US2696017A

US2696017A - Manually operated rotary brush for vacuum cleaner hose nozzles

Info

Publication number: US2696017A
Application number: US178492A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lois W Hall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-08-09
Filing date: 1950-08-09
Publication date: 1954-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1971-12-07

Description

Dec. 7, 1954 w. HALL 2,696,017

MANUALLY OPERATED ROTARY BRUSH FOR VACUUM CLEANER HOSE NOZZLES Filed Aug. 9, 1950 V EZ 32 INVENTOR. .30 26 /7 3 C' BYQZS W Hall ATTORNEY l Il United States Patent O MANUALLY GPERATED ROTARY BRUSH FOR VACUUM CLEANER HOSE NOZZLES Lois W. Hall, Wichita, Kans.

Application August 9, 1950, Serial No. 178,492

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-388) My invention relates to an improvement in manually operated rotary brushes for vacuum cleaner hose nozzles.

In vacuum cleaners of the type that have a vacuum or suction developing unit from which extends a flexible hose that connects to one end of a rigid suction tube which carries on the other end thereof a suction cleaner nozzle, there is no way of delivering power to the nozzle to turn a brush or beater therein, consequently rotary brushes and beaters have not been employed in such nozzles even though they might be very advantageous and would very materially increase the cleaning ability of the cleaner machine.

In view of the foregoing described situation I have provided my improved vacuum cleaner hose nozzle in which I have included a rotary brush that is operable in the area or field of air travel created by the suction of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned in which is included a means for cleaning the brush of hair, lint and other material that might be picked up by the brush and retained thereon if there1 were no way of removing the material from the rus A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned that is highly efficient, one that is simple in construction and easy to operate, one that is inexpensive, durable and long lived. These and other objects of the invention will be more fully explained as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner machine of the kind mentioned and showing my improved rotary brush type cleaner nozzle in working position on the rigid suction tube.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the cleaner nozzle, the end housing cap being removed to show the working parts of the device.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the device, the view being as seen from the line III- III in Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the nozzle structure, the view being as seen from the line IV-IV in Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings is shown the vacuum or suction developing unit 6 to which is connected one end of a flexible suction hose 7. The other end of the suction hose 7 is connected to one end of a rigid suction tube 8. The other end of the tube 8 is detachably attached to, and opens into a fitting 9 that is an integral part of the nozzle case N.

The nozzle case N comprises an elongated housing element 10 having downwardly curved front and rear portions 11 and 12 the lower edge portions of which return toward the central longitudinal portion of the housing N an integrally join with vertically positioned and longitudinally disposed wall elements 11a and 12a that are spaced apart and the ends thereof integrally join

end walls

13 and 14 that also are an integral part of the housing N. The side walls 11a and

12a end walls

13 and 14 and upper housing wall 10 define an elongated open bottom suction chamber C into which the hollow of the tting 9 opens at the upper central portion thereof.

In the suction chamber C is positioned a cylindrical brush bristle holder 15 that is rigidly mounted on an y assenti Patented Dec. 7, 1954i axle shaft 16, the outer ends of which revolvably pass through bearing elements B that are slidably carried in vertically positioned slots such as 1'7 that are positioned one in the central portion of each

end wall

13 and 14.

Each bearing element B is provided with a flange portion B that is a part of, or is rigidly fixed on the inner end of the bearing element B and covers the bearing receiving slot 17 to prevent air passing through the slot 17 and into the suction chamber C when air is being drawn from the suction chamber C by the suction machine 6, therefore all the air entering the suction chamber C must enter through the open bottom thereof and come either through or across the top of the rug or surface being cleaned.

On each end of the axle shaft 16 is rigidly mounted a driven roller 18. At each end of the housing N is a pair of supporting arms 19 and 2l) the upper ends of which overlap each other and are positioned one against the other. The upper end portion of each

arm

19 and 20 has an elongated and longitudinally positioned slot 21 therein and through which a screw pin 22 is slidably passed and is threaded one in each

end wall

13 and 14 above the slot 17 and on the center longitudinal axis thereof. On the lower end portion of each

arm

19 and 20 is revolvably carried a

roller

23 and 24 that bear against opposite sides of the driven roller 18. The extreme lower ends of the

arms

19 and 20 bend to substantially a vertical position and have an outwardly extending pin 25' thereon and to which one end of a helical spring 26 is attached. The other end of the helical spring 26 is attached to another pin 27 that is rigidly mounted on the lower portion of the

end walls

13 and 14.

The housing N is supported on two pairs of supporting wheels such as shown at 28 and 29 that are carried, one pair by each

end wall

13 and 14 and on axle pins 3l? that are threaded into the

end walls

13 and 14. The

wheels

28 and 29 are so spaced apart that the driven roller 18 is in a centered portion between the supporting wheels 28 and Z9 so as to leave equal open spaces between the supporting wheel 28 and me driven roller 18, and between the driven roller 18 and the supporting wheel 29, and the width of these open spaces is less than the diameter of the

idler rollers

23 and 24, so that as the springs 26 pull the supporting

arms

19 and 20 downwardly the

idler rollers

23 and 24 will bear, one on the supporting wheel 28 and the driven roller 18 and the other idler roller 24 will bear on the supporting wheel 29 and the driven roller 18, and as the axle shaft 16 may move up or down, its relative position to the supporting

wheels

28 and 29 will change but the

idler rollers

23 and 24 will always retain their contact and pressure on their respective supporting

wheel

28 or 29 and the driven roller 18.

Each pair of supporting

wheels

28 and 29 are provided with a traction belt 3l) that extends therearound and from one to the other.

The cylindrical brush bristle holder 15 is provided with one or more spiral rows of bristle tufts 31 therearound that are adapted to engage the lloor or rug 32 as the brush revolves.

In the suction chamber C is a comb element 33 that extends the length thereof and is centrally' positioned therein and is rigidly attached to the upper wall 10 of the housing N, by means of screws 34 that pass through the upper turned back leg of the comb 33, and are threaded into the upper wall 18 of the housing B. The relation of the tufts of bristles 31 to the comb 33 is such that as the brush revolves the bristles 31 will engage the teeth of the comb 33 so that hair, strings, lint and the like will be cleaned from the brush and caught in the suction draft of the machine and pass through the suction pipe 8 and on into the dirt trap or bag in the cleaner machine.

Each end of the housing B is provided with a housing cap 36 that covers the wheels and rollers on each end of the suction nozzle N and is attached to the end portions of the suction nozzle N by means of screws 37 that pass through the edge of the housing cap 36 and thread into the end portion of the suction nozzle N. The nozzle device is supported on the two pairs of supporting wheels and traction belt 30 which rests on the oor or rug 32 that is to be cleaned.

To use the device the suction unit 6 is started or put into action in the usual manner to develop a suction -that sets up a strong draft of air that is drawn from across or through the rug 32 into the suction chamber C and through the rigid tube 8 and flexible suction hose 7, and into the dirt catcher and holder in the suction developing machine in the usual manner.

The air flow having been set up as above described, the nozzle N may now be guided and pushed and pulled forward and backwards across the floor or rug 32. ln moving the nozzle N backwards and forwards across the rug 32 the traction belt 30 will revolve the pairs of supporting

wheels

28 and 29, which in turn revolve the

idler rollers

23 and 24 which in turn drive or revolve the driven rollers 18, shaft 16, and the brush -31 carried thereby.

Due to the fact that the driven. rollers 18 are much smaller than the supporting and drive

wheels

28 and 29 the brush 15-31 will turn several revolutions to one revolution of the supporting and drive

wheels

28 and 29, therefore as the nozzle N moves across the rug the tufts of bristles 31 do not roll across the rug 32, but they do slide across the rug 32 in a fast sweeping movement, whereby the loosened or/and pick up hair, lint, threads and the like from the rug 32 and will carry such materials into the suction chamber C of the nozzle N where they are caught in and carried with the draft of air to the suction unit 6 as above described.

It will sometimes happen that the hair, lint, etc., may become 4entangled with, and will stick to the tuftsl of bristles 31 and want to stay there instead of going along with the draft of air. If this happens, the hair, lint, etc., will be combed `from the tufts of bristles 31 by the comb teeth 33 as thetufts of bristles 31 rotatably pass thereby and between, whereuponthe hair, lint, etc., will then be caught in the draft of air andbe carried from the suction chamber C in the usual manner. If the material caught on the tufts of bristles 31 happens to be caught o n the front side due to the direction of rotation of the brush 15-31 the comb teeth 33 may prevent the material from travelingwith the draft of air and out of the suction chamber C, however on the reverse movement of the suction nozzle N the direction of rotation of the brush 15-31 will be reversed and the tufts of bristles will again catch the hair,` lint, etc. that is hung on the front side of the comb teeth 33 and remove it therefrom and carry it around and into the suction chamber C againwhere it will be picked from the tufts of bristles 31 either by the draft of air or by the rear side of the comb 33 from where the draft of air will catch it and carry it away in the usual manner. g As the brush 15-31 revolves, the tufts of bristles 31 may bend or the ends thereof may wear away, and this may cause a frequent raising and lowering of the brush 1,5-7-31 and the axle shaft 16 which in lturn willraisev and lower the driven rollers 18. Asrthe driven rollers r18 raise and lower the

idler rollers

23 and 24 will also have to change their positionpinA order trolrnaintain their Contact with and pressure on the driven roller 18 andtheir respective supporting and drive wheel 28 and i 29. During the changing of position of the

idler rollers

23 and 24, their supporting arms 19and 20 will have to 'move longitudinally for short distances and their rnov'emnt'is permitted by the

slots

21 and 22 in the

arms

19 and 12`and through which the supporting screw pin 22 passes. `Whil`e this action takes'place the springs 26 maintain the constant pressure of the

idler rollers

23 and 24 on the drum roller 18 and their

respective drive wheel

28 and 29.

While the device as shown and described is probably the preferred form of the device, it is to be understood that such modifications of the device may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention.

Now having fully shown and described my invention, what l claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner hose nozzle device of the kind described; said device comprising in combination, a hose nozzle supported on two pairs of supporting wheels positioned one pair at each end of the width of the nozzle, said nozzle device having an open bottom suction chamber postioned therein and between the two pairs of supporting wheels, a rotatable brush, said rotatable brush being positioned in said suction chamber carried on an axle that is rotatably carried in vertically movable bearings carried by and at the ends of the hose nozzle for variable elevated and rotatable action in said suction chamber, each end of said axle having a friction roller rigidly mounted thereon for axle and brush driving purposes, said roller being yin alignment one with each pair ofsupporting wheels at each end of the nozzle, idler rollers, one between each supporting wheel and its respective roller on the brush axle, and spring means for holding each idler roller in engagement with its respec-l tive supporting wheel and axle roller regardless of the variable elevated position of the brush axle, and comb teeth carried in the suction chamber and engageable by the said brush as it revolves'for cleaning the brush and releasing the cleanings from the comb teeth into thje ow of air through said suction chamber, and Vflexible track means around and from one to the other of each pair of supporting wheels for increased driving action for the rotatable brush. 4 l f A 2. In a vacuum cleaner hose nozzle device of the kind described; said hose nozzle device comprising a housing element having an open bottom vacuum chamber defined therein, said chamber having a rotatable brush therein and extending the length thereof, said brushhaving an axle element, the ends of which are movable vertically Ithrough slots in the end walls that partially ldefine said chamber, a pair of driven rollers, said rollers being rigidly carried, yon'e on each end of said axle element, a pair of wheel support mea'ns on each end of said housing elementfo'r the support thereof, Iand means for driving said rollers and brush from said wheels ata lspeed in excess of that of said wheels; in combination with the foregoing structure; friction roller means intermediate the first said rollers and wheels and being spring tensioned thereagainst for transmitting power from said supporting wheelsto the `first said rollers regardless of the raised or lowered position of the first said rollers.

YRfrences vCiteii in'the le Iof thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 610,603 Haskell Sept. `13, 1898 804,213 Chaplin Nov. 14, '1905 878,432 Totten Feb. v4, t1908 1,104,977 Ferguson Y ..v 'July l28, y1914 1,745,355 'Cooper fFeb. `4, 1930 2,178,917 Pullen Y i- No'v. 7, 1939 2,184,441 Smellie Dec. 26, 1939