US3414361A

US3414361A - Mopping device

Info

Publication number: US3414361A
Application number: US558671A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Olson
Original assignee: REOCO Inc
Current assignee: REOCO Inc
Priority date: 1966-06-20
Filing date: 1966-06-20
Publication date: 1968-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-03

Description

Dec. 3, 1968 R, OLSON 3,414,361

MOPPING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l /ff'y/ INVENTOR @5f/27 ZT @604/ M ATTORNEYS Dec. 3, 1968 R. E. OLSON 3,414,361

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MOPPING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR L mM/M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,414,361 MOPPING DEVICE Robert E. Olson, Tucson, Ariz., assignor to Reoco, Inc., Tucson, Ariz., a corporation of Arizona Filed June 20, 1966, Ser. No. 558,671 Claims. (Cl. 401-191) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved mopping device is provided with means for moving an applicator portion into and out of a head which contains or receives a reservoir of liquid. The applicator is moved into the reservoir by placing the mopping device in a position that permits an opening of a sealing door associated with the reservoir in the head. The applicator is swung into the interior of the reservoir by an actuating means, and continued movements of the applicator within the reservoir are dictated by guide tracks carried on'interior surfaces of the reservoir. A compressing means is carried within the reservoir for movement relative to the applicator once the applicator is inside the reservoir, and guide tracks automatically dictate a sequence of movements for the applicator and for the compressing means so that excess liquid is squeezed out of the applicator before it leaves the reservoir of the mopping device.

This invention relates to hand operated cleaning and mopping devices and in particular is concerned with an improved device having its own reservoir for receiving and containing a liquid. The reservoir may be used for containing a cleaning liquid which will clean the mop and receive matter which has been picked up lby the mop, or the reservoir may be used to contain a liquid wax or cleaning fluid which is to be spread over a floor or other surface. In addition a novel construction is provided for sealing the reservoir and for squeezing excess liquid out of the mop or applicator portion of the device.

Mopping devices and liquid applicators are generally well known in the art, and a typical device may include a long handle connected to a mop or applicator head portion. Such devices can be hand carried and hand operated to mop a floor or other surface area, and applicators have been devised which may be used to apply a film of wax or other liquid solution to a surface. Other developments have included rather complex machines and apparatus for moving a mopping means over a floor surface and for subsequently squeezing liquid out of the mopping means so that it is not necessary to squeeze the mop by hand. However, such developments have not been very useful or practical for normal household, restaurant or 'business uses, and there are many disadvantages in prior art constructions which attempt to squeeze a mop for the purpose of removing water from it. A most frequent disadvantage has been that there is no real provision made for water which has been squeezed out from the mop portion of such prior art devices, and usually it has been necessary to carry the entire device to a nearby drain where the squeezed out water can be caused to ow from the mop and into the drain while the squeezing action is taking place. Further, such prior devices have required that a pail of cleaning liquid of water be carried along with the device for periodically cleaning or replenishing the mop portion with the cleaning uid.

The present invention provides for a hand operated mopping device which is useful in cleaning up spilled matter or in applying a liquid film of cleaning solution or wax to a floor or other surface. The device of this invention includes a reservoir for containing a liquid ice within the device, and there is no necessity for carrying along an auxiliary supply of liquid in a pail or bucket. An applicator (or mop) means is mounted on the device in such a way that the applicator may be periodically moved into the reservoir portion of the device for the purpose of cleaning the applicator or for replenishing the applicator with additional liquid. When the applicator is in its operative position for mopping a surface or for applying a liquid to the same, a provision is made for tightly sealing the reservoir portion so that there is no leakage during normal use of the device. The present invention also provides for a novel mechanism which moves the applicator into and out of the reservoir portion in a positive and reliable series of movements, and the device includes a separate means for compressing the applicator automatically as it is leaving the reservoir portion of the device to resume its operative position.

The improved mopping device includes a working head portion which carries the applicator means and which includes a reservoir for receiving any desired liquid which is to `be taken out of or replenished into the applicator means. In addition, there is a long handle portion connected to the working head portion, and the handle carries means for actuating the device to effect a cleaning or squeezing operation on the applicator means. The working head portion is easily and economically constructed by molding it from two pieces of synthetic plastic material, thus forming a casing within which the reservoir is contained. An applicator means, which may include a sponge applicator, is mounted on the working head portion so as to be movable from an external operative position to an internal position which subjects the applicator to a cleaning and squeezing action within the reservoir portion of the working head. The working head portion also includes a sealing door which can be actuated to an open position for permitting entry and exit of the applicator into and out of the interior of the working head portion. The sealing door functions to close the working head portion and to prevent leakage of any liquid therefrom when the applicator is in its external operative position for a mopping or liquid spreading operation. Guideways or tracks are molded into the side walls of the working head portion interior, and the guideways determine a path of movement for the applicator means when it is actuated from one of its positions to the other. When the applicator is being moved into the working head portion, there is an initial swinging movement of the combined door and applicator assembly so that the applicator is swung into an opening at the end of the device. After the initial swinging movement, there is a substantially straight line movement of the applicator into a reservoir which may receive excess liquid from the applicator or which may replenish liquid into the applicator. As the applicator is then moved out of the reservoir, there is an automatic squeezing action applied to the applicator for removing any excess liquid from it. If the applicator has lbeen used in a mopping operation, this action will help to clean the applicator, and if the applicator is being used to spread a liquid, this squeezing action will remove excess spreading liquid from the sponge so that a controlled film can be spread across the surface. The device is also constructed to provide a very effective sealing arrangement for the sealing door, and the applicator means is mounted on the sealing door in such a way that a uid-tight seal is maintained during the normal working operation of the applicator across a surface.

These and other advantages of the improved device of this invention will become apparent in the more detailed discussion which follows, and in that discussion reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the assembled device showing the applicator means in its operative position external of the working head portion of the device;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal axis of the device to show the actuating means and other features for operating the device;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a sealing door associated with the device;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a mounting plate for an applicator means, the mounting plate and applicator carried thereby being attachable to the sealing door of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 shows a perspective view of a compressing and squeezing carriage carried within the working head portion of the device;

FIGURE 6 continues the cross-sectional view of FIG- UREI 2 and illustrates an actuating lever contained within the handle portion of the device;

FIGURE 7 is a detailed perspective view of a lever means associated with the actuating means of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a schematic sectional view for illustrating the operation of the device, and an initial entry movement of the applicator means is shown;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 but showing a further step in the operation of the device wherein the applicator is immersed into the reservoir portion of the device; and

FIGURE 10 is a still further view showing a return movement of the applicator means out of the reservoir and past a compressing carriage.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the overall mopping device is illustrated as having a handle portion 10 and a working head portion 12. The working head portion 12 is formed from molded sections of suitable material, such as a high impact synthetic plastic material, and the sections are joined together by anges 14 to provide for a casing which can contain the working mechanisms and reservoir for the device. The molded sections which make up the working portion 12 are assembled together in a sealed relationship by using gaskets and other sealing materials, where necessary, and the anges 14 on the upper surface of the illustrated device are formed in a configuration to contain a cable which is associated with an actuating mechanism for the device. The handle 10 is attached to one end of the working head portion 12, and the handle is preferably in the form of a hollow tube so that a part of the actuating mechanism may be carried within the handle, as will be discussed in detail later. A mopping or applicator means 16 is mounted at a lower end of the working head portion 12 when the device is in the working position shown in FIGURE l. The applicator means 16 may be of any conventional type, but preferably a sponge type of applicator is used for this device. The applicator 16 is shown in its operative working position, in FIGURE l, and in that position the applicator is mounted externally of the working head portion 12. In this external position, the applicator can be placed on a floor or other surface and moved back and forth by an operator who is grasping and moving the device by the handle 10.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate actuating means and other mechanisms associated therewith for moving the applicator means 16 from its operative position to an internal position within the working head portion 12. The purpose in moving the applicator means into the working head portion is to move the applicator into a reservoir 18 within the device for cleaning the applicator or for replenishing the applicator with a liquid which is contained within the working head portion 12. The entire device, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, is in an inverted position as compared to the working position shown in FIGURE 1. The inverted position is the attitude in which the device is placed for moving the applicator means into and out of the head portion 12, because the reservoir, which is included within the working head portion, may contain a liquid which would otherwise spill out of the device while the applicator is being moved into and out of an opened end of the device. The reservoir 18 may be filled up to the indicated Water line (WL) with a cleaning liquid, liquid wax, or other liquid. In order to move the applicator means from its operative position external of the working head 12 to an interior position within the working head, it is necessary to open an end 20 of the device so that the applicator may be swung into the working head portion and into the reservoir 18.

When the applicator 16 is in its external working position, the end 20 of the working head is tightly sealed by a sealing door means 22 covering an opening 24 which is formed in that end of the device. The sealing door means 22 is assembled from a backing plate member 26 which is faced with a layer of gasket material 28 for sealing the outside surface of the sealing door means against the opening 24 in the end of the device. The gasket material may be rubber or any other siutable material for forming a tight seal around the perimeter of the sealing door means.

FIGURES 3 and 4 show additional details of the construction for the sealing door means and of a novel arrangement for mounting a sponge applicator on the sealing door means in such a way that a tighter seal of the door is formed when the applicator is locked into its operative position. As shown in FIGURE 3, the sealing door means includes rollers 30 for pivoting and guiding the door through its range of movements between a fully closed position over the opening 24 to its lowermost position in the reservoir 18. The rollers 30 are mounted on supporting rods 32 so that the rollers are free to turn about their central axes on the supporting rods 32. The rollers may be made from a plastic material, such as nylon, which is strong and yet resistant to the cleaning solutions which will be used in the device. The FIGURE 3 view of the sealing door means shows the inside surface of the door, and mounting brackets 34 for the applicator means 16 are shown by dotted lines in their aflixed positions on the opposite side of the door. The mounting brackets 34 are welded or otherwise secured to the external face of the door for receiving a mounting plate 36 which carries the sponge applicator included in the applicator means 16. The mounting plate 36 is illustrated in FIGURE 4 and includes upturned elements 38 which can be positioned adjacent the mounting brackets 34 and pinned in place by any suitable attaching means. Of course, holes are formed through the mounting brackets 34 and through the elements 38 to receive attaching pins; and when the mounting plate is in its assembled relationship with the door, it can be seen that the mounting plate together with the applicator carried thereby can pivot relative to the door means. The assembled relationship of the applicator means 16 to the door means is best illustrated in FIGURE 2. The sponge type of applicator, or any other applicator which may be used, can be attached to the outside surface of the mounting plate 36 by the use of separate mounting brackets or screws or even by the use of an adhesive which will permit the removal of the sponge means when a change in the applicator is required.

Referring again to FIGURE 2, there is included within the working head portion of the device a novel mechanism for moving the applicator means into and out of the reservoir within the device and for compressing the applicator means at a time when it is leaving the reservoir and is moving back to its operative position outside of the working head. Guideways or tracks are molded into the side wall portions of the casing sections which makeup the general configuration for the working head 12. The guideways may be molded at the same time and from the same material as the casing itself, and the guideways will extend inwardly for a suicient distance to support and guide the roller means or other engaging means carried by the sealing door and by a compressing means 42 which is carried for movement within the working head portion. The compressing means 42 is illustrated in detail in FIGURE 5 and is generally in the form of a carriage having apertures 44 in a flat section of the carriage for contacting and squeezing the applicator sponge. The compressing means has rollers 46 which are mounted in much the same manner as described for the rollers 30 on the sealing door means. The compressing means 42 is carried within the working head portion 12 and is mounted and guided for a limited range of movements which cause the at perforated portions of the carriage to engage and compress the applicator means 16 after the applicator has left the reservoir 18. An actuating mechanism is carried by the compressing means 42 in the form of contact means 48 which are contacted by a portion of the sealing door means so as to pivot the compressing carriage into a squeezing engagement with the applicator sponge mounted on the sealing door means. The cooperating movements of the sealing door means and the compressing plate means will be described in greater detail later with reference to the sequence of movements shown in FIGURES 8 through l0.

In order to better understand the initial movements of the applicator means 16, it is necessary to look at the means for closing and locking the sealing door into its operative position, as shown in FIGURE 2. The operativel position of the combined sealing door and applicator is established when the sealing door means has reached an extreme position within the working head portion 12 so as to cover the opening 24. The door is moved and locked into this position by a cable means 50 which is attached between a portion of the applicator means 16 and a locking means 52 carried within the handle 10 of the device. The cable may alternatively be attached to a portion of the sealing door, however, the FIGURE 2 arrangement is preferred because it has been found that a particular stress can be applied to the middle portion of the sealing door means by the attachment shown. In the preferred arrangement, a lip portion 54 of the molded working head 12 acts as a fulcrum about which the sponge mounting plate 36 of the applicator means can be rocked. The cable 50, which may be of nylon material, can be pulled by the locking means 52 to tighten the sealing door means against the opening 24, and when the cable is pulled the mounting plate 36 rocks about its fulcrum 54, thereby applying an outward stress on the midpoint of the sealing door through the mounting brackets 34 which are positioned at that point. Thus when the door is closed and locked, there is an additional assurance that a tight seal will be formed over the opening 24 in the end of the device. This tight seal will not be aected by the normal pressures which will be applied to the sponge means in operating the device over a iloor or other surface.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate the locking means 52 for the door in greater detail, and an operating lever 56 is connected to a portion of the locking means so that a person may easily close and lock the door by an operation of the lever 56. The lever 56, as seen in FIGURE 7, can be moved from a locking slot 58 into a releasing slot 60 which permits the applicator means to be withdrawn into the reservoir in the working head 12. When the lever 56 is placed in the locking slot 58, the cable 50` is tightened to its maximum tightness for closing the door, and a spring means 62 is interposed between one end of the cable and its point of attachment to the locking means for absorbing any shocks which will be applied to the cable during the back and forth operating movements of the applicator over a floor or surface. FIGURE 6 also shows a resilient end piece 64 which is attached to the end of the handle to protect the handle and a oor when the entire device is placed in an inverted position. When it is desired to. move the applicator means 16 into the reservoir of the device for the purpose of either cleaning the applicator or replenishing the same with a controlled quantity of cleaning or polishing uid, the entire device is placed in the inverted position shown in FIGURE 2 and in the series of FIGURES 8 through 10. In this inverted position no liquid can escape from the working head portion 12 while the sealing door 22 is released from its sealed and locked position.

A first step in the operation of the device is to release the operating lever 56 from its locking slot 58 so that it may slide along the length of the handle within the slot 60. This longitudinal movement of the operating lever and of the locking means to which it is attached releases the cable 50, and thus, the combination of the sealing door and applicator means is no longer held in its operative position. A spring means 66 is connected to a portion of the sealing door means to assist in the drawing of the door inwardly into the Working head portion upon a release of the cable 50. The spring means 66 is under tension when the sealing door is closed, and when the cable 50 is released the spring contracts to pull the door inwardly into the device. The particular mounting arrangement for the spring 66, as shown in FIGURE 2, is important because the initial movement of the sealing door and applicator combination is a pivotal movement about the pivot point 68. In this sense, the spring 66 must pull the applicator and door combination inwardly and about the pivotal axis 68. A segment 70 of a guideway or track is formed in each side wall within the device for causing the sealing door and applicator to follow the prescribed initial pivotal movement (as indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 2), and the spring 66 cooperates with the guideway 70 to prevent the door from merely falling downwardly into the head. At the end of the initial step, the sealing door and applicator combination is in the position illustrated in FIGURE 8, and then the door and applicator can be drawn (by spring action and by gravity) downwardly along the longitudinal axis of the device for immersing the applicator into the reservoir contained within the lower portion.

FIGURE 9 shows a continued movement of the sealing door and applicator combination downwardly into the inverted device for immersing the sponge applicator into the reservoir portion of the device. If the sponge has been used in a mopping operation, this immersion will help to clean picked up matter and liquid from the sponge. On the other hand if the device is being used to apply a liquid wax or other liquid lilm, the immersing action will serve to replenish liquid into a sponge which has been wiped substantially dry during a lm applying operation. The continued movement of the sealing door and applicator downward into the device is controlled by the guideway segments 72 formed in each side wall portion of the casing, and as seen in FIGURE 9, the rollers 30 of the sealing door fit into the guideways 72 for the continued longitudinal movement of the sealing door and applicator combination. The downward movement of the combination is a result of a continued compression of the spring 66 and a result of gravity on the combination. An end portion 74 of the guideway limits the downward movement of the combination to a position where the sponge applicator is just immersed into the reservoir, although the guideways 72 can be designed to permit a deeper immersion if desired. As the sealing door backing plate 26 moves downwardly between the guideways 72, an edge portion of the sealing door backing plate will trip the contact means 48 mounted on the compression carriage 42. As illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5, the contact means are mounted on hinges 76 for pivotal movement in only one direction away from the normally upright positions of the contact means relative to the carriage 42. Springs 78 maintain the contact means 48 in their normally upright positions, but when the sealing door and applicator combination is being drawn downwardly into the device, an edge portion 80 of the sealing door will engage the contact means and pivot them over their hinges 76 against the compression of the springs 78. In the position Shown in FIGURE 9, the edge portion 80 of the backing plate has already tripped the contact means 48 and they have returned to their normally upright positions by the action of the springs 78. In order that the Contact means 48 may return to upright positions while the sealing door is over them, a sufficient space 81 is formed in the backing plate 26 to receive the contact means.

Referring now to FIGURE 10, it can be seen that as the sealing door and applicator combination is drawn upwardly out of the reservoir, the edge portion 80 of the sealing door engages the contact means once again, but in the upward movement of the sealing door, the contact means cannot be tripped beyond their normal upright positions relative to the compressing carriage 42. As a result, the continued upward movement of the sealing door and its applicator will cause the compressing carriage means L 42 to begin an upward movement by the engagement of the back of edge 80 of the sealing door with the contact means 48. The path of movement for the compressing carriage is determined by

separate guideway segments

82 and 84. The guideway 82 causes the carriage to move toward the sponge applicator as the compressing carriage progresses upwardly in the inverted device, and the guideway 84 limits the upward movement for the entire compressing carriage. As seen in FIGURE 10, the compressing carriage reaches an upward position of maximum movement toward the sponge applicator, and this position results in a squeezing of the sponge while it is leaving the reservoir portion of the device. The squeezing action serves to clean the sponge and to remove any excess liquid from it as it leaves the reservoir for an eventual movement to its operative position outside of the device. Of course, it should be understood that the upward return movement of the sealing door and applicator combination is caused by a pulling of the cable 50, and this is effected by moving the lever 56 from the position shown in FIGURE 9 to its locked position near the end of the handle 10. The lever is actuated manually, and in the inverted position of the device, an operator can simply step on the lever to move it to a locked position and to cause the sealing door and applicator combination to resume their operative positions as shown in FIGURE 2. As the sealing door and sponge applicator reach an upper position within the device, the compressing Carriage 42 falls away from the sponge so as not to interfere with its pivotal swinging movement outwardly through the opening 24. Then the compressing carriage 42 is drawn back into its beginning position by the action of a spring 84, and the device is ready for a subsequent cleaning or immersing of the sponge into the reservoir whenever necessary.

Thus it can be seen that the improved device of this invention can be easily operated in a reliable actuation which quickly cleans an applicator, as required, or supplies the applicator with an additional quantity of liquid, wax or other similar fluid. The series of steps shown in FIGURES 8 through 10 illustrate the ease with which a person may simply invert the entire device and release the lever 56 for causing an immersing and cleaning of the applicator means into the reservoir of the device. After the applicator has been immersed, the operator simply steps on the lever 56 to return the applicator to its operative position and during the return movement the sponge is squeezed and the sealing door is tightened to prevent any leakage of liquid from the device. Then the device can be returned to its normal position, as shown in FIG- URE 1, for continued use as a mop or applicator. As discussed above, the device is easily manufactured and assembled, and the mechanisms for operating the device are simple and sure in their actuation.

Although the device has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment it will become apparent to those skilled in the art that variations can be made in the structure without departing from the principles ofthe invention. For example, the casing for the working head portion 12 has been illustrated as including a formed channel between the upper flanges 14 for concealing the cable 50. The cable 50 could just as well be mounted on an external surface of the device without a special requirement for concealing the same in the working head casing and in the hollow handle. Also, the guideways which control the movements for the sealing door and applicator combination and the compressing carriage can be formed in difierent configurations to obtain the described series of movements. The guideways have been described as being formed from the same material from which the casing for the working head portion 12 is molded, but guidew-ays could be also separately attached to the inner side walls of the casing in the positions shown. In either case, the guideways are formed to extend inwardly from the side walls for short distances so as to support the rollers associated with the sealing door and the compressing carriage while at the same time avoiding an interference with the main bodies of the door and carriage.

These and other variations which follow the principles of this invention Vare intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In cleaning and mopping apparatus of the type which can -be hand operated to apply and remove liquids relative to a surface and including a handle portion connected to a working head portion, the improvement comprising:

an vapplicator means connected to said head portion and mounted on an axis so that said applicator means can be moved from an operative position exterior of said head portion to an inoperative position within the head portion,

actuating means -for moivng said applicator means into its operative and inoperative positions and including means for locking said applicator means in its operative position,

a reservoir contained within the working head portion of said -apparatus for receiving a liquid which is to be applied to or removed from a surface,

a guide means carried within said head portion for guiding said applicator means into and `out of the reservoir contained therein so that said `applicator can be immersed in liquid carried within the reservoir,

a compressing means carried within said head portion and movable towards and away yfrom said applicator means for squeezing excess liquid out of said .applicator as the applicator is moved past said compressing means, and

a sealing door means connected to said head portion for covering an opening contained therein, said sealing door means being mounted for opening said head portion for entry of said applicator into the reservoir and for' closing said head portion to prevent leakage of liquid out of the reservoir when said applicator is in its operative position outside of the head portion.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said applicator means is mounted on said sealing door means, and including means for swinging the combination of the sealing door and the applicator carried thereon into the interior of said head portion for movement into and out of the reservoir, said sealing door including engagement means which engage said guide means within the head portion as the sealing door and applicator are moved into and out of the head portion, whereby said sealing door can be actuated to an open position which carries said applicator means into the interior of said head portion and to a closed position which carries said applicator means out of said head `portion so as to place the applicator into its operative position external of the sealed head portion.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a track for receiving engaging means associated with said applicator means, said track having a configuration which defines a swinging movement for said applicator into and out of the interior of said head portion and a straight line movement for said applicator into and out of said reservoir which is contained within the head portion.

4. The improvement of `claim 2 wherein said actuating means includes a cable connected at a rst end to said applicator means and at a second end to an actuating lever carried `by said handle portion.

5. The improvement of claim 2 and including means for normally biasing said sealing door into the interior of the head portion when said locking means is released to unlock the applicator means from its operative position, whereby said sealing door will automatically swing into the head portion and into the reservoir therein when said locking means is released.

6. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said compressing means comprises a compressing carriage contained within the head portion and mounted for movements toward and away from the path of movement for said applicator means within the head portion.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein said compressing carriage includes contact means for contacting a portion of said applicator and sealing door combination when said combination moves `past the compressing carriage, and including guiding means lfor guiding said compressing carri-age into a squeezing movement relative to said applicator means when the said contact is made, whereby movement of the applicator and sealing door combination will automatically operate the compressing `carriage into a squeezing action relative to the applicator.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said contact means is mounted on said carriage means for contacting and moving the compressing carriage for only one direction of movement of said applicator and sealing door combination.

9. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said compressing carriage is moved in a squeezing action only when said applicator means is moving in a direction which removes the applicator -from the reservoir and toward the exterior ofthe device.

10. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said actuating means is connected to said applicator and door combination at a point for exerting -a pressure on a central portion of said sealing door in a direction which effects a tighter sealing of said door over the opening which it covers when said sealing door is closed and when said actuator means is locked into its operative position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,153,686 4/1939 Deegan 15-99 2,544,174 3/1951 Ohrnert 15-99 2,679,062 5/1954 Braun 15-118 FOREIGN PATENTS 517,047 10/1955 Canada.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner.