US2331692A

US2331692A - Vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: US2331692A
Application number: US361247A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hilland G Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-10-15
Filing date: 1940-10-15
Publication date: 1943-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1960-10-12

Description

oct. 12, 1943.` H. G. HUNT I 2,331,692

' VACUUM CLEANER y i Filed oct. .15, 1940 Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED s'nrrizsv PA'l'izN-'r OFFICE i VACUUM CLEANER minne o. Hunt, Natick, ma. ApplicationOctober 15, 1940, Serial No. 361,247 t (ci. ipssi 8 Claims'. 4 This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner.

In general, one object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved'vacuum cleaner of the type having agitating means mounted in the cleaning nozzle wherein provision is made for operating the agitating means in a novel economical and practical manner.

The invention has for a further object to provide a novel and improved vacuum cleaner having a rotary brush or agitator in the cleaning nozzle and in which provision is made for pneumatically driving the rotary brush or agitator in a novel practical and economical manner.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the vacuum cleaner and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specication.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the-invention, Fig. l is a cross-sectional4 View of a vacuum cleaner of the tank or cylinder type embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in cross-section of a modied form of the cleaning nozzle shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 isla side elevation, partly in cross section of the cleaning nozzle.

In general, the present invention contemplates a novel and improved electric vacuum cleaner of the type with agitating means mounted in the cleaning nozzle in which provision is made `for actuating the agitator from a source of power remote from the nozzle. Heretofore. prior electric vacuuml cleaners employing a rotary agitating element in the suction nozzle have been motor driven, some directly from the suction creating motor by means of a belt or other connection. This method of driving the rotary agitator has required a motor in proximity to the agitator and has precluded the utilization of such agitators in vacuum cleaners of the so-called tank type.

In accordance with the present invention, the nozzle mounted agitator may be driven from the suction creating or other motor disposed remotely from the cleaning nozzle and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, such connections include a pneumatically driven impeller element mounted in the nozzle and a conduit connected to the exhaust end of thevacuum cleaner to opervate the air driven element by the air beingy exhausted from the cleaner during the cleaning operation.

yReferring now to the drawing which illustrates vthe preferred embodiment of the invention, I0 represents a vacuum 'cleaner of the so-called tank or cylinderA type having an inlet I2 at one end and an exhaust outlet I4`at the other end. The illustrated vacuum cleaner is provided with the usual suction creating unit including an electric motor l0 and fan I8 at one end of the tank, and

a dust receiving bag 20 is secured to the inlet end. Suitable iilteringy elements indicated generally at 22 may-also beprovided between the bag and thefan. i

The inlet end of the tank I0 is connected by a hose 24 and extension tubes 26 to a nozzle unit'v indicated generally at 28. The nozzle unit 28 is provided with a rotary brush or-agitator'30'rotatably mounted in ball bearings 32 Lcarried in the nozzle casing 34. As herein shown, at least one and preferably both ends of the brush shaft SB-may be provided with an impeller wheelv or rotary motor 38 fast thereon and adaptedto be actuated by air pressure. The impellersii are fitted in bores 40 provided in the endso'fthe' nozzle casing, and cover plates 42 are fitted, over lthe bores to enclose the impellers-in chambers 44. Each chamber 44 is'provided with an air-:inlet 46 arranged to directa stream of air ontothe blades 48 of the impeller to eect rotati'rthereoi', the exhaust air being permitted to 'escape through an outlet 5l) disposedin thlowepon tion of the chamber. f

As herein illustrated, the air for actuating the rotary motor 38 may and preferably will comprise the l exhaust air from the vacuum cleaner, al-

though it is not desired to limit'the invention in this respect. The exhaust end I 4 offthe -tank l0 is provided with a curved fitting 52 arranged to direct the exhaust air through a pipe connection |54, and flexible hose 56 which leads to the air inlet 46 ofeach chamber 44. The hose 56' may Abe provided with an attachment tting 58 to permit the hose to be conveniently disconnected I from the tank unit l0 when desired. The curved tting 52 is provided with a removable cap member 60 which may be removed to permit the exhaust airto escape in the usual manner when it is desired to discontinue rotation 'of the'rotary brushes or agitators 30. As herein shown, the hose .5S is preferably progressively decreased in size in order to impart increased velocity to the air stream and consequently to effect a relatively rapid rotation ofthe rotary motor 38. The rotary cleaning element, herein illustrated as a brush 30 may be made in any'usual or preferred form such as a brush having bristles in straight lines or staggered rows, indicated in Fig. 2, or the bristles may be spiraliy arranged as shownin Fig. 1.

Referring now to the nozzle unit 28, the nozzle casing 34 is preferably mounted on'fwheels 62 in order to dispose the nozzle inlet 64 a'slight distance above the surface to be cleaned so that in operation over a' carpet or rug, the suction operates to draw the carpet or rug up into the nozzle inlet into a position to be brushed or agitated by the brush' or agitator 30 so that the combined agitating and pneumatic action serves to perform an eicient cleaning operation. The

extension tube 2t which serves as a handle for the nozzle unit may be connected to the latter by a universal connection of any usual or preferred form, generally indicated at 65. From the description thus far,'it will be ob-4 5 served that the present invention avoids the disadvantages inherent in the direct connected methods heretofore employed in driving the rotary agitators of prior vacuum cleaners, and permits the agitator in the nozzle to be driven from a source remote from the nozzle, thus enabling vacuum cleaners of the tank type to successfully utilize an agitator in the nozzle thereof.

In addition to its utility when embodied in a vacuum cleaner as herein illustrated, the pneumatic driving mechanism may be used with advantage in other comparable machines when it is desired to rotate a rotary element from a motor disposed remote from the rotary element, lsuch for example, as in waxing, or polishing machines.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A vacuum cleaner having, combination,

a chamber having an inlet and a'n outlet, a motor driven fan in said chamber arranged to cre-- ate a suction in said inlet and to discharge ex-A haust air from said outlet. a cleaning nozzle connected to said suction inlet, a rotary agitating 3 member carried by said nozzle, and connections between said exhaust outlet and said rotary member constructed and arranged to pneumatically drive said rotary member with the exhaust air stream, said exhaust outlet being provided 40 with a removable cap member, upon removal of which the pneumatic drive to said rotary member may bediscontinued.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination, suction creating means, a cleaning nozzle operatively connected with the suction creating means and through which the air for performing the cleaning operation is drawn by the, suction creating means, a rotary agitator mounted within the nozzle in position to engage the surface to be 5o cleaned when the mouth of the nozzle is drawn across such surface, and pneumatically operatedmeans for rotating the agitating device comprising an impeller member operatively connected to the agitating device, a chamber enclosing the impeller member, said chamber being mounted upon and in non-communicating relation to the nozzle and having an air inlet and an air outlet, the latter being arranged to dis charge air outside of the nozzle, and a conduit operatively connected to said suction creating means and connected with said inlet for conducting thereto exhaust air after the latter has passed through the cleaning nozzle and has performed the cleaning operation whereby to effect e5 the operation of the impeller member without diminishing the suction at the mouth of the nozzle.

3. In a vacuum` cleaner, in combination, a portable tank provided with an inlet at one end and a n outlet at the opposite end, a cleaning nozzle, a flexible conduit connecting the tank*A inlet with the nozzle, a suction creating device within the tank, a dust-collecting bag within the tank through which air is sucked from the cleaning nozzle through said flexible conduit by said suction creating device to be discharged through said tank outlet, a rotary agitator mounted within the nozzle in position to engage th'e surface to be cleaned whenV the mouth of the nozzle is drawn across the surface, pneumatically operated means for operating the agitating device comprising an impeller member connected with the agitating device, a chamber enclosing the impeller member and having an inlet and an outlet,-said chamber being mounted upon and separated from the nozzle, and the outlet being disposed to discharge air outside of the nozzle, and a ilexible conduit connecting the tank outlet with said impeller chamber inlet, whereby to eilect the operation of the impeller member by the exhaust air after the air has performed the cleaning operation without diminishing the suction at the mouth of the nozzle.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination, suction creating means, a cleaning nozzle operatively connected with the suction creating means and through which the air for performing the cleaning operation is drawn by the suction creating means, a rotary agitator mounted within the nozzle in position to engage the surface to be cleaned when the mouth of the nozzle is drawn across such surface, a pneumatically operated device comprising two impeller memmers connected to opposite ends of the agitating device, separate impeller receiving chambers each having an inlet and an outlet mounted upon the nozzle housing and separated from the interior of the nozzle, and conduits operatively connected to the suction creating means and to the impeller receiving chamber inlets for conducting exhaust air to said inlets to operate said impeller members without diminishing the suction at the nozzle.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination, a portable tank provided with an inlet and an outlet, suction creating means within the tank, a dust collector within the tank between the outlet and said suction creating means, a cleaning nozzle, va long flexible conduit operatively connecting the nozzle with the tank inlet and through' which the air for performing the cleaning operation is drawn by the suction creating means, a rotary agitator mounted within the nozzle in position to engage the surface to be cleaned when the mouth of the nozzle is drawn across such surface, and pneumatically operated means for rotating the agitating device comprising an impeller member operatively connected to the agitating device, an impeller chamber ehclosing the impeller member in non-communi eating relation to th'e nozzle and having an air inlet and an outlet, said outlet being disposed to discharge air outside of the nozzle, and a flexible conduit connected to said impeller chamber inlet for supplying air under pressure to operate said impeller member.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination comprising: a cleaning nozzle having a chamber formed therein adapted to receive agitator means, means for creating a suction in said cleaning nozzle chamber, agitator means in said cleaning nozzle chamber, means including a source of air under pressure for operating said agitator means, and means for discharging spent agitator operating air at a point outside the nozzle chamber.

HILLAND G, HUNT.