US2642610A

US2642610A - Broom head and means for removably attaching it to a handle

Info

Publication number: US2642610A
Application number: US117361A
Authority: US
Inventors: Erik Karl
Original assignee: G G GREENE Manufacturing CORP
Current assignee: G G GREENE MANUFACTURING Corp
Priority date: 1949-09-23
Filing date: 1949-09-23
Publication date: 1953-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1970-06-23

Description

June 23,1953 K. ERIK BROOM HEAD AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING IT TO A HANDLE Filed Sept. 23, 1949 I IFHZ.

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Patented June 23, 1953 BROOM HEAD AND MEANS FOR REMOV- ABLY ATTACHING IT TO A HANDLE Karl Erik, Sheflield, Pa., assignor to G. G. Greene Manufacturing Corporation, Warren. Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 23, 1949, Serial No. 117,361

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to brooms,

brushes and similar articles of the class having a working head composed of a bundle or tuft of fibers or similar flexible sweeping or working elements, and it relates more particularly to those suitable for household purposes for sweeping, brushing and similar operations.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a novel and improved article of this class which is lighter in weight and more attractive in appearance than articles of this class as heretofore manufactured or proposed, and which may be manufactured inexpensively.

Another object is to provide novel and improved means for securing a bundle or tuft of fibers or similar sweeping or working elements in the working head whereby pulling of these elements is efiectively prevented.

Another object is to provide an article of this class in which the bundle of fibers or other flexible elements of the head are carried by a member as a unit therewith and which is removably inserted in a holder attached to a handle, and which may be replaced by another similar unit when the fibers or other flexible elements of the head become worn.

Another object is to provide novel and improved means for firmly but removably locking the head unit in the holder and which may be easily operated to release a used or worn head and to lock a replacement head unit in the holder.

r A further object of the invention is to provide;

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, the features of novelty being set forth more particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing which shows the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a collective viewin elevation and partly in section, showing the components of the article.

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an end View of the holder shown in Fig. 1.

2 Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

'ments Figure 5 is an elevation of the article in completely assembled condition.

Figure 6 is a section taken vertically through the head unit and its holder, showing the head unit inserted in the holder and secured therein. I

Similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals in the different figures.

The invention is shown in the present instance applied to a broom of the type having a head composed of a bundle of relatively long flexible fibers, and having a handle for manipulating it in performing sweeping operations, as in a householcl, but it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to brushes and'other similar articles having a working head of this general The broom as shown comprises generally a head unit H], a holder H to receive the head, and a handle [2 to which the holder is connected. The head unit I!) comprises an elongated base l3 composed preferably of a sheet of relatively stiff metal stamped into the form of a channel to receive the flexible sweeping elements I 4 of the head. These elements are secured in the base by taking a bundle or a relatively wide tuft of parallel long vegetable fibers or other suitable flexible elements of double length of the completed head and folding the bundle midway of its length about a core l5 such as a rod or large wire and inserting the doubled portion of. the bundle into the channel shaped base where they are clamped firmly between the opposite sides l6 of the base, and the sides of the base are rigidly secured together by cross members I1 which are welded or otherwise secured to and connect their ends. Portions of the sides of the base are also preferably pressed inwardly to form longitudinal ribs [8 which press the interposed doubled or' folded portion of the bundle of flexible elements I4 inwardly above the core l5, thereby securely locking the flexible elements of the head in the base and preventing pulling of these eletherefrom. Longitudinal grooves 19 formed at the outer surfaces of the sides l6 by the pressing inwardly of the ribs l8 serve to retain the head unit in the holder, as hereinafter described. 7

The holder H is composed of a sheet of some' what resilient material, such as cold rolled steel which is pressed into substantially channel form to provide longitudinal sides 20 which are spaced apart transversely sufiiciently to receive the head unit In between them, and ends 2| -which are spaced apart longitudinally sufficiently to receive the ends of the head unit between them. Each end of the holder is slotted transversely at 22, and the portions of the end wall above the slot are turned longitudinally outwardly and then laterally to form a pair of flanges 23 which are spaced beyondthe respective end wall of the holder, as shown in Fig. 2, and the lateral edges of these flanges, at each end of the holder, are

inclined so that they diverge toward the top of the holder, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper lengitudinal edges of the side wallsof. the holder;

are preferably bent inwardly or toward one another, as shown at 25, so that they "will bear;

against the bundle of fibrous flexible elements in the base of the head unit when the latter is inserted in the holder, thereby providing a firm support for these elements.

The holder H is of a length and Width to snugly receive the base 13 of the head unit, the inherent resilience of the; holder preferably holding the sides of the holder apart to a suf;- fici'ent. extent to enable the base of the:: ead unit to be inserted therein easily. Means is provided for-forcing the sides of the holder toward-ione another to firmly clampand secure the-base of the head unit therein, such means comprising in the present instance a pair of clips 30 which cooperate with the flanges 23 on the endsyof ,the' holder. Each of these clips comprises a strip of: metal or other suitable material" having its longitudinal edges turned inwardly in substantial parallelism -to form a pair of flanges: SIwhich, at one end ofthe' clip, are'spaced from the body thereof to form parallel grooves 32 to slidably. receive the flanges- 23;at therespective end of the holder and to cooperate with the out-turned diver nt edges 24 thereof: Theflanges 2t of thev clip are preferably flattened against the body: thereof towardv the, other end of the clip to stiffen it,

and this end of the clip'is preferably-curved to form a finger grip 33. After the basel3 of the head unit has been inserted into the holder II, the clips 38 are placed over the lower ends ofitheiflanges 2-3 at the respective endsof *theholder and pushed upwardly, the engagement between the upwardly divergent edges 2% of the flanges 23 on the ends of the holder and the parallel grooves 32 of the clips acting as wedges which force the-opposite longitudinal sides of the holder inwardly and into firm clamping relationwith the base 13 of the head unit therein.

In order to'more firmly and rigidly secure'the head unit iii in the holder, the opposite sides of the: latter are pressed inwardly to formzlongitudinalribs 34 at a height to enter the grooves 19 formed at the outer sides of the longitudinal ribs 58 in the base l3 of the head unit, thereby providing a yieldable lock between the'holder and the head unit therein. Portions of the sides of the holder below the ribs 34 may also be pressed inwardly to form longitudinal ribs 35 locatedat a height to bear frictionally against the respective ungrooved portions of the sides of thebaseof the head unit, thereby preventing any-looseness of said unit in the holder andin-w creasing its security-of hold therein,

Since the head unit is separate from the, holder,- it may be readily removed therefrom whenr the" fibres or other flexible elements of the working portion of the head become Worn, by simply removing the clips 36 from the ends of the holder, thus permitting the sides of the holder to spread apart sufhciently to relieve the clamping action on the base l3, which may then be removed from the holder and another similar head unit-may then be inserted as "a replacement in the holder and clamped therein by applying and setting up the clips 30.

" The holder may be connected to a suitable handle in. any suitable manner, the holder being shown in the present instance as having a threaded stem 4d fixed to or formed integrally therewith, and'thehandle 12, which is preferably tubular as shown, is provided with a correspondingly threaded socket, this socket being COIHDOSGdaOf. a pair. of substantially semi-tubular portions 4| which are pressed into the end of the tubular handle, the inner ends of the semitubular portions of the socket being connected atntheirinner ends by a strap-42 which is preferablyvformed. integrally withv the semietubular:

portions of the socket; V a

I claim:,

1. Anarticle of the'class described, comprising a base having flexible Working elementsse cured therein, a holder having Opposed-sides which arerelatively movable and spaced apa t to receive said base between them, and having their ends turned in opposite directions and formed; with divergent: edges, and channelshaped wedge members slidableonv saidv 0p!- positely turned: ends andcooperative' with their divergent edges to forcethe sideslof the holder toward one another andinto clamping engage-1:

ment with the base in the holder;

2. A broom; comprising a base member carrying a bundle of flexible fibers; aholder mem ber: adapted to receive the base member, a rib being. formed in asideof one of saidmembers and, a groove being formed in a side of the other member in a position to receive said rib when the base member is in operative position in'the holder member, andsaid side of one of saidimembers-having a second rib thereon spaced from the first-mentioned rib and said groove when the. base member is in operative position in the; holder member and-engaging frictionally with an'un-grooved portion of the side of the other-member,x and means for forcing the sides of'the. holder toward one another to therebyretain said first-mentioned rib in said groove and, to' provide a frictional grip. between saidrsecond ribfl and theunegrooved portionof the *sideof ;-the;;cooperative member.

KARL ERIK. 1

References Cited-in the file of thisepatent"