US2682074A

US2682074A - Latch mechanism for vacuum cleaner floor tool parts

Info

Publication number: US2682074A
Application number: US138557A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dewey M Dow
Original assignee: Air Way Electric Appliance Corp
Current assignee: Air Way Electric Appliance Corp
Priority date: 1950-01-14
Filing date: 1950-01-14
Publication date: 1954-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1971-06-29

Description

D. M. DOW

June 29, 1954 LATCH MECHANISM FOR VACUUM CLEANER FLOOR TOOL PARTS Filed Jan. 14, 1950 RM m mDm W 0/ M J 6 AN D W.

A 7 TORNE Y Patented June 29, 1954 LATCH MECHANISM FOR VACUUM CLEANER FLOOR TOOL PARTS.

Dewey M. Dow, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Air-Way Electric Appliance Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application January 14, 1950, Serial No. 138,557

6 Claims. .1

This invention relates to floor tools for vacuum cleaners.

Ordinarily, the household vacuum cleaner comes equipped with several floor tools, such, for example, as one which is used for the cleaning of carpets and rugs, and another for use in cleaning hardwood floors or the like. Not only are these separate tools relatively heavy to carry from place to place, but are relatively expensive. In accordance with this invention, these objections are obviated by making the floor tool in separable parts and enabling these parts to be readily and conveniently detached to enable one form of base to be readily replaced by another. These floor engaging members or parts are relatively light and can be much more conveniently moved from one room to another, and enable the cost of the attachments to be substantially reduced.

An object is to produce a new and improved floor tool made up of separable parts which can be readily and conveniently assembled and disassembled, assembly being made by an automatic snap action and disassembly rendered possible by application of manual pressure applied to the outside of the floor tool.

Another object is to produce a floor tool for vacuum cleaners, the body of which is made up of two parts separated along the longitudinal plane, a snap action catch being provided internally of the body which enables the parts to be secured together by simply pressing the two parts toward each other, provision being made for simple and convenient disassembly by pressure applied at predetermined locations for releasing the catch and the same being normally concealed by the usual bumper strip mounted externally on the floor tool body.

Other objects and advantages reside in details of construction, operation and arrangement hereinafter described, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a vacuum cleaner floor tool;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower body parts of the floor tool;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view substantially on the line 44 of Figure 2, showing the latch or catch in latching position;

Figure 5 is a sectional View similar to Figure 4, but of the other of the latches and showing the same in enlarged position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the floor tool showing the pressure piece on the bumper strip against which pressure is applied to release the respective latch; and

Figure '7 is a sectional view on the line 'l-'! of Figure 6. l i

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a floor tool for vacuum cleaners having an upper part It] provided with an integral nozzle portion l I to which the usual wand is attached as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The body part [0, in the form of a hollow shell, has a depending flange I2 of somewhat reduced thickness which fits into a groove l3 in the under body part 14 of the floor tool. It will be apparent that a groove [5 is formed by the juncture of these body parts and this groove extends entirely around the floor tool.

Positioned within the groove is a bumper strip [6 preferably of rubber-like material and projects outwardly from the adjacent walls of the floor tool to protect furniture and woodwork from being scratched or marred in the operation of the floor tool.

The lower body part M has an integral bottom wall I1 which inclines upwardly and terminates in a flat annular shoulder l8. The shoulder I8 abuts against an annular gasket [9 of rubberlike material which is recessed or socketed in the under face of the body part Ill. This provides a fluid-tight seal between the two body parts I0 and I4, which becomes effective when these parts are connected or are in assembled relation and enables full suction to be employed in the operation of the floor tool.

Secured in diametrically opposed relation is a pair of screws 20 which engage in bosses 24 formed on the body part l4. Each screw 20 has an integral annular collar 2| and a substantially dome-shaped notched head 22, there being a reduced neck 23 between these parts. The upper end portions of each of the screws thus constitute keepers and are adapted respectively to enter hollow bosses 24 which depend from and areintegral with the under side of the body part H). In this instance, the bosses 24 are annular and each has a transverse slot 25 at the rear side thereof to enable the latch arms 26 to enter the groove formed by the reduced neck 23 for latching the body parts Iii and [4 together. The inner end of the slot 25 provides a stop or abutment against which the respective latch arm 26 abuts, thus limiting the rocking movement of the latch when the floor tool parts are separated one from another. It will be apparent that the end portion of each latch arm enters substantially into the slot 25 when in latching position and. thus militates against damage to the latch arms in the event of application of force tending to separate the floor tool parts when the latch arms are in latching position. Each latching arm 26 is pivotally mounted on a" screw 21 connected. to a depending boss 28- arranged at the outer side of the respective hollow boss 24.

Integral with the latch arm 26 is an actuating: arm 29 which terminates in a curvedflanged' end portion 30 disposed adjacent the flange [2 at the rear side of the body part H3. Although in this instance the flange end portions 3!!- of the actuating arms are disposed at the rear of the floor tool, they may be positioned otherwise if desired as, for example, at opposite endsof the floor tool. The latching arms 26 are urged at all times to latching position by a spring 31* which has a portion coiled about the adjacent boss 28 and one end bears against the adjacent hollow boss 21* and the other end is anchored to the. respective actuating arm 29'. In the regionof each of the curved flanged end portions or the actuating arms 28 ofthe latches is an aperture 32 which is formed in the flange [2. These apertures-are concealed by the bumper strip I6- and embracing the bumper strip ['5 in the region of these apertures are metallic bands containing the indicia Press. By simultaneously pressing on both of the bands or pressure pieces 33, both latches can be simultaneously released to enable the-body parts H3 and M to be separated or disassembled. The sealing gasket 69 places the floor tool parts under some tension and enables the two catches to be released consecutively if desired, since by releasing one of the catches, the resilient action of the sealing. strip or gasket ['9' separates the floor tool parts sufliciently so that the latching arm 26 for that side can not thereupon enter the slot 25 in the respective boss 24,. suflicient separating movement being caused by the: action of the resilient gasket l9;

Assembly can be readily accomplished by mere- 1y pressing the parts H! and i4 togethenthe screw hea'ds exten'ding' into the hollow bosses 24 there'- by aligning the pieces properly and the latch arms being automatically cammed outwardly due to the: shape of the screw head whereupon they snap into the neck portions 23. The aligning of the two floor tool parts caused by'the' registry of theheads of the screws 2!} within the hollow bosses 24; is important in bringing the flanges of the floor tool'parts into engagement with each other and since these flanges extend entirely around these parts, the pressure exerted during the use of the floor tool is evenly distributed throughout these flanges. The parts are placed under the desired tension to obviate rattles by the engagement of the shoulder [8 against the rubber-like gasket 19.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1'. A floor tool for a vacuum cleaner comprising a pair of separable parts, one of said parts being a shell, a spring-tensioned latch enclosed within and pivoted to said shell and having a latching arm and an actuating arm, a catch on'the other part for receiving the latching arm, including means for automatically retracting the latch" when the parts are forced together, a

bumper of flexible material on the outside of said shell, and an opening in said shell in the region of said actuating arm and concealed by said bumper, said actuating arm having a portion thereof substantially within said opening whereby depression of the bumper at said opening rocks said actuating arm to release the: latching arm to enable separation or the parts.

2. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners including a pair of longitudinally elongate body parts, one of said parts being hollow, a spring-tensioned pivotedlatch in said one part having a latching arm and an actuating arm, a keeper engaged by the latching armwhen the parts are in assembled relation, a flexible bumper strip encircling the outside of the hollow body part, said hollow body part having an opening therein adjacent said actuating arm and directly in rear of said bumper strip, thereby enabling unlatching movement of said actuating arm by pressing against said bumper strip;

3. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners comprising a two-part body divided in a longitudinal plane, a pair of hollow bosses on the inside of one part, screws inside the other body part adapted to project inside of said bosses thereby to align the parts in assembled relation, are-' accessible from the outside to enable release 01' the latching arm to enable separation or' disassembly of the parts.

4. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners comprising a two-part body divided in a longitudinal plane, a pair of hollow bosses on the inside of one part, screws inside the other body part adapted to project inside of said bosses thereby to align the parts in assembled relation, a redu'ced neck portion on each screw, pivotedlatches having latching arms engageable respectively with said reduced neck portions for retainin the parts together, an actuating arm on each latch, and apertures in said body adjacent the free ends of said actuating arms respectively to afford access thereto.

5. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners comprising a two-part body divided in a longitudinal plane, a pair of hollow bosses on the inside of one part, screws inside the other body part adapted to project inside of said bosses thereby to align the parts in assembled relation, a reduced neck portion on each screw, pivoted latches having latching arms engageable respectively with said reduced neck portions for retaining the parts together, an actuating arm on each latch, a bumper strip of flexible resilient material on the outside of said body, apertures concealed by said bumper strip and located in the regionof said actuating arms respectively, and pressure pieces on said bumper strip adjacent said apertures respectively against. which pressure is imposed for actuating said actuating arms.

6. A floor toolfor vacuum cleaners comprising an elongate suction nozzle body formed of two parts mating in a longitudinal plane at least one of said parts being hollow, a hollow boss on the inside of said one part, a pin on the other body part adapted to project inside of said hollow boss for aligning the body parts, a reduced neck portion providing a shoulder on said pin, a latch pivotally supported within said hollow body part having a latching arm engageable with. said shoulder for retaining the'parts together, an ac- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Owen et a1. Jan. 11, 1921 Bronson et a1 Mar. 30, 1926 Cantell May 10, 1932 Martinet Dec. 26, 1939 Ohls Apr. 15, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland July 28, 1936 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1934 Switzerland May 16, 1944