US3802025A

US3802025A - Litter vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: US3802025A
Application number: US00268156A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Berg
Original assignee: Fuller Co
Current assignee: MULTI-CLEAN Inc; Fuller Co
Priority date: 1972-06-30
Filing date: 1972-06-30
Publication date: 1974-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-09

Abstract

A trash vacuum for cleaning littered ground or floor areas wherein the air intake opening into the fan housing is offset relative to the rotary axis of the fan so as to increase the flow of air through the housing whereby large litter items such as cartons and cans are moved through the lower portion of the housing into a collection receptacle with little if any contact with the fan.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Berg Apr. 9, 1974 [54] LITTER VACUUM CLEANER 3,491,399 1/1970 Dolan et al. 15/353 x [75] Inventor: Robin L. Berg, Bloomington, Minn.

Primary ExaminerHarvey C. Hornsby [73] Assigneez B B. Fuller Company, St. Paul, c Moore Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Carlsen, Carlsen & Sturm [22] Filed: June 30, 1972 121 Appl. No.: 268,156 [57] ABSTRACT A trash vacuum for cleaning littered ground or floor [52] U Cl. l 15/347 areas wherein the air intake opening into the fan hous- [51] CL I l l n A47] 9/10 ing is offset relative to the rotary axis of the fan so as [58] Field 15/347 353 to increase the flow of air through the housing whereby large litter items such as cartons and cans are [56] References Cited moved through the lower portion of the housing into a collection receptacle with little if any contact with the UNITED STATES PATENTS fan. 2,809,389 10/1957 Collins'et a] 15/347 X 3,112,511 12/1963 Lankenau 15/350 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures LITTER VACUUM CLEANER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Trash vacuum cleaners of the type used to remove debris from streets and parking lots and other areas that may be heavily littered, frequently encounter such items as cartons and cans. It is, of course, desirable that such large objects be collected with minimal or no direct contact with the fan of the cleaner to avoid damaging the same. Existent machines of the general type described herein collect both large (cans, cartons, etc.) and small (sand, shavings, etc.) items of debris in such a manner as to require the impingement of essentially all of said debris on the vanes of the air moving fan.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a trash or litter vacuum having a powered rotary fan positioned between an inlet and a collection receptacle and creating a strong air stream sufficient to move large trash articles such as cans into the receptacle without the need of any substantial positive engagement by the fan.

With this and other objects in view the invention broadly comprises a wheeled frame supporting a fan housing with a fan mounted for rotation on a vertical axis in the upper portion thereof, the housing having a trash inlet in the bottom wall which is offset with respect to the fan axis whereby large litter items moving upwardly through the inlet will be carried by the air stream set up by the fan rearwardly into a collection receptacle mounted on the frame without the necessity of being drawn into the fan. The fan is positioned within the housing wall to effectively move small litter particles also into the receptacle through a slightly different air stream.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the vacuuming machine with the front litter entrance flap in normal operating position but with the flap and the control therefor shown in open position in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through the fan housing taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and looking downwardly and with a portion of the fan broken away to show the air intake opening.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the housing taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 but showing the fan in elevation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numerals will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. A frame is supported upon a pair of rear wheels 11 and a pair of front caster wheels 12. An inverted U-shaped handle 14 has its lower free ends connected to the frame so that the operator may move the frame on its wheels over a floor or ground surface G.

A fan housing denoted generally at 15 is mounted on the frame. This housing, to be subsequently described in greater detail, serves as a base for supporting a gasoline engine 16 which provides power through drive shaft 17 to the vacuum fan denoted generally at 18. An outlet 19 in the rear end of the housing is connected to a collection bag or receptacle 20 as by a tension band 21 or other suitable means.

Frame 10 has a horizontal wall 24 which forms a bottom wall for the fan housing 15. This wall is provided with an opening 25. A debris entrance chamber 26 extends across the front of the frame 10 under wall 24. This chamber has a front gate 27 hinged as at 28 along its upper edge. The lower edge is provided with a ground strip 29 of resilient material. A link 30 is pivoted to frame 10 as at 31 and has one end engaging against gate 27 and its other end pivotally connected to the front end of an elongated rod 32 which has its rear end pivoted to a medial point on a control handle 34 (FIG. 1). Handle 34 has its lower end pivoted as at 35 to the frame 10 for fore and aft movement of the handle. When handle 34 is in the forward position, shown in full lines in FIG. 1, gate 27 is in closed position across the front of chamber 26. However, when control handle 34 is moved rearwardly to the position shown in broken lines, the rod 32 will pivot the upper end of link 30 rearwardly to swing gate 27 to an open position as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. A trough 36 extends rearwardly from the center portion of chamber 26 and provides a conduit between the chamber and opening 25 in wall 24.

Housing 15 is provided with upper and lower chambers denoted respectively at 38 and 39. The upper chamber 38 encloses the fan 18 and is circular in horizontal cross section as shown in FIG. 2. It is offset axially, however, relative to shaft 17 and fan 18 so that the space between the periphery of the fan and the wall of chamber 38 gradually increases from the rear to the front of the chamber on both sides thereof.

Lower chamber 39 is empty and generally circular with an outlet chute 40 leading rearwardly through and fonning a portion of outlet 19. This chamber is axially offset in a forward direction from the chamber 38 so that while

chambers

38 and 39 have a common wall in the rear areas thereof the chamber 39 gradually increases in diameter in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, with the outer wall thereof extending into the outer wall of chute 40.

The fan 18 comprises a flat plate 41 having many circumferentially spaced star points 42 each of which is strengthened by a rib 44 and provided with an upright blade or flange 45 along its trailing edge, it being understood that the fan is powered to rotate clockwise when viewed as in FIG. 2.

Opening 25 is substantially square in shape and is located in wall 24 so that the axis of shaft 17 extends through the inner rear quarter of the opening. In other words, the center of opening 25 is offset forwardly and to the right of the axis of rotation of the fan 18.

The operation of the vacuum will now be explained. In normal use where large items of debris are not on the surface to be cleaned, the front gate 27 is in lowered or closed position as viewed in FIG. 3 with the fan 18 rotating in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2. The dirt and other small articles of debris will be drawn upwardly into chamber 26, then into trough 36 and upwardly through the opening 25 and into chamber 39. The offset position of the opening 25 relative to the axis of shaft 17 causes the fan 18 to pull more air than where the opening is centered on the shaft axis.

While some of the small debris particles will pass directly into the chute 40, other particles will be carried upwardly into the rear portion of chamber 38 and then around the chamber, clockwise as viewed in FIG. 2, and as the space between the wall of chamber 38 and the periphery of fan 18 diminishes the debris is forced downwardly toward chamber 39'and into the outlet chute 40.

Large items such as cans and cartons may also be admitted by raising the front gate 27 to the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. As these heavier items pass upwardly through opening 25 they will be caught in the air stream moving directly rearward from opening 25 over plate or wall 24 and into outlet 19 to bag 20. This air stream is implemented by air being forced downwardly from the right side of chamber 38 into chamber 39 as the fan blades 45 move closer to the wall of chamber 38 in that area.

The fan location within the housing and relative to the inlet opening 25 accordingly creates a circular air stream within the chamber 38 which carries lighter materials into the receptacle 20 and second air stream within chamber 39 having longitudinal force to drive the heavier litter objects rearwardly through the trough 40 and into the receptacle.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a litter vacuum cleaner,

a. a frame mounted on ground wheels for fore and aft movement of the frame over a ground surface,

b. a fan housing mounted on the frame and having upper and lower chambers in open communication with each other,

c. a collection receptacle mounted on the frame to the rear of the fan housing and having open communication with said chambers,

d. a power driven vacuum fan disposed in the upper chamber for rotation on a vertical axis, with one side thereof moving rearwardly toward the receptacle,

c. said housing having a bottom wall with a trash inlet opening therein, the center of said opening being laterally offset from the fan axis toward said one side thereof to cause large litter items drawn into the housing through said inlet opening to move rearwardly through the lower chamber into the receptacle with minimal engagement by the fan.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the lower chamber has a larger diameter than the upper chamber.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein said upper and lower chamber are generally circular with the axis of the lower chamber being offset laterally from the axis of the upper chamber in the same direction as the inlet opening.

4. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein a debris entrance chamber is mounted on the frame to extend crosswise under the front portion of the housing and having open communication with the trash inlet opening, a gate hinged along its upper edge to the front of the entrance chamber and swingable about a horizontal axis between a forwardly extending position opening the front of the chamber and a vertical position closing the front of the chamber and a control linkage connected to the gate and extending rearwardly for operation from a remote point.

5. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said vacuum fan comprises a plate having circumferentially spaced star points each provided with an upright blade along its trailing edge.

Claims

1. In a litter vacuum cleaner, a. a frame mounted on ground wheels for fore and aft movement of the frame over a ground surface, b. a fan housing mounted on the frame and having upper and lower chambers in open communication with each other, c. a collection receptacle mounted on the frame to the rear of the fan housing and having open communication with said chambers, d. a power driven vacuum fan disposed in the upper chamber for rotation on a vertical axis, with one side thereof moving rearwardly toward the receptacle, e. said housing having a bottom wall with a trash inlet opening therein, the center of said opening being laterally offset from the fan axis toward said one side thereof to cause large litter items drawn into the housing through said inlet opening to move rearwardly through the lower chamber into the receptacle with minimal engagement by the fan.