US1449003A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

H. E. HOOVER sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed Aug. 8, 191'? 4 sheets-sheet 2.

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Marr. 20, H923. LlMQUB l H. E. HOOVER l SUGTIONCLEANER f Filed Aug. a, 1917 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Mar. 20, T923.

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HOWARD EARL HOOVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HOOVER COMPANY, OF NORTH CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SUCTON CLEANER.

i Application led. August 8, 1917. Serial No. 185,200.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD EARL HOOVER, apcitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Suction Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanylng drawings wherein Figure l is a plan view with parts broken. away;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a side elevation;

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5 5 of Figure l;

Figure 6 is a section along the line 6 6 of Figure l;

Figure 7 is a front elevation.

Like parts are indicated by like characters in all the figures.

A is a suction cleaner housing. Tt contains a fan chamber A1, a suction or brush chamber A2 communicating with the fan chamber through the port A3, and it has an open suction mouth. A4. A5 is a motor housing mounted on the rear side of the suction cleaner housing A. Tt contains a motor armature A6 mounted on a shaft A". A8 is a suction fan carried by the shaft AY mounted for rotation in the fan chamber A1. A A are front fixed supporting wheels mounted for rotation on the axles A1 on brackets A11 rojecting rearwardly from the rear wall 12 of the suction chamber A2 so that the supporting wheels are immediately behind the open suction mouth and located between the planes passing through i the ends of the suction mouth or nozzle.

These wheels are so located in order that thev sweeper may be run out to the edge of the ru without danger of their running off and al owing the weight of the mechanism to rest upon the nozzle.

B B are lugs depending downwardly from the motelhousing A5 and spaced apart. B1

.is a shaft extending between them. B2 B2 are supporting levers rotatably mounted on the shaft B1 joined adjacent such shaft b the sleeve B3. B4 is a shaft passing throng the outer ends of such levers upon which are mounted thev'separated Wheels B5 B5. B2 1s a nut located between the opposed ends of said levers held in position between such ends by set screws B7 upon which it is plvotally mounted. B8 is an adjusting screw screw-threaded' in the nut B2 slotted as at B2 so that it may be rotated by means of a screwdriver. It has a round head B10 engaging a pocket B11 on the under side of the motor housing A5 whereby the levers may be rocked about the shaft B1 by rotation of the screw. The wheels B5 are so spaced apart that their outer sides are located substantially in a vertical plane tangential to the opposed sides of the -cylindrical motor housing.

The motor A6 does not occupy the entire,

length of the motor housing A5. C is a wall closing 0H that part of the housing containing the motor. C1 is a sleeve concentric with the motor. housing integral at one end with the wall C and at thel other end with the wall C2 which forms the rear wall of the fan chamber A1. This sleeve contains the bearings C3 C4 which support the shaft A?. Between these bearings is a worm C5 rigidly mounted on the shaft. This worm is in mesh with a worm gear C6 on the cross shaft or jack shaft or power transmitting shaft C1. CB is a housing depending downwardly from the sleeve C1 and completing a closure which contains `@the worm and worm gear and a portion of the shafts A7 and C7 and which carries bearings C9 C9 in which the shaft C7 is rotatably mounted. The shaft C7 extends out parallel with the suction mouth toward one end of the suction cleaner casing being enclosed within a sleeve C11 communicating with the housing C8. This sleeve contains at its outer end a bearing C12 in whlch the shaft is mounted and is itself rigidly attached to a belt housing C12 extending rearthe spaced and separated bristle groups D2.

This brush body contains at either end/bear-i/ ing sleeves B2 rotatably mounted upon a fixed Shaft D4.

- these plates D'surrounding the shaft D4 arev perforated flanged guard plates D, These plates are located between the ends of the brush and the plates D5 and the flange D7 thereon overhangs the end of the brush but is out of contact therewith. D8 are perforations thro-ugh the ends of the suction chamber, and D2. are perforations through the plates D5. These perforations are in register and communicates with the open space between the guard plates and the plates D5 so that air may be drawn through such perforations into such open spaces, pass thence through the perforationsin the guard plates and out between the flanges D7 and the ends ofthe brush.l D10 is a removable belt pulley on one end of the brush. The pulley is so placed in order that the bristles may be evenly arranged along the entire length of the brush without interruption so that there will be no'unswept porti'on of the carpet and thus the effective length of the brush is not decreased. It partially overhangs the flange D7 but is out of contact with it. C10 is a belt travelling over the pulleys D10 C14 whereby the brush may be rotated by the rotation of the shaft C7. D11 is an aperture in the outer side' wall of the housing C12 closed by a removable plate D12 whereby access may be had to the belt pulley `C14 and end of the shaft C7 for adjustment of the parts or for a removal of the belt from the pulley when for some reason it is desired to cease the power driving of the brush. C15 isa hole in the housing C13. I

F is an aperture in the downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall of the suction housing A2. It is' normally closed by means of the removable plate F1. It is bounded by an inwardly extending flange F2 which flange on its upper^ side extends clear in to join the wall F3 surrounding the upper portion of the port A2. F4 is a sleeve adapted to penetrate the port F. It is slotted at F5 to engage a pin Fe on the flange F2 whereby the sleeve will be compelled always to penetrate the opening F in the same direction. This is necessary ,because the sleeve is cut ofi' along a diagonal plane owing to the fact that it must close completely the port A3. If the sleeve before being inserted were to be rotated there would be the possibility that the longer portion F1' might pass in through the port .A3 and be engaged by the fan. F2 is a reduced portion idapted to be engaged by the suction hose G is a discharge passage extending outwardly from the fan chamber A1 in a genengage screw holding bolts G7 G8. The lug G5 is provided with a radial slot to engage the bolt G7, the lug G6 with a. tangential slot being adapted Ato engage the bolt GS. Thumb nuts G2 on said bolts are adapted to clamp the sleeve G4 rigidly against the flange-G2. G1" is a large open mouthed bag its open mouth surrounding the sleeve GL and held in position thereon by theV 'contractile collar G11. This bag is impervious to dust but permits the air to pass through, and forms therefor the usual dust receptacle into which the dust laden air is discharged by the suction fan.

The upper portion of the motor housing A5 is apertured as at H immediately behind the fan chamber A1. Located within this aperture is an electric switch H1 contained partially within the housing and projecting partially thereabove. which may be operated by the vfoot or hand of the operator. H3 is a sleeve in the wall of the motor housing A5 communicating with that portion of the housing occupied by the switch H1. H4 is lan electric conductor passing inwardly through such sleeve and' communicating with the'switch. H1 is an electrical conductor' communicating with the switch and passing through the aperture H6 in the wall C to communicate with and provide power for the operation of the motor A". The conductor Hl1 communicates with any suitable source of power not here indicated for furnishing the electric current to the motor to operate the apparatus.

J is a handle bail pivoted on pins J1 J1 on opposed sides of the motor housing A5. This handle bail is curved upwardly as indicated at J2 in order that the greatest height of the machine will be in .line with the fan chamberand the cleaner can thus berun far underl low pieces of furniture before the handle beyond the bail contacts with the lower part of the furniture, and thus without the necessity of lowering the handle to a position parallel with the floor. It is large enough to clear the rear end of the moto-r housing A5. J2 is a handle mounted in the socket J4 on the handle bail.

A good many features of the f suction sweeper to which I have referred are not here shown in detail and where some are shown, more or less in ,detail they are not described. .This is because they form no part of the subject matter of the present invention and as to some of them because they have been -elsewhere in other applications made the subject of claims. I wish it under-- lstood that while the drawings here .present- H2 is the switch lever Leganes ed are in fact based upon a working machine the same are for the purposes of this case to be taken as diagrams and not as necessarily limitin me to the particular structure shown. Tt will be obvious that very considerable variations in size, shape and proportions of some or all of the parts together with the substitution of othersifor some of those here shown could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. y

The use and operation of my invention are as follows The motor is enclosed so no dust can reach the bearings from that side.- The fan tends to throw the dust away from the bearings so that there is little tendenc for dust to work in except as it may sett e on the end. Thus all the bearings except the brus-h bearings themselves are outside the line of travel of any dust particles borne by the dust laden air. All the mechanisms interposed between the motor shaft and the' brush which cooperate to drive the brus-h are located outside the path of the dust laden air.

The dust laden air which is projected outI tangentially from the fan is guided by the curved wall of the discharge passage into a discharge opening parallel with the axis' of the fan where it is discharged into a dust bag. The dust bag is of the ordinary type and is fastened in position on a flange surrounding the opening by means of two lugs one of them with a radial slot engaging a fixed pin. The parts are brought together by first engaging the pin with this slot and then swinging t e bag sleeve over so that a tangential hook on the opposed side engages another pin and the parts may then be locked into position. In this arrangement there is no possibility of the bag being accidentally disengaged because lit is necessary :first to rotate the whole bag and sleeve be- -fore the tangential hook can be disengaged and then to lift up the whole bag and sleeve before the radial slot can be disengaged.

The passageway from the brush chamber to the fan chamber is reduced to a minimum length or` occupies but a minute portion of the brush chamber which includes both the fan chamber and this passageway. This brings the brush chamber proper and the fan chamber into close relation and the particles picked up by the brush and projected rearwardly and upwardly along straight lines may actually without any change of direction merel by the force given them by the brush be tlirown into the fan chamber where they may be driven ofi' by the fan. In other words this apparatus is so arranged that it will be possible to pick up a heavy particle so heavy that the air could not move it at all and carry it through the apparatus and discharge it in the dust bag merely by the projecting power of the brush and then of the fan without any reference whatever to the carrying power of the air.

The hole C15 in the housing C13 will permit a small amount of fresh air from the outside to pass through said housing and be taken out withv the current of air passing through the machine. The object of such an arrangement if it becomes necessary though it might not be in many,k cases necessary, would be to clear' the otherwise dead air space in this housin and thus tend further to protect the bearings and the operative parts from dust and dirt.

The worm housin C8 is adapted to hold a .lubricant which is ed up into the operating upper and lower portion, is placed high up and far above the drive gear and far above the level of oil which under any ordinary conditions would be maintained in this housing. This tends to reduce the danger of leakage or escape of oil at such split.

The casing is so arranged that it presents one and the same surface to which the bag is attached and also to which the motor casing is attached. This surface in the case shown is substantially vertical, though it might be inclined, but by thus having these two parts, the bag connections and the motor casing, attached to surfaces in the same plane the processes of manufacture are greatly facilitated.

l claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a frame pivoted intermediate its ends on a long fulcrumed pin to the bottom of the casing. widely separated rollers rotatably mounted on one end of the frame and beneath the casing, a screw device swiveled to the bottom of the casin and screw threaded to the other end of the rame.

2. ln a suction cleaner, a casing, a frame pivoted intermediate its ends on a long fulcrumed pin to the bottom of the casing, widelyf' separated rollers rotatably mounted on one end of the frame and beneath the casing, a screw device swiveled to the bottom of the casing and screwlthreaded to the other end of the frame,'saidA screw device containing a head whereby it is suspended on theA bottom of the casin and a screw slot in its other end whereby 1t may be rotated.

3. A suction cleaner comprising a case with an inlet opening anda suction chamber, a motor mounted on the case, a brush mounted near the inlet opening, a power transmission device connecting the motor and the brush and .containing a pulley on the brush, a belt operatively connecting the motor with said pulley, a belt housing at one end of the case and substantially closed except at the end where it opens into the suction chamber and its forward part forming part of the .suction chamber and a jack shaft lll@ connected at one end with the motor and at the other projecting through the wall of the belt housing and provided with a pulley to receive the belt.

4. A suction cleaner comprising a case with an inlet opening and a suction chamber, a motor mounted on the case, a brush mounted near the inlet opening, a power transmission device connecting the motor and the brush and containing a pulley on the brush and a belt operatively connecting the motor with said pulley, and a belt housing at one end of the case and substantially opening into the suctionl chamber and its forward part forming part of the suction chamber at one end and provided at the other end with an opening and a closure therefor.

5. A suction cleaner comprising a case with an inlet opening and a suction chamber, a motor mounted on the case, a brush 4mounted near the inlet opening, a power transmission device connecting the motor and the brush and containing a pulley on the end of the brush, a belt operatively connecting the motor with said pulley, a belt housing at one end of the case and substantially closed' except at the end where it opens into the suction chamber and its forward part formin part of the suction chamber, and at the ot er end a shaft projecting through the Wall of the belt housing and provided with a pulley to receive the belt, said belt housing provided with an opening beyond the pulley and a closure therefor.

6. In a suction cleaner thev combination of a casing having an inlet opening and a suction chamber with a brush near the inlet opening, a motor mounted on the casing and power transmission means from the brush tothe motor comprising a belt, a pocket which encloses the same and forms part of the suction chamber, and a jack shaft from the motor to the belt.

7. In a suction cleaner the combination of a casing having an inlet 'opening and a suction chamber with a brush near the inlet opening, a motor mounted on the casing and power transmission means from the brush to the motor comprising a belt, a pocket which encloses the same and forms part of the suction chamber, a jack shaft from the motor to the belt and a sleeve which surrounds the jack shaft.

` suction chamber near the inlet, a motor fmount'ed on the casing and power transmission means from the rotating part to the motor and housing or pocket, which encloses such power transmitting means and at one end opens into and forms part of the suction chamber and is provided with a free air inlet opening at its other end.

9. In a suction cleaner thecombination of a casing having a suction chamber and an inlet with a. brush mounted near the inlet, a fan housing forming a fan chamber, a fan therein, said chamber connected to said suction chamber and provided with an outlet, and a brush driving mechanism comprising a motor and a transmission mechanism therefrom to the brush lying wholly Y outside of the path of the dust laden air, a housing for the motor separate from said fan housing, and a housing for a portion of the transmission mechanism between them,

motor and transmission mechanism there from to the brush lying wholly outside of the path of travel of the dust laden air, a belt forming part of the transmission mechanism, said motor housing separate from said fan housing and a housing partially closed along its bottom which contains the belt and which opens into and forms part of the suction chamber.

11. In a suction cleaner the combination of a casing having at one end a brush and fan and housing therefor and at the other a motor and housing therefor, said housings separated, transmission mechanism located intermediate the said housings, and inclnding a belt from the -motor to the brush and a housing therefor, said belt lying outside the path vof travel of the dust laden air, a housing partially close'd along its bottom containing the transmission mechanism, .connected with the brush, which housing opens into and forms part of the suction chamber. v

12. In a suction cleaner the combination of a casing having an inlet with a brush mounted near the inlet, a fan,'a motor, a shaft for the motor and shaft bearings for the same, transmission mechanism from the shaft including a connection which leads to the brush, said transmission mechanism,

motor and allthe bearings except those of the brush lying outside of the path of travel of the dust laden air, a housing partially closed along its bottom-Which contains the transmission mechanism connected with the brush and which opens into and forms part Y of the suction chamber.

13. In a suction cleaner a rear/'support Laeaooe 14. ln a suction cleaner the combination of a casing having a suction chamber and within the suction chamber a suction mouth, and a brush mounted adjacent said mouth driving means for said brush and a housing for such driving means placed out of line with the bristles of the brush whereby the rotating bristles do not throw particles into the driving means housing, the housing opening only into the suction chamber and forming part of the suction chamber.

l5. In a suction cleaner the combination of a casing having an inlet with a brush mounted adjacent said inlet, a driving means for rotating the brush, a casing for such driving means said casing opening into so as lto form part of the brush chamber at one end and provided with an opening at the other and means for drawing a current of air through such last mentioned casing and the inlet mouth.

16. A suction sweeper casing including a suction nozzle, a rotating brush therein, a belt housing leading therefrom, a pulley on said brush, said belt housing being attached to the casing and closed except where it opens into the suction chamber to permit passage of the brush operating means.

In testimony whereof I aii'ix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 27th day of July, 1917.

HOWARD EARL HOOVER.

Witnesses:

`MARION L. lNGRAHAM, LYDIA M. SYiLvANUs.

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