US923547A - Cleaning apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

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CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED IBB. 24.1908.

Patented June 1,1909.

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GLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1908.

Patented June 1, 1909.

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if@ Ji Unirnn ,STATES PA N rim@ 1 WILLIAM C. MAYO AND JOHN HOULEHAN, OF EL PASO, TEXAS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE E. BRIGGS, OF BARSTOW, TEXAS.

I CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune 1, 1 909.

- Application led February 24, 1908. Serial No. 417,388.

To all whom it may concern: Beit known that we, WiLLiAM C. MAYO and J oHN HOULEHAN, citizens of the United l States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso, State of Texas, have invented a newv lieved of the dirt and dust removed from the p tric motor will be employed.

articles cleansed.

The object of the present invention is to provide 'means whereby the dirt and dust may be dislodged from the articles to be cleansed by the direct action of a stream of air forcibly blown against the articles, and the dust laden air then passes through a suitable depositingchamber or the dirt may be dislodged from the articles by producing a vacuum so that the external air is caused to flow through the article to be cleansed and so dislodge the dirt and dust which is then conveyed to a suitable depositing chamber, or any combination of these'two operations may be used at will. y

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a suitable air pump driven by any suitable type of motor, whether the same be an electric motor or a water kmotor or an explosive engine, but generally an elec- In connection with the air pump there is a reservoir upon which is secured a depositing chamber through which the refuse laden air has a tortuous passage so that the 'major portion of the refuse taken up by the air from the article to be cleansed is deposited in such passage. However, some of the lighter particles may still remain suspended in the air, and to remove such particles the depositing chamber is provided with a series of graded lscreens ultimately opening into a water chamber through which the air is caused to pass to be thoroughly'washed by the action of the water. This is an important precaution since-the air Whichvhas become laden with dust and dirt from its action upon the article to be cleansed is again passed through thepump and any grit which might be carriecd by such air to the pump would be injurious to the pump cylinders and valves.

In connection with the depositing chamber there is provided alcleanmg headwhich may be applied directly to the articles to be cleansed, and this cleaning head has communication directly with the pump or with a reservoir into which the pump ldlscharges air under pressure, so that a stream of compressed air may when desired be directed upon the article to be cleansed. The cleans- 'ing head has also communication with the depositing chamber, which latter is likewise in communication with the suction side of the pump, so that air is drawn from the article to be cleansed and carries the vdislodged refuse to the depositing chamber to be there relieved from its load of refuse. i

The invention will be best understood by consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this speciiication, in which drawings,-

Figure 1 is a central section, with parts in elevation, of 'the depositing chamber and reservoir supporting the same and also show ing a pumping mechanism in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view'of* the cleansing chamber. Fig. 3 is a central section through the cleansing head. Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of the-cleansing head taken at right angles to each other. Fig. 6 is an elevation, with some parts in section and other parts broken away, of the complete apparatus, the showing being somewhat conventional.

Referring to the'drawings, and more particularly to Figs. l, 2, and 6, there is shown an air pump l, which showing may be considered as indicative only of an air pump capable of continuous operation, when so desired for supplying air .under pressure to the reservoir v2. The air pump is not shown in detail since it forms the subject-matter of another application for Letters-Patent. The air pump is in communication with the reservoir 2 by means of a suitable pipe 3.

The reservoir 2 may be in the form of a cylinder, as indicated, the upper end 'of which is formed with an outwardly-extending annular flange 4 and with a top or cover 5 secured to the reservoir, and the whole reservoir isiconstructed to'stand a working pressure which mayreach one hundred pounds or more to the square inch.

Mounted upon the reservoir isv a casing 5 constituting the cleansing chamber, and this casing is provided at the lower end with a lateral annular flange 6 matching the flange 4 of the reservoir. Any suitable means for connecting these parts together may be employed, and a convenient meansis shown comprising a bolt 7 hinged to the reservoir 2 beneath the flange 4 and provided with a wing-nut 8, while the anges 4 and 6 are each suitably slotted so that the hinge bolt may be turned upon its pivot to enter the slots in the two flanges, which slots are made to match, and the two flanges may be brought together with any desired pressure by the wing nuts. This is a familiar type of latch connection and need not be further considered, except to state that an appropriate number of such latches are used. Furthermore, there is interposed between the top of the reservoir 2 and the bottom of the de ositing chamber 5 a' suitable packing 9 W 'ch baille plates 12.

may be of rubber or gum or other material which will answer the purpose. The bottom of the chamber 5 is closed by a bottom plate f10 having an upturned peripheral flange 11. The plate 10, however is not fastened tothe walls of the chamber. Formed, on and extending downward from the inner face of the to of the chamber 5 are a number of .paral el baffle plates 12 which are also formed integral with the side walls of the chamber as indicated in Fig. 2. 'Formed on the bottom .plate 10- are other parallel spaced baille plates 13 arranged to engage the side walls of the casing 5, at points mtermediate of the Furthermore the 'baille ,i plates 12 are not quite as dee as the depth y of the casing 5 and the bafllep ates 13 do not reach quite to the upper wall or top of the casing 5. Consequently there is -a tortuous passagel from one end of the series of baille l lates to the other end. The baflle plates begin near one end of the casingl 5 but do not reach quite to the other end. At the lastnamed end there is formed on the casing 5 a lateral wall 14 spacedsome distance from the corresponding end of the casing and `oined to the said end wall of the casing by a orizontal bottom portion 15. Projecting down from the top of the casing into the chamber formed between the wall 14 and the corres onding end of the casing is still another aflle plate 16 reaching to nearly the bottom of the compartment formed between the wall 14 and the end wall ofthe casing. This compartment is reached through an opening 17 in the top of the casing closed by a suitable plug 18 which may be a screw plug or cap with milled edges for conveniencel of manipulation. Water is poured into the compartment until it extends a considerable distance above the lower edge of the baffle late 16. Between the wall 14 and the last aflieplate 12 of the series of baffle plates are arranged a number of horizontal screens 19 of gradually increasing fineness of mesh fromthe lowermost'screen tofthe uppermost,

' which latter is placed near the top of the wall 14, the upper edge of the said wall not reachtion.

Ythrough it.

ing'quiteto the bottom face of the top of the casing 5. l

Entering the water chamber near the upper end thereof is a pipe 20 which may terminate in'a nozzlesha ed to receive the end of a flexible pipe 21, t e other end of which.

perforation in th e casting and it is then headed over, as shown at 28, to form a tight connec- This showing is llargely conventional since any other type of connection may be used, but so faras the understanding ol" the present vinventionis concerned the connection as shown and described will answer. The' casting 25 is formed with a central .throughpassage 29 leading from the reservoir 2 to a nipple 30 receiving one end of a 'flexible pipe 31 which may be in the form of a small bore hose. The casting 25 is also formed with a passage 32 concentric with the passage 29 and extending through a nipple 33 adapted to receive a larger hose34-inclosing the small hose31. The casting 25 is formed with a lateral neck 35 communicatin with the passage 32 and terminating in a be l 36. In the casting 25 are mounted three valves37, 38 and 39. The valves 37 and 39 are provided with axial passages 40 communicating with the externalair and from these passages each valve has a lateral extension 41 extending to its `periphery. The valve 38 has a three-way passage 42 The passage 41 of the valve 37 may be brought into communication with the passage'29 by a port 43, and the passage 41 ofthe valve 39 may be brought into communic'ation with the passage 32 through a port 44. The valve 38 is so located that the three-way connection may be set to form a continuation of the passage 29 or to entirelyy close said passage or to move the interior of the reservoir 2 into' communication with the external air through another passage 45 in the casing 25.

The chamber 5 at the end remote from the pipe 20 is connected to a conduit 46 which may be either round or other shape but is Vshown as rounded, and this pipe is su ported .by a bracket.47 fast onthe s1d wa of the The lower end of the conduit'46 is ple 56 of the neck shorter than the bell 50 and of less diameter, andits lower edge 53 is rounded, as indicated, this lower edge terminating above the lower edge of the bell 50. 'Projecting centrally upward from the bell 51 is aneck 54 terminating at the upper end in the shoulder 55 from which rises-ascrew nipple 5 6. The upper end of the bell 50 is also formed with a shoulder 57 from which rises a threaded collar 58 surrounding but spaced from the ni 54. Extending centra-ll) through the neck 54 is a passage 59 'counterbored at its lower end, as at 60', to receive the threaded end 61 of a nozzle 62 provided with an annular shoulder 63 to abut against the lower face of the top of the bell 51, and the lower or outlet end of the nozzle 62 iscontracted, as shown at 64, whilethe mouth of this contracted portion may be expanded, as shown at 65. In the practical embodiment of the invention'anumber of nozzles 62 of various lengths and sizes of oriice'wilhbe provided and consequently the showing of the drawing is to be taken as illustrative only.

facing 68 which may be sprung intothe-rabbet 67 and so held.

The bottom of the bell 50 is formed with an inwardly-directed annular flange 66, at the periphery of which is a rabbet 67 the walls of which include a more or less acute angle. ,Seated in this rabbet and against the under face of the flange 66 is an annular soit rubber The end of the hose 31 isis rung over a nipple 69 formed on a head 70, through which head and nipple there is a passageway 71. This passageway is counter-bored, as shown at 72, and threaded to receive the nipple 56 and the head is formed with an expanded end A73 adapted to the shoulder-55 and confining 57 and con ning a suitable packing ring 78 thereto.

The cap 75 and head 70 are formed in onepiece and connected by suitable webs 79.

Exterior to the bell 50 at diametrically opposite sides thereof, are bosses. from which project lugs 81 terminating in flat heads 82. Adapted to the lugs 81 areeyes 83 on the ends of a yoke 84 receiving a handle 85. The eyes are extended at d-iametrically opposite oints, as shown at 86, so as to receive the eads 82 which lock these eyes onto the lugs 81 when the yoke is inclined at an angle. Whenthe yoke is brqught to the upright position then the eyes may be sprung on or oli .the lugs 81 because the arms of the yoke are made slightly elastic by being reduced in diameter toward 'the eyes. The

K ell 50 and the inner lfore a return of air through the hose 34 and tank 2 and the valve 38 is in position to permit the airto ilow from the tank 2 to the nozzle 62. Further, let it be assumed thatv the bell 50 is in close engagement with the article to be cleaned, whether the same. be a carpet or a piece of furniture or some other.

article. Because of thel constricted opening 64 the air jet issueswith force and disturbs and loosens the dirt on the material circumscribed by the bell. The air reaching the pump is by way of the chamber 5 and conduit 46 through the passage 32, which comunicates with the s ace between the outer ell 51. There is therethe dust and dirt constituting the refuse from the article to be cleaned is carried by this return low` of air into the compartment 5 where, because of the comparatively large capacity of this compartment, the air flow is -very much reduced 1n speed and the refuse carried by the air is deposited in a large measure u on the baille plates 12 and 13,

whilethe lighter particles which still are suspended in the air are carried through the screens 19, which being of gradually finer mesh in the direction of flow of the air, remove practically all of the foreign matter in the air. However, to thoroughly clean se the vair water maybe placed in the compartment `provided therefor, and the air being drawn by the pump will pass through the water and so be cleansed from even the inest particles held in suspension. Thus the air before reaching Athe pump is most thoroughly cleansed 'and the partsiof the pump are thereby saved from injury which might occur from the scoring imparted to the pump cylinders and valves should particles of grit find their way to the pump.

' In order that the water contained in the final com artment of the cleansing chamber shall not' e. splashed about when the reservoirand cleansing chamber are moved from place to place, small blocks of cork or wood or other material capable of floating on the water may be used, such floats being indicated in Fig. 1 at87. Suppose that compressed air alone is desired, then the valve 39 is opened to the desired extent and the suction of the pump acts to draw air through this valve into the passage 32. If the opening of the valve 39 'e large enough and the air jet lbe strong enough then air coming into the passage 32 will.'low out through the ,valve 39, the pump 2 will ilow out of this valve to the atmosphere, the amount of suchoutflowv depending upon the extent of opening of the valve 37. This of course lowers the air pressure at the nozzle 62. Under these conditions it is evident that less air is passing into the cleaning head than the pump is taking out so that there is more or less of a vacuum formed.l

Since, however, air is ilowing to the nozzle 62 the vacuum will not increase above a certain the dirt on the object being cleaned.

l If the straight vacuum process is desired, then the three-way valve 38 is turned yto connect the reservoir directly with the atmoshere and to cut it oil fromthe passage 29 eyond the valve. Under these conditions thc pump is drawing air through the cleaning head and passage 32 but is delivering air idly to the atmosphere. Now, the only air which can reach the pump must come through the article being cleansed since the vacuum created only serves to seat the edges of the cleaning head firmly upon such object. Under these conditions the vacuum is as'high as may be obtained by the axpparatus since all the air which passes to t e pump must come either through the material being cleansed or around the edges of the cleaning lhead. But with an apparatus properly con-` structed the leak yunder the edge of the rub# ber flange or washer 68 will be practically nothing.

Since there may be some liability of the valve 39 choking from an accumulation of dust or dirt, this valve may be located in the pipe 20/ on the pump side of the casing 5 as shown in Fig.6, at 39 since at this point the air is clean.

The parts are so proportioned that the passage of air through the depositing compartment 5 is very sluggish giving ample time for the gravitation of the particles to the bottom or for them to cling to the bafHe plates without being disturbed by the ilow of air. j

After the device has been used for a time it becomes necessary to clean the de osit chamber or casing 5 from the accumu ated refuse removed from the articles cleansed.. For this purpose the pipe 21 is disconnected from theznozzle 22 or from the pipe 20, and the latch bolts 7 are moved out of engagement with the flange 6 so that the tank 5 as a whole may be liftedfrom engagement with the main tank or reservoir 2. Now, by pull- 65 ing out ,the bottom plate 10, which may be amount while the air jet continues to stir up` done by the use of a suitably located finger ring or other type of handle, the baille plates 13 may all be removed from the baffle plates 12 and the whole structure is thereby easily cleansed and the water in the water tank may be caused to flow out through the opening 17. When the arts are again put in place fresh v water may e poured into the opening 17 and the cap 18 replaced. When the casing 5 is lifted from the tank 2 the flanged conduit 46 is lifted from the bell 36, and when the parts are again assembled the flange 48 once more is seated in the bell 36 against the washer 49. A similar structure may be used in connection with the pipes 20 and 23 so that it isunnecessary to disconnect a flexible pipe from the nozzle 22 when it is desired to remove the casing or compartment 5. This is shown in F ig. 6, where the pipe 20 is connected to the ipe 23 by a separable coupling comprising a be l 36 on the pipe 23 while a ilange 48 seated therein is formed on the corresponding end of the pipe 20. y

It is to be understood of course that the hose connections 31 and 34 are made as long as may be necessary to permit'the cleaning 4 head to be used at an appropriate distance from the pump and depositing tank.

What is claimed is 1. In a cleaning ap aratus, an air pump, a cleaning head, a con uit between the cleaning head and the intake side of the pump for conducting air from the cleaning head, a conduit between the cleaning head and the pressure side of the ump for conducting air to the cleaning hea and means in each of said conduits to and from the cleaning head for controlling the flow into and exhaustion of air from the cleaning head without affecting the operation ofthe pump.

` 2.l n a cleaning apparatus, an air pump,

a cleaning head, 'a conduit between the pressure side of the pump and the cleaning head, a conduit between the intake side vof the pum and the cleaning head, andr a valve provided with a port leading to the external atmosphere and adapted to be placed in commililnication with either ofthe two conduits at w1 3. In a cleaning apparatus, an air ump, a 1 15 cleaning head, a Aconc uit betweenV t e pressure side of the pump and the cleaning head, a conduit between the intake side of the pum and the cleaning head, a valve provide with a port leading to the vexternal 120 atmosphere and adapted to be placed in communication with either of the two conduits at will, and another valve in the conduit between the pressure side of the pump and the cleaning head, said valve beingmov- 125 able to connect the pump to the cleaning head or to cut off the pump from'the cleaning head and connect the pressure side of thepump to the atmosphere.' 4

4. In a cleaning apparatus, an air pump, a

cleaning head, a conduit between the pressure side of the pump and the cleaning head,

f munication with either of the two conduits,v

. at will, another Valve in the-conduit between the ressure side of the pump and the cleaning. ead, said valve being movable to conp nect thepump to the cleaning head or to cut 'off the pump from the cleaning head and connectthe pressure side ofthe said pum to the atmosphere, and a valve in the con uit between the cleaning head" and the intake side of the pump lfor coupling the said conduit to the external atmosphere at will.

5. In a cleaning a paratus, an air pump, an reservoir, a epositing chamber removabl)T connected to and carried by said air reservoir, a conduit between the reservoir and the pump, a cleaning head, a conduit between the cleaning head and they res-1 ervoir, a se arable conduit between the cleaning hea and the de ositing chamber and a separable conduit between the said depositing chamber and the pump.

air at will.

6. In a cleaning apparatus, a pumpf'a reservoir connected thereto, a cleaning head, a conduit between the intake side of the pump and the cleaning head, a air jet nozzle carried by said cleaning hea a conduit between the nozzle and the reservoir', and a valve movable for connecting l the reservoir with the nozzle or the reservoir with the external 7. Inl a cleaning system, a pump, an air reservoir, a cleaning head, an air conduit between the cleaning head and reservoir, a valve in said conduit for connecting the reservoir with the cleaning head or with the external atmosphere, another valve for con. Y

necting ,the conduit leading from the reservoir to the cleaning head with the external atmosphere, and a conduit between the cleaning head and the intake side of the pump. i

8. In a cleaningapparatus, an air pump, a l

reservoir connected thereto, a cleaning head, a jet-nozzle therein, an air conduit leading from thereservoir to the nozzle, valves in said conduit for coupling the reservoir to the conduit orl to the external air and for connecting the conduit to the external air, a deositing chamber, a conduit leading ,thereirom to the intake side of the pump, and another conduit .leading from the cleaning head to the depositing chamber.

9. In a cleaning ap aratus, an air pump, av

reservoir connected t ereto, a cleaning head, a jet-nozzle therein, an air conduit leading from xthe reservoir to the nozzle, valves in said conduit for coupling the reservoir tothe conduit or to the external air and for connecting the conduit to the external air, a deositing chamber, an air conduit leading rom the cleaning head/tothe intake side of the pump through and cluding the depositing chamber, and a valve` in the sai last named `conduit between the cleaning head and the pump and movable to open said last named conduit to the external air at will.

10. In a cleaning ap aratus, a cleaning head comprising space Ibells one concentric to the other with the inner bell shorter than the outer bell and with its lower edge above the lower edge ofthe outer bell, a nozzle connected Iwith theinner bell at the center thereof and perpendicular tothe plane ofthe bottom of the lower bell, means for attaching two concentric hose to the bells one in com- `munication with the nozzle and the other with the interior of the outer bell, and an A elastic4 annular bearin face connected to the bottom ofthe outer be In testimony that we claim the foregoing u y L as our own, vwe have hereto aBxed our slgnatures in the presence of two witnesses. l

' WILLIAM C. MAYO.

JOHN. HOULEHAN. Witnesses for Mayo: l

` WM. ADAMS,

J.' H. BUCHANAN. Witnesses for Houlehan:

MARY B. BUCHANAN, A. M. WALTHALL.

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