U.S. patent number 3,683,448 [Application Number 05/042,951] was granted by the patent office on 1972-08-15 for nozzle height adjusting mechanism for a suction cleaner.
This patent grant is currently assigned to National Union Electric Corporation. Invention is credited to Willis E. Berry, Robert C. Lagerstrom.
United States Patent |
3,683,448 |
Lagerstrom , et al. |
August 15, 1972 |
NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR A SUCTION CLEANER
Abstract
A nozzle height adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of
the suction inlet of an upright suction cleaner, with respect to
the surface being cleaned, which includes a rotatably mounted axle
in the cleaner body adjacent the suction inlet and wheels on the
radially offset outer ends of the axle. An adjusting member having
a cam surface engaging a radially offset central portion of the
axle is movably mounted on the body for effecting limited rotation
of the axle about its axis and consequently adjustment of the
height of the suction inlet. The adjusting member is conveniently
located on the upper front portion of the body for manipulation by
a user. The height adjusting mechanism also includes indexing means
which facilitates rapid movement of the adjusting member to and
releasable retention thereof in a selected one of a plurality of
its adjusted positions.
Inventors: |
Lagerstrom; Robert C.
(Anderson, SC), Berry; Willis E. (Bloomington, IL) |
Assignee: |
National Union Electric
Corporation (Stamford, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
21924628 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/042,951 |
Filed: |
June 3, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/354 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
5/34 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
5/34 (20060101); A47L 5/22 (20060101); A47l
005/34 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/333,354-356,358-359 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Scheel; Walter A.
Assistant Examiner: Moore; C. K.
Claims
We claim:
1. An adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of the suction
inlet of an upright suction cleaner with respect to a surface to be
cleaned, said cleaner including a cleaner body having front and
rear ends and a top wall having an opening therein adjacent said
front end, and said suction inlet being located in the underside of
the cleaner body adjacent the front end thereof, said adjusting
mechanism comprising an axle adapted to be rotatably mounted on the
cleaner body adjacent the suction inlet and having a support
portion and an adjusting portion having an offset section, said
support portion being radially offset from the axis of rotation of
said axle and having means mounted thereon adapted to engage the
surface to be cleaned, and an adjusting member adapted to extend
through said opening and including a portion adapted to be disposed
above said top wall for manipulation by a user, said adjusting
member being adapted to be movably mounted on the cleaner body and
having a cam surface thereon adapted to be positioned closely
adjacent the underside of said top wall and directly engaging the
offset section of said axle, whereby movement of said adjusting
member in opposite directions causes limited rotation of said axle
and raising or lowering of said surface engaging means with respect
to the underside of the cleaner body to thereby effect adjustment
of the height of the suction inlet with respect to the surface to
be cleaned.
2. The adjusting mechanism of claim 1, further characterized in
that said offset section is located centrally of said axle and is
generally V-shaped with the apex of the V engaging said cam
surface.
3. The adjusting mechanism of claim 1, further characterized in
that said adjusting member comprises a slide adapted to be
shiftably mounted on the cleaner body and having a body portion,
the portion of said adjusting member that is disposed above the top
wall of said cleaner body comprises a handle portion on said slide
body portion, and said cam surface is also provided on said body
portion.
4. The adjusting mechanism of claim 3, further characterized in
that said slide body portion is elongated and is adapted to be
mounted for longitudinal movement on the cleaner body, and said cam
surface comprises an elongated rib of varying thickness on the
slide body portion and extending lengthwise thereof.
5. The adjusting mechanism of claim 4, further characterized in
that indexing means is provided for releasably retaining said slide
in a selected one of a plurality of longitudinally adjusted
positions, said indexing means comprising a plurality of spaced
recesses in said slide body portion and detent means carried by
said cleaner body and biased toward and extendable into said
recesses.
6. The adjusting mechanism of claim 5, further characterized in
that said detent means comprises a clip having a resilient arm
extending toward and movable into and out of said recesses upon
movement of said slide in opposite directions.
7. The adjusting mechanism of claim 1, further characterized in
that said adjusting member comprises a knob adapted to be rotatably
mounted on said cleaner body, and said cam surface is provided on
said knob and is of uniformly varying radius.
8. The adjusting mechanism of claim 7, further characterized in
that said knob includes an axially extending, generally cylindrical
portion, and said cam surface is formed around the outer periphery
of said generally cylindrical portion.
9. The adjusting mechanism of claim 8, further characterized in
that indexing means is provided for releasably retaining said knob
in a selected one of a plurality of rotated positions, said
indexing means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced
recesses in said cam surface, said recesses coacting with said axle
to releasably retain said knob in said rotated positions.
Description
This invention relates to suction cleaners, and more particularly
to a mechanism for adjusting the height of the nozzle or suction
inlet of the cleaner above a surface to be cleaned.
Various types of adjusting mechanisms have been advanced for
varying or adjusting the height of the nozzle or suction inlet of
an upright suction cleaner in order to permit the nozzle to be
positioned at its most efficient height with respect to the surface
being cleaned. While many of such nozzle height adjusting
mechanisms have proved generally satisfactory for their intended
purpose, other have not for various reasons.
One of the reasons for such unsatisfactory performance of the prior
art constructions was excessive inclination of the nozzle or
suction inlet with respect to the surface being cleaned. Such
excessive nozzle inclination resulted from the lowering of a wheel
or wheels located at the opposite end of the cleaner from the
nozzle or suction inlet. Excessive tilting or nozzle inclination
also frequently rendered the cleaners more difficult to maneuver
and increased the force required to effect movement thereof.
Another reason for such unsatisfactory performance was the
complexity of construction and operation of the prior art nozzle
height adjusting mechanisms, which resulted in high cost and
unreliability of operation.
Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to
provide a novel and improved nozzle or suction inlet height
adjusting mechanism which overcomes the aforementioned problems and
disadvantages of the prior art.
Another object is to provide a novel nozzle height adjusting
mechanism which permits infinite adjustment of the height of the
nozzle, with respect to the surface being cleaned, between
predetermined maximum and minimum heights.
Still another object is to provide a novel nozzle height adjusting
mechanism of the foregoing character, which permits a user to
readily adjust the height of the suction nozzle to a selected one
of a plurality of heights within the range of adjustment.
A further object is to provide a novel nozzle height adjusting
mechanism which is simple in construction, reliable in operation
and economical to manufacture.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent
from the following detailed description and accompanying sheets of
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an upright suction cleaner
incorporating a nozzle height adjusting mechanism embodying the
features of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the front of
the cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the portion of the cleaner
illustrated in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the front portion of the
cleaner shown in FIG. 2, and showing certain parts of the nozzle
height adjusting mechanism in different positions;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the front portion of the
cleaner illustrated in FIG. 2, with portions thereof broken away to
show additional details;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view, with a portion thereof in
section, of an underlying portion of the mechanism shown in FIG.
5;
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of two parts of the nozzle
height adjusting mechanism shown in FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9--9 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 10--10
of FIG. 9;
FIGS. 11 and 12 are views similar to FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively,
and showing the parts of the nozzle height adjusting mechanism in a
different position;
FIG. 13 is a rear elevational view of one of the parts of the
nozzle height adjusting mechanism shown in FIGS. 9 and 11;
FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of the part shown in FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another suction cleaner
incorporating a nozzle height adjusting mechanism embodying the
features of the invention;
FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a portion of
the front of the suction cleaner illustrated in FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the portion illustrated in
FIG. 16;
FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line
18--18 of FIG. 16;
FIG. 19 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 19--19
of FIG. 18;
FIGS. 20 and 21 are views similar to FIGS. 18 and 19, respectively,
but showing the parts of the adjusting mechanism in a different
position;
FIG. 22 is a fragmentary top plan view of the front portion of the
cleaner illustrated in FIG. 16, with a portion thereof broken away
to show additional details;
FIG. 23 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line
23--23 of FIG. 22; and
FIG. 24 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the parts of the
nozzle height adjusting mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 18, 20 and
22.
Briefly described, the present invention contemplates a novel
adjusting mechanism for varying the height of the nozzle or suction
inlet of an upright suction cleaner above the surface being
cleaned. In both embodiments of the invention to be hereinafter
described in detail, a transversely extending axle is rotatably
mounted on the cleaner body adjacent the nozzle or suction inlet
and a wheel is rotatably mounted on a radially offset support
portion at each end of the axle. The central portion of the axle so
includes a radially offset or adjusting portion for effecting
rotation of the axle in opposite directions and consequently
raising or lowering of the wheels with respect to the underside of
the cleaner body. A manually adjustable member having a cam surface
engaging the adjusting portion of the axle is provided for
effecting rotation of the axle about its axis and consequently
raising or lowering of the wheels with respect to the underside of
the cleaner body. In addition, indexing means is provided for
releasably retaining the adjusting member in a selected one of a
plurality of adjusted positions.
In one embodiment of the invention, the adjusting member comprises
an elongated slide that is shiftably mounted on the cleaner body
for movement transversely thereof, and the cam surface comprises a
slanted or inclined surface on an elongated rib which extends
lengthwise of the slide. In this embodiment, the indexing means
comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses on the
slide and detent means movable into a respective one of the
recesses for a particular position of adjustment.
In another embodiment of the invention, the adjusting means
comprises a rotatably mounted knob on the cleaner body and having a
cam surface thereon of varying radius and engaging the adjusting
portion of the axle. In this embodiment, the indexing means
comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses in the
cam surface, which are engaged by the axle.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-14, inclusive, and initially to FIGS. 1, 2
and 3, a suction cleaner 30 incorporating a nozzle height adjusting
mechanism embodying the features of the present invention, is
illustrated. The cleaner 30 generally comprises a cleaner body or
casing 32 having suction generating means, such as a motor-fan unit
(not shown), mounted therein. An elongated handle 33 is pivotally
connected at its lower end to the rear of the cleaner body 32, and
a filter bag assembly 34 is mounted on the handle 33 and receives
the exhaust flow from the motor-fan unit of the cleaner. A housing
36 is shown mounted on the lower end of the handle 36, and a cord
reel (not shown) is provided in the housing and has wound thereon a
length of electrical cord 37 which is retracted and stored on the
reel when the cleaner is not in use. The housing 36 and cord reel
form no part of the present invention, and are omitted from some
models of the cleaner 30.
As best seen in FIGS. 9 and 11, a nozzle or suction inlet 38 is
provided on the underside, indicated at 42, of the cleaner body 32,
such inlet extending transversely across the underside 42 of the
body adjacent the front end, indicated at 43 thereof. A brush 44 is
shown mounted in the inlet 38 so that the bristles thereof project
downwardly below the underside 42 of the body, in a well-known
manner. The brush 44 is rotatably mounted in the inlet 38 and is
driven by a belt (not shown) connected to the motor portion of the
motor-fan unit of the cleaner.
The cleaner body 32 is supported for movement over a surface to be
cleaned, such as the nap or pile of a rug or carpet, by a plurality
of wheels. In the present instance, two pairs of wheels are
provided, one pair (not shown) being located at the rear end of the
body 32 and the other pair being located at the front end 43 of the
body adjacent the suction inlet 38. Each wheel of the front pair is
indicated at 46.
As heretofore mentioned, the cleaner 30 includes novel mechanism,
indicated generally at 50, for adjusting the height of the nozzle
or suction inlet 38 with respect to the surface being cleaned so
that the cleaner can operate at maximum efficiency with respect to
such surface. The mechanism 50 comprises an axle 52 which extends
transversely of the body 32 and is rotatably mounted thereon,
intermediate its ends, in a pair of laterally spaced bearing
recesses 53 (FIG. 6) formed in the upper surface of the base plate
54 of the body 32. The axle 52 is retained in the bearing recesses
53 by a pair of straps 56 which extend over the recesses 53 and
which may be secured to the base plate 54, as by screws 57.
The outer ends or support portions, indicated at 58, of the axle 52
are radially offset from the axis of rotation thereof, indicated at
60 in FIGS. 5 and 6, by connecting or crank portions 62.
Consequently, rotation of the axle 52 about its axis 60 results in
arcuate movement of the end portions 58 and front wheels 46 which
are rotatably mounted on the end portions 58. The crank portions 62
extend downwardly and rearwardly toward the underside 42 of the
cleaner body 32 from the axis 60 so that arcuate movement of the
end portions 58 of the axle due to rotation thereof about the axis
60 results in a raising or lowering of the wheels 46 with respect
to the underside 42 of the cleaner body 32 and consequently a
decrease or increase of the height of the suction inlet 38 above
the surface being cleaned.
The axle 52 also includes a centrally offset or adjusting portion
63 which is preferably in the form of an obtuse V (FIG. 5) with the
apex, indicated at 64, of the V located at the center of the axle.
The offset portion 63 extends upwardly and forwardly with respect
to the axis 60, as will be apparent from FIGS. 9 and 11.
Rotation of the axle 52 about its axis 60 is achieved by an
adjusting member in the form of a slide 70 (FIGS. 4, 8, 13 and 14)
that is shiftably mounted on the body 32 for transverse movement
relative thereto. The slide 70 includes an elongated body portion
72 having a central upstanding knob or handle portions 73 thereon
which extends upwardly through an elongated opening 74 in the upper
front surface of the body 32. The opening 74, in the present
instance, is provided in a cover or hood 75 secured to the base
plate 54 of the cleaner body 32 and defining a top wall of the body
32. The location of the slide 70 in the upper front portion of the
cover 75 renders it readily accessible for manipulation by a
user.
The body portion 72 of the slide is substantially rectangular in
cross section and is slidably received in a similarly shaped
transversely extending groove 76 in the upper surface of the base
plate 54. The upper or top wall, indicated at 77, of the slide 70
is inclined with respect to the side walls thereof and includes
flange portions 78 and 79 which respectively project forwardly and
rearwardly of the side walls of the slide body portion 72.
As heretofore mentioned, the adjusting mechanism 50 also includes a
cam surface for effecting pivotal movement of the axle 52 about its
axis 60. Such cam surface is provided on an elongated rib 81 (FIGS.
8-13, inclusive), on the rear side wall of the slide body 72 and
extending lengthwise thereof. The rib 81 is of varying thickness so
that the outer or rear side 82 thereof is inclined or slanted with
respect to the body portion 72 and thus forms the aforementioned
cam surface which engages the apex or nose portion 64 of the
central section 63 of the axle in the manner illustrated in FIGS.
9-12, inclusive. A torsion spring 83 (FIG. 5) having one end 84
engaging the base plate 54 and its other end 86 engaging the right
crank portion 62 of the axle 52, as viewed in FIG. 5, serves to
maintain contact between the nose portion 64 of the axle and cam
surface 82 when the wheels 46 are not in contact with the surface
being cleaned. Thus, shifting of the slide 70 in opposite
directions in the groove 76 effects pivotal movement of the central
portion 63 of the axle 52 about its axis 60 and consequently
raising or lowering of the front wheels 46 with respect to the
underside 42 of the casing. Since the casing is supported by the
wheels 46, such raising or lowering thereof also effects a
corresponding decrease or increase of the height of the nozzle or
suction inlet 38 with respect to the surface being cleaned.
In order to retain the slide 70 in its groove 76 and to prevent
gaps from appearing between one of the respective ends thereof and
an adjacent portion of the opening 74 in the hood 75 when the slide
70 is shifted fully toward either of its transverse limit
positions, a retaining and cover member 90 (FIGS. 4, 5, 8, 9 and
11) is provided. The cover member 90 includes a central plate
portion 92 having a rectangularly shaped opening 93 therein that is
of substantially the same width as the opening 74 in the hood 75
but of about half the length of the opening 74. The central portion
92 also includes a pair of downwardly offset and forwardly and
rearwardly extending flange portions 96 and 97, respectively, the
flange portions 96 and 97 each having an elongated longitudinally
extending slot 98 therein. The slots 98 are adapted to receive
shoulder screws 99 which secure the member 90 in slidable relation
on the base plate 54 and hold the slide 70 in its groove 76.
A pair of rectangularly shaped wing portions 102 and 103 extend
laterally outwardly from the left and right sides, respectively, of
the central portion 92 of the member 90 so as to form extensions
thereof. The length of the wing portions 102 and 103 is such that
when the member 90 is mounted over the slide 70 and the latter is
shifted fully toward either one of its limit positions, such as the
left limit position of the slide 70 shown in FIG. 4, one of the
portions 102 or 103 will prevent a gap from occurring between the
end of the top wall 77 of the slide 70 and the adjacent end of the
opening 74 in the hood 75. Such relation of the right end of the
wall 77 of the slide 70 and the extension 103 to the right end of
the opening 74 in the hood, is shown in FIG. 4.
The aforementioned gap-preventing function of the cover member 90
is made possible by a lost motion connection between the member 90
and the slide 70. Such lost motion connection is provided by the
longitudinally extending slots 98 in the flange portions 96 and 97
of the member 90, the slots 98 accommodating movement of the cover
member 90 with the slide 70 when the knob or handle portion 73 of
the latter contacts one or the other of the side edges of the
opening 93 in the member 90.
The nozzle height adjusting mechanism 50 also includes indexing
means which permits the slide 70 to be rapidly shifted to a
selected one of a plurality of nozzle height adjusting positions
and which releasably retains the slide in such position. Such
indexing means is indicated generally at 110 in FIG. 7 and
comprises a resilient detent or arm 111 on a clip 112 that is
mounted on an upstanding post 113 on the base plate 54 and a
plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses or grooves 114 (FIGS.
7, 12, 13 and 14) in the rear side of the slide body 72. Indexing
occurs when the arm 111 snaps into one of the recesses 114. As best
seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, five equidistantly spaced recesses 114 are
provided on the rear side of the slide body 72. Consequently, the
indexing means 110 serves to indicate five different positions of
adjustment of the adjusting member or slide 70, and these may be
identified by suitable indicia on the upper surface of the hood 75,
such as shown at 116 in FIG. 2.
It will be understood that while the indexing means 110 permits a
user to quickly adjust the height of the nozzle or suction inlet 38
to any one of the five positions indicated by the indicia 116, the
slide 70 can also be shifted to and left in any intermediate
position, if desired. Thus, the position of the wheels 46 with
respect to the underside 42 of the cleaner body 32, and
consequently the height of the nozzle or suction inlet 38 above the
surface being cleaned is infinitely adjustable throughout the range
of positions provided by the slope of the inclined cam surface 82
of the slide 70.
In FIG. 15, another upright suction cleaner 120 incorporating a
nozzle height adjusting mechanism embodying the features of the
present invention is illustrated. The cleaner 120 is similar in
many respects to the cleaner 30 illustrated in FIG. 1, and
therefore like reference numerals have been used to identify
identical parts.
The cleaner 120 generally comprises a cleaner body or casing 122
having suction generating means, such as a motor-fan unit (not
shown), mounted therein. An elongated handle 33 is pivotally
connected to the rear of the body 122, and a filter bag assembly
124 is secured to the handle 33 for receiving the exhaust flow from
the fan portion of the motor-fan unit of the cleaner. The cleaner
120, in the present instance, is also shown as having a housing 36
mounted on the lower end of the handle 33, and a cord reel (not
shown) is provided in the housing 36 and around which a length of
electrical cord 37 is wound and stored when the cleaner is not in
use. However, the housing 36 and cord reel form no part of the
present invention, and are omitted from some models of the cleaner
120.
As best seen in FIGS. 18 and 20, a nozzle or suction inlet 128 is
provided on the underside, indicated at 132, of the body 122, such
inlet extending transversely across the underside 132 of the body
adjacent the front end, indicated at 133, thereof. A brush 134 is
shown mounted in the inlet 128 so that the bristles thereof project
downwardly below the underside 132 of the body, in a well-known
manner. The brush 134 is rotatably mounted in the inlet 128 and is
driven by a belt (not shown) connected to the motor portion of the
motor-fan unit of the cleaner 120.
The cleaner body 122 is supported for movement over a surface to be
cleaned, such as the nap or pile of a rug or carpet, by a plurality
of wheels. In the present instance, two pairs of wheels are
provided for supporting the body 122 of the cleaner 120, one pair
(not shown) being located at the rear end of the body 122 and the
other pair being located at the front end 133 of the body 122
adjacent the suction inlet 128. Each wheel of the front pair is
indicated at 46.
As heretofore mentioned, the cleaner 120 includes novel mechanism,
indicated generally at 140 in FIGS. 18 and 20, for adjusting the
height of the suction inlet or nozzle 128 above the surface being
cleaned so that the cleaner will operate at maximum efficiency. The
mechanism 140 thus comprises an axle 52 which extends transversely
of the body 122 and which is rotatably mounted therein,
intermediate its ends, in a pair of laterally spaced bearing
recesses 53 formed in the upper surface of a base plate 54 of the
body 122. The axle 52 is retained in the bearing recesses 53 by a
pair of straps 56 which may be secured to the base plate 54 as by
screws 57.
The outer ends or support portions, each indicated at 58, of the
axle 52 are offset from the axis of rotation thereof, indicated at
60 in FIGS. 22 and 23, by connecting or crank portions 62.
Consequently, rotation of the axle 52 about its axis 60 results in
arcuate movement of the end portions 58 and front wheels 46 which
are rotatably mounted on the end portions 58 of the axle. The crank
portions 62 extend downwardly and rearwardly toward the underside
132 of the cleaner body 122 from the axis 60 so that arcuate
movement of the end portions 58 of the axle results in a raising or
lowering of the wheels 46 with respect to the underside 132 of the
cleaner body 32 and consequently a decrease or increase of the
height of the suction inlet 128 above the surface being
cleaned.
The axle 52 also includes a centrally offset portion 63 which is
preferably in the form of an obtuse V (FIG. 22) with the apex,
indicated at 64, of the V located at the center of the axle. The
offset portion 63 extends upwardly and forwardly from the axis 60
of rotation of the axle and at a slight angle with respect to the
crank portions 62 of the axle, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 20.
Rotation of the axle 52 of the mechanism 140 about its axis 60, is
achieved by an adjusting member in the form of a knob 150 that is
rotatably mounted on the upper end of a post 152, the post 152
comprising a portion of a support member 153 that is mounted on the
upper surface of the base plate 54 of the cleaner body 122. The
support member 153 is shown in detail in FIG. 24 and has a
plate-like base 154 having an enlarged mounting boss 156 at each
end thereof. The bosses 156 are vertically bored, as at 157, to
receive rivets 158 (FIGS. 18, 20 and 22) therethrough for securing
the member 153 to the base plate 54. The post 152 extends upwardly
and forwardly from the plate-like base 154 through an opening 159
in the upper front portion of a cover or hood 160 mounted on the
base 54, the cover or hood 160 defining a top wall of the body 122.
The upper end of the post 152 is axially bored and threaded as at
162 (FIGS. 22 and 24) for receiving a shoulder screw 163 (FIG. 16)
which rotatably secures the knob 150 thereto.
As heretofore mentioned, the adjusting mechanism 140 also includes
a cam surface for effecting pivotal movement of the axle 152 about
its axis 60. Such cam surface is indicated at 166 (FIGS. 19 and 21)
and is formed on the outer periphery of a cylindrical or tubular
portion 167 of the knob 150. The inner diameter of the tubular
portion 167 is substantially equal to or somewhat greater than the
outside diameter of the post portion 152 of the support member 153
so that the tubular portion 167 telescopes over the post 152 when
the knob 150 is rotatably secured to the support member 153 by the
screw 163.
As will be apparent from FIGS. 19 and 21, the apex 64 of the axle
52 engages the cam surface 166 and the latter is of a continuously
varying radial dimension with respect to the knob 150.
Consequently, rotation of the knob 150 in opposite directions
causes the apex or nose 64 of the axle 52 to be moved toward or
away from the axis of rotation of the knob, in the manner
illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 20. Such movement of the apex 64
effects rotation of the axle 52 about its axis 60 and thus effects
a raising or lowering of the wheels 46 with respect to the
underside 132 of the cleaner body 122. The height of the nozzle or
suction inlet 128 above a surface being cleaned may thus be
decreased or increased so that the cleaner 120 will operate at
maximum efficiency. A torsion spring 83 having one end 84 engaging
the base plate 54 and its other end 86 engaging the right crank
portion 62 of the axle 52, as viewed in FIG. 22, serves to maintain
contact between the apex 64 of the axle 52 and the cam surface 166
when the wheels 46 are out of contact with the surface being
cleaned.
The mechanism 140 also includes indexing means which permits the
knob 150 to be rapidly rotated to a selected one of a plurality of
nozzle height adjusting positions and which releasably retains the
knob in such position. Such indexing means comprises a plurality of
axially extending and circumferentially spaced recesses or grooves
in the cam surface 166 into which the apex 64 snaps into position.
In the present instance, four recesses are provided about
90.degree. apart, as respectively indicated at 171-174 (FIGS. 19
and 21). Thus, the indexing means serves to indicate four different
positions of adjustment of the adjusting member or knob 150, and
these may be identified by suitable indicia on the upper surface of
the cover 160, such as indicated at 176 in FIG. 16. In this regard,
a position indicating rib 177 may be provided on the upper surface
of the knob 150 (FIG. 16) to show the rotated position of the knob
150 with respect to the indicia 176.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that the nozzle height
adjusting mechanism herein disclosed permits the user of an upright
suction cleaner incorporating the mechanism to rapidly and
precisely adjust the height of the suction inlet of the cleaner so
that the cleaner operates at maximum efficiency for the particular
type of rug or carpet being cleaned. Thus, the adjusting mechanism
of each of the two embodiments heretofore described permits the
suction nozzle of the associated cleaner to be either raised or
lowered until the nozzle touches the upper surface of the pile of
the rug or carpet to be cleaned and without such pressure as to
require a large amount of force to move the cleaner. For example,
if a rug or carpet having a short pile height is to be cleaned,
such as indoor/outdoor carpeting, the adjusting member of the
mechanism would be moved to a position to lower the suction nozzle.
Conversely, if a rug or carpet having a deep pile or long nap is to
be cleaned, the adjusting member of the mechanism would be moved to
a position to raise the suction nozzle. Rugs or carpets of normal
pile height are most efficiently cleaned when the adjusting member
of the mechanism is moved to an intermediate or "normal" position
which adjusts the suction nozzle to the correct height for most
cleaning operations.
While only two embodiments of the nozzle height adjusting mechanism
of the present invention have been herein illustrated and
described, it will be understood that modifications and variations
thereof may be effected without departing from the scope of the
invention as set forth in the appended claims.
* * * * *