US356029A - John t - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) J. T. COLLINS.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

No. 356,029. Patented Jan. 11,1887.

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Wan/MM NTE STATES PATENT FFICEQ JOHN T. COLLINS, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HENRY F. PALMER, OF SAME PLACE.

STREET-=SWEEPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,029, dated January 11, 1887.

Application filed June 25, 1885. Serial No. 169,701. (No model.)

To all whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, JoHN T. CoLLINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdraw- [O ings.

My invention relates to that class of streetsweeping machines in which the dirt is swept into a box or other suitable receptacle by means of a revolving brush, my object being to improve and simplify somewhat-the details of construction in such a sweeper and to provide a dirt-receptacle which can be quickly and easily emptied.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my newly-improved streetsweeper. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view of said sweeper. Fig. 3 is acrosssection on line at w of Fig. 1, with the hinged sides of box A opened. Fig. 4 is a detached 2 view of the brush-shield, showing a means for adjusting the bearings of the brushshaft as the brush becomes worn and reduced in diameter. Fig. 5 is a view of the front end of the box A.

Briefly described, my device consists of a dirt-receptacle with inclined bottom, suitably supported on two or more wheels, and a circular brush geared to the rearaxle and adapted to be'swung out of engagement with the axle- 5 gear when not in use, the bearings in which the brush-shaft rotates being so secured to the brush-shield that they may be quickly adjusted to accommodate a brush of greater or less diameter.

The letter A represents the body of my street-sweeper open at its rear end and having its bottom side inclined, so that its forward end is considerably lower than the rear open end, through which the dirt enters. My object in thus inclining the bottom of box A is to cause the dirt to gradually move forward by gravity, as the box is jolted or shaken when in use, thereby tending to move the dirt away from the point Where it enters said box, and leaving said entrance at all times open to receive further sweepings.

On one end of the rotatable shaft C, which supports the rear wheels, E, is a gear, a, secured to said shaft. Hinged to the upper rear end of box A and, preferably,immediately 5 5 over shaft C, is a shield, c, which covers and protects the circular brush 1 the journals of the brush-shaft being in metallic bearings e, secured adjustably in slots f in the shield 0, the slots f being formed as an arc of a circle, whose center is also the center of shaft C.

On the end of the brush-shaft is a gear, h, which, when the shield is lowered to its normal position, engages gear a, to rotate the brush as the-complete device is drawn forward. Secured to the bottom of box A is a sheet-metal strip, K, which extends well rearward under the brush, and forms a guide along A which the dirt is brushed toward box A.

As a convenient means by which the driver 0' may raise the brush-gear h out of engagement with gear a, I have providcda lever-arm, m, pivoted near the hinge or pivot of shield c, and having its shorter arm secured to the rear side of said shield. The longer arm of said lever extends wellforward and is held in either a raised or lowered position by retaining slots at a in an arm, F, attached to the front end of box A. Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that a portion of the top of box A, on each side, is hinged to a central stationary strip, 0, and that a considerable portion of the adjustable side walls (see '0) is attached to said hinged portions. The portions thus formed and hinged may be swung upward, as shown in said Fig. 3, when it is desired toshovel, sweep out, or otherwise remove the accumulation of dirt in the main box A.

Having thus described my invention, I 0 clairn- In combination with a suitable dirt-receptacle, the brush-shield c,hinged to said receptaclc, a circular revolving brush whose bearings are adjustably secured to shield 0, sub- 5 stantially as described, lever-arm m, attached to said shield, and means for retaining the lever-arm in a desired position, all substantially as described, and for theobjects set forth.

JOHN T. COLLINS.

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