US2722704A

US2722704A - Mop holder with articulated handle

Info

Publication number: US2722704A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1955-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1972-11-08

Description

Nov. 8, 1955 H. L. WARDEN 2 2,722,704

MOP HOLDER WITH ARTICULATED HANDLE CONNECTION Filed Feb. 5, 1954 ZNVENTOR HARRY L map/EN 32 g a Q "0 I A'TTORNEZY United States Patent Ofiice 2,722,704 Patented Nov. 8, 1955 MOP HOLDER WITH ARTICULATED HANDLE CONNECTION Harry L. Warden, Los Angeles, Calif. Application February 5, 1954, Serial No. 408,457

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-153) The invention relates to a mop having an articulated connection between the handle and the mop head. The mop handle may be adjusted relative to the mop head in any of a number of positions wherein the mop may be utilized for cleaning purposes in locations which might otherwise be inaccessible.

One object of the invention is to an articulated connection between head which will permit substantially of the handle relative to the head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mop in which the component parts which make up the mop head and handle are inexpensive to manufacture and are readily assembled together.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing specification and appended drawing in which:

Fig. l is a central transverse sectional view of a mop embodying my improved mop head with the handle removed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the mop head shown partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the mop with the handle in the position of adjustment for cleaning a floor;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the mop with the handle in the position of adjustment for cleaning, for example, a shelf at about waist height;

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the mop with the handle in a position of adjustment for cleaning an overhead surface such as a shelf; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the mop with the handle in a position of adjustment for cleaning along the juncture of a wall and floor.

The mop generally consists of a mop head A, a handle B and an articulated connection C, for securing the handle to the mop head. The mop head is comprised of upper and lower clamping jaws 1 and 2, each of which may be in channel form including web portions 3 and 4 with outwardly and downwardly flaring side flanges 5, 6, 7 and 8, which are inclined at an angle of approximately 45 with reference to the plane of the web portions 3 and 4. These clamping jaws may be in the form of stampings made from rigid sheet material such as aluminum or steel.

A mop cloth 9 is interposed between the clamping jaws and is provided with spaced apertures 9a through which the clamping bolts 10 project. A ferrule 11 is fixed to the lower end of the handle in a conventional manner and a shank 12 projects outwardly from the end of the handle. The inner end of the shank projects into a bore in the end of the handle so as to be firmly anchored relative to the handle. A spherical ball 13 is fixed to the end of the shank. That portion of the shank adjacent to the ball and referred to generally by the numeral 14 is offset at an angle of approximately 45 relative to the remaining portion of the shank which is referred to by the numeral 15 and the axis of which is concentric with the longitudinal axis of the handle.

provide a mop having the handle and mop universal adjustment The joint for connecting the handle to the mop head includes a plate 16 which is positioned on the upper surface of the web portion 3 of the clamping jaw 1. A cap designated generally by the numeral 17 is positioned above the plate 16 in face to face fashion and a pair of compression springs 18 and 19 are telescopically positioned over the ends of the clamping bolts 10 between the cap washers 2i) and 21 and the upper face of the cap. The

nuts

22 and 23 are threaded onto the ends of the bolts and engage the

cap washers

20 and 21.

The plate 16 has a concave recess 24 formed in its upper face and the cap 17 has a socket 25 formed therein with a concave interior 26. A slot 27 is formed in the wall of the socket and its closed end 28 is slightly beyond the center point of the socket, the opposite end of the slot opening unrestrictedly through the side margin of the cap. The width of the slot is slightly greater than the diameter of the shank 12 to permit free movement of the shank either rotatively within the slot or arcuately throughout the length of the slot.

In the assembly of the handle and the component parts of the mop head, the mop cloth is first inserted between the upper and lower clamping jaws with the apertures 92 substantially in registry with the corresponding apertures 29 and 30 in the clamping jaws and then the shank portions of the clamping bolts are inserted through the registered apertures until the heads ofthe bolts engage the underside of jaw 2. Then the plate 16 is installed onto the bolt shanks and ball 13 is positioned in the recess in the plate 16. The cap 17 is then positioned onto the bolts while the handle shank 12 is guided into the slot 27. Then the compression springs are assembled onto the respective bolt shanks followed by the cap washers and the adjustment nuts. The nuts are then tightened until a predetermined amount of tension is exerted by the springs against the cap. This tension should be such as to set up a considerable amount of frictional resistance between the surface of the ball and the interior wall of the cap socket, so that by grasping the mop head in one hand and the handle of the mop in the other hand, the handle can be swung into any desired position of adjustment relative to the mop head and will remain in such position of adjustment during normal usage of the mop for cleaning purposes. It is apparent that the mop handle can be rotated a full 360 about the axis of that portion of the handle shank adjacent to the ball. The handle can likewise be adjusted up and down relative to the mop head in an arcuate path throughout the length of the slot 27.

Viewing Fig. 3 it will be noted that when the mop head is resting on a horizontal surface, the portion of the shank adjacent to the ball projects in a vertical direction, said shank resting against the closed end 28 of the slot 27. In this position the handle projects outwardly from the mop head at an angle of approximately 45 from the vertical. This is approximately the desired position of adjustment for using the mop on a horizontal surface as shown in Fig. 4. In the position as shown in Fig. 5 the shank portion of the handle would be withdrawn about half way down the length of the slot 27. When the handle shank is withdrawn downwardly throughout the full length of the slot 27, the mop handle will be lined in a position defining an angle of approximately 45 below a horizontal plane, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and as shown in Fig. 6.

Viewing Fig. 1 it will be noted that the rear wall 31 of the plate 16 does not project beyond the vertical plane of rear edge 32 of the cap 17. It will also be noted that the undersurface of the cap is spaced a substantial distance from the upper surface of the plate 16, so that when the handle is swung down into the position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the end 33 of the handle will clear the rear wall 31 of the plate and the rear edge 32 of the cap so as to permit a maximum downward adjustment of the handle relative to the mop head to better facilitate the cleaning of overhead surfaces. The mop is particularly suitable for use in cleaning a floor along the juncture of the floor and a vertical wall as is shown in Fig. 7. The mop head is simply turned so that the mop handle is aligned lengthwise with the mop head and in this position one side of the mop cloth throughout the entire length of the mop head is directly in contact with the floor and the wall along the juncture of wall and floor.

In some instances it may be desirable to use the rnop when the handle is directed in a true vertical position relative to the mop head. This may be done by simply adjusting the handle to the position shown in Fig. 5 and then rotating the handle 180 about its own axisv By fixing the ball 13 on the end of the handle instead of on the mop head, there is less tendency of the mop head to rol relative to the handle during use thereof since the downward thrust on the handle is being transmitted to the ball and against the walls of the socket, instead of vice versa. While the tension exerted by the springs on the ball and socket joint should be adjusted to prevent the mop handle from shifting relative to the mop head under normal usage, however, when the handle meets an obstruction, such as a low overhanging piece of furniture, the handle will shift its position of adjustment relative to the mop head instead of breaking.

I claim:

1. In a mop: a holder comprising a pair of channels of substantially rigid sheet material each having a web portion and a pair of flanges that diverge downwardly, with each flange subtending an angle of approximately 135 with reference to its respective web portion; a pair of bolts, spaced longitudinally of the mop on respective sides of the center thereof, said bolts extending upwardly through the respective channels and adapted to secure the channels in clamping relation to a mop head engaged therebetween; socket means on the web portion of the upper channel providing an upwardly facing spherical recess; a handle having at its end a pivot ball adapted to seat in said recess and including a shank bent at an angle of approximately 135, securing said ball to the end of the handle; a retainer cap of bar form having at its respective ends apertures through which said bolts extend and having a central portion in the form of a spherical socket provided with a slot extending from the crown of said socket to one side margin thereof in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said cap; securing elements on the ends of said bolts, and means yieldingly engaged under compression between said securing elements and the respective ends of said cap for yieldingly clamping said ball between said recess and said socket with the handle shank projecting through said slot whereby said handle may be shifted between limit positions in one of which said shank engages the end of said slot at the crown of said socket member so as to position said handle at an angle of approximately 45 to the plane of a channel web, and in another of which said handle is disposed substantially parallel to and adjacent the channel flanges on one side, with the majority of the 'handle projecting below the general plane of the holder, for cleaning the upper faces of elevated ledges.

2. In a mop: a holder comprising a pair of channels of substantially rigid sheet material each having a web portion and a pair of flanges that diverge downwardly, with each flange subtending an angle of approximately with reference to its respective web portion; a pair of bolts, spaced longitudinally of the mop on respective sides of the center thereof, said bolts extending upwardly through the respective channels and adapted to secure the channels in clamping relation to a mop head engaged therebetween; a plate seated against the upper face of the web portion of the upper channel and having a pair of openings through which said bolts extend, said plate having at its center an upwardly facing spherical recess; a handle having at its end a pivot ball adapted to seat in said recess and including a shank bent at an angle of approximately 135, securing said ball to the end of the handle; a retainer cap of bar form having at its respective ends apertures through which said bolts extend and having a central portion in the form of a spherical socket provided with a slot extending from the crown of said socket to one side margin thereof in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said cap; securing elements on the ends of said bolts, and means yieldingly engaged under compression between said securing elements and the respective ends of said cap for yieldingly clamping said ball between said recess and said socket with the handle shank projecting through said slot whereby said handle may be shifted between the limit positions in one of which said shank engages the end of said slot at the crown of said socket member so as to position said handle at an angle of approximately 45 to the plane of a channel web, and in another of which said handle is disposed substantially parallel to and adjacent the channel flanges on one side, with the majority of the handle projecting below the general plane of the holder, for cleaning the upper faces of elevated ledges.

3. A mop as defined in claim 2, wherein said yielding means comprises coil springs encircling the respective bolts, wherein the upper ends of the bolts are threaded, and wherein said securing elements comprise nuts on said threaded ends and washers engaged betwen said nuts and the coil springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,797,458 Westling Mar. 24, 1931 2,234,831 Porter Mar. 11, 1941 2,489,158 Rodgers Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,016 Germany Sept. 1, 1902 102,928 Australia Jan. 7, 1938