US2397707A

US2397707A - Floor cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2397707A
Application number: US513431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold A Travis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-12-08
Filing date: 1943-12-08
Publication date: 1946-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1963-04-02

Description

' April 2, W46 H. A. TRAVIS 2,397,707 Q v FLOOR CLEANING' APPARATUS Filed nec. 8, 1943 `2 sneetS-sheet'l Blwentor A Haro/d W5 APF@ 2 946 H. A. TRAVIS FLOOR CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1943 Patented Apr. 2, 1946 UNITEDv STATES PATENT oFFlcE- FLOOR CLEANING APPARATUS Harold A. Travis, Spokane, Wash. n Application December s, 194s, serial No. 513,431

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a floor cleaning apparatus and it is one object of the invention to provide an apparatus adapted to be moved along a floor by a workman and carrying a brush and a mop by means of which the floor may be scrubbed and then rinsed and mopped dry.

Another object of the invention is to provide the apparatus with a carriage or portable frame equipped with wheels and castors so that it may be very easily pushed along the floor and guided during such movement, said frame holding a plurality of tanks which serve as containers for washing water containing `soap or a cleaning powder and also for holding rinsing water, the tanks being easily removable from the frame when water is to be emptied therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide the vtanks with wringers consisting of .troughshaped members formed of foraminous material and open at their tops so that a brush or mop may be thrust downwardly therein and pressure applied to expel water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle so mounted that it may be swung longitudinally of the frame or carriage to a position in which it projects from either end of the carriage, the handle being formed of resilient material and having arms extending from a handle bar of slightly less length than the width of the carriage. By so forming the handle its arms must be spread when the handle is applied tov the carriage and its arms will grip the frame and frictionally hold the handle in adjusted position.

Another object is to provide a cleaner and a swab detachably mounted at opposite ends of the carriage and eachbeing shiftable vertically and urged downwardly so that the brush or swab will be pressed against the floor.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved floor cleaning apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brush or mop at one end of the carriage.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken transversely through the brush.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the floor cleaning apparatus, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a View looking at one end of the floor cleaning apparatus.

This improved floor cleaning apparatus has a portable carriage or frame I formed of angle metal and having side bars 2 and end bars 3.

Corner posts 4' extend upwardly from the frame and since they are made of angle metal they may have snug fitting engagement with corners of a row of receptacles or rtanks 5 carried by the carriage. Since the side bars-and

end bars

2 and 3 overlap lower portions of the tanks they can not slide longitudially or transversely off the carriage and since the corner posts have close fitting engagement with sides and ends of the tanks, they will be prevented from tipping and falling from the carriage. Cross bars 6 extend between the posts across opposite ends of the carriage and these bars carry Studs 'I which project outwardly from the cross bars and have heads-'I' at their outer ends. There .have also been provided cross bars 8 which extend across the frame between the side bars thereof andare spaced from each other longitudinally of the frame as shown in Fig. 5. Referring to this figure and Figure 2, it will be seen that the cross bars serve to brace the frame or carriage against transverse spreading and also carry wheels 9 and castors I0 by means of which the carriage is supported above a floor and permit the carriage to be easily pushed along the door. Since wheels having xed mountings are used at one end of the carriage and castors at its other end, the carriage may be easily guided as it is pushed along a floor. A handle II serves as means for pushing or pulling the carriage along a oor. This handle is formed of thick metal having resiliency and since the handle is U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 2, it may straddle the carriage and have its arms I2 pivoted at their lower ends to the side bars 2 of the frame by fasteners |13. Since the pins or fasteners I3 are located midway the length of the frame or carriage, the handle may be swung longitudinally of the carriage and project from reither end thereof an equal distance. The hand bar I4 of the handle is of less length than the width of the carriage or frame. Therefore, the arms I2 must be spread somewhat when the handle is applied and their tendency to return to their normal position will cause them to have gripping engagement with the corner posts and the handle will be frictionally held at a desired angle.

The cleaning members I6 at opposite ends of the frame are of duplicate construction except that one is preferably a brush and the other a mop. Each has a head I'I carrying tufts I8 which are held in grooves I9 formed in the under face of a head by wires 20, it being understood that the tufts of the brush will be formed of stiff strands and the tufts of the mop of soft material,

such as cord or the like. A board 2l extends upwardly from each head l? and has its lower end mounted in a groove or recess 22 formed in the head. The upper portion of the board is of reduced width and across its upper end the board is formed with an opening 23 which provides the board with a handhold so that it may be easily grasped and the cleaner held in a persons hand. Slots 24 having enlarged lower portions 25 are formed vertically 'in the board in transverse spaced relation to each other, and attention is called to the fact that the dimensions of the slots and their lower portions are.

such that while heads of the studs .may` pass through the lower portions 25 of the'slotsthey may not pass through the slots themselves.

Therefore, the boards may be ,applied to the studs by passing the studs through the enlargedV portions of the slots and when the hoar'dsare shifted downwardly they will be held against movement off "the" studs; While 4the -weight -cf the boards will urge the cleaners downwardly, it isk desired to have them press pressed against the riioor so that al good cleaning or mopping 'action will be had. f Therefore each board carries hooks 26 lwhich project from its opposite sides for engagement by springs 2l. These springs have their lower ends engaged with lugs or 'brackets 28 carried by-the end-bars 3 and since the springs are stretchedl in order to` be engaged with the hooks 26,' they will-exert downward pull and press thecleaners firmlyagainst the floor.

When the iloor cleaningapparatus is in use,the tanks or receptacles are filled with water, the water in one tank, preferably an end tank, hav'- ing soap ora cleaning powder mixed therewith, and the other'tanks` being lled with plain water which is to be used for, rinsing purposes. A brush is applied tosone end ofthe carriage and a mop at its other end, or brushes may be appliedY to both ends of th'e lcarriage while scrubbing lthe iloor, and mops substituted when swabbing the iloor to remove dirty water after the. floor hasbeenfthoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. In order to wet thebrush or brushes with soapy water, a brush' is grasped at its upper .end and the springs 21 detached. The board is then detached from therstuds 'IY and the brush dipped into the tank` containing VsoapV water. replaced; The carriageis then pushed or'pulled along the floor and the-,brush or brushes will scrub the floor clean. Reciprocating movement may be, imparted to the carriageand also transverse movement. After the iioorI or a portion thereof has been scrubbed, the brushes are removed and the mopssubstituted. The mopsare successively dipped in the clearwater and' surplus waterremoved therefrom before and after a mapping operation..`

In order that water may be removed from a mop, each tank is provided with a. wringer 29 consisting of a tray formed of foraminous material such as perforated sheet metal or thick wire screening. 'Ihe trays extend transversely in th'e tanks and when a mop or brush is set into a tray and pressure applied, water will be squeezed therefrom and drain into the tank. It will thus be seen that with this apparatus, a floor may be scrubbed in a very thorough manner and then mo'pld dry.r

Having th'us described the invention, what is claimed is:

`- 1. In a oor cleaning apparatus, a portable -frame having corner posts and cross bars extending transversely of the frame at ends thereof betweenv the` corner posts, studs extending outwardly from said cross bars and spaced from each bthe'r'longitudinally of thecross bars and having heads'at their outer ends, cleaning implements at opposite ends of said'frame, each cleaning implement consisting V'or-a; cleaner-head extending transversely of th'e frame with itsends projecting from opposite sides-ofthe frame, strands depending from the cleaner-head,` a board extending "upwardly from'. the cleaner-headV and projecting upwardly above'the cross bars, the board being-formed withvertical' slots in its lower portion through which the studs removably pass to mount the implement for vertical movement, springs coiled about said studswith their outer endsV abutting heads of theV studs and their inner ends bearing against the boards; hooks carried by th'e board atopposite sides thereof, and springs carried4 by said frame at opposite sides of its ends and engaged with'said hooks to effect downward pull upon the cleaning elements.v 1 f 2. In a iioor cleaning: apparatus, a portable frame, pins extending outwardlyfrom an end of said frame and spaced from each other transyersely of theframe and having heads at their outer ends, an implement at the said end of said frame having `a'hea'dlextending transversely of theframe for the'full widththereof and carry- :ingdepending` tufts, an upwardly` extending board carried by the head` and formedwith a handheld. at its top, 'said board being formed withtransversely spaced vertical slots in its lowerl portionV having enlarged lower ends whereby heads of the pins may be passed through th'e enlarged ends of the'slotsand the pins'en'gaged through the slots'and removablyvmount the im'- ple'ment for verticalV sliding movement, hooks projecting from opposite sides of said board, eyes carried by said frame near opposite sides of the said end of the frame, and coil springs carried by said eyes and extending upwardly with their upper ends removably engaged With'said Ahooks to exert downward pull on the implement.` Y Y l HAROLD A. TRAVIS.