US3820186A - Elongated hole brush - Google Patents

Abstract

A ROTARY TUBULAR BRUSH HAVING A TUBULAR CORE, SAID CORE HAVING AXIALLY ELONGATED TUFT HOLES, AND TUFTS SECURED IN THE HOLES BY STAPLES. THE TUFT HOLES MAY BE FORMED BY, FOR EXAMPLE, A MACHINE THAT MOVES A ROTARY DRILL FOR DRILLING CIRCULAR HOLES FIRST DOWNWARDLY AND THEN UPWARDLY WHILE THE CORE IS MOVED AXIALLY. ALSO THE TUFT HOLES MAY BE FORMED BY BURNING, CASTING OR PUNCHING. ADDITIONALLY, BRUSHED OTHER THAN TUBULAR BRUSHED MAY HAVE TUFT HOLES FOR TUFTS THAT ARE OF A GREATER CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION IN ONE DIRECTION THAN THE OTHER IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE DEPTH DIRECTION OF THE HOLES.

Description

[111 3,820,186 51 June 28, 1974 I ELONGATED HOLE BRUSH [75] Inventor: RalphC. Peabody, Minneapolis,

Minn.

[73] Assignee: Tennant Company, Minneapolis,

Minn.

[22] Filed: Mar. 29, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 239,257

52] us. C1 15/182, 15/195, 300/8 51 Int. Cl. A461) 3/16,A46d H08 [58] Field of Search 15/191, 192, 193, 194,

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 177,208 10/1906 Germany 15/179 186,816 12/1963 Sweden ..15/177 Primary ExaminerPeter Feldman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Dugger, Johnson & Westman [5 7 ABSTRACT A rotary tubular brush having a tubular core, said core having axially elongated tuft holes, and tufts secured in the holes by staples. The tuft holes may be formed by, for example, a machine that moves a rotary drill for drilling circular holes first downwardly and then upwardly while the core is moved axially. Also the tuft holes may be formed by burning, casting or punching. Additionally, brushes other than tubular brushes may have tuft holes for tufts that are of -a greater crosssectional dimension in one direction than the other in a plane perpendicular to the depth direction of the holes.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMN 28 R124 SNEEI 1 F 2 1 ELONGATED HOLE BRUSH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A tubular brush having tufts secured in holes in the tube.

' In prior art tubular brushes, for example, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,534 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,801, the tufts are mounted in circular holes having conical bottoms that extend radially relative the central axis of the brush. In U.S. Pat. No. 648,527 there is disclosed a rotary brush wherein the tuft holes are circular and inclined relative to the radius of the brush. In such prior art brushes a relatively large number of holes are required for mounting a given amount of tuft bristles. In order to reduce the number of tuft holes for mounting a given amount of bristles, to obtain other economies in manufacture and to provide other advantages, this invention has been made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A tubular brush having tuft holes that are axially elongated. I

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a brush having tuft holes of a new and novel shape. Another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel brush that requires a substantially smaller number of tuft holes to mount a given amount of tuft bris-.

tles than prior art brushes.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a brush having tuft holes that are elongated in a direction axially relative the brush core. In furtherance of the last mentioned object, it is another object to provide opposed side wall portions, which in part define the tuft holes, that generally converge in a radially inward direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly sectioned along a longitudinal axis, of a representative tubular brush of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the brush of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary representation of the brush tube as though the tube were cut longitudinally and flattened; this view illustrating the outer surface of the brush tube after drilling and before tufting to show an exemplary pattern of location of tuft holes;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3 to more clearly show the tuft holes; 7

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view generallytaken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 5 other than it additionally designated 10, includes a tube 11 having a plurality of holes 12 in which tufts 13 are secured by staples 14. The tube may be made of a rigid foam thermoplastic material such as disclosed in the above mentioned U.S.

Pat. No. 3,614,80l or of impregnated paper such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,534 or other suitable materials.

Provided in the tube throughout the length L are a plurality of tuft holes 12, thepattern of the holes and the hole depths (l-ID) advantageously being similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,534. However, the shape of the holes is difierent. That is, each of the holes 12 extends generally radially from the outer surface of the brush and at the outer surface has an axial length X that is substantially greater than the transverse width D. Further, the holes are shaped such that lines 15, 16 at the intersection of a plane of both the central axis of the tube and the central axis CC of the hole with side wall surface portions defining a hole 12 from the generally conical bottom 12a of the hole outwardly diverge at an included angle D (see FIG. 5), while the lines 17, 18 of intersection of a plane of the central axis CC of the hole that is perpendicular to the central axis C of the tube with the side wall surface portions defining the hole are parallel to one another and to the central axis of the hole (see FIG. 6). It is preferred that the dimension X is about 40 percent greater or more than the dimension D. The side wall surface portions defining each hole from the conical bottom outwardly are smoothly, continuously curved.

A tube thickness TT of about l/2 inch to 5/8 inch is satisfactory in most instances for a brush for scrubbing and sweeping purposes; although for larger diameter brushes and heavy duty brushes, the thickness may be increased to 1.0 inch or more. The hole depth is always less than the tube thickness to leave an underhole thickness UI-IT of a substantial'dimension. Preferrably the hole depth is greater than the transverse dimension D of the hole and about two-thirds of the tube thickness T1".

The tufts 13 are made of bristle suitable for the work to be done. Examples of suitable bristle material are set forth in U.S. Pat. 2,879,534. Further, the staples 14 for retaining (anchoring) the tufts in the holes and the manner of setting the staples is set forth in the last mentioned patent.

Other than for the surface portions defining each hole 12 that are closely adjacent the lines 17, 18 of intersection of the wall surfaces defining the hole with a plane of the center axis of the hole CC that is perpendicular to the center axis C of the tube, the lines of intersection of planes of the hole center axis C with the wall portions defining the hole outwardly of the conical bottom diverge. As a result the bristles are not as sharply bent and more bristles can be placed in each hole than in brushes having circular tuft holes. Additionally due to the bristles fanning outwardly from a location substantially inwardly of the outer surface of the tube, the normal axial spread (dimension Y) of the bristles at their outer ends is greater than that where circular holes of the same cross-sectional area are provided. Additionally it is preferred that the adjacent holes in each axial row of holes are sufficiently close that the bristles of tufts 13a, 13b in adjacent holes (see FIG. 7) overlap at their outer ends so that at least some of the bristles of one tuft have their outer ends located radially outwardly of the center part of the hole for the other tuft. This overlap closes any open space which would develop between tufts upon brush wear.

By using the axially elongated holes, there is obtained a flared fanned-out tuft. Further, the number of holes h per eachaxial row can be reduced by abQut SQ I fromithatrequ'ired for circular, tuft holesjand still p vide the same amount of fill for each irow. aresult a the brush of this invention is less expensive to make.

Also, advantages of using axiallyelongated tuft holes such as described over full continuous slotsthat extend substantially'the axial length ofia brush which are filled V with ,bristlesvarethat more individual bristlefaction is" obtained, less bristles are required, and overlapping tufts give an interrupted but completepatternofiaction to provide more effective polishing, sweeping or scrubbinglj" One manner of making the holesiin tubular blank is to use a machine having a carriage 30 mounted on the r frame 31 for reciprocal'movement (SeeFIGJB); The

carriage mounts members 3,2'that in turn mount a tubu lar blank 36'. A drill 33 for drilling a circular holeis mounted by the frame to be reciprocallymoved perpendicular to the central axis of the tubeblank,-and is rotatably driven by suitable meanstnot shown). In

using this vmachine: with the tubular 'i-biank'imounted therein at one endlof the reciprocallymovenient of carriage, the carriage is translated; to move =the-.,tubulai' blank; axially; in onedirection 'andtatstheisame time the drill is continuously moved downwardlyiuntil' the hole is drilled to its maximum depth and-thenthe drill iscon- 1 tinuously moved upwardly until the" hole isqcompletedl,

The vertical reciprocal movementofthe-drillislcycled' r the number of times tocomplete the holes for arrow. 1

Even though the above refers to drillingholes, it is to be understood the holes, may be formed .by molding,

burning, casting or other methods, depending-onthe material that the tubular core is made from. Further, it

is to be understood that the'core needn-otj be tubular but maybe a solid cylinder.v v I Additionally, flat brushessu ch asside sweepfland scrub brushes that have a generally cylindrical} tuft mountinghmember normally rotated about-thescentral axis thereof and have tufts extending outwardlyof'the I generally flat surface thereof advantageously may have tuft holes provided in. the mounting member that are of 1 a shape previouslydescribed iie,v are of increasing dimensions frornadjacent the bottom offthe'holesfto the outer ends thereof With such side sweep" and, scrub brushes, it is preferred. that the direction of elongation of the tuft hol essare generally tral axis.

As examples of the invention, the tubular. brush of'example (a) the tubular core may have awallthiekness radially relative: said icen- TT'of 0.437 inches, a hole that at the outer surface of" the tube is of an axial dimension-X of 0,;437'inchand a transverse dimension D of 0.312, an axial hole spacing S between the center axes of adjacentholesiin the same row of 0.75 inch and a tuft lengthlM that the outer end-s of the-tuft extends the core of 2.5 inches; while inthetubular brush of exam s I ple tb) the dimensions correspondingrt setforth a above are 0.53 inch; Q5 17 inchyQt36'8 tnch, L05 inch and 3425' inchrespeetively', and inthe tubular brush of V 7 example (0) thedimensionscorresponding to those set forth above a are 0.562 inch; 0. 5.53 inch; 034 inch, 1.20inch, and 4.25 inches respeetivelyl For each of the What isselaimed L A rotary brush that includes anaxially "elongatedv I tubular core having a central axis, a cylindricalouter surface'and a plurality of spaced tuftedholes extending f a substantially radially relative the?core-axis eachs'of said, l J 5 holes being, of progressively larger; areasin cross sec- 7 1 a :tions from theradial inward part of the holes toward" i the radialioutward part of the holesg each hole at the outersurface of the core: being of a substantially greater maximumdimensionl in one, direction'perpen V 'han ith'etmaxi s mi-rm dimensiontransverse --theretothat s perpendieu- :l artosaidradi'us V 1 dieulari to a radius of; the outer surfa '2. The brush cream 1; further; ehara eri-zie'dj in that the, core is of a unitaryintegral!construction V a,

3.1'lie -brushvoficlaiinl l 'furtherc haraeterizedinthat the first mentioned dimension is .atilegtiabout to pen cent greater thanithe transversedimension; I I 4. The brush: oficlai'm 13 further chatacterized'in'that the first mentioned dimension: is parallel to the central axis.

5. The brushvof claim 44 further characterizedin that each hole has a central axisgand. is of ashape that a plane of the hole central; axis that is perpendicular to I the tube central axis. intersects the: tube wallpo'rtion def fining the hole at parallel lines:

6: A rotary brush that includes an outer surface and a plurality of'spaeed'tuft'holes open; ing through said outerzsurface and extending inwardly towardssaid axis, each; of: said holes being of asl'arge-r cross tsectionalareaat the outer surface than at a loea tion inwardly thereofleach hole at the the 7 core being of a substantially gr mension in one direction perpendicu maximumdi the tufts tosaidicore,

t e s s" above examples; the included angleir'D'may be about 7 axially elongated 1 A brush core having a central ax'isaa generally cylindrical ter surface off f I s to-a radius of s the outer surface than; the maximumdimension trans-1 7 verse'thereto that is perpendicui'ar to said radius,la tuft. extendingineachiof said holes and means for securing a

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