US906165A - Pneumatic carpet-cleaning machine. - Google Patents

Description

J; F. RUDD. PNEUMATIO CARPET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1907.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1907.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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APPLICATION TILED MAR. 22, 1907. Y Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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Witnesses WMW J.P.RUDD. PNEUMATIG CARPET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1907.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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mm srarrns PATENT oFFio-E.

JOHN RUDD, F KANSAS oi'rY, MISSOURI, AssmNo'R-To CLARENCE-E. MEAD, oFcnIoA'oo, y ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC CARI-E T CLEANlN G MACHINE.

' Be it; krIown that I, J 01 n F.

I Cleaning -Macliines, ofwhich the following I made to travel so as to be contacted by" a;

is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of 'a carpet, cleaning machine by which the dust and dirt will be positivelyand effect ively removed from the carpet and transmitted' to a. stream of water, so that. the dust and dirt will be assembled by the water and not escape into the room and atmosphere,

-.thereby preventing injurious effects to the operator of the machine dust and dirt.

from inhaling the The objects of the invention are to construct .a support over which the carpet is plurality of, revolving brushes, which engage-the nap. of the carpet andoperate .to

separate andreniove the dust and dirt; to m?loya plurality of supporting feed rollers an a plurality of rotary brushes, with thebrushes interposed between the feed rollers,

and having a more rapid revolution than he feed rollers, allowing the. feed rollers to serveas ineans for holding back the forfward. travel of the carpet; to locate each rotary brush in'the upper end of a hydropneumatic tube, operating under suction to draw down and iremove the dust and dirt,

separated or dislodged from the carpet by the' opera'tion ofthe revolving brush; to pro *ducega suction in: the upper or air section of "the hydro-pneumatic tube by means of a' stream of water, flowing downwardly 1n the lower or water section. of the tube, the

continuous hydro-pneumatic tube; to furnish a tank for holding water, having con1-' inunication with the lower or water section of tl1etube,. and supplying water to the .tank,

so as to maintain a continuous flow through the lower or water section of the tube, and

' therebymaintain the suction in the-upper or so as to maintain a continuous circulation of ,water', untilthe water becomes so impreg-' nated with dust and dirt as to be nonusable to automatically open and close the upper or I I RUDD, aciti-'. zen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Carpet- I Specification of Letters Patent.

V v Application filed March 22, 19TH. Serial No. 363,989.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

air section of each tube by means of a valve" actuated by. the forward travel of the carpet or otherwise; tocontrol the fiow of water from the tank into thelower or water section .of each tube by a valve, opening and closing the communication between the tank and the tube; and to improve generally the construction, arrangement and operation of the several appliances entering into the formation of the machine as a whole.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 isaside elevation of the machine as a whole; Fig. 2 a top or plan view, showing the feed rollers and revoluble brushes,

with the support for the carpet removed;

Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through the? lnachine with the valve operating means for the valves of the; vacuum tribes omitted; Fig.

4 a top or plan; view' of the supporting frame for the carpet with the feed rollers and revoluble brushes removed; Fig.- 5 a '80 crosssection on line a'a ofFig. -1;- Fig. 6

a'd'etail showing the upper endof a vacuum:

tube or pipe and valve-operating means;-'

Fig. 7. a detail in longitudinal section of the parts shown in Fig. 6 ;Fig. 8 a detailin section showing the valve of -the water tank with operating means therefor; Fig. 9 a detail in say elevation of the discharging tube or pipe for Y the Water; Fig. 10 a. detail in side elevation showing a modification in the ,carpet supporting rods; Fig. 11 a detail in side elevation, showing a brush and roller for supporting the carpet; Fig. 12 a cross section 1 through the upperend of one of the pipes or tubes, showing the controllingv valve with arms at each end for operating the sameand having the arms connected by across rod; 7

Fig. 13 a side elevation of a portion of the driving gear for revolving the feed rollers; and brushes, with thedriving chains om t-- ted; Fig. '14 a top or plan view ofthe, parts shown in Fig. 13, with the driving chains omitted; and Fig. 15 a top or-plan viewoff the parts shown in Figs. 13 and 14', 'ith the ion.

arrangement of driving chains-employedfoi'j driving the rollers; and brushes. w.

The construction 'showni has a frame cone sisting of longitudinal or side pieces'l and"; cross or end pieces 2,-united to the longitudi nall or side pieces in 'anysuitable manner;

and the frame issupported by means. of

legs or standards 3, at each corner ofthe side pieces, bolted to the side pieces and bolted or otherwise connected with a floor or base piece 4, soas to furnish a support for the frame and theoperating devices carried by the frame.

advances in contact with the brushes.

The frame, at its: receiving end and discharge end for the carpet, has guide or presser rollers 5, journaled in suitable-stand-,

ards 6 attached to the .side rails, and between which guide or prsser rollers the carpet is fed forward over the frame. The frame has longitudinally thereof a plurality of feed and retention rollers 7, and eachv feed or retention roller 7 has, on its circumference, rubber 8, which acts to engage the nap of the carpet passing over the frame and advance or feed forward the carpet, un

' mounted in a suitable journal box-or bearing 11 at each end, which journal boxes or bearings are'supported on the side rails of the frame. A plurality of longitudinal rods 12 extend from end to end of the frame, and these rods are supported by cross strips 13 attached to the side frames, so that the rods are in a plane parallel with the upper traveling surface of the rollers 7 and brushes'lO, for the brushes to contact the under face of the carpet as the carpet is fed forward over the frame.

Each revolving brush 1() has coiiperating therewith a flat tpbe or pipe consisting of an upper section or portion and a lower sec tion or portion, the upper sectlon or portion- 14 of which is forsuction and terminates, at its upper end in a trough 15 in which the brush lies, as shown in Flg. 3, by which arrangement the dirt and dust, separated and,

removed from the carpet by theaction of the brush, will be drawn down into the upper pneumatic or suction section 14 of the flat tube or pipe. The upper section 14 of each tube or pipe is of the full inside width of the frame, and the troughs 15 correspond in length with the length of the brush, so that the brush can lie within the ends of the trough of its pneumatic or suction pipe.

-. Each upper section ofeach flat tube or pipe,

as shown, depends vertically from its mouth or trough 15, and the lower section 16 of the tube or pipe, which is for water, has a vertical straight portion and an inclined straight portion, which is gradually narrowing until it termlnates in a m uth or discharge end adapted to enter a, receiver common to all of the pipes.

- Each fiat tube or pipe at; thejuncture of its upper and lower section/s in communication with a water supply: tank 17 and, in the arrangement shown, each water supply tank 17 has one side wall formed by the wall of the tube or pipe and the other side wall formed by an inclined wall 18, and each supply tank for water is closed at each end by a wall or plate 19, so as to confine. the water and have a free discharge for the water through the medium of the inclined side wall 1.8, which tends todirect. the flow of water from the tank downwardly into the upper end of the lower or water section of the tube or pipe. The construction slrqwn has two tanks 17 located side by side, with their inclined walls 18 coming to an apex, and water, as shown, is supplied to both tanks 17 by a supply pipe 20, having a per- .jQrated or slotted. under side to allow the free escape of the water on each side of the apex into the two supply tanks in equal amount. Each supply pipe 20 leads from a common feed pipe 21, and extends the full. width of the fiat suction and water tubesjof pipes. The feed pipe 21 is connected wit-ha supply pipe 22, leading from a centrifugal or other type of force pump 23, which driven or operated from an electric motor 24 or-otlierwise. Each water tank 17, at its lower or contracted end, is in communication, with its lower section 16 of the pipe or tube by openings or passages 25, so that, when the openings or passages 25 are open water, can flow from the tank 17 intothe lower or water section 16 'of the pipe or tube, creating a downward suction in the upper section 14 of the pipe, and its moutlr or trough 15 from a point above the inlet for the water, which suction operates to draw down the separated and removed dust and dirt. The lower sections 16 of the plurality of pipes or tubes, terminate in a common receptacle 26, so as to discharge the water and dirt and dust commingled therewith into the receptacle, and from the receptacle 26 the water,with the dust and dirt therein, is drawn into the pump 23, by

means of a connecting pipe 27 for the water to be discharged from the pump through 1 the pipe 22, thereby maintaining a continuous feed of the water to the chambers 17, and a continuous flow from the chambers 17 through the pipes or tubes, so long as the pump is operated.

. It is desirable, in order to save power, that the creating of a suction in each flat tube 'or pipe should occuras the advanced end of the carpet reaches and passes over each succeeding rotary brush flOHlihGfilSi to the last, and for this purpose each flat suction pipe or tube,- at its'juncture with thevbottom of the mouth or trough 15, has a flap or other valve located and operating to open and close communication, between each flat suction pipe ortube and its mouth or trough l5, as the carpet, in its forward movement, reaches and passes over a .brush. rangement shown has, for each suction pipe or tube, a valve 28, located at the jui'icture of the pipe or tube with its mouth or trougl'i, which valve 28 is supported on a, rod 29 extending from end to end of the pipe or tube, and mounted in suitable bearings 30, so as to allow the'valve to the raised and lowered as required to open the tube or pipe for suction, or to close the pipe or tube against suction. The arrangement shown has, at each end of the rocking rod 29; a stuflin'g box 31 to prevent leakage in use, and on each end of the rods an arm 32, connected by a pivot 33 witha link 34 of a lever 35,

' which is pivotally mounted on a cross rod 36 with the upper end of the lever 35 in a slightly higher plane'than the upper travel ing surface of the feed rollers 7 and rotary brushes 10, so that, as the advanced edge of the carpet strikes the upper end of the lever 35, thelower end of the leverwill be moved gages successively the upper end of each lever, the valves of the several pipes or tubes will be successively opened. Each valve 28 is thrown down to close its pipe or tube, in the arrangementsho-wn, by a coiled spring 37, one end'of which is attached to the lever 35 and the other end of which is attached in or stud 38 on the side rail, it being stood that each end of the rod for the controlling valve 28 has a crank arm and a lever, with a spring or other means, for re- 3 turningthe lever and thevalve to their clo ed posltions.

The ank -alumna be; filled wt The upper end of each lever 35 has an inturned portion 39 so as to insure a contact of suiiicient extent to oscillate or vibrate the lever and .open the valve pend, if desired or be connected. by :a 0d 0r bar; dotted il'inesgii-n Fig.ai" is. v

levers; simultaneously: 1;

before allowing -.tl1'ewater toafiovaifroim 'elacih tank-into its pi eiserudube sand =ifor -this pun-t posesw valyeps. '-id', be providediztovcontrol The arthe openings or passages 25 between the tank and its tube or pipe. shown has a gate or othervalve 41, movable ways 43, so as to have a vertical movement its tube or pipe, v I

Each gate or other [valve .41 is connected by rods n with a cross'rod 45, and each cross rod a5 is connected to a vertically-inov-' able bar 46- at each end thereof, which: bar. is movable in guides 47, so as tobefree-to rise and fall, and thereby raiseand lower of linkstS, each link attached tea stud or each link is attached by apin or pivot-'30 to a longitudinally sliding bar} 51,. held in guides or keepers 52, so thatgwiththeendwise movement of the longitudinal. sliding bar 46, and with it the gate or other valve,

=i-ts pipe or tube. The constructionshown ,has each endwise slidingbar 51 connected by a pivot 53, witha depending armt l '55, supported in brackets 56 and having an arm 57 :tor the attachment of acord or'othe be .rpcked toswing the arms 54-and move the sliding bars 51 endwise; and, as shown,-

coiled springs 58, one for each arm 54L,iand connected at oneend to the arm-and at the other end to the outer tube, shownin Fig. 1. 1

It is desirable, that the .bmishes shall have shown, the'shaft of each feed and retaining roller has, on one end :the'reof,=sprocketwheels 59 and 60, and the shaft of eitlcll ijtli wheels 61 and 62, with the" sprocket. wheels 61 and 62 of a less diameter than'wthe sprocket wheels 59 and 60-, so as t oi-give a higher speed for the brushes. i

sprocket chain 63 running around "the drip ing sprocket wheel 59 on the shaft oi the first roller 7 and a sprocketychain for the sprocket wheel 60 on the'shaft oithe-xfirst roller '2'. and the sprorket'wheel '62 oirthe runningaroundthe sprocket wheel 61 on the l and another sprocket chain :01: the sprocket wheel fid on the shaft :oi the second rolier j the second brush, and so-on as shown a dotted jlinesrin FigJ2, so'that thesprocZ-tet in end guideways 42 and intermediate guidefor opening and closing the passages 25 to shut off the outfiowof water from thetank or allow the water to flow from the tank nto device, by means of which;the..ro'd 55 "can a higher speed than the feed rollers.

first brush shaft and another-s irocket chain- "shaft-oftlie first brush,- and the sprocinat' I wheel 59-onthe shaft. of it'he' s'econd roller,"

and the sprocket wheel 62; ontthe..shai't The arrangenment the gate or other valve. Each vertically movable bar 46 is connected wit-ha plurality.

pivot 49 on the bar, and theopposite end of I oar51 the links 48 will operate and raise the i i and allow water to flow from a tank 17 "into which arms 54:, are connected toacross rode the bars are returned to nornial'position by.

-11( tary brush has on one end thereofi'sprocket 5 The driving means shownvconsistsofa .40 and is engaged by the feed rollers, and car aneans than sprocket' chains and sprocket wheels can be used so long as the'drive is one furnishing'a higher speed for the rotary brushes than for the feed rollers.

The construction shown in Fig. 1 has a single series offguide rods 12 for supporting the carpet in position to pass over and in contact with the rotary brushes, but if de-- sired or necessary, means for holding the carpet down can be provided. The holding of'the carpet down can be attained by the use of a second series of guide rods 64 'over the lower series 65, as shown 'in Fig. 10; and this second series of guide rods (it have cross straps or bars 66, connected by tension springs 67 at each end of each cross bar or strap, which springs are attached to the side rails l of the frame, or otherwise connected, so as to act and'allow the necessary yield for the guide bars to permit the passage of the carpet between the upper and lower series of g'uideloa-rs.

An arrangement of tension rollers 68 can alsobe employedfor holding. down. the car- Each tension roller 1s supported so as to be yieldable by means of suitable springs 69, and a tension roller, in the arrangementshown, is located over pet as shown in Fig. 11.

' each brush, and with this arrangement the guide rods can sired.

The operation will be understood from the foregoing description, butbriefly is as follows: The carpet is entered between there-' ceiving rollers 5, atthe front of the machine,

fried forward by the action of such rollers in connection with the rotary" brushes. tanks 17' are filled with water to the required height, and when .full, the valves controlling the communicaticin between the lower or water section 16 of the pipes or tubes andv their respective tanks. 1.7, are opened, allowing water to flow from each discharge tank into its 'pipe or tube, and such flow of water through the pipe or tube will create a suc tion in the upper section 14 of the pipe or tube, the amount of suction, depending on the rapidity of the flow of the water and the length of the suction pipe or tube between .its upper end and the point of admission of the Water to the pipe or tube.

After suction has been established by the down flow of the water through the lower sections. of the pipes or tubes,-as the forward edge of. the

carpet reaches the levers 35 of the first pipe or tube, the forward travel of the carpet will open the controlling valve of this pipe or tube so that the dust, separated and removed be,dispensed with, if so de- The by the rotation of the brush of this pipe or tube, will be drawn down into the upper section lof the pipe or tube and commihgle with the water in the lower section 16 of the \pipe or tube. Each controlling valve of the several pipes or tubes will be successively opened, as the forward edge .of the carpet engages with the levers 35 of the controllmg valve, so that each pipe or tube in succes sion will be opened for theremoval of the dust and dirt separated from'the carpet by the action of the rotary brush-ofeach pipe or tube. The carpet travels the full length of the plurality of brushes, and its forward .end, in the arrangement shown, passes under the rollers 5 at the rear end of the machine, for removal of the carpet from themachine. The dust and dirt commingles with the water passing through each pipe or tube; and the water, with the dust and dirt commingled therewith, enters the common receiver 26 and is drawn through the pipe 27 ous flow through the. pipes or tubes for creating the requisite suction inthe upper sections ofthe several pipes or tubes to remove the dust and dirt separatedby the rotary brushes. After the water becomes too foul for further use, it can be discharged from the pump and new water supplied to /the tanks for receiving the dust and dirt. The carpet is to be passed over the rotary brushesonce or a suflicient number of' times to thoroughly cleanse the carpet; and under the term carpet is included fabrics and materials of any description which can be cleaned by the brushes and suction.

I WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pneumatic carpet cleaning machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a series of revoluble feed rollers, a series of rotary brushes, each brush traveling at 'a'greater speed than the feed rollers, the rollers and brushes arranged parallel one with the other and having their upper traveling surfaces in the same horizontal plane, a downwardly leading flat pipe for each brush and having the brush 'inclosed at its upper end, a fixed horizontal carpet support extending over and loeated in the plane of the upper traveling surfaces of the entire series of rollers and brushes, means for supplying a stream of waterto flow as described.

which it is automatically operated with the forward "travel of the carpet, substantially 2; f In a pneumatic carpet cleaning machine, the combination of ;a supporting frame, aplurality' of revolving feed rollers,

, a plurality of rotary brushes, a suction pipe for eachbrush inclosing its brush'at the upper end, means for creating a suction 1n said 7 pipe, a -controlling valve below the brush for each-pipe, and means for automatically operating each controlling valve from v the forward travel of-the carpet, substan-- tially.as described.

3. In a pneumatic carpet cleaning machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a series of guide rods extending longitudinally of the frame and furnishing" 'a horizontal support for the carpet, .a plurality of revoluble feed. rollers below the guide/rods, a'plurality of rotary brushes operating under the guide rods, the rollers and the brushes arranged parallel one with the other and spaced apart and having their upper traveling surfaces in the same horizontal plane, a downwardly leading fiat pipe for each brush and having the brush in-' sclosed' within its upper end, a water supply tank'ior each pipe, andmeans for supplying water to each tank to 'be discharged into and How downwardly through each flat pipe and create a suction in the pipe, the water receiving and removing'the dust and dirt guide rods, a plurality of rotary brushes travelin substantially as described.-

operating under the guide rods,"with the feed rollersand brushes alternating and the brushes having a higher speedthan the feed rollers, and withthe rollers; and brushes arran ed parallel one with the other and space apart and having their upper travelmg surfacesin the same horizontal plane. a

suction pipe for each brush, the upper end of each pipe inclosing its brush, means for'creating a suction in eachpipe and a valve f or each pipe atjits-upper end," and automatic:

carpet, substantially as described.

chine, the combination of a frame, a rev-. oluble feed roller mounted on the .frame, a rotary brush traveling at a greater speed than the feed roller and llnounted on the ally operatedfrom the forward travel of the.

5. In a pneumatic carpet cleaning ma frame in advance of the roller, with the roller and brush spaced apart and having their upper travelin surfaces in thesam'e arranged parallel one horizontal plane an I with the other, a downwardly leading flat pipe forthe brush havingthe brush inclose'd v within its upper end and receiving thereinto and removing the dust and dirt separated from the carpet by the action of the brush, a

70. over and located in the plane'of the upper surfaces of the roller and brush,

fixed horizontal carpet support extending means orsupplying a stream of water to flow, downwardly inthe. pipe and create a suction 'injthe upper portion thereof,a' shut ofl? for the upper end of the pipebelow the brush and means for opening-the shut-ofi to furnish communication between the brush I and pipe as the carpet travels over the brush,

- .JOHN F. lVitnesses:

OSCAR WV. Bonn, u PAULINE BECKMAN.

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