US3380104A - Duplex vacuum cleaner nozzle - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1968 w. P. RITZAU ET AL DUPLEX VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE M 1. m Y A M e T G 6 Z R h T O S VID T NRU I T w I B A A A h M T S A R IE 4 U. B O WR Y ll B Filed July 11, 196E April 30, 1968 w RlTZAU ET AL DUPLEX VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1966 April 30, 1968 w, rrzAu ET AL 3,380,104

' DUPLEX VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed July 11, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l o l4 M llmgggyylb t I 2 0 A4 l "Ti 44 /62 Q i 54 64 82 2 '2 L8 FIG. 8

INVENTORS WILLIAM E RITZAU ROBERT A. BUDINGTON III ATTORNEY A ril 30, 1968 w. P. RrrzAu ET AL 3,380,104

DUPLEX VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed July 11, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 11

- INVENTORS WlLLlAM P. RITZAU ROBERT A. BUDINGTON III ATTORNEY United States Patent Delaware Filed July 11, 1966, Ser. No. 564,222 Claims. (Cl. -417) This invention relates to a duplex vacuum cleaner suction tool having a pair of opposed cleaning sides used respectively, for different types of celaning, for example for cleaning soft surfaces such as rugs, and hard surfaces such as wood floors, the cleaning sides being brought to cleaning position alternately by rotating the cleaner tool. The invention is more particularly concerned with providing improved means for selectively positioning a control valve within the tool to block off suction of theair supply to the cleaning side which is not being used, the means being operated automatically upon rotation of the cleaner tool body.

Multi-purpose vacuum cleaner tools, as for example a duplex cleaner tool having two cleaning sides either of which may be manipulated to a cleaning position by rotating the body of the cleaning tool about the suction tube with which it is connected, are known in the art. The duplex vacuum cleaner tool may be provided with one cleaning side having a brush element for cleaning hardwood floors and linoleum covered surfaces, whereas, the other cleaning side may be made smooth faced, adapting it for use for cleaning rugs, carpets and like soft surfaces, with the respective cleaning sides being brought to cleaning position alternately by rotating the tool body one-half revolution. The duplex character of this vacuum cleaner tool requires that it be provided with valve means in the tool body for isolating the cleaning side which is not being used from the suction air supply thereby to maintain maximum suction at the other or working side. Such valve means may take various forms, as for example it may be a snap action leaf spring valve member or it may be a rotary valve member, in either case the valve means being selectively positionable between two closure positions to block the suction air passage leading to whichever of the cleaning sides is not in cleaning position.

The vacuum cleaner tool of the present invention is characterized by the feature that the proper selective positioning of the valve means therein is controlled by the manipulation of the cleaning tool body automatically upon the rotation of same about the suction tube with which it is connected. Thus, for example, if the brush element cleaning side (hard surface cleaning) is in cleaning position and it becomes necessary to use the tool on a rug, the user picks up the cleaner tool and rotates it to shift or interchange the cleaning side positioning. As the tool body rotates, means therein which are in engagement with the valve means become operable to shift automatically the positioning of the valve means from a position closing off the air suction passage leading to the rug cleaning side to a position closing off the air suction passage leading to the floor cleaning side as the latter is moved to a non-cleaning position. The valve actuating means may generally comprise a projection on the suction tube which is engageable with a gear means connected to the valve means and effective when the tool body is rotated to control the positioning of the valve means and cause it to assume a position closing the suction passage associated with the sides of the cleaner tool moved to a non-cleaning position. The arrangement of the suction tube projection-gear means is such as not to be effective to shift the valve means until the tool body is rotated at least about 90 relative to the suction tube. In this manner, relative rotation between the suction tube Patented Apr. 30, 1968 "ice and tool body in clockwise or counterclockwise directions through arcs of less than is possible, as when maneuvering the tool body beneath low overhead clearance objects such as sofas, cabinets and the like, without shifting the valve.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of representative embodiments of the principles of the invention to be described. The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

Reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a duplex vacuum cleaner suction tool constructed according to the principles of the present invention, parts of the tool body being broken away to illustrate constructional features thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 in FIGURE 1, portions of the ends of the tool body being shown in full;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1, a portion of the rear housing cover plate being broken away for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view on reduced scale looking from the rear to the front of the cleaning tool showing the same when the rug cleaning side is in cleaning position on a rug or carpeted surface;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, except that the tool body has been rotated 90 clockwise from the position shown in FIGURE 5 as occurs during interchange of the positioning of the cleaning sides;

FIGURE 7 is the same as FIGURE 5 except the tool has been rotated a full to bring the floor cleaning side into cleaning position;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view partly in section illustrating the position to which the cleaner tool valve means is shifted when the floor cleaning side is moved to a cleaning position as shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a partial plan view of a modified form of duplex vacuum cleaner tool wherein the valve actuating means includes gear driven shafts connected with the valve means and effective to shift the positioning thereof responsive to rotation of the tool body;

FIGURE 10 is a view taken along the line 1010 in FIGURE 9; and

FIGURE 11 is a view taken along the line 1111 in FIGURE 9.

Throughout the description like reference numerals are used to denote like parts in the drawings.

The valve actuating means of the present invention is described by way of example herein as being used in conjunction with a duplex vacuum cleaner suction tool having a snap action leaf spring type valve element wherein the valve element is selectively positionable between one or the other of two oppositely biased positions closing off, respectively, the suction passages leading to the floor cleaner side and the rug cleaner side of the cleaner tool. However, it should occur to those skilled in the art that the valve actuating means is suited for use with other types of duplex vacuum cleaner tool valve members as for example, a rotary valve of the type described in US Patent No. 3,012,268.

Referring now to the vacuum cleaner tool constructionshown in FIGURES 1-8 of the drawings, the vacuum cleaner tool is a duplex type having an elongated tool body 10 which is comprised of interfitting upper and lower body members 12 and 14, respectively, the body members being connected together by suitable fastening means such as the countersunk screws 16. The structural arrangement of the upper and lower body members 12, 14 can be varied to some extent to facilitate manufacture and assembly but in general should be such as to provide the tool body with a pair of opposed elongated cleaning sides when connected together. Thus one side of the tool body 10 constitutes a floor cleaning side used for cleaning wood floors, tile covered surfaces and the like, and to that end is provided with brush elements 18 extending longitudinally of the tool body and secured thereto in channels 20 formed in the upper body member 12 as best seen in FIGURE 4. The other cleaning side of the tool body 10 is used for cleaning rugs, car-pets and similar soft surfaces and for that reason is provided with a protruding lip member 22 extending about the margin of the lower body member 14 with the lip being flattened along the rug contacting surface as at 24. The lip member can be formed integral with the lower body member or, as in the form illustrated, be a separately formed element secured to the body member in known manner.

Each cleaning side of the vacuum cleaner tool has a nozzle or air suction opening which functions in the usual manner. Thus the floor cleaning side has an elongated laterally extending nozzle opening 26 which is best shown in FIGURE 1 and which communicates by means of a suction passage 28 formed in the upper body member 12 with a central cavity 30 in the tool body, the latter being defined by complemental recesses formed in the respective body members. Similarly, the lower body member 14 is provided with a nozzle opening 32 which likewise extends longitudinally thereof and communicates with the central cavity 30 by means of a suction passage 34 formed in the lower body member as shown, the suction passage 34 being somewhat larger than suction passage 28 in the upper body member. The suction passages 28, 34 serve to connect the respective suction nozzle openings 26, 32 with a source of suction air, depending upon the positioning of the valve member in the tool body. The tool body 10 is provided with a rearwardly directed neck portion 42 which has a large opening at the back thereof for receiving suction tube 44 the latter being in preferred form, an elbow fitting. The suction tube 44 is adapted to be connected to a wand member 46 or other conduithandle means and therewith serve to establish communication between the tool body 10 and a motor driven vacuum unit (not shown). The upper end of the suction tube 44 may be provided with a collar 48 in which is housed a wand locking ring 50, the latterbeing of known construction and serving to securely connect the tool to the wand. The horizontal branch 52 of the suction tube 44 extends through rear housing cover plate 54 and is rotatably mounted in neck portion 42 of the tool body and as shown communicates with the hollow interior of the neck portion which in turn communicates with central cavity 30.

The valve member 40 used in the tool body is described herein by way of example as being a flat snap action leaf spring normally maintained in a biased condition and which is adapted to operate between two selected closure positions within central cavity30. Adjacent to its opposite ends the leaf spring is formed with shoulders 55 which abut against walls 57 formed in the nozzle body as is shown in FIGURE 1, thus confining the central portion of the spring which results in the above-mentioned bias. The end portions of the spring 40, which are of less width than the central portion, extend through slots 56 in the walls 57 into clearance cavities 58, 60 arranged at each side of the central cavity. Thus, when the rug cleaning side of the vacuum cleaner tool is in cleaning position as shown in FIGURE 2 the valve member 40 is positioned in an upwardly arcuately biased condition at one side of body portion closes 01f suction passage 28, whereas, when the vacuum cleaner tool is rotated around the suction tube 44, the valve member 40 is shifted to an oppositely arcuately biased condition at the other side of the central cavity, as shown in long and short dashed lines, in which closure position it closes off the suction passage 34 leading to the rug cleaning side which has been moved to a non-cleaning position by the rotational manipulation.

The movement of the valve member 40 between the two closure positions shown in FIGURE 2 is achieved by distorting the leaf spring in a direction opposite to its biased condition. One manner of applying the distortiug force to the leaf spring is to apply same at one or both of the overhanging ends of the spring. By shifting the locations of one or the other or both of the overhanging ends in a vertical direction, there is applied to the valve member a deforming force effective to cause the leaf spring to deform, for example from the closure position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 into a serpentine configuration such as shown in short dashed lines and through a dead center position to assume an oppositely biased closure position shown in the long and short dashed lines.

The vertical shifting of the position of the overhanging ends of the leaf spring is achieved by means of a pair of actuating levers 62, 64 which are located in the tool body 10 at opposite sides of the suction tube 44, as shown in FIGURE 1, with the front ends of the levers engaging the overhanging ends of the leaf spring. The rear sections of the actuating levers extend closely adjacent the suction tube as shown, with the actuating levers 62, 64 being supported on suitable pivots 66, 68 respectively, carried within the tool body neck portion 42, the latter having vertical clearance passages as at 70 and 72 in which the actuating levers move when pivoted. The actuating levers 62, 64 flare divergently outwardly in the direction of the front end of the tool body as shown with the front sections thereof being parallel, laterally displaced relatively of the rear sections. In preferred form each actuating lever comprises a flat strip member which is shaped in the plan outline illustrated in FIGURE 1 and the front ends thereof are shaped in the form of a fork, with the tines 74 of the forks girding or embracing the overhanging ends of the leaf spring.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the ends of the valve spring 40 extend downwardly when the center of the spring is in its upper position seating against arcuate surfaces forming a valve seat 75, thus closing passage 28 thereby tending to retain the front ends of levers 62 and 64 in lowered pivotal position as illustrated in FIGURE 4. With the parts in this position suction air drawn into the tool body 10 enters by way of nozzle opening 32 associated with the rug cleaner side and draws into the cleaner unit dirt, dust and other objects on the rug surface being cleaned.

On the other hand, when the tool body 10 is rotated one-half revolution to interchange the cleaning side positionings, the vertical positioning of one of the overhanging ends of the leaf spring is shifted from the location X or Y (as viewed in FIGURE 2) to the location X or Y. This shifting of one of the overhanging ends of the leaf spring applies an opposite biasing force to the valve member 40 deforming it to a serpentine shape as shown in the short dashed line in FIGURE 2, and snapping it through a dead center position, causing it to arcuately bow in the opposite sense from the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 to the position shown in long and short dashed lines. In the latter position, the valve member seats against the seating surfaces 76 at the bottom of the tool body 10, closing off the passage 34 leading to the rug cleaning side and automatically placing the floor cleaning side in communication with the suction tube 44. It will be apparent that regardless of which cleaning side is in cleaning position, the actuating levers will normally extend downwardly at the front ends thereof, i.e., the front ends will extend toward the surface being cleaned.

The mode of operating the actuating levers 62, 64 to shift the position of the valve member within the tool body will now be described. As shown in FIGURE 3, the suction tube 44 is provided at the top side thereof with a projection 78 which may take the form of a gear tooth either formed integrally with the suction tube or being part of a separate ring member fixedly mounted on the suction tube. Gear teeth 80, 82 engageable with projection 78 are formed at the rear ends of the actuating levers. To provide the described engagement of the suction tube projection 78 with gear teeth 80, 82 of the actuating levers, the rear ends of the latter are turned inwardly at a right angle to the main body of each. The tooth 78 and the inwardly turned ends of levers 62, 64 are disposed inwardly of cover plate 54 and hence are protected and out of sight. Normally when either cleaning side of the cleaner tool is in cleaning position, the gear teeth 80, 82 on the lever arms are located at about 90 from the tooth projection 78 on the suction tube 44. In rotating the cleaner tool body to alternate the positioning of the cleaning sides, the tool body is rotated in either direction about the suction tube 44 which remains fixed. When the tool body 10 has been rotated about 90 from the horizontal position shown in FIG- URE 5 to an approximately vertical position as shown in FIGURE 6, the gear teeth 80, 82 at the rear end of actuating lever 64 which moves with the same movement as the tool body, engage the fixed projection 78 on the suction tube 44 so that further rotation of the tool body beyond the vertical position of FIGURE 6 causes actuating lever 64 to pivot from a downwardly directed position, which is the same position as that of actuating lever 62 shown in FIGURE 4, to an upwardly directed position. This pivoting movement of actuating lever 64 shifts the location of the overhanging end of the leaf spring from location X to location X which causes the leaf spring to undergo the serpentine transition previously described and to move through its dead center position and assume an opposite arcuately biased condition. As the leaf spring assumes said other bias, the other actuating lever 62 is caused to move reactively and the overhanging end connected therewith correspondingly is shifted from location Y to location Y. Upon completion of the 180 rotation of the cleaning tool body 10 which brings the floor cleaning side into cleaning position as shown in FIGURE 7, the valve member 40 is positioned in a position closing off the suction passage 34 leading to the rug cleaning side.

It is preferable ot incorporate in the tool body 10 a weight 84 to facilitate initiation of rotational movement of the tool body when interchanging cleaning sides, the weight being located as shown in FIGURES 2 and 5 to one side of the axis about which the tool body 10 rotates. Thus when the user wants to shift cleaning sides from the rug cleaning side in cleaning position (FIGURE 5) to the floor cleaner side in cleaning position (FIGURE 7) the tool body 10 is caused automatically to rotate clockwise (when looking from rear to front of tool) as soon as the user raises up the wand 46 to lift the tool body from the floor. The user may thereafter complete the 180 rotation of the nozzle body by lowering the tool body to the floor when in approximately vertical position and simultaneously applying a slight rightwardly directed force with the wand 46 to swing the tool body through the remaining portion of the required one-half revolution. As as result of the latter manipulation, the weight 84 is now located on the left side of the axis about which the body rotates as shown in FIGURE 7 so that when in the further course of cleaning, the tool body is to be once again manipulated to interchange the cleaning side positionings (return rug cleaner side to cleaning position), the tool body will be caused to rotate counterclockwise under the force exerted by the weight when the user lifts the tool body from the floor.

If it were certain that the body would always be rotated in the direction dictated by the weight 84, only one pivoted actuating arm would be required, and with the weight at the end of the nozzle as shown, the arm 64 could be eliminated. However, it is possible for the operator to manually turn the nozzle body in the opposite direction, particularly when connecting the elbow 44 to the wand 46 with the nozzle ofi the floor, and if the arm 64 were not provided, the nozzle could be turned 180 in this manner without shifting the valve, which would result in all the air entering the nozzle through the upper inoperative cleaning side.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the overhanging ends of the valve member are capable of flexing a short distance beyond the normal seating positions X, Y and X, Y as shown in dashed lines when the valve member is shifted between its two valve closure positions. The reason for providing this fiexure movement is to permit the gear teeth 80, 82 at the rear ends of the actuating levers to ride clear of and properly disengage with the tooth projection 78 on the suction tube 44 after the valve actuating means operates to shift the positioning of the valve member 40. In other words, if the leaf spring overhanging ends were to become fixed or to be fixably positioned upon being shifted, and if this were to occur while projection 78 was still engaging gear teeth 80, 82 at about of rotation, the absence of further yielding or flexure by the spring member ends would prevent disengagement of the gearing and further movement of the actuating levers and as a consequence, further rotational movement of tool body 10. But because the overhanging ends do flex, as soon as the tool body 10 is carried a short distance beyond 90 of rotation, the gear means disengage and the overhanging ends return from the flexed position (dashed lines) to the normal positions X, Y-X, Y. The closure position of the valve member 40 when it is shifted from the rug cleaning to floor cleaning side in cleaning position is shown in FIG- URE 8 wherein it will be noted the brush elements 18 now contact the floor and the suction passage 28 leading therefrom is in communication with the central cavity 30, the suction passage 34 at the top of the tool body and leading to the rug cleaning side being closed off.

If during cleaning with either the rug or fioor cleaning sides of the nozzle in operative position, it is desired to lower the wand 46 to a position close to the floor in order to manipulate the nozzle under low furniture, this may be done by swiveling the elbow 44 through about 90 with respect to the nozzle body which remains stationary on the floor. This will not effect shifting of the valve 40 because the tooth 78 does not engage the teeth 80, 82 until the elbow and body have been turned 90 relative to each other and consequently full suction continues to be applied to the nozzle opening which is in operative position on the floor.

A somewhat different vacuum cleaner tool construction is shown in FIGURES 9- 11. In this construction the tool is generally the same as that previously described except the valve actuator means therein, instead of comprising a pair of pivoting levers connected with the ends of the valve member, employs a gearing arrangement along with corresponding shafts to which the ends of the valve member 102 are connected. As mentioned, the tool body 100 generally is of the same construction as that previously described. However, the suction tube 104 about which the tool body 100 is rotated is provided with a ring member 106 which may be secured to the suction tube in known manner as for example by welding, shrink fit or the like. The ring member 106 has formed on the periphery thereof a pair of gear teeth 108, 110 located at the top center of the ring, or as was the case with projection 76 in the first embodiment, teeth 108, 110 may be formed directly on tube 104. Supported within the tool body 100 adjacent the suction tube 104 and one on either side thereof are gear wheels 112, 114 each of which are provided with a number of teeth 116. The gear wheels 112, 114 are supported for rotation about a fixed axis within the tool body 180, being mounted on shafts 118, 120 respectively, the shafts extending toward the front of the tool body and being slotted radially at the front ends thereof to receive and have fixed therein the ends of the valve member 102.

Thus when the tool body 100 is rotated 180 either clockwise or counterclockwise to shift the cleaning side positionings, the teeth 116 on one of the gear Wheels 112, 114 will engage the teeth 108, 110 on the suction tube ring 106 at approximately 90 of rotation of the tool body. The appropriate gear wheel (for example, gear wheel 112) thereby will be rotated through a portion of a revolution and will apply by means of shaft 118 a distorting force to that end of the valve member 102 to bias the valve member from the position shown in FIGURE 11 in solid lines, wherein it closes off the air suction passage 130 leading to the floor cleaning side, in an opposite direction and cause it to assume the oppositely arcuately biased position, shown in broken lines, closing off the air suction passage 132 leading to the rug cleaning side. This distortion of the valve member will occur at about 90 of tool body rotation and for a few degrees of rotation thereafter. As the valve member seats in its position closing off passage 130, the other shaft 120 will follow the movement of the valve member and in turn its associated gear wheel 114 will rotate so that it will be properly positioned to engage with the teeth 108, 110 on the suction tube ring 106 if the tool body 180 is rotated in the same direction once again to shift the cleaning sides, instead of in the opposite direction as it normally would be under the influence of a weight at the end of the body. In the construction of FIGURES 9-11 it is important that the ring member 106 not be provided with an excess number of gear teeth 108, 110 to preclude the possibility of the teeth remaining engaged with the ring member teeth and causing the tool body to hang up at a point just past 90 of rotation.

Various other changes and different embodiments of the valve mechanism of the present invention can be made within the principles described and indicated in the foregoing, and it is intended that all matter set out therein or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a duplex vacuum cleaner tool which includes a suction tube, a body rotatably mounted on said suction tube and having a pair of opposed cleaning sides which are brought to a cleaning position alternately by rotating said body one-half revolution on said suction tube, said body having suction passages extending inwardly therein from each of said cleaning sides and terminating at a central cavity within the body, said central cavity communicating with said suction tube, a leaf spring valve member supported in said body and normally positioned therein in a closure position closing off the body suction passage associated with the cleaning side which is in a noncleaning position thereby to block communication of said one body passage with said central cavity, tooth means fixed with respect to said suction tube, a member movable to shift said leaf spring valve member, and tooth means on said movable member and engageable with the firstmentioned tooth means upon completion of rotation of said body through approximately 90 with respect to said tube to impart motion to said movable member to thereby shift the positioning of said leaf spring valve member to a closure position closing off the other body suction passage.

2. A duplex vacuum cleaner tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said leaf spring valve comprises a snap action leaf spring normally biased to one of two closure positions, said movable member engaging said spring near one end thereof and being movable to impart a distorting force thereto for moving said spring through dead center to bias it to the other of said closure positions.

3. The duplex vacuum cleaner tool set forth in claim 2 wherein said leaf spring is supported in said body at substantially fixed locations adjacent the ends of said leaf spring, the leaf spring having at least one unsupported overhanging end portion, said movable member being a pivoted lever coupled with said overhanging end portion.

4. The duplex vacuum cleaner tool set forth in claim 3 wherein said actuating lever is pivoted in said body intermediate the ends thereof at one side of said suction tube, said actuating lever having tines formed at one end thereof which embrace the overhanging end of said leaf spring, the second-mentioned tooth means being formed on the other end of said actuating lever.

5. The duplex vacuum cleaner tool set forth in claim 4 wherein the end of said actuating lever on which the tooth means are formed is turned in the direction of said suction tube.

6. A duplex vacuum cleaner tool as set forth in claim 3 wherein said leaf spring is formed with shoulders adjacent one end thereof separating a wider central portion from a narrower end portion, said body including a wall formed with a slot, said narrower portion extending through said slot and said shoulders bearing against said wall, and said movable member engaging the narrower portion of said leaf spring.

7. A duplex vacuum cleaner tool as set forth in claim 2 in which there are two movable members one of which engages said spring near one end thereof and the other engages said spring near the other end thereof, said movable members being disposed on diametrically opposite sides of said suction tube, tooth means on each movable member one or the other of which is engageable with the tooth means on said suction tube depending on the direction of rotation of said body with respect to said tube, the movable member whose tooth means are not engaged by the tooth means on said tube being moved by the shifting of said valve caused by the movement of the other movable member.

8. A duplex vacuum cleaner tool as set forth in claim 2 in which said movable member is a shaft journaled in said body and rotatable by the engagement of the tooth means thereon with the tooth means on said suction tube.

9. A duplex vacuum cleaner tool as set forth in claim 8 in which said shaft is formed with a radial slot in which is fixed one end of said leaf spring.

10. A duplex vacuum cleaner tool as set forth in claim 9 in which there are two shafts journaled in said body on diametrically opposite sides of said suction tube, the opposite ends of said spring being fixed to different ones of said shafts, tooth means on each shaft one or the other of which is engageable with the tooth means on said suction tube depending on the direction of rotation of said body with respect to said tube, the shaft whose tooth means are not engaged by the tooth means on said tube being rotated by the shifting of said valve caused by the rotation of the other shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A DUPLEX VACUUM CLEANER TOOL WHICH INCLUDES A SUCTION TUBE, A BODY ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUCTION TUBE AND HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED CLEANING SIDES WHICH ARE BROUGHT TO A CLEANING POSITION ALTERNATELY BY ROTATING SAID BODY ONE-HALF REVOLUTION ON SAID SUCTION TUBE, SAID BODY HAVING SUCTION PASSAGES EXTENDING INWARDLY THEREIN FROM EACH OF SAID CLEANING SIDES AND TERMINATING AT A CENTRAL CAVITY WITHIN THE BODY, SAID CENTRAL CAVITY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SUCTION TUBE, A LEAF SPRING VALVE MEMBER SUPPORTED IN SAID BODY AND NORMALLY POSITIONED THEREIN IN A CLOSURE POSITION CLOSING OFF THE BODY SUCTION PASSAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLEANING SIDE WHICH IS IN A NONCLEANING POSITION THEREBY TO BLOCK COMMUNICATION OF SAID ONE BODY PASSAGE WITH SAID CENTRAL CAVITY, TOOTH MEANS FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUCTION TUBE, A MEMBER MOVABLE TO SHIFT SAID LEAF SPRING VALVE MEMBER, AND TOOTH MEANS ON SAID MOVABLE MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FIRSTMENTIONED TOOTH MEANS UPON COMPLETION OF ROTATION OF SAID BODY THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 90* WITH RESPECT TO SAID TUBE TO IMPART MOTION TO SAID MOVABLE MEMBER TO THEREBY

Images