US2677144A

US2677144A - Squeegee nozzle for wet pickup suction cleaners

Info

Publication number: US2677144A
Application number: US156085A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph E Parry
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1950-04-15
Filing date: 1950-04-15
Publication date: 1954-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 1971-05-04
Also published as: GB683749A

Description

y 4 1953 R. E. PARRY 2,677,144

SQUEEGEE NOZZLE FOR WET PICKUP SUCTION CLEANERS Filed April 15. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l-LJIUUUUUUUU\[UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU i-mlmmmiiimmmmmimmiilil Inventor: Ralph E. Par-T15 His Attorney.

May 4, 1954 R. E. PARRY 2,677,144

SQUEEGEE NOZZLE FOR WET PICKUP SUCTION CLEANERS Filed April 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

Inventor-z Ralph E. PaT'T'H b WM H is Attorne g.

Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SQUEEGEE NOZZLE FOR WET PICKUP SUCTION CLEANERS New York Application April 15, 1959, Serial No. 156,085

5 Claims. 1

My invention relates to vacuum or suction cleaners of the wet pickup type. More particularly my invention relates to a squeegee or wiping nozzle for such cleaners.

In some cleaning applications, particularly for industrial uses, a floor or other surface is washed or flooded with a cleaning solution. Thereafter a suction cleaner is used to pick up the dirty water or cleaning solution from the floor, the nozzle of the cleaner being designed to wipe the floor with a squeegee blade and at the same time to suck up dirty water which is pushed along the floor by the squeegee blade. Some known wet pickup nozzles of the squeegee type are provided with a wiping blade in the center of the air slot of the nozzle. For various reasons this type of nozzle may be unsatisfactory. Other squeegee nozzles are provided with blades at the forward and rear lips of the nozzle, but this type of squeegee nozzle requires rocking of the nozzle on the wet floor being cleaned if best results are to be obtained when direction of movement of the nozzle on the floor is changed. My invention relates to an improvement in a squeegee nozzle which does not require the rocking of the nozzle on the floor and is not otherwise subject to the inconveniences of the single central-bladed squeegee nozzle.

My invention provides a nozzle of the above described desirable operating characteristics which is simple in design, has but a relatively few number of parts, is inexpensive and, is reliable in action. A nozzle according to a preferred form of my invention is provided on both its front and rear lips with an inner highly flexible squeegee blade which has an edge of special design, and an outer less flexible reinforcing strip lying alongside the squeegee blade but above its wiping edge; so that wiping action is obtained at the trailing edge of the nozzle by the trailing squeegee blade, and air and water film are allowed to enter under the leading edge of the nozzle and the leading squeegee blade without the need for rocking the nozzle on the wet floor as the direction of movement of the nozzle is changed during cleaning. Because both the front and rear edges of the nozzle are so provided, this effect is obtained regardless of the direction of movement of the nozzle, that is, it does not matter whether the nozzle is being pushed forwardly or backwardly and no rocking of the nozzle for best wiping effect is required.

Other objects and further details of that which I believe to be novel and my invention will be clear from the following description and claims 2 taken with the accompanying drawings in which are illustrated two examples of wet pickup suctio cleaner nozzles embodying the present invention and incorporating the improved squeegee.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of a con ventional suction cleaner of the wet pickup type and the connection thereto of a nozzle according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a front view on a larger scale of a nozzle according to my invention, with parts broken away for clarity; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the nozzle of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side end view of the nozzle of Fig. 2 with portions broken away to illustrate interior construction; Fig. 5 is a side sectional view on a larger scale than Fig. 4 showing the lips of a nozzle according to my invention as they appear during action, and Fig. 6 is a side end sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form of my invention.

My invention is used with any suitable wet pickup suction cleaner having a body I which contains a motor driven suction fan, a dust filter and water separator and has a bucket or receptacle for receiving water. None of these interior cleaner parts are shown because they constitute no part of my invention. The cleaner creates suction which is ultimately used at the nozzle. Connected to the cleaner in the usual fashion is a flexible hose 2 and usually a rigid tube or wand 3 which is suitably connected to the nozzle 4.

A nozzle according to my invention is provided with the usual suction tube coupling 5 which communicates with a transversely elongated head 6 in the bottom of which is provided a suction air slot 7 defined by an elongated front wall 3, an elongated rear wall 9 and shorter end walls I0. Thus far the nozzle described is no different from many nozzles now in use.

The wiping blades or squeegees H are preferably fastened to the front and rear walls of the nozzle and extend transversely slightly beyond the end walls as shown best in Fig. 3. They project downwardly beyond the tips of the nozzle lips so that the nozzle never rides directly on the floor. 'These squeegee blades are made of soft rubber which is highly flexible so as to have the desired action later described. In the specification and claims whenever rubber is used, it should be understood that either natural rubber compounds or synthetic rubber compounds are intended, as long as the desired operating characteristics are present in the compound used. I have found as a material for the squeegee blades that a soft black rubber strip of 3G to 40 durometers about of an inch thick and about 1 inch high is satisfactory, when used with the other parts about to be described.

Holding the squeegee blades in place are reinforcing strips i2 made of medium stiff rubber. These reinforcing strips are located outside of the squeegee blades and are of about the same length as the blades. With the particular blade described above I have found that a reinforcing strip made of black rubber of 60 to 65 durometers about of an inch thick and about i-Z- of an inch high overall is satisfactory. Holding each squeegee blade and reinforcing strip in place is a clamping plate l3 which as shown in made from a strip of metal of nearly the same length as the squeegee blade and as the reinforcing strip but of less height than either. The clamping plates hold the squeegee blades and the reinforcing strips against the front and rear nozzle walls by any suitable means such as the screws It.

As mentioned above, the squeegee blades and the reinforcing strips are so designed that wiping action is obtained at the trailing lip of the nozzle, and so that air and water may enter under the leading lip of the nozzle, regardless of the direction of movement of the nozzle, forward or backward, over the floor or other surface being cleaned. This permits the dirty water or cleaning solution to be wiped up and to be picked up by the suction of the cleaner, leavin the floor or other surface dry for all practical purposes. The principal part of this wiping action is obtained by the shape and nature of the squeegee blades. A cross section of each of these blades shows that its inner and outer surfaces are substantially straight or vertical except for lower portion [5 of the outer surface of each blade, which is slanted downwardly and inwardly to its bottom edge. On the slanted portion of the squeegee blade I provide a number of spaced grooves I8 that have axes in a series of vertical planes that are normal to the bottom edge of said blade for a purpose which will appear later. On the inside face of each squeegee blade, facing the nozzle air slot, I may provide horizontal step I! or a series of serrations so that the wiping action of the squeegee may be multiplied by providing more than one wiping edge.

The reinforcing strips, as shown, extend below the nozzle lips but do not extend the full depth of the squeegee blades, preferably terminating at the beginning of the taper on the squeegee blades. The bottom edge of each reinforcing strip may also be tapered as at l8, this taper being in effect a continuation of the taper it on the outside of the squeegee blade.

In use, as the nozzle is pushed or pulled over eraly, and to provide a high velocity inrush of of the nozzle will collapse easily inwardly toward the suction air slot 1 of the nozzle because of the soft nature of the rubber used in making the squeegee blade. The trailing edge of the nozzle, on the other hand, is substantially supported against collapse by the medium stiffness of the reinforcing strip I8. This trailing squeegee blade will therefore wipe against the floor, pushing water w ahead of it where it may be picked up by the suction of the nozzle. This action is best illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. Water and air may enter under the leading edge by virtue of the soft material from which this blade is made, and also because the grooves i6 permit entry of the water when this blade is flexed inwardly. The step ll on the trailing edge provides an additional wiping edge.

At the ends of the nozzle the clamping plate, reinforcing strip and squeegee blades are extended beyond the end walls ID of the nozzle and are bent slightly inwardly toward the end walls of the nozzle, as shown best in Fig. 3. This provides a space [9 between the wiping edges at the nozzle ends. This space allows the entry of air at the ends of the nozzle and the bent ends provide a sort of a scoop which will pull water inwardly from the ends as the nozzle is pushed or pulled over the floor. A small space must be left between the wiping edges at this point so that the leading wiping edge may collapse properly, and to provide a high velocity inrush of air that will suck in water at the junction of a floor and wall when the nozzle is used along the sides of a floor or in the corners of a room.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 includes a nozzle basically like that of the first form, and reinforcing strips and clamping plates also like those of the first form. However, the bottom of the squeegee blades is altered slightly so that the air slot in the nozzle may be closed to a greater degree in order to obtain greater velocity of air movement. In this figure of the drawing the squeegee blades are designated by the number Ell, and each of these blades made with an inwardly extending jog or offset 2!. Outside slanted faces 22 similar to the slanted faces E5 are also provided, and grooves 23 similar to the grooves 55. The inner faces of these offset portions are provided with steps 23 similar to the steps if of the first form. An additional reason for the design illustrated in Fig. 6 was to provide a thinner cross section of the squeegee for greater flexibility which might permit the leading blade to bend more readily away from the reinforcing strip.

From the above it will be seen that little or no rocking action will be required during operation of a nozzle according to my invention. When the soft squeegee blade is being pushed away from the reinforcing strip, the grooves will be more or less parallel to the floor, thus allowing air and Water to be drawn under the edge of this forward blade. The rear blade is at the same time being pushed back against the reinforcing strip and the grooves in this blade are bent back out of action. A sharp continuous edge is presented to the water film on the trailing edge, preventing the water from sliding under the rear blade. The extra. step or steps on the inside face of this trailing squeegee blade provides a second wiping edge when the blade is bent from being forced backward by friction with the floor.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of my invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the examples illustrated, and I contemplate that various and other modifications and applications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore my intention that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a wet pickup suction cleaner nozzle, elongated front and rear walls joined by shorter end walls, the bottoms of said walls forming between them the edges of a horizontally elongated air slot, a first flexible resilient horizontally elongated squeegee blade secured to and extending below the edge of said front wall, a second flexible resilient horizontally elongated squeegee blade secured to and extending below the edge of said rear wall, each blade having an inner horizontally elongated vertical face thereon positioned next to said air slot and opposite but spaced from the corresponding face on the blade across the slot, a horizontally elongated wiping edge on each blade at the bottom of said inner face, the outer face of each of said blades being located away from said slot and slanted downwardly and inwardly to the wiping edge of that blade, each of said slanted faces having a series of grooves thereon extending to said wiping edge, said grooves in each blade having axes disposed in a series of vertical planes normal to the wiping edge of that blade.

2. In a wet pickup suction cleaner nozzle, elongated front and rear walls joined by shorter end walls, the bottoms of said walls forming between them the edges of a horizontally elongated air slot, two longitudinally extending flexible squeegee blades, each secured to one of said front and rear walls of said nozzle on either side of the slot and extending below the edges of said slot to an elongated wiping edge, the outside face of each blade located furthermost from said slot having a series of grooves thereon extending to the wiping edge of that blade, said grooves in each blade having axes disposed in a series of vertical planes normal to the wiping edge of that blade, said outside grooved face being slanted inwardly toward said slot and downwardly to the wiping edge thereof.

3. In a suction cleaner nozzle having a horizontal elongated air inlet opening at the bottom thereof, a first elongated strip of flexible resilient material secured to and extending below one longitudinal edge of said opening, the inner face of said strip nearest said opening being generally vertical and extending downwardly to an uninterrupted horizontal wiping edge at the bottom thereof, the outer face of said strip farthest away from said opening extending downwardly and slanting inwardly to said wiping edge, said outer slanted face having a series of parallel uniformly spaced grooves therein, each groove having an axis disposed in a vertical plane normal to said wiping edge and extending on said slanted face only to said wiping edge, and a second identical elongated strip of flexible resilient material secured to and extending below the opposite longitudinal edge of said nozzle opening with its generally vertical inner face nearest said opening and its slanted grooved outer face farthest from said opening.

4. In a wet pickup suction cleaner nozzle, elongated front and rear walls joined by shorter end walls, the bottoms of said walls forming the edges of an elongated air slot, two separate longitudinally extending flexible squeegee blades, one on said front wall and the other on said rear wall on either side of said slot, an elongated wiping edge on each blade extending in a plane below the said edges of said slot, the face of each blade l0- cated furthest away from said slot having a series of grooves thereon extending to said wiping edge, said grooves having axes in vertical planes normal to said edge, said grooved faces being slanted inwardly toward said slot and downwardly to said wiping edges, an elongated reinforcing strip longitudinally coextensive with and located outside each blade, each strip extending to a level below the edges of said nozzle air slot but above the level of the wiping edge on the blade, an outer face on each reinforcing strip slanting inwardly to the bottom thereof toward said slanted blade face, and a clamp outside of each blade and strip, securing said blade and strip to the outside wall of the nozzle on one side of said slot.

5. In a wet pickup suction cleaner nozzle, elongated front and rear walls joined by shorter end walls, the bottoms of said walls forming the edges of an elongated air slot, two separate elongated soft rubber vertical squeegee blades, one on said front wall and the other on said rear wall on either side of the slot, each blade extending horizontally at each end beyond the ends of said slot, an elongated wiping edge on the bottom of each blade extending in a plane below the edges of said slot, outer faces on said blades slanted inwardly toward said slot and downwardly to said wiping edge, said outer faces having a series of grooves thereon extending to said wiping edge, said grooves having axes in vertical planes normal to said edge, an elongated horizontal step on the face of each of said blades located towards said slot near the wiping edge, an elongated rubber reinforcing strip stiffer than said blade, longitudinally coextensive with and secured outside each blade, said strip extending to a level below the edges of said nozzle slot but above the wiping edge on the blade, an outer face on each strip slanted inwardly and downwardly to the bottom thereof toward said slanted blade face, and a longitudinally extending clamp plate outside of each blade and strip securing said blade and strip to the outside wall of the nozzle on one side of said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 635,462 Bourke Oct. 24, 1899 674,962 Cumming May 28, 1901 954,541 Raymond et al. Apr. 12, 1910 1,297,387 Meyers Mar. 18, 1919 1,413,441 Wenger Apr. 18, 1922 1,849,663 Finnell Mar. 15, 1932 1,897,726 Hillyard Feb. 14, 1933 1,987,296 Hoover Jan. 8, 1935 2,292,435 Crites Aug. 11, 1942 2,306,946 Horton et al. Dec. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 854,122 France Jan. 4, 1940