US2782434A - Floor sweeper having auxiliary brush for sweeping in corners - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26, 1957 E. D PARKER ET AL 2,782,434

FLOOR SWEEPER HAVING AUXILIARY BRUSH FOR SWEEPING IN CORNERS Filed Feb. '7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l I h I JNVENTOR. F1 1. 5 51m ,6. 5 M Zfmf 41: a.

rn gov/1574M Feb. 26, 1957 E. D. PARKER ETAL 2,782,434

FLOOR SWEEPEIR HAVING AUXILIARY BRUSH FOR SWEEPING IN CORNERS Filed Feb. 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FLOOR SWEEPER HAVJN G AUXILIARYBRUSH FOR SWEEPING IN CORNERS Edwin D. Parker and Earl E. Stelzer, Springfield, Ohio, assignors to Parker Sweeper Company, Springfield,

Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application February 7, 1952, Serial No. 270,321

2 Claims. (Cl. -49) The present invention relates to floor sweepers. This application is acontinuation-impart of our co-pending application Serial No. 128,402, filed November 19, 1949, and nowaban-doned.

One of :the principal objects of this invention is to provide' a floor sweeperrwithan auxiliary 'sweeper'm'ounted forwardly. ofth'e main sweeper, so that. the auxiliary sweeper operates upon the floor at the walls: andlcorners' of a room.

Another obiect is. the provision of a sweeper 'ofthis character; with an auxiliary sweeper'so arranged 'to throw debris away from walls and corners and into the path of the main sweeper.

APiurther: object is the provision of'a sweeper, having a .ma'insweeper and anaadjusta'ble auxiliary sweeper which is supportedvfor easy and quick adjustment to obtain propercontact between the sweeping elements and the floor.

Further objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from the following description, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In thedrawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a sweeperhaving an auxiliary brush attached, which is constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top elevational view of the sweeper disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the sweeper;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken-on1line 44 of Fig. 2 through the housing that encloses the driving meansvf-o-r the auxiliary sweeper. Fig. 4 also showsthe auxiliary sweeping element in broken vertical section;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the auxiliary sweeper and housing, displaying the side of thehousing that attachesto the main sweeper firame;

Fig. 6 is a broken front elevational view, partlyyin vertical section taken on line 66 of Fig. 4, displaying the means for adju'stably mounting the auxiliary sweeper to the frame of the main sweeper;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional View taken ontline 7-7 of Fig. 4 through the auxiliary sweeping element showing the gear and pawl comprising the clutchmechanism arranged to impart unidirectional rotation to the auxiliary-sweeping element, and

Fig. 8 is a broken'horizontal sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4 through the auxiliary sweeping element as inFig. 7, showing the same gear and pawl, but in different positions relative to each other.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the embodiment of the present invention disclosedin Figs. 1 .to 8 therein makes use of a main sweeper indicated generally at It The main sweeper consists ofa frame formedf-rom tubular members 11 and 12, carried by a pair of'wheels, mounted to the'rear of the :frame, one of which is shown at 14, and by a pair ofcastors 16 and 17, mounted to the front of the frame. The irame States Patent" 0 Patented Feb. 26, 1957 ice members-11 and-12 also carry a main sweeping element 20 shown in Fig. 6, in the form of a cylindrical brush located horizontally in a position between the rear wheels so that the brushingsurfa-ce operates on the floor.

Sweeping action is obtained by rotating the main sweeping brush 20in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, when the sweeper .is-m-oving in a forward direction. As the direction of rotation-of the main sweeping brush 20' is opposite the direction of rotation of the wheels supporting the sweeper, it is necessary to impart rotation to the mainsweeping brush by driving gears lo cated in gear housings, one of which is shown at 13 of Fig. 6. The gear housings 13 are attached to the irarne members 11 and 12 at each end of the main sweeping brushltl and adjacentto the rear wheels 14. Being so positioned, the housing 13 encloses the gears by which rotation of the supporting wheels 4 impart counter-directional rotation to the. main sweeping brushli).

When :the 'main sweeping brush .20 is rotated in the direction just described, debris encountered by it will be cast tangentiallyv from the surface:of the brush ion forwardly, direction :into receptacle 19 provided with an open end to receive the debris.

For a more detailed description of the main sweeper, Letters Patent No. 2,689,367, issued September 21, 1954, for Sweeper, should be consulted.

An auxiliary sweeping element indicated generally at 25, in Fig. 1, extends from the side of the main sweeper and projects forwardlywso that it operates upon the floor at the walls and corners of the room. The auxiliary sweeper consists of an arm 26, which is clamped to. the frame members ll and 12:by apair of clamping brackets 27 and 28, Fig. 5. Thearmlo serves as the main structural frame work forsupporting the auxiliary sweeper 25 on the main sweeper 19. Ann 26, in addition, pro vides ahousing for the driving means of the auxiliary sweeper.

Referring particularlywto the clamping brackets 27 and 28, shownin Fig? 5, it is seen that they are of two piece construction adapted to grasp the tubular frame members 11 and 12. Clamping force is applied to the clamping brackets 27 and 28' by the bolts and nuts and 86. These bolts andnu'ts also serve to attach the clamping brackets 27 and'Zd-to the arm 26. Although clamping brackets'are show-n herein as a means for removably attaching .the arm 26 to the frame members 11 and 12, 'applican'tdoe's not wish to limit his invention thereby, as

the arm 26 can well b'e'bo-lted directly to the frame members 11 and 12, thereby eliminating the clamping brackets 27 and 28. Itis'd'esirable that the auxiliary sweeper 25 be readily adjustable in a' vertical direction to provide for proper floor contact. To provide this feature, arm 26 is 'pivotallym'ounted-to the'mai-n sweeper 10 by bolt and to move vertically up and down along the axis of a cooperating externally threaded element 89, the latter being pivotally mounted to the arm 26, so as to be manually rotatableby the handle 96. The threaded elements 88' and 89'ju-st'described,are shown and set forth so that the internally threaded element 88 ismounted to the main sweeper'lii and the externally threaded element-89 is mounted-to the arm 26. Applicants do not wish-to limit their invention thereby, as the threaded elements 33 and 90 could be interchangeably mounted, without departing from'thespirit of applicants invention. For example, externally threaded element 89 could be mounted to-the mainsweeper 10 so adapted that its cooperation with internally. threadedelement 88, mounted on arm 26", would allow vertical adjustment of the auxiliary sweeper 25.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the method for mounting and driving the auxiliary brush 25 is clearly shown. Within the arm 26 at its forward end, two webs 30 and 31 are horizontally formed to provide mounts for the bearings 33 and 34, which in turn carry the rotatably mounted shaft 32. A bearing liner 35 with felt seals 36 mounted at each end thereof serve to confined grease to the bearings.

Keyed to the shaft 32, vertically below the lower grease seal 36, is a V-grooved pulley 41 driven by a V-belt displayed at 81 in Fig. 3. Assembled on shaft 32 vertically below the pulley 41, is a guard plate 45 rotatably mounted on bearing 46, and provided with rubber bumper ring 47. Normally the guard plate 45 is free of rotation, as no motion can be imparted to it by the rotation of shaft 32. Upon contacting a wall, however, guard plate 45 is free to roll along the Wall while the sweeper is being moved forwardly or rearwardly, and thereby, marring of the wall is prevented.

Assembled on shaft 32 vertically below the guard plate 45 is a brush plate 51 having its circumferential edge 53 flared downwardly and outwardly to provide a mount for holding brush 52 at the desired angle. The upper ends of the fibers 54 of brush 52 are clamped between brush plate 51 and clamping ring 56. Clamping force is applied by the tightening of screws 57, which fasten the clamping ring 56 to the brush plate 51. Brush plate 51 is formed with a partially hollow central hub 61. This hub is recessed to receive the clutch mechanism shown generally in Figs. 7 and 8.

The clutch mechanism is adapted to transmit unidirectional rotation from the shaft 32 to the brush plate 51, and consists of a driving pawl 71, in the form of a pin, carried by hole 72 in shaft 32, said pawl being adapted to drive gear 63, thereby rotating brush plate 51 to which driven gear 63 is rigidly mounted.

Referring particularly to Fig. 7, the pawl 71 is shown engaging gear 63 in the driving position. As shown, any clockwise rotation of shaft 32 will be imparted to the brush plate 53. The gear and pawl assume this configuration when the main sweeper is being moved in a forwardly direction. Referring next to Fig. 8, the pawl 71 is shown in a non-driving position, said pawl being free to move in hole 72, is riding freely on the non-driving side of the tooth gear 63, in the nature of a follower riding on a cam. This latter configuration, shown in Fig. 8, occurs when the main sweeper is moved rearwardly so that counterclockwise rotation is imparted to shaft 32. In such instance the auxiliary brush is not rotated, and therefore debris cannot be thrown away from the path of the main sweeper.

Below the brush plate hub 61 a washer 75 is held in place by a split spring retaining ring 76, which engages around shaft 32 at its lower end. Said washer covers the hollow recess in hub 61 wherein is located the clutch mechanism set forth above.

Referring to Fig. 6, the driving wheel 14 carries a V- pulley 82, which in turn carries a V-belt, best seen at 81 in Fig. 3. The driven V-pulley 41, shown in Fig. 4, also carries V-belt 81, so that rolling of the wheels 14 along the floor transmits motion through the cooperating belt and pulley system, thereby imparting rotation to auxiliary brush 25. For example, in operation of the sweeper, its forward motion rotates the supporting wheels 14. The driving V-pulley 82 rotates the driven V-pulley 41 as they carry a. cooperating V-belt 81. V-pulley 41 rotates shaft 32 by which it is carried. Shaft 32 imparts its rotation to auxiliary brush 25, as pawl 71 is engaged to drive its cooperating gear 63. Assume that the sweeper is being moved adjacent and parallel to a wall surface. Auxiliary brush 25 will then be sweeping against the wall, casting debris tangentially away from the rotating auxiliary brush 25, and into the path of the main brush 20, which in turn picks up the debris cast before it and discharges it into receptacle 19.

Suppose that the sweeper is being used to sweep an area not adjacent to a wall surface. It is at times necessary to move the main sweeper rearwardly over an area not yet free of debris. In such an instance, the rearward rolling of wheels 14 will transmit rotation through the V-pulley system to shaft 32, but rotation will not be imparted to auxiliary brush 25, as the gear 63 and pawl 71 will be cooperating in the override position, shown in Fig. 8. Therefore, no debris can be cast away from the path of the main sweeping brush 20.

Suppose for instance, bristles 52 of auxiliary brush 25 become worn from usage, so that they no longer efliciently contact the floor. The operator can lower the auxiliary brush to achieve proper floor contact by turning handle on the externally threaded element 89, which co-acts with internally threaded element 88 to vertically adjust the auxiliary brush 25 relative to the main sweeper 10 in a manner previously described herein.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, 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 floor sweeper of the type having a frame carried by front and rear wheels and carrying a main sweeper and debris receptacle, the combination with said frame; of a housing lying alongside the frame and extending forwardly of the frame; a rotating brush lying forwardly of the frame; means for rotating said brush including a vertically extending shaft journalled in the forward end of the housing, said brush being carried by the shaft, said means also including driving mechanism connected with the shaft and extending rearwardly therefrom, said housing overlying said means; and means for adjustably attaching the housing to the frame, said last means including a horizontally extending pivot carried by the frame and on which the housing is mounted for swinging in a vertical plane, a vertically extending screw element and a cooperating threaded element, said elements being spaced horizontally of the pivot, one of said elements being carried by the frame and the other of said elements being carried by the housing.

2. In a floor sweeper of the type having a frame carried by front and rear wheels and carrying a main sweeper and debris receptacle, the combination with said frame; of a housing carried by and lying alongside the frame and extending forwardly of the frame; a rotating brush lying forwardly of the frame and rotatably supported by said housing; means for rotating said brush including a vertically extending shaft journalled in the forward end of the housing, said brush being carried by the shaft, said means also including driving mechanism connected with the shaft and extending rearwardly therefrom, said housing overlying said means; and means for adjustably attaching the housing to the frame, said last means including a horizontally extending pivot carried by the frame and on which the rear end of the housing is mounted for swinging in a vertical plane, a vertically extending screw element and a cooperating threaded element, said elements being spaced horizontally and forwardly of the pivot, one of said elements being carried by the frame and the other of said elements being carried by the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 483,833 Chase Oct. 4, 1892 1,129,118 Pereira Feb. 23, 1915 1,407,180 Todd Feb. 21, 1922 1,507,317 Laberge Sept. 2, 1924 1,650,660 Simpson Nov. 29, 1927 2,283,229 Richards May 19, 1942

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