US2881466A - Rug tool - Google Patents

Description

April 14, 1959 l G. H. Bmuvvu-iALLv -2,881,466

RUG TooL A Filled Dec. 29, 1955 United States Patent RUG TOOL George H. Bramhall, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York This invention relates to cleaning tools generally, and to air-operated cleaning tools particularly. My invention is well suited for use in a vacuum cleaner cleaning tool and, therefore, for the purpose of simplifying an explanation of it, it will be disclosed in such a device.

Contemporary vacuum cleaners fall into two general types: iirst, those which clean by suction and include a motor-driven brush (this feature is normally found in so-called upright cleaners) and second, those which clean primarily by suction and do not include a motor-driven brush (commonly referred to as canister cleaners,A and normally either of the horizontal or vertical Variety). The vacuum cleaner cleaning tools to which the invention relates Aare primarily those which are used to clean rugs and floors. It is generally agreed that the best cleaning job on rugs is performed by cleaners having a powerdriven rug Ibrush which may or may not have other elements such as beaters associated with it. features of the canister type cleaners is that they are adapted for convenient above the floor cleaning, i.e., wall,

furniture, drapery and ceiling cleaning. It is believed by many skilled in this art that a can1ster cleaner is superior:

to an upright cleaner, all other things being equal, in all respects other than its ability to clean rugs. Therefore, it is highly desirable that a cleaning tool be devised that may be used with the canister type cleaner and which is capable of closely approaching, if not duplicating the excellent rug cleaning capabilities of a motor-driven rug brush of an upright type cleaner. It is believed obvious that the reason motor-driven brushes are not provided in canister cleaner rug tools is because of the diiculty of furnishing power to the rug tool. `In order to meet this problem, it has been suggested that the moving fluid (air) which passes through the canister cleaner rug tool when the cleaner is operated be utilized to drive a fluid-operated motor, which in turn drives a'rug brus In this application the term turbine-driven rug too is used to signify this type of device.

One type of turbine-driven rug tool with which the inventor is familiar operatesl on a split air flow principle. In this arrangement, there is provided a rug tool body The strong having a nozzle which is adapted to be associated with the rug, a rug brush mounted contact with the rug, a turbine chamberwhich houses an impeller and communicates with the atmosphere through inlet openings, the turbine being connected to the rug brush in mechanical driving relationship, and an outlet Y passageway the vacuum cleaner when the rug tool is connected to the canister cleaner wand. With this type of rug-tool, when the tool by energizing the nozzle through the A 4the outlet passageway to the suction unit.' The air entering the turbine chamber contacts the vanes on the turbine enters the turbine* for rotation in the nozzle and which communicates with the suction unit' ofIk has appropriate walls formed therein which compartment j its interior in a desired manner.

- and rotates it, and thereby drives the rug brush, which in ,so as to have rolling friction therewith.

` movement of the rug tool and merges at its periphery into a zontal wall ice turn contacts the rug and dislodges dirt. The inventor has observed that this type of rug tool suffers from two basic defects: rst, there is not a suliicient flow of air through the turbine chamber to give the turbine adequate driving power under all circumstances, and second, the rug tool seals very firmly to certain types of rugs, and it becomes very diicult to push the rug tool over such rugs.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved cleaning tool which is particularly adapted to be used with canister type vacuum cleaners, and particularly a turbine-driven rug tool which operates on the split airflow principle and wherein the above mentioned basic defects in this type of device are obviated.

The object of this invention is achieved in one form by providing an improved rug brush in 'a split air-flow, turbine-driven rug tool wherein the ow of air through the nozzle opening is regulated in a predetermined manner. The rug brush is designed so that it periodically substantially terminaates the flow of air through the nozzle opening, thereby forcing all incoming air at such times to enter the turbine chamber, and also so that it contacts the rug on which the rug tool is operating in a manner The over-all, composite effect of the foregoing operation insures adequate turbine driving power at al1 times and facilitates over rugs.

Other objects and further details of that which I believe to be novel and my invention will be clear from the foregoing ydescription and claims taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

tool;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the improved rug brush;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, but on a reduced scale.

.Referring to the drawings, the improved cleaning tool,

Y which will herein be referred to Ias a rug tool, is vdesignated generally by the reference numeral 10. Rug tool 10 comprises a body having the nozzle portion 12, the turbine portion 14, and the outlet portion 16. As is illustrated in Fig. 1, the outlet portion 16 is tubular and ladapted to be coupled, in any conventional manner, to

' the rigid wand 18, which in turn communicates through appropriate conventional mechanism with a suction unit, i.e., an air-ilow producing source. The latter may be any one of the large number of available suction units, either stationary, built-in or portable, and particularly may be a canister type vacuum cleaner. The improved rug tool is particularly useful when associated with a canister type vacuum cleaner, because it renders the latter substantially equal in rug cleaning ability to vacuum cleaners,

such yas the upright type, which have motor-driven rug However, it should be clearly understood that it is not restricted in utility to use with a canister type cleaner.

As can best be seen in Figs. 2 and 5, the rug tool body The rug tool body walls comprise essentially three generally horizontal Walls and l appropriate side walls which render the body a unitary 20 is generally circular generally downwardly extending slotted side wall 22 which is generally cylindrical. At its forward side- (the side opposite to the outlet portionl), the wall 22 merges into a generallyhori- 24 which'forms the upper surface of the structure. Upper horizontal wall erally cylindrical and located at ywhich communicates at its 'shaft ss. stub shaft nozzle portion 12 and extends into the body. Within the body, wall 24 has a portion 26 which is spaced below the wall 20 and extends rearwardly partially into the outlet portion 16 (see Fig. 2). The walls 20, 24 and 22 define the turbine chamber 38.

A portion 28 vof the depending wall 22 at the latters rear extends downwardly beyond the wall 24 and merges at its lowermost points with the generally horizontal wall 30. A t its rearward side, portion 28 merges with the outlet portion VV1,6. The lower wall 30 extends beneath the wall 24 and hasy an elongated opening 32 formed near its forward end, which constitutes a nozzle opening, as will become apparent. A generally vertical side wall 34 extends from the portion 28 of side wall 22 completely around the nozzle portion 12 and is secured to the wall 24 at its upper edge and to the wall 30 at its lower edge.

An inspection of Figs. 2 and 5, it is believed, will clearly indicate the wall formation of and the manner in which ,the rug tool body is compartmented so as to provide the following.; anozzle chamber 36, which is elongated, genthe forward end of the body, a` turbine chamber 38, which is generally of a at cylindrical configuration, an outlet chamber 40, which is formed in the outlet portion 16, a nozzle passageway 42, which communicates through elongated slot 44 with the nozzle, chamber 36 at its forward end and through a somewhat'semi-circular opening 46 at its rearward end with the outlet chamber y40, and a turbine passageway 48 forward end through the somewhat semi-circular opening 52 with the outlet chamber 40.

, Thefwall v24, which separates the nozzle and turbine chambers, has a circular opening 54 formed therein.` Coaxial with opening 54 is a smaller opening 56 which is Vformed in the lower wall 30. The portions of the walls forming ythese openings are in bearing relationship with the contacting portions of the turbine supporting stub 58 is supported in the opening S4 by a bearing enlargement 60, and is supported at its lowermost end. by the horizontal walll 62 which contacts the upper'surface of the portion of wall 30 surrounding opening 56. Stub shaft 58 has an extending pin 63 which projects beyond the'wall 62 and is received in the opening 56. The pin 63 projects beyond the wall 30 and receives the washer-"64 and securing member 66 at its free end.

The upper end ofthe stub shaft 58 supports the turbine 68, `which'generally comprises the disk 70, which is rigidly of the stub shaft' 58, and has a plurality of vanes 72y disposed in spaced relationship about periphery. The foregoing arrangement provides a rotatablemounting for the vturbine and its stubshaft wherein most of the load is Vtaken by the portions of the lower Wall. 30 which surround the opening 56, and whereinthe portions of the wall 24 that surround the opening 54 are Abearing contact with the bearing enlargement 60 of the turbine stub. shaft. This particular mounting is merely kexemplary of a rotary mounting for the turbine. Itis not a. critical aspect of my invention for other mounts canreadily be devised which would be the equivalent of the one illustrated. It is important, however, that the turbine and the stub shaft be mounted for rotary movement relative to the supporting portions of the rug tool body,` and the illustrated arrangement accomplishes this objective. i

The portion of the stub shaft 58 between the bearing .enlargement 60 and the wall 62 is formed wit-h` a V-shaped groove 7.4 which simulates a pulley surface; Mounted in v thenozzle chamber 36 onran axis which is generally-horizontally` disposed as compared with the general vertical yaxis'of thev stub shaft 58, is the improved rug Rug brush 76has stub shaft portions 78 formed atits l endswhich arereceived in appropriate bearing sockets 80 formed inthe endsof the walls that dene nozzle chamber 364 in any c onventionalmanner. Rug brush '7,6 is mountedV brush 76.

soasto berotatablein the nozzle chamber 36 in a relay tively frctionlessrmanner and to have a portion projecting through nozzle opening 32. At its central portion, the rug brush 76 has a generally V=shaped groove 82 formed. The endless belt 84 is disposed in the V-shaped groove 82 of the rug brush and the V-shaped groove 74 of the turbine stub shaft 58, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the endless belt 84 may be so selected that it tits tightly, i.e., is in tension, and places the rug brush and turbine stub shaft in mechanical driving relationship. By the latter it is meant that if either the turbine stub shaft or the rug brush is rotated, the other member will be rotated through the driving connection effected by the endless /belt 84.

As can best be seen in Fig. l, a plurality of generally horizontal slots 86 are formed in the side wall 22 which place the turbine chamber 38 into communication with the atmosphere. With the foregoing arrangement, when a source of suction is attached to the outlet portion 16, a flow of air is induced through both the turbine portion and nozzle portion of the rug tool in the manner illustrated by the schematic arrows in Fig. 2. When the parts are disposed as illustrated in Fig. 2, it will be observed that in the turbine portion, clean air will ow from the atmosphere in through the slots 86 into the turbine chamber 3.8,y where it contacts the vanes 72 and thereby causes the turbine *'68I and its stub shaft 58 to rotate, out through the turbine passage 4,8, through the opening 52 into the outlet chamber 40 and then to the source of suction. In the v'nozzle portion of the rug tool, when the parts are positioned as illustrated in Fig. 2, dust-laden air passes through` the nozzle opening 32, through the slot 44 into the nozzle, 'passage 42, through vthe opening 46 into the outlet chrnber 40, and then to the source of suction.

Rotation of the stub shaft 58 caused by rotation. of

turbine 68, in turn. causes the rug brush 76 to rotate in the, manner described. This is desirable because it provides a vpower-,driven brush in an air-operated cleaning tool, and lendsitself to convenient use with a canister type cleaner. However, as was mentioned in the introduction to this specification, several basic defects exist in cleaning tools of this general type. These defects, applicant found, werev caused by the rug brush constructions; the prior art rug brushes were formed of dowels, which supported a plurality of bristle tufts. With prior art rug brushes, air owed through the nozzle opening continuously, because the diameter of the rug brush dowel was substantially less than the diameter of the nozzle chamber. The applicant found, thatv a continuous flow of air through the nozzle causedV thelbasic defects in the prior art turbine-driven rug tools. This obtained because the substantial amount of air flowing continuously through the nozzle opening caused less air to be pulled in through the turbine chamber and,rth`erefore, the turbine did not have adequate drivingy power under all circumstances. This was particularly sowhcn the tool was lifted off the rug, for then most of the air entered through the nozzle opening. Furthermore, av tight seal was created between the nozzle and the rug by the continuous air ow, which made it very ditiicult, if not impossible, to push the rug tool over certain types of rugs. The unique attributes of applicants improved rug brush 76 when associated with the remainder of the split air stream rug tool structure cooperate to eliminate both ofthesebasic defects as will presently become apparent. l I

The improved rug brush is illustrated most clearly in Eigs. 3 "and 4, wherein it will be observed that bristle tuftingljis formedonly in selected predetermined locations on a specifically designed brush dowel. The brush dowel y 88 is generally cylindrical and has the V-shaped groove dowel 88 is formed of two similar pieces 90 which may 82 formed centrally thereof. As illustrated, the brush ywill be seen that the row piece manner merely being a particularly economical one.

Viewing the rug brush in Fig. 3,it will be seen that two rows of bristle tufts are provided. Row 92 is formed on approximately one-half of the brush dowel (the upper side of the righthand half in Fig. i),v and row 94 is formed on the other half- (the lower side of the lefthand half in Fig. 3). Viewing the rug brush as in Fig. 4, it 92 is supported in a generally horizontal wall portion 96 which is disposed in a plane which approaches a chord of the circle which forms the dowel periphery. It will be observed that the bristle tufts extend radially to a point which is within the peripheral outline of the dowel. It should, therefore, be clear that in the instance of each axial half of the rug brush dowel 88, the cross-sectional configuration is not that of a circle, but that of a circle having a segment formed by an arc approximately one-quarter of the circumference cut off, and a at wall substituted therefor. The row 94 extends from the generally horizontal wall 98 and is mounted in a similar manner to that of row 92.

The diameter of rug brush dowel 88 is just slightly less than that of the nozzle chamber 36. When the rug brush is mounted in the nozzle chamber, it functions both as a rug brush having bristle tuiting which extends through the nozzle opening for intermittently contacting and dislodging dirt in a rug, and as a valve having portions for closing or partially closing the nozzle opening 32. It is this dual function of the rug brush 76 which enables the improved split air stream rug tool to function without the defects of the prior art. When the rug brush rotates, the nozzle opening 32 is closed completely onehalf of the time, yfor on two alternate complete quarters of the rug brush dowel 88 there are no bristles, and the dowel substantially closes the nozzle opening when these quarters are in the nozzle opening. This obtains because the quarters of the rug brush dowel 88 between the quarters that support rows of bristle tufting are arcuate and virtually completely close the nozzle opening 32 when they are disposed therein. The only time the nozzle opening is open, is when the bristle tufting supporting quarters are in the opening. The rows 92 and 94 of bristle tufting each contact the oor only once in each complete rotation of the rug brush dowel 88 and, therefore, this results in the nozzle opening 32 being open at all only one-half the time. Since the dowel is cut away only over one-half of each bristle tufting supporting quarter, the nozzle opening is open over only one-half of the length of the dowel when a dowel quarter having a tufting row is in the nozzle opening. Therefore, with the improved rug brush, the nozzle opening is open one-half the time over one-half of its extent, hence it is open completely only one-fourth of the time. At all other times, all air entering the rug tool enters into the turbine chamber. When the bristleless dowel quarters contact the rug, they have rotary bearing contact therewith. In other words, the rug brush 76 actually operates as a roller on the rug for a substantial portion of each rotation, and thereby makes pushing of the rug tool on the rug relatively easy.

It is believed that the operation of the improved rug tool is clear from the foregoing. Starting with the parts positioned as in Fig. 2, upon connecting the source of suction to the outlet portion 16, air flows in the manner indicated by the arrows. The air ow through the turbine chamber causes the turbine to rotate and thereby drive the rug brush. The rows of bristles on the rug brush intermittently contact the rug and dislodge dirt, which is sucked into the air stream entering the nozzle opening. However, because of the novel construction of the rug brush, the opening in the nozzle is closed for substantially three-quarters of each rotation of the rug brush, as was explained. The valving action of the rug brush forces most of the air to come through the turbine portion of the rug tool about three-quarters of the time and, hence, an adequate supply of power to the a basic defect in the prior art. The minimization of air flow through the nozzle opening also eliminates sudden surges of air through the nozzle when the rug tool is lifted oi the rug and the tight seal which was present in the prior art devices and which made it very difficult to push the rug tool over certain types of rugs. Lastly, the substantial roller effect of the rug brush on a rug further reduces the opposition to movement of the rug tool over a rug, and further enhances the facility with which the improved rug tool may be operated.

Therefore, as will be evident from the foregoing disclosure, it will be apparent that the invention satisfies its objects in that it eliminates the basic defects of the prior art and provides an elicient air-operated rug tool having a power-driven rug brush. Certain aspects of my invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated, Aand I contemplate that various and other modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, my intention that the appended claims will cover such modications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an air-operated cleaning tool comprising a turbine chamber communicating with the atmosphere and having a turbine mounted for rotation therein, a nozzle chamber communicating with the atmosphere and having a rug brush mounted for rotation therein, said turbine when rotated adapted to rotate said rug brush, and an outlet chamber which communicates with the turbine chamber, the nozzle chamber and a source of suction, whereby on actuation of said source a separate flow of air is induced through each of said nozzle and turbine chambers, that improvement comprising means on said rug brush for intermittently substantially terminating communication of said nozzle chamber with the atmosphere to thereby periodically substantially completely stop the flow of air through the nozzle chamber and cause substantially all air to ilow through said turbine chamber.

2. A device as defined in claim l wherein said nozzle chamber communicates with the atmosphere through an opening, and said means comprises valve portions on said rug brush which are adapted to substantially completely close said opening.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said portions are arcuate and extend beyond said opening whereby they are adapted to roll on a rug to thereby render the tool easy to push thereon.

4. A device as -delined in claim l wherein said nozzle chamber is generally cylindrical and communicates with the atmosphere through an elongated opening, and wherein said rug brush comprises a generally cylindrical dowel of slightly less diameter than said nozzle chamber, said rug brush dowel having surface portions cut away, whereby said rug brush dowel substantially closes said nozzle opening at all times except when said cutaway portions are juxtaposed to the nozzle opening.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein rug agitating means is secured to said dowel and supported in said cutaway portions.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein the periphery of said dowel is adapted to contact the rug and roll thereon, and said rug agitating means extends to said periphery.

7. A rug brush for use in split air-ow, turbine-driven rug tool having a nozzle chamber with an elongated opening adjacent to the surface Ion which the tool rests, cornprising a generally cylindrical dowel, said dowel lhaving portions -cut away and supporting rug agitating means at the location of such portions, said portions being located on opposite axial halves of opposite radial sides of said dowel, said rug agitating means being disposed wholly turbine, eliminating within the circumferential outline of said dov/e1, said 4doiveladapted to `be mounted for rotation in said nozzle chamber adjacent said opening sofas.` to be in contact with said surface andy to substantially completely close' said opening. at all'time's yduring rotation ofsaid dowel except when said' cutaway portions are juxtaposed to. said open- `ing, and topartially close said` ope-ning and partially contact s'aid surface when the cutaway portions are, juxtaposed to said opening:l

8. A device `as1 defined in claim 7 wherein said, rug agtatingmeans comprisesrows of bristle tufting.

9. An air-operated cleaning tool comprising a body having walls forming a turbinev chambenya nozzle` chamber, and an outlet chamber, openings in said wallsplacing said. turbine chamber into-communication with the -atmosphere, an opening viu-'said Walls placing said nozzle chamber into-*communication with said atmosphere, a irst passagewayv between Said turbine chamber and said outlet chamber, a ysecond passageway between said nozzle chamber and rsaid. outletjchambr; a turbine rotatably mounted in-said turbiney chamber,r a rug brush rotatably l8 mounted in said nozzle chamber, said turbine and rug brush being in driving relationship, said outlet chamber adapted to,- c`onimunicate with a'sourcenof, suction to thereby induce a ow of air through said openings, said -turbine chamber, said first passageway and said outlet chamber to said source, and` a separate flow of yair throughsaid opening, said nozzle chamber, said second passageway and said outlet chamber to 'saidy source, and means for substantially completely closingsaid opening a portion 'of each rotation of said rug'brush.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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