US2700783A

US2700783A - Adjustable hood for sweepers

Info

Publication number: US2700783A
Application number: US368546A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin D Parker; Earl E Stelzer
Original assignee: PARKER SWEEPER Co
Current assignee: PARKER SWEEPER Co
Priority date: 1953-07-16
Filing date: 1953-07-16
Publication date: 1955-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1972-02-01

Description

Feb. 1, 1955 D, PARKER r 2,700,783

ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR SWEEPEZRS Filed July 16, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l 32 INVENTORS EDWIN o. PARKER F 2 BY EARL E. STELZER Feb. 1, 1955 Filed July 16, 1.953

4 Sheets-Sheet 2- Fig, 7

INVENTORS EDWIN D. PARKER BY EARL I E. STELZE-R Feb. 1, 1955 E. D. PARKER ETAL ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR SWEEPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 16, 1953 INVENTORS EDWIN D PARKER EARL E. STELZER BY Feb. 1, 1955 E. D. PARKER EI'AL ADJUSTABLE noon FOR SWEEPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 16, 1953 INVENTORS' EDW/N D. PAR/ R y EAR E. STELZER A TTORNEY United States Patent ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR SWEEPERS Edwin D. Parker and Earl E. Stelzer, Springfield, Ohio, assignors to Parker Sweeper Company, Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 16, 1953, Serial No. 368,546

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-79) The present invention relates to sweepers, and is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application SefleialdNo. 87,522, filed April 14, 1949, and now abanone In general, the invention comprises a sweeper for removing debris such as grass, leaves, twigs, etc., from lawns or sidewalks. The sweeper includes an adjustable and a rotatably driven brush, a receptacle to receive the debris picked up by the brush, and a hood formed of resilient material positioned in front of the brush, which guides the debris and directs it back into the re- *ceptacle.

In sweepers of this type, it is desirable to provide for raising and lowering the lower portion of the hood. For example, when sweeping sidewalks or short blade grass, it is desirable that the lower portion of the hood be closer to the surface being swept than when the sweeper is used, for example, on lawns of tall grass. Furthermore, it is desirable that the hood be arcuate in shape, part of the are being on an axis substantially coincident with the axis of the rotating brush.

In accordance with the present invention, the frame of the sweeper comprises three abutment members or shoulders preferably arranged in planes lying parallel with the axis of the brush, and these three members are vertically spaced from one another. A hood, formed of flexible material such as sheet metal, bears against these abutment members. The intermediate abutment member lies in a plane outside of a plane intersecting the upper and lower abutment members, and lies forwardly of the upper abutment member whereby, when the hood is placed in position, the intermediate abutment member engages the concave side of the hood and the upper and lower abutment members engage the convex side of the hood.

Such arrangement of abutment members in combination with the hood of resilient material provides for ready holding of the hood in position, however, it is desirable for ready fastening of the hood in an adjustable position. The present invention contemplates the ready shifting of the hood and the ready fastening of the hood in its adjusted position.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sweeper constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the sweeper, partly in elevation, and taken on the 1ine22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial, side elevational view illustrating in greater detail the lower end of the handle, the brush adjusting mechanism, and the receptacle to handle attaching bracket;

Fig. 4 is a broken, vertical sectional view of the hood shown in Fig. l and illustrating in greater detail the finger grip and the means provided for adjusting and holding the hood in an adjusted position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating a modified construction for this part;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view illustrating one of the side plates included in the frame, the gear wheel and pinion for rotating the brush;

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, as viewed from the right side thereof;

2,700,783 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 Fig. 8 is a side, vertical section of the hood of the type shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the angle of discharge from the upper end when the hood is adjusted in its lowermost position;

Figs. 9 and 10 are partial, side vertical sections similar to Fig. 8 and illustrating the angle of discharge when the hood is adjusted in an intermediate position and in the raised or uppermost position;

Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are views, similar to Figs. 9 and 10, of the type of hood shown in Fig. 5 and illustrating the angle of discharge when the hood is in various adjusted positions;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view showing another form of fastening the hood in adjusted position; and

15 is a sectional view taken on line 15-15 of Referring more in detail to the drawings, the sweeper shown includes a frame indicated generally at 10 which includes a pair of oppositely disposed

side plates

11 and 12. Each of these plates is cast with a stationary axle means in the form of an insert 13, Fig. 7. A pair of spaced

wheels

15 and 16 are rotatably mounted on the axle means and disposed on opposite sides of the frame. These wheels are encased in rubber tires 17, as shown in Fig. 1, which rest on the surface being cleaned.

A gear wheel 20, Figs. 6 and 7, is carried on each of the axles 13 and is covered by the wheel. The gears engage with pawls carried on the

wheels

15 and 16 and are driven thereby. These pawls, not shown, engage the inner teeth shown on the gears 20 and provide for driving the gears in one direction only. A pinion gear 23 engages the outer teeth shown on the gears 20 and in turn rotates the reel shaft 24 upon which a brush 25 is mounted. This brush is driven to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2.

Top and

bottom tie rods

27 and 28 are connected between the side plates in vertically spaced positions. These rods are secured at each end with set screws in the

shoulders

27a and 28a formed in the side plates. A shoulder 29, in the form of an arcuate-shaped rib, projects inwardly from each side plate. As seen in Fig. 2, the rod 27, shoulder or rib 29, and shoulder 28a are spaced vertically from one another. The intermediate shoulder 29 is spaced forwardly of the upper rod 27 and rearwardly of shoulder 28a.

The brush 25 is raised or lowered relative to the surface being cleaned by adjusting the position of the side plates with respect to the wheels about which they are free to pivot. To facilitate this adjustment the side plates are drilled, as indicated at 44, Fig. 6, so that each end of the top tie rod 27 extends through the opening 44. A square headed set screw 45, Fig. 1, retains rod 27 in place. The brush adjusting bracket 46, Fig. 3, is in the form of a casting having a slotted shank portion 47 and an elbow. This bracket is supported by the elbow which is drilled and press fitted over the outer end of the tie rod 27 projecting through the side plate. A carriage bolt and wing nut, as indicated at 49, are provided to hold the side plates in the adjusted position. Thus when the wing nut is loosened the side plates, which support the brush assembly, are free to slide up or down to the extent of the length of the slot in bracket 46.

A handle, generally indicated at 55, is provided for manipulating the sweeper. This handle is shown engaging at its lower end with the axle means 13. The handle is formed from tubular sections. The lower handle section 56 is flattened at one end and punched to provide an opening of suflicient diameter to snap over the end of the axle 13. The handle engages the shoulder 56a and is retained with a spring washer engaging the neck 56b. The upper end of section 56 is drilled transversely to provide a bore. This end of section 56 is inserted within the lower end of section 57 which is drilled to provide a transverse bore adapted to register with the bore formed in the upper end of section 56. These sections are firmly secured with the bolt 49. The upper end of section 57 is drilled to provide a transverse bore. This end of section 57 is of sufficient diameter to receive the inserted ends of the U-shaped handle section 58. The ends of section 58 are drilled to provide holes adapted to align with those provided in section 57 when the ends engage. In assembling this part of the handle, the cross rod 59, which is tapped at each end to receive a screw 60, is inserted through the aligned openings in the engaging ends of

sections

57 and 58 and screw 60 inserted to hold both of the sections of the handle and the cross rod in position.

A bracket 51 has a curved top portion adapted to fit over the handle adjacent the overlapping

sections

56 and 57. The top portion is provided with an aligned pair of punched openings, as indicated at 51a in Fig. 2. The bottom part of the bracket projects below the handle edge and is also provided with an aligned pair of punched openings, as indicated at 51b in Fig. 3. The bracket is held in position on the handle by bolt 49 which passes through one of the top openings 51a.

The debris receptacle 40 is formed with a flat bottom 65 of resilient sheet metal and canvas back and side walls as indicated at 66 and 67. The canvas back and side walls are formed with herns through which the cross rod 59 and the handle sections 57 are received. At the bottom the canvas is folded and the outer edges of bottom 65 crimped or folded over to grip the canvas. A support rod 68, Fig. 2, for the receptacle is rolled into the bottom 65 at the front edge thereof. This rod extends at each end beyond the sides of the receptacle. These ends can then be engaged in the holes 51b in bracket 51. When the rod 68 is so engaged, the bottom 65 is connected in the position shown in Fig. 2.

A U-shaped rod 70 is provided to support the handle in a raised or operating position. This rod is formed with loops at its upper ends through which the cross rod 59 freely extends. The bottom of the rod 70, which is substantially horizontal, rests against the inside of the bottom member 65. Then, when the rod 68 is connected to the bracket 51, the bottom 65, being held at the back by rod 70, assumes the upwardly sloping curve indicated generally at 71 in Fig. 2. The upwardly sloping bottom thus provides for sliding the debris rearwardly in the receptacle and prevents spilling when sweeping over rough surfaces. Also, when rod 70 is swung forward and out of engagement, the resilient bottom assumes its normally flat position, i. e., lies flat and can be covered by the canvas back and side walls whereby it is protected and the sweeper occupies a minimum of storage space. It will be readily apparent that both the receptacle and the handle can be completely removed from the sweeper if so desired.

Debris swept up by the brush is directed against the hood 32. This hood provides for discharging the debris backward over the brush and into the receptacle. The hood 32 is formed from a thin fiat piece of resilient sheet metal. The lower end of the hood is inserted under the upper tie rod 27, over shoulder 29, and under the lower shoulder 28a, as seen in Fig. 2. The retaining or

abutment members

27, 28a, and 29 support and form guide means frictionally holding the hood arcuately in position through the inherent resiliency of the hood. When mounted the hood is held with its forward side engaging the upper and

lower members

27 and 28a and its rear side engaging the intermediate member 29. The hood is thus slidably mounted and adjustable.

The upper end of the hood is curved to provide a finger grip as indicated at 33 for adjusting the hood. This end of the hood is also formed with a plurality of indentations or dimples which provide bulges 34, Fig. 4, on the upper side of the hood. These bulges provide stop means adapted to engage with the top tie rod 27 to hold the hood in an adjusted position relative to the adjusted position of the brush with respect to the surface being cleaned. This end of the hood is also formed with a curve or downward bend as indicated at 35 in Fig. 4. The hood has an over-all height of twelve inches, and the bulges 34 are spaced downwardly from the top edge on centers approximately of an inch apart, and the upper end is bent down at 35 in a curve on a four inch radius. With this construction, as seen in Figs. 8 to 10, the angle of discharge from the top edge of the hood is always substantially the same regardless of the position to which the hood is adjusted with respect to the tie rod 27, and consequently with respect to the ground. Debris is thus discharged into the back part of the receptacle at approximately the same angle of discharge under all sweeping conditions.

The lower or bottom end of the hood is bent inward- 1y, as indicated at 36 in Figs. 4 and 8. In the preferred construction, this bend is formed on a curve approximately inch radius. Thus, when the hood is in its lowermost position, the end 36 is closest to the surface being swept and curves inwardly and partially under the front part of the brush.

In Fig. 5 a modified construction for the upper end of the hood 32 is shown. This construction provides for adjustably bending the upper end of the hood downwardly to control the angle of discharge of the debris from the upper portion of the hood and into the receptacle. The hood is provided with a bracket 41 having a plurality of steps 42 sloping upwardly as shown. The top tie rod 27 forms a stop member with which the steps can be selectively engaged. Such engagement controls the position of the hood, at the end having the book 33, with respect to the receptacle. Thus, regardless of the adjusted position of the hood, i. e., up or down with respect to the surface being cleaned, the top or discharge end of the hood is held in a position to maintain the angle of discharge substantially the same under all conditions, as indicated in Figs. 11 and 13. This construction provides for keeping the angle at which debris is discharged back into the receptacle adjusted to obtain the best operation. That is, the debris discharge is controlled so that it is neither at so high an angle as to be caught by the wind nor at so low an angle as to strike the top of the brush.

One of the features of this construction resides in being able to lower the bottom of the hood close enough to the surface being cleaned so that debris thrown forward by the brush is not swept ahead of the sweeper. Such debris strikes the hood and is directed back into the receptacle. Also, the hood and brush being relatively close together and close to the surface being cleaned, the suction effect created by the rotation of the brush is utilized to pick up particles which an ordinary brush would pass over. Furthermore, the adjustment of the brush can now be utilized more effectively for cleaning different types of surfaces because the hood can be adjusted with the brush by sliding it either up or down to correspond to the adjusted position of the brush. This adjustment re quires neither special tools nor the loosening and tightening of bolts and nuts.

In operation, the sweeping unit is adjusted up or down within the bracket 46 until the brushes just touch the grass or surface to be swept. The hood 32 is then slid up or down to adjust it with respect to the surface being cleaned and then fastened in that position, and which adjustment does not substantially vary the angle of discharge of debris into the receptacle. By lowering the hood, the sweeper can be used on sidewalks and like surfaces since the sweepings from the brushes cannot be thrown forward of the sweeper.

Referring to the embodiment shown in Figs. 14 and 15, instead of utilizing the bulges 34 or the steps 42, the hood is positively clamped in position. For this purpose there is provided a clamping element 50 having a hook portion 51, which is arranged to hook over the

tie rod

27 or 28, but in the preferred embodiment is hooked over the lower tie rod 28. The clamp is arranged to bear against the front of the hood 32. Either the clamping element 50 or the hood 32 can be provided with a vertically extending slot, and either the clamping element or the hood can be provided with a hole and, in the preferred embodiment, the slot is formed in the clamp ing element and is shown at 52, while the hole is provided in the hood 32 and is shown at 53. The slot and the hole are aligned and receive a carriage bolt 54. A wing nut cooperates with the bolt 54 for clamping the hood in position with respect to the tie rod 28, there being a washer 56 between the nut and the clamping element.

Cross reference is made to the co-pending application of the applicant, Serial No. 49,788, filed on September 7, 1948, now Patent No. 2,689,367.

While the forms of embodiments of the present invention as herein described constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

We claim:

1. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, a debris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, in combination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush; three laterally extending members mounted on the frame forward of the brush and spaced vertically from one another; a curved hood carried vertically slidable by said members having its concave surface engaged by the intermediate one of said members and its convex side engaged by the other two members, said hood being positioned in spaced relation to the forward surface of the rotating brush and having a vertically extending lower portion and an upper portion rearwardly curved to maintain a proper angle of debris discharge; said three members being relatively critically positioned to maintain the upper hood portion in said proper rearwardly curved configuration for various vertical adjustments of the lower hood portion; means carried by the hood for selectively engaging one of said members to retain the hood in various positions of adjustment.

2. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, a debris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, in combination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush; two laterally extending members positioned on the frame forward of the brush and spaced vertically from one another; an arcuate shaped rib member mounted to the frame between said laterally extending members; a curved hood slidably carried by and having its convex surface engaged by the said members and its concave surface engaged by the rib member, said hood being positioned in spaced relation to the forward surface of the rotating brush and having a vertically extending lower portion and an upper portion rearwardly curved to maintain a proper angle of debris discharge;

said three members being relatively critically positioned to maintain the upper hood portion in said proper rearwardly curved configuration for various vertical adjustments of the lower hood portion; a plurality of projections vertically spaced on the convex surface of the hood and positioned to selectively engage one of said members to retain the hood in various positions of adjustment.

3. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, a debris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, in combination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush; an arcuately shaped hood positioned in spaced relation to the forward surface of the rotating brush and having a lower portion vertically positioned and an upper portion rearwardly curved to maintain a proper angle of debris discharge; a laterally extending member mounted to the frame and engaging the convex surface of the lower portion of the hood; a second laterally extending member mounted to the frame vertically spaced above said first mentioned member and engaging the concave surface of the hood; a third laterally extending member mounted on the frame and engaging the convex surface of the upper hood portion, said third member being critically positioned to maintain the upper hood portion in said proper rearwardly curved configuration for various vertical adjustments of the lower hood portion.

4. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, a debris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, in combination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush, said frame including side plates; an arcuately shaped hood element positioned in spaced relation to the forward surface of the rotating brush and having a lower portion vertically positioned and an upper portion rearwardly curved to maintain a proper angle of debris discharge; a laterally extending member mounted to the frame and engaging the convex surface of the lower portion of the hood; a second laterally extending member mounted to the frame and vertically spaced above said first-mentioned member and engaging the concave surface of the hood; a third laterally extending member mounted on the frame and engaging the convex surface of the upper hood portion, said third member being critically positioned to maintain the upper hood portion in said proper rearwardly curved configuration for vertical adjustment of the lower hood portion, one of said members comprising a rod having its opposite ends connected with the said plates; a clamping element arranged to bear against the hood element and having a hook portion hooked about said rod, one of said elements having a vertically extending slot and the other said elements having an opening aligned with the slot; clamping means extending through said hole and said slot for holding the hood element in adjusted position with respect to said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,483 Cook Mar. 14, 1893 501,352 Myers July 11, 1893 513,438 Palmer Jan. 23, 1894 594,397 Hawk Nov. 30, 1897 965,245 Spicer July 26, 1910 1,057,949 Ekre Apr. 1, 1913 1,448,385 Bryant Mar. 13, 1923 1,615,928 Breeden Feb. 1, 1927 2,654,106 Parker Oct. 6, 1953