US2769996A

US2769996A - Mobile vacuum cleaner having a hose adapted to be used as a pushing or pulling means therefor

Info

Publication number: US2769996A
Application number: US399271A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C Shalvoy; Jr Paul O Rawson
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1953-12-21
Filing date: 1953-12-21
Publication date: 1956-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1973-11-13

Description

Nov. 13, 1956 J. c. SHALVOY ET AL 2,769,996

MOBILE VACUUM CLEANER HAVING A HOSE ADAPTED TO BE USED AS A PUSH ING OR PULLING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 21

InveYTCor's:

John (lShal'x/o Paul O, Pawson Their Attorney,

nited States Patent Oce Patented Nov. 13, 1956 2,769,996 MOBILE VACUUM CLEANER HAVING A HOSE ADAPTED TO BE USED AS A PUSHING R PULLING MEANS THEREFOR Application December 21, 1953, Serial No. 399,271 Claims. (Cl. -323) The present invention relates to vacuum cleaner of the type comprising a casing in the form of a drum or cylinder supported at opposite ends on wheels, the drum or cylinder, in its side wall, being provided with walls which define a suction inlet for the vacuum cleaner hose. In such cleaners the hose comprises'a flexible section formed of a length of flexible tube having at one end a connector which fits in the suction inlet to connect the hose to the cleaner, and a rigid section, termed usually a wand, suitably connected to the outer end of the flexible section. The free or outer end of the wand is arranged to have diflerent cleaning tools attached thereto, the wand forming a handle for a cleaning tool for moving it over the surface to be cleaned.

A vacuum cleaner of this type has the being mobile, it being easily moved across a floor by the hose when being used. However, since the hose section which is connected to the cleaner casing is ilexadvantage of ible, it becomes awkward and inconvenient to move the cleaner from one room to another for example, and down stairs by the suction hose. ward because of the length of the hose.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the free or tool end of the wand of a suction hose can be connected to the vacuum cleaner casing whereby it forms a handle for use in moving the cleaner on its wheels from one place to another, for example, from one room to another, or up and down stairs, and for supporting the cleaner against a wall for storing, which is simple in structure, easy to use and capable of being embodied in a vacuum cleaner at little additional cost.

According to our invention we provide in connection with a vacuum cleaner of the above-referred to type, a projecting handle which is located directly adjacent to the connection of the hose to the vacuum cleaner casing; and beneath the handle, between it and the hose connection, we provide walls which form a pocket in which may be positioned the end of the wand to which the cleaning tools are attached whereby the wand may be used as a rigid handle for moving the cleaner, the other end of the hose being at the same time attached to the cleaner so that the hose as a whole is carried along. In other words, both ends of the hose are attached to the cleaner, thus forming the hose into a loop, and the wand is used as a handle. The underside of the handle is shaped to form the top wall of the pocket and it is provided with a transversely extending groove in which the latch nose on the wand end which serves to fasten cleaning tools to the wand end engages to fias-ten the wand end in the pocket. Preferably, the arrangement is such that the latch nose may be released from the groove by a turning of the wand.

For a consideration of what we believe to be novel and our invention, attention is directed to the following pecification and to the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are views illustrating the use of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a' vacuum cleaner embodying the invention. 1

Fig. 5 is a side view partly broken away.

or up Also, it is awk- Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken .on line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the casing of a vacuum cleaner which is in the form of a drum or cylinder. At its two ends the casing is supported on wheels 2 and 3 suitably attached to it, the cleaner being adapted to be moved around on the wheels. On the side of casing 1 are walls which define the suction inlet 4 of the cleaner, it embodying means whereby the one end of a suction hose may be fastened therein. In the casing are the usual motor driven suction fan and dust bag, and at a suitable point is the air discharge opening. Such parts form no part of the present invention and for this reason they have not been illustrated.

The suction hose comprises a flexible tube section 5 having at one end a connector 6 for connecting the suction hose to the suction inlet. Connector 6 may be made of metal or other suitable rigid material. It is of a diameter to fit into the suction inlet and may be provided with suitable mean (not shown) for detachably locking it in the inlet. The locking means may be of any suitable structure and since its specific structure forms no part of our invention and such locking means are known, it has not been illustrated.

Attached to the other end of flexible hose section 5 by suitable means is a rigid tube section 8, termed usually a wand, formed from metal tubing for example. Prefera'bly the connection between the flexible hose section, and wand is formed by curved, rigid, coupling tube 9, which is permanently swiveled to the free end of the hose section and adapted to be releasably coupled to wand 8 ma conventional manner. If desirel, cleaning tools may be attached directly to the tube 9 for certain cleaning operations. When connected to the flexible hose, wand 8 is normally used as a handle for several cleaning tools, its free end being provided with latch means for detachably connecting tools to it, and it may be provided with a curved end as best shown in Fig. 2 so that when a cleaning tool is attached to its said end, its other end is at a convenient height and the wand is at a convenient angle for moving the cleaning tool over the surfiace to be cleaned. In the present instance the latch means is shown as comprising a latch nose 10 attached to a spring strip 11 intermediate between the ends of the strip. Strip 11 is located inside wand '8 adjacent to the end of the wand and at one end is attached to the wand by suitable means, such as rivets, as is indicated 'at =12. The other end of strip 11 is provided with a latch releasing button 13 which projects out through an opening in the wand and is biased to such position by the inherent resiliency of spring strip 11. Latch nose 10 also projects out through an opening in the wand and is biased to such position by the spring strip. With such a latch structure each cleaning tool is provided with a sleeve into which the Wand end may be inserted, the sleeve having walls which form an annular groove in which latch nose 10 engages when the .Wand end is inserted into the sleeve to lock the cleaning tool on the wand end. As shown in Fig. 6, the one side of nose 10 is rounded as is indicated at 14 whereby when the wand end is inserted into the tool sleeve it will be forced inward by being pressed against the end of the sleeve; and when in line with .the annular groove in the sleeve will spring out into it thus fastening the cleaning tool to the wand. The locking means may be released to permit removal of a cleaning tool by pressing inward on button '16.

The vacuum cleaner structure so far described is a known one and is to be taken as typical of such structures. Our invention has to do with providing means whereby the end .of the wand may be attached to the vacuum cleaner casing whereby the wand may be used aszahandle for movingthe cleaner over a floor, from roomto room, or up and down stairs, andalso providing means whereby the cleaner may be stored against a wall. It should be understood that in accomplishing this, it is contemplatedthat the wand and flexiblesection-v may be simultaneously connected to the cleaner, when, using thewandasa handle, or that the, wand may be disconnected: from the. flexible section, connected to the cleaner, andused alone to push the cleaner around.

Attached to the Wall of easing lby suitable means is atransyersely extending escutcheon plate, 16 formed in tegralwith which is a boss 17 havingan opening which forms the suction inlet,4-, such opening being in align; ment with an openingin the; casing 1. Also integral with escutcheonplate 16,.ancl extending longitudinallythere: of, adjacentto inlet 4 isanoutwardly projecting ledge 18 which forms a handle for the cleaner for use in lifting and carrying it, the ledgebeing provided-withanopening;19 through which ahand maybe passed. Beneath ledge; or handle 13 between its underside and boss; 17 are walls which forrna pocket 29in which the tool end of wands may be inserted, Aportion of the top wall of pocket 29 is definedby. acurvedwall 21- on theunderside, of handle 13 and in such curved; wall is alocking groove 22 adapted toreceive latch nose 10. As shown in Fig. .5, locking groove-22 extends throughout theex-tent ofcurved pocket Wall 2l so that his open at its ends; and by this arrangement locking nose may bemoved out of the groove by turning wandS in either direction.

To attach the wand to the cleaner casingit is necessary merely. to push the end oi thewand into the pocket as shown in Fig. 6. As the wand end is pushed into the pocket, latch nose 10 will be forced inward by reason of rounded surface 14' and will ride along the inner surface of the pocket until it comes in line with groove 22 whereupon it will snap out into the groove thus locking the-wand end in the pocket. Thewand end may be;re movedfrom the pocket by merely twisting or turning the wand, in either direction to move the latch nose out of groove 22 and then pulling the wand end out of the pocket. This is an advantageous feature of the inven; tion since no stooping to release the latch nose-by pushing in on button 13 is required.

An important feature of our invention resides in providing the ledge whichvforms the handle adjacent to the suction inlet and then locating the pocket for attachment of the tool end. of the wand to the casing beneath the ledge between its underside and the suction inlet, the pocket being formed partly by a surface on. the underside of the handle which surface is provided with the locking groove for the wand latch. This forms a simple compact structure which can be provided at low cost and one-to which thetool end. of the wand can be quickly and easily attached, and from which it can be detached with a minimum of effort.

When the wand is locked in the pocket, flexible hose section 5 and wand 8 form a loop as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the flexible section hanging draped under the wand, Thus the flexible section is fairly out of the way. and does not interfere with moving the cleaner casing about on its wheels as illustrated by Figs. 2 and 3. This is especially' important when moving the cleaner up or down stairs S as shown particularly in Fig. 3 since by having the wand connection adjacent to the hose connection, the flexible section does not contact with the steps. Also the loop may be usedto great advantage in storing the cleaner, the loop being positioned over a hook H located at a suitable height on a wall W as shown in Fig. 1. In Figs. 1 and 2, F indicates a floor.

The invention utilizes the latch means already pro vided on the wand end for connecting cleaning tools to it as the latch means for connecting the wand end to the cleaner casing. Accordingly, to embody the invention in a vacuum. cleaner it is necessary merely to provide the ledge 18.which forms the handle and the additional walls 4:: between its underside and the suction inlet neededto form thepocket, a thing which involves little additional cost especially since a handle is required anyway.

The broad idea of a wheeled vacuum cleaner including a pocket for the reception of the tool contacting end of a wand to thereby provide a rigid handle to move the cleaner on its wheels from oneplace. to. another; is not our invention,- but -is described andelaimed in the application of James P. Hunter, Serial No. 399,270, filed concurrentlyv with this application and assigned to the .assignee of; the present application.

What we claim as new-and desire to secure-by Letters Patent f. heU iteds tes l. A vacuum cleaner comprising a casing having a suction inlet, wheels on the casing for supporting it and on which it; maybe-moved,- asuctionho'se. comprising a flexible sectioniand a.rigid wandsection, theend of the w nd section being; proyideiwithla-tch meansfor connectionof cleaning; toolsthereto, means connecting, the e nd;otthe flexible section; to the suction inlet, ahandle forming le ge adjacent; to.the said suction, inlet, and wal v n lu ina ai WfillaPOfllQn; which is-a P of'said handle formingledge which define a, pocket intowhich the end 0ft the wand section may. be. positioned, said pa ket ermi ge lls nmnr s na for n ment by the tool latching means. at the endof-the wand ectinn qn as enin-e e w ndse onin th p c e he nmb na ou defin dby. la mv 1 wh rein h tool latching pmp ise a ocking. nose and the pp li te atchi gimeaus omprise an pen e s e in h hand e a min ed e ere y he ocl a ing mea s may h eleas y urn n he ande t e po k A aommi l an rr qmn is n as g e ls. on he c i a upnmtina nd on. hic may be ove walls; we asin w qh: de ne uc n. inlet to; which; the end oh the; flexible section of a. suction hose may be sstestahandle um n led n the casing-adjacentto said suction inlet, a nd walls including a a q t an hich -ap rt tsa d. andle o m n edge h s rm anos et osat s b ween he c nnin t d h a n iQ hes 4 Qt; wand e t on o a nih aybe n sst d. a d; nq st a in walls mp ine tchmsans wi Whisk. le nin 2 a h means n heand astie nstmav en e- 4. The combination defined by claim 3 wherein the latch means in; the. pocket forming walls comprises an open ended groove. in, the handle torrning ledge for cooperation with awand section latch in the form ofa spring pressedlatch. nose.

5. A vacuum cleanen comprising a casing having a suction inlet, whcels on opposite ends of; the casing for supporting it andv onwhichjit may. be moved, a suction hose comprising, a flexible section. and a rigid wand section, the end or the'wand. section being provided with latch means for connection. of cleaning tools thereto, means connecting the end, of, the flexible section to the suction inlet, a. handleformingledge adjacent to the said suction inlet, and, walls including a wall portion which is a part oi saidhandle forming ledge. which define a pocket into which the end of the wand section may be positioned, said pocket forming walls comprising latch means. for engagement by. the tool latching means at, the endof the wand section'for fastening the wand section in the pocket.

References Cited'in the. file of thispatent UNITED S'IFATES PATENTS Fran Mar, 27, 94.