US2893046A

US2893046A - Squeegee attachment for vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: US2893046A
Application number: US411174A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth C Thompson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-02-18
Filing date: 1954-02-18
Publication date: 1959-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1976-07-07

Description

July 7, 1959 l K. c; THOMPSON 2,893,046

SQUEEGEE ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 18, 1954 .I0 J6v .2912 l@ 25 Z3 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent vSQUEEGEE ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANER Kenneth C. Thompson, Lyons, lll.

Application February 18, 1954, Serial No. 411,174

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-325) This invention relates to a squeegee attachment for a vacuum cleaner.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved vacuum cleaner attachment which includes a squeegee by means of which water may be removed from a Hoor or other surface.

i" A further object of the` invention is to provide a squeegee attachment which has a squeegee mounted for fore and aft swinging movement in a slot in the attachmeut head, so that movement of the head in either direction with the squeegee bladeon a surface swings the squeegee against the margin of theslot away from the direction of movement and leaves the slot in front of thelsqueegeeopentothe suction from the cleaner hose. Thus, the attachmentpiclcs up water equally well on thepush and on the pull strokes.

' 'A further object of the invention is to provide a squeegee vacuum cleaner #attachment in vwhich the blade may berapidly and easily changed.

v A still 'further' object of the invention is to provide a squeegee attachment for a vacuum cleaner in which no clos e iitting ofparts is required. j

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the description, taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of the squeegee attachment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken as indicated along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a section taken as indicated along the line 4--4 of Fig. 2 with the squeegee in the position which it occupies upon forward movement of the head;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the squeegee in the position which it occupes upon rearward movement of the head; and

Fg. 6 is a section taken as indicated along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first to Fig. 1, the squeegee attachment of this invention, indicated generally by the letter S, is shown frictionally secured to the lower end of a conventional vacuum cleaner attachment tube, or wand W, from which a flexible hose leads to a vacuum cleaner through a water collector, if necessary, in the usual manner.

The squeegee attachment S comprises an elongated head 10 and a slot 11 which extends from end to end of the head and communications with a lengthwise central air passage 12. Riveted to the top of the head 10 above the air passage 12 is a hollow air conductor member 13 which tapers into a rearwardly projecting fitting 14 to receive the vacuum cleaner attachment wand W. For simplicity and cheapness of manufacture, the head 10 may conveniently be made of wood while the air conductor member is preferably an aluminum casting.

As best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the slot 11 is provided with a pair of spaced shoulders 15 which dene the margins of a central longitudinal recess 16 in the top of the slot.v Spaced inwardly from each end of the head 10 is a hole 17 which extends through the head from front to rear in communication with the slot 10, immediately below vthe recess 16, and a pin 18 lits loosely into each hole so as t-o be freely slidable therein. The pins 18 are retained in the holes 17 by a continuous molded rubber guard band 19 which extends around the attach ment head 10 and has a continuous internal rib 20 which engages a groove 21 encircling the head. The rubber guard band 19 serves the dual function of protecting furniture from damage if it is bumped by the attachment, and of retaining the pins 18. i

A squeegee, indicated generally at 22, has a U-shaped metal clamp 23 and a rubber'blade 24 the upper portion of which is embraced by the clamp. Adjacent the ends of the equeegee v22 are circular holes' 2S (see Fig. 2) to receive the pins 18, so that the squeegee 22 is loosely supported on the pins with its upper portion extending into the recess 16 4and' its rubber blade 24 projecting below Ithe attachment head 10.

' The loose, swinging'mounting of the squeegee 22 on the pins 18l permits the lsqueegee to swing fore and aft inthe slot 11 in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4, when the attachment S is pushedvforward the squeegee 22 swings rearwardly to place the squeegee blade 24 in continuous and intimate contact with the rear margin of the slot 11, leaving the front ofthe slot open to the suction from the vacuum cleaner. Conversely, 'when the attachi ment S is drawn rearwardly as shown by the arrow in Fig. 5, the squeegee swings on the pins 18 until the rubber blade portion 24 similarly contacts the forward margin of the slot .11,Aleaving the rear of the slot open. In either case,the slot `is open adjacent the squeegee so that as` the squeegee collects water by movement over- Y Iscription that the squeegee attachment here disclosed makes eihcient use of the vacuum suction, is inexpensive to manufacture, and permits the blade to be very easily changed. The slot 11 and recess 16 in the head 10 may be formed with an ordinary milling cutter, and the air passage 12 is formed readily by drilling and sawing. The loose t of the pins 18 in the holes 17 and the loose swinging mounting of the squeegee 22 in the pins 18 eliminates any need for close itting of parts. Likewise, the loose fit of the pins 18 in the holes 17 permits an old squeegee to be removed from the head and a new one inserted merely by removing the rubber guard band 19 and letting the pins drop out of the holes.

The fore and aft swinging movement of the squeegee 22 assures that the suction afforded by the vacuum cleaner will be most effectively used by being pulled only along the line immediately ahead of the squeegee blade where the water is piled up by the squeegee action.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A squeegee attachment for a vacuum cleaner comprising: an elongated head having a slot extending lengthwise of its lower surface and an air passage communicating wit-h sa-id slot which -is adapted to receive a vacuum cleaner hose; a -plurality of pins extending across said slot; and a squeegee having apertures in its upper portion loosely ssurrminding'said pins, lsaid squeegee having a Alexible, resilient bl'a'de portion projecting below the head, and beingy swingable across the slot by rocking movement on said pins sothat movement of the head with the squeegee blade on a surface swings the squeegee against lthe margin of the slot awayfrorn the direction of movement and Aleaves the opposite Iside of the slot `open to lthe 'suction from the vacuum cleaner hose.

2. A squeegee attachment for a vacuum cleaner comprising: an elongated head having a slot Vextending lengthwise of its lower surface and an air passage com municating with said Vslot which is adapted to communicate with a vacuum cleaner hose, 'and a plurality of holes 'extending through the head normal to, 'and in communication with the slot; a pin loosely mounted in 'each hole so 'as to extend Aacross the slot; removable resilient guard means surrounding the head and bearing on both ends of the pins to hold said pins in the holes; and a squeegee mounted on said jpins with a ilexible, resilient blade portion projecting below the head.

3. A squeegee attachment Vfor a'vacuurn cleaner comprising: an elongated head having a slot extending lengthwise vof its lower surface and an airvpassage communicating with said slot which is adapted to communicate with a vacuum cleaner hose, and Aa `plurality of 'holes extending through the head normal to, and in communication with said slot, there being a groove encircling the head; a pin loosely mounted in each h'ole so as'to extend across the slot; a removable, continuous resilient guard 'band extending around the head and vbearing on -both ends of the pins to hold the pins in the holes, said guard ban'd having rib means on its inner surface engaging the external groove in the head; and -a squeegee mounted on said pins with a ilexible, resilient blade portion 4projecting below the head.

4. A squeegee attachment for a vacuum cleaner comprising: an elongated head having a slot extending lengthwise of its lower surface which has spaced shoulders defining the margins of a central recess in the top of the slot, there being a central air passage communicating with said slot which is adapted to communicate with a vacuum cleaner hose, a pair of holes extending through the head normal to, and in communication with said slot below said recess, and a groove encircling the head; a pin loosely mounted in `each hole so as to extend across `the slot; a removable, continuous, soft molded rubber guard band extending around the head to hold the pins in the holes, said guard band having a continuous rib on its inner surface engaging said groove;

' and a squeegee which has a U-shaped metal clamping portion provided with apertures by means of which it is loosely supported on said pins for fore and aft swinging movement, and a rubber blade held in said clamping portion which projects below Athe head, whereby movement of the head with the squeegee blade on a. surface swings the blade against the margin of the slot away from the direction o'f movement and leaves the opposite side of the slot open to the suction from the vacuum cleaner hose, the margins of -the recess cooperating with the margins of the slot to limit swinging movement of the squeegee.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,529,282 Warner Mar. 10, 19,25

2,218,595 Yutzler Oct. 22, 1940 2,619,669 Cuddeback Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,212 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1908 36,310 Sweden Apr. 30, 1913 42,318 Switzerland Mar. 21, `1908