U.S. patent number 3,803,666 [Application Number 05/321,761] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-16 for industrial carpet and floor conditioner.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Vernon D. Beehler. Invention is credited to Harold T. Sawyer.
United States Patent |
3,803,666 |
Sawyer |
April 16, 1974 |
INDUSTRIAL CARPET AND FLOOR CONDITIONER
Abstract
A single transversely aligned floor conditioning plate or a
group of transversely aligned floor conditioning plates are mounted
on a tubular support which in turn is carried by an appropriate
vehicle. For vibrating the plates at or near one of their modes of
natural frequency, a single source of sinusoidal energy vibrating
in the low sonic range is mounted midway between opposite ends of a
resonant tubular support, at an antinodal point. When more than one
resonant plate is employed, the other plates are also mounted at
antinodal points by means of pedestal supports. A work shoe below
each plate has an accumulator chamber for reception of cleaning
liquid located above the work shoe and separated from the work shoe
by a series of resilient spring mounts located at antinodal points
which alone and/or in combination with the liquid transfer the
sinusoidal acoustic resonant energy from the source through the
tubular support and plate thereon into the conditioning fluid. The
fluid medium is transformed into a state of cavitation and
continues after it leaves the chamber. Subsequently a suction
apparatus draws the spent and soiled conditioning fluid away from
the conditioning operation.
Inventors: |
Sawyer; Harold T. (Pacific
Palisades, CA) |
Assignee: |
Beehler; Vernon D. (Los
Angeles, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
26847301 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/321,761 |
Filed: |
January 8, 1973 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
150075 |
Jun 4, 1971 |
3739417 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/320;
15/92 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
11/34 (20130101); A47L 11/405 (20130101); A47L
11/125 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
11/00 (20060101); A47L 11/12 (20060101); A47L
11/34 (20060101); A47l 011/03 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/89,91,92,320,321,340,354 ;94/48 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hornsby; Harvey C.
Assistant Examiner: Moore; C. K.
Parent Case Text
This application is a division of copending application Ser. No.
150,075, filed June 4, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,417.
Claims
Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support
of Letters Patent is:
1. A conditioner for surfaces adapted to be mounted on and carried
by a vehicle, said conditioner comprising a resonant plate beam, a
source of sinusoidal vibrating energy carried by the vehicle and
having a location of application to said plate beam intermediate
sides and ends thereof, the application of said energy being in a
direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the plate
beam, a work shoe comparable in length and breadth to said plate
beam, means forming a relatively closed shallow accumulator chamber
therebetween, a multiplicity of passages through said work shoe
comprising outlets from said accumulator chamber, a plurality of
resilient mounts spaced throughout the area respectively of said
plate beam and said work shoe, said mounts being relatively
flexible in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate
beam and relatively stiff in a direction parallel to the surface of
said plate beam, and means for supplying conditioning fluid to said
work shoe.
2. A conditioner as in claim 1 wherein said plate beam and said
shoe and all portions of the device associated therewith at the
locations of application of sinusoidal energy have masses and
shapes selected to vibrate at or near their resonant frequency.
3. A conditioner as in claim 2 wherein the point of application of
sinusoidal energy to the plate beam is located substantially
centrally with respect to sides and ends of said plate beam.
4. A conditioner as in claim 2 wherein the plate beam and the work
shoe form opposite sides of said accumulator chamber and the mounts
are located in the accumulator chamber in engagement respectively
with said plate beam and said work shoe.
5. A conditioner as in claim 4 wherein the work shoe has a
conditioning face of flexible rubber-like material with a tread of
alternately located high and low spots, said passages being in
communication with said low spots.
6. A conditioner as in claim 2 wherein a portion of said
accumulator chamber is isolated from the rest of the the
accumulator chamber and the supply line thereto, there being a
suction line in communication with said portion of the accumulator
chamber.
7. A conditioner as in claim 2 wherein there is a back plate
intermediate the plate beam and the work shoe, said back plate and
said work plate forming opposite sides of said accumulator chamber,
said mounts being located between and in engagement with the plate
beam and the back plate, there being additional mounting means of
corresponding character between the back plate and the work
shoe.
8. A conditioner as in claim 7 wherein said additional mounting
means form a lateral closure for said accumulator chamber.
9. A conditioner as in claim 2 wherein said source of sinusoidal
energy comprises a base carried by the vehicle, a bracket on the
plate beam, an eccentrically loaded mass rotatably mounted
respectively on said base and said bracket, the mounting between
the mass and the base being a resilient isolation mount and the
mounting between the mass and the bracket being an eccentric
bearing.
10. A conditioner as in claim 9 wherein the mass is an electric
motor.
11. A conditioner as in claim 9 wherein the mass is an
eccentrically mounted weight having a pulley on an axis of rotation
thereof, a motor carried by said vehicle, a pulley in rotated
engagement with said motor and a belt drive between said
pulleys.
12. A conditioner as in claim 9 wherein there is a tubular
longitudinal beam, and a plurality of plate beams connected at
substantially central locations thereof to said longitudinal beam
at antinodal points, said source of sinusoidal vibrating energy
being located at one of said antinodal points.
Description
Although there have been devised a variety of mechanical devices
for conditioning purposes such, for example, as stripping wax,
rewaxing, polishing of hard surfaced floors, and the cleaning of
soft floor surfaces such as, for example, rugs and carpets, a great
number of such devices and particularly those more currently
devised, have consisted of one or more rotating discs wherein the
plane of the disc is parallel to the plane of the surface to be
conditioned. Machines of such character have been used for cleaning
rugs and carpets. Rotating discs and comparable equipment have been
used for the stripping, cleaning, and polishing of hard surfaced
floors. Other types of motorized equipment have often employed one
or more brushes of a cylindrical type rotating on axes parallel to
the plane of the surface to be cleaned, such brushes often being
counter-rotating so as to brush dirt upwardly between them.
Industrial sweeping equipment employs numerous variations of the
rotating brush principle herein made reference to. In virtually all
instances, both those specifically made reference to and other
equipment heretofore available, rely upon some type of scrubbing
action.
Although a degree of cleaning is possible with equipment of the
type described, a common defect in the continued use of such
equipment is a progressive wearing down of the hard surfaces and a
wearing out of soft surfaces such, for example, as rugs and
carpets. The very agitating action depended upon for cleaning
results in a wearing and physically disintegrating action of the
material itself. Further still, equipment of the brushing and
scrubbing type requires an appreciable amount of energy to overcome
the friction depended upon for cleaning and such means accordingly
have been heavy, expensive to build, and difficult to use without
the expenditure of excessive amounts of power.
It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new
and improved floor conditioning device which cleans by the
principle of cavitation without dependence upon a physical rubbing
or scrubbing action.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved
surface conditioning device which is of such design and
construction that cleaning can be accomplished by merely bringing a
resonant work shoe into contact with the surface to be cleaned
without depending upon the work shoe itself for mechanical cleaning
action on the surface, and virtually without wear on the shoe.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and
improved surface conditioning device which makes use of a sonic
energy sinusoidal frequency generator operating in the low sonic
range which can be applied to one or a plurality of resonant work
shoes advantageously spaced in line so that a relatively broad path
of cleaning can be accomplished with one pass of the device.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and
improved surface conditioner making use of a source of sonic energy
in the low sonic range which is of such character that it can be
readily mounted upon a vehicle for cleaning large surfaces with
modest effort, the application of sonic energy being transmitted
through an elongated member such as a beam whereby to spread over
an appreciable distance, the work shoes of the device being so
designed as to vibrate at or near their resonant or natural
frequency modes thereby creating cavitation at the surfaces to be
cleaned and making possible effective cleaning by use of a
relatively minimum amount of power.
Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a
new and improved mobile surface conditioning device operating by
use of sonic energy in the low sonic range applied through a fluid
medium wherein individual work shoes may be mounted in line for
movement transverse to their structural arrangement and overlapping
to an extent such that upon a single passage of the equipment a
broad uninterrupted path of cleaning can be accomplished.
Also included among the objects of the invention is to provide a
new and improved vehicle mounted surface conditioner which makes
use of energy in the low sonic range, transported to individual
work shoes through a vibrating tubular or channel beam designed to
operate at one of the modes of natural frequency and from which
energy is applied to the work shoe through pedestal mountings, the
operation being such that fluid is set in a state of cavitation by
the plate and shoe assemblies and continues in a state of
cavitation after leaving the work shoes and while in contact with
the surface to be conditioned and which thereafter can be
repeatedly worked in engagement with the surface to be conditioned
and subsequently the residue can be vacuum removed by a further
passage of the vehicle mounted machine.
With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the
construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of
the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as
hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the floor conditioner device
showing the device in a mounted position on a vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a front schematic view of the device.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of one end of the
device.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of an opposite end of the
device.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second form of energy source usable with
the device partially broken away.
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view taken along the lines 6--6 of
FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through a typical work shoe
usable with the device with a portion broken away.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view on the line 8--8 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary bottom view taken on the line 9--9 of FIG.
7.
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of another
form of the device.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 11--11 of FIG.
10.
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary bottom view taken on the line 12--12 of
FIG. 10.
FIG. 13 is a fragmentary bottom view taken on the line 13--13 of
FIG. 10.
FIG. 14 is a foreshortened longitudinal sectional view of still
another form of the device.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view on the line 15--15 of FIG.
14.
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view on the line 16--16 of FIG.
14.
FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of another form of energy
source.
FIG. 18 is an end elevational view taken on the line 18--18 of FIG.
17.
FIGS. 19, 20 and 21 are respectively plan, side elevational and
front elevational views respectively of another form of the
invention.
FIG. 22 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a different type
of work shoe.
FIG. 23 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device equipped
with a wet vacuum pick-up.
FIG. 24 is a bottom view on the line 24--24 of FIG. 23.
FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view on the line 25--25 of FIG.
23.
In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of
illustration the general setup as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 show
a vehicle 10 having a frame 11 supported by wheels, other details
of the vehicle being omitted, but it being understood that the
vehicle is customarily a power operated vehicle upon which a driver
sits, in order to move the vehicle over a broad extent of surface
to be conditioned such, for example as a stadium, convention hall,
long corridors of an industrial or office building or virtually any
surface of appreciable extent which is in the need of cleaning or
conditioning. The vehicle is self powered and provides auxiliary
equipment for the cleaning system such as power, a fluid system, a
vacuum system, etc.
On a forward bar 15 of the vehicle is a bracket 16, a vertical
revolving portion 17 of which supports a twin lever frames 18 at
opposite ends as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6. On the frames 18 is
mounted a support mount base 19' for motor 19 which may be
electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated, depending to
a degree on the type of power made use of by the vehicle. The motor
19 is speed controlled to maintain a constant or desired frequency.
The twin frames 18 connected to the vertical portions 17 at
opposite ends is by pivot shaft bearings 13 and with suitable stops
(not shown) provided to limit tilting of the platform 18 as it
adjusts to unevenness in the surface on which the device operates.
Isolation channel shear mount connections 14, interconnect the
frames 18 and mounting supports 20 at opposite ends. An additional
resilient isolation channel mount 18' is provided between the
opposite ends of frames 18 and the base 19' of the motor 19.
A rotary bearing coupling 16' connects bracket 16 to the vertical
portion 17 and thus permits 17 to revolve in a transverse angular
manner to provide leveling of the structure to the floor surface
the extent of which is limited by suitable stops, not shown.
A sinusoidal force frequency generator is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
The function of the generator is to generate and transmit
sinusoidal force energy at a desired frequency in the low sonic
range and to direct said energy to excite and resonate a
longitudinal tubular beam structure into an elastic wave force
motion at frequency mode by design at or near its natural modal
frequency and at a desired amplitude.
The generator 21 consists in part of a fixed cylindrical mass 22,
and an adjustable cylindrical mass 22', an eccentric bearing 41
with a concentric stub shaft 40, the structure of which is
supported horizontally at one end at its centerline by a ball
bearing 43 with its housing mounted within a pedestal or bracket
45, and at the other end by a resilient isolation mount 27 mounted
within a supporting pedestal 20.
Mounted within a concentric bore of the mass 22 and in line with
the centerline of the cylindrical mass 22 is a rotatable shaft 35
which is positioned by means of ball bearings 36, 36' the housings
of which are fastened around the bore of mass 22 at opposite ends
of said bore, the shaft 35 being secured in position by means of
thrust bearings 38, 38' at opposite ends and retaining rings 37,
37'. The left hand end of the driver shaft 35 as viewed in FIGS. 5
and 6, is mounted eccentrically of means of a bore within the face
of the eccentric bearing 41 and secured by a set screw 42. On an
extension of the eccentric bearing 41, on its center line is a stub
shaft 40 which extends through its supporting ball bearing 43
within a vertical leg 44 of the supporting pedestal 45. An
externally driven timing belt pulley 46 is mounted on the stub
shaft 40.
Over the shaft 40 travels a timing belt 47, the belt also engaging
a timing belt pulley 48 which is on a drive shaft 49 of the motor
19. The pulleys may be of the same diameter as shown in FIGS. 5 and
6 or the relative diameters may be varied in order to select the
speed of rotation of the revolving mass 22, namely faster or slower
than the speed of the motor, in order to develop a desired
generation value of output frequency.
The right hand end of mass 22 as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6 is
supported by means of a stub shaft 26 which is centrally located
with respect to the centerline of mass 22. The extension of stub
shaft 26 passes through and is anchored in a fixed position within
a resilient isolation tubular mount 27 of commercial design which
in turn is supported and anchored in a fixed position within a bore
of the supporting pedestal 20. The resilient isolation mount is of
special construction wherein an outer annular collar 29 is
separated from the extension shaft 26' of the stub shaft 26 by
means of an annular cylindrical section 30 of resilient isolation
material. The purpose of the resilient mount of this description is
to provide a resilient isolation mount connection between the
vibration energy produced by the revolving masses 22 and 21 and a
platform 18 so that the energy will not be passed to and be
absorbed by the platform 18 and its supporting structure. The
resilient mount also provides a freedom of pivotal motion of the
supported mass 22 at its terminal support location of shaft 26'
within the resilient mount 27.
Accordingly, when a timing belt pulley 46 on the stub shaft 40 is
driven in rotation by its timing belt 47 the shaft 35 is in turn
caused to rotate at one end about its eccentric bearing 41 by means
of its eccentric shaft location in said bearing. The rotation
generates a conical circulatory shaft movement about its
longitudinal axis with the base of the cone being at the
eccentrically mounted end, the apex of the cone being on the
centerline of the resilient mount bearing 27. The shaft 35 thus
rotates about an axis substantially coincident with the stub shaft
40 within the bearing 43 and the axis of the opposite end of the
mass at the isolation mount 27.
Since the housings of the ball bearings 36, 36' of shaft 35 are
rigidly connected to the centerline bore structure of the mass 22,
the motion of the cylindrical mass 22 and its adjustable split ring
cylindrical mass 22', secured as shown by threaded bolts 25, are
caused to move in circulatory fashion about said axis and likewise
in conical fashion.
The sinusoidal force thus generated by rotation of the mass of the
generator is passed through its pedestal mount 45 to the resonant
structure. It is significant to note that the source of external
power provided by the motor 19 is separately mounted on its support
base 19' and completely isolated from the resonant structure by
means of the resilient isolation mount connections 14, and
resilient isolation mount 27.
The pedestal 20 of the generator is also anchored to platform 18 at
one end and completely isolated from its support base 19' by means
of a resilient isolation mount 27 shown in FIG. 1 so that the
energy will not be passed to and absorbed by the frames 18 and
support 20 of the supporting structure. The frames 18 are therefore
completely isolated from the resonant structure and from the
vertical supporting structure, and the entire structure therefore
takes the form of a spring-mass structure.
The frequency output of the sinusoidal generator heretofore
described is identical to the speed of the driven pulley 46. The
transmitted sinusoidal force released by the generator is
understood to be a force resulting from the calculation: F (force)
= E(degree of eccentricity) .times. M(mass) .times. R. P. M.
The output force of the sinusoidal wave energy is a function of the
amplitude of the wave energy released. The most economical way to
increase the amplitude and resulting force output is to increase
the mass. This may be accomplished by adjusting the position of the
split ring auxiliary adjustable mass 22' over the periphery of the
fixed mass 22 or to alter the mass weight of 21 to the desired
value.
The frequency output of the generator may be altered by means of a
pulley diameter change of either the driven pulley 46 or the driver
pulley 48.
The structure of the generator is significant to the invention
since its frequency mass and output amplitude is adjustable over
wide ranges as required by design parameters. For example, vehicle
powered industrial floor cleaners are designed in many different
sizes to meet requirements and the generator heretofore described
as driven by an external power source may be altered as to its
output requirements to satisfy all of the necessary known power and
energy requirements.
The demands made reference to are satisfied by structures depicted
in the drawing where the energy source is operatively attached to a
tubular member 60.
Horizontal leg 50 of the bracket 45 is secured through a plate 51
by cap screws 52 to an upper section 53 of a flanged mount
indicated generally by the reference character 54, there being a
lower section 55 with the same flanged mount. The upper and lower
sections are secured together by means of screws 56. Anchoring
bolts 58 secure the flanged mount 54 non-rotatably to the tubular
member 60. For additional support of the tubular member 60 there is
provided an arm 61 extending in a direction toward the vehicle 10,
the arm being connected by the pivot shaft 13 to the vertical
portions 17 which are anchored as previously described to the
bracket 16 and in that way to the vehicle. Although partly
supported by the bracket 16 the tubular member has a certain
freedom to move up and down as occasion may require.
On those occasions where the tubular member 60 is designed to
vibrate in the third mode, of its natural frequency, as illustrated
in FIG. 2, the flanged mount is attached to the tubular member
midway between opposite ends and at an antinode. As the rotating
mass is set in motion by the motor, a sinusoidal force motion
excitation is set by the revolving mass in the low sonic range
preferably at a chosen frequency between 50-500 cycles per second
and such sinusoidal energy is transmitted through the bracket 45 to
the flanged mount 54 and from there to the tubular member midway
between its opposite ends. The sinusoidal vibration energy thus
created excites an elastic wave motion within and throughout the
tubular beam at its selected mode of natural frequency by design.
The elastic energy waves pass outwardly to opposite ends of the
tubular member setting up nodal points at 64, 65, 66 and 67 and
antinodes at 68, 69 and 70. This is the condition for vibration in
the third mode. Clearly, by design, higher modes of natural
frequency could be chosen wherein a large number of respective node
and antinode sections would be set up throughout the length of the
tubular member. Further still, since the tubular member is
vibrating at or near its resonant frequency, elipsoid force
patterns are released by the member alternately in 3 planes as
illustrated schematically in FIG. 4.
In order to put the sinusoidal resonant energy thus created to work
there are provided three work shoes 70, 71 and 72, the work shoe 70
being located at a point midway between opposite ends of the
tubualr member and the work shoes 71 and 72 being adjacent opposite
ends. To be sure that the work is performed in an uninterrupted
fashion throughout a path equal to the area covered by the three
work shoes, adjacent sides 73, 74, for example, of the respective
work shoes 70 and 71 extend on the bias so that the forward corner
of the work shoe 70 overlaps in its operation, the rearward corner
of the work shoe 71 on the same relative side. Similarly, adjacent
sides 75 and 76 of the respective work shoes 70 and 72 extend
diagonally so that there is a corresponding overlapping on that
side of the mid-section of the tubular member.
Extending downwardly from the tubular member 60 at its midpoint is
a cylindrical mounting pedestal block 77 for mounting the work shoe
70, some details of which are illustrated in FIG. 7. The mounting
block 70 is bolted to a plate beam 78 which, in the embodiment of
FIG. 7, comprises the back plate of the work shoe, bolting being
accomplished by means of bolts 79. A working plate 80 is spaced
from the resonant plate beam 78 by means of resilient pads 81, 82,
83 and 84 equally spaced around the central resilient pad 85 and
located at antinodal points. Spaced as described the plates define
between them an accumulator chamber 86. A resilient band 87 of soft
resilient vulcanized rubber material encloses outside edges of the
accumulator chamber.
Below and vulcanized to the working plate 80 is a grooved work shoe
88 which may be rubber of a character exemplified by the tread on
conventional rubber tires. Open channels 89 on the lower face of
the work shoe communicate with the accumulator chamber 86 through
expansion holes 90. A seal 87 extends around the perimeter.
The material of the resilient pads by design is such that they are
soft in a vertical direction as viewed in FIG. 7 but relatively
stiff in a plane parallel to horizontal. The spring rates of the
resilient pads 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 are designed to match the
natural frequency of the resonant plate beam 78.
In order to supply the accumulator chamber with whatever fluid
might be needed for conditioning an appropriate surface, there is a
fluid feed line 91 in communication with a fitting 92 on the
cylindrical mounting pedestal block 77, the fitting being in
communication with a supply bore 93 through the mounting block 77
and the central resilient flaw divider pad 85, there being provided
lateral bores 94 by means of which fluid is able to find its way
evenly into the accumulator chamber 86.
The work shoe assembly may take various forms as illustrated, for
example, in FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13. In this form of the work shoe
a resilient divider 95 of vulcanized rubber material separates the
accumulator chamber into chambers 86 and 86', one of which is
supplied with fluid through a supply bore 96 and the other of which
is a chamber without a fluid supply. The accumulator chamber 86 of
FIG. 10 is supplied in a manner similar to that already described,
namely, through the supply bore 96 in a cylindrical mounting block
102, offset slightly from the divider 95. A pressurized fluid
supply line 103 attached to a fitting 104 serves as a source of
supply of cleaning liquid, to chamber 86 where it is transformed
into a field of cavitational energy and then passing through
expansion holes 101 to the surface to be cleaned where cavitation
continues to take place. Grooves 100 are located at the bottom of
work plate 80' of chamber 86' to increase the scrubbing action by
friction and to entrap the fluid released from chamber 86 and to
further excite its field of cavitation.
In the form invention of FIGS. 14, 15, and 16, a plate beam 110 is
separated from work shoe assemblies 111 and 112 by means of a
second resonant plate beam 114. A cylindrical mounting block 113,
in the manner previously described, picks up resonant energy from
the tubular member 60, the work shoe being excited into its own
natural frequency at its mid-point as shown in FIG. 14. A single
rear resonant plate beam 114 serves both of the separated work shoe
assemblies shown and actually comprises the rear plate of both of
the work shoes. One work plate 115 spaced as shown from the rear
plate 114 provides an accumulator chamber 116, there being
expansion holes 117 communicating between the accumulator chamber
116 and an area adjacent the pile 118 of a carpet 119. A frame 120
of resilient vulcanized rubber material interconnects and seals the
work plate 115 with the rear plate 114 for each of the work shoe
assemblies. Pads 121 and 122 interconnect the plate beam 110 with
the rear plate 114, such pads being the only connection between the
open plate beam and the open rear plate. These pads, by design are
similar to those previously made reference to, and have a designed
spring rate corresponding to plate 110 such that they yield freely
in a direction between the plate beam and the rear plate but are
resilient to flexible motion in a direction 90.degree. with respect
thereto. Vibrations set up in the plate 110 are in this fashion
passed through the pads to the rear plate 114 and from the rear
plate 114 to the work plate 115, the work plate being in contact
with the surface to be conditioned exemplified by the carpet 119.
In this form of the device the pads, rather than being contained
within the accumulator chamber, exist on the exterior of the work
shoe assemblies, the frame 120 being of resilient character similar
to that of the pads for passing vibration energy from the rear
plate to the work plate, and having a spring rate corresponding to
pads 121 and 122.
In the example of FIGS. 14, 15 and 16, as previously described, a
supply line 125 attached to a fitting 126 on a mounting block 127
supplies conditioning fluid to a bore 128 in the mounting block
from which it passes through a bore 129 in the pad 122 and from
there to the accumulator chamber 116. Work plate 112 below chamber
133 has grooves 133.
In FIGS. 17 and 18 is shown a second form for generating sinuosidal
energy. In this arrangement the rotating mass is the mass of a
motor 140, supplied by an electric line 141. A flanged mount 142 is
adapted to be secured at the mid-point of either a tubular member
like the tubular member 60 or the mid-point of a plate beam. On the
flanged mount is a bracket 143, a horizontal leg 144 of which is
anchored to the flanged mount by means of bolts 145. The other leg
146 of the bracket serves to mount an eccentric bearing 147, there
being provided a bearing 148 on a concentric stub shaft 149 of the
eccentric bearing 147. A drive shaft 150 of the motor is anchored
eccentrically in the eccentric bearing 147 by means of an
appropriate set screw 151.
At the opposite end of the motor 140 there is a stub shaft 152
which is attached to the motor casing and unassociated with the
drive shaft 150. A bracket 153 may serve as a connection between
the motor casing and the stub shaft 152.
A supporting flange 154 firmly secured to the flanged mount 142 by
appropriate bolts 155 serves as a support for the stub shaft 152.
This is accomplished by employment of a resilient bearing 156 of a
type similar to bearing 27 described in connection with FIGS. 5 and
6. Since vibrations generated by the eccentric mounting of the
motor mass in FIG. 17 are isolated from the supporting flange 154,
substantially no vibrations are set up in the supporting flange and
only the sinusoidal force energy is transmitted through the bracket
pedestal 143 to the mounting flange 142 and thence to the
appropriate tubular member. This source of vibration energy is
fully utilized in the form as shown.
In the form of invention of FIGS. 19, 20 and 21, a single work shoe
assembly 160 taking the form of previous work assemblies, FIGS. 7
through 14 previously described, is shown attached to the tubular
member 60 at three separate antinodal locations 161, 162 and 163.
In this form the work shoe assembly may be as long or longer than
the full length of the tubular member 60, and the tubular member
may be designed at mode of natural frequency so as to generate more
or less than three nodal points, as long as antinodal points
coincide with the points of attachment between the work shoe
assembly 160 and the tubular member 60. The generator 21 attaches
to the tubular member 60 by means of the flanged mount 54 in a
manner described for FIGS. 1, 5 and 6.
Although primary emphasis in the disclosure has been placed on
developing cavitational energy for a cleaning operation, it should
be kept in mind that basically the structure is for economical
utilization of sound wave energy to perform work. To that end a
work shoe assembly 160' consisting of a single resonant plate beam,
can be provided with different tools such, for example, as chipping
or scarifying bits 168, in line or at random, and sinusoidal force
energy passed to the bits for the purpose of cutting lines in an
existing surface, or performing other work on the surface or the
structure of which the surface is a part.
In operation, the device whether it be by use of the sinusoidal
energy source shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 or the sinusoidal energy
source shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the structure is so designed that
the tubular member 60, where a tubular member is used, and the
plate beam and/or plate beams are designed to be a combined
free-free spring mass structure and to resonate at or near its
natural frequency. The general description also applies to FIGS.
19, 20 and 21.
It is significant to this disclosure that the purpose of the energy
source and its combined structure by design, is to generate and
produce acoustical cavitation at the surface to be cleaned and to
thereby utilize the well known principles of cavitation for
cleaning purposes.
Furthermore the simplest way of generating cavitation is by means
of acoustical sinusoidal energy that has been generated within a
resonant structure and which in turn directs and transmits its
resonant acoustic sinusoidal energy thus developed to a liquid
medium whereby it is transformed into an acoustic field of
cavitational energy.
In this case, the cavitation energy thus released in the liquid
medium at the surface is used to do work in the form of cleaning. A
fluid field of resonant cavitation energy of sufficient amplitude
has the phenomenon of breaking the surface tension of exposed
surfaces within the liquid medium such as, for example, in this
case carpet fibers or hard surfaces to be cleaned. The well known
principles of cavitation are therefore developed and released
within this device for cleaning purposes of exposed surfaces within
this medium.
The cleaning that takes place is very fast because of the intense
cavitational energy at resonance released at high amplitude energy
with the liquid medium approaching the speed of sound and at life
cycles of the minute energy particles thus developed approaching
10.sup.-.sup.8 of a second in three elipsoid force planes.
Fluid which is passed through the supply passages to the work shoe
and which finds its way from the accumulator chamber to the surface
being conditioned is simultaneously set in a state of cavitation
causing a foaming of the fluid, when released to the surface and
being continually in a state of cavitation at its location within
the carpet being cleaned or whatever other surfaces it may be which
is being conditioned. Where a pickup of dirt laden fluid is needed
the vacuum pickup portion of the machine can be passed over the
surface. Occasions also may require several passes of the work shoe
assemblies over the surface without the application of additional
conditioning fluid where the dirt, soil and other condition on the
surface is stubborn and additional application of cavitation is
helpful. As a help in understanding the action which is made use
of, FIG. 3 shows the elipsoid elastic wave motions in three planes
which is set up in the work shoe assemblies at their natural
frequency. FIG. 4, shows the elipsoid path of motion in three
planes which is set up in the tubular member when operating at its
natural frequency and the diagramatic representation of elipsoid
motions in the three planes of FIG. 1 is illustrative of the motion
set up in the surface which is being conditioned within a
cavitation field.
The device coupled with a wet vacuum pickup is shown in FIGS. 23,
24 and 25. In this structural association a plate beam 170 is
attached to a mounting block 171 by means of of cap screws 172. A
work shoe plate 173 is parallel to and separated from the plate
beam 170, there being provided a series of resilient pads 174
interconnecting the plate beam and the work shoe plate with a
resilient connection, the resilient pads being relatively soft in a
vertical direction and relatively stiff in a horizontal direction.
Perimetrical seal strips 175, 175', 175" and 175'" enclose a closed
chamber 176. Similar perimetrical seal strips 177, 177', and 177",
with the aid of the perimetrical strip 175'" enclose a fluid
chamber 178. Additional perimetrical seal strips 179, 179' and 179"
with the help of the seal strip 177" enclose a vacuum chamber
180.
A resilient pad 181 has a vertical aperture 182 from which extend
horizontal apertures 183, the latter being in communciation with
the fluid chamber 178. At its upper end the vertical aperture 182
communicates with a bore 184 which in turn is in communication with
the nipple 185 to which a cleaning fluid line 186 is attached. A
multiplicity of holes 187 extend through the work shoe plate 173,
communicating with recesses 188 in a wear plate 189 anchored to the
lower face of the work shoe plate 173.
A fitting 190 is adapted to have a vacuum hose (not shown) attached
to it whereby when a vacuum or suction is applied the suction
effect will communicate through a passage 191 in the plate beam
170, then with the vacuum chamber 180 and from there through a
passage 192 in the work shoe plate and an aligned passage 193 in
the wear plate 189.
Operation of this structural arrangement is substantially the same
as those heretofore described in that when cleaning fluid is passed
through to the fluid chamber 178 and the mounting block 171
vibrated at the rates herein before described the cleaning fluid is
set up in a resonating condition, passing outwardly as foam through
the holes 187 and recesses 188 to the surface to be conditioned.
When sufficient foam has thus been applied to the surface the
supply can be cut off and the foam is additionally agitated when
the portion of the wear plate 189 beneath the closed chamber 176 is
passed into contact with it. This greatly amplifies the effect
produced by the resonating foamed liquid cleaner. After there has
been a sufficient amount of vibration applied to the foamed
cleaning fluid, to clean the surface to which it has been applied,
wet foam may be removed through the passages 191, 192 and 193 by
application of the vacuum to the fitting 190 whereby the moistened
foamed cleaning fluid can be substantially entirely removed from
the surface after it has done its work.
Additional agitation is achieved by the provision of closed
elongated recesses 195 in that portion of the wear plate 189 which
lies beneath the closed chamber 176.
While the invention has been shown and described in a practical
embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom
within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to
the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope
of the claims embracing all equivalent devices.
* * * * *