US2335031A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 23, 1943. c. E. STEVENS VACUUM CLEANER Filed March 1:5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Clarence Everett Stevens, Greenwich, Conn., al-

signor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, DeL. a corporation of Delaware Application March 13, 1941, Serial No. ssaosz 6Claims. (oLzzo-st) My-invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to vacuum cleaners of the enclosed bag type. J

This type of cleaner includes .a hollow casing within which is disposed a dust bag and a motorfan unit. The casing is formed with an opening member so as to clamp it in place; A central portion of the ball, which extends'beyond the closure member, is formed as a handle. Inasmuch as the bail serves both to retain the closure member in place and as a handle, it is necessary to provide positive locking means for holding it in contact with the closure member, as otherwise the force applied to the handle portion of the bail for lifting the cleaner would disengage the ball from the closure member. In accordance with my invention, '1 preferably provide one or more spring-pressed latch members for locking the bail. While a single latch member may be suflicient for this purpose, two might be preferable so as to avoid the possibility of the bail becoming released in the event that one latch member is accidentally disengaged. The likelihood of both latch members being accidentally released at the same time is not greats.

-My invention has the advantages of providing for easy and quick removal and replacing oi the closure member, while at the same time providing a convenient handle for carrying the vacuum cleaner.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner including one embodiment oi'my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner showninFlg; 1;

F18. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of F18. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4- of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-4 ofFig.2;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken onthe line 6-6 of Fig; 1;

Fig. '7 is a side view of a portion of a vacuum cleaner including another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a top view of the portion of the cleaner shownin Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is aside view of a complete vacuum cleaner shown in a vertical position.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 through 6, reference character Ill designates a hollow casing which is provided with runners or the like I l for supporting it horizontally upon a horizontal surface. Suitably mounted within the casing ii in well known manner is a motor-fan unit and a dust bag. The construction of the dust bag is the same in both embodiments and the parts thereof which are pertinent to my invention are shown in detail in Fig. 9. As .here illustrated, the dust bag I: is formed with an open mouth which is secured to an annularflange ii of a dust bag ring H. The ring also includes a radial flange [5 which carries a gasket iii of rubber or other suitable material. The left-hand end of the casing Ill, as viewed in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 9, is open and has secured thereto a ring I! which forms a seat against which the gasket it of the dust bag ring is adapted to be clamped by a closure member for the opening. This closure member is designated generally by reference character i8 in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 through 6 and by reference character It in the second embodiment. In either case the closure member includes an inlet opening I 9 to which may be connected a hose or the like 28, the

opposite end of which is connected to a suction nozzle 204.

In the first embodiment the closure member i8 is shown as a casting. At diametrically opposite points the casting is formed with a'substantially flat surface 2|, the upper edge of which is rounded or beveled, as is shown at 22 in Fig. 4.

Pivotally secured to opposite sides of the casing i0 is a generally U-shaped bail 23. -As shown' bail includes a pair of substantially parallel por tions 21 which, when the bail is in the cover closing position shown in Fig. 1, appear as ex-- tensions of channel member 28 secured to either side of the casing. The portions 21 are joined together at one end by means of a handle portion 29.

Adjacent to the juncture of the handle portion and the straight portion 21, the bail 23 is formed with substantially flat surfaces 30, the lower edges of which are rounded or beveled, as'is shown at 3| in Fig. 4. The surfaces 30 are so positioned on the bail as to engage the flat surfaces 2| on the closure member when the bail is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 1, and to clamp the closure member tightly against the gasket l6 of the dust bag ring. Immediately above the surfaces 30, the ball is formed with projecting lugs 32 which strike surfaces 33 formed on the closure member to thus limit pivotal movement of the bail in a counterclockwise direction. v a

The closure member [8 is formed with recesses 34 which are located in surfaces 35 disposed radially inwardly from and to the left of the surfaces 2|, as viewed in Fig. 2, these recesses being shown more particularly in Fig. 3. The bail 23 is formed received within the recesses 34 formed in the cover member. This projecting portion'is provided with an inclined surface 40. A spring 4| having a forked end 42 pivoted on the pin 38 is disposed between the latch member 31 and a surface 43 formed on the bail and acts to pivot the latch member in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, so as to engage the projecting portion 39 within the recess 34. The upper end of the latch member extends through the slot 36 so that it may be pressed by the operator's finger to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, so as to retract the projecting portion 39 from the recess 34.

The operation of the above-described device is as follows: r

With the parts in the position shown in the figures, the surfaces 30 on the bail press against the surfaces 2| on the cover member'so as to force the cover member against the gasket IS on the dust bag ring, to clamp the gasket against the ring H of the'casing. The engagement of the projecting portions 39 on the latch members 31 within the recesses 34, where they are retained by the springs 4|, locks the bail in this position. Consequently, the handle portion 29 may be grasped and the vacuum cleaner picked up thereby without any danger of releasing the ball from engagement with the closure'member. Even should the operator accidentally contact one of the latch members 31 so as to release it, the bail would still be retained in place by the other latch member, and it is very unlikely that both latch members would be accidentally contacted at the same time.

When it is desired to remove the closure memher, the latch members 31 are simultaneously pivoted in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed tion, as viewed in Fig. 1, about the pins 24 so as to disengage the surfaces 30 on the ball from the surfaces 2i on the closure member. Thereafter, the closure member may be removed and the dust bag taken out for the purpose of emptying it.

In order to replace the parts, the dust bag is inserted through the open end of the casing and the closure member put in place. The ball is then pivoted in a-counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. The beveled surfaces 3! on the bail will first strike the similar surfaces 22 on the closure member and will force the closure member tightly against the gasket l6. Further pivoting of the bail brings the flat surfaces 39 into contact with the fiat surfaces 2 At the same time, the inclined surfaces 40 on the projecting portions 39 of the latch members 31 contact the upper edges of the surfaces 35 on the cover, and

recesses by the springs 4|. V

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7

through 10, the bail is again designated generally by reference character 23 and includes side portions 21, which are pivoted at one end to the casing lil by means of pins 24, and which are connected together at their other ends by means of the handle portion 29.

The cover member l8 includes an inner plate to which is seemed an outer shell 5E. The plate and shell are formed with aligned apertures for accommodating the inlet port i9. Secured to the outer surface of shell I5 is a strip of metal 52 which extends upwardly from the center of the cover member to the periphery thereof. The upper end of the strip 52 is formed as a knob or hook 53 which is adapted to be received within a recess'54 formed in a channel member 55 carried by the top of the cleaner. This hook serves to retain the closure member it in position, even when it is not locked in place by the ball.

The strip 52 is formed with an opening 56 therethrough and behind this opening the shell 5E is shaped'to form a recess having a shallow portion 51 and a deep portion 58. A latch member 59 is disposed within the shallow portion and a spring 69 is retained in the deep portion and tends to force the lower enlarged end of the latch 59 outwardly through the opening 55.

Secured to the handle portion 29, as by bolts GI, is a leaf spring 62 which is bowed away fromthe handle portion and towards the closure member, the dimensions of the parts being such that the center of the leaf spring bears against the center of the closure member with sufiicien force to hold the latter in place.

With the parts in the positions illustrated in the figures, the leaf spring 62 is locked in position by means of the latch member 59, the lower edge of whichfengages the upper edge of the spring. Consequently, the handle 29 may be grasped to lift the cleaner without there being danger of releasing the ball from contact with the closure member. However, when it is desired to remove the closure member, the latch member 59 is pressed inwardly by the finger, against the force of spring 69, until it is flush with the strip 52, whereupon the bail may be pivoted upwardly so as to remove the leaf spring from corntact with the closure member. The closure member is still retained in place by means of the hook 53 engaging the recess 54, but it may be grasped and removed from the casing l0.

In order to replace the parts, the hook 53 is engaged with the recess 54 so as tohold the closure member in position, and the bail is pivoted downwardly. The outer surface of the strip 52 is substantially arcuate and has aradius of curvature less than the radial distance between the axis of the pivot pins 24 and the central point of spring 62. Consequently, as the bail is pivoted downwardly towards closing position, the spring strikes the strip near the upper part of the latter and slides therealong, which causes the spring 62 to be distorted and hence to exert force against the closure member. Due to the curvature of the outer surface of the latch member, the leaf spring is able to pass thereover by forcing the latchmember inwardly. As soon as the spring has cleared the latch member, the latter snaps back under the influence of the spring 60 to lock the leaf spring, and hence the bail, in position.

While I have shown two more or less specific embodiments of my invention, it is to be under stood that this has been done for purposes of illustration only, and the scope of my invention is not to be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, ahollow casing formed with an opening, a removable closure member for said opening, a bail pivotally secured to said casing and having a portion disposed so as to engage said closure member to retain the latter in closing position, said bail having a portion forming a handle for lifting said vacuum cleaner, and a spring-pressed latching member operative independently of force applied to said ball for releasably locking said bail against pivotal movement and in engagement with said closure member with the handle portion in operative position.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a hollow casing formed with an opening, a removable closure member for said opening, a bail pivotally secured to said casing and having a portion disposed so as to engage said closure member to retain the latter in closing position, said ball having a portion form-' ing a handlefor lifting said vacuum cleaner, and a spring-pressed latch member carried by said bail and engageable with a recess formed in said cover member and operative independently of force applied to the bail for releasably locking said ball against pivotal movement and in engagement with said closure member with the handle portion in operative position.

' 3. Ina vacuum cleaner, a hollow casing formed with a substantially circular opening, a removable closure member for said opening, a resilient packing between said casing and said member, a bail pivotally secured to said casing and having surfaces formed thereon and positioned so as to engage diametrically opposed surfaces formed on said closure adjacent to the periphery thereof to thereby compress said packing, said bail having a central portion forming a handle for lifting said vacuum cleaner, and spring-pressed latch members carried by said bail adjacent to either end of said handle portion and operative independently of force applied to the bail to releasably engage with recesses formed in said cover member for locking 'said bail against pivotal movement and in engagement with said closure member with the handle portion in operative position.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a hollow casing formed with an opening, a removable closure member for said opening, a bail pivotally secured to said casing and having a resilient portion disposed so as to engage said closure member to retain the latter in closing position, said bail having a portion forming a handle for lifting said vacuum cleaner, and a spring pressed latch member carried by said closure member and engageable with said ball for releasably locking said bail in engagement with said closure-member.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a hollow casing formed with an opening, a removable closure member for said opening, a bail pivotally secured to said casing, said bail having a portion forming a handle for lifting said vacuum cleaner, said ball including a leaf spring bowed from said handle portion toward said casing for engaging said closure member to retain the latter in closing position, and a spring-pressed latch member carried by said closure member and engageable with said spring for releasably locking the latter in en gagement with said closure member.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a hollow casing formed with an opening, a removable closure member for said opening having an outer arcuate sur face, a bail pivotally secured to said casing and having a resilient portion disposed so as to engage said surface, the radial distance of said resilient portion from the pivotal axis being greater than the radius of curvature of said arcuate surface, said bail having a portion providing a. handle for lifting said vacuum cleaner, and means CLARENCE EVERETT STEVENS.

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