US3076202A

US3076202A - Mop sink

Info

Publication number: US3076202A
Application number: US219416A
Authority: US
Inventors: Weldon B Sorrells
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-08-27
Filing date: 1962-08-27
Publication date: 1963-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-05
Also published as: GB996644A; DE1453074A1

Description

Feb. 5,3 1963 w. 'B. SORRELLS 3,076,202

MOP SINK Filed Aug. 2'?, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Wu 0005. ISO/mus BY I [WY ATTORNEYS W. B. SORRELLS Feb. 5, 1963 MOP SINK & N

M 2 6 9 1 2 m A d e 1 i F BY GQAMW QZ, X

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,076,202 MOP SINK Weldon B. Sorrells, 511 N. Monroe St., Arlington, Va.

' Filed Aug. 27, 1962, Bar. No. 219,416

6 Claims. (Cl. 4- -189) This invention relates to sink constructions and in particular to an improved sink for washing and storing mops.

In institutions, oifice buildings and restaurants it is a common practice to provide a number of mops for use in cleaning floors. Various types of portable cleaning equipment such as buckets and wheeled tanks provided with wringers are used in combination with the mops at the locations where cleaning is performed. When the cleaning job has been completed, the mops and containers are usually returned to a closet or other area set aside for the purpose and remain there until they are needed again. A conventional deep sink or tub is usually provided in this area for disposing of the dirty water and rinsing the mops. Ordinarily, the rinsed mops are then stored by standing them against a wall or in the containers or in the sink.

The above-described conventional procedure for rinsing and storing mops has several disadvantages, particularly when more than one mop is provided and when more than one person uses the facilities. Firstly, the person returning a soiled mop may fail to rinse it, and as a result the next person needing a mop will either unknowingly take a soiled mop or must rinse it before use. Secondly, the storing of a number of mops either in a conventional sink or standing in buckets or against the wall is awkward and unsightly. Obviously, mops stored in this manner are easily dislodged from their resting place and are apt to fall to the floor or, at best, to stand askew. Thirdly, and most importantly, rinsing and storage of mops in this manner does not assure that a clean, sweet mop will always be available. It is seldom possible merely by rinsing to clean a soiled mop to such a degree that it will not turn sour with mildew and other bacteria when stored damp and, obviously it is awkward and time consuming to plug the sink drain and thoroughly wash a mop after each use. Obviously, also, if the mops are stored in the sink each soiled mop will contaminate the others as Well as making the rinsing or washing operation difiicult.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a sink which is constructed so as to always present one or more neatly stored clean mops yet have an uncluttered mop-rinsing and mop-wringing compartment.

It is a still further object to provide a sink of the above type with a third compartment for containing detergent which may be added as desired to the storage compartment. 7

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a mop sink constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the mop sink of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the mop sink;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the mop sink;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a cover for the detergent chamber; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view of the means for locking the mops in the storage compartment.

Referring to FIGURES 1-5 there is shown therein a mop sink 16 which embodies the principles of the present invention. The particular sink illustrated is of elongated, generally rectangular construction adapted to hold four mops ready for use, but it will be understood that the size and shape of the sink may be varied as desired.

In its preferred form the sink It is constructed integrally of stainless steel sheet suitably formed and welded into an open-topped tank having a front wall 12, a back wall 14, a bottom wall 16 and a pair of end walls 18 and 20. According to one aspect of the invention the tank is divided into a storage compartment 22 and an adjacent rinsing and wringing compartment 24, as by means of a vertical partition 26 which is sealed as by welding to the bottom, front and rear Walls. If desired, the tank may be constructed of other materials, such as cast iron or galvanized sheet metal and it need not necessarily be constructed as an integral unit. However, from the standpoint of ease and cost of installation and maintenance the integral stainless steel construction is preferred.

The mop rinsing and wringing compartment 24 is constructed so as to receive a conventional wringer which is illustrated schematically at 28 in FIGURE 3. As shown,

.the upper part of the front wall 12 of the sink 10 is provided with a forwardly extending tray-like projection 30 to which the wringer 23 may be attached in a conventional manner. While the tray-like projection 30 is not required in the region of the storage compartment, the construction of the sink is simplified if the front wall 12 is provided with the same contour throughout its length.

If this is done, the front wall 12, the bottom wall 16 and the back wall 14 may be constructed of a single sheet of metal as seen in FIGURE 4.

The rinsing compartment 24 is also provided with means for spraying water onto a mop placed therein. As shown, the spray assembly includes a length of pipe 32 secured to each of the opposed sides of the end wall 18 and the partition 26 and provided with inwardly facing apertures 34. A pipe T 36 connects with the ends of the spray pipes 32 and isconnected to a water supply pipe 38 through conventional valve 40. A drain 42 in the bottom of the rinsing compartment 24 connects in a conventional manner with a drain pipe 44.

The storage compartment 22 is preferably constructed with a plurality of vertical spaced partitions 46 which are secured to the front and

back walls

12 and 14 above the bottom wall 16. The partitions define separate interconnecting chambers for the stored mops and in addition provide rigidity for the sink which, if constructed of light gauge sheet, will tend to be deformed by the weight of the water. The storage compartment 22 is also provided with a conventional drain 45 which connects with the drain pipe 44. Means, such as a lever handle waste valve 47 is provided in the drain 45 for opening and closing the same. A water pipe 48 connecting with the water supply pipe 38 and containing a conventional valve 49 is disposed above the compartment 22 for discharging water thereinto preferably at the end remote from the rinsing compartment 24. The pipe 48 is shown as being secured to the extended portion 50 of the back wall 14 but it is apparent that its location may be varied if desired.

In the preferred construction of the mop sink 10 the partition 26 which divides the storage compartment 22 from the rinsing compartment 24 extends to a point below the upper edges of the front and

end walls

12, 18 and 20. This construction permits liquid in the storage compartment 22 to overflow into the rinsing compartment 24 rather than onto the floor in the event that the storage compartment is over filled. The construction also permits the user to establish a flow of Water through the storage compartment 22 if desired.

According to another aspect of the invention the sink 10 is constructed to support mops not in use within the storage compartment 22 so as to remain in a clean, fresh condition and be readily accessible for use. Ac-

cordingly, means are provided, preferably integral with the remainder of the sink, for supporting a mop in such a position that the mop head hangs freely in the storage compartment 24 substantially completely above the bottom wall 16. As shown this feature is accomplished by extending the back wall 14 upwardly beyond the front and end walls at least in the region of the storage compartment and securing the mop supports to this extended portion 50 of the back wall 114. A preferred mop support construction includes as an upper support a horizontal plate 52 at the upper end of the extended back wall, which may be formed, if desired, by bending the top of the extended portion 50 forwardly. For increasing the rigidity of the plate 52, a pair of end plates 54 and a downwardly extending flange 56 may be provided if desired. As seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 the uppermost plate 52 is provided with four longitudinally spaced holes 58 for loosely receiving the upper ends of the handles of four mops 60.

A lower mop support is also provided which, as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 6, includes four vertical pins 62 which are mounted in any convenient manner a short distance above the open top of the storage compartment 22 and more or less in line with the holes 58 in the upper support plate 52. As shown, the lower ends of the pins 62 are bent rearwardly and are secured, as by welds 64, to an elongated, horizontal bracket 66 which in turn is secured to the upper portion 50 of the back wall 14. Conveniently, the bracket 66 may be constructed from a strip of stainless steel sheet by bending one edge 68 upwardly and the opposite edge 70 down wardly, the center portion 72 serving as a spacer to properly locate the pins 62.

In the illustrated embodiment the mops are supported on the pins 62 by means of a fitting 73 secured to the mop handle adjacent the head of the mop. Conveniently the fitting 73 may consist of a sleeve portion 74 attached to the mop handle in any suitable manner and a ring portion 75 which loosely fits over a pin 62 as best seen in FIGURE 6. In one type of conventional mop which is readily obtainable on the market, a fitting very similar to the fitting 73 forms part of the connection between the handle and the mop head, and thus the pins 62 will support this type of mop without requiring any modification of the mop handle. Where, as in large facilities, it is desirable to prevent unauthorized removal of mops 60 from their assigned locations they may be retained on the pins 62 by means of pad locks 76 (FIGURE 6) inserted through holes 78 drilled transversely through the upper ends of the pins.

According to another feature of the invention a soap or detergent compartment 80 is provided adjacent the storage compartment 22 as by installing a vertical portion 82 near the end of the tank remote from the rinsing compartment 24. A suitable cover 84, such as that illustrated in FIGURE 5, may be provided for the detergent compartment 80 to prevent foreign material from entering. In the preferred construction detergent in the compartment 80 is delivered to the storage compartment 22 through a vertical tube 86 which extends from the bottom of the compartment 80 through a slot 88 in the cover 84 to a conventional liquid proportioning device 90 associated with the discharge end of the water pipe 48. The proportioner 90 has a discharge outlet 92 located above the storage compartment 22 so as to provide a suitable mixture of Water and detergent thereto when the valve 49 is opened. As is known, conventional liquid proportioning devices operate by suction produced by the flow of the main liquid stream through a construction. The liquid to be mixed with the main stream is drawn in through a tube attached to the proportioner at the downstream or suction side of the construction. The proportioning function may be eliminated when desired merely by closing a valve in the tube.

In its preferred form the mop sink is designed to be attached to and supported solely by a Wall. As shown, the light-weight stainless steel construction is supported by four spaced angle clips 94 secured to the bottom wall 16 and to a wall 98 and by three bolts 96 passing through each lateral edge of the extended portion 50 of the back wall 14. Obviously the sink may be supported by other means, although it is desirable from the standpoint of ease of maintenance and cost to avoid the use of a support extending to the floor.

The sink 10 is intended to be used in the following manner. A person returning a soiled mop to the sink first places it in the rinsing compartment 24, the drain of which is normally open, and thoroughly rinses it by means of the spray pipes 32. The mop is then wrung dry with the wringer 28 and is placed in its appointed position within the normally water-filled storage compartment 22 by passing the end of the mop handle upwardly through one of the holes 58 in the support plate 52 and then lowering the mop so as to hook the ring 75 over the pin 62 which is in line with the hole 58. When it is desired to re-use the mop, it is removed from its pin 62, rinsed again if necessary and wrung dry in the rinsing compartment 24.

According to the invention the mops 60 are maintained in a clean condition by maintaining the storage compartmeat 22 full of water, preferably mixed with soap or detergent. This is easily accomplished by closing the drain valve 47, opening the valve 49 and adjusting the proportioner to give the desired detergent-water mixture. As noted before, overflow from the compartment 22 will pass over the top of the partition 26 into the rinsing compartment 24. If desired, the proportioner 90 may be deactivated and a continuous stream of water passed through the storage compartment 22 and over the partition 26. In either case the heads of the mops 60 hang freely in a cleansing medium and cannot possibly turn sour from bacteria growth. Additionally, even if a dirty mop is stored, the dirt does not set in the mop head.

Thus it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a compact, economical mop sink which is capable of neatly storing a plurality of mops, maintaining them in a clean condition and providing a mop rinsing and wringing compartment which is free of stored mops. While a preferred embodiment has been described in detail, it is apparent that many modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention and it is not intended that the described details be limiting except as they appear in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A sink construction for cleaning and storing mops comprising: a first open-topped compartment; spraying means associated with said first compartment for spraying Water thereinto; drain means for draining liquid from said first compartment; a second open-topped compartment immediately adjacent said first compartment; means associated with said second compartment for delivering water thereto; closable drain means for draining liquid from said second compartment; means located above and associated with said second compartment for engaging and supporting the handle of a mop placed upright in said second compartment so as to support the mop in a position in which its head is substantially completely above the bottom of said second chamber.

2. A sink construction as in claim 1 wherein said mop holding means includes a generally horizontal plate having an aperture vertically therethrough adapted to receive the top of a mop handle and further includes means positioned below said plate for engaging the handle of the mop near its lower end.

3. A mop sink as in claim 1 wherein said water spraying means includes a conduit within said first compartment having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures therein.

4. A mop sink as in claim 1 further comprising: a third compartment adjacent said second compartment;

and means for withdrawing liquid from said third com partment and for delivering the withdrawn liquid to said second compartment.

5. A mop sink as in claim 1 in which said first and second compartments are separated by a partition which extends upwardly from the bottom of said sink construction to a point below the upper edges of the Walls which form said first and second chambers whereby liquid in said second compartment may flow into said first compartment.

6. A sink construction for cleaning and storing mops comprising: an open-topped tank having front, back, end and bottom walls, a generally vertical partition sealed to said walls and dividing said tank into a first and a second compartment, at least a portion of said back wall extending upwardly'in the region of said second compartment to above said front and end walls; spraying means References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,825 Acker Aug. 20, 1907 1,040,450 Staines Oct. 8, 1912 1,741,606 Bean Dec. 31, 1929

Claims

1. A SINK CONSTRUCTION FOR CLEANING AND STORING MOPS COMPRISING: A FIRST OPEN-TOPPED COMPARTMENT; SPRAYING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT FOR SPRAYING WATER THEREINTO; DRAIN MEANS FOR DRAINING LIQUID FROM SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT; A SECOND OPEN-TOPPED COMPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT FOR DELIVERING WATER THERETO; CLOSABLE DRAIN MEANS FOR DRAINING LIQUID FROM SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT; MEANS LOCATED ABOVE AND ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING THE HANDLE OF A MOP PLACED UPRIGHT IN SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT SO AS TO SUPPORT THE MOP IN A POSITION IN WHICH ITS HEAD IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND CHAMBER.