US3216039A

US3216039A - Mop head assembly

Info

Publication number: US3216039A
Application number: US310276A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sr Henry W Mcnelley; John E Campion
Original assignee: American Associated Companies Inc
Current assignee: American Associated Companies Inc
Priority date: 1963-09-20
Filing date: 1963-09-20
Publication date: 1965-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-09

Description

9, 1955 H. w. MONELLEY, SR, ETAL 3,216,039

MOP HEAD ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 20; 1963 FIG. 3

HG. l

INVENTORS. JOHNECAMPION HENRY w. McNELLEY, SR.

BY W

FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent Ofi lice 3,216,039 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 3,216,039 MOP HEAD ASSEMBLY Henry W. McNelley, Sn, Atlanta, Ga., and John E. Campion, Youngstown, Ohio, assignors to American Associated Companies, a corporation of Georgia Filed Sept. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 310,276 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-229) The present invention relates generally to mops and more particularly to improvements in a tar mop having a plurality of ring-shaped mop heads each employing a unique fiber clamping structure.

Mops subjected to service in tarring or cementing roofs and walls are subject to rapid wear which requires frequent replacement of the mop head to maintain a sufficiency of mop yarn. Such mops, when coated with hot tar, are heavy and difiicult to use. If the yarn or fiber is not securely fastened the weight of the tar will pull the yarn out of the mop head. Shrinkage caused by the tar will also pull fibers away from unsecure clamping means. The resultant disadvantages are that unclamped fiber strands remain in or must be individually picked from the tar coating being applied and the yarn or head must be more frequently replaced. A further disadvantage of conventional tar mops is the tendency to lopsidedness caused by uneven or unsecure clamping and slipping and bunching of the yarn.

Conventional mops have attempted to avoid the above outlined difficulties by employing readily replaceable ring-shaped mop heads in which the ring like yarn support is slipped over a cylindrical clamping member on the mop handle to add or replace a head. But such ring-shaped mop heads have required complex and expensive structure to firmly clamp the yarn to the support ing ring. In one example each bunch of yarn has been knotted about a portion of the ring support to ensure firm securement and such knotting involves time consuming, hand labor greatly increasing the cost of fabrication. Other ring-shaped mop heads are known which are incapable of stacking in required number to form a suitably full mop because the yarn is so secured as to obstruct the central opening of the ring support and prevents the insertion therethrough of a tubular head clamping member. Still other ring-shaped mop heads are known in which the yarn is insecurely fastened or unevenly spaced so as to render the assembled mop lopsided and heavy on one side.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a mop head and holder therefor, so constructed as to obviate the above described disadvantages of conventional mops.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a mop head and holder in which one or more heads are readily assembled and readily replaceable once the fibers of a mop head are Worn.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mop head structure which is extremely simple and inexpensive to fabricate and yet which will firmly secure the yarn in the mop head.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mop head holder and plurality of stacked annular heads in each of which the fibers are evenly distributed circumferentially of the head so as to provide a well balanced mop and prevent bunching of the yarns and resultant lopsidedness.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mop head assembly including inner and outer, telescoping tubular members having flanges between which are clamped a plurality of stacked heads, each head comprising a fiat, thin annulus to which the mop fibers are securely clamped, the stacked heads occupying a minimum of clamping space, the central opening of each annulus being unobstructed by the fibers so as to permit ready sliding of the head on the inner tubular member.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invent-ion are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mop constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one annular yarn support member shown inverted and illustrating in full and phantom lines, respectively, a clamped and as yet unclamped skein of yarn; and

FIG. 3 is an axial vertical section of the mop head holding assembly showing a stack of annular heads assembled and locked together.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of the invent-ion as comprising a handle 10 to which is secured a mop head holding assembly generally indicated by the numeral 12 which in turn clamps one or more annular mop heads 14 holding mop yarn 16.

As best seen in FIG. 2, each mop head 14 comprises merely an annular support member 20 and a plurality of skeins 30 of fibers 16 clamped to the support member by integral tabs thereon. FIG. 2 illustrates the ring 20 as it is preferably inverted during assembly of the fibers. Desirably the ring 20 is formed as a flat, thin stamping of metal, or other suitable material, with a central opening 22 and normally down turned peripheral tabs 24 equally spaced about the circumference of the ring. Eight tabs 24 are shown, for example, it being apparent that a greater or lesser number may be used. A similar series of equally spaced, inner tabs 26 is punched downwardly from the fiat ring 20 leaving cut out openings 28. The tabs 26 are desirably, though not necessarily shorter in length than the tabs 24 and are radially aligned therewith. Eight bunches or skeins 30 of fibers are adapted to be clamped to ring 20 equally spaced thereabout and clamped thereto by the pairs of

tabs

24, 26. Each skein 30 is doubled to form a loop which is placed around a tab 24 and against the underside (upper side as viewed in FIG. '2) of the ring 20, the ends of the skein falling downwardly over the outer periphery of the ring. The tab 24 is then bent inwardly and fiat against skein 30 to clamp it to the ring. The shorter tab 26 is then bent flat to cover and hold tab 24 locked in clamping position. In clamping each skein of fibers the outer tab 24 is bent to cover the entire loop and extends from the peripheral edge of the ring nearly to the corresponding tab 26. When the tab 26 is bent against tab 24 the loop is firmly encased by the two tabs which form a rectangular enclosure completely surrounding the skein loop. The mop yarn may be formed of glass, wool, plastic, cotton or any other suitable fibers. When all eight of the skeins 30 are placed adjacent the ring and clamped by the

tabs

24, 26, each skein is firmly secured to the underside of the ring with no portion of any skein obstructing the central opening 22. The skeins are equally spaced around the ring 20 so that an even distribution of the mop fibers is obtained when the ring is inverted as in normal use.

The mop head holding assembly 12, as best shown in FIG. 3, comprises a pair of telescoping tubes and 42, the latter closely fitting within the former and in mutual supporting relation for relative sliding movement. The lower ends of the tubes are provided with outwardly projecting

radial flanges

44 and 46 which may be welded, soldered, or otherwise secured to the bottom of its respective tube. The

radial flanges

44 and 46 may each be provided with an internal, strengthening and rigidifying

shoulders

45, 47 respectively, having a diameter intermediate the inner and outer diameters of its respective flange. Shoulder 47 engages and buttresses the tabs 26 of the lowermost ring 20 when a number of rings are inverted and stacked by slipping inner tube 42 through the aligned openings 22 of the rings. The

tubular members

40, 42 may be locked together in any desired ring clamping position by means of a screw 48 threaded into a holding nut on outer tube 40 into engagement with inner tube 42. Screw 48 has a butterfly wing head '50 for manipulation. The outer diameters of the

flanges

44 and 46 are large enough to secure a plurality of stacked mop heads 14 clamped between the flanges, while the outside diameter of inner tube 42 is small enough to fit within the central opening 22 of the mop head with a close sliding fit.

To assemble one or more mop heads 14 to the handle 10, it is simply necessary to turn the wing 50 suificiently to release, lower and remove the inner tube 42 from the outer tube 40. A mop head 14 may then be slipped over the top of tube 42 and allowed to fall and rest upon the flange 46. Preferably a completed mop will include five, or more, of the individual mop heads 14 each of which will he slipped over the inner tube and released to fall into a stack supported by the flange 46. The inner tube is then reinserted into the outer tube and pushed upwardly until the stack of mop heads 14 is firmly clamped between the

flanges

44 and 46, whereupon the wing screw 48 is tightened to securely fasten the inner and outer tubular members together.

When one or more of the lower mop heads 14 is worn sufliciently to require replacement, the

tubes

40 and 42 may be again separated by releasing the screw 48. The stack of mop heads is then lifted and removed trom the inner tube. The worn mop head at the bottom is discarded or repaired. The remaining mop heads may then be replaced on the inner tube 42 and one or more replacement heads may be added at the top of the stack. The mop may then be re-assembled, in the manner described above, by merely inserting the inner tube into the outer tube and retightening screw 48.

It will be apparent from the above description that the improved mop provides an adequate quantity of fibers evenly distributed about the peripheries of the annular support rings especially when the latter are stacked with adjacent rings having their tabs 24 ofiset. A balanced, rather than lopsided mop is provided in which the fibers are very firmly clamped to prevent slippage and bunching during use. Each skein 30 of each head 14 is firmly clamped in the smallest possible vertical space and in such a way as to not obstruct the assembly or disassembly of a support ring 20 from the handle holding assembly 12. Thus, even though the fibers may be coated with sticky tarry materials, worn heads 14, or additional or replacement heads, may be easily and quickly removed from and added to the tubular holding assembly. The mop head and holding assembly structures are both extremely simple and inexpensive to produce, so that the costs of the mop and replacement heads are materially lessened.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mop head assembly comprising an inner member and an outer tubular member telescopically slideable on said inner member and constructed and arranged to be in mutual supporting engagement, each of said members terminating at one end in an outwardly extending, radial flange, means for releasably locking said members together in selected telescopic relation, and at least one mop head clamped between said flanges, said mop head including a flat annulus whose central aperture receives said inner member and having a peripheral series of dependent tabs, an inner series of dependent tabs, each of said tabs of the inner series being radially aligned with a tab of the peripheral series, and a plurality of skeins of fibers, each of said skeins of fibers comprises a plurality of fiber strands doubled to form a loop, said loops being laid in a circle against the underside of said fiat annulus and clamped thereto between a pair of said radially aligned tabs, said inner and outer members being cylindrical, said annulus having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of said inner member, and said skeins of fibers being clamped against the underside of the flat annulus without obstructing the central opening of the annulus leaving the annulus free to slide over said inner member to permit stacking of a plurality of said mop heads in a minimum vertical space between the flanges of said members, said flange on the inner member having an upstanding annular shoulder engaging and buttressing said inner series of tabs on the mop head.

2. A mop head assembly comprising an inner member and an outer tubular member telescopically slideable on said inner member and constructed and arranged to be in mutual supporting engagement, each of said members terminating at one end in an outwardly extending, radial flange, means for releasably locking said members together in selected telescopic relation, and at least one mop head clamped between said flanges, said map head including an annulus whose central aperture receives said inner member, said annulus having a peripheral series of outer tabs projecting from one surface, a series of inner tabs, each tab radially aligned with and spaced inwardly of an outer tab, and a plurality of skeins of fibers each comprising a plurality of fiber strands doubled to form a loop, said loops being disposed in a circle against said one surface of the annulus and clamped thereto by a radially aligned pair of inner and outer tabs, one of said tabs being bent to engage and underlie the skein and the other tab being bent to engage and underlie said one tab so as to lock it in clamping engagement with the skein.

3. A replaceable mop head for stacked assembly on a holder comprising, an annulus having a peripheral series of out-er tabs protruding from one surface of the annulus, a series of inner tabs disposed inwardly of said outer tabs and also protruding from the said one surface of the annulus, and a plurality of fiber skeins, each skein being clamped between an inner and outer tab bent to directly engage said skein with one tab overlying the other to retain it in clamping engagement.

4. A replaceable mop head as described in claim 3 wherein each said inner tab is radially aligned with an outer tab to form a pair of clamping tabs between which a skein is clamped.

5. A replaceable mop head according to claim 4 wherein the tabs of one of said series are longer than the tabs of said other series, said longer tabs being bent to engage and overlie the skein and the shorter tabs being bent to engage and overlie the longer tabs to lock them in clamping engagement.

6. A replaceable mop head according to claim 5 wherein said annulus is a flat ring shaped plate adapted when used to lie in a plane substantially parallel to a Working surface to be mopped, and each of said skeins comprises a plurality of elongated fibers doubled to form a loop, each loop being clamped between a pair of said tabs and the ends of said loops being draped to depend over the outer edge of the annulus and fall substantially perpendicular to the plane of said annulus.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 260,558 7/82 Fowler 15181 X 1,430,988 10/22 Harris 15-147 1,488,478 4/24 Donahoe 15143 2,002,370 5/35 Frost 15181 2,582,076 1/52 Sheppard 15-23014 2,815,523 12/57 Fink 15-151 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A MOP HEAD ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN INNER MEMBER AND AN OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER TELESCOPICALLY SLIDEABLE ON SAID INNER MEMBER AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO BE IN MUTUAL SUPPORTING ENGAGEMENT, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS TERMINATING AT ONE END IN AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING, RADIAL FLANGE, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER IN SELECTED TELESCOPIC RELATION, AND AT LEAST ONE MOP HEAD CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, SAID MOP HEAD INCLUDING A FLAT ANNULUS WHOSE CENTRAL APERTURE RECEIVES SAID INNER MEMBER AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL SERIES OF DEPENDENT TABS, AN INNER SERIES OF DEPENDENT TABS, EACH OF SAID TABS OF THE INNER SERIES BEING RADIALLY ALIGNED WITH A TAB OF THE PERIPHERAL SERIES, AND A PLURALITY OF SKEINS OF FIBERS, EACH OF SAID SKEINS OF FIBERS COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF FIBER STRANDS DOUBLED TO FORM A LOOP, SAID LOOPS BEING LAID IN A CIRCLE AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID FLAT ANNULUS AND CLAMPED THERETO BETWEEN A PAIR OF SAID RADIALLY ALIGNED TABS, SAID INNER AND OUTER MEMBERS BEING CYLINDRICAL, SAID ANNULUS HAVING AN INNER DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID INNER MEMBER, AND SAID SKEINS OF FIBERS BEING CLAMPED AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FLAT ANNULUS WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING THE CENTRAL OPENING OF THE ANNULUS LEAVING THE ANNULUS FREE TO SLIDE OVER SAID INNER MEMBER TO PERMIT STACKING OF A PLURALITY OF SAID MOP HEADS IN A MINIMUM VERTICAL SPACE BETWEEN THE FLANGES OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID FLANGE ON THE INNER MEMBER HAVING AN UPSTANDING ANNULAR SHOULDER ENGAGING AND BUTTRESSING SAID INNER SERIES OF TABS ON THE MOP HEAD.