US1344389A - Carpet-sweeper - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARPETSWEEPER.

Application led March 19, 193.8.

To all Awhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Frcitns, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1105 16th avenue, Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification. Y i

This invention relates to a car iet sweeper wherein the carpet is cleaned t rough the action of a fan rotating at high speed thus causing current of air to fiow from beneath the sweeper to a receptacle or bag carried by the sweeper for the .purpose of collecting the particles of dust and foreign matter picked up from the carpet by the fan, and has particular reference to an improved means of causing the particles of dirt and foreign matter to be separated from the carpet, thus enabling the sweeper to more efficiently clean the carpet or floors over which the sweeper may be operated.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient carpet beating means which acts upon the carpet immediately ahead of the sweeper, in such manner as to thoroughly separate the dirt and foreign matter from the carpet to be cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient means for operating the beater arrangement and to provide means for disengaging the beater arrangement.

A still further object of this arrangement is to provide a housing for the beater and the cam that operates the same together with means for locking the cam out of engagement with the beaters.

With this and many other objects in view which will be more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination, construction, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully illustrated, pointed out and claimed.

It will be quite readily understood by those skilled in the art to which this in volition belongs that this invention is quite susceptible to a wide range of structural modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention but a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the present invention showing the beaters and cam in operative relation.

Specification of Letters Ea tent.

Patented J une 22, 1920.

Serial No. 283,521.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. l together with an outline of the fan and motor housing.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of one end of the beater device showing the manner in which the beaters are attached.

Fig. 5 is anelevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. (S is a view showing the manner in which the beater links may be connected.

Like reference numerals refcr to similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out this invention it is proposed to retain the essential features of the best type of modern sweepers as for instance the motor the fan the dirt receptacle and the fan and motor housings, as these are all es sential to the operation of the present invention, but instead of a rapidly revolving brush, which sweeps up the dirt, I prefer to use a plurality of beaters, as it has been found that the brushes are objectionable and inefficient for the purpose intended while it has been found that by beating the carpet immediately ahead of the sweeper the particles of dirt and dust are separated from the fiber of the carpet and are each drawn out, thus leaving the carpet in a cleansed condition as compared with the same carpet over which the usual type of sweeper is operated.

As previously indicated, a rotary brush in a vacuum carpet sweeper has a more or less destructive effect on the nap of the carpet, especially if the fibers of the brush are very stiff and the brush rotates at high speed. However, the present invention proposes to retain the valuable feature of loosening the surface dirt on the carpet or floor, but without the destructive effect due to the action of the rotary brush as above set forth. A\ccordingly, the present invention contemplates the provision of a nozzle device which may be fitted lo the usual vacuum producing instrumcutalitics of the apparatus, and includes means for beating the carpet for the purpose of loosening the dirt without any wearing effect on the nap or pile of the carpet. To this end it is proposed to employ a nozzle housingr 1 having a mouth or intake opening 2 and provided with a flare 3 and attaching ears 4 for securing the entire nozzle to the fan housing 5 of the usual cleaner structure. This arrangement provides for eonvenientlv utilizing the fan shaft 43 and means fore Aertively supporting a rotary ram T which constitutes a part of the present invention. This earn is eli-arly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing and may he secured to the fan .shaft extension h v means of a suitahle set sei-ew S or its equivalent.

Loeated in the mouth 2 of the nozzle deviee is a novel heater arrangement` the saine heing carried hy the nozzle device in .surh a way that it may he inserted and removed into the month of the nozzle as a unit. and when in position will he actuated h v the eani .sha ft T previously referred to.

Referring to the novel features of this heater unit it will he oliserved that the saine is mounted upon a carrier bar 9 which is adapted to be seen red hy means of the screws Nl or their etnivalent arross the mouth 2 of the nozzle. `his carrier har 9 is provided with the opstanding lugs ll and 12 which ronstitute supports for tuleruni pins 13 and l-l of a link eonsisting of a pair of operating levers i5 and iti. The inner end of the lever lf is preferahly hifureated as shown in Fig. e' and carries therewith a pin 17 which is adapted to work in a slot 18 in the inner end of the lever 16 which is received in the hil'urrated portion of the lever l5. This arrangement atthe connected ends of the levers 1.3 and 1o provides for effectively holding the same in alinement directly loenealh the operating surface or periphery of the rain T, wherehy as the latter rotates the said levers may he given a vertical reciprorating movement as indieated by the dotted lines in Fig. l. The outer ends 15 and 16EL ol' the levers 15 and 16 extend beyond the fnlrruin pins lll and i4 and are adapted to engage heneath the noses 19 of suitahle heater i'arrying hrarlnts 21.). which are Ot dnplirale eoustrurtion and pivotally supported as at 2l upon the opstanding lugs 22 adjareut the opposite ends ofthe earrier har Si. As will he ohserved from Figs. l and L these heater rarrying hrackets are each provided nith an offset supporting flange 23, and have serured thereto hy means of the fastening .srrew 2l or the like the `spring heater fingers or strip 25. As shown in Fig. Il the arrangement of the heater carrying liraeltets fl is such that the heater lingers :2.3 are oppositelyv disposed and are located on opposite sides1 of the earrier har 9.

For the purposfl ol l maintaining the linl eonsisting ol' the levers 15 and 16 in operative engagement with the surfaee ofthe cam T. eaeh of' the supporting lugs l2 and 13 have also fitted thereto the inverted U-shaped straps 2&5 which .straddle the levers 15 and 1G and earry therewith relatively stout Hat leaf springs 2T whose free ends 2S hear on top of the noses l) of the heater brackets.

rthe springs 2T therefore exert a downward tension on the noses 1S) ol the heater brackets with the result of maintaining the heater fingers 25 in a normally horizontal position and also canse the pivotally eonneeted ends of the levers l5 and 16 to yieldahly hear against the operating surface of the eani 7, because, of the fact that the noses 19 overlie the ends 15 and 16" of said levers.

For the purpose of rendering the heater elements inoperative when it is desired to use the cleaner without them, it is proposed to employ a resiliently mounted rod or stem element 2.() whose outer exposed end is provided with a foot engaging head 3U, while its inner end 31 is adapted to engage with and depress one of the levers` 1G for insta nee, to therehy depress both of the levers so that their point of pivotal connection will be held out of contant with the operating surface of the @am 7.

From the foregoing it will he apparent that when the nam 7 is rotated the levers 15 and 1G will he given a vihratory movenient which will in turn canse the heaters 25 to be raised and lowered very rapidly owing to the construction described, thereby producing a thorough heating effect upon the surface to he cleaned.

l claim:

1. A heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a carrier har arranged longitudinally of the nozzle mouth, heater strips located on opposite sides of the har and rockahly supported at opposite ends thereof, and cani operated lever means for rocking said heater strips.

2. A heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a carrier har. heater strips located at opposite sides of the har, means for ivotally seeuring the outer ends of the said heater strips to the har, a jointed link for engaging said means. and a eam for engaging the said link at the ljoint.

A, heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a har having lugs at opposite ends thereof. heater strips arranged in parallel relation to the har on opposite sides thereof, hrarltets rarried hy one end of each heater strip and pivotally attached to one of said lugs. springs carried hy the har and engaging said hraekets to maintain the strips in their normal position, and cam operated means earried hy the har and adapted to engage with said hraekets to operate the same against the tension of said springs.

4. A heater unit for vacuum cleaners including a bar having lugs at opposite ends thereof. heater strips arranged in parallel relation to the bar on opposite sides thereof, hraeltets carried hy one end of each heater strip and pivotally attaehed to one of said lugs, springs carried hy the har and engaging said brackets to maintain the strips in their normal position, and means carried by the bar for operating said beater elements and consisting of a link including a pair of connected levers fulcrumed on the bar and having their free ends engaging said brackets, und a cam for engaging the apex of the link formed by the connected ends of said levers.

5. A beater unit for vacuum cleaners including a bar having paired `lugs adjacent each end thereof, beater strips arranged on opposite sides of the bar, brackets carrying said beater strips and pivoted on the outermost lugs on seid bar, yoke members carried by the innermost lugs on the ber, springs carried by said yoke members and engaging the brackets for holding the beaters in their normal depressed position, and a link consisting of e pair of levers convergently disposed and loosely connected at their meetlng ends and having their opposite ends engaging with the brackets carrying the beater strips, and a cam for engagin the loosely connected ends of the levers o said link.

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

W lLLIAM A. FICKES.

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