US2984851A

US2984851A - Self-wringing mop

Info

Publication number: US2984851A
Application number: US777113A
Authority: US
Inventors: Glenn S Thompson; Herman B Van Velzer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-11-28
Filing date: 1958-11-28
Publication date: 1961-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-23

Description

May 23, 1961 G. s. THOMPSON ETAL SELF-WRINGING MOP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 28, 1958 m 7. M H 1 /J May 23, 1961 G. s. THOMPSON EI'AL 84,851-

SELF-WRINGING MOP 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 28, 1958 y 1961 G. s. THOMPSON EAL 2,984,851

SELF-WRINGING MOP Filed Nov. 28, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent SELF-VRINGING MOP Glenn S. Thompson, Milwaukee, Wis., and Herman B. Van Velzer, Mundelein, Ill. (600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago 5, 111.); said Thompson assignor to Ira Milton Jones, Milwaukee, Wis.

Filed Nov. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 777,113

14 Claims. (Cl. 15-119) This invention relates to so-called sponge mops, and refers more particularly to improved means for compressively squeezing or swinging the sponge-like swab in a sponge mop to expel liquid therefrom.

The swab in a so-called sponge mop is a bibulous sponge-like block, usually of cellulosic synthetic material, at least one face of which is flatwise engaged against a rigid back-up plate to which a handle is fastened. The back-up plate not only provide stiffening and support for the swab, and a connection between the swab and the handle, but it also serves, in most cases, as one of a pair of jaw members by which the swab may be compressively squeezed to expel liquid therefrom.

One important advantage of a sponge mop, which largely accounts for its popularity, is that its swab is easy to clean. When the swab is immersed, its cells very rapidly fill with liquid, and subsequent compression of the swab forces the liquid out of it with a flushing action that tends to carry dirt away from its surface.

However, in many of the sponge mops heretofore known and widely used, the advantages of this desirable feature have been partially or wholly lost because wringing compressive force is applied to the swab by means of a member which overlies its dirt gathering surface and which thus prevents dirt from being freely flushed off of said surface. As a specific example, one popular type of sponge mop has its swab flatwise secured to the underside of the backup plate, and has a compression plate which may be swung around the front of the mop element into flatwise engagement with the bottom face of the swab to cooperate with the back-up plate in compressing the swab. Although the compression plate in this mop is perforated, it nevertheless presents a substantial obstruction to the flushing of dirt off of the dirt gathering face of the swab by water squeezed out of its interior.

One attempt to avoid this fault in prior sponge mops is represented by the device disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,683,887 to E. P. Bell, wherein a sponge-like swab was fixedly confined between a pair of elongated jaws hinged together along their upper edges to form an inverted V. In the mop of said patent, however, it was necessary to permit a substantial portion of the swab to project below the lower edges of the jaw members, to provide a satisfactory working surface, and this portion of the swab could not be fully compressed when the jaws were brought together, with the result that the swab could never be squeezed completely dry. It was also necessary, in the mop of said patent, to make provision for downward adjustment of the swab from time to time as its lower surface wore away with use.

By contrast with these prior expedients, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sponge mop of the character described wherein the swab is confined between a pair of jam members which overlie the side faces of the swab to support it in use, and which may be converged to squeeze liquid out of the swab, and wherein the bottom dirt gathering surface of the swab is left completely 2,984,851 Patented May 23, 1961 exposed when the swab is compressed so that accumulations of dirt on said surface can be unobstructedly flushed therefrom by liquid being squeezed out of the swab.

In connection with the foregoing stated object, it is also an important object of the present invention to provide a sponge mop of the character described wherein a sponge-like swab is mounted between a pair of rigid hingedly connected jaw members which support the swab and connect it with a handle, and wherein a substantial portion of the swab projects below the jaw members for normal use, to provide a satisfactorily yieldable dirt gathering surface, but wherein the swab is raised to a position in which it is substantially completely embraced by the jaw members during compressive convergence of the latter, so that when the swab is wrung out all parts of it may be subjected to water expelling compression while its dirt gathering face is left exposed and unobstructed.

Another general object of this invention resides in the provision of a sponge mop structure which attains the above described objectives and in which the swab does not recognize adjustment to compensate for wear during the course of its long useful life.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sponge mop of the character described which may be manufactured at low cost, which is simple and rugged in construction, and which has a swab squeezing mechanism that can be operated in a natural and convenient manner, requiring no awkward manipulation of the mop.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mop head for a sponge mop of the character described, comprising fixed and movable jaws which are hinged together along their upper edges in an inverted V arrangement, a swab confined between the jaws, and a jaw actuating lever connected to the movable jaw and normally disposed alongside the handle of the mop, but swingable away from the handle through a forward and upward arc of travel, in which mop head actuation of the handle through the first portion of its arc of travel causes the swab to be raised from an operative position with its bottom surface spaced below the lower edges of the jaws, substantially without interference from the jaws, to a swinging position in which the swab is substantially completely embraced by the jaws, and wherein actuation of the handle through the remainder of its arc of travel converges the jaws upon the swab to compress the latter.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sponge mop head of the character described in the preceding statement of object, which mop head features a lever which is so connected with the swab and the jaws that movement of the lever away from the mop handle effects slight relative spreading of the jaws and raising of the swab from its operative position to its wringing position between the spread apart jaws before closing motion is imparted to the jaws.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several complete examples of the physical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the lower portion of a sponge mop embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the sponge mop shown in Figure 1;

Fignlre 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3--3 in Figure 2, but at an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional View of the mop shown in Figure 1, taken on a plane lying intermediate the mop handle and one end of the mop head, and showing the actuating lever in its normal position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the lever moved slightly away from its normal position, at the commencement of a wringing operation;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5, but showing the lever moved to a position in which it causes the swab to be substantially fully retracted between the aws;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the lever swung substantially to the limit of its movement away from the handle and effecting compressive convergence of the jaws upon the swab, with the swab now fully retracted between the jaws;

Figure 8 is a reduced top view of the swab unit, per se;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 3, at a reduced scale, showing details of the mop handle;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of another modification of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates generally the head of a sponge mop of this invention comprising downwardly divergent front and rear substantially

flat jaw members

6 and 7 between which is confined a swab 8 that preferably consists of a cellular sponge-like block of synthetic cellulosic material. The jaw members are laterally elongated and are hingedly connected along their upper longitudinal edges by means of curved interlocking sections 9 of the jaws themselves which serve the same purpose as a transverse hinge pin and in addition serve to hold the jaw members against shifting lengthwise with respect to one another. As shown, upper portions 6' and 7' of the jaws may be more widely divergent than the larger lower portions of the jaws. A mop handle 10, to be specifically described later, is rigidly afiixed to the central portion of the rear jaw member 7, projecting from said jaw member substantially normal to its surface, and hence the rear jaw member may be considered as relatively fixed while the front jaw member 6 may be regarded as movable toward and from it about the axis of the hinge connection afforded by the interlocking sections 9. The mop head also includes an actuating lever 11 by which the jaws may be actuated, as more fully described hereinafter.

The elongated swab 8 has a length substantially equal to that of the jaw members and is carried between the jaw members with its ends adjacent to theirs. The swab has a substantially trapezoidal cross section, tapering upwardly so that its bottom face 12, which provides a dirt gathering or working surface, is widest, and so that its obliquely inclined front and

rear faces

13 and 14 will normally be flatwise supportingly engaged by the opposing inner surfaces of the downwardly divergent front and

rear jaw members

6 and 7.

The manually operable actuating lever 11 by means of which the jaw members may be compressively converged is substantially T-shaped, as may be seen from Figure 1. The stem of the T normally lengthwise overlies the lower portion of the handle 10 and provides the actuating arm 15 of the lever, while its cross bar 17 extends lengthwise over the convergent upper end portions of the jaws and has rigid downwardly directed flanges on its opposite ends providing a pair of parallel cam plates 16 that overlie the ends of the swab and jaw members.

The actuating lever is mounted for free swinging movement relative to both jaw members, about an axis parallel to that of the hinge connection between the jaws, to and from a normal position (shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4) in which the actuating arm 15 of the lever is disposed directly lengthwise adjacent to the mop handle it The lever is mounted for such movement by means of a pair of lugs 13 which project forwardly from the ends of the front jaw member, intermediate its top and bottom edges. Coaxial trunnion rivets 19, extending through these lugs and through the extremities of forward extensions 20 on the adjacent cam plates 16, provide the pivotal connection between the front jaw member and the lever. The lever may be releasably secured in its normal position by means of a pair of opposite resilient fingers 21 which extend rearwardly and downwardly from the actuating arm of the lever to grippingly embrace the mop handle.

As the lever is swung away from its normal position, it first raises the swab from the operative position seen best in Figures 2 and 4 to the retracted or wringing position illustrated in Figure 6, and as the lever is swung further away from the handle it effects convergence of the jaws upon the swab to compressively wring it, as shown in Figure 7. In order to provide for up and down movement of the swab relative to the jaws in the manner just described, the swab is not directly fastened to either of the jaw members. Instead, it is held confined between the jaws by means of a rigid rod 22 which is connected to the swab along its top surface and which has its end portions received in slots 23 in the two cam plates 16. The rod 22 is located centrally between the adjacent inner edges of a pair of stabilizer plates 24 of metal or other substantially rigid material, which overlie the oppositely sloping top surfaces T1 and T2 of the swab. The remote edges of the plates '24 lie directly adjacent to the front and rear faces of the swab and to the

jaws

6 and 7.

The plates 24 extend for substantially the full length of the swab, and while they may be bonded or otherwise secured to the top of the swab they are also confined under a strip of fabric 25 or the like which extends across the top of the swab, under the rod 22, and part way down the front and rear faces of the swab, the fabric being bonded to the swab by a waterproof adhesive, or otherwise suitably secured thereto.

Since the plates 24 slope downwardly and outwardly from the rod 22 toward engagement with the inner surfaces of the jaw members, they act to limit upward movement of the swab relative to the jaw members during mopping but do not interfere with closure of the jaw members during wringing of the swab. In other words, the stabilizer plates 24 are in effect hingedly connected to one another, through the yielding top of the swab, adjacent to their inner edges and below the rod 22. Hence, they may swing freely toward one another from a position of maximum divergence at which they normally hold the swab extended.

Shorter strips 26 of similar fabric are looped over the rod 22 and have their front and rear edges sewed or otherwise secured to the strip 25 to serve as a pocket to snugly receive the rod, and in which pocket the rod 22 is readily endwise insertable and removable.

The end portions of the rod project beyond the ends of the swab and jaw members, as best seen in Figure 3, to extend through the cam slots 23 in the cam plates 16, so that these projecting end portions of the rod provide cam followers which ride in the cam slots 23. Axial displacement of the cam followers out of the cam plates is prevented by provision of a nut 29 threaded onto the projecting end of the rod, it being understood that the other end of the rod 22 may have a head formed thereon so that only one nut 29 is necessary.

It will now be apparent that the swab may be readily replaced by removing the nut 29 from the rod and with drawing the rod axially out of the cam plates and the pocket forming loops 26 to thus completely disconnect the swab from the jaw members. A new swab unit is placed between the jaws, with its pocket forming loops 26 aligned with the slots 23 in the cam plates, and the rod may then be reinserted into the loops of the new swab to restore the mop to serviceable condition.

The fact that the swab is not directly secured to either of the jaw members not only facilitates its replacement but also permits it to be readily raised to its wringing position (shown in Figure 6) and lowered to its operative position (illustrated in Figure 4); and such retraction and extension of the swab is eifected by means of the cam plates 15 in cooperation with the end portions of the rod 22. The cam surface 31 defined by the slot 23 in each cam plate has a configuration such that its rear end is at a substantially greater distance from the pivot axis of the lever (i.e., the axis of the trunnion rivets 19) than its front end, and consequently as the lever is swung away from its normal (Figure 4) position, the surface 31 cammingly raises the rod 22, which carries the swab upwardly with it. The sequence of events during the initial portion of the swinging movement of the lever will be readily understood from Figures 4-6 inclusive, which bring out the fact that the swab is lifted to its uppermost position in consequence of movement of the lever through a predetermined distance comprising only a portion of its arc of travel.

When the swab is in its uppermost position, nearly completely within the bite of the jaws (but not before) the movable front jaw is urged toward the fixed rear jaw in consequence of further movement of the lever away from its normal position. To this end the lever has a lost motion connection with the movable jaw member 6, which connection is afforded by end portions 32 on the endmost jaw hinge sections 9 projecting into slots 33 in the cam plates. The slots 33 in which the endmost hinge sections are engaged are arcuate and are concentric with the pivot axis of the lever, and they are long enough to assure that counterclockwise swinging of the lever out of its normal position will not effect relative closing movement of the jaws until the swab is fully retracted. However, when abutments 34 provided by the lower ends of slots 33 engage the end portions of the endmost hinge sections 9, the lever as a whole fulcrurns about said hinge sections, and upon further swinging of the actuating arm of the lever away from the mop handle the lever swings the front jaw rearwardly, compressing the swab in the manner illustrated in Figure 7. Thus the arcuate length of the slots 33 determines the angle through which the lever travels before effecting jaw closing movement, or in other words provides the lost motion in the connection between the lever and the jaws.

It will also be appreciated from a consideration of Figure 5, which shows the swab in a partly raised position, that the slots 33 enable the swab to be lifted in the manner described substantially without interference from the jaw members, and that because of these slots, there is nothing to prevent the jaw members from spreading apart as the swab is drawn upwardly between them, to thus relieve the connection between the rod 22 and the swab of tension stresses that might otherwise cause the rod to quickly wear through the fabric of the pocket in which the rod is received or to cause the fabric to pull loose from the upper portion of the swab.

It is also important to note that the lower edge portion of the front jaw member is curved inwardly, as at 36, toward the swab. Thus, during closing motion of the front jaw member 6, toward its position seen in Figure 7, the curved outer end portion of the front jaw member in effect travels outwardly toward the front corner of the swab and acts upon the same to cause both front and rear corners of the swab, at its bottom, to be folded upwardly and inwardly, completely within the space defined by the jaw members. Although the bottom face of the swab is thus substantially folded upon itself, as at 37, this occurs at a time when substantially all of the water has been expelled from the swab so that all dirt and lint will have been flushed from the bottom of the mop before it is folded inwardlyas described.

As the handle is returned to its normal position the sequence of events illustrated by Figures 4-7 inclusive is, of course, reversed. It will be observed that when the swab is in its retracted position the rod 22 will be closely adjacent to the hinge 9, and that the slight downhill travel of cam slots 23 during jaw actuating movement of the lever will be of no practical significance by reason of the fact that the jaws immediately begin to close on the swab.

It is noteworthy that the bottom surface of the swab is never covered by any portion of the jaw mechanism, so that water expelled from the swab can readily flush dirt off of said surface without obstruction. Preferably the jaw members are provided with slots 35 or other perforations through which Water can be imbibed into and expelled from the front and rear faces of the swab. Attention is also directed to the fact that a substantial portion of the swab projects below the lower edges of the jaw members when the swab is in its operative position, so that the swab can be used for a long time before it will be worn down to the point where its bottom surface approaches the level of the lower edges of the jaw members and replacement of the swab becomes necessary.

As shown in Figure 9, the handle 10 of the mop preferably has a length slightly greater than the lever 15, and it may be made of tubular sheet metal with broad helical deformations 38 in its rear to receive the threaded end of a wooden handle extension 39. The handle extension 39, when in place on the mop, enables a person to perform mopping operations while in an upright position without stopping. When the extension is detached, however, that portion 10 of the handle which remains attached to the rear jaw member serves as a shorter handle much more convenient for use in crowded quarters and especially in bathtubs, etc. In this respect, it should be noted that the broad helical indentations 38 serve to receive the fingers of the hand of a person holding the shorter mop handle and thus serve as a convenient gripping portion on the handle.

In the modified embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 10, the jaw members are positively spread apart a slight amount before retraction of the swab commences, to provide greater assurance that the jaws will not interfere with retraction of the swab and that as much of the swab as possible will be embraced by the jaws before they are caused to converge upon it. In the Figure 10 modification the swab is lifted or retracted in consequence of cooperation between cam follower end portions of the rod 22 and cam slots 23 in cam plates 16', as in the previously described embodiment of the invention, but it eliminates the concentric slots 33 of said previous embodiment. However, short end portions 23 of the swab lifting slots 23 nearest the trunnions 19 are made concentric to the trunnion axis, and each of the cam plates has a curved rear cam surface 40 which engages under a fixed laterally extending cam follower pin 41 mounted on a lug 42 projecting from the adjacent portion of the rear jaw member. The cam surfaces 40 are concentric to the axis of trunnions 19 except for depressions 40' in their upper end portions, with depressions are thus relatively nearer the pivot axis of the trunnions 19. The pins 41, of course, normally engage the depressions 40 so that as the lever is initially swung away from its normal position the front jaw is swung forwardly by the engagement of the cam follower pins 41 with the larger radius portions of the cam surfaces 40. During such spreading of the jaws, the rod 22 on the top of the swab rides in the concentric upper end portions 23' of the swab lift slots 23. After the jaws have been thus spread apart, continued counterclockwise motiomof the lever engages the sloping lift portions of the slots 23 with the ends of the rod 22 to cause full retraction of the swab, and upon such retraction thereof, laterally inwardly struck abutments 43 on the cam plates 16 engage the end hinge sections 9 to fulcrum the lever and thus cause the front jaw to be swung rearwardly in unison with further movement of the lever away from its normal position. The cam plates 16' have abrupt curves. 44 on their cam surface edges which ride under the cam follower pins 41 when the lever reaches the point in its swinging travel at which it fulcrums about the hinge pin, and thereafter said follower pinspresent no further obstruction to rearward motion of the front jaw member.

As the lever is swung back to its normal position, and after it passes the point at which the fulcrum abutments 43 are disengaged from the end hinge sections 9, the swab will be lowered to its extended position while the jaws are again held diverged. As the lever is swung through the last few degrees into its normal position, with the swab almost fully extended, the cam follower pins 41 ride down into the depressions 40' on the cams 40, permitting the front jaw member to move slightly rearwardly, and such rearward movement takes place partly as a result of the tension which is naturally applied to the lever as the same is swung to itsnormal position, and partly by the engagement of fingers 45 on the cam plates 16' over the rear of the pins 41. The front jaw member thus holds the swab under a slight steadying compression when the lever is in its normal position, forward swinging movement of said jaw being prevented by the fingers 45.

The modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 11 also effects slight positive divergence of the jaws during initial swinging of the lever out of its normal position, but concomitantly with retraction of the swab. As in the previously described embodiments, the lever is freely swingably connected to the movable front jaw, but the swab is raised and lowered by means of the engagement of the ends of the rod 22 on the swab in substantially straight cam slots 23 in cam plates 16" which comprise a part of the lever. As in the Figure 10 embodiment of the invention, laterally inwardly struck abutments 4-3 on the cam plates 16" engage the end hinge sections 9 on the jaws at the conclusion of the initial portion of the swinging movement of the lever.

However, the Figure 11 embodiment of the invention is distinguished by a toggle connection 50 between the jaw members and end portions of the rod 22 which extends along the top of the swab, by which connection the jaws are caused to be diverged as the swab is retracted. The toggle connection consists of a pair of links 51 and 52 at each end of the swab, disposed between the ends of the jaw members and the adjacent cam plates. The links of each pair have adjacent ends which are pivotally connected to the rod 22, and their remote ends are bent inwardly over the jaw members as at 55, to extend through slightly elongated slots 56 in ears 57 fixed on the jaw members, whereby the remote ends of the links are pivotally connected to the front and rear jaws. In the operative extended position of the swab the rod 22 is disposed below a line joining the connec tions of the links 51 and 52 with the jaw members, and in the fully retracted position of the swab the rod is disposed above said line, hence the links and rod cooperate to' diverge the jaws to a limited extent as the swab is retracted to its wringing position. Because the bent ends 55 of the pins can shift slightly in the slots in the ears 57, the links do not interfere with lever propelled convergence of the jaws when the swab is fully retracted.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that this invention provides a sponge mop of the type comprising a swab of cellular cellulosic synthetic material or the like carried between a pair of hingedly connected jaw members disposed in an inverted V arrangement, wherein a substantial portion of the swab projects below the lower edges of the jaw members during normal use of the mop, and wherein movement of an actuating lever out of a normal position overlying the mop handle first effects retraction of the swab, without interference from or convergence of the jaws, to a position at which the swab is substantially completely embraced by the jaws before effecting convergence of the jaws upon the swab to compress the swab and squeeze liquid out of it. It will also be apparent that in the mop of this invention the floor engaging surface of the swab remains exposed while the jaws compress it, so that liquid squeezed out of the swab can unobstructedly flush dirt off of its floor engaging surface.

What is claimed as our invention is:

1. In a mop of the type having an elongated swab of sponge material; a pair of elongated jaw members having upper and lower longitudinal edges; means providing a hinged connection between the upper longitudinal edges of said jaw members, the swab being confined between the jaw members for bodily up and down movement between a lower operative position in which a portion of the swab projects beneath the lower longitudinal edges of the jaw members and a raised wringing position in which substantially all portions of the swab are embraced by the jaw members; a rigid rod fixed to the swab near the top thereof and extending parallel to the jaw hinge axis, said rod being translatable up and down to carry the swab toits operative and'wringing positions; a handle fixed to one of the jaw members and projecting therefrom; a lever pivotally connected to the other jaw member intermediate its top and bottom longitudinal edges for relative swinging motion about an axis fixed with respect to said other jaw member and parallel to the hinge axis, to and from a defined normal position; fulcrum means fixed with respect to one of said jaw members; means on the lever providing an abutment engageaole with said fulcrum means when the lever is swung a predetermined distance from its normal position, to constrain said other jaw member to swing about its hinge axis in unison with further swinging movement of the lever away from its normal position; and means providing a motion transmitting connection between said lever and said rod whereby said rod is moved upward during swinging movement of the lever away from its normal position through said predetermined distance, thus causing the rod to carry the swab to its wringing position between the jaw members while the latter remain diverged, and whereby the swab is held in its wringing position while the lever is swung beyond said distance away from its normal position to cause said other jaw member to wringingly compress the swab.

2. The mop of claim 1, wherein the means providing said motion transmitting connection comprises a pair of cam elements, each secured to the lever in fixed relation thereto adjacent to an end of the swab and each having a cam surface engaged by an end portion of said rod.

3. The mop of claim 2 wherein said means providing a hinged connection between the jaw members comprises interlocking hinge sections having portions projecting beyond the ends of the jaws to provide said fulcrum means; and wherein said abutment means comprises shoulders on said cam elements engageable with the projecting portions of said hinge sections.

4. In a mop of the type having a pair of elongated jaw members with upper and lower longitudinal edges and which are hinged together along their upper longitudinal edges, one of said jaw members having handle means afiixed thereto and the other jaw member being swingable about the hinge axis toward and from the first, and an elongated swab of sponge material having a floor engaging bottom surface, said swab being supported by at least one of the jaw members and adapted to be compressively squeezed by them in consequence of relative swinging motion of the movable jaw member toward the other: means providing a connection between the swab and the two jaw members whereby the swab is mounted lengthwise between the jaw members for bodily up and down movement between a lowered operative position in which its bottom surface is spaced below the lower longitudinal edges of the jaw members, and a raised sqeezing position in which substantially all portions of the swab are embraced by the jaw members; a lever connected with one of the jaw members for swinging motion relative to both jaw members about an axis parallel to that of the jaw hinge, toward and from a normal position; means providing a lost motion connection between said lever and the movable jaw member whereby the movable jaw member is constrained to swing toward the fixed jaw member upon movement of the lever away from its normal position beyond a predetermined distance; and means providing a motion transmitting connection between said lever and the swab for raising the swab to its squeezing position as the lever is swung away from its normal position through said predetermined distance and for holding the swab in said squeezing position as said movable jaw member is swung toward the fixed jaw member during further swinging of the lever in said direction so that the jaws will compress the swab in a manner to expel water from it through its bottom floor-engaging surface, whereby dirt is efiectively flushed off of the same.

5. In a mop of the character described: a pair of elongated jaw members having adjacent longitudinal upper edges and a hinged connection between said adjacent edges; a handle fixed to one of said jaw members, the other jaw member being relatively swingable about the axis of the hinged connection toward and from the first designated jaw member; a lever freely pivotally connected to said other jaw member for swinging motion relative to both jaw members about an axis parallel to that of the hinged connection, to and from a normal position; an elongated swab of sponge material confined between the jaw members with its ends adjacent to the ends of the jaw members and having a bottom face which is adapted to be engageable with surfaces to be cleaned; an elongated rigid member secured to said swab a substantial distance above its bottom face and extending lengthwise of the swab, said rigid member having end portions which project beyond the ends of the swab to provide cam followers; a pair of cam plates rigidly connected with said lever and overlying the ends of the jaws and the swab, substantially normal to said rod, said cam plates having cam surfaces thereon which are engaged by the cam follower portions on said rod and cooperate with the same to raise the rod as the lever is swung through a predetermined distance from its normal position, to hold the swab in a raised position substantially entirely embraced by the jaws as the lever is swung beyond said distance in the same direction, and to lower the swab as the lever is swung back to its normal position; and cooperating abutments on said cam plates and on one of the jaw members, engageable when the lever has been swung through said predetermined distance from its normal position, to constrain the lever and the movable jaw member to swing in unison as the lever is swung beyond said predetermined distance from its normal position, to compressively converge the jaw members upon the swab when the latter is in its raised position.

6. In a mop of the type comprising an elongated swab of sponge material and a handle, means connected with the handle for supporting the swab in use and for squeezing the swab during cleaning thereof, said means comprising: relatively fixed and movable jaw members having elongated upper and lower edges and hingedly connected at their upper edges, the handle being secured to the relatively fixed jaw member and the relatively movable jaw member being swingable toward and from the relatively fixed jaw member about the axis of the hinged connection; means including a rigid stifiening member extending lengthwise of the swab mounting the swab between the jaw members for up and down translatory movement between an operative position in which a substantial portion of the swab projects below the jaw members and a squeezing position in which the swab is substantially completely embraced by the jaw members; a lever pivotally connected to one of the jaw members for free swinging motion relative to both jaw members to and from a normal position; means providing a lost motion connection between the lever and the relatively movable jaw member whereby the lever is free to swing through a predettermined distance from its normal position without effecting movement of the relatively movable jaw member toward the fixed jaw member, but whereby further movement of the lever away from said position constrains the relatively movable jaw member to swing toward the relatively fixed jaw member; and means providing a motion transmitting connection between the lever and the swab whereby movement of the lever away from its normal position through said predetermined distance raises the swab from its operative position to its squeezing position, so that during further movement of the lever away from its normal position the swab is compressively squeezed by the relatively movable jaw member as the latter swings toward the relatively fixed jaw member.

7. In a sponge mop; a handle; a first jaw mounted on the end of the handle; a movable second jaw hinged to the first jaw and swingable toward the latter about a transverse axis; a sponge mounted intermediate said jaws to be squeezed therebetween upon swinging of the movable jaw toward the first jaw; a lever pivotally connected to the second jaw for motion relative thereto about an axis parallel to but spaced from said hinge axis, said lever being swingable toward and from a normal position; cooperating stops on the lever and on one of said jaws engageable upon swinging movement of the lever in one direction away from its normal position and relative to the second jaw through an angle of predetermined magnitude to provide a motion transmitting connection between the lever and the second jaw whereby the latter is swung toward the first jaw in unison with swinging motion of the lever in said direction beyond said predetermined angle; means providing a motion transmitting connection between the lever and the sponge operable to efiect retraction of the sponge to a position substantially completely embraced by the jaws during swinging motion of the lever through said predetermined angle; and means providing a motion transmitting connection between the lever and said jaws operable only during swinging motion of the lever through said predetermined angle to positively effect slight swinging of the movable second jaw, away from the first jaw, to thereby facilitate retraction of the sponge.

8. The sponge mop of claim 7, wherein said last named means comprises an elongated cam surface on the lever, and a cam follower fixed on the rear jaw and cooperable with said cam surface on the lever.

9. The sponge mop of claim 7, wherein said last named means comprises linkage pivotally connected between each jaw and the sponge and so arranged as to impart relative spreading motion to the jaws as a consequence of retracting motion of the sponge.

10. In a mop of the type having an elongated swab of sponge material: means for supporting the swab during mopping use thereof and for compressing the swab to squeeze liquid out of it, said means comprising a pair of jaws having elongated upper and lower edges and hinged together along their upper edges; means mounting the swab between the jaws for up and down movement of the swab from a lower operative position in which a substantial portion of the swab projects below the lower edges of the jaws to a raised squeezing position in which the swab is substantially completely embraced by the jaws; a lever on the mop mounted for free swinging motion relative to the jaws through a predetermined angle of swing to and from a normal position; means providing a connection between the lever and the swab whereby movement of the lever away from its normal position through a portion of its angle of swing raises the swab to its squeezing position; means providing a connection between the lever and the jaws whereby movement of the lever through the remainder of its angle of swing effects convergence of the jaws to squeeze the swab, said last; named connection means being inoperative to effect convergence. of the jaws during movement of the lever through the first designated portion of its angle of swing so that the swab may be raised to its squeezing position without interference from the jaws; and stabilizer means carried by the swab and engageable with the jaws to normally preclude movement of the swab upwardly between the jaws in consequence of the exertion of mopping pressure upon the swab.

11. The mop of claim 10, wherein said stabilizer means comprises a pair of substantially rigid plate members lengthwise lying upon the top of the swab and normally diverging downwardly in fore and aft directions toward the jaws, and means securing said plate members to the top of the swab to provide a substantially hinged joint between the adjacent edge portions of said plate members whereby the same may be swung toward one another from positions of maximum divergence at which the remote edges of the plate members engage the inner surfaces of the jaws.

12. A swab unit for sponge mops, comprising: an elongated swab of sponge material having a substantially flat bottom face, upwardly and inwardly sloping front and rear faces, and downwardly and outwardly sloping top surfaces; substantially rigid stabilizer plates overlying said sloping top surfaces of the swab, said plates having their inner edges adjacent to one another and their remote edges adjacent to the front and rear faces of the swab; means securing said plates to the swab to provide for swinging of said plates toward one another about an axis lengthwise of the swab and adjacent to the inner edges of the plates; and means connected to the top of the swab providing a pocket having its axis lengthwise of the sponge and substantially directly over the inner edges of the stabilizer plates, in which a rod may be endwise removably received.

13. The swab unit of claim 12, wherein said pocket forming means comprises straps spanning the adjacent ends of the stabilizer plates, and having their ends fixed with relation to said plates, the medial portions of said straps defining loops to removably receive a rod.

14. The swab unit of claim 13, further characterized by the provision of a fabric covering secured to the top surfaces and upper surface portions of the front and rear faces of the swab, and having the stabilizer plates confined thereunder, said covering extending uninterruptedly across the top of the swab, under the pocket forming loops thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,089,475 Johnson et a1. 2- Mar. 10, 1914 2,224,462 Williams Dec. 10, 1940 2,443,233 Filardo June 15, 1948 2,624,061 'Leas Jan. 6, 1953 2,683,887 Bell July 20, 1954 2,840,843 Vavrinek July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 202,357 Australia July 5, 1956 562,615 France Nov. 15, 19 23