U.S. patent application number 14/867135 was filed with the patent office on 2016-03-31 for floating brush sweeper.
The applicant listed for this patent is Keith E Smith. Invention is credited to Keith E Smith.
Application Number | 20160090704 14/867135 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55583816 |
Filed Date | 2016-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160090704 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith; Keith E |
March 31, 2016 |
FLOATING BRUSH SWEEPER
Abstract
This invention relates to an industrial street sweeper and
especially to a street sweeper having a floating sweeper brush
which varies the downward force on the rotating brush on the
surface being swept to float the brush over the surface.
Inventors: |
Smith; Keith E; (Kathleen,
FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Smith; Keith E |
Kathleen |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55583816 |
Appl. No.: |
14/867135 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62056997 |
Sep 29, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/82 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 13/001 20130101;
A46B 2200/3066 20130101; E01H 1/056 20130101; A46B 13/02
20130101 |
International
Class: |
E01H 1/05 20060101
E01H001/05; A46B 13/00 20060101 A46B013/00; A46B 13/02 20060101
A46B013/02 |
Claims
1. A floating sweeper brush attachment comprising: a sweeper brush
frame rotatably supporting a sweeper brush, said sweeper brush
frame having a hydraulic brush motor mounting thereon for rotating
said sweeper brush on said frame; a linkage attached between said
sweeper brush frame and a frame supporting plate to movably support
said sweeper brush frame to said frame supporting plate; a lift
hydraulic cylinder attached between said sweeper brush frame and
said frame supporting plate for raising and lowering said sweeper
brush frame responsive to actuation of said lift hydraulic
cylinder; a floating hydraulic cylinder attached between said
sweeper brush frame and said frame supporting plate for moving said
sweeper brush frame responsive to actuation of said floating
hydraulic cylinder; a hydraulic fluid line operatively connected
from said sweeper brush frame hydraulic brush motor to said
floating hydraulic cylinder; a hydraulic fluid pressure actuated
valve operatively coupled in said hydraulic fluid line between said
sweeper brush frame hydraulic brush motor and said floating
hydraulic cylinder, said valve being opened and closed responsive
to predetermined hydraulic fluid pressure in said sweeper brush
hydraulic motor for raising or lowering said sweeper brush frame
and sweeper brush; whereby a sweeper brush frame and sweeper brush
is raised and lowered responsive to hydraulic pressure in said
sweeper motor.
2. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 1
in which said linkage has a frame lift plate movably attached to
said sweeper brush frame on one end and movably attached to the
frame supporting plate on the other end thereof.
3. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 2
in which said linkage has two frame lift plates each movably
attached to said sweeper brush frame on one end and movably
attached to the frame supporting plate on the other end
thereof.
4. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 1
in which said sweeper brush frame has a linkage connecting plate
pivotally supporting said sweeper brush frame to one end of said
linkage.
5. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 4
in which said linkage connecting plate has a hydraulic cylinder
connecting said linkage connecting plate to said sweeper brush
frame for pivoting said sweeper brush frame thereon.
6. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 5
in which said linkage connecting plate has a pair of hydraulic
cylinders for pivoting said sweeper brush frame thereon.
7. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 1
in which said lift hydraulic cylinder is manually remotely
controlled to raise or lower said sweeper brush frame and sweeper
brush.
8. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 1
in which said lift hydraulic cylinder and said floating hydraulic
cylinder are manually remotely controlled to jointly raise or lower
said sweeper brush frame and sweeper brush.
9. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim 1
including a first hydraulic fluid reservoir and pump supplying said
hydraulic lift cylinder and a second hydraulic fluid reservoir and
pump supplying said hydraulic brush motor and hydraulic float
cylinder.
10. A floating sweeper brush attachment for a wheeled vehicle
comprising: a sweeper brush frame rotatably supporting a sweeper
brush, said sweeper brush frame having a hydraulic brush motor
mounting thereon for rotating said sweeper brush on said frame; a
linkage attached between a front plate attached to said sweeper
brush frame and a rear support plate attached to a wheeled vehicle
to moveably support said sweeper brush frame and sweeper brush to
said wheeled vehicle; a lift hydraulic cylinder attached between
said sweeper brush front plate and said rear support plate for
raising and lowering said sweeper brush frame responsive to
actuation of said lift hydraulic cylinder; a floating hydraulic
cylinder attached between said sweeper brush front plate and said
rear support plate for moving said sweeper brush frame responsive
to actuation of said floating hydraulic cylinder; a hydraulic fluid
line operatively connected from said sweeper brush frame hydraulic
brush motor to said floating hydraulic cylinder; and a hydraulic
fluid pressure controlled valve operatively coupled to said
hydraulic fluid in said hydraulic brush motor to control actuation
of said floating hydraulic cylinder responsive to hydraulic fluid
pressure in said sweeper brush hydraulic motor for floating said
sweeper brush frame and sweeper brush; whereby a sweeper brush
frame and sweeper brush is raised and lowered responsive to
hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic fluid in said sweeper
motor.
11. The floating sweeper brush attachment for a wheeled vehicle in
accordance with claim 10 including a first hydraulic fluid
reservoir and pump supplying said hydraulic lift cylinder and a
second hydraulic fluid reservoir and pump supplying said hydraulic
brush motor and hydraulic float cylinder.
12. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim
10 in which said linkage has a frame lift plate movably attached
between said front plate and said rear support plate movably
supporting said frame to said rear support plate.
13. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim
12 in which said linkage has two frame lift plates movably attached
between said front plate and said rear support plate movably
supporting said frame to said rear support plate.
14. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim
10 in which said sweeper brush frame has a linkage connecting plate
pivotally supporting said sweeper brush frame to one end of said
front plate.
15. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim
14 in which said linkage connecting plate has a hydraulic cylinder
connecting said linkage connecting plate to said sweeper brush
frame for pivoting said sweeper brush frame thereon.
16. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim
10 in which said lift hydraulic cylinder is manually remotely
controlled to raise or lower said sweeper brush frame and sweeper
brush.
17. The floating sweeper brush attachment in accordance with claim
16 in which said lift hydraulic cylinder and said floating
hydraulic cylinder are manually remotely controlled to jointly
raise or lower said sweeper brush frame and sweeper brush.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional
application Ser. No. 62/056,997, filed Sep. 29, 2014 for FLOATING
BRUSH SWEEPER.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to an industrial street sweeper and
especially to a street sweeper having a floating sweeper brush
which varies the downward force on the rotating brush on the
surface being swept to float the brush over the surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Industrial sweepers used in cleaning streets and the like
have a rotating brush mounted to the front or rear of a motorized
vehicle. An electric or hydraulic motor drives the rotating brush
or brushes along the surface of the area being cleaned sweeping
material into a bucket. The brush is controlled from the vehicle's
cab with hydraulic or electric controls. The brush of the sweeper
needs to be mounted in a position to sweep the area being traversed
for cleaning the surface. The invention uses a pair of hydraulic
cylinders which are used to raise and lower the sweeper brush and
to float the brush along the surface of the area being swept to
vary the force of the sweeper brush on the surface.
[0004] One prior art U.S. Pat. No. 7,428,767 to Lougheed is for a
sweeper which has a floating brush or drum assembly. A sweeper has
a rotating brush or drum supported by a float arm movably coupled
to the sweeper bucket. The float arm is coupled to a linkage to
movably support the float arm between a retracted position and a
forward position. The float arm is rotationally coupled to the
linkage to compensate for height variations and provide a mechanism
to rotate the linkage to move the float arm forward relative to the
debris collection bucket. The present invention is for an improved
floating sweeper brush and lift mechanism using a pair of parallel
hydraulic cylinders operating in conjunction with mechanical
linkage supporting the sweeper brush.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] This invention relates to an industrial street sweeper and
especially to a street sweeper having a floating sweeper brush
which varies the downward force on the rotating brush on the
surface being swept to float the brush over the surface.
[0006] The floating brush sweeper attachment has a sweeper brush
supporting frame rotatably supporting a sweeper brush frame having
a hydraulic motor mounting thereon for rotating the sweeper brush
on said frame. A frame supporting linkage is attached between the
sweeper brush frame and a frame supporting plate to movably support
the sweeper brush frame. A lift hydraulic cylinder is attached
between the sweeper brush frame and the frame supporting bracket
for raising and lowering the sweeper brush frame responsive to
actuation of the lift hydraulic cylinder. A floating hydraulic
cylinder is attached between the sweeper brush frame and the frame
supporting bracket for moving the sweeper brush frame up or down
responsive to actuation of the floating hydraulic cylinder. A
hydraulic fluid line is operatively connected from the sweeper
brush frame motor to the floating cylinder and has a pressure
actuated valve operatively coupled therein between the sweeper
brush frame motor and the floating hydraulic cylinder. The valve
opens and closes responsive to predetermined hydraulic fluid
pressure in the hydraulic motor to raise or lower the sweeper brush
frame. The hydraulic pressure in the sweeper brush frame motor
varies in accordance with the force required to drive the sweeper
brush which varies according to the friction between the brush and
the surface being swept which varies according to the contact
between the brush and the surface. Thus the sweeper brush is raised
and lowered responsive to hydraulic pressure in said sweeper
motor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide
further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification and illustrate an embodiment
of the invention and, together with the description, serve to
explain the principles of the invention.
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floating brush sweeper
attachment in accordance with the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a brush sweeper attachment
attached to a wheeled vehicle;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the floating brush
sweeper attachment of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the floating brush
sweeper attachment floating linkage of FIGS. 1 and 3; and
[0012] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic flow diagram for the hydraulics of
the floating brush sweeper in accordance with the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
[0013] In this description of the present invention in FIGS. 1
through 5, the following list of components are identified with the
adjacent numerals as follows: [0014] 1. Front Plate [0015] 2. Rear
Plate [0016] 3. Pivot Plate Upper [0017] 4. Lift Plate Pins [0018]
5. Lift Plate Yoke Ears [0019] 6. Upper Lift Plate [0020] 7. Lower
Lift Plate [0021] 8. Lift Cylinder [0022] 9. Float Cylinder [0023]
10. Alignment Pin [0024] 11. Front Plate Parallel Cylinder Gussets
[0025] 12. Cylinder Pins [0026] 13. Lower Pivot Plate [0027] 14.
Float Relief Valve [0028] 15. Complete Lift Assembly [0029] 16.
Rear Yoke Cylinder Parallel Gussets [0030] 17. Front Yoke Assembly
[0031] 18. Rear Yoke Assembly [0032] 19. Lift Cylinder Valve [0033]
20. Brush Motor [0034] 21. Brush [0035] 22. Brush Frame [0036] 23.
Pivot hydraulic cylinder [0037] 24. Lift cylinder hydraulic fluid
reservoir [0038] 25. Floating cylinder hydraulic fluid reservoir
[0039] 26. Lift cylinder hydraulic fluid pump [0040] 27. Floating
cylinder hydraulic fluid pump [0041] 28. Flow control valve [0042]
29. Quick change cylinder [0043] 30. Quick change valve [0044] 31.
Brush motor valve [0045] 32. Wheeled vehicle
[0046] The present invention is for an industrial sweeper machine
as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which uses a hydraulic system to control
the downward force of the sweeper brush onto the surface being
swept.
[0047] The system as shown in the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 5, and
especially as seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, uses a lift assembly 15
attached to a wheeled vehicle 32 having a forward assembly called a
front yoke. This front yoke assembly 17 includes a main plate
having an upper and lower pivot plate 3 and 13 attached to the main
plate by welding. The main plate also has two cylinder gussets
attached thereto by welding and has four lift plate ears 5 also
attached thereto by welding.
[0048] The system also includes a lift assembly which includes a
rear main plate 2 that has two cylinder gussets 16 to receive the
parallel cylinders 8 and 9, and four lift plate ears 5 attached to
the rear plate 2 by welding. A center leveling alignment pin 10
allows the rear plate 2 to rotate with respect to a mount plate
allowing for a means to level the brush. The rear plate 2 and the
mount or front plate 1 have means to bolt together to secure the
positioning between the rear yoke plate 18 and the front plate
1.
[0049] The front plate 1 and the rear plate 2 are held in the
vertical arrangement of an upper lift plate 6 and a lower lift
plate 7. The upper and lower plates 6 and 7 are attached to the
front and rear plate by pins 4 that hold the upper and lower plates
6 and 7 in position in a parallel arrangement. The parallel
cylinders 8 & 9 are attached to the front and rear yoke plates
17 and 18 with pins 12 that locate the cylinders in a parallel
configuration. When hydraulic fluid pressure is applied to the lift
cylinder, the lift assembly 15 changes its configuration to lower
or lift the assembly. When the lift cylinder 8 is placed in a
neutral position by means of a hydraulic valve, the lift cylinder 8
no longer controls the lift assembly 15 position and the float
cylinder 9 controls the position of the lift assembly 15. Hydraulic
fluid pressure is applied through an adjustable valve to the float
cylinder by the adjustable valve from a variable hydraulic fluid
source. A hydraulic driven brush motor 20 drives the sweeper brush
21 which is supported on the brush frame 22. When the brush
contacts the surface being swept, hydraulic fluid pressure is
diverted over an adjustable relief valve into the float cylinder 9
allowing for a constant source of flowing fluid to maintain a
constant brush 21 contact pressure with an area being swept. The
fluid pressure supplied by the brush motor 20 is a variable
pressure supply of fluid so that when the brush 21 contacts the
surface increases due to a rise in the surface being swept, the
pressurized fluid opens the relief valve 14 that supplies the
hydraulic fluid to the float cylinder 9. As the float cylinder 9
raises the lift assembly 15, which raises the brush 21, the fluid
pressure is decreased to the float cylinder 9 and as the brush 21
rises, the pressure is reduced and the relief valve closes. When
the brush 21 loses contact pressure with the surface being swept,
the float cylinder 9 collapses to allow the brush 21 to settle down
to achieve the motor pressure that the relief valve is set for.
[0050] As can be seen from the drawings, a lift assembly 15 is used
to control the up and down motion and the left to right swing
motion of a brush frame 22 to move the position of the brush 21.
This gives the brush 21 the ability to float over the area being
swept and to control the contact pressure against the surface being
swept.
[0051] A complete lift assembly 15 has a front yoke plate 1, which
has means for a brush frame 22 to mount thereto with upper and
lower pivot plates 3 and 13. The means to attach the upper lift
plate 6 and a lower lift plate 7 is accomplished by the use of four
lift plate yoke ears 5. The ears 5 are welded in place and have
means to accept a spherical bearing. A pivot hydraulic cylinder 23
pivots the brush frame 15.
[0052] The lift cylinder 8 and the float cylinder are welded in a
precise location to a pair of cylinder gussets 11. The gussets 11
are positioned on front plate 1 in a precise location above the
center line of front plate 1 to accept the lift cylinder 8 and
float cylinder 9. Cylinder pins 12 secure cylinders 8 and 9 in
place.
[0053] The complete parallel lift assembly 15 has a rear yoke
assembly 18 having a rear yoke plate 2 that has four lift plate
yoke ears 5 and a pair of cylinder gussets 11 to mount cylinders 8
and 9. The rear yoke cylinder parallel gussets 16 are welded to the
rear yoke plate 2 positioned below the center position on rear
plate 2. The rear yoke cylinder parallel gusset 16 is welded below
the center position on plate 2. This position of the front plate
parallel cylinder gussets 11 and rear yoke cylinder parallel
gussets 16 provide the means for the complete lift assembly 15 to
raise and lower the brush frame with lift cylinder 8.
[0054] Lift cylinder 8 is necessary for an operator to be able to
lift and lower the brush frame 22 with the complete lift assembly
15 since lift cylinder 8 extends the configuration of the complete
lift assembly 15 and raises the front plate 1 above the rear yoke
assembly 18. As lift cylinder is retracted, the front yoke assembly
17 is lowered in relation to the rear yoke assembly 18.
[0055] Control of the force applied by the brush to the surface
being cleaned is done by means of the float cylinder 9. Float
cylinder 9 is mounted parallel to lift cylinder 8 by means of rear
yoke cylinder gusset 16 and front plate cylinder gusset 11 which
are held in place by cylinder pins 12.
[0056] Floating the brush hydraulically is done with a supply of
hydraulic fluid that is variable in flow rate and variable in fluid
pressure. Changing the flow rate and pressure is necessary to
maintain an even contact force between the brush 21 and the surface
being swept. As the sweeping machine maneuvers over an uneven
surface, the brush contact force varies thereby producing either
more or less fluid pressure in the brush motor supply line. When
the pressure of the brush 21 against the surface being cleaned
increases, the hydraulic fluid pressure increases proportionally to
the float cylinder 9 by the relief valve 14 to raise the brush 21
and as the hydraulic fluid pressure decreases by the brush 21
having less contact with the surface being swept, the hydraulic
fluid flows back out of the cylinder 9 allowing the brush to settle
onto the surface being cleaned until the contact force is matched
to the relief setting.
[0057] The variable flow and pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the
hydraulic pressure line feeds the brush motor 20 from the reservoir
25 and pump 27 through a brush motor 32. This pressurized hydraulic
fluid is directed to the relief valve 14. The relief valve 14 is
adjusted so that the contact force necessary for a clean sweep is
achieved by the pressure increase in the motor pressure line until
it reaches a point that it bypasses the relief setting and is
directed to the cylinder 9. This raises the lift assembly 15 which
in turn lowers the motor pressure so that pressurized hydraulic
fluid no longer passes through the relief valve 14.
[0058] This floating action would not be possible without the
variable pressurized hydraulic fluid generated by the brush motor
20. This requires the placement of lift cylinder 8 in a neutral
position so that the variable floating action of float cylinder 9
can take place.
[0059] The lift cylinder valve 19 has multiple positions which
allows the float cylinder 9 to function. The lift cylinder valve 19
has a lift, blocked neutral, down and float positions. When the
lift cylinder valve 19 is in its float position, hydraulic fluid is
allowed to be cycled in and out of a fluid reservoir 24 and pump by
the action of the lift cylinder 8 being cycled by the variable
forces being applied to the float cylinder 9 by means of the
hydraulic fluid pressure directed from the brush motor 20 that is
allowed to pass over float relief valve 14 as the pressure from the
brush motor 20 exceeds the setting on the float relief valve 14.
When the operator wants to lift the lift assembly 15, the lift
cylinder valve 19 directs the hydraulic fluid to the lift cylinder
8. When the operator wants to lower the lift assembly 15, the lift
cylinder valve 19 is directed to a down position. When the operator
wants to hold the lift assembly 15 in a suspended position or in a
forced down position, the operator positions cylinder valve in a
blocked neutral position. This block position of cylinder valve 19
overrides any pressure that is directed to the float cylinder 9. A
valve with a detent float position is used to allow the lift
cylinder 8 to be in a position that allows it to move freely
allowing the float cylinder 9 to function when cylinder valve 19 is
in a detent position to raise or hold the lift assembly 15 in a
certain position or to lower lift assembly 15. The act of raising
or lowering or even holding the lift assembly 15 in a fixed
position is not affected by any force that may be applied to float
cylinder 9.
[0060] As seen in FIG. 5, the improved float system is accomplished
with the lift cylinder 8 and the float cylinder 9 operating with
hydraulic fluid from two different sources. Lift cylinder 8
receives hydraulic fluid from the prime movers lift cylinder valve
19. The float cylinder 9 receives its hydraulic fluid from the
brush motor 20. A flow control valve 28 controls the flow from the
reservoir 25 and pump 27 to the quick change cylinder 30 through
the quick change valve 31.
[0061] The improved brush float system can function with two
sources of hydraulic fluid such as a tractor that uses its own
hydraulic fluid and lift valve, and an assembly or attachment such
as a sweeper that would use a separate source of hydraulic fluid to
supply the brush motor 20 to provide a variable supply of hydraulic
fluid to the float cylinder 9.
[0062] It should be clear at this time that a floating brush system
for a street sweeping machine has been provided which varies the
brush pressure on the surface being swept as the surface being
swept varies. However the present invention is not to be considered
limited to the forms shown which are to be considered illustrative
rather than restrictive.
* * * * *