US3011204A

US3011204A - Mobile reversing apparatus for a traveling cleaner

Info

Publication number: US3011204A
Application number: US804741A
Authority: US
Inventors: Grover B Holtzclaw
Original assignee: Parks Cramer Co
Current assignee: Parks Cramer Co
Priority date: 1959-04-07
Filing date: 1959-04-07
Publication date: 1961-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 1978-12-05

Description

Dec. 5, 1961 s. B. HOLTZCLAW 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April '7. 1959 w w m m l w u 3 M m H w B M m w G b 2 o w M 5 2 Y \QMQLI B A a Q m T 44 L 4 o 3 m A M w A mwn w I ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1961 G. B. HOLTZCLAW 3,011,204

MOBILE REVERSING APPARATUS FOR A TRAVELING CLEANER Filed April 7. 1959- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORI G zovea B. Houzcuxw ATTORNEYS- Dec. 5, 1961 a. B. HOLTZCLAW 3,011,204

MOBILE REVERSING APPARATUS FOR A TRAVELING CLEANER Filed April 7, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 II AX INVENTOR GRovEa B. HOLTZCLAW 7 K aanwbawim 4 W ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1961 G. B. HOLTZCLAW 3,011,204

MOBILE REVERSING APPARATUS FOR A TRAVELING CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 7, 1959 BYfntd' m1 A 'W ATTORNEYS rates Unite This invention relates to a novel apparatusfor revers ing the direction of movement of a traveling cleane along a trackway over textile machines.

Many textile mills have blower-type traveling cleaners which move along trackways above rows of textile machines. Such traveling cleaners are provided with means for directing currents of air toward portions of the ma v chines therebelow to remove lint andiother light material therefrom. It is frequentlymecessa'ry to per-form various operations on the various machines, which operations require special and sometimes cumbersome equipment and, whilethe operations are being performed on individual machines, the flow of air from the traveling cleaner must be interrupted at such machines. Also, many of the aisles between adjacent machines are necessarily quite narrow both for the purpose of convenience to the operator as well as to effect efiicient utilization of all available floor space. Thus, it is frequently difiicult, if not impossible, to position cumbersome equipment on the floor close to the particular machines or portions thereof upon which the operations are being performed, because it gets in the way of personnel and machines. In some textile mills traveling suction cleaners mounted on overhead trackways are used for removing and collecting lint and other light material from machines and material in process or from floors or other room surfaces. Both types of traveling cleaners generally have appendages which might also get in the way ofpersonnel working on a particular machine or machines.

Most overhead traveling cleaners are equipped with a reversible driving mechanism and a movable shifting element for shifting the driving mechanism froinone position to another, periodically or on occasion, to cause the traveling cleaner to move in a corresponding direction along the trackway and it is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a mobile reversing means for a traveling cleaner of the character described, and which is particularly adapted for use on an endless trackway. The mobile reversing means comprises a wheeled carriage mounted on the trac-kway, provided with means-for moving the carriage from place to place on the'track cleaner will approach the carriage, but will not pass above said particular machine. Instead, the traveling cleaner is reversed to then move away from the carriage. j Also, the carriage may be moved along the trackway to a posimunicatively connected. The blower casing also has an inlet opening, and a suction casing communicating with" the inlet opening of the blower casing is carried by said carriage and has a pliable hose or tube connected to its inlet portion. The free end of the tube has a suction nozzle thereon which is preferably provided with bristles so as to form a brush which may be wielded in the hands of an attendant for cleaning various parts of a machine below the carriage and, as lint and the like is removed I by the brush, the lint is sucked into the nozzle and through interconnected parts to be deposited in the collection chamber. 7

It isstill another object of this invention to provide apparatus of the character described in which the carriage is provided with at least one elongated actuating arm pivotally connected thereto and having its free end portion suitably supported and guided for movement along the trackway, the actuating arm being engageable at its free end by the shifting element of said traveling cleaner whereby movement of the traveling cleaner toward the carriage causes the. shifting element to engage and be moved relative to thetraveling cleaner for shifting the reversing mechanism and to there-by effect reverse movement of the mobile reversing apparatus of the present invention embodied in a carriage with a suction cleaning appara-tus'mountcd thereon and wherein the carriage is mounted upon a pair of tracks shown in cross-section;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, partially in elevation, taken substantially along line 33 in FIGURE 2; v

FIGURE 4 is a somewhat schematic top plan view of the mobile reversing means mounted upon an endless track positioned above rows of textile machines, and also showing a reversible traveling cleaner on said track;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged side elevation taken looking substantially along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4-;

FIGURE dis an enlarged fragmentary isometric view vlooking, substantially along arrow 6 in FIGURE/ 5, at the opposite side of the respective actuating arm from that shown inFIGURE 5;

.FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIGURE .6; 7

FIGURE 8 is an exploded isometric view illustrating a preferred manner of connecting the collection chamber or dust bagto the outlet portion of the blower casing associated with the carriage;

FIGURE 9 is anenlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 9'*9 in FIG- URE 5 and illustrating a reversing. mechanismvwithin the gear housing on the lower portion of the traveling cleaner;

:tion adjacent or above any of themachines and the traveling cleaner will reverse its directionot movement upon approaching the carriage regardless of the position of the carriage on the trackway.

' It is another-object of this invention, in its preferred embodiment, to provide apparatusof the character described wherein the carriage supports a driven rotary fan surrounded by a casing havingv an outlet opening'to which an at least partially porous collection chamberfis com- FIGURE. 10 is an inverted plan view, partially-in seotion', taken substantially along line llk-llllin- FIGURE 9, with some of the parts'being shown indifferent positions from that in' which they are shown in FIGURE 9 for purposes of clarity. v

Referring to FIGURE 4,. in particular, the novel mobile reversing apparatusis preferably embodied in a suction cleaning apparatus broadly designated at 20-Which is may not be endless, but isshqwn asapair" Ofa endless Patented Dec. 5, 1961 parallel tracks '23, 24 suitably supported to extend above and in spaced relation to rows A, B of textile machines such as looms, for example.-

The traveling cleaner 22 may be of conventional or other construction and is shown as being of a type similar to'that disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,047,558, granted to W. B. Hodge on July 14, 1936. Accordingly, only so much of the traveling cleaner or blower unit 22 will be described as is necessary to a clear understanding of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, traveling cleaner 22 comprises a volute blower casing 30 having oppositely positioned downwardly directed nozzles 31 thereon (FIG- URE'4). Nozzles 31 are preferably of the oscillating type such as are disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,695,039, issued November 23, 1954. The lower wall of casing 30 encircles and is supported by the housing of an elec- 'tric motor 32 whose shaft 33 has a fan or impeller 34 fixed thereon. Fan 34 may be so rotated to produce either suction or blowing currents of air in tubes or nozzles, such as nozzles 31.

The upper wall of casing 30 has an air inlet opening 35 therein so that rotation of impeller 34 draws air inwardly through said opening to be exhausted through "nozzles 31. Motor 32 is supported upon a main carriage or gear housing 36 having a pair of shafts 37, 38 'journaled in one side thereof on which respective rollers or wheels 40 are fixedly mounted. The opposite side wall also has a stub shaft 41 (FIGURES 9 and fixed thereon on which a roller 42 is rotatably mounted. Rollers 40 are of the grooved type and are mounted for movement upon track 23 and roller 42 is mounted for movement upon track 24 of trackway 21.

Gear housing 36 contains gearing and a typical reversing mechanism which cooperate with the mobile reversing mechanism to be later described. Accordingly, said gearing and reversing mechanism will now be described in detail.

Referring to FIGURE 9, it will be observed that the lower end of motor shaft 33 penetrates the upper wall of gear housing 36 and has a worm 45 fixed thereon which meshes with a pair of substantially diametrically opposed Worm gears 46, 47 (FIGURES 9 and 10) fixed on the

respective shafts

37, 38. Clutch members or disks 50, 51 are keyed for axial movement on the

respective shafts

37, 38. Each clutch element 51 has a plurality of spaced holes 52 in its face adjacent the respective Worm gear which are adapted to receive respective pins or dogs 53 projecting from the respective worm gear.-

Annular grooves 54, 55 in respective clutch members 50, 51 are engaged by respective pairs of pins 56, 57 in yoked or C-shaped opposite ends of a substantially arcuateshifting bar or bracket 6%. Opposed arms of a crank lever 61 are also connected to opposite ends of shifting bracket 60. Crank lever 61 has a slot or notch 62 in its medial portion which engages a pin 63 projecting upwardly from a first locking lever 64 whose medial portion is journaled, as at 65, on a boss portion 66 (FIG- URE 9) depending from the upper wall of carriage36.

from a limiting lever 72 journaled on a shaft or screw 73 mounted in a boss portion 74 which also depends from the'upper wall of housing 36. Shifting bracket 6!} is also journaled above-limiting lever 72 on shaft 73 (PEG- URE 9). Limiting lever 72 has a pair of spaced stops 75 depending there-from which straddle one end of a second locking lever 77. The other end of locking lever 77 extends between a pair of laterally spaced lugs or abutments 80 integral with and projecting downwardly from the inner portion of first locking lever 64.

Referring to FIGURE 9, it will be observed that limiting lever 72 also has a prong 82 extending upwardly 4 therefrom which is engaged by a tubular shifting dog 83. Dog 83 extends upwardly in FIGURE 9 (away from the observer in FIGURE 10) and has a lateral tubular portion 84 integral therewith or suitably secured thereto. Portion 84 is oscillatably mounted on a shifting element or rod 85 guided for axial movement in opposed end walls of carriage or gear housing 36.

The arrangement of the apparatus, including levers- 64, 77 and spring 70 is particularly desired, since this arrangement insures quick relative shifting movement between clutch elements 50, 51, as will be presently de scribed. With the various parts in the position of FIG- URE 10, for example, engagement of the end of shifting rod 85 in the lower portion of FIGURE 10, with consequent movement thereof toward the top of the drawing, moves limiting lever 72 in the same direction until its lower stop engages and initiates counterclockwise movement to second locking lever 77. The other end of lever 77 then moves out of engagement with the upper lug 8"!) on first locking lever at substantially the time that the right-hand end of spring 70 in FIGURE 10 moves beyond dead center with respect to shaft 73. Thus, spring 70 imparts sudden counterclockwise movement to lever 77 through intervening connections. This also causes shifting rod to suddenly dart further toward the top of the drawing, and the proximal ends of levers 64, 77 move in FIGURE 10 so that pin 63 imparts quick counterclockwise movement to crank lever 61 and bracket 6t Thus, clutch member 51 is moved into operative position with respect to gear 47 while clutch element St) is moved out of engagement with gear 46. Since both gears 46 and 47 are continuously driven by worm 45, it is apparent that the direction of movement of traveling cleaner 22 is determined by the particular gear which may be engaged by the respective clutch member. The two

shafts

37, 38 may alternately drive each other by means of respective sprocket wheel 87, 88 fixed on

shafts

37, 38 and engaged by an endless sprocket chain 90.

It is apparent that engagement of the end of shifting rod 85 in the upper portion of FIGURE 10, for effecting movement thereto relative to carriage 36 (FIGURE 10), returns the elements to the position shown in FIGURE 10 so that gear 46 imparts rotation to

shafts

37, 38 rather than gear 47, thus reversing the direction of rotation of rollers 40.

The reversible drive mechanism housed in carriage 36 is typical of such mechanisms as are used with various types of traveling cleaners and the mobile reversing appmatus 20 of the present invention is particularly devised to be moved to any location on the trackway 21 while supporting working instrumentalities and for moving said shifting element 85 relative to the traveling cleaner 22 upon the traveling cleaner 22 approaching either end of the mobile reversing apparatus. The suction cleaning apparatus embodying said working instrumentalities may be of a type particularly adapted for cleaning looms, as disclosed herein, although it may be used for cleaning other types of textile machines.

The mobile reversing apparatus also comprises a carriage having wheels or grooved rollers 96 journaled on one side thereof and a wheel or roller 100 journaled on the otherside thereof. Rollers 96, 100 are adapted to ride

upo'n'respective track

23, 24 of trac'kway 21, Rollers 96 may be idler rollers or they'may be driven by means similar to that shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 which would be driven by an electric motor ltl2mounted on carriage 95 and forming a part of said working instrumentalities carried by carriage 95. In the event of rollers 96 and/ or 100 being driven by electric motor 102, the starting, stopping and direction of movement of carriage 95 may then be effected by means, not shown, connected to a controlarm 103 depending from a rod or shaft 104 projecting outwardly from carriage 95 adjacent roller 1%. In the interests of economy of manufacture, it has so far been found desirable to construct the mobile reversing apparatus so the carriage 95 is moved from place to place along trackway 21 merely by the operator pulling control arm 103 in the desired direction, without providing mechanical connections between rollers 96 and/or 100 and electric motor 102.

Opposite ends of carriage 95 have respective supports 110 projecting outwardly therefrom to which respective actuating arms or bars 111, 111' are pivotally connected for movement about a vertical axis, as at 113. The outer or distal ends of shifter actuating barslll, 111' preferably have respective enlarged portions or circular abutments 114, 114' fixed thereon or formed integral therewith. Each

actuator abutment

114, 114 is preferably provided with a concave end surface 115 (FIGURES and 6). It will be observed in FIGURE 9 that shifting rod 85 is spaced above and inwardly of track 23 and, in order to maintain the abutments or enlarged portions 114, 114' on shifter actuating arms 111, 111 inposition so as to be engaged by respective ends of shifting rod 85, each shifter actuating arm 111, 111 has track-engaging guide means thereon comprising a projection or block 116 suitably secured thereto or integral therewith.

Each block 116 depends from the respective shifter actuating arm and has a grooved wheel or roller 117 journaled on one side thereof and engaging the respective track 23. In this instance, each roller 117 is journaled 'on a threaded shaft 120 (FIGURE 7) which also has a spacing sleeve 121 mounted thereon and whose inner end is threaded into block 116. It is thus seen that, even though carriage 95 of the mobile reversing apparatus 20 may be positioned upon a curved portion of track 21, rollers 117 maintain the free ends of shifter actuating arms 111, 111 in substantial alinement withthe path of travelof respective ends of shifting rod 85 (FIGURES 5, 9 and From the foregoing, it is apparent that carriage 95 may be positioned above any of the machines in rows A, B or at any other desired location on track 21 and, as traveling cleaner 22 approaches carriage 95 at either end thereof, the

respective abutment

114 or 114 will be engaged by shifting rod 85 so that further movement of traveling cleaner 22 toward the mobile reversing carriage 95 will effect relative movement between shifting rod 85 and carriage 36of traveling cleaner 22 to thus reverse the direction of movement of traveling cleaner 22. Thus, the streams of air from the traveling cleaner 22 will not blow upon any machine or machines being operated upon by the working instrumentalities carried by the carriage 95 of the mobile reversing mechanism 20.

In this instance, the suction cleaning apparatus 20 includes a suction casing or lower casing 130 whose lower wall encircles and is suitably secured to the body of electric motor 102. The upper wall of casing 130 has an a G that dust bag 138 may be easily connected to and removed from the lower end of fitting 140. Dust bag 138 may be made from any desired material which will entrap lint and the like directed thereinto while permitting air to flow therethrough.

Duct or air inlet 136 of lower or suction casing 130 extends outwardly and downwardly and has a reduced fitting or coupling element 147 suitably connected thereto for receiving a female fitting or coupling element 148 on the upper end of a hose or flexible or pliable tube 149.

. In this instance, fitting 148 is removably secured to fitting in the form of a hollow brush having an air inlet'opening.

154 in its central portion which is surrounded by bristles 155. When the suction cleaner mounted upon carriage tending from upper casing 133. Duct 137 has a porous or perforate dust bag or collection chamber 138 communicatively-connected to its downwardly curved outer end. i

"- To this endI-it will be observed in FIGURE 8 that duct 137 has atubularfitting 140 attached'thereto whose annular lowenportion is provided with a. pair ofpins' 141 thereon, only one of'which is shown in FIGURE 8. Pins 95 is not in use, the hose or tube 149 may be coiled and hung upon a hanger 156 which is shown in FIGURES l and 2 in the form of a curved or substantially U-shaped arm, preferably from sheet metal, suitably secured to the downwardly curving portion'of duct 136.

As heretofore stated, the working instru'mentalities may vary, depending upon the particular operations to be performed thereby. Such working instrumentalities are disclosed herein in the form of a suction cleaning apparatus, since the suction cleaning apparatus mounted upon the mobile reversing mechanism embodied in carriage 95 is especially valuable in cleaning textile machinery; looms, in particular. 7 3

By way of example, it is to be assumed that the machines of rows A, B are looms above which-trackway 21 is positioned. Duringoperation of the looms it is important that lint and other light materialis prevented from accumulating on the looms. Such material, if allowed to accumulate, not only impairs operation of the mechanisms of the loom itself, but also accumulates on yarns and various other parts of the looms and causes breakage of the yarns as they pass through the usual reeds and heddles. Also, lint and other light material adhere to the yarns to such extent that they are woven into the fabric in the form of slubs, thus resulting in an inferior fabric.

In order to prevent the accumulation of lint and other light material upon the looms, yarns and fabric being processed, the traveling cleaner 22 directs streams of air upon the various parts of the looms, yarns and fabric as the traveling cleaner 22 moves along trackway 21 above the looms. During this time, if all the looms are operating satisfactorily, the mobile reversing mechanism 20 may be positioned above one of the aisles at either curved end portion of trackway 21, for example.

The cleaning of the looms, which can be performed by.

the suction cleaning apparatus supported by carriage 95 includes what may be termed as two distinct classifications or phases. One such classification is the special parts cleaning, which is performed while the looms are in operation, fully warped up, and with filling yarn in the magazines or batteries. During operation of each loom, the reed, reed cap, filling grate, harnesses, and harness strapping, all elements which are well known in the art, are parts that may require a certain amount of additional cleaning even though the traveling cleaner 2L2 frequently passes over each. loom. Without the suction cleaning apparatus disclosed herein, it would be necessary V for the operator to use a compressed air gun or a loom duster or brush to remove lint and the like fr'omthese varrous parts. When such a device is used in the hands bag 138. It is apparent that annular portion 143 of dust into engagement with respective pins 141. It is thus seen of the operator, lint and other light -material may fallinto the warp yarns and'may be woven into the cloth regardless of the care exercised by the operator.

With the present apparatus, the'carriagemay readily be moved from one place to another, overthe particular v loom requiring cleaning, even though the loomv may be running. The brush or nozzle15'3 may then bewelded in the hand of the operator for cleaning the various special parts such as heretofore described. If desired the brush or nozzle 153' may be used in a similar fashion to clean lower loom parts or the floor around or under the loom. Any lint and other light material removed by the brush 153- is sucked into opening 154, through hose 149 and duct 136: into suction casing 130. Fan 134 causes such lint and the like to flow through blower casing 13-3 to be discharged through duct 137 into dust bag or collection chamber 138.

This first phase of cleaning is done on a relatively high frequency as compared to cleaning at warp out time, and the time consumed, in this first phase of cleaning, on each loom is relatively short. Of course, the operation of the traveling blower cleaner 22 is not interruptedduring cleaning of individual looms because of the automatic actuation of the reversing shifter rod 85 effected each time traveling cleaner 22 moves into close proximity to the mobile reversing apparatus in either direction as heretofore described.

.The second classification or phase of cleaning is that cleaning which is performed during warp out time; that is, when the yarn on any warp beam at the back of a loom has substantially expired and a filled warp beam must be brought in to replace it. During warp out time the loom is usually thoroughly cleaned to the extent that virtually all lint and other foreign matter are removed from the various parts of the loom. The suction cleaning apparatus disclosed herein is particularly important for use in this second phase of cleaning.

In cleaning a loom or looms with the suction cleaning device mounted upon the carriage 95 of the mobile reversing mechanism 20, it is apparent that various parts of the loom may be reached and cleaned by the brush 153 and the lint and other light material may be carried away and collected in the dust bag or collection chamber 137, thus eliminating many of the problems which have existed heretofore in the cleaning of looms both during operation thereof and during warp out time.

It is thus seen that I have provided a mobile reversing apparatus for a traveling cleaner which apparatus comprises a wheeled carriage which may be moved from place to place on the track and including means on the carriage engageable by the shifting element of the traveling cleaner for reversing the direction of movement of the traveling cleaner upon the traveling cleaner contacting the carriage and wherein said carriage supports working instrumentalities for operating upon any desired machines therebelow.

In the drawings and specificationthere has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, al through specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a traveling cleaner, mounted for movement along a track over textile machines, of a carriage mounted on the track, means for moving the carriage from place to place on the track, means on the carriage engageable by the traveling cleaner for reversing the traveling cleaner upon contact with said carriage,

' and working instrumentalities on said carriage for working upon machines therebelow.

2. In an apparatus for cleaning textile machines comprising a traveling cleaner mounted on an endless track for movement above rows of textile machines; the combination of a wheeled carriage mounted on said track, said wheeled carriage being movable from place to place on said track independently of said traveling cleaner, and means on said carriage for reversing the direction of movement of said traveling cleaner upon said traveling cleaner moving into close proximity with said carriage.

3. In an apparatus for cleaning textile machines, said apparatus including a traveling cleaner mounted for movement along a trackway over said textile machines, and said traveling cleaner having a direction reversing means associated therewith; the combination of a wheeled carriage mounted on said trackway, means for moving the carriage from place to place on the trackway independently of said traveling cleaner, means on said carriage engageable by the traveling cleaner for actuating said direction reversing means associated with the traveling cleaner, and working instrumentalities carried by said carriage for operating upon machines beneath said carriage.

4. A structure according to claim 3 in which said means for moving said carriage from place to place on said trackway includes an electric motor, driving connections between the electric motor and at least one of the wheels of said carriage, a control arm suspended from said carriage, and manually operable switch means on said control arm for energizing and de-energizing said electric motor.

5. In an apparatus for cleaning textile machines comprising a traveling cleaner having a fan adapted to be mounted on a track located above rows of textile machines, and said cleaner having a reversing drive mechanism for moving said cleaner along said track; the combination of a wheel carriage adapted to be mounted on said track, means for moving said carriage to various positions on said track independently of said traveling cleaner, actuating means on said carriage, said reversing mechanism including means engageable with said actuating means for reversing the direction of movement of said cleaner upon said cleaner moving toward and into proximity with said carriage, and working instrumentalities carried by said carriage.

6. A structure according to claim 5 in which said actuating means on said carriage includes an elongated actuating arm having one of its ends pivotally connected to said carriage, said actuating arm extending substantially on the same level as said trackway, and wheel means journaled on said actuating arm and engaging said trackway in substantial horizontally spaced relation from said carriage.

7. In an apparatus for cleaning rows of textile machines, said apparatus comprising a traveling cleaner unit adapted to be mounted on a track positioned above at least one of said rows of textile machines, said unit being provided with an air impeller, and a reversible driving mechanism for moving said unit along said track; the

combination of a wheel carriage adapted to be mounted for movement on said track independently of said unit, means for moving said carriage to various positions on said track, actuating means on said carriage, said reversible driving mechanism including means engageable with said. actuating means upon said cleaner unit moving toward and into close proximity to said carriage for actuating said reversible driving mechanism to reverse the direction of movement of said unit, and working instrumentalities carried by said carriage for operating upon particular machines over which said carriage may, from time to time, be positioned.

8. A structure according to claim 7 including a suction chamber mounted on said carriage, means for creating suction currents in said chamber, said chamber having an air inlet therein, a flexible tube having one end communieatively connected to. said air inlet, and a suction nozzle on the other end of said tube.

9. A structure according to claim 8 in which said nozzle is in the form of a hollow brush having bristles thereon to assist in cleaning machines beneath the carriage.

10. In an apparatus for cleaning rows of textile machines, said apparatus including a traveling cleaner mounted for movement on a trackway located above rows of textile machines, and said cleaner having a reversible driving mechanism, including a movable shifting element, for moving said cleaner along said trackway; the combination of a carriage mounted for movement on said trackway, means for moving said carriage from place to place on said trackway independently of said cleaner, actuating means on said carriage disposed in the path of movement of said shifting element, said shifting element being operable to reverse said driving mechanism upon engagement with said actuating means to thereby reverse the direction of movement of said travelling cleaner, and working instrumentalities on said carriage for operating upon machines above which said carriage may be positioned.

11. A structure according to claim 10 in which said working instrumentalities include a driven rotary fan mounted on said carriage, a blower casing surrounding said fan and being provided with an air inlet and an air outlet thereon, a suction casing communicating with the air inlet of said blower casing and also having an air inlet therein, and a suction nozzle communicating with said last-named air inlet, said fan serving to suck lint and other light material into the casings and to cause said lint and other material to be blown through said air outlet.

12. A structure according to claim 11 including an at least partially porous collection chamber communicatively connected with the air outlet of said blower casing for collecting therein any lint and other ligh material drawn into the casing by said fan and for permitting air to flow through the collector chamber.

13. In an apparatus for cleaning rows of textile machines including a trackway positioned above the textile machines, a reversible traveling cleaner movable on said trackway and having a movable shifting element thereon serving to reverse the direction of movement of said cleaner along said trackway; the combination of a wheeled carriage movable in engagement with said trackway from one place to another thereon and compris-' ing actuating means engageable with said shifting element upon said cleaner moving toward and into close proximity to said wheeled carriage for moving said element and reversing the direction of movement of said traveling cleaner, and work instrumentalities carried by said carriage for operating upon textile machines above which said carriage may, from time to time, be positioned.

14. In an apparatus for cleaning rows of textile m-achines including a trackway positioned above the textile machines, a reversible traveling cleaner movable on said trackway and having a movable shifting element thereon serving to .reverse the direction of movement of said cleaner along said trackway; the combination of means movable in engagement with said trackway from one place to another thereon comprising actuating means engageable with said shifting element upon said cleaner moving toward and into close proximity to said movable means for moving said element and reversing the direction of movement of said traveling cleaner and work instrumentalities carried by said movable means for operating upon textile machines above which said movable means may, from time to time, be positioned.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,188 Burton Mar. 23, 1926 2,003,911 Walker June 4, 1935 2,635,275 Holtzclaw Apr. 21, 1953 i 2,812,251 Miller et al. Nov. 5, 1957 2,822,937 Fox Feb.'11, 1958 2,886,843 Bahnson May 19, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,080,300 France Dec. 8, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N0 3,01%204 December 5 1961 Grover Bo Holtzclaw It is hereby certified that error appeers in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 8

lines

24 and 47 for "wheel'fl, each occurrence read wheeled column 9 line 6 for "travelling" reed traveling 3 line 24 for "ligh" read light same column 9 line 26, for "collector read collection Signed and sealed this 17th day of April 1962,

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON e JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents