US2301849A - Window cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1942. A. BIALY WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1940 INVEI R BY v 37% 4%, ATTORNEYS Nov. 10, 1942.

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' V INVENTOR 7 ATTORNEY S Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE Application November 12, 1940, Serial No. 365,251

(Cl. l28) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to rotary cleaning devices and more particularly to a power driven rotary window cleaning device adapted to be manually used.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a power driven window cleaning device which can be held in the hand of the operator and readily manipulated to clean and polish both sides of a window in a rapid and efficient manner, this device including a pair of brushes each of which is mounted on the end of a power driven shaft and one of these brushes being adapted to wash or clean the window and the other brush being adapted to buff or polish the window. Each of the brushes is disposed in a lateral direction of the handle of the device and either brush can be put into its operable position by the operator merely turning the device in his hand. To clean the outside of the window with this cleaning device the operator merely extends his arm through the partially opened window and pushes or presses the cleaning brush against the outside of the Window. The pressure against this brush actuates clutch means which operate to rotate the brush and if this pressure is removed, as when the brush is pulled out of contact with the window, the brush ceases to rotate. After this first cleaning step has been completed, the operator merely turns the device around in his hand and pushes the polishing brush against the window, this brush also being rotated by clutch means actuated by the pressure on the brush. It will therefore be seen that the outside of a window in a building can be efficiently cleaned and polished from the inside of the building in one operation without the operator continually withdrawing and extending his arm through the open window in separate operations for the cleaning and polishing steps and without requiring the operator to be physically present on the outside of the building. As presently practiced, the cleaning the windows of buildings, especially the windows of high oilice buildings, generally requires the window cleaner to be physically present on the outside of the building which involves great hazard and risk of injury and loss of life, all of which is eliminated by the use of the present invention since all operations involved in the cleaning and polishing of the outside of the window can be performed from the inside of the building.

A further object is to provide such a cleaning device which is low in cost, light in weight, simple in construction and which will not get out of order under conditions of severe and constant use and wear.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of the same, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the power driven cleaning device mbodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, transverse section, taken generally on line 2-2, Fig. 1 and showing the pump and its associated parts for discharging a quantity of cleaning liquid.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal View, partially in section, taken generally on line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 3, and showing the initial engagement of the clutch means which controls the rotation of one of the brush shafts, this initial clutch engagement being effected by the inward dispacement of the brush shaft.

Fig. 5 is a vertical, transverse section, taken on line 55, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical, transverse section, taken on line 66, Fig. 4 and showing the initial engagement of the clutch.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the driving engagement of the clutch with the flattened end of the corresponding brush shaft.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, horizontal, transverse section, taken on line 8-8, Fig. 7.

In its general organization, the cleaning device comprises a handle upon the top of which is transversely mounted a head. The handle houses a power unit which actuates a pair of rotary brushes arranged at the opposite ends ofthe head, each of these brushes being mounted on an individual shaft adapted to be operatively connected to the power unit. Clutch means are interposed between each brush shaft and the power unit and operate to rotate each brush only when an inward pressure is exerted upon the brush shaft causing the same to be displaced slightly inwardly of the head, such as when the brush is held or pressed against the window being cleaned. When the brush is not being used, the clutch means operate to disengage the brush shaft with the power unit and thereby prevent rotation of the brush.

The handle, indicated generally by the numeral 29, may be of any suitable form but preferably includes a cylindrical base section 2| which houses the power unit 22. Any suitable power unit can be employed and as shown an electric motor is suitably mounted within the base section 2|. The electric motor 22 is connected to a source of electrical energy by a line 23 which preferably passes through an opening provided in the bottom of the handle 20, as best shown in Fig. 1. 'A manually operable switch 24 is also preferably arranged adjacent the bottom of the handle and serves to turn the motor 22 on and off. The electric motor 22 is provided with a motor or driving shaft 25 which extends upwardly centrally of the handle 20.

An intermediate handle section 28 is arranged on top of the base section 2! and constitutes an upward handle extension of the base section 2i. The outer wall of this section 28 preferably tapers outwardly from its bottom 29 towards its upper end and this section is also internally and centrally provided with an integral upstanding sleeve Ell which preferably ter- I minates at a point short of the upper end of the outer wall of the section 28. The upper end of the sleeve Ed is formed to provide an internal annular shoulder 35. A bushing 32 is interposed between the motor shaft and the sleeve 39 adjacent its bottom portion and serves as a bearing for the motor shaft. The upper portion of the outer wall of the interme iate section 28 is formed to provide an upstanding, slightly contracted annular neck 33 thereby providing an external annular shoulder 3d. A cap or top 35 closely fits and is supported on the upper end of the neck 33 thereby providing a leak tight chamber within the intermediate section 28 which chamber is utilized for a reservoir for the cleaning liquid.

The cap 35 is provided with a central bore which receives a bushing 36 which serves as an upper bearing for the motor shaft 25. The cap 35'is also formed to provide av central depending annular neck 31 the lower end of which is formed to provide a contracted annular extension 38 the end of the sleeve Sit and the end of the neck 37.

A casing head, indicated generally by the numeral id, is mounted on the upper end of the handle Zil, this head being of generally T-shaped form and including two laterally extending cylindrical branches or extensions 4i, 4| and a downwardly extending cylindrical portion 42. The portion t2 provides the upper handle section and the lower end portion of this section is tted over the neck 33 and secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as by being sweated thereon. The lower end of the upper handle section t2 abuts against the shoulder 34 provided on the intermediate section 28.

To the cap 35 is secured in any suitable manr which is provided with a bore adjacent its outer end. The extreme upper end of the motor shaft 25 is journaled in this bore so as to provide a support for the end of the shaft. A worm. gear 53 is fast to the motor or driving shaft 25 and serves to drive a worm wheel 4'! which in turn is keyed to a pinion 53. The worm wheel 4'! and the pinion 58 are rotatably mounted on a stationary horizontal stub shaft which is supported at one end by the bracket 4d and at its opposite end by a bracket or support 56. The bracket Ed is also carried by the cap 35 and is secured to the same by the cap screw 51.

The pinion &8 drives a gear which is fast to a driven shaft 56, the opposite end portions of the latter bein journaled in trunnion members El, 5]. Each trunnion member 51 comprises a hub 5-8, a web as and an outer annular rim 6B, the rim of each trunnion member being cut away adjacent the corresponding bracket M or 58, as best shown in Fig. 3. The trunnion members 51, 51 are each held in'place within the casing head 45 and secured to the sam'e'by cap screws 6!, 6E.

A bushing 62 is interposed between the hub 58 of each trunnion member and the driven shaft 56 so as to provide suitable bearing surfaces for this shaft. t will therefore be seen that the shaft 56 is continuously driven by the motor 25 through the worm 46, worm wheel 47, pinion 48 and gear 55.

Clutch means are provided which operate to rotate each cleaning means or brush only When it is being used as, for example, when the brush is held or pressed against a window and which render the brush inoperative when it is not being used as, for example, when the brush is withdrawn or pulled away from the window. The clutch means controlling the operation of each of the brushes is identical and therefore a description of one is deemed to apply to both. The outer end of each cylindrical branch 4| of the casing head M3 is internally threaded to receive the externally threaded, inwardly extending, flange '55 of an end head 66. An outwardly extending sleeve 5'! is centrally provided on the end head 66. A brush or other suitable cleaning means 63 is suitably mounted on the outer end of a brush or cleaner shaft 69 and a brush or other suitable cleaning means lilis also suitably mounted on the outer end of its corresponding brush or cleaner shaft H, the latter shaft being identical with the brush or cleaner shaft Be and hence a description of one shaft is deemed to apply to both shafts.

The inner end portion 12 of the brush shaft 69 is flattened or distorted to an out of round or noncircular shape and is of generally oblong form. Adjacent this oblong end portion 72, the brush shaft is formed to provide a conical enlargement 73. An elongated bearing sleeve 14 is interposed between the sleeve 6! and the brush shaft 59 and in order to prevent inward longitudinal movement of the sleeve 14 relative to the surrounding sleeve 6? a collar ?5 is secured to the outer end of the sleeve M by a set screw 76. The collar l5 abuts against the outer'end of the sleeve 67. The inner end of the sleeve "M is formed to provide an enlarged annular supporting head H, a washer 18 being preferably interposed between the outer face of the supporting head and the inner face of the end head The inner end of the bore of the supporting head ii is enlarged, as indicated at I9, to accommodate the conical enlargement I3 on the brush shaft.

Each of a pair of flat, generally segmental shaped, backing plates to, 8B is pivotally mounted on the supporting head 77. For this purpose each plate 8i. is provided at one corner with an ear 8i having a bore therein. A pivot'screw 82 pivotally secures the plate 89 to the supporting head TI and for this purpose preferably includes an annular bearing portion 83 received by the bore of the ear 3!, as bestshown in Fig. 8. The pair of backing plates 8% is arranged in reversed and opposed relationship to each other. A clutch jaw 85 also of generally segmental form is mounted on each backing plate 86 preferably by means, of a pair of rivets 85, 85. The clutch jaws 8 1, 84 can be made of any suitable material, such as fiber or the lil e. The outer peripheries of the clutch jaws are normally maintained in concentric relation, as best shown-in Fig.5, by a C- shaped wire spring 8%, the opposite ends 81, 81

of which are bent and secured to the clutch jaws.

A clutch drum Git is secured to each end of the shaft 56 in any suitable manner, this clutch drum comprising a hub 9!, an annular web 92 and an annular flange 93, the inner face of this flange providing a clutch surface frictionally cngageable by the peripheral portions of the clutch jaws B4, 8

It will therefore be seen that when the brush shaft 52 is moved longitudinally inwardly of the casing head at, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the conical enlargement l3 on the brush shaft will cause the backing plates 89, with their clutch jaws 84, 84 to separate from each other and expand the effective periphery of the frictional engaging surfaces of the jaws, the jaws each being swung about its corresponding pivot screw 82. Since the clutch drum 96 is being continuously rotated by the electric motor 22, it will be seen that the internal peripheral face of the flange 93 will frictionally engage the clutch jaws 84, as thereby causing these jaws, the supporting head 11 together with its integral sleeve M and the collar 15 fixed to this sleeve to rotate. This initial engagement of the clutch jaws 84, 84 with the clutch drum S is best illustrated in Fig. 6. As there shown the clutch jaws have not been rotated as yet. As the clutch jaws continue to rotate the opposing straight edges of these jaws will engage the oblong end portion 12 of the brush shaft 69 at substantially diagonally opposite points, as shown in Fig. '7, and thereby rotate the brush shaft 65. The brush shaft will resist rotation by reason of the fact that the brush on its outer end is being held against a window, the friction between the window and the bristles of the brush tending to resist the rotation of the brush. The effect of this resistance to rotation is advantageously utilized by the cam action of the oblong end portion 12 on the clutch jaws 84, 84 which action tends to urge the jaws to a more expanded condition. This tendency of the clutch jaws for further expansion causes the jaws to exert an increased pressure on the flange 93 of the brake drum and insures a greater frictional engagement between the same. When the brush is withdrawn from the window the increased pressure producing cam action of the oblong end portion 12 on the clutch jaws 84, 84 ceases because there is no frictional resistance to the rotation of the brush and the spring 85 will return the jaws to their inoperative position shown in Fig. 5.

For the purpose ofdischarging or squirting a quantity of any suitable cleaning liquid on the window to be distributed by the cleaning brush 63.

As shown in Fig. 2 a chamber E8 is provided within the intermediate handle section 28 which contains a body 99 of cleaning liquid which can be replenished through the plug opening provided in the side wall, a threaded plug Illll closing this opening. The cleaning liquid is withdrawn from the supply reservoir or tank 28 by a pipe llll which connects with the inlet of a pump of any suitable construction mounted on the handle and the liquid is squirted onto the surface to be cleaned by a nozzle l0! projecting laterally from the central part of the casing head and connected with the outlet of said pump. Control of this pump may be effected manually by a lever pivoted on the handle by pins I I2 and having a lower arm H0 adapted to be engaged by the hand of the operator and an upper arm Ill operatively connected with a part of the pump for controlling its operation.

Cleaning fluid is sprayed on the window through nozzle fill, as shown in Fig. 1. This nozzle may be supplied with said fluid by a pump of any type desired.

After the operator has employed the pump to discharge a quantity of cleaning li: window, he can simply turn the cleaning device through 99 degrees in either direction and thereby use either of the brushes S8 and "iii. i-iowever, it is preferred that one brush, such as the brush E8, be used for cleaning the window and the other brush It be used as a polishing brush.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a power driven window cleaning device which is easily handled by the operator and manipulable by him to rapidly and efficiently clean and polish windows entirely from the inside of the building.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cleaning device, comprising a handle, a power unit having a driving shaft arranged in said handle, a casing head mounted on said handle, a driven shaft journaled in said casing head, means operatively connecting said driving shaft with said driven shaft, a cleaner shaft journaled in said casing head and extending exteriorly thereof and arranged coaxially with said driven shaft, cleaning means mounted on the outer end of said cleaner shaft, and clutch means arranged in said casing head and between said driven shaft and said cleaner shaft, comprising a clutch drum mounted on said driven shaft, a supporting head rotatably mounted on said cleaner shaft, a pair of clutch jaws pivotally mounted on said supporting head and arranged in coplanar spaced relation to each other, means for rotatably connecting said jaws with said cleaner shaft and means on said cleaner shaft adapted to rotate said jaws about their corresponding pivots into frictional engagement with said drum by the longitudinal displacement of said cleaner shaft inwardly of said casing head thereby to rotate said cleaner shaft.

2. A cleaning device, comprising a handle, a power unit having a driving shaft arranged in said handle, a casing head mounted on said handle, a driven shaft journaled in said casing head, means operatively connecting said driving shaft with said driven shaft, a cleaner shaft journaled in said casing head and extending exteriorly thereof and arranged coaxially with said driven shaft, cleaning means mounted on the outer end of said cleaner shaft, and clutch means arranged in said casing head and between said driven shaft and said cleaner shaft, comprising a clutch drum mounted on said driven shaft, a supporting head rotatably mounted on said cleaner shaft, a pair of backing plates arranged in coplanar spaced relation to each other and each of which is pivotally mounted on said supporting head, clutch jaws secured respectively to said backing plates and rotatable bodily about the axis of said cleaner shaft, spring means for urging said jaws toward each other, a conical enlargement on said cleaner shaft adapted by the longitudinal movement of said cleaner shaft to rotate said jaws about their corresponding pivots into frictional engagement with said drum and a noncircular member provided on the inner end of said cleaner shaft and arranged between said jaws in such manner that said jaws engage said member to rotate said cleaner shaft upon the rotation of said jaws about the axis of said cleaner shaft.

ANDREW BIALY.

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