U.S. patent number 3,908,223 [Application Number 05/432,679] was granted by the patent office on 1975-09-30 for cleaning nozzle attachment for a suction cleaner.
This patent grant is currently assigned to National Union Electric Corporation. Invention is credited to Joseph F. Brooks, Robert B. Meyer.
United States Patent |
3,908,223 |
Brooks , et al. |
September 30, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Cleaning nozzle attachment for a suction cleaner
Abstract
A cleaning nozzle attachment for a canister-type suction cleaner
or built-in cleaning system, wherein an electric motor driven brush
roll is rotatably mounted in a suction chamber in the body of the
attachment so as to agitate a portion of the rug or carpet
underlying the suction opening of the attachment when the latter is
in operation. A socket member is pivotally mounted at the rear of
the body and serves to communicate suction to the suction chamber
through a plurality of connected tubular wands which are detachably
connected to the socket member and which provide a handle for
manipulating the attachment. A pair of wheels are carried by the
wand socket member and the downward thrust component from the wands
is transmitted to the wheels rather than to the socket member by
mounting the wheels on the socket member so that the wheel axis is
substantially intersected by the axis of the wands. A lost motion
connection between the wand socket member and the nozzle body
permits substantially vertical relative movement therebetween so
that the nozzle body "floats" bodily on the surface of a rug or
carpet being cleaned. A pair of ramps are provided on the nozzle
body, which coact with a pair of trunnion pins on the wand socket
member to cause the wheels to be positively extended to a
predetermined lowered position with respect to the underside of the
nozzle body when the wands and socket member are pivoted to an
upright position.
Inventors: |
Brooks; Joseph F. (Bloomington,
IL), Meyer; Robert B. (Normal, IL) |
Assignee: |
National Union Electric
Corporation (Greenwich, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
26952895 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/432,679 |
Filed: |
January 11, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
268126 |
Jun 30, 1972 |
3815170 |
|
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/383; 15/410;
15/361 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
9/0411 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
9/04 (20060101); A47L 009/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/333,361,377,410,383 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Feldman; Peter
Assistant Examiner: Moore; C. K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hibben, Noyes & Bicknell
Parent Case Text
This is a division of application Ser. No. 268,126, filed June 30,
1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,170.
Claims
We claim:
1. In a rug and carpet cleaning nozzle attachment adapted to be
connected to a source of vacuum and to be manipulated over a rug or
carpet to be cleaned by at least one tubular wand, said attachment
including a nozzle body having front and rear ends etending
generally transversely to the axis of said wand and an underside
having a suction opening therein, said nozzle body also having a
socket member movably mounted therein adjacent to said rear end and
a tubular portion adapted to receive one end of said wand, and at
least one wheel rotatably carried by said socket member and adapted
to roll on a rug or carpet to be cleaned when said attachment is in
use, the improvement comprising mechanism for extending said wheel
to a predetermined lowered position below the underside of said
nozzle body in response to movement of the tubular portion of said
socket member to an upright position with respect to said body,
whereby the rear end of said body is elevated and said body is
supported in a stable condition on said rug or carpet by said wheel
and the front end of said body.
2. The attachment of claim 1, further characterized in that said
wheel extending mechanism comprises at least one ramp on said
nozzle body, and at least one abutment on said socket member and
movable into engagement with said ramp as said socket member is
moved toward said upright position.
3. The attachment of claim 2 further characterized in that a
transversely spaced pair of said ramps are provided on said nozzle
body, and a transversely spaced pair of said abutments are provided
on said socket member.
4. The attachment of claim 3, further characterized in that said
abutments comprise a pair of pins extending transversely outwardly
from the opposite respective sides of said socket member.
5. The attachment of claim 2, including means for releasably
retaining said abutment in a predetermined position on said ramp
corresponding to the extended position of said wheel.
6. The attachment of claim 5, further characterized in that said
releasable retaining means comprises a depression in said ramp for
receiving said abutment, and spring means engageable with said
abutment and operable to bias said abutment into said
depression.
7. The attachment of claim 6, further characterized in that said
spring means comprises a resilient arm having one end secured to
said nozzle body and the opposite end thereof disposed in the path
of movement of said abutment so as to engage the latter as said
abutment moves into said depression.
8. The attachment of claim 5, further characterized in that said
releasable retaining means comprises a shoulder on said ramp.
9. The attachment of claim 1 further characterized in that a
transversely spaced pair of said wheels are mounted on said socket
member and respectively disposed on opposite sides thereof.
10. The attachment of claim 1, further characterized in that at
least the front end of said nozzle body is transversely elongated,
and said socket member is located substantially centrally of said
rear end, whereby said nozzle body is supported on a substantially
triangularly-shaped base when said socket member is in said upright
position.
11. The attachment of claim 1, further characterized in that said
nozzle body has a chamber therein communicating with said suction
opening, a brush roll having a plurality of radially outwardly
extending bristles thereon is rotatably mounted in said chamber and
operable when driven to agitate the surface of a rug or carpet
underlying said suction opening, and said wheel extending means is
effective to elevate said nozzle body sufficiently so as to prevent
said bristles from contacting the surface of said rug or carpet
when said socket member is in said upright position.
Description
This invention relates to attachments for vacuum cleaners, and more
particularly relates to a rug and carpet cleaning nozzle attachment
which incorporates an electric motordriven brush roll to improve
the cleaning action thereof and which "floats" on the surface of a
rug or carpet so that an optimum cleaning action is obtained.
Various types of attachments or accessory tools have been
heretofore developed for use with Vermeulen, canister and
uprighttype vacuum cleaners, in order to improve the efficiency of
such cleaners and to extend their usefulness. Some of the
attachments heretofore developed for use with canister-type
cleaners have attempted to duplicate the cleaning efficiency of
upright cleaners on rugs and carpets by incorporating rotatable
agitators in the suction openings of the attachments to impart a
beating and sweeping action to the surfaces of the rugs or carpets
being cleaned. Examples of the latter type of attachment are
disclosed in the Gerber, U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,250, Sparklin et al.,
U.S. Pat. No. 2,980,939, Vermeulenn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,776 and
Ferraris et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,319 patents.
Cleaning nozzle attachments of the type disclosed in the
aforementioned patents have not provided entirely satisfactory for
various reasons. One reason is that many of the attachments did not
make any provision for compensating for irregularities in the
surface and/or thickness of the rug or carpet being cleaned.
Consequently, the nozzle openings thereof did not at all times make
good contact with the surface of the rug or carpet being cleaned
and cleaning efficiency was therefore reduced. In addition,
cleaning nozzle attachments of the type disclosed in the
aforementioned patents were difficult to push on a shag carpet.
Some of the nozzle attachments heretofore advanced did attempt to
compensate for irregularities in the surface and/or thickness of
the rug or carpet being cleaned by permitting the nozzle body to
"float" on the surface of the rug or carpet. An example of an
attachment of this type is disclosed in the hurd, U.S. Pat. No.
2,842,793. The floating action provided by the Hurd attachment is,
however, of the oscillating rather than the vertically
reciprocating type. Consequently, the nozzle openings of such
attachments likewise did not at all times make good contact with
the surface of the rug or carpet being cleaned, particularly with
shag rugs and carpets.
A number of the attachments heretofore developed were also
objectionable from a stability standpoint in that, because of the
relatively small size of the nozzle body thereof, such attachments
were easily tipped over if accidentally bumped or jarred while
unsupported.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide a
novel and improved cleaning nozzle attachment which overcomes the
aforementioned disadvantages and objections.
Another object is to provide a novel cleaning nozzle attachment of
the type that is adapted to be manipulated over a rug or carpet by
one or more connected tubular wands, wherein the attachment is
substantially free of any downward component of the thrust force
applied to the wands to manipulate the attachment over the surface
of a rug or carpet to be cleaned.
A more particular object is to provide a novel cleaning nozzle
attachment of the character described, wherein a lost motion
connection is provided between the body of the attachment and a
wand-receiving socket member thereof so that the entire nozzle body
is free to float on the surface of a rug or carpet being
cleaned.
A further object is to provide a novel cleaning nozzle attachment
of the character described, wherein a novel mechanism is employed
for positively extending a pair of wheels at the rear of the nozzle
body to a predetermined lowered position with respect to the
underside of the nozzle body when the wand receiving socket of the
attachment is swung to an upright position so that the attachment
is stable while resting on a supporting surface.
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 a cleaning nozzle attachment
embodying the features of the present invention and showing the
latter as it would appear when connected to the suction inlet of an
associated canister-type suction cleaner by a plurality of
connected tubular wands and a length of flexible hose;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the attachment and connected
wand sections shown in FIG. 1, and showing, in broken lines, the
approximate position that the wheels at the rear of the attachment
and the wand socket member thereof would occupy when the attachment
is in use;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the
line 3--of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view, with most of the base plate thereof
broken away to show internal structural details, of the cleaning
nozzle attachment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 5--5
of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5a is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view, similar to
FIG. 5 but with portions of the attachment removed, showing
additional structural details of the wheel extending mechanism;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view taken along
the line 6--6 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view, with portions broken away to
show internal details, of the attachment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2
and 4;
FIJG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to FIG. 5,
showing an alternate construction of the mechanism of the
attachment for extending the wheels to a lowered position which
stabilizes the attachment when the wands and wand socket are
pivoted to an upright position;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, similar to
FIG. 8 but with portions of the attachment removed, showing
additional structural details of the wheel extending mechanism;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the portion of the
nozzle attachment shown in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, similar to FIG. 10,
showing an alternate cross sectional shape for the guideways of the
attachment;
FIG. 12 is a horizontal sectional view, with a portion thereof in
elevation, through one of the wheels and an alternate guide
construction of the attachment; and
FIG. 13 is an end view of the guide illustrated in FIG. 12.
Briefly described, the present invention contemplates a novel
cleaning nozzle attachment or accessory tool, which is primarily
adapted for use with a canister-type suction cleaner, although it
is also suited for use with the so-called central or built-in type
systems. Such attachment, to be hereinafter described in detail,
includes a nozzle body having a suction opening in the underside
thereof adjacent to the front end of the body, and a hollow socket
member that is centrally pivotally mounted at the rear of the body.
The socket member communicates with the suction opening in the
underside of the body and has a tubular portion for receiving one
end of a plurality of connected tubular wands. Agitating means in
the form of an electric motor-driven brush roll, is rotatably
mounted in a chamber in the body above the suction opening and is
operable when driven to impart a beating and brushing action to the
rug or carpet being cleaned.
In order to permit the nozzle body to float on and thus assume an
optimum position with respect to the surface of the rug or carpet
being cleaned, a lost motion connection is provided between the
nozzle body and the wand socket member. Such lost motion connection
includes at least one and preferably a pair of vertically
extending, transversely spaced guideways in the nozzle body for
slidably receiving the end portions of an axle mounted in the body.
Bearing means are mounted on the end portions of the axle and are
vertically shiftable in the guideways. A pair of wheels are also
mounted on the axle between the socket member and the guideways. In
one embodiment, the guideways are substantially circular in cross
section and the bearing means comprise substantially spherical
guides. Consequently, the axle may rock in a transverse plane
through the guideways. In another embodiment, the guideways are
non-circular in cross section and the bearing means comprise disks
having substantially the same cross sectional shape as the
guideways. Consequently, in this embodiment, little or no rocking
movement of the axle can occur in the plane of the guideways.
The downward component of the thrust force applied to the wands by
a user is prevented from being applied to the nozzle body by
locating the axle on the socket member so that the axis of the axle
is substantially intersected by the axis of the connected
wands.
The nozzle attachment, to be hereinafter described in detail, also
includes mechanism for extending the wheels to a lowered position
with respect to the underside of the nozzle body when the wands and
wand socket member are pivoted to a substantially upright position.
Such mechanisms includes at least one ramp carried by the nozzle
body and at least one abutment carried by the socket member and
movable into engagement with the ramp as the socket member is
pivoted to an upright position. Releasable retaining means is also
provided for releasably retaining the wheels in the lowered
position. In one embodiment, the releasable retaining means
comprises a depression in the ramp and spring means for engaging
and biasing the abutment into the depression. In another
embodiment, the releasable retaining means comprises a shoulder on
the ramp.
In FIG. 1, a rug and carpet cleaning nozzle attachment embodying
the features of the present invention is illustrated and indicated
generally at 20. In the illustrated arrangement, the attachment 20
is shown connected to a canister-type suction cleaner 21 and will
be described hereinafter in connection with such cleaner. It should
be understood however, that the attachment 20 could also be used
with some other suitable source of vacuum, such as a central or
built-in cleaning system.
In order to facilitate manipulation of the attachment 20 over the
surface of a rug or carpet to be cleaned, the lower end of at least
one and, in the present instance, a pair of connected tubular wands
22 and 23, is connected to the tubular portion 24 of the socket
member 25 that is novably mounted in the attachment 20. One end,
indicated at 26, of a length of flexible hose 27 is shown connected
to the upper end of the connected wands 22 and 23, and the opposite
end, indicated at 28, of the hose is shown connected to the inlet
of the cleaner 21.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 in conjunction with FIG. 1, it
will be seen that the attachment 20 comprises a generally box-like
housing or body 36 having a transverse dimension that is
approximately twice as great as its longitudinal dimension. As used
herein the terms "longitudinal" and "transverse" relate to the
normal direction of movement of the housing 36 over a rug or carpet
when the attachment is in use, i.e. forward and backward movements
of the attachment would be in a "longitudinal" direction and
sideways movements of the attachment would be in a "transverse"
direction. A base plate 37 is detachably secured to the underside
of the body 36 and is provided with an elongated aperture or
suction opening 38 therein adjacent the front end, indicated at 42,
of the housing and extending transversely with respect thereto. As
will be described more fully hereinafter, the socket member 25 is
centrally mounted in the nozzle body 36 adjacent the rear end,
indicated at 33, thereof. A brush roll 43 having beater and brush
elements, respectively indicated at 40 and 41, thereon, is
rotatably mounted in a chamber 44 in the housing 36 so as to
communicate with the opening 38 and to exert a beating and sweeping
action on the surface of a rug or carpet underlying the opening 38
when the attachment is in use. A central outlet port 46 is formed
in a rear wall 47 of the chamber 44, and a length of flexible hose
48 connects the port 46 with the inclined inner head, indicated at
52 in FIG. 5, of the tubular portion 24 of the wand socket member
25. Thus, suction at the inlet of the cleaner 21, or from some
other source, is communicated through the wands 22 and 23 to the
chamber 44 and hence to the suction opening 38 of the attachment
20.
In order to effect rotation of the brush roll 43, drive means in
the form of an electric motor 53 (FIG. 4) is mounted in the housing
36, and the output shaft thereof, indicated at 54, is connected to
the brush roll 43 by a belt 56 which extends around the shaft 54
and a pulley 57 connected to the brush roll 43.
Power is supplied to the electric motor 53 through a length of two
or three conductor electrical cord 58 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4), which may
be terminated either with a standard two or three conductor plug
which will connect to a standard 120 volt A.C. wall outlet or may
be terminated with a special use two or three conductor plug 66
which will allow the unit to be attached electrically to only a
special use mating receptacle 59 mounted in the canister housing,
indicated at 55, of the cleaner 21. The receptacle 59 is internally
connected to the line cord, indicated at 60, of the cleaner 21, and
power to the receptacle 59 may be controlled by the same switch
(not shown) that controls the operation of the cleaner 21. The
latter switch may be controlled by a foot-actuated treadle 61 at
one end of the cleaner.
When the attachment 20 is receiving power from the receptacle 59,
the plug 66 is connected to a receptacle (not shown) in the end 26
of the flexible suction hose 27. Electrical conductors (not shown)
extend throughout the length of the hose 27 and are preferably
integrated into the reinforcing structure thereof.
The electrical conductors in the hose 27 emerge from a boss 67
thereon adjacent the cleaner end 28 thereof as a separate wire 68
having a plug 72 at the end thereof. The plug 72 may be a standard
two or three conductor plug which may be directly connected to a
conventional 120 volt A.C. wall outlet or it may be a special use
two or three conductor plug, which will only allow connection to a
mating special use receptacle on the canister housing. The flow of
current to the receptacle 59 and hence to the plug 72 and
electrical motor 53 of the attachment 20, is controlled by the same
switch that controls the operation of the cleaner 21.
In the interests of safety and in order to improve the appearance
of the attachment 20 when the latter is receiving power from the
receptacle 59, the cord 58 is preferably enclosed in a channel 63
(FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), which extends along the connected wands 22 and
23 an which is releasably secured thereto as by releasable metal
clips 64.
In order to prevent any downward thrust components from being
applied to the body 36 of the attachment 20 when the latter is in
use and to permit the body to float on the surface of a rug or
carpet being cleaned and thus assume an optimum cleaning position
with respect thereto, a novel lost motion connection is provided
between the socket member 25 and nozzle body 36. Such lost motion
connection, in the present instance, comprises an axle 73 (FIGS.
4-7, inclusive) which is carried in a transversely extending bore
74 in a generally cylindrical boss 76 formed integrally with the
socket member 25. The bore 74 and boss 76 are located so that the
axis of the axle 73 is substantially intersected by the axis of the
tubular portion 24 of the socket member 25 are hence by the axis of
the connected wands 22 and 23.
Rug and carpet engaging means comprising at least one and
preferably a pair of wheels, respectively indicated at 77 and 78,
are rotatably mounted on the axle 73 adjacent the boss portion 76
of the socket member 25. Each of the wheels 77 and 78 has an
enlarged hub 79, and the axial end faces of each hub 79 serve as
bearing surfaces for the wheels.
The outer ends, indicated at 81 and 82 in FIG. 7, of the axle 73
adjacent the wheels 77 and 78, respectively, extend through a pair
of vertical slots 84 in a pair of transversely spaced,
longitudinally extending wall sections 86 (FIG. 4) of the housing
36, and into a pair of substantially vertically extending
guidewayss 87 and 88 (FIGS. 4, 6 and 7) formed in enlarged bosses
92 on the laterally outer sides of the wall portions 86. The
guideways 87 and 88 are circular in cross section and are of a
length substantially equal to that of the vertical height of the
housing 36 (FIG. 6). Movement of the ends 81 and 82 of the axle 73
in the guideways 87 and 88 is provided for by bearing means in the
form of a pair of spherical guides 93 and 94, which are
respectively mounted on the ends 81 and 82 of the axle and which
are axially shiftable on said ends. Thus, the guides 93 and 94,
control movements of the axle 73 in a substantially vertical plane
passing through the slots 84 and guideways 87 and 88 and, because
of their spherical form, permit the axle 73 to rock to limited
extent in the aforementioned plane. The guides 93 and 94 are
retained in the guideways 87 and 88 by a pair of retainers 96,
which may be removably secured to the bosses 92 as by screws
97.
With the foregoing construction, it will be apparent that when the
attachment 20 is in use and is being manipulated over the surface
of a rug or carpet by the wands 22 and 23, the nozzle body 36 is
free to rise and fall on the surface of the rug or carpet being
cleaned with changes in the thickness or resiliency of the pile of
the rug or carpet due to the lost motion connection between the
nozzle body 36 and socket member 25. In other words, since the
guides 93 and 94 are freely vertically movable in the guideways 87
and 88, the nozzle body 36 is likewise free to move vertically
relative to the wheels 77 and 78 as the attachment is manipulated
over the surface of a rug or carpet being cleaned. Consequently,
the housing 36 will bodily "float" on the surface of a rug or the
pile of a carpet being cleaned and is easily pushed or manipulated
on the rug or carpet. In addition, since the axle 73 is located in
the socket member 25 so that the wheel axis is substantially
intersected by the axis of the connected wands 22 and 23, the
downward component of the thrust force exerted on the wands is
prevented from being applied to the nozzle body 36. Moreover, since
the guides 93 and 94 will accommodate a limited amount of rocking
movement of the axle 73 in the plane of the guideways 87 and 88,
the nozzle body 36 will adapt itself to any irregularities in the
surface of the rug or carpet being cleaned so that an optimum
cleaning action is at all times obtained. In FIG. 7, the axle 73,
guide 93, and wheels 77 and 78 of the attachment 20 are shown in
broken lines in the positions they might occupy when the nozzle
body 36 is traversing a rug or carpet having an irregular surface
so that the axle is caused to rock in the plane of the guideways 82
and 87. The aforementioned broken line positions of the axle 73,
guide 93, and wheels 77 and 78 are respectively indicated at 73',
93', 77' and 78' in FIG. 7.
In order to improve the stability of the attachment 20 if a user's
grip on the wands 22 and 23 should be released when the latter are
in their upright position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the hose
27 is connected to the wands and to prevent deformation of the
bristles 41 on the brush roll 43 when the attachment is in storage
or resting on a hard surface, the attachment includes mechanism,
indicated generally at 100 in FIG. 5, for extending the wheels 77
and 78 to a predetermined lowered position with respect to the
underside of the nozzle body 36. The mechanism 100 thus comprises
at least one and preferably a pair of transversely spaced ramps 103
and 104 (FIGS. 5a and 7) carried on the underside of the top wall
of the housing 36, and a pair of abutments in the form of a pair of
transversely outwardly extending, coaxial pins or trunions 105 and
106 on the socket member 25.
The ramps 103 and 104 have inclined surfaces 110 which respectively
coact with the pins 105 and 106 to exert a downward force on the
socket member 25 as the tubular portion 24 thereof is swung to an
upright position by the wands 22 and 23. Thus, when the tubular
portion 24 of the socket member 25 is in its upright inoperative
position illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the wheels 77 and 78 will
be positively shifted to their lowermost or fully downwardly
extended position, as shown in full lines in FIGS. 2 and 5.
Consequently, the rear end 33 of the nozzle body 36 is elevated
sufficiently so that when the body 36 is resting on a horizontal
surface, represented by the line 111 in FIG. 2, it will be
supported on such surface by the wheels 77 and 78 and by the front
edge, indicated at 112 in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, of the base plate 37.
When so supported, the attachment 20 is stable and rests on a
substantially triangularly-shaped base. The attachment is therefore
less likely to be accidentally knocked over than if the wheels 77
and 78 were not extended and, because the rear end of the body 36
is elevated when the wheels are extended, the bristles on the brush
roll 43 are prevented from contacting and being deformed by a hard
surface.
In order to prevent undesired retraction on the wheels 77 and 78
due to accidental bumping or jarring of the wands 22 and 23 when
the latter are in their upright position illustrated in full lines
in FIGS. 2 and 5, releasable retaining means, indicated generally
at 115 ijn FIG. 5, is provided for releasably retaining the pins
105 and 106 in a predetermined position on the ramps 103 and 104
corresponding to the extended or lowered position of the wheels 77
and 78. Such releasable retaining means preferably comprises at
least one and preferably a pair of recesses 116 in the inclined
surfaces 110 of the ramps 103 and 104 for respectively receiving
the pins 105 and 106 when the pins have moved to a position on the
ramps corresponding to the fully extended position of the wheels 77
and 78. Spring means in the form of a pair of resilient arms 117
(FIGS. 4 and 5) are each secured at one end as by screws 118 to the
housing 36 so that the free ends, indicated at 119, of the arms
will engage and urge the pins 105 and 106 into the recesses 116.
Thus, the recesses 116 and resilient arms 117 coact to releasably
retain the pins 105 and 106 in the predetermined positions on the
ramps 103 and 104 when the tubular portion 24 of the socket member
25 and the wands 22 and 23, are pivoted fully to their upright,
full-line positions illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.
When it is desired to disengage the pins 105 and 106 from the
inclined surfaces 110 of the ramps 103 and 104 so that the wheels
77 and 78 are free to move relative to the housing 36 and the
latter is thereby free to float on the surface of a rug or carpet
being cleaned, a user need only pivot the wands 22 and 23 away from
the upright, full-line position thereof illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2
and 5 to or beyond the inclined broken line position 24' of the
tubular portion illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. Thus, as the tubular
portion 24 of the socket member 25 is moved away from its upright
position toward the aforementioned broken-line position 24', the
pins 105 and 106 move out of the recesses 116 and then separate
from the ramp surfaces 110. The disengaged position of the pin 106
from the ramp surface 110, corresponding to the inclined position
24' of the tubular portion of the socket member 25, is shown in
broken lines in FIG. 5 and indicated at 106'.
Referring now to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, an alternate construction is
illustrated and indicated generally at 125, for the releasable
retaining means 115 shown in FIG. 5. The releasable retaining means
125 comprises at least one and preferably a pair of shoulders or
flat portions 126 (FIGS. 8, 9 and 10) on the ramps 103 and 104, at
one end of the inclined surfaces 110, the pins 105 and 106 being
movable onto the surfaces 110 as the tubular portion 24 of the
socket member 25 is pivoted to its upright, full-line position
illustrated in FIG. 8. Thus, when the pins 105 and 106 are engaged
with the shoulders 126, the pins 105 and 106 will be frictionally
and hence releasably retained in a predetermined position on the
ramps 103 and 104 corresponding to the fully extended or lowered
position of the wheels 77 and 78.
When it is desired to disengage the pins 105 and 106 from the
shoulders 126 and inclined surfaces 110 so that the wheels 77 and
78 are free to move relative to the housing 36, a user need only
pivot the wands 22 and 23, and consequently the tubular portion 24
of the socket member 25, away from the upright positions thereof
illustrated in full lines in FIG. 8 until the tubular portion 24
reaches or moves beyond the inclined, broken line position 24'
thereof. The pins 105 and 106 will then be separated from the ramps
surfaces 110, and housing 36 will be free to move relative to the
wheels 77 and 78 and float on the surface of a rug or carpet being
cleaned.
Referring now to FIGS. 11-13, inclusive, an alternate guideway and
bearing construction is illustrated, for guiding movements of the
axle 73 with respect to the housing 36. Since the alternative
construction is symmetrical, only the portion thereof adjacent to
the right end of the axle, as viewed in FIG. 4, has been
illustrated in FIG. 11. The guideway, indicated at 131 in FIG. 11,
is similar to the guideway 87 shown in FIGS. 4-7 in that the former
is also formed in an enlarged boss 132 on the laterally outer side
of the housing wall portion 86. The guideway 131 differs from the
guideway 87 in that the former is rectangular, rather than
circular, in cross section. In addition, the bearing means, which
is movable in the guideway 131, is likewise rectangular in cross
section and closely fits the interior of the guideway 131.
Specifically, the bearing means is in the form of a disk-like guide
133 having a diameter substantially equal to the longitudinal
dimension of the guideway 131 and a thickness equal to the
transverse dimension of the guideway 131. Thus, when a pair of the
guideways 131 are employed in the housing 36 and a pair of the
guides 133 are mounted on the ends of the axle 73 and disposed in
the guideways 131, the axle 73 is incapable of any significant
amount of rocking movement with respect to the housing 36.
Consequently, the attachment 20 will exhibit handling
characteristics similar to that of a conventional upright
cleaner.
* * * * *