US2716254A

US2716254A - Vacuum cleaners

Info

Publication number: US2716254A
Application number: US68256A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer L Hoffmann; Bernhardt B Bruggen
Original assignee: RAYMOND T MOLONEY
Current assignee: RAYMOND T MOLONEY
Priority date: 1948-12-30
Filing date: 1948-12-30
Publication date: 1955-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 1972-08-30

Description

Aug- 30, 1955 E. l.. HOFFMANN EVAL 2,716,254

VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. 30, 1948 4 SheebS--Sheel l j ftorzzey Aug. 30, 1955 E. L. HOFFMANN ETAL 2,716,254

VACUUM CLEANERS I Filed Dec. 50, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/Et3.

Aug. 30, 1955 E. L. HOFFMANN Erm. 716,254

VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. 30, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 30, 1955 E. L.. HOFFMANN ETAL 2,716,254

VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. 30, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 efwa if ,EVEN/Jagen flora ey Unitedv States Patent() VACUUM' CLEANERS.

Elmer'L. Hotmann,Park Ridge, andfBernha'rdtB. Brug? gen,'Berwyn, lll., assgnors to' Raymond T. Moloney Applicationfecemberl, 1948,.Serial N 037685256V 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-40'2) This invention'pertains to vacuum cleaners, particularly vbut not exclusively, toy cleaners, it being understood that numerous features of construction and operl More particular objectsfarey the provisionin a vacuumy cleaner of a main-housing element which maybe cast and molded as a single unit and particularly characterized in that it has an. integrally formedsuction chamber -in an upper face with integrally formed terminal lfor attachment to the dust bag, and an integrally formed intake or pickup chamber in a lower face thereof.

Additional objects and. aspects of novelty and utility pertain, to details of construction and: operation of'vthe embodimentdescribed hereinafter in view ofthe annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical section through the working unit of the cleaner;

Fig. 2 is a top'pla'n View. of the. unit of Fig. -l',.with the dome removed. and. disclosing the motor subassembly;

Fig. 3 is a. bottom plan view of the main housing shell with the closure comb removed;

Fig. 4 is a bottom. planfview .to` smaller scale ofthe mainhousing shell with the, closure comb'in position; Fig. 5 is. atop. planview of. the. mainhousing shell with themotor subassembly removed.V tov expose. tl'iev suc?- tion chamber; y

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan View of the handle switch mechanism.- in-the on position;

Fig. 7 is a view similar. to Fig. 6,.with.the handle switch',

in off position and the handle lockengaged;

Fig. 83 is asideelevation ofthe completercleaner; Fig. 9' isa vfragmentary median'. detail, showing -parts Vin section, of the jointed-handleand bag hook means;

Fig. 10isaa-schematic-circuit'idetail of the motor -trans- Y former meansfor-procuringfheadlight voltage; v

Fig. ll.v is -a-Iagmentar-y'perspective view-offthe'rear of the dome shell. Y l

Referring tothe lgene-ral'assemblyshowlrin` Fig. 8, the -cleaner includesfthe'working7 unit generally- `indicated yat 15,. whichin turnincludes `a lower housing-.shell 16 elastic band: at. its.` lower: end-.tofy the. discharge nozzlel 2,716,254 Patented Aug.v 30, 1:955

2 2'5, which forms an integral part of the lower shell (Fig. 5).

As viewed in Fig. 5, the lower shell 16 on its upper face has an integrally formed fan chamber 30 communicating from the nozzle formation in a rear wall of theshell through an intake opening 3-1 to the bottom of the chamber.

As viewed in Fig. 3, the main housing shell 16 on its underside includes the annular skirt portion or wall 16A (see also Fig. 8) and the internally pendant or depressed portions A ofthe suction chamber, which is shown also to advantage in Fig. l, together with reinforcing

ribs

33 and 34 and certain comb mounting bosses 35 and wheel mounting bosses 36, it being observed that the rib portions 34V have transverse ribs 37.

As in Fig. 3, wheels 38 are mounted by pins 39 on T-shaped brackets which include a cross-member 40 apertured to Seaton the cross-ribs 37 with bosses 36 passing therethrough, said brackets being heldin place by gripper wafers 41 engaging certain of the bosses 36, as shown also to advantage in Fig. l.

Referring to Fig. 2, the motor subassembly includes a mounting plate 44 of size sufficient to close the suction chamber 3l), said plate beingv retained by gripper wafers 45 engaged with integral wafers 46 and further positioned by bosses 47 engaged in notches in the plate, together with a thrust rib 48 at the leading edge of said plate, which rib is grooved as at 49 to receive the window glass for the headlight.

A motor, including the usual field core 50 and winding. 51, is mounted on a pair of posts, one of which is indicated atYSZ in Fig. 6, andboth of which have reduced upper coreposts 53 (Fig. 2)v projecting upwardly through the core and engaged by retaining wafers 54.

In Fig. l the motor will be observed to have a shaft .55v depending into the suction chamber 30 where it is frictionally gripped by hub portions 56 on a molded plastic turbine or blower-rotor 57V (see also Fig. 3). The rotor 57 includes integral blades 58, and has its hub 56 split as at 55A to afford a forced iit withshaft 55.

The otherwise open bottom of the shell 16, as it appears in Fig. 3, is closed by a combination combY and closure plate 60 shown in Fig. `4, andwhich. is preferably constructed of a material such as iibre which will have an amount of rigidity, some. yieldability, and. a minimum of cutting hardness.

The plate 60 has a transverse suction slot 61; stamped therein with a plurality of outturned teeth 62 formed alongthe. rear or. trailing edge thereof,.as.shown.to advantage also in Fig. l.

The terminals of the transverse comb slot are enlarged as at 63 to accommodate the wheels 38, and thefleading edge of the slot is turned inwardly as at 64 (Fig. lV also) to. provide. a deecting edge'for the inflowing. air. stream. The necessity for rear wheels is eliminated. by the provision in the comb plate of a plurality of

glidingboss formations

65 and 66 stampedtherein. An angular rib -67 is. embossed in theplate inwardly to fit against the reinforcing ribs33 of the main shell further securing -the comb plate against rearward displacementand also. providing a deflector leading upwardly from4 the comb 62 beneath. the air intake opening. 31 in the suctionchamber. Drive pins-69 inserted inbosses 65 secure the comb plate in position.

As viewed in Fig. 2, the rockable handle mountv 18 includes av yoke portion with divergent trunnion offsets 18A pivotally engaged in straps 70-riveted as at 71 to plate 44 (see Fig; 6 also).

A switch-operating plate 74' (Figs. 6 and 7) is mounted to-slide on the base plate-44 bymeans'of'an elongated `central slot 75 whichA is ittedlonto the reduced lower rendportion l521A ofi one of-'tl'ie' motor mounting 'posts 52,

there lbeing'a pair of upsetrears 76 in the base plate eri` gaging an edge of the switch-operating plate to guide the latter in reciprocatory movement effected by the handle member 18 through the agency of an arm 77 upset `from the operating plate 74 andhaving pin and slot connec- .l tion as at 7s (Figs. 1, 2, 6, and 7) with one of the hook arms of the handle mount 18.

' Over-center or toggle-type snap-switch 80 (Figs, 1, 2, 6, and 7) is mounted on the subassembly plate 44 and includes an operating yoke 81 cooperable with a pin 82 on the Aslide plate 74, such that reciprocation of the latter between the on and off positions of Figs. 6 and 7 as by rocking the handle correspondingly will snap the switch into ott and on positions.

Means for locking'the handle in raised and off position includes a lock consisting of a pair of upset lugs 85 struck up `from plate 44 to which is secured V-shaped spring condition the handle means 18, 19, and 20 would be in a substantially vertical position with the switch 80A snapped to off position.

The headlight assembly includes a socket 90 mounted on bracket 91 iixed to plate 44.

As indicated in the circuit diagram of Fig. 10, the

lamp 92 is energized from a step-down winding 93 shown to be connected to the lamp by conductors 94, and which winding has induced therein a relatively low voltage from the field set up by the main winding 95 for the motor field. The motor winding 95 is intended to be energized from the standard commercial lighting circuit through conductors 96 lincluding the main operating switch 80, and a safety factor is introduced by applying a steppeddown voltage of the order of 6-8 volts for head-lamp 92.

A further feature is the location of the low-voltage winding on the outside of the motorrwinding, whereby to afford a metallic shield, the resistance of said shield winding being high to limit the load current to afford a safety factor against both short-circuit and shock loads. This contrivance not only protects all users of the machine, particularly children, but reduces costs by eliminating ,a protective metallic shield for the motor or transformer, otherwise required.

The construction of the cleaner is completed by provision of a dome shell 17, Fig. 1, preferably molded from l. plastic with a window opening in the. region 17A, which opening has three of the four sides of a frame for'the window glass 98, the fourth side of the frame being provided by the thrust rib 48 in the main shell.

As indicated in Fig. 11, it will be observed that the dome shell 17 is provided with a pair of deep slots 17B and three

wall portions

17C and 17D in which the hook portions of the handle element 18 may rock back and forth, the recessed

wall portions

17C and 17D nevertheless substantially closing off these slots, excepting at their open bottom portions 17E.

We claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a main housing shell having at least two sets of crossed reinforcing ribs onk opposite sides thereof, and wheel mounts including wheel-supporting brackets each having a longitudinal section intersecting a crosswise section and each mounted on a set of said crossed ribs with their respective longitudinal sections each resting along one rib of the corresponding set and their respective crosswise sections eachk resting along the corresponding crosswise rib portion, each said set of ribs having boss formations engaged in the correspondingwwheel bracket, and bracket-securing means engaged with said bosses.

2. In asuction cleaner, a housing shell comprising a top Wall Vhaving an integral, depending, circumambient skirtdeining` a bottom chamber, and havinga depressed -`well'extending down into saidchamber and constituting a fanchamber, the latter-having an intake opening communicating into said bottom chamber, and said well opening upwardly through the plane of said top wall and further including a discharge extension opening upwardly through said plane and also leading through said skirt into conjunction with anintegral bag flange; a motorfan subassembly including a base plate carried on said top wall and closing oi said well and discharge passage portions in the top wall and having a fan extended into said well; said vshell having .an integral web extending between opposite sides of said skirt in said bottom charnber dividing the latter to form a suction chamber communicating with said intake opening in the fan chamber; said shell further having a set of integral, crossed Webs in said bottom chamber and situated at opposite sides of said suction chamber therein and providing wheel supports; and a bottomy closure plate tted into said bottom chamber to close the latter substantially in its entirety, said plate including an elongated suction slot overlying said suction chamber and having integrally oiset combing teeth struck downwardly out of the plane of said plate, together with at least two wheel openings therethrough; and wheel means including a crossed bracket Y member seated upon each of said crossed-web wheel supports Vand each said bracket member carrying a wheel adapted to project through one of said wheel openings.

fibrous material iitted into said bottom chamber at said' sidewall marginsto substantially close olf said bottom chamber and overlie the latter `and said wheels and dividing web; said plate having an elongated suction opening extending in parallelism with the wheel axis and terminating at opposite ends in enlargements each registering ywith one of said wheels and through which the latter project for gliding action as aforesaid, said suction opening having a series of offset combing teeth formed along at least one longitudinal margin thereof.

v4. A construction according Vto claim 3 in which said plate is additionally provided with a plurality of elongated, substantially parallel extrusions directed normally ofthe Y wheel axis to define gliding ribs.

References Cited'in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,844 Kitto Feb. 4, 1936 .f 214,313 Rapp Apr. 15,' 1879 968,934 Goughnour Aug. 30, 1910 1,192,949 Spangler Aug, 1, 1916 1,234,578, Stecker `luly 24, 1917 1,302,192 Mason Apr. 29, 1919 1,356,663 Spielman Oct.. 26, 1920 1,380,163 Spielman May 3l, 1921 1,654,186 Nulsen Dec. 27,1927

, 1,820,350 Dance Aug. 25, 1931 1,928,944 l Mellen Oct. 3, 1933 1,994,872 Replogle et al. Mar. 19, 1935 2,008,476 f Taylor July 16, 1935 Y2,080,521 White May 18, 1937 2,118,721 Aitken May 24, 1938 2,136,247 VKroenlein Nov. 8, 1938 2,139,503 Jordan f Dec. 6, 1938 l 2,190,679 -v Replogle Feb. 20, 1940 (Other references on following page)v 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Boyle Feb. 25, 1941 Carlson Oct. 14, 1941 Lang et al. Nov. 3, 1942 Seyfried Feb. 9, 1943 Hahn Mar. 2, 1943 Hansson May 25, 1943 Kinsella June 29, 1943 Brown Nov. 2, 1943 6 Becker Sept. 26, 1944 Hallock June 5, 1945 Hahn Mar. 19, 1946 Leslie Sept. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 24, 1931 Great Britain June 30, 1948