US3106733A - Floor or like sweeping means - Google Patents

Description

R. D. LE COUNTE ETAL 3,106,733 FLOOR OR LIKE SWEEPING MEANS Oct. 15, 1963 5 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1961 INVENTORS .POV D. ZfC'OU/VTE FOBEPT 4. (Odd? r- #uwarxDM 23% 19/74 595 lam/m 6. 76910515 Oct. 15, 1963 R. D. LE COUNTE ET AL FLOOR 0R LIKE SWEEPING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1961 fi ii iji II /771662525 190M 6. TWV/J Och 1963 R. D. LE COUNTE ET AL 3,106,733

- FLOOR OR LIKE SWEEPING MEANS Filed Jan. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS POV 0. 5600)? 205597- 4. 042? WIT/V6325 my law/W 6 7671 4515 #rr OBI 7 6 United States Patent 3,106,733 FLOGR 0R LlKE SWEEPING MEANS Roy D. Le Counts, 394 St. Charles, Caldwell, Kans, and lioahert L. Cole, RR. 1, Renfrow, Okla. Filed Jan. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 81,078 2 Claims. (Cl. -49) This invention relates to powered floor or like sweepers and, more particularly, to a sweeper that will successfully clean floors having liquid and/ or viscous foreign matter upon them. 1

Powered floor sweepers are old. They often consist of a motorized rotating brush and are used for picking up dry materials such as dust, hair, lint and like from the floors of homes and office buildings. They, however, are not satisfactory in the removal of oil, grease, mud, caked earth, water, liquids and such foreign matter found on the floors of such establishments as factories, garages, service stations, and like.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a floor cleaning device that will successfully remove both caked dry matter and wet matter from surfaces.

More specifically, the object of our invention is to pro vide a floor surface cleaning means that has a powered metallic rotating brush and means for depositing (when needed) a relatively dry material onto the surface to be cleaned and in advance of the rotating brush.

A further object of this invention is to provide a surface sweeping device that is continuously under the complete control of the operator.

Still further object of our invention is to provide a heavy duty surface sweeper that is economical in manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side View of our sweeper ready for use,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged prospective view of the handle portion of the device,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan View of the material depositing means in the lower rear end of the sweeper,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the device and more fully illustrates its construction, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom view of our surface sweeper.

Referring to the drawings, we have used the numeral it) to generally designate the housing of the sweeper and which is in the form of a hood as shown in FIG. 4. Supporting the rear end of this hood above the surface 11 to be cleaned, are two spaced apart wheels 12 and 13. The forward end of the sweeper is supported by a caster wheel 15. bar having its two ends hingedly secured to the two sides, respectively, of the housing It The handle may be moved forwardly for storage purposes as shown in FIG. 4. When the device is in use, the handle 16 will extend upwardly and rearwardly, engaging the stop means 19 as shown in FIG. 1. The top center of the hood housing 1% is depressed to provide a compartment 20 for holding the electric motor 21. This motor has a drive shaft 22 with a belt pulley wheel 23 thereon. The numeral 25 designates an electric cable having one end connected to the motor and its other end adapted to be in communication with a source of electric energy. Imposed in this cable 25 is a switch 26 which is secured The numeral 16 designates a U-shaped handle.

'lar to that of a mechanical floor sweeper.

3,106,733 Patented cf. 15, 1963 to a base plate 27 on the upper end portion of the handle 16 as shown in FIG. 2. Secured to each side of the housing 1% is an arm 29. Each arm 29 has a longitudinally adjustable slidable arm 36, as shown in FIG. 5. The numeral 31 designates a cylindrical bristled brush having its shaft 32 rotatably mounted to the lower free ends of the two arms 30, respectively, by self-centering floating bearings. The bristles of this cylindrical brush are preferably metallic, and the brush has a plurality of longitudinal slots 33 in its periphery as shown in FIG. 4. The shaft 22 of the motor and the hinged points of the arms 2% are in line with each other as shown in FIG. 1. The numeral 35' designates a pulley Wheel on the shaft 32 of the brush. The numeral 36 designates an endless belt embracing the pulley wheel 23 and the pulley wheel 35. By this arrangement of parts, when the motor is running, the cylindrical brush will be rotated, but because of it being flexibly supported, the brush will float and properly yieldingly engage the surface to be cleaned. Because the brush floats on the surface relative to the housing lil, it will conform to variations, depressions, elevations and like that may exist in the top surface of the area being cleaned. :The spaced apart slots 33 of the brush render it more eflicient and also provide selfcleaning characteristics. The numeral 37 designates a horizontal shaft spaced apart from and to the rear of the brush 31 and which is rotatably mounted through the housing ll). The numeral 39 designates a baflle plate rotatably mounted on the shaft 37 and which extends downwardly and forwardly relative to the brush 31 as shown in FIG. 4. The numeral 40 generally designates a drawer detachably extending into the lower forward end of the housing 10. The top and forward end of this drawer is open for receiving sweepings 41 from the brush 31. The forward end of the drawer 40 is supported by a V-shaped bracket 42 detachably embracing the shaft 37 as shown in FIG. 4. The numeral 43 designates a plurality of holes in the bottom of the detachable drawer tray 40. :The numeral 45 designates a valve plate longitudinally slidably mounted on the bottom of the drawer 4i) and having a plurality of holes 46 capable of registering with the holes 43 of the drawer when the plate 45 is slid to a rearward position. The numeral 47 designates the spring means connected to the drawer 4t} and to the plate 4.5 as shown in FIG. 3 to yieldingly. hold the plate 4 5 in a rear position. The numeral 4-9 desig. nates a bar lever having one end rigidly secured to the shaft 37. The numeral 5% designates a control rod having one end secured to the free end of the bar 49 and its other end secured to the central portion of the lever 51. This lever 51 has one end pivoted to the plate 27 as shown in FIG. 2. The numeral 52 designates a lug on the shaft 37 capable of engaging the forward end of the plate 45 and moving the plate 45 rearwardly and against the yielding action of the spring 47. The numeral 53 designates a handle on the drawer 40 for facilitating its raising and outward sliding from the housing 10.

The practical operation of the device is as follows: With the brush being rotated by the prime mover, the device is moved over the surface to be cleaned simi- Both the rush and bafile plate 39 will conform to variations in the surface to be cleaned. Dust, dirt, and like foreign matter from the rotating brush will be guided by the plate 39 up to and into the drawer 4i). downwardly extending baflle 55 on the underside of the housing iii may be used for further guiding material from the brush into the receiving drawer. Usually the material from the brush will be dry material, such as dust. Obviously, if there is a liquid spotting the surface to be cleaned, the rotating brush would not be entirely successful in If desired, a

in removing it. Such liquid spots are often encountered in the form of oil drippings on the floors of garages and ervice stations. Therefore, when such liquid spots are encountered, the liquid should be absorbed first by some dry material, such as the previously deposited dust in the drawer 40. This is accomplished by pulling rearwardly on the handle 51 which will rotate the shaft 37, which in turn will move the plate 45 rearwardly so that its holes 46 register with the holes 43 and permit a quantity of such dust or like to pass through the drawer and onto the wet spot to be cleaned. Upon release of the lever 51, the springs 47 move the holes 46 from register ing with the holes 43. With the wet spot or Spots now saturating the deposited dry material, the brush 31 will easily pick up such absorbed material and cast it into the drawer 40. If it would so happen that no dry material is present within the drawer 40 for placement on such wet spots, the drawer 40 may be partially filled with a suitable dry material, such as sawdust or like.

Although we have been designating the drawer end of the machine as being to the rear end or" the housing 10, if desired, the arrangement of the various parts may be reversed so that the material receiving drawer 40 is located in the forward end of the housing 10 rather than its rear end. This reversal of parts is merely accomplished by swinging the U-shaped handle 16 to a position as shown in FIG. 4. By the use of the handle in this position, there is the advantage that the dry material may be deposited on the wet spot prior to the following sweeper brush 31. Some operators of the machine will use the machine as shown in FIG. 4 in order that the brush contacted material will be cast forwardly and upwardly into the container 40 similar to that of large brushed street cleaners. Other users of the device will prefer to use the machine as shown in FIG. 1 and wherein the material engaged by the rotated brush will be cast upwardly and rearwardly into the container 49. One chief advantage in using the machine as shown in FIG. 1 is that the downward swinging movement of the handle 16 is limited by the stops 19. By this construction a further downward pressure on the handle 16 will raise the front end of the machine thus lifting the brush out of contact with the surface 11. This elevating of the machine is sometimes necessary when it is desired to pass the machine over loose gravel, a carpet or like wherein it would be highly objectionable for such surface to be engaged by the brush. By mounting the motor within the depression 20 it will not be subjected to dust and dirt and also will be protected from engagement with rigid objects. If desired, shields may be placed at each side of the brush as shown in FIG. 5 and when this is done the belt 36 and its pulley wheels will be shielded from dirt or like being engaged and cast by the rotating brush.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of our floor or like sweeping means without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

We claim:

1. In a surface cleaning device, a housing having an open space, wheels supporting said housing, a single cylindrical brush operatively rotatably mounted to said housing, a prime mover operatively connected to said brush, a compartment in said housing having a plurality of openings formed in its bottom wall and having a top opening for receiving all matter from said brush, said brush rotatable to throw sweepings through said open space and directly through said top opening, a plate slidably mounted on the bottom of said compartment and having a plurality of holes each capable of registering with one of said bottom openings when in one position of its sliding movement for depositing matter from the compartment onto the surface to be cleaned, and means connected between said housing and said plate normally biasing said plate out of said one position wherein said bottom openings are closed.

2. In a surface cleaning device, a housing having an open space, wheels supporting said housing, a single cylindrical brush operatively rotatably mounted to said housing, a prime mover operatively connected to said brush, a compartment in said housing having at least one opening in its bottom, said compartment open at the top thereof for receiving all matter from said brush, said brush rotatable to throw sweepings through said open space and directly into said compartment through said open top, a plate slidably mounted on the bottom of said compartment having at least one hole capable of registering with the bottom opening when in one position of its sliding movement for depositing matter from the compartment onto the surface to be cleaned, a spring means for yieldingly holding said plate in a position whereby its hole does not register with the bottom opening and the bottom opening is thereby closed, and a manual means for moving said plate against the action of said spring means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 447,381 Thompson et a1 Mar. 3, 1891 518,716 Downs Apr. 24, 1894 679,286 Allen July 30, 1901 913,460 Bishop Feb. 23, 1909 936,842 Wilson Oct. 12, 1909 1,057,949 Ekre Apr. 1, 1913 1,097,911 Brugger May 26, 1914 1,694,937 Floeter Dec. 11, 1928 1,987,371 Rudd Jan. 8, 1935 2,205,249 Fitzgerald et a1 June 18, 1940 2,236,813 Evans Apr. 1, 1941 2,817,460 Bond Dec. 24, 1957 2,972,159 Swanson Feb. 21, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 765,671 Great Britain Jan. 9, 1957

Claims (1)

1. IN A SURFACE CLEANING DEVICE, A HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN SPACE, WHEELS SUPPORTING SAID HOUSING, A SINGLE CYLINDRICAL BRUSH OPERATIVELY ROTATABLY MOUNTED TO SAID HOUSING, A PRIME MOVER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID BRUSH, A COMPARTMENT IN SAID HOUSING HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FORMED IN ITS BOTTOM WALL AND HAVING A TOP OPENING FOR RECEIVING ALL MATTER FROM SAID BRUSH, SAID BRUSH ROTATABLE TO THROW SWEEPINGS THROUGH SAID OPEN SPACE AND DIRECTLY THROUGH SAID TOP OPENING, A PLATE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID COMPARTMENT AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF HOLES EACH CAPABLE OF REGISTERING WITH ONE OF SAID BOTTOM OPENINGS WHEN IN ONE POSITION OF ITS

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