of the back are driving elements to be engaged with similar elements of the driving mechanism. holes are formed through the back so that cleaning fluid may be discharged upon the back from above and will flow through the small openings to the surface to be treated.

With the construction described, difiiculties are encountered in the application of the fluid to the surface, because the upper surface of the back of the brush is usually flat and the rapid rotation of the brush during operation tends to throw the fluid discharged upon the back outwardly and away from the axis of rotation. As a result, only a part of the fluid passes down through the back to the floor surface while the remainder is thrown free of the brush and upon surfaces where it is not desired. Also, when the fluid contains soap, the action of the brush produces suds which collect in the spaces Within and between the rows of tufts and may ultimately rise through the small holes in the brush back and clog the holes. Any suds which rise above the back of the brush are likely to be thrown clear by centrifugal action and this is, of course, objectionable.

The brush of the present invention overcomes the diificulties above mentioned and is so constructed that the fluid discharged upon the back is properly distributed on the surface being treated and not thrown free. Also, suds formed at the center of the Working face of the brush and between the rows of bristles are discharged at the periphery of that face. To attain these results, the back of the brush is formed with a number of small holes or passages and the upper surface of the back is of generally conical formation, so that fluid discharged upon the back must move upwardly as it moves outwardly. With this arrangement, the effect of the centrifugal force In addition, a large number of small' acting on the fluid is partly counteracted by gravity, and a good distribution of the fluid through the passages to the surface being treated is obtained. Along its periphery, the upper surface of the back is provided with an inwardly overhanging wall or dam, and a number of the small holes through the back lie close to and preferably on the line of junction of the inner surface of the dam and the back. Any fluid thrown against the dam is prevented thereby from escaping outwardly, and the centrifugal force acting on the fluid, together with gravity, causes the fluid in contact with the inner surface of the dam to flow down through the adjacent holes. The bristle tufts in the new brush are arranged in rows to form a working face, and the rows are interrupted to form channels leading outwardly from near the center of the face Soap suds formed by the action of the bristles are then withdrawn through the channels by centrifugal action.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the new brush; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

One form of brush embodying the invention is illustrated in the drawing as comprising a back Ill, preferably formed of a suitable metal or alloy and of circular outline, the back being provided with a central hub ll having a cap [2 through which is formed a central opening l3 for the reception of a portion of the driving mechanism. The cap is also provided with a plurality of driving elements l4 disposed about the opening l3 and adapted to be engaged with similar elements of the driving mechanism. Outwardly from the lower end of the hub, the upper surface of the back rises with a considerable slope, as indicated at I5, and around the .outer edge of the sloping surface is an inwardly overhanging wall or dam I6. Beyond the lower end of the dam, the back is formed with a flange ll.

The bristles [8 are of any suitable bristle material and they are arranged in tufts anchored in openings formed in the lower surface of the back. The tufts are held in place in any desired manner and, in the construction shown, a small opening is formed in the back above each tuft and a wire is passed through the opening and through the loop of the tuft to hold it in place in the usual manner. As illustrated, the tufts are arranged in four concentric rows with the innermost row defining a central space below the hub II. The rows have interruptions so arranged as 'free.

to form channels l9 which lead from the central space within the rows to the periphery of the working face of the brush, so that soap suds developed within the central space and between the rows may be thrown out through the chan nels and free of the bristles.

Arranged in rows between the rows of tufts are small openings or passages through the back of the brush, and fluid discharged upon the back may flow through the openings to the surface being treated. Certain of the passages 20a lie close to and preferably on the line of junction of the inner surface of the darn and the upper surface of the back.

When the brush is in operation, fluid is dis-- charged upon the back by a supply pipe "leading from a suitable tank on the floor machine proper. and, because of the rotation of thebrush, the fluid tends to be thrown outwardly by centrifugal action. It will be noted, however, that the upper surface of the back of thcbrush has -a generally conical formation with an upward outward slope so that the outwardly moving fluid must move upward in its travel to the dam.

Gravity thus tends tocounteract the centrifugal action and prevents atoo rapid outward movementof the fluid. The latter is-thus retarded so that a good distribution through thepassages to the surface to be treated is obtained. If the 'rate of discharge of the fluid is such that some 5 fluid reaches the outer edge of the top of the brush, it is kept from being thrown free by the dam and, since the passages a are formed through the back close to and preferably on the line of junction of the inner surface of the dam and'the back the fluid-passes out through these passages and does not overflow the dam. The

discharge of the fluid through the passages 253a is accelerated by centrifugal action.

In prior brushes, various expedients, such as corrugations'on the upper surface of the back, have been employed to retard the centrifugal movement of the fluid over the back-and an upstanding peripheral flange has'also been provided.

These prior constructions, however, have not been satisfactory because they are not effective to produce the desireddistribution of the fluid'and also the passages through the back have been spaced inwardly a-considerable-distance from the inner face .of the flange so that fluid collects in the space between the outermost passages and the flange and ultimately overflows and is thrown The brush of the invention, by reason of the upwardly and outwardly sloping shape of the upper surface of the back, the dam with the overhang, and the proper distribution of passages through -theback, avoids the difficulties of the prior constructions and is much more effective. Also, the arrangement of the tufts forming channels in the working face prevents accumulation of soaps suds at the center of the brush and between the rows of bristles, and the suds, therefore, cannot clog the passages through the back or be thrown free from the top of the back.

I claim:

1. A rotary brush which comprises a back .hav-

ward slope from near the central area thereof toward the periphery, tufts of bristles anchored in the under surface of the back with certain of "the tufts lying beneath said sloping surface, a

plurality of passages leading through the back and having inlets in said sloping surface and outlets in said under surface among the tufts, fluid discharged upon the back flowing through the passages, and a darn extending upwardly from the upper surface ofthe back adjacent the periphery thereof. 'I

'3. A rotary brush which comprises a back having an upper surface which has a generally upward slope from near the central area thereof toward the periphery, tufts of bristles anchored in the under surface of the back with certain of the tufts lying beneath said sloping surface, a plurality of passages leading through the back and having inlets insaid sloping surface and outlets in said under surface among the tufts, fluid discharged upon the back flowing through the passages, and an inwardly overhanging dam extending upwardly from the upper surface of the back adjacent the periphery thereof.

4. A rotary brush which comprises a backhaving an upper surface which has a generally upward slope from near the central area thereof toward the periphery, tufts of bristles anchored in the under surface-of the back with certain of the tufts lying beneath said sloping surface, a plurality of passages leading through the back and having inlets in said sloping surface and outlets insaid under surface among the tufts,

fluid discharged upon the backflowing through the passages, and a dam extending upwardly from the upper surface of the back adjacent the pe ripher-y thereof, certain of said passages lying substantially on the line of junction of the inner surface of the dam and the upper surface of the back.

5. A rotary brush which comprises a back having an upper surface which has a generally upward slope from near the central area thereof toward the periphery, tufts of bristles in concentric rows anchored in the under surface .of the back beneath the sloping surface, the free ends of the bristles forminga working surface, a plurality of passages leading through the back and having inlets in said sloping surface and outlets in said under surface between the rows of tufts, and a plurality of channels in said working surface leading from near the center thereof to the periphery, said channels being devoid :of tufts and having unobstructed outer ends.

ROBERT 'A. PONSELLE.