U.S. patent number 3,874,016 [Application Number 05/389,930] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-01 for sweeper.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Leifheit International Gunter Leifheit GmbH. Invention is credited to Johannes Liebscher.
United States Patent |
3,874,016 |
Liebscher |
April 1, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Sweeper
Abstract
A housing of a sweeper has a circumferential side wall and an
open side normally facing a surface to be swept. One or more rotary
brushes are journalled in the housing and partly project through
the open side for sweeping the surface. A cupped auxiliary brush is
also mounted in the housing for rotation and has an annulus of
bristles which partly project outwardly beyond the side wall at the
open side. An inclined plate-shaped drive wheel is mounted within
the confines of the bristles of the auxiliary brush and cooperates
with the latter for rotating it.
Inventors: |
Liebscher; Johannes (Nassau,
Lahn, DT) |
Assignee: |
Leifheit International Gunter
Leifheit GmbH (Wuppertal-Barmen, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5853997 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/389,930 |
Filed: |
August 20, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
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Aug 19, 1972 [DT] |
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2240852 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/42; 15/87 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
11/33 (20130101); A47L 11/22 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
11/00 (20060101); A47L 11/33 (20060101); A47L
11/22 (20060101); A47l 011/33 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/42,87 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Roberts; Edward L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Striker; Michael S.
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent is set forth in the appended claims.
1. In a sweeper, a combination comprising a housing having a
circumferential sidewall and an open side which normally faces a
surface to be swept said housing being movable to and fro in
opposite directions over said surface; rotary brush means in said
housing and partly projecting through said open side for sweeping
said surface; a cupped auxiliary brush in said housing and having
an upright annulus of bristles which project through said open side
and have free ends located in a common plane; mounting means
mounting said auxiliary brush for tilting movement in dependence
upon the direction of movement of said housing; an inclined drive
wheel mounted within the confines of said annulus for axial
movement inwardly and outwardly of said open side and cooperating
with said auxiliary brush for rotating the same about an upright
axis, said drive wheel having a rim; and biasing means biasing said
drive wheel in a direction outwardly of said open side so as to
maintain contact of said rim of said drive wheel with the surface
to be swept.
2. A combination as defined in cliam 1, said mounting means having
an upright shaft which is inclined to the plane of said open side;
and said drive wheel being mounted on said shaft for rotation about
and axial shifting along the same.
3. A combination as defined in claim 2, said housing having two
opposite sides at one of which said auxiliary brush projects beyond
said sidewall; and wherein said shaft and said drive wheel are so
inclined to said general plane that the surface to be swept is
contacted by a portion of said drive rim of said wheel which is
remote from said one side.
4. A combination as defined in claim 2, said shaft having a free
end provided with an abutment; and said drive wheel being in
engagement with said abutment.
5. A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said free end is
provided with a tapped axial bore; and wherein said abutment
comprises a washer axially adjacent said free end, and a screw
extending through said washer and threaded into said tapped
bore.
6. A combination as defined in claim 2, said mounting means having
a recess, and said auxiliary brush having a hub which is received
in said recess; and wherein said shaft extends into said hub, and
said biasing means comprises a spring reacting against said drive
wheel and said hub so as to urge said hub inwardly of said recess
and to bias said drive wheel in said direction outwardly of said
open side.
7. A combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said biasing means
comprises a helical spring.
8. A combination as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary brush having
a hub provided with a non-circular opening; and said drive wheel
having a drive wheel hub having a cross-section corresponding to
that of said opening and being received in the latter.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a sweeper, and more
particularly to a sweeper for surfaces of floors or the like.
It is already known to provide sweepers having a housing, the
circumferential side wall of which bounds an open side which
normally faces the surface to be swept. In this housing rotary
brushes are mounted so that they partly project through the open
side, into, contact with the surface to be swept. It is also known
to provide an auxiliary rotary brush which overlaps, that is partly
projects outwardly beyond the side wall of the housing, for the
purpose of sweeping alongside this side wall, for instance along
baseboards or the like where the main rotary brushes of the sweeper
cannot reach. One or more receptacles are provided in the interior
of the housing into which the various brushes deposit the swept-up
dirt and the like.
In the prior art using this type of sweeper, which has the
auxiliary rotary brush the auxiliary rotary brush is driven by a
special drive wheel which is journalled next to it in the housing.
Of course, this drive wheel which is in contact with the surface to
be swept and is driven by frictional engagement therewith, can
drive the auxiliary rotary brush only by providing
motion-transmitting means between it and the auxiliary rotary
brush. This, necessarily, increases the expenses of constructing
such a sweeper which is undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, accordingly, a general object of the present invention to
overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide an improved sweeper of the type under discussion which
avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.
Still more particularly it is an object of the invention to provide
such an improved sweeper which avoids the previously necessary
provision of special motion-transmitting means for transmitting
motion to the auxiliary rotary brush.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a novel sweeper
which is less expensive to construct, and therefore to sell, than
those known from the prior art.
In keeping with the above objects, and with others which will
become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides, in
a sweeper, in a combination comprising a housing having a
circumferential side wall and an open side which normally faces a
surface to be swept. Rotary brush means is provided in the housing
and partly projects through the open side for sweeping this
surface. A cupped auxiliary brush is mounted in the housing for
rotation and has an annulus of bristles which partly projects
outwardly beyond the side wall at the open side. An inclined
plate-shaped drive wheel is mounted within the confines of the
bristles and cooperates with the auxiliary brush for rotating the
same.
With this construction the need for expensive motion-transmitting
means between the drive wheel and the auxiliary brush is avoided,
because the drive wheel can now act directly upon the rotary brush
and drive the same in rotation.
It is advantageous if the auxiliary brush together with its drive
wheel is mounted for tilting movement in the housing, in such a
manner that when the housing is moved to-and-fro in opposite
directions for sweeping purposes, the auxiliary brush and its
associate drive wheel can tilt to accommodate themselves to the
particular direction. In such a construction different parts of the
bristle annulus of the auxiliary brush will come in contact with
the surface to be swept, depending upon the direction in which the
housing is moved to-and-fro, thereby assuring that there will
always be an inwardly acting part of the annulus of bristles which
becomes active for sweeping the surface. At the side more or less
diametrally opposite that part which is in contact with the
surface, the bristle annulus is out of contact with the surface so
that the dirt can always be swept inwardly of the annulus and
towards the interior of the housing, to be supplied to the main
rotary brushes which pick it up and deposit it in the receptacle or
receptacles provided for this purpose. This eliminates a
flinging-away of the dirt in direction outwardly of the housing,
and assures that in either direction of movement of the housing the
dirt will be reliably picked up. As a result, the sweeper according
to the present invention provides a more effective sweeping action
than those known from the prior art.
The drive wheel is advantageously shiftable on a shaft or pin which
is inclined to the plane of the open side of the housing, and is
also turnably mounted, and the pin or shaft is provided on the
journal which mounts the auxiliary brush for the aforementioned
tilting movement. This assures in a simple manner that the tilting
movement is imposed by the drive wheel, which due to the
inclination of the shaft in which it is mounted will contact the
surface to be swept always only over a part of its periphery.
The drive wheel is advantageously so inclined that it contacts the
surface to be swept at a side of the drive wheel which is remote
from the adjacent side wall, that is from that portion of the side
wall beyond which the annulus of bristles partly projects to the
exterior of the housing. This assures in a simple manner that
during the to-and-fro movement of the housing the auxiliary brush
will always be turned in such a direction that the dirt is swept
inwardly of the housing where it can be reached by the main rotary
brush or brushes.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The
invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its
method of operation, together with additional objects and
advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following
description of specific embodiments when read in connection with
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a sweeper according to
the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a vertical section through a part of the embodiment in
FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Discussing now the drawing in detail, which shows in FIGS. 1 and 2
one exemplary embodiment of the invention, it will be seen that
reference numeral 10 identifies a housing having a frame 11 which
is generally annular in configuration and constitutes the
circumferential side wall of the housing. The upper side of the
frame and of the housing is closed off by a cover or upper portion
12 which is made fast with the frame 11. A bracket 13 is mounted on
the frame 11 so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis and a
handle (not shown) can be connected with the bracket 13, by screw
threading or the like, so that the housing 10 can be moved
to-and-fro over a surface to be swept by pushing and pulling on
this handle.
Located in the interior of the housing 10, the downwardly facing
side of which is open and normally faces the surface to be swept,
are wheels on which the housing rolls. These wheels are not
illustrated because they are conventional and not necessary for an
understanding of the invention. Also located in the interior of the
housing are one or more rotary brushes, including at least one
brush roller. These brushes also are well known in the art and for
the sake of completeness one such a brush roller has been shown in
broken lines in FIG. 1 and designated with reference character B.
Of course more than one may be present and the roller or rollers
will rotate about horizontal axes. Also located in the housing will
be one or more receptacles which are so positioned that any dirt
picked up off the surface to be swept by the brush or brushes B,
will be flung into and deposited in the receptacle. The receptacle
or receptacles have also not been illustrated as being well known
in the art.
None of the features described thus far are new, and they have been
mentioned merely for purposes of explanation. The brush or brushes
B are usually driven by an appropriate driving connection with the
wheels on which the sweeper rolls.
It will be appreciated from the description of the prior art and
from the illustration in FIG. 1 that the brush or brushes B cannot
reach dirt that is located beneath the edges of the frame 11 or
outwardly adjacent to these edges. To be able to reach such dirt
also, and thus to sweep up closely against baseboards and the like,
the sweeper is provided with one or more (two are shown) auxiliary
rotary brushes 23, 23'. Each has an annulus of bristles which
projects outwardly beyond the frame 11 at the open side of the
housing 10 and can thus engage dirt located outwardly adjacent the
frame 11.
In the illustrated embodiment the brushes 23, 23' are located at
two corners of the housing 10 and are each turnable about a
substantially upright axis.
The brushes 23, 23' are cupped as is shown by way of the exemplary
vertical section taken through the brush 23' and the mounting
element which journals it for tilting movement. Each of the brushes
23, 23' is coupled with a drive 24 which drives it in rotation and
employs a substantially plate-shaped inclined drive wheel 52. The
drive wheel 52 is located within the confines of the annulus of
bristles of the respective auxiliary brush, in FIG. 2 the brush
23'.
The drive wheel 52 is mounted on a pin or shaft 53 so that is can
turn about and shift axially of the same. The shaft 53 is a part of
or secured to a mounting element 54 having two pins 55 with which
it is journalled in the interior of the housing 10 so that it can
tilt about an axis passing through the two pins 55. The axis
extends transversely of the direction in which the housing 10 can
be moved to-and-fro, that is between the left-hand an right-hand
side of the housing 10 in FIG. 1, so that each time the direction
of movement of the housing 10 is reversed the mounting member 54
will tilt about the axis passing through the two pins 55. This axis
extends, of course, at least substantially parallel to the surface
to be swept which is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2.
The shaft 53 is somewhat inclined to the open side of the housing
10, which means to the surface to be swept that is normally faced
by this open side, in such a manner that only that side of the
drive wheel 52 which is remote from the part of the frame 11 beyond
which the auxiliary brush 23' (or the brush 23) projects, comes in
contact with the surface to be swept. This is clearly shown in FIG.
2 where it will also be seen that the drive wheel 52 has a hub 56
of non-circular exterior configuration, which hub 56 extends into
an opening 57 of the hub 58 of the brush 23' or 23; the opening 57
has a cross-section corresponding to that of the hub 56. The outer
circumferential surface 59 of the hub 58 of the brush 23' or 23 is
received in a recess 60 of the tiltable mounting member 54, and the
recess is so configurated that the axis about which the respective
auxiliary brush 23 or 23' rotates is upright and substantially
normal to the surface to be swept.
It is particularly advantageous to use an energy storing device
between the respective auxiliary brush 23 or 23' and the wheel 52.
In the illustrated embodiment this energy storing device is in form
of a helical spring 61 which assures that the brush 23' or 23 will
be retained with its hub 58 in the recess 60, and that the drive
wheel 52 will be pressed against a washer or disc 63 which is
retained against the free end of the shaft 53 by a screw 62
extending through the washer 63 and threaded into a tapped bore in
the shaft 53. When the sweeper according to the present invention
is used, the wheel 52 is pushed slightly upwardly (in FIG. 2)
against the force of the spring 61, so that the spring 61 will
always push it into frictional engagement with the surface to be
swept in the manner shown in FIG. 2, that is at one lateral side of
the drive wheel 52. This assures that there will always be a
reliable frictional contact between the drive wheel 52 and the
surface to be swept, and that the auxiliary brush 23 or 23' will
always be properly turned. When the sweeper according to the
present invention is used, it is pushed forward and pulled back by
means of the aforementioned handle, that is it performs a movement
to-and-fro. During the forward movement the mounting member 54 will
tilt in rearwood direction about the axis passing through the two
pins 55, that is in direction away from the forward movement, and
the auxiliary brush 23 or 23' will come in contact with the surface
to be swept with its bristle annulus at that part of the annulus
which is located forwardly as seen with reference to the direction
of movement of the housing 10. The wheel 52 is in contact with the
surface to be swept, rolling over the same and being frictionally
entrained, and thereby turning the brush 23 or 23' so that that
portion of the bristle annulus which is in contact with the surface
will brush dirt inwardly of the housing where it can be engaged by
the brush or brushes B and deposited in the non-illustrated dirt
receptacle.
When the direction of movement of the housing 10 is reversed, that
is when it is pulled rearwardly, then the mounting member 54 again
pivots about the axis passing through the two pins 55, but in the
opposite direction, and again the wheel 52 turns the brush 23 or
23', causing the same to brush dirt inwardly of the housing for
engagement by the brush or brushes B.
Of course, only a single one or more than two of the auxiliary
brushes 23 or 23' could be provided, and other modifications could
be made without departing in any way from the intent and teaching
of the invention.
It should be noted that the non-round configuration of the hub 56
and the opening 57 assures in a simple manner that the wheel 52
will always rotate the respective brush 23 or 23', despite the fact
that their axes of rotation are inclined towards one another as
shown in FIG. 2. The use of the washer 63 with the screw 62 as an
abutment for the wheel 52 greatly facilitates the assembly of the
arrangement, because it is merely necessary to place the various
components over the shaft 53, and to thereupon pass the screw 62
through an opening in the washer 63 and thread it into the tapped
bore in the free end face of the shaft 53.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or
two or more together, may also find a useful application in other
types of constructions differing from the types described
above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied
in a sweeper, it is not intended to be limited to the details
shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be
made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present
invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the
gist of the present invention that others can be applying current
knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without
omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art fairly
constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific
aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should
and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of
equivalence of the following claims.
* * * * *