US2632913A - Converter arrangement for suction cleaners - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1953 E. R. SWANN 2,632,913

' CONVERTER ARRANGEMENT FOR sucnou CLEANERS Filed May 20, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOH.

Edward R. Swann ATTORNEY.

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E R SWANN CONVERTER ARRANGEMENT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Fig 2 March 31, 1953 Filed May 20, 1950 Patented Mar. 31, 1953 "PATENT OFFICE ooNvEnrEn ARRANGEMENT Fon SUCTION CLEANERS means It. swam, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Ki mication Ma 20, 1950, Serial No. 163,258

5 Claims. (Cl. 15-'-324) This invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a converter arrangement for converting the. cleaner from on-the-floor cleaning to off-the-fioor cleaning operation.

when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a suction cleaner showing the present invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the converter opening showing the converter in place;

and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the inner end of the converter tool.

Referring to the drawings, the main body or chassis it is mounted for ambulatory movement on front and rear wheels H and 12 respectively and is formed with a downwardly facing nozzle l3 with a bumper M of rubber or other resilient materialsuitably secured about the sides and front thereof.

A casing 15, having a motor-fan unit therein, extends transversely of the body Ill and is pivoted thereto on a horizontal axis by trunnion bearings similar to the manner shown in the patent to Burkhardt 2,225,621 dated December 24, 1940. Rigid with the casing I5 is an exhaust nozzle It and a handle socket IT. The exhaust nozzle 16 detachably receives the open lower end of a filter bag It the upper end of which is supported from the handle Ill.

The casing l5 and the body ID are formed with a fan eye'Zfi opening through one of the trunnions into a suction passageway 2! formed in the body it and extending forwardly and downwardly to the suction nozzle l3. An agitator not shown) of any suitable construction is rotatably mounted in the nozzle IS in a position to contact the surface covering as it is drawn up- Wardlyjagainst the nozzle It by the suction created by the fan. A pulley 22 formed as an extensi n n the fan sha t e tends through the 2 fan eye 29 into the suction passageway 21 and drives the'belt 23 which in turn drives the agita tor. The lower side of the suction passageway 2| is closed by aremovable closure plate 24 to provide access to the belt and pulley. An appearance hood 25 is mounted on top of the body It and extends from the rear thereof along the sides of the casing 15 and forwardly therefrom so as to form a housing above and to the rear of the nozzle l3. A headlight 26 is located in the housing centrally thereof and to one side thereof at the end above. the suction passageway 2| is a converter receiving tube 21 which opens into the top of the suction passageway 2l and slopes downwardly and rearwardly as shown.

The tube 21 detachably receives the lower end of a converter tool 28 having its forward end cut away to form a rearwardly facing opening 29. The belt 23 lies close to the inner wall of the suction passageway 2| and the tool 28 is recessed at 30 to receive the belt. The lower end of the converter tool is of such shape and size as to close oil the remainder of the suction passageway except for the recess 30 which receives the belt 23. A latch 3| carried by the tool 28 snaps into an opening 32 in the outside wall of the tube 21 to latch the tool in place. The latch may be released by pressing inwardly on its handle 33.

The converter receiving tube 2'! and the housing which receives the headlight is closed by a combined converter opening closure, lamp housing door and furniture guard generally indicated by the reference numeral 35. The member 35 is pivoted to the body In at 36 and is adapted to be held either in its open or closed position by a fiat spring 31. The member 35 is provided with louvers 38 in its front forwardly of the light 26 so that light rays may be projected forwardly onto the surface to be cleaned. A soft furniture guard 39 of rubber, thermoplastic or other suitable material is secured to the member 35 along its ends and top so that furniture, etc., will not be marred when the cleaner is pushed beneath it. On its inner side the member 35 is provided with an inwardly offset closure MI which fits over the mouth of the converter receiving tube 21 when the member 35 is moved to its closed position and forms a sort of guide for guiding the converter tool 28 into the converter receiving opening 21 when the member 35 is in its open position.

From the foregoing it can be seen that this invention provides a simple construction whereby 1 the converter tool can be easily inserted from the top front of the cleaner by a simple downwardly rearward movement thereof and latched in position whereby the cleaner may be pulled about by pulling on a hose attached to the upper end of the converter tool.

While I have shown but a single embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaner comprising, a body mounted for ambulatory movement, a motor-fan unit including a casing extending transversely across said body on a horizontal axis and having a fan eye at one end thereof, said body'being' formed with a downwardly facing suction nozzle and a suction passageway extending upwardly and rearwardly from said nozzle to said fan eye at one end of said body, a converter receiving tube communicating with said suction passageway through the top Wall thereof adjacent one end of said body and sloping downwardly and rearwardly into said suction passageway, a light mounted on said body centrally thereof to one side of and in line with said converter receiving tube transversely of said body, a housing extending transversely across said body above said light and converter receiving tube and having a front opening, and a closure for said opening in front of said light and said converter receiving tube.

4 which said housing is formed by a horizontal forwardly opening streamlined appearance hood and said closure forms a continuation of said streamlined appearance hood.

3. A suction cleaner according to claim 2 in which said closure is pivoted to said body so as to lie on said body in. front of said appearance hood when it is in its open position.

4. A suction cleaner according to claim 3 in which said closure is provided with an inward offset portion which lies against the mouth of said converter receiving tube when said closure is closed and forms a guide for guiding a converter tool into said converter receiving tube when said closure is open.

5. A suction cleaner according to claim 3 including spring means for holding said closure bothin its open and closed positions.

EDWARD R. SWANN.

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,017,937 Becker Oct. 22, 1935 2,221,746 7 Kirby Nov. 12, 1940' 2,314,334 Frantz Mar. 23, 1943 2,337,936 Sellers Dec. 28, 1943 2,340,347 Severance Feb. 1, 1944 2,355,183 Snyder Aug. 8, 1944 2,517,670 Humphrey Aug. 8, 1950

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