US3605170A - Mobile suction cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

A SUCTION CLEANING DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE MOVED IN A FORWARD DIRECTION OVER A SURFACE TO REMOVE DEBRIS AND OTHER MATERIAL THEREFROM, INCLUDING A DEBRIS HOPPER, A SUCTION DUCT LEADING TO THE HOPPER, FAN MEANS TO DRAW AIR THROUGH THE DUCT, AND AN IMPROVED PICK-UP CHAMBER INTO WHICH THE DUCT EXTENDS REMOVED FROM THE HOPPER ADJACENT TO THE SURFACE TO BE CLEANED. THE IMPROVED PICK-UP CHAMBER IS COMPRISED OF AT LEAST ONE SUCTION NOZZLE INLET OPENING POSITIONED WITHIN THE PICK-UP CHAMBER AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SUCTION DUCT, AND AIR JET MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF AIR OUTLET OPENINGS ARRANGED IN THE CHAMBER FORWARD OF AND ON OPPOSITE SIDEF OF THE SUCTION NOZZLE INLET OPENINGS, THE AIR JET MEANS POSSESSING HIGH IMPACT CHARACTERISTICS TO LOOSEN THE MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE AND DIRECT IT TOWARD THE PATH OF MOVEMENT TRAVERSED BY THE SUCTION NOZZLE INLET OPENINGS.

Description

Sept. 20, 1971 5;..1. HANK ETAL 3,605,170

MOBILE SUCTION CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 11, 1969' EMIL JFWIE BY HENRY D. LUTHER ATTOR N E YS.

United States Patent 01 hoe 3,605,170 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,605,170 MOBILE SUCTION CLEANING DEVICE Emil J. Hank, Minerva, and Henry D. Luther, Massillon, Ohio, assignors to Gulf Western Industrial Products Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Filed Mar. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 806,202 Int. Cl. E01h 1/08 US. Cl. 15--346 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A suction cleaning device adapted to be moved in a forward direction over a surface to remove debris and other material therefrom, including a debris hopper, a suction duct leading to the hopper, fan means to draw air through the duct, and an improved pick-up chamber into which the duct extends removed from the hopper adjacent to the surface to be cleaned. The improved pick-up chamber is comprised of at least one suction nozzle inlet opening positioned within the pick-up chamber and in communication with the suction duct, and air jet means having a plurality of air outlet openings arranged in the chamber forward of and on opposite sides of the suction nozzle inlet openings, the air jet means possessing high impact characteristics to loosen the material from the surface and direct it toward the path of movement traversed by the suction nozzle inlet openings.

This invention pertains to the art of suction cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to improvements in the debris pick-up means for such apparatus.

The invention is particularly applicable to large mobile suction cleaning devices adapted to be moved over a surface such as a roadway or airfield runway for removing debris, and will be described with particular reference thereto; although, it should be appreciated that the invention is capable of broader application and may be used wherever it is desired to remove debris or other material from a surface by means of suction.

A commonly used type of mobile suction cleaning device comprises a debris hopper in which debris is collected, a suction duct leading to the hopper, a centrifugal fan to draw air through the duct, a pick-up chamber into which the duct extends, and a suction nozzle mounted in the pick-up chamber connected to the duct.

As the pick-up chamber passes over a surface to be cleaned, the vacuum created at the suction nozzle removes loose debris which is transmitted by means of the suction duct to the debris hopper.

In an attempt to improve the cleaning efficiency of such devices, various means have been employed by prior art apparatus to direct the flow of debris under the pick-up chamber into the suction nozzle. One such method of debris direction calls for recirculation of fan exhaust air back to the pick-up chamber, blowing it perpendicularly at the roadway so as to loosen debris from the roadway. A second method calls for the utilization of rubber scrapers which are in contact with the roadway and which scrape relatively large items of debris towards the suction nozzle inlet opening.

Debris direction means thus far developed have encountered numerous problems. Where recirculated air has been employed, its use has been inefficient, more frequently than not simply stirring up and dispersing the debris, particularly lighter particles, away from rather than towards the suction nozzle inlet opening. Recirculation of air also produces a back pressure on the vacuum side of the system which reduces fan efiiciency and cleaning capabilities of the device. The use of rubber scrapers has also proved unsuccessful because of extensive wear of the scrapers resulting from surface contact, requiring constant maintenance. Furthermore, as the rubber scrapers wear down their ability to direct debris into the suction nozzle decreases rapidly.

The present invention contemplates a new and improved suction cleaning apparatus which overcomes all of the above referred to problems and others; and provides an improved means for debris pick-up which is simple, economical and in particular, which increases the cleaning efiiciency of such apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention, a suction cleaning device of the general type described is provided, wherein the pick-up chamber comprises suction nozzle inlet openings in communication with the suction duct, and air jet means in front of and on opposite sides of the nozzle openings arranged to impart a force component on the debris substantially transverse to the longitudinal movement of the cleaning device, thereby directing the debris towards the path of movement traversed by the suction nozzle inlet openings.

Preferably, the air jet means have a V-shaped configuration and converge onto the suction nozzle inlet openings so as to concentrate and direct the debris from a fairly wide area into the openings.

In accordance with a more limited aspect of the invention, stationary surface contacting brushes are positioned behind, adjacent to and substantially parallel and coextensive with the air jet means, and in contact with the surface to be cleaned, thereby dislodging debris which is stuck to the surface. Behind the brushes, laterally coextensive with the width dimension in the pick-up chamber encompassed by the brushes are additional suction noz- Zle inlet openings on opposite sides of the first-mentioned nozzle openings. The brushes serve two functions. Large items of debris are directed towards the first-mentioned suction nozzle inlet openings, and smaller items of debris are simply dislodged or freed from the surface being cleared for pick-up by the additional nozzle openings.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a rotary brush is contained in the pick-up chamber behind the suction nozzle inlet openings in contact with the surface to be cleaned. The brush has a direction of rotation opposite to the direction of movement of the cleaning device so as to direct remaining fine particle debris forwardly towards the suction nozzle inlet openings. As will be seen, the improved debris direction means of the present invention greatly increases the cleaning efficiency of mobile suction cleaning devices. Furthermore, high maintenance costs of prior art devices are overcome, thereby providing an inexpensive means of debris direction and pick-up.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved debris directing and pick-up means for mobile suction cleaning devices, which increases the cleaning efficiency of such devices.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved debris directing and pick-up means for suction cleaning devices which agitates the debris into a state of suspension at the suction nozzle inlet openings of the devices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a debris directing means which is economical to manufacture and requires a minimum of maintenance.

The invention and other objects and advantages thereof will become apparent from the following description used to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partly broken away and in section, illustrating a mobile suction cleaning device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along 22 of FIG. 1 showing in detail the bottom side of a debris pick-up chamber in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows diagrammaticall the operation of the pick-up chamber of FIG. 2 in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-section elevation view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2, further showing the operation of the pick-up chamber of FIG. 2 in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention only, and not for the purpose of limiting the same, FIG. 1 shows the overall arrangement of a mobile suction cleaning vehicle A, adapted to travel in a predetermined forward or rearward direction, having a conventional drivers cab B at the forward end of the vehicle, a fan means C behind the cab, a debris hopper D at the rear of the vehicle, and a pick-up chamber E on the underside of the vehicle.

Referring in greater detail to FIG. 1, the vehicle A is supported on the roadway surface (which is to be cleaned) by conventional front and rear wheels l2, 14, respectively. The fan means C and hopper D are fully enclosed by a body 16 secured to the vehicle chassis 18, the body being pivotally mounted about an axis 20. The removal of collected debris from hopper D is accomplished through a dumping door 22 located at the rearward part of the body 16 by tipping the body upwardly and rearwardly about the pivot axis 20. The hopper D is an enclosed chamber which has an inlet 28 through which collected debris enters the hopper, and an outlet 30 through which air passes. Movement of air into and through the hopper is generated by the fan means C, which is in communication with the hopper outlet through a fan duct 32. At the hopper outlet 30 is an air filter screen 34 which prevents debris collected in the hopper from being drawn into the fan means, possibl damaging the latter. The filter also prevents the collected debris from being dispersed to the atmosphere through passage 35 connected to the outlet side of the fan means.

A pick-up chamber E, to be described in more detail, is suspended from the underside of the vehicle A between the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 14. The pick-up chamber E is generally rectangular in shape, its transverse axis being greater than its longtiudinal axis (relative to the direction of movement of the vehicle) and substantially equal to the width of the vehicle A. The pickup chamber E is connected to the hopper inlet 28 by means of a suction duct 36 leading to the hopper inlet 28 which enables collected debris to be transmitted from the pickup chamber to the hopper D.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pick-up chamber E is suspended below the vehicle A by means of forward and rearward suspending links 38, 40, respectively, said links being pivotally connected to both the chassis 18 and the chamber, permitting the chamber to be raised from its lower operating opposition to an upper storage position when not in use. Although any conventional mechanism may be employed to raise or lower the chamber E, for purposes of illustration a hydraulic system 42 has been shown. The hydraulic system 42 comprises, a cylinder mounting bracket 44 which is affixed to the chassis 18, a rear suspending link bracket 46 which is slidably connected to the chassis, and a hydraulic cylinder 48 disposed between said brackets. To raise the pick-up chamber E from its lower operating position to its upper storage position the hydraulic cylinder 48 is actuated to expand rearwardly. This causes the slidably connected rear suspending link bracket 46 to move rearwardly, there by pivoting the links 38, (the latter connected to bracket 46) rearwardly, raising the chamber by means of the links.

The chamber E comprises a top cover plate 54 which is carried by a forward chamber wheel 56 and rearward 4 chamber wheels 58, the wheels being in contact with the roadway surface 10 when the chamber is in the lower operating position. Passing through the top rearward portion of the cover plate 54 is a suction nozzle 60, the upper end of which is connected to the suction duct 36, and the lower end of which terminates (as shown in FIG. 2) in a plurality of laterally spaced apart inlet openings 62, 64 having two basic configurations. A pair of laterally spaced-apart openings 62 are generally square in shape, although the openings may be of any suitable configuration, and encompassed on opposite sides by the three narrow or elongated openings 64. Both the square inlet openings 62 and the narrow elongated inlet openings 64 may vary in shape; however, the square openings are provided with a relatively wide mouth and exceed the narrow openings in the longitudinal dimension (with respect to direction of travel), whereas to narrow openings substantially span the width of the chamber E in the spaces not occupied by openings 62. It should also be noted that the narrow elongated openings 64 have their rearward side transversely aligned with the rearward side of the square inlet openings 62, the openings together extending substantially continuously in a transverse direction from one side to the other across the rearward portion of the chamber E.

Disposed forward of and on each side of the wide mouth suction nozzle inlet openings 62 at an acute angle to the forward and rearward line of movement of the vehicle A during the cleaning operation are air jet means 66 suspended below the coverplate 54 in the chamber E by means of a rear hanging bracket 68 and a forward hanging bracket 70 (FIG. 4). Each air jet means 66 has an inner face which is directed towards the forward and rearward lines of movement defined by the openings 62 and an opposed outer face.

Referring now to FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4, the air jet means 66 will be described in greater detail. Located on the inner face of each air jet means 66 is a series of air jet outlet openings 76 from which a plurality of air jets 78 are directed both inwardly towards the longitudinal axis of movement of vehicle A and downwardly towards the road surface 10, which is being cleaned. The air jets 78 are so directed as to impart horizontal force components x on debris 86 (which is lying on the road way surface 10), the force components being substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of movement of the vehicle A. As best shown of FIG. 3, the opposed horizontal force components x of the air jets 78 on opposite sides of each wide mouth inlet opening 62 tend to position and concentrate the bulk of the debris 80 in the path of the openings thereby facilitating pick-up by the suction nozzle 60 and increasing cleaning efiiciency. The efficiency of pick-up is enhanced since the air jets 78 tend to agitate the debris 80 into a state of suspension at the openings 62.

Positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel and coextensive with the air jet means 66, but adjacent to the opposed outer faces, opposite the faces containing the air jet outlet openings 76, are stationary brushes 82. These brushes are in contact with the roadway surface 10, and increase the cleaning efliciency of the apparatus by dislodging that debris which adhered to the roadway and which was not positioned and put into suspension by the air jet means 66. The brushes may direct the debris towards the wide mouth openings 62, but also serve the important function of dislodging the debris for pick-up by the narrow or elongated inlet openings 64 which are to the rear of the brushes coextensive with the lateral dimension spanned by the brushes.

To the rear of the suction nozzle inlet openings, 62 and 64, and substantially coextensive therewith, is a rotary brush 84 which is adapted to be in contact with the roadway surface 10. The rotary brush 84 may be driven by any conventional mechanism and rotates in a reverse direction to direct fine particle debris forwardly towards the suction nozzle inlet openings. The rotary brush 84 dislodges still remaining debris which has been traversed by the suction nozzle inlet openings 62, 64, without being picked up, and positions the debris at the nozzle inlet openings thereby further increasing the pickup characteristics and cleaning efficiency of chamber E.

The air supply for the air jet means 66 may be provided either by means of an auxiliary air compressor 86 which is carried in the vehicle A or by recirculating the exhaust air from the fan means C. In the preferred embodiment an auxiliary air compressor 86 is illustrated, since recirculation of exhaust air induces a back pressure on the fan means C, which reduces the system overall eificiency. The air compressor 86 is connected to the air jet means 66 by air lines 88.

Still referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the operation of the mobile suction cleaning vehicle A will now be described. The fan means C, of the centrifugal type, disposed at the forward end of the vehicle A has its rearward, low pressure side, conductively coupled to the debris hopper D. The operation of the fan means C produces a partial vacuum at the suction nozzle 60, causing air flow into the nozzle through the large suction nozzle inlet openings 62 and the narrow elongated suction nozzle inlet openings 64. The incoming air then passes upward through the suction duct 36 to the debris hopper D, thence through the air filter screen 34 and fan duct 32 to the fan means C. The partial vacuum created at the suction nozzle 60 tends to draw the debris 80, which has been properly positioned and agitated into a state of suspension by the air jet means 66, upward from the roadway surface through the suction nozzle inlet open ings 62, 64, and deposit it in the debris hopper D. On the high pressure side of the fan means C the discharge air is released into the surrounding atmosphere.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment in detail sufiicient to enable one skilled in the art to duplicate the invention, variations and embodiments within the scope of the following claims will be apparent to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification.

Having thus defined our invention, we claim:

1. In a suction cleaning device adapted to 'be moved in a forward direction over a surface to remove loose debris therefrom, including a debris hopper, a suction duct leading to said hopper, a fan to draw air through said duct, and a pickup chamber into which said duct extends remote from said hopper and positioned adjacent said surface, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of suction nozzle inlet openings extending transversely across said pickup chamber defining at "least one wide-mouth opening and narrower elongated side openings on each side of said wide-mouth opening and spaced therefrom;

air jet means for establishing air jet streams disposed forward of and on each side of said wide-mouth opening at an acute angle to said forward direction;

said air jet means including a plurality of air outlet openings directed both inwardly toward said longitudinal axis and downwardly toward said surface;

means for supplying pressurized air into said chamber through said air jet means whereby an air jet stream component is directed against said debris substantially transverse to said axis of movement to thereby agitate said debris into a state of suspension to facilitate debris flow into said widemouth opening.

2. The device of claim 1 further including brush means for dislodging debris positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel and coextensive with said air jet means between said air jet means and said narrower elongated side openings and adapted to contact said surface.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said air jet means defines a V-shaped configuration converging towards said wide-mouth opening, said narrower elongated side openings being substantially coextensive with the lateral dimension spanned by said air jet means.

4. In a suction cleaning device adapted to be moved in a forward direction over a surface to remove loose debris therefrom, including a debris hopper, a suction duct leading to said hopper, a fan to draw air through said duct, and a pickup chamber into which said duct extends remote from said hopper and positioned adjacent said surface, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of suction nozzle inlet openings extending transversely across said pickup chamber to define at least one central wide-mouth opening encompassed by narrower elongated side openings;

jet means for establishing an air jet disposed forward of and on each side of said suction nozzle inlet opening at an acute angle to said longitudinal axis of movement defining a V-shaped configuration on opposite sides of and converging towards said widemouth opening, said narrower elongated side openings being substantially coextensive with the lateral dimension spanned by said jet means;

said jet means including a plurality of air outlet openings directed both inwardly toward said longitudinal axis and downwardly toward said surface, whereby the passage of air through said air outlet openings imparts a force component on the debris substantially transverse to said axis of movement to thereby agitate said debris into a state of suspension for flow during the cleaning operation into said wide-mouth opening; and,

brush means for dislodging debris, said brush means stationarily positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel and coextensive with said air jet means between said air jet means and said narrower elongated side openings adapted to be in contact with the surface being cleaned to dislodge remaining debris for pickup by said openings.

5. The device of claim 4, further including a rotary brush positioned rearward of said suction nozzle inlet openings substantially coextensive therewith and adapted to be in contact with the surface being cleaned to direct fine particle debris forwardly towards the suction nozzle inlet openings.

6. A pickup chamber for use in cleaning debris from a surface by a suction action, said chamber comprising:

a plurality of suction nozzle inlet openings extending transversely across said pickup chamber and defining at least one wide-mouth opening and narrower elongated side openings on each side of said widemouth opening and spaced therefrom;

elongated air jet means disposed forward of and on either side of said wide opening and defining a V- shaped configuration said wide opening being adjacent the apex of said configuration;

said air jet means including a plurality of air jet outlet openings directed both inwardly to the space encompassed by said air jet means and downwardly toward said surface; and,

means for supplying pressurized air into said chamber through said air jet means whereby a force compo nent is directed against said debris substantially transverse to the axis of movement of said chamber to thereby agitate said debris into a state of suspension to facilitate debris flow into said wide opening.

7. A pickup chamber for use in cleaning debris from a surface by a suction action, said chamber comprising:

a plurality of suction nozzle inlet openings extending transversely across said pickup chamber to define at least one central wide mouth-opening encompassed by narrower elongated side openings;

jet means for establishing air jets disposed on opposite sides of said wide-mouth opening defining a generally V-shaped configuration, said wide-mouth opening being disposed at the apex thereof;

said jet means including longitudinally disposed air jet outlet openings directed both inwardly and downwardly to the space encompassed by said air jet out- 7 let openings for imparting a force component on said debris transverse to the axis of movement of said suction nozzle inlet openings during the cleaning operation to thereby agitate said debris into a state of suspension for flow towards said wide-mouth opening; and

brush means for dislodging debris said brush means positioned adjacent to and substantially parallel and coextensive with said air jet means in the space between said air jet means and said narrower elongated side openings, said brush means adapted to be in contact with said surface to dislodge remaining debris for pickup by said elongated side openings.

8. The chamber of claim 7 wherein said side suction nozzle inlet openings are substantially coextensive with the lateral dimension traversed by said air jet means.

9. The chamber of claim 7 further including a rotary brush positioned rearward of said suction nozzle inlet openings substantially coextensive therewith and adapted to be in contact with said surface, said rotary brush being rotatable in a direction opposite to that of movement to 8 direct fine particle debris forwardly towards said suction nozzle inlet openings.

10. The device of claim 1 further including a rotary brush positioned rearward of said suction nozzle inlet openings substantially coextensive therewith and adapted to be in contact with said surface and rotate opposite said forward direction to direct fine particle debris forwardly towards said suction nozzle inlet openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 484,191 10/1892 Furnas. 1,923,689 8/1933 Rosenberg 15-346X 3,007,191 11/1961 Brown 15340 3,189,932 6/1965 Daneman 1534O WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner C. K. MOORE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15340, 374

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