US2677461A

US2677461A - Magnetic pickup device

Info

Publication number: US2677461A
Application number: US354695A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Bodey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-05-13
Filing date: 1953-05-13
Publication date: 1954-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 1971-05-04

Description

y 4, 1954 E. .1. BODEY 2,677,461

MAGNETIC PICKUP DEVICE Filed May 13, 1953 INVENTOR. EDWARD J. BODEY BY ATTORNE Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

lhis invention relates to a magnetic pick-up for vacuum cleaners and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the nozzle of a standard vacuum cleaner, said attachment including magnetic means for collecting magnetizable objects, thereby precluding their entry into the vacuum cleaner nozzle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic pick-up which may comprise part of a vacuum cleaner nozzle, or it may comprise an attachment for a standard nozzle, or it may comprise a hand tool which may be propelled across a floor by means of a suitable handle, in a manner in which a mop is used.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a magnetic pick-up device having the hereinabove described characteristics, wherein the magnetic field is produced by a plurality of permanent magnets mounted in laterally spaced relationship along a common axis, and wherein the north and south poles of each of said individual magnets are disposed in intersecting alignment with a common axis extending through all of said magnets, whereby elongated magnetizable objects will be automatically turned so that their longitudinal axis will be disposed in axial alignment with the common axis extending through the magnets.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic pick-up having associated therewith a trap into which the magnetizable items attracted by the said magnets will ultimately be lodged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device having the hereinabove described characteristics which is free of moving parts, inexpensive and durable.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View through the nozzle of a typical household type vacuum cleaner, said nozzle having associated therewith a magnetic pick-up embodying the teachings of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the magnetic pick-up of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a permanent magnet embodying preferred structural details.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the magnet of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side plan view of the magnet of Fig. 3.

With reference now to Fig. 1, the numeral l0 denotes a housing of non-magnetic material such as, by way of example, plastic, aluminum or the like, the lower face of which is provided with an elongate recess or concave channelway 12 extending longitudinally of the housing. Preferably, the concave portion is located between a fiat lower forward edge I l and a flat rearward lower edge it.

Suitable means, such as a clip l8, may be secured to and carried by rear Wall 20 of the housing for enabling the device to be securely though releasably mounted to the forward wall 22 of nozale 2 5 of a typical household type vacuum cleaner.

A plurality of permanent magnets 30 are mounted in laterally spaced relationship along a common axis extending longitudinally of concave portion 12. As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and i, each of said magnets preferably comprises a substantially cylindrical member having a pair of laterall spaced magnetic elements 3| and 35, of opposed polarity, depending from a circular top leg 33, note Fig. 4. The magnetic elements comprise a north and a south pole which are separated by means of a plug 32 of non-magnetic material such as, by Way of example, wood, plastic, or any suitable non-metallic metal, for precluding the entry of dirt, or of magnetizable items between the respective north and south poles of the magnet. Preferably the dimensional characteristics of the plug are such as to complet the right cylindrical contour of the magnet.

With particular reference to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the laterally spaced magnetic elements or north and south poles of adjacent magnets are of alternating polarity whereby an elongate magnetizable element, such as a pin, needle or the like, will be positively and automatically turned for disposing its lon itudinal axis in parallelism with the common axis passing through the poles of the magnets and in parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the concave portion l2. In this manner I have provided simple yet highly effective means for automatically aligning elongate magnetizable objects in such a manner that they will be received sidewise within and aligned relative to the axis of the concave portion [2.

With reference now to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 40 denotes an elongate member or shoe which is disposed along and projecting forwardly of the lower rear edge It of housing] 0, said member including an arcuate lower bearing surface 42 which is adapted to slide across a supporting surface it incident to movement of nozzle 24 thereover. The member likewise includes a substantially flat upper surface 45 a substantial portion of which projects forwardly of the rear edge of the concave portion 12 for providing an elongated ledge which defines a tray 48 lengthwise of the rear portion of the concave portion E2 of the housing and beneath and spaced from the rearward portions of the magnetic elements or north and south poles.

The function of the elongated trap 48 is to provide an area into which the magnetizable objects, having been initially picked up by ma nets 38, may be deposited and stored, as it were, against accidental or unintentional removal incident to the forward and rearward motion of nozzle 24 over supporting surface 44.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the lowermost portion of shoe [6 is disposed in substantial horizontal alignment with the lower edges 55 and E2 of the front and

rear walls

22 and 53, respectively, of the cleaner nozzle 24. The forward edge It of the housin is preferably spaced above the lowermost surface of the shoe by a dimension approximating th of an inch or more, for thereby enabling items resting on surface to freely pass under front edge I i. The numeral 5 denotes a wheel, or other supporting element, the purpose of which is to determine the spacing of the lower edges of nozzf 2a. from supporting surface 44.

If desired, a suitable rubber bumper 56 may be secured to the forward edge of housing it,

In operation magnetizable objects will be effectively removed from supporting surface 4 5 before that area of the supporting surface has been subjected to the suction of nozzle 24. In the absence of shoe All and trap 48, objects initially picked up by the magnets 30 will be dislodged from the arcuate channelway incident to movement of the nozzle forwardly and rearwardly over supporting surface 44, particularly in those instances wherein surface 44 denotes the upper edge of a carpet having a deep pile. Magnetizable items attracted by the magnets are automatically disposed within trap 48 where they will remain against accidental or unintentional displacement until removed by means of a deliberate action on the part of the operator. It will be understood that any material housed within trap 48 may be removed by means of a brushing or wiping action.

As earlier indicated, the magnetic pick-up may, if desired, be fabricated as an integral part of the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner, or the device may be fabricated as an attachment for a vacuum cleaner nozzle, it being understood that the structural and functional characteristics of the device will be the same in either instance.

It should be understood that various changes may be made in the structural details of the device within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic pick-up device comprising an elongate housing of non-magnetic material, said housing including a lower surface having a longitudinal recess therein, a plurality of permanent .iagnets secured to and carried by the housing for providing a plurality of laterally spaced magnetic elements of alternating polarity located. within and along the length of the recess, and a longitudinal ledge projecting forwardly of the rear edge of the recess extending beneath and spaced from the rearward portions of said magnetic elements.

2. A magnetic pick-up device comprising an elongate housing of non-magnetic material the lower surface of which is provided with a longitudinal concave channelway, a plurality of permanent magnets secured to and carried by the housing for providing a plurality of laterally spaced magnetic elements of alternating polarity located within and along the length of the channelway, an elongate member projecting forward- 151 of the rear edge of said channelway extending beneath and spaced from the rearward portions of the magnetic elements for defining a continuous longitudinal ledge.

3. A magnetic pick-up device as set forth in claim wherein the elongate member includes a substantially fiat upper surface disposed adjacent the said channelway and a rounded lower surface, and wherein the said lower surface is disposed below and in spaced parallelism with the forward edge of the channelway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,561,077 Hirsch Nov. 10, 1925 2,288,115 Soldanels June 30, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 176,590 Switzerland Apr. 30', 1935