US1472208A - Floor-cleaning machine - Google Patents

Description

www@ A. DWER FLOOR'4 CLEANING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5. '1922 2 Sheets-Shee'?l 1 immnimm Antonia awew". y y INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

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AL DAWER l FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE 'Filed Jan. 5,' 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fam/5a A 4 A fu w @WWW xNvENTpR ATTORNEY mum expenditure of manual labor.

ilented Get.. 30 l *ITED .STATES ANTONIO DAWER,

or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AsscfNoR To RICHARD H. WRIGHT, or' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLOOR-CLEANING SMAGHINE.

` Application led January 3, 1922. Serial No. 1526,721.

5 andV State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Floor- .Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

l This invention relates to meansfor clean` '10 ing floors'and the like and it has more particular reference to machines which are of thattype to effect the -scrubbing, washing andswabbing or drying of wpod, masonry, concrete and like floor surfaces with a mini- The primary object of this invention is to 'provide a novel form of floor cleaning machine which is automatic in action, that is to 1 say, a machine which when setinbperation will automatically andv simultaneously effeet the' operations of scrubbing, washing,

and swabbing or drying.

Another object of my invention 1s to provide a machine of the type referred to in the preceding paragraphvwhich is mechanically 'operated and only reguires manual labor to Figure 4 is an end elevation looking towards the left handof Figure 2.

Referring more particularly tothe views and in accordance with the embodiment of my invention show nlvco'nstruct arectangularframework or skeleton platform 5 from Vangle iro'n, the same 'being stepped intermediate its. ends to provide upper and lower portions 6, 7 respectively, that is to say, said portions are disposed in different horizontal planes. Rigidly secured to.and supported beneath the aforesaid skeleton platform by means of hangers or brackets .8 kis a second rectangular or plate framel 9 which is longitudina/lly .divided by a centrally disposed inverted T-bar or brace 10 and in ltransverse parallelism with the lateral portion 11 there of are guide bars 12 that are securely attached to the inner longitudinal wallsbf the said frame 9. These guide bars 12'and the lateral portion 11 of the T-bar or" brace l0 serve as runners for the reciprocable support ofprectangular and inverted ldished frames 13, said frames 13 being adaptedfor reciprocation by means of pitmen or connecting rods 14 pivotally connected between ,up-

move the same over the surface to be cleanedmtanding spaced lugs 15 thereon. These pit- Further objects of this invention are to provide. a floo cleaning machine which 1s 30 simple inconstructiom comparativelycheap to manufact-ure, and withal very .effective for the purposes had in view. .'With the foregoing and other objects 1n /yiew as will`become more apparent from r35 the'following description, this` invention consists essentially in lthenovel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and more specifically dened lby the appended claims.

In the further 4disclosure of the invention 'reference is to be had to the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings constituting a part of this specification and in which like characters ofreference designate the same 4:5l or'correspondingfparts in all theviews.

men or connecting rods 14 in turnare connected at their opposed ends to cranks 16 mounted on or securely attached to a-transverse shaft 17 journaled in bearings 18'supported by a transverseplatform 19 appropriately mounted on the upper edge and overhangingthe rear end of the aforesaid rectangular frame 9. Centrally of andfse-Q curely keyed or attached on the transverse shaft 17 is a worm wheel 2O driven directly by a worm- 21 on the armature shaft of a 'direct vor alternating current motor 22 arranged for connection to a suitable source of electric power by means o f a flexible cable or the like 23-Figure 1. Resiliently supported beneath each of the aforesaid dished frames 13 by means vertical bolts or rods 24 under theaction of compression springs 25 is a scrubbing brush 26 of appropriate fand'durable nature, the back 27 whereof is apertured with nested vertical perforatidns 28 for a purpose later on explained, and it will be readily seen that said brushes 26 may bezadjustedrelative to the frames 13 by means of the lock nuts 29.

Seated-in the lower portion 7 of the aforementioned skeleton platform 5 is a sheet wardly direct on of the scrubbing metal or other appropriate material tank that serves vto contain an adequate quantity of water andi-or-cleansingfluid to be used for cleaning purposes, and said tank 30 is provided with an appropriate non-return `lift valve or the like 31 connecting into a pipe and with a -shut-off cock 33 therein, said cock having a T discharge pipe 34 connecting into horizontallyT disposed lora'ncli pipes 35 entering the forward flanged ends 13 of the dished frames 13. It will of course be readilyT understood that the apertures or holes in the flanged ends 13' of the dished fra-mes 13 where the branch pipes 35 pass therethrough are of a diameter to permit the easy reciprocation of said frames 13 and superincumbent brushes 26, whilst the outlet ends of said branch pipes 35 may be slightly and downwardly curved as shown in Figure 2 so that the water and,-or-

cleansing fluid may be ejected or flow down-- to the perforated backs 27 brushes 26. Still further it isto be here particularly noted that the fforesaid scrubbing brushes 26 are preferi tray-like members ably fitted on their backs 27 with dished or 36 having perforar-te bottoms in register with the perforations 28 and circumscribing upstanding peripheral flanges 3T-Figures 2 and 3-whereby any wastage or sloppingI over of the water andor-cleansing fluid is prevented, whilstit will be observed that the brushes 26 are of a Width such .thate-when the. device is in use or loaded with water and cleansing ma! terial the bristles thereof will effectively clean all wall edges adjoining the surface under the cleaning operation.

The shut-off cock 33 isunder the control of the operator and to this end it is connected by means of a. rod or bar 38 pivoted to a key 39 on its stem with the manipulating handle LlO-I4`igi1re 2-the latter having a frictional connection 41 on the skeleton frame 5. This rod or bar 38 is elbowed or bent at 42 and attached to the manipulating handle 40 by an appropriate clamping sleeve 43, and it will be readily seen that when the handle 40 is lowered to move the machine about when in use the rod or bar 38 will effect the opening of the cock 33 and thereby permitting the water and--or-' cleansing;r fluid to flow intothe tray-.like members 36 from whence it will percolate or drain through the brush backs 27 and brushes 26 to the surface ,under courseof cleaning.

In order` to provide`an, effective means for swabbingup.. and removing the dirty Water and cleansing fluid from the floor as the scrubbing and cleaning operation progresses I arrange a transverse angle iron or fender 44 in the rear of the machine, said angle iron or fender 44 being supported from the underside of the platform 19 by rods or bolts 45 under the action of compressionsprings 46-Figure 2. Thisvangle iron or shoe 44 is provided'along its pendentl against or towards suct1on pipe 48 1s disposed transversely of the machine in front of the squcegee 47 and slightly raised relative to the surface or floor lover which the machine operates-so that the dirty water is impelled thereagainst whilst the said squeegee 47 cannot foul or contact therewith. The suction pipe 48 is joined by an appropriate pipe connection 49 to the suction end of a rotary pump l 50 suitably mounted or supported .from the underside of the platform'l9 and it is driven by a belt drive 5l direct from the aforesaid motor 22 by means of a' pulley 52 on the armature shaft 53 thereof. Leadingfrom 1' the outlet end of the rotary pump 50 is a pipe 54 which is upwardly directed to have its elbowed free end 55 arranged to discharge into a waste water tank or receptacle 56 seatingsnugly on the upper part G of the hereinbefore described skeleton frame or platform 5. i

The entire machineis suitably supported on casters' 5T whereby it 'may be easily moved about from place to place` and it will be readily understood that the tanks 30 and 56 may be provided with handles or the like whereby they may be conveniently removed for replenishmet or emptying respectively. In use and assuming that the machine has been connected up to an electric light or wall socket, and that the tank 30 has been filled with water, or water and cleansing fluid or compositiom. the operator will lower the manipulating handle 40 which will by means'of the rod or bar 39 effect the opening of the shut-off cock 33 and lift-valve 3l. This opening of the valve 31 allows the Water and--or-cleansing fluid to flow through the branch pipes 35` onto and through the'brushes 26 which are' being simultaneously reciprocated by the pitmen or connecting'rods l4being actuated from the motor 22 through the worm drive 21, 20, shaft 17 and cranks 16; Concurrently with the aforesaid movemeiitof the brushes 26 it will be understood that the rotary jpump 50 will. be driven by the belt drive 5l is moved forwardly the slop being moved forwardly bv the squeegee will be automatically sucked up and discharged into the waste tank 56. In practice it will be found that my improved floor cleaning machine Awill effect a thorough. cleansing of a Hoor by being slowly traveled forwardly thereover, and thereby effecting a great economy 1n time and labor.

Lemans A`Whilst I have shown and carefully described one practical embodiment of my invention the same is not to be conservatively construed in that -it will be obvious the same issusceptible of considerable variation. in structural details and the combination of the several parts without departing from its spirit or essential features; the right is therefore hereby reserved to make such structural changes or variations as fairly 'fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for cleaning floors comprising superposed frames the lower of which is mounted on casters, reciprocable scrubbingbrushes carried in said lower frame, cleaning and waste fluid tankssupported by the upper frame, means for automatically `openmg a supply connection from the cleaningfluid tank to the scrubbing brushes when the machine is in use, means for effecting the reciprocation of the aforesaid scrubbing brushes, andA suction means for removing the waste fluid from the floor after the cleaning operation and forcing same into the waste iuid tank.

2. A machine for cleaning floors comprising upper and lower connected frames the lower of which is mounted on casters, spring influenced parallel floor scrubbing brushes slidingly mounted in the lower frame, cleaning and waste Huid tanks supported by the upper frame, means for automatically opening a supply connection from the cleaning fluid tank to the scrubbin brushes when the machine is in use, means fgor effecting the reciprocation of the aforesaid scrubbing brushes, and suction means for removing fluid tank to the the waste fluid from the floor after the cleanslidingly mounted' in the lower frame, each of said brushes having a perforate back and upstanding surrounding ange, cleaning and waste fluid tanks supported b the upper frame, means forautomatica y openmg a supply connection from 'the cleaning scrubbing brushes when the-machine is in use, means for effecting the reciprocation of the aforesaid scrubbing brushes, and suction means for removing the Waste fluid from the floor after the ,cleaning operation and forcing same into the Waste fluid tank.

4. A machine for cleaning floors comprising upper and lower connected frames the lower of which is mounted on casters, inverted dished frames slidingly mounted in the lower frame,a spring influenced floor scrubbing brush having a perforate back and upstanding surrounding flange suspended belowseach of the aforesaid dished frames, cleaning and waste fluid tanks supported by the upper frame, means for automatically opening a supply connection from the cleaning fluid tank to the scrubbing brushes when the machine is in use, means for-effecting the reciprocat'ion of the aforesaid'scrubbing brushes, and suction means for removing the waste fluid from the floor after the cleaning operation and forcing vsame into the'waste fluid tank.

In testimony whereof I afx m signature.

l ANTONIO AWER.

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