US3058135A

US3058135A - Sweeper and dustpan assembly

Info

Publication number: US3058135A
Application number: US138873A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry C Harrison
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-09-18
Filing date: 1961-09-18
Publication date: 1962-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1979-10-16

Description

1962 H. c. HARRISON SWEEPER AND DUSTPAN ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1961 w ma v a I i 0 k 5: 7;: :5 n?

v7 w E 2 w m INVENTOR HENRY c. HARRISON BY W f ATTORNEYS Oct. 16, 1962 H. c. HARRISON SWEEPER AND DUSTPAN ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR HENRY C HARRISON BY 4% (94%) 9W ATTORNEY}? 3,058,135 SWEEIER AND DUSZTKAN ASSEMBLY Henry C. Harrison, Port Washington, N.Y., assignor of one-half to Henry Harrison, Locust Valley, N.Y. Filed ept. E8, 1961, Ser. No. 138,873 14 Claims. (Ci. 15-41) This invention relates to cleaning devices, and particularly concerns the provision of an improved brush sweeper and dust pan unit, an improved sweeper for use therewith, and an improved method of assembling cleaning device support frames in fixed relation to handle members therefor.

Various types of cleaning devices such as, for example, vacuum cleaners, brooms, carpet sweepers, and mops have heretofore been developed for use in cleaning surfaces and/ or removing dirt or lint particles from a surface. The present invention is directed to the provision of an auxiliary cleaning device designed to supplement some of the existing devices, and eliminate the need for others.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a light, durable, eflicient and easily-operated device for picking up dirt particles and/ or lint particles and/ or other particles from a surface to be cleaned, and automatically collecting the particles so picked up in a pan or housing.

A still further primary object of the present invention is to provide a sweeper and dust pan unit conforming with the preceding object, which unit an operator can push along a floor causing a brush member thereof to rotate at a speed faster than synchronously with the floor and sweep dirt or lint or other particles into an open pan moving with the brush member and therebehind.

Still a further and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a sweeper dust pan unit according to the preceding objects and so constructed (1) that the brush member can be moved to a selected position above the dust pan coupled therewith so that the dust pan can be used independently of the brush member, and (2) that when the unit is lifted above a surface, the dust pan will normally hang down under the brush member and serve to pocket the dirt or lint or other particles which have been collected therein.

Still other, further, and even more specific objects of the present invention are: (a) to provide a sweeper and dust pan unit as prescribed above wherein when the dust pan rests on a floor, the brush member is normally maintained in at least partially-supported relation with respect to the floor so that the bristles of the brush member will not take a permanent set from long-continued strain and cold flow of the bristle substance; (b) to provide a sweeper and dust pan unit conforming with all of the preceding objects wherein a coupling between the dust pan and brush supporting frame serves to yieldably support the brush member with respect to the surface to be swept in such a manner that the brush member must be pressed against the surface to be swept flexing the bristles for operation of the unit, and when such pressing takes place, the surface-engaging lip of the dust pan automatically is pressed against the surface over which the unit is to be moved; to provide such a sweeper and dust pan unit wherein the brush member is driven through a belt arrangement adapted to engage the surface to be swept only when the bristles of the brush member are flexed, so that the length of the bristles can be somewhat shortened by wear without preventing successful operation of the unit; (d) to provide such a brush-up sweeper and dust pan unit wherein the drive means for the brush member comprises a pair of brush drive wheels carried at opposite ends of the brush member, a pair of rollers positioned in vertical and peripheral alignment with the brush drive wheels, and a pair of belts passing therearound to drive the brush member whereby upon pushing down on the handle member of the unit to flex the bristles of the brush, the engagement of the brush with a surface to be swept is substantially independent of the angle of the handle; (e) to provide such a brush-up sweeper and dust pan unit incorporating means for insuring the positive collection of dust within the pan, which means takes the form of a flexible apron extending between the dust pan and the brush member of the unit; to provide such a brush-up sweeper and dust pan unit wherein skid members are incorporated on the dust pan to facilitate movement of the pan over a surface to be swept; (g) to provide such a brush-up sweeper and dust pan unit wherein the skid members are elastically coupled to the dust pan in assembly and so contoured as to insure a minimum of noise in operation; (It) to provide such a brush-up sweeper and dust pan unit incorporating a brush member support frame comprising a pair of bent Wire rods so joined as to support the brush member and drive components therefor in proper operating relation regardless of movement of the brush member; and (i) to provide such a brush-up sweeper and dust pan unit which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured for trouble-free use over extended periods of time.

As suggested above, still a further object of the present invention is to provide a method of assembling a handle member and a cleaning device supporting frame, which method facilitates the coupling between the two when the frame comprises a pair of spaced-apart bars adapted to be coupled with the handle member infixed relation thereto.

The invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various parts of the assemblies, and in an improved method of assembling certain of the parts, whereby the objects contemplated are attained. The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those specifically set forth above will become apparent, when consideration is given to the illustrative and preferred embodiments of the invention presented in the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view, partially in section, of a sweeper and dust pan unit constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the unit shown in FIGURE 1, FIGURE 2 presenting (a) in solid line, the components of an embodiment of the invention in the position which they assume when the unit is resting on a surface to be swept and the brush member thereof has been moved into operative contact with such surface, and (b) in phantom, the position which such components assume when the brush member thereof is moved above the dust collecting pan;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of a unit constructed in accordance with the present invention, and presents the same with the brush member in elevated position to facilitate emptying of the same or use as an ordinary dust pan;

FIGURE 4 is a plan View of the bottom of the dust pan shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, FIGURE 4 present ing the details of construction of torsion means carried on the dust pan bottom wall, and means coupling the dust pan with the brush unit, which means cooperate, to normally support the brush unit with respect to a surface to be swept and to press the dust-receiving lip of the dust pan into engagement with the surface to be swept when the brush member is moved into engagement with such surface;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary front view, of one end section of the sweeper shown in FIGURE 3, but FIG- URE 5 presents the unit with the brush in surface engaging position; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary detailed View showing the preferred form of coupling between the dust pan apron or cover and the dust pan proper.

In the drawings, the sweeper and dust pan unit provided by the invention is generally designated by the numeral 2. Such unit includes a brush member generally designated by the numeral 4; a handle member generally designated by the numeral 6; support means generally designated by the numeral 8 for rotatably joining the rush-supporting frame to the handle member, drive means, generally designated by the

numerals

10 and 10, for rotatably driving the brush member as the unit is moved over a surface to be swept, and a dust pan generally designated by the numeral 12. Means generally designated by the numeral 16 pivotally couple the dust pan with the support means 8 whereby the dust pan is swingable from a position with the dust receiving Opening 14 of pan 12 directly behind the brush member as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 when the brush member engages the surface to be swept, to a position where the dust receiving opening 14 in the dust pan is under the brush member when the brush member is elevated as shown in dotted line in FIGURE 2.

The means generally designated by the numeral 16 for pivotally coupling the dust pan with the support means 8 includes a pair of arms 18 and 20 which, as hereafter explained, are also pivotally secured to the dust pan and extended on opposite sides thereof beyond the opening 14 for the pivotal connection with the support means 8. Wireforms 19 (FIGURE 2) are secured to the arms 18 and 20, as by welding. Arch ends 34 of these Wire forms provide pivotal connection with support means 8, while their lug ends 34, as explained hereafter, serve as shaft lugs for pivotally supporting the brush.

The support means 8, in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, takes the form of a wire frame including a first member 22 and a second member 32. The second member 32 extends through a notch 112 in the handle member 6 spaced from the lower end thereof, and has the diverging

arms

24 and 26 thereof bent at their ends so as to provide shaft lugs 28 and 30. The first member 22 is a straight member extending through an axial notch 110 in the handle member near the lower end in spaced relation to the second frame member 32. The second member 32 is fixed to the first member as by welding at points 33 and 33' at opposite ends thereof.

The brush member 4 which is carried by the support means 8 is preferably a generally cylindrical brush member having flexible bristles 40 projecting from opposite sides of a twisted wire shaft or core 42 extending centrally therethrough. Fixedly secured to the ends 43 of the shaft 42 and projecting beyond the brush member 4 are a pair of brush drive wheels 44. By virtue of such construction, the wheels are coaxial with the brush member.

As is apparent from a review of FIGURE 1, the brush drive wheels 44- have a diameter which is less than that of the brush member 4, and are journaled on the inwardly-bent wire form lugs 34', whereby the brush member is rotably disposed in the pivotal coupling means 16 and carried in fixed relation thereto.

The inwardly bent ends 28 and 30 of frame member 32 extend through the arch ends 33 of the wire forms 19, and carry a pair of rollers 50, on an axis substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the brush member and the brush drive wheels 44. The inwardly bent ends of shaft lugs 34 extend parallel to the rotational axis of both the brush member 4 and the brush drive wheels 44, and terminate in spaced relation to the ends of the brush member. As shown, the rollers 50 carried on such lugs are peripherally, and preferably vertically, aligned with their associated brush drive wheels; that is, rollers 50 are aligned with respective adjacent brush drive wheels 44. A pair of

brush drive belts

56 and 58 each extend around an associated roller and brush drive wheel, and

the belts are provided with cross-cleats, serrations, or friction members whereby when the brush 4 engages a surface to be cleaned, and the unit 2 is moved thereover, the belts drive the brush member 4.

Since the circumference of the brush drive wheels is less than the circumference of the brush, the brush member is driven faster than synchronously with the surface over which it is moving. The term faster than synchronously with the surface over which it is moving," as used in this description and the appended claims, means that a given point on the brush member makes more than one revolution when the unit is moved over such surface by a distance equal to the circumference of the brush member.

With the preferred construction, the rollers 50 are so dimensioned, and the lugs 34 on which the rollers are journaled are so positioned, that the belts terminate above the lower extremity of the brush member, and thus the brush member must be pushed down whereby the bristles thereof flex before the drive belts contact a surface to be swept and drive the brush member. This allows for operation of the device properly even as the bristles wear away.

In order to prevent the rollers 50 from slipping off their respective journals 28 and 30, the brush drive wheels 44 are preferably equipped with flanges 45 which engage with grooves 47 in the hubs 51 carried by rollers 50. These flanges serve also to keep the belts from slipping off the drive wheels inwardly toward the brush. The arms 18 and 20 prevent the belts from slipping off outwardly. Suitable crowning of the serrated surface of the drive rollers 44 urges the belts always toward the flanges 45 so that in normal operation they do not rub against the arms 18 and 20.

The first frame member 22 and the second frame member 32 are pinched so as to have outwardly extending projections 111 and 113 intermediate of the portions thereof passing through the notches I10 and 112 in the wood 6 of handle member 6. In the assembling of the support means 8 with the handle member 6 the frame member 22 fits into the axial slot, but a small staple 114 is driven over the frame member 32 into the wooden handle member 6 to secure the same in position. By this simple construction the support means 8 is rigidly and durably secured to the handle member 6, and is prevented from turning or sliding in any direction relative to the handle member 6.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the dust pan 12 comprises a stepped bottom wall 66, side walls such as that designated by numeral 68 projecting upwardly from opposite sides of the bottom wall, a top wall 70, and one end wall 72, joined to form a housing open at one end. The top wall is preferably extended by a flexible curtain 71, secured at its forward edge by

loops

116 and 118 to the pivotal coupling means 16, whereby all dust or dirt travelling rearwardly of the brush will be caught. The open end of the housing forms the dust receiving opening 14 which is at least as long as, and preferably slightly longer than the bristle section of the brush. Disposed on the lower edge of the open end of bottom wall 66 is a beveled downwardly directed rubber strip 74 which forms a surface-engaging lip. The front portion of the stepped bottom wall 66 of the pan 12 extends in contiguous parallel relation to and adjacent the rubber strip 74, and is flat over a predetermined width. This fiat portion or area slides over a surface to be swept, such as, for example, carpet, without sinking thereinto, and accordingly, the force required to move the pan over such surface is minimized. Preferably also provided on the bottom of the pan are two metal sliders 196 bonded to sponge rubber pads 198 which in turn are bonded to the bottom surface of the pan. The metal sliders 196 are contoured to slide among engaging particles of grit 0r irregularities and the sponge rubber pads 198 and the rubber edge strip 74 serve to suppress vibration and noise of the pan when it is slid over hard surfaces.

The steps 67, 67' in the stepped bottom wall 66 of the pan 12 serve to retain dust particles previously collected. Although described above in detail as comprising separate walls, the dust pan preferably is formed from two molded plastic sections which are joined together as by cementing or heat welding along the line 76. Alternatively, the entire pan can be molded of a single piece by the process, now used for making plastic bottles, of expanding a preformed piece of plastic into an external mold.

The pivotal attachment of the coupling means 16 to the pan 12 is illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 5 A cross shaft 64 extends between the rear ends of the arms 18 and 20 and is retained between the downwardly extending wall of step 67 and the molded

projections

194 and 194 by the rivet heads 195 and 195'. A torsional spring 86- is disposed along the shaft 64 and adjacent the bottom wall 66. One end of spring 80 is twisted around shaft 64 and disposed in engaged relation thereto in the recess 81, while the other end of the spring 6% is bent so as to snap under the molded projection 1%, thereby providing a torsional connection to the pan 12. Thus shaft 64 is rotatably joined to the pan, and is constantly urged in a counterclockwise direction, by the torsion spring, as shown in FIGURE 2.

Free counterclockwise rotation of the arms 18 and 20 is restrained by the frictional detent action of the projections 90 which are formed as a part of the side walls 68 of the pan. Preferably, the torsion spring is designed to support at least most of the weight of the brush, the support means 8, the handle means 6, and the pivotal coupling means 16, so that when left standing for extended periods of time, the bristles will not cold flow and be permanently deformed. When the arms 18 and 20 are positively moved past the detents 90, the torsion spring 80 urges the arms into a position free of pressure by the surface to be swept. Keeping the spring torque as low as is consistent with extended life of the brush bristles keeps the force moment tending to tilt the pan up on its edge as low as possible, which is important as will become apparent hereinbelow.

When it is desired to move the brush member 4 into sweeping engagement with the surface to be swept, the handle means 6 and support means 8 are pushed downwardly in the direction of the arrow A (FIGURE 2). The brush bristles 40 flex and the

belts

56 and 58 engage the surface to be swept. The downward movement of the brush member winds the torsion spring, thus pressing the rubber surface-engaging lip 74 of the bottom wall of the dust pan housing into contact with the surface to be swept.

The flexible curtain 71 is preferably of cloth or thin flexible plastic material of suitable color or pattern. The side edges of curtain 71 may be pinked or scalloped or castellated, thereby obscuring the imperfect closure with the side walls of the pan housing. The rear edge of the curtain may be hemmed, and secured to the forward edge of the pan top 70 by an elastic bow strip 190, disposed within the hem, and having tongue-shaped ends 189 which springably engage in holes 183 near the forward corners of the pan top 70, shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. Thus the rear edge of the curtain is firmly but detachably secured to the top of the dust pan. The forward edge of the curtain may also be hemmed, and threaded over a strip 116 of rubber or other elastic material, the extremities of which are pierced and slipped over the curved rear portion of the arms 18 and 20, to rest in notches or bends near the summit of this curved rear portion.

When the curtain 71 is in the position shown in FIG- URE 2, it effectively prevents the escape of dirt or dust particles being swept into the pan; but when the pivotal connection means is disposed in the raised position shown in phantom in FIGURE 2, the curtain rolls back to leave a generous opening at the front of the pan for the entry of dirt sweptin by a hand broom. It is necessary to have the curtain 71 long enough so that the

belts

56 and 58 can engage the floor and drive even on irregular floors or carpets with deep naps without tipping the dust pan forward. If desired, downward extensions of the loops 1'16 and 118, such as and 122, can engage the bottom wall 66 of the pan to prevent the pivotal connecting means from moving too far down, relative to the pan, to apply undue strain to the curtain material. The extensions 120 and 122 can also engage the top of the pan 70 to limit the rearward swing of the brush assembly when the brush is disposed in the raised open dust pan position as shown in FIGURE 3.

Since the dust pan 12 is pivotally coupled with the support means 8 by cooperation of the arm members 18 and 20 with lugs 28 and 3t and since the arms are carried by a shaft 64 pivotally coupled with the bottom wall of the dust pan, when the brush member is elevated, the dust pan normally assumes the position shown in phantom in FIG- URE 2. Or, as a result of the detents 90, it may assume the relation to the handle shown in FIGURE 1. Of course when the unit is in operative position, and the sweeper is to be used, then the portions assume the positions shown in full line in FIGURE 2. If, however, it is desired to sweep under a low piece of furniture, such as an upholstered chair, the handle may assume the relative position indicated in phantom in FIGURE 2. The

arms

24 and 26 of the frame member 22 have rearwardly offset

portions

128 and 130 which permit the handle means 6 to assume the low relative position shown in FIGURE 2 without interfering with the top of the pan.

However, at times it may be desired to use the dust pan alone, and thus the brush member, handle member, support means, and brush drive means which form the sweeper assembly can be swung above the dust pan for this purpose, as also shown in phantom in FIGURE 2. As already described, the brush assembly is restrained in such position by the torque of the spring 80.

When the sweeper is being drawn backward or toward the operator, it is desirable to resist upward motion of the brush, and prevent it from being too easily raised, since this large displacement interferes awkwardly with guiding the unit for sweeping. The frictional detents 90 limit the free upward motion of the brush assembly in normal sweeping operation, but the detent can easily be overcome when it is desired to raise the brush for emptying the pan 12 or for use as an ordinary dust pan.

After reading the foregoing description of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art which fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that such description, and the embodiments of the invention presented in the annexed drawings, be interpreted in an illustrative sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising, in combination, a brush member; a handle member; support means mounted in fixed relation to said brush member for rotatably mounting said brush member; drive means, carried by said support means and engageable with a surface to be swept, for rotatably driving said brush member as said unit is moved over that surface; a dust pan having a dust receiving opening therein; and means pivotally coupling said dust pan with said support means and operative to provide a swingable movement of said dust pan support means from a position with said opening directly behind said brush member when said brush member engages a surface to be swept, to a position where said opening is below said brush member when said brush member is elevated.

2. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 1 wherein said means pivotally coupling said dust pan with said support means includes a pair of arms pivotally secured to said dust pan and extending on opposite sides thereof beyond said opening whereby said brush member is swingable above said pan when said 7 pan engages a surface and said opening is disposed to receive dust swept therein, and whereby said pan can be tilted independently with respect to said brush member to empty said pan.

3. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 2 wherein said pan comprises a housing with an open end at least substantially the length of said brush member forming said dust receiving opening, and wherein the side walls of said housing are provided with detent means for releasably receiving said arms.

4. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 2 and further including means for normally maintaining said arms and thereby said support means and said brush member carried thereby supported with respect to the surface to be swept when said opening is directly behind said brush member and for urging the surface engaging edge of said opening against the surface when said brush member is moved into sweeping contact with the surface to be swept.

5. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 2 wherein said means pivotally coupling said dust pan with said support means further includes a shaft rotatably mounted on said dust pan and extending between opposite sides of said dust pan intermediate the forward end thereof adjacent said brush memher and the central axis of said pan parallel to said forward end, wherein said arms are fixedly secured to opposite ends of said shaft and wherein said combination further includes cooperating means on said pan and said shaft for normally maintaining said arms and thereby said support means and said brush member carried thereby at least partially supported with respect to the surface to be swept when said opening is directly behind said brush member and for urging the surface engaging edge of said opening against the surface when said brush member is moved into sweeping contact with the surface to be swept.

6. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 2 wherein said pan comprises a housing, with detent means for releasably maintaining said brush member forward of said open end.

7. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising, in combination. a cylindrical brush member having flexible bristles; a pair of brush drive wheels fixed coaxially to said brush member at opposite ends thereof, said brush drive wheels having a diameter less than said brush member; a handle member; support means carried by said handle member for rotatably supporting said brush member and brush drive wheels below said handle member, said support means having means for pivotally supporting said brush drive wheels; a pair of pivotal, inwardly projecting lugs extending at least substantially parallel to the rotational axis of said brush member and terminating in spaced relation to said brush drive wheels; a pair of rollers journaled on said lugs, each of said rollers being peripherally aligned with an associated one of said brush drive wheels; a pair of drive belts, each belt extending around one of said rollers and the associated drive wheel, the lower extremity of said belts being above the lower extremity of said brush member, whereby when the bristles of said brush member are flexed against a surface to be swept said belts engage the surface and through said drive wheels rotatably drive said brush member as said unit is moved over the surface; a dust pan having a dust-receiving opening therein, one edge of said opening forming a surface-engaging lip; a dust pan support pivotally secured to said dust pan and having a pair of arms projecting beyond the above said lip, each of said arms being secured to one of said lugs whereby said pan is swingable from a position where said opening is behind said brush member to a position where said opening is thereunder, and cooperating means on said dust pan support and said dust pan for normally maintaining said arms above a surface on which said dust pan is resting by a distance suflieient to at least partially support said brush member with respect to that surface when said pan is behind said brush member and for urging said lip against said surface when said brush member is moved into engagement with that surface.

8. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 7 wherein said support means comprises a wire frame, said frame including a first member coupled to said handle member and having diverging arms extending below said handle member, said arms being bent at the ends thereof and carrying said lugs, and a second member extending through said handle member below said first member, said second member being fixed to said first member at opposite ends thereof, wherein said frame further includes wire forms pivoted on the bent ends of said first member and having inwardly bent ends forming other lugs, and wherein said brush member has a shaft projecting from opposite ends thereof fixedly secured to said brush drive wheels.

9. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising, in combination, a cylindrical brush member having flexible bristles; a pair of brush drive wheels fixed coaxially to said brush member at opposite ends thereof, said brush drive wheels having a diameter less than said brush member; a handle member; support means carried by said handle member for rotatably supporting said brush member and brush drive wheels below said handle member; said support means having a pair of inwardly-projecting lugs extending parallel to the rotational axis of said brush and said brush drive wheels and terminating in spaced relation to the ends of said brush member; a pair of rollers journaled on said lugs, each of said rollers being peripherally aligned with an associated one of said brush drive wheels; a pair of drive belts; each belt extending around one of said rollers and the associated drive wheel, the lower extremity of said belts being above the lower extremity of said brush member, whereby when the bristles of said brush member are flexed against a surface to be swept said belts engage the surface and through said drive wheels rotatably drive said brush member faster than synchronously with the surface to be swept as said unit is moved over the surface; a dust pan comprising a stepped bottom wall, side walls projecting upwardly from said bottom wall, a top wall, and one end wall joined to form a housing open at one end, the forward edge of said bottom wall being beveled to form a surface-engaging lip, said bottom wall carrying means to rotatably maintain a shaft thereon. a shaft carried by said last mentioned means and extending between opposite sides of said housing, a pair of arms fixed to opposite ends of said shaft, said arms extending beyond the open end of said housing and being coupled with said support means; torsion means cooperating with said shaft and said means to rotatably maintain the said shaft to normally hold said arms above said lip by a distance sufiicient to support said brush member with respect to a surface to be swept; whereby when the surface is to be swept and said brush member is pushed down by said handle member so that the bristles of said brush member are flexed and said belts engage the surface, then said torsion means reacts against said housing, and said lip is urged against the surface to be swept.

10. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 9 wherein said brush member and brush drive wheels are rotatably supported below said handle member in fixed relation thereto with said handle member extending upwardly and to one side of said brush member, wherein said dust pan is on said one side of said brush member when said bottom wall faces a surface to be swept; wherein said combination further includes at least one slider disposed remote from said lip to support the weight of said housing; and wherein said side walls of said housing carry aligned arm-receiving detents for releasably engaging said arms.

11. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 9 wherein said brush member and brush drive wheels are rotatably supported below said handle member in fixed relation thereto with said handle member extending upwardly and to one side of said brush member, wherein said dust pan is on said one side of said brush member when said bottom wall faces a surface to be swept; wherein said slider comprises a surface engaging member and a resilient member coupling said surface engaging member to said housing; and wherein said side Walls of said housing carry aligned arm-receiving detents for releasably engaging said arms.

12. A sweeper and dust pan comprising, in combination, a brush member; a handle member; support means coupled to said handle member for rotatably mounting said brush member for movement over a surface, a dust pan comprising a stepped bottom wall, side walls projecting upwardly from said bottom wall, a top wall, and one end wall joined to form a housing opened at one end, said supporting means being positioned forwardly of said dust pan, and an apron extending between the top of said housing and said support means whereby dust moved by said brush member is directed into said housing.

13. A sweeper and dust pan unit comprising the combination defined in claim 12 and further including means pivotally coupling said support means to said housing and operative to provide a swingable movement of said brush member from a position forward of the open end of said housing to a position above said housing.

14. In a sweeper unit the combination of a cylindrical brush member having flexible bristles; a pair of brush drive wheels fixed coaxially to said brush member at opposite ends thereof, said brush drive wheels having a diameter less than said brush member; a handle member; support means carried by said handle member for rotatably supporting said brush member and brush drive wheels below said handle member with said handle member extending upwardly and to one side of said brush member, said support means having a pair of inwardly projecting lugs extending parallel to the rotational axis of said brush member and said brush drive wheels and terminating in spaced relation to the ends of said brush member; a pair of rollers journaled on said lugs, each of said rollers being peripherally aligned with an associated one of said brush drive wheels; a pair of drive belts, each belt extending around one of said rollers and the associated drive wheel, the lower extremity of said belts being above the lower extremity of said brush member, whereby when the bristles of said brush member are flexed against a surface to be swept said belts engage the surface and through said drive Wheels rotatably drive said brush member faster than synchronously with the surface to be swept as said unit is moved over the surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,037,902 Hertzberg Apr. 21, 1936 2,744,776 Brown May 8, 1956 2,991,095 Wagner July 4, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 601,868 Great Britain May 13, 1948 635,413 Great Britain Apr. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,058,135 October 16, 1962 Henry C. Harrison It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 6, line 26, for "the relative" read a counter-- clockwise pivoted same column 6, line 27, for "indicated in phantom" read relative to that I Signed and sealed this 9th day of April 1963,

(SEAL) Attest:

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