GB2150423A

GB2150423A - Underwater brooms

Info

Publication number: GB2150423A
Application number: GB08330436A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Robert Panton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-11-15
Filing date: 1983-11-15
Publication date: 1985-07-03
Also published as: GB8330436D0

Abstract

In the cleaning of swimming pools, a broom is provided having a flap inclined to the direction of travel of the broomhead. The movement of the broom and hence the flap through the water produces a thrust on the broomhead towards the surface to be swept. The flap is hinged to move between two positions for operation in forward and reverse movements of the broom. The invention allows much more force towards the surface to be swept to be applied to the broomhead than without the flap, but with only a little more effort. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to underwater brooms One of the pieces of equipment devised for the cleaning of swimming pools is a long handled broom. The purpose of this broom is to sweep the bounding surfaces of the pool to move any extraneous matter such as algea or dirt so that the filtration system may remove them.

But this extraneous matter, generally speaking, is not just resting on these surfaces but adhering to them albeit sometimes only slightly. So the broom has to do more than just agitate the water to move the dirt; it has to press on the surfaces being cleaned with sufficient weight to physically dislodge it.

But as, of necessity, the handle of the broom is very long, a great effort by the sweeper is needed while still only producing a small weight on the head of the broom. Reference to Figure 1 on the accompanying drawing will show a typical situation drawn to scale.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this problem and to enable the operatorto apply much more weight to the head of the broom with only a little more effort And this desirable objective is achieved in the following manner.

A hydrofoil in the form of a hinged flap is attached, by it's hinges, along the length of the broom head and arranged so that, depending on the direction that the broom is moving, the flap inclines itself at such an angle to it's direction of travel that it's surface, applied to the inertia of the surrounding water produces a thrust on the broom head towards the surface being swept. And this thrust is much more than the sweeper could apply without the aid of the hydrofoil. The sweeper does have to make more effort on the broomhandle in an axial direction but this is much easier to do than to apply the awkward straining needed otherwise.

Reference to the accompanying drawing shows a typical arrangement of the hydrofoil in relation to the broomhead and broom handle. Figure 2 shows the position of the hydrofoil when the broom is moving in one direction, arrowed, and Figure 3 shows it's position when it is moving in the opposite direction.

In an alternative configuration the hydrofoil together with it's hinges could be made separately from the broomhead and attached to the broomhandle.

1. An attachmentforan underwater broom con- structed so that when attached to the broom, it will interact with the water so as to cause a sweeping head of the broom to press against a surface being swept when the broom is moved in a forward or reverse direction along said surface.

2. A broom for sweeping surfaces underwater comprising handle and a sweeping head, and an attachment attached to the broom and constructed so as to interact with the water so as to cause the sweeping head to press against the surface being swept when the broom is moved in a forward or reverse direction along said surface.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment ;s connected or connectable to the sweeping head.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment :s connected to the handle or connectable to a handle of the broom.

5. The invention as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the attachment comprises a hydrofoil.

6. The invention as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the attachment comprises a flap hingedly attached or attachable to the broom.

7. The invention as claimed in claim 6, wherein the flap is attached by one or more hinges to the sweeping head along its length.

8. An attachment for a broom for underwater use, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

9. A broom substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to underwater brooms One of the pieces of equipment devised for the cleaning of swimming pools is a long handled broom. The purpose of this broom is to sweep the bounding surfaces of the pool to move any extraneous matter such as algea or dirt so that the filtration system may remove them. But this extraneous matter, generally speaking, is not just resting on these surfaces but adhering to them albeit sometimes only slightly. So the broom has to do more than just agitate the water to move the dirt; it has to press on the surfaces being cleaned with sufficient weight to physically dislodge it. But as, of necessity, the handle of the broom is very long, a great effort by the sweeper is needed while still only producing a small weight on the head of the broom. Reference to Figure 1 on the accompanying drawing will show a typical situation drawn to scale. The object of the present invention is to overcome this problem and to enable the operatorto apply much more weight to the head of the broom with only a little more effort And this desirable objective is achieved in the following manner. A hydrofoil in the form of a hinged flap is attached, by it's hinges, along the length of the broom head and arranged so that, depending on the direction that the broom is moving, the flap inclines itself at such an angle to it's direction of travel that it's surface, applied to the inertia of the surrounding water produces a thrust on the broom head towards the surface being swept. And this thrust is much more than the sweeper could apply without the aid of the hydrofoil. The sweeper does have to make more effort on the broomhandle in an axial direction but this is much easier to do than to apply the awkward straining needed otherwise. Reference to the accompanying drawing shows a typical arrangement of the hydrofoil in relation to the broomhead and broom handle. Figure 2 shows the position of the hydrofoil when the broom is moving in one direction, arrowed, and Figure 3 shows it's position when it is moving in the opposite direction. In an alternative configuration the hydrofoil together with it's hinges could be made separately from the broomhead and attached to the broomhandle. CLAIMS