US3353202A

US3353202A - Mop head attaching assembly

Info

Publication number: US3353202A
Application number: US495875A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas W Winstead; John H Beyer
Original assignee: EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Current assignee: EIDP Inc
Priority date: 1965-10-14
Filing date: 1965-10-14
Publication date: 1967-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-21

Description

1967 T. w. WINSTEAD ETAL 3,353,202

MOP HEAD ATTACHING ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 14, 1965 FIG. g;9

FIGZJ q 1 u I5 0' v mvavrons if moms n. WINSTEAD JOHN H. BEYER A TTOI'P/VEY United States Patent 3,353,202 MOP HEAD ATTACI-HNG ASSEMBLY Thomas W. Winstead, Baltimore, and John H. Beyer,

Monkton, Md., assignors to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 495,875 6 Claims. (Cl. 15229) This invention relates to mops and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in a mop head attaching assembly for use in connection with conventional mop heads of the type comprising a bundle of individual mop strands.

An object of the invention is to provide a mop head attaching assembly which may be manufactured entirely of non-corrosive materials and which is adaptable to most conventional bundle-type mop heads.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly of this nature which is simple, durable and economical in construction and may be readily manipulated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mop head securing device which is easy to install and positive in its securing action.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the mop head securing band of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the same in side elevation;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the relationship of the various elements of the assembly;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the gripping action of the securing band and collar; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view showing the collar in the course of application.

Briefly, the invention comprises a mop handle having an annular, peripheral groove adjacent one end and a resilient mop securing band adapted to be looped around the central portion of a bundle of mop strands, with each of its opposite ends partially encircling the mop handle adjacent the groove. The inner surface of each of the handle encircling ends of the band are provided with a series of lugs adapted to enter the groove, and the upper extremity of each of said ends terminates adjacent said lugs with an outwardly directed, downwardly inclined shoulder. A securing collar is adapted to coact with the inclined surfaces of these shoulders as it is forced downwardly on the mop handle, temporarily deflecting the extremities of the band ends and their respective lugs inwardly into the groove with a latch-like action. After the collar has passed the shoulders, the ends of the band snap outwardly so that the collar underlies the shoulders and is prevented from longitudinal displacement.

As will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the mop head securing band, generally indicated by the numeral 6, consists of a strip of suitable flexible, non-corrosive material, such as polyethylene, the central portion of which defines an elongated, relatively narrow, loop forming element 7. The opposite ends of the element 7 terminate in laterally enlarged, complementary, handle-embracing components 8 which, as will later appear, are adapted to be arcuately bent for jointly encircling a mop handle.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the handle-embracing components 8 are of less thickness than the central loopforming portion 7 to facilitate their arcuate bending 3,353,262 Patented Nov. 21, 1967 when applied to the periphery of the mop handle. The central loop-forming element 7 is of suificient thickness to provide adequate strength when it is looped around the bundled strands of a mop head.

The inner surfaces of respective handle embracing components 8 are each provided with a row of transversely aligned, protruding lugs 9 adjacent their end edges, and, inwardly offset with respect to these lugs, each component 8 is provided with at least one handle-penetrating tooth 10, preferably terminating in a relatively sharp point, as seen in FIG. 2. The end edges of each of the handle-embracing components 8 terminate in shoulders 11 which project outwardly in a direction opposite to the protruding lugs 9, and their outer surfaces are inclined as at 11a for the purpose hereinafter described. Of course, instead of separate lugs, there could be a continuous, raised projection on the inside of each component 8.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mop handle 12 is provided with an annular, peripheral recess 13, spaced upwardly from its lower end, and slidable on the handle is a collar 14, also preferably formed of suitable plastic material.

In the assembly of the device, the securing band 6 is applied to the mop head by partially encircling the central portion of the bundle of mop strands 15 with the loop-forming element 7, as seen in FIG. 4. The handleembracing components 8 of the band are then bent up wardly and around the periphery of the handle 12 by the use of any suitable tool, so that each of said components forms a substantially arcuate or semi-cylindrical sheath which partially encircles the handle 12, with the lugs 9 directed inwardly within the recess 13. It may be noted that the radial depth of the recess 13 is sufficiently greater than the corresponding lengths of the lugs 9 to permit the latter, together with the adjacent areas of the flexible handle-embracing components 8, to be deflected inwardly as the collar 14 is forced downwardly on the handle. Thus, as seen in FIG. 5, as the collar 14 descends, its lower edge engages the inclined surfaces 11a of the shoulders 11 and cams the extremities of the opposite handle-embracing components 8 inwardly in the groove 13 until the collar 14 has passed the shoulders 11. Thereupon, the resilience of the material of the securing band 6 causes the extremities of the components 8 to resume their former positions, with the shoulders 11 overlying the upper edge of the collar 14 as seen in full lines in FIG. 4.

Alternatively, the groove 13 could be the same depth or of less depth than the length of the lugs 9, in which event the plastic collar 14 would tend to deflect as it passes over the shoulders 11 without deflecting the band ends into the groove.

It will be noted that the spacing of the individual lugs 9 of each series and the reduced thickness of the handleembracing components 8 facilitate the bending of components 8 to substantially conform to the peripheral contour of the handle 12, so that, after the collar has been forced into place past the shoulders 11, the assembly is held firmly in peripheral engagement with the handle. In order to clamp the yarns securely, it is sometimes desirable for the collar 14 to extend below the end of the handle.

In the course of forcing the collar 14 downwardly on the handle, the pointed teeth 10 on the inner faces of components 8 are caused to penetrate the periphery of the handle 12 so that rotary movement of the mop head is prevented. These teeth 10 also cooperate with the lugs 9, which are projected into the recess 13 to prevent longitudinal displacement of the mop head with respect to the handle 12. Thus, the mop head, as well as the securing band, remain non-removably attached to the end of the handle 12 by the overlying collar 14.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may-be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A mop head securing assembly comprising, in com 'bination, a mop handle having an annular, peripheral recess adjacent one end, a non-removable mop head securing band formed of a strip of resilient, non-corrosive material, the central portion of said band being elongated and relatively narrow to provide a loop-forming element for encircling a bundle of mop strands, said elongated element terminating at opposite extremities in normally flat, laterally enlarged, resilient, complementary, handleembracing components, each adapted for bending to partially encircle said handle, the ,free end edges of respective components terminating in laterally extending, outwardly directed shoulders having bases which overhang the adjacent outer surfaces of said components, the

inner faces of said components being provided, with inwardly directed recess-engaging projections which are arranged parallel with and lie substantially opposite the bases of respective shoulders, and an annular collar slidable on' said handle and adapted to be forced downwardly over said handle-embracing components and over said shoulders with a latch-like action to underlie said shoulders in engagement with the outer surfaces of said components, retaining said projections in said groove.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projections are of a length less than the radial depth of said handle recess, said shoulders and free edges of said components being defiectible into'said recess to permit the passage of said collar over said shoulders to underlie the latter in engagement with the outer surfaces of said components.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the top surfaces of said shoulders are downwardly and outwardly inclined, whereby the downward movement of said collar causes a camming engagement with said inclined surfaces, deflecting the adjacent areas of said components, including said projections and shoulders, into said recess to permit clearance by said collar.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mop head securing hand is formed of plastic and the thickness of said handle-embracing components is less than that of said elongated loop-forming element to thereby facilitate their conformation to the peripheral contour of said handle.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inwardly directed projections of each handle-embracing component comprise a series of lugs spaced in laterally aligned rows to facilitate bending of said components.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of respective handle embracing components are provided with sharpened teeth, adapted to penetrate said handle, under the inward pressure of said collar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,373 2/ 1867 Shaw 15-151 1,073,612 9/ 1913 Lockhart 15 -229.0 1,441,455 1/ 1923 Rudall et al. 306.40 2,554,643 5/ 1951 Serio 294-312 2,835,914 5/ 1958 Littleton 15--229.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 307,871 9/ 1918 Germany. 159,058 12/ 1919 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3,353,202 November 21, 1967 Thomas W. Winstead et a1.

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.

In the heading to the printed specification, lines 4 to 6, for "assignors to E. II du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del a corporation of Delaware" read assignors to Wm. B. Hooper G Sons Co, Baltimore, Md. a corporation of Maryland Signed and sealed this 26th day of November 1968:,

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A MOP HEAD SECURING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MOP HANDLE HAVING AN ANNULAR, PERIPHERAL RECESS ADJACENT ONE END, A NON-REMOVABLE MOP HEAD SECURING BAND FORMED OF A STRIP OF RESILIENT, NON-CORROSIVE MATERIAL, THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BAND BEING ELONGATED AND RELATIVELY NARROW TO PROVIDE A LOOP-FORMING ELEMENT FOR ENCIRCLING A BUNDLE OF MOP STRANDS, SAID ELONGATED ELEMENT TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE EXTREMITIES IN NORMALLY FLAT A LATERALLY ENLARGED, RESILIENT, COMPLEMENTARY, HANDLEEMBRACING COMPONENTS, EACH ADAPTED FOR BENDING TO PARTIALLY ENCIRCLE SAID HANDLE, THE FREE END EDGES OF RESPECTIVE COMPONENTS TERMINATING IN LATERALLY EXTENDING, OUTWARDLY DIRECTED SHOULDERS HAVING BASES WHICH OVERHANG THE ADJACENT OUTER SURFACES OF SAID COMPONENTS, THE INNER FACES OF SAID COMPONENTS BEING PROVIDED, WITH INWARDLY DIRECTED RECESS-ENGAGING PROJECTIONS WHICH ARE ARRANGED PARALLEL WITH AND LIE SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE THE BASES OF RESPECTIVE SHOULDERS, AND AN ANNULAR COLLAR SLIDABLE ON SAID HANDLE AND ADAPTED TO BE FORCED DOWNWARDLY OVER SAID HANDLE-EMBRACING COMPONENTS AND OVER SAID SHOULDERS WITH A LATCH-LIKE ACTION TO UNDERLIE SAID SHOULDERS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID COMPONENTS, RETAINING SAID PROJECTIONS IN SAID GROOVE.