US2321648A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

June 15, 943- D. J. BRUNNER, JR

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Oct. 11, 1940 v INVENTOR. BY DAVID J. BRUNNEE. J2.

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ATTORNEY 3.

nted a... 15, 194a UNlT-ED STATE s j P NT-creme] SUCTION CLEANER. David J. Brunner, Jr., Shaker Heights, Ohio Application canning-1940, Serial No. 360,794

' a claims.- (01. -916) This invention relates to; suction cleaning ap-'-' nozzleare disposed, in series, the receiving ends of the ducts. Means are provided for uninterruptedly exhausting the suction chamber, and.

valve or shutter means are utilized for restricting communication between the nozzle and suction chamber at any one time to less-than all 'the' ducts, preferably to approximately the capacity of one duct, and which valve or shutter means,

- desirably acts to throw the ducts into communication with the chamber successively from one I end of the series to the other..

As a. consequence of this combination of a' multiple duct nozzle and valve or shutter means,

approximately the full power of the suction apparatus is-concentrated on restricted portions of the carpet or other object being cleaned corresponding substantially to the cross sectional area of the includesthe shaft and gear by which it is driven,

and Fig.4 a-Jsimilar view of-the'removable easing of the suction'chamber. j

The body I of the apparatus, which may con- Y sist of a casting of suitable material, such as plastic, aluminum or other metal, encloses a fan chamber 2 that is shown as opening'through the top or the body and as having an outlet passage 3.that is enclosed by a rearwardly. extending boss 4.' A dust bag 5, equipped'with a metal fitting 6 at its receiving end, is removably attached to the boss 4, through the medium ors'am fitting, byholding means '1.

' 'Surmounting the body I over the fan chamber 2 an electric motor that is designated generally by the reference numeral I0 and the shaft II of which extends downwardly into the chamber 2 'where it has secured to-it ajfan I2. The lower i .tend of the shaft is shown as journaled ina part I3 of the housing which extends across the inlet opening I4 in the bottom wall of the fan chamber;

- said part being extended forwardly in the vicinity receiving end of the duct, but the action on the object is practically as though it were continuous throughout the area of the mouth of the nozzle because of the rapidity with which the ducts are successively thrown into communication with the suction chamber.

In the case of a carpet cleaner, for example, this rapidity'of action insures against any'part ofthe carpet over which the sweeper is moved to and fro being missed. The intermittent action of the individual ducts, following one another in rapid succession, has the further advantage of vibrating the. portion of the carpet or other object being cleaned and, if they be of the kinds having nap, of separating the nap so as to loosen any dirt or dust lodged therein and liberate it to the stream of i-nfiowing air.

Other objects will appear as I proceed to describe the embodiment of the inventio illustrated in the accompanying drawing, amon which obiects are simplicity of construction, and convenience of removal of the parts necessary for inspection and cleaning.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a central vertical section from front to rear through a suction cleaner incorporating the invention, with certain parts shown in elevationyFig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus with parts broken away; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the valve or shutter and oi the shaft I I and provided with ahollow depending bosswithin which is journaledashaft' I 5 to the upper end of which is secureda gear II. This gear meshes with a pinion I1 on the lower end of the motor shaft II. 1

Below the fan chamber, and communicating therewith through the opening I4, is a suction chamber 20 that is enclosed by parts of the body I in cooperation with a removable casing 2| that is composed of a circular bottom wall 22 and a semi-cylindrical side wall.23. The casing 2i is removably attached to the body I by latch members or buttons 24 and 25 that are pivoted to the body and are arranged .to engage the respective lugs 26 and 27 of the casing.

The body I includes a nozzle 30 that flares forwardly and has a relatively wide mouth 3| at the .bottom of its forward end. At its rear end the nozzl opens into the suction chamber 20. The

rearwardly converging side walls 32 of the nozzle terminate at diametrically opposite sides of the suction chamber and are engaged by the vertical edges of the semi-cylindrical wall 230i the casing 2i. The rear edge of the bottom wall 33 of the nozzle is shaped to flt the edge portion of the front half of the circular bottom wall 22 of the casing. The interior of the nozzle is separated into a plurality ofducts 35 by partitions 36 that I extend from the mouth of the nozzle to its discharge end where said ducts communicate with the suction chamber 20 through what may. be regarded the front wall thereof.

Operating within the suction chamber is a valve or shutter 40, shown in perspective in Fig. 3, the same consisting of a circular bottom wall 4| and a cylindrical edge wall 42 that is interrupted at diametrically opposite points by openings 43. The shutter has a central aperture through which the shaft l5 extends, the shaft and shutter being connected together in such manner as to be held against relative rotation. The lower end of the shaft is reduced and journaled in a central bearing recess 45 of the bottom wall 22 of the casing 2|.

Wheels 50, attached to the body I in the usual way, support the apparatus at a proper elevation above the floor with the mouth 3| oi. the nozzle spaced the desired distance therefrom.

The apparatus is adapted to be moved to andfro across the floor by means of a handle 5| that is attached in the customary manner through a yoke 52 to the body of the apparatus.

When current is supplied to the electric motor l through suitable conductors (not shown) the fan I2 is driven at a high rate of speed to exhaust the fan casing and the suction chamber 20 therebelow, the fan casing discharging through the passage 3 into the bag 5.

The rotation of the motor shaft is transmitted, at reduced speed, through the pinion l1 and gear IE, to the shaft l5 and shutter 40. As the shutter rotates, the openings 43 in the edge wall 42 thereof alternately sweep across the discharge ends of the ducts 35, throwing said ducts successively into communication with the suction chamber 20. By this means the partialvacuum prevailing in the suction chamber 20 is concentrated within one or two of the ducts 35, at no time exceeding in capacity that of one of the ducts in view of the fact that the openings 43 correspond in area to that of the receiving ends of the individual ducts. As a consequence of this, that portion of the carpet beneath the active duct or ducts 35 has imposed upon it the full power of the apparatus, and this concentrated suction shifts very rapidly across the mouth of the nozzle, causing the breadth of carpet beneath said mouth to vibrate rapidly. In other words, laterally shifting waves or wrinkles of the carpet play-across the mouth of the nozzle from one end to the other in very rapid succession, thereby to manipulate the fiber or separate the nap of the carpet and loosen the dirt and dust lodged therein and liberate it to the action of the apparatus.

While I have in the foregoing discussion made reference especially to carpet, it will be understood that the apparatus may be used for cleaning various kinds of fabrics or materials; and further, that the construction of the apparatus may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention so long as the construction falls within the terms of the claims appended hereto.

Brushing or beating means may be arranged within the mouth of the nozzle in much the same way as in prevailing sweepers, but in my case the same would be divided into sections according to the number of ducts. This being such an obvious addition, illustration is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a suction chamber having a cylindrical peripheral wall, a nozzle including a plurality of ducts that open into the suction chamber through said wall, the outlet ends of the ducts being arranged in series about the wall, a shutter including a cylindricalwall of slightly less diameter than the peripheral wall of the chamber,

suction chamber through an end wall of the latter, a fan in said chamber, means for rotating the fan, and operative connection between the same and said shutter.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a suction chamber having a cylindrical peripheral wall, a nozzle including a plurality of ducts that open into the suction chamber through said wall, the outlet ends of the ducts being arranged in series about the wall, a shutter including a cylindrical wall of slightly less diameter than the peripheral wall of the chamber, the cylindrical wall of the shutter having openings spaced apart considerably further than the outlet ends of the ducts, the shutterbeing rotatably supportedwithin the chamber with its axis coincident with that of the chamber, a fan chamber whose inlet communicates with the suction chamber through an end wall of the latter, a fan in said chamber, a motor for driving the fan, and driving connections between the motor and shutter of such character as to rotate the shutter at a speed considerably less than that of the fan.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a body enclosing a fan chamber having an inlet opening in its bottom wall, a fan within said chamber for rotation on a vertical axis, a motor supported by the body with its shaft vertically disposed and extending downwardly through the fan chamber, the fan being mounted upon and secured to said shaft, there being a cylindrical suction chamber below the fan chamber and communicating withthe latter through the aforesaid inlet openin8,.a casing removably attached to the under side of the body and cooperating with the adjacent portion of the body to enclose the suction chamber, the body including a nozzle having a plurality of ducts that open into the suction chamber through a semi-cylindrical wall of. the chamber composed of a part of the body, the aforesaid casing including a semi-cylindrical wall that is arranged in opposed relation to the former semi-cylindrical wall and including also an end wall in opposed relation to the previously mentioned end wall of the fan chamber, a shutter fitting within the suction chamber and comprising a circular end wall arranged adjacent the end wall of the casing and a cylindrical peripheral wall of slightly less diameter than the suction chamber, said peripheral wall having diametrically opposed openings, a shaft supported axially'of the suction chamber in parallel relation to but offset to one side of the motor shaft, and driving connections between the motor shaft and the second mentioned shaft in the region of the end wall of the fan chamber.

DAVID J. BRUNNER, JR.

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