US1676782A - Brush munting for suction cleaners - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1928.

' B. B. JACKSON BRUSH MOUNTING FOR sUcTIoN CLEANERS Filed April 15, 1922 New.

J5 Z0 J6? Jug,

Patented July '10, 1928.

BENJAMIN IB. JACKSON, OF DELPHI, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T THE MARVEL COMPANY, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION 0F INDIANA.

BRUSH MOUNTING FOR SUCTION CLEANERS.

Application filed April 15, 1922. Serial No. 552,909.

The present invention is designed to increase the efficiency of suctioncleaners.- It is primarily intendedy for incorporation 1n cleaners of the type wherein a rotating fan 5- is employed for creating the requisite suction, although adapted for use with cleaners of other types. Suction cleaners of the fan type usually embody an electric motor forl actuating the fan; in others, the fan is ac. tuated through the medium of a gear train interposed between the bearing wheels and the fan. As an adjunct generally to Such machines they embody also a rotating brush in association with the nozzle for loosening the dust or dirt in the fabric or surface being cleaned` whereby to perimt the fan more readily to lift the dust or dirt and 4convey it to theusual collecting receptacle included as a part of the machine equipment.4 The practicalv value of these brushes ordinarlly 1s not fully attained. The loosening of the dust or dirt is dependent upon the proximity of the ends of the brush bristles to the fabric or surface on which the machine is operating. -This proximity, in turn, is dependent upon the mounting of tlie'brush in relation to the nozzle, or adjustment of the nozzle relatively to the fabric or surface. For this purpose means are provided whereby the nozzle may be elevated or lowered in relation to the fabric or surface, or adjustable supporting means, usually inthe form yof adj ustable bearings for the brush, are provided. In the ,positioning of the nozzle with respect to the fabric or surface, or adjustment of the supporting means for the brush, the hbristles engage the surface of the fabric relatively closely, and the cleaning action of the bristles is at the maximum` at the time such adjustment is made. However, as the lbristles Wear down their contact with the surface becomes less close, and their cleaning power relatively is reduced. The maximum cleaning effect, therefore, only can bevrestored by manual adjustment of the nozzle or the brush supporting means to position the axis of the brushnearer to the surface, andthereby againv bring the endspof the bristles into 'closej engagement with the surface. But las vwear'continues on thebristlesrepeated manual4 adjustment is. required;` otherwise,` the brush fails to function properly in loosening the dirt and dust, and the cleaning value of themachine materially is reduced.

Furthermore,l machines such as above described and equipped have relatively little value in picking up lint,'threads, and similar light particles. Moreover, these Inachines require driving connections between the fan motor or the bearing wheels and the m brushes for operating the latter, thus entailing added expense of construction and maintenance, and increasing the number of operative parts susceptible to derangement and necessitating repair.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the objectionable features above outlined and to provide an improved brush for suction cleaners which is self-adjustable. This permits the brush to accommodate itself to inequalities or unevenness in the surface on which the machine is opl erating, whereby constantly to remain in contact with such surface, and to insure the maximum cleaning action of the brush in respect thereto. l

' A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of brush and mounting therefor by which gearing intermediate of the same and the drivingfmotor or bearing wheels is entirely eliminated, thebrush serving to drive itself by direct contact. with the surface rather than through the motor or bearing wheels. v

The invention also aims to provide an improved form of brush and its mounting by which the brush is suspended resilientl in association Withthe machine nozzle to a apt it readily to yield, and at the same time to conform to the surface over which itis being moved in theoperation of the machine.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the improvements isbetter i understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel construction,- combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claim. f f v V t The present disclosure is intended` tojdelineate a `practical `embodiment of the' invention, but the latterV is 'not Vrestricted tosuch embodiment and is susceptible of incorporation in other forms within the inventive concept. Therefore, the form illustrated and described herein is to be considered only from an illustrative standpoint.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of the suction nozzle of a suction cleaner equipped with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the connection of one end of the brush with one of theoperating rollers thereof;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5-5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a. detail perspective view ofk one of the roller bushings.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 10 designates the suction throat of a suction cleaning machine, preferably of the non-electric type;

-11 the fan casing thereof, and 12 the elongated nozzle carried by the throat 10. These parts are ofl usual construction, and further description thereof need not be made. v

The bottom of the suction nozzle 12 is open in order to form the mouth through which thedust and dirt are drawn into the throat 10 by the action of the rotating fan found in machines of this character, and within said mouth is arranged a rotating brush 13 provided with spirally disposed bristles 14. It will be observed that the greatest diameter, of the brush 13 is at a point mid-way between its ends, fromv which point the brush 14 tapers in diameter to its extremities. The purpose of thispresently will appear. The core of the brush 13 preferably is formed of wire of suitable gauge, a pair of strands 15 being twisted together, as illustrated in enlarged detail in Fig. 4, the bristles being held between the several twists of the strands 15. At the extremities of the core the ends of these strands are bent at right angles to the core, and in opposite directions to each other to provide engaging lugs 16, which lugs are received 'by oppositely disposed slots 17 formed in the inner ends of roller bushings 18. One of these bushings is mounted at each end of the brush 13, and each of said bushings is also rotatably mounted on an inwardly projecting stud 19, one of which is formed at each end of the nozzle 12. The bushings 18 are surrounded by elastic sleeves 20, formed prefer- \ably,o,f rubberin order to frictionally engage the surface or fabric over which the machine is operating, and thereby establish the necessary traction with the surface orv fabric for driving the brush 13.

the core to the bushings.

The bushings 18 and the sleeves 20 thereof constitute the sole driving means for rotating the brush 13. It will be noted in this connection that the diameter of these driving rollers is less than the greatest diameter of the brush 13, and while the diameter of the brush gradually, tapers from its mid-portion to its extremities, the tapering portions of the brush likewise are of greater diameter than the driving rollers. This results in increased peripheral speed in the brush over the peripheral speed of the rollers. It will be understood that when `the machine is positioned on the surface to be cleaned the weight of the nozzle forces the driving rollers, made up of the bushings 18 and sleeves 20, into frictional engagement with, such surface. By reason of the tapering form of the brush, and the forcing of the bristles at the lower side of the brush intov engagement with the surface under weight of the nozzle, the core of the brush is sprung or bowed, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and this brings the extremities of the bristles at such lower side of the brush and throughout the length of the latter into horizontal alignment with the surface` As the nozzle moves over the surface the driving rollers are rotated, but due to the varying diameters of the driving rollers on the one hand, and the decreasingdiamet-er of the brush from its mid-portion to its ends on the other, the rollers and brush rotating at the same number of revolutions, the turning eEort of the driving rollers being greater than that of the brush, a slippage in the rotation of the brush takes place. In this slippage the bristles kick out individually, and in this movement they loosen the dust and dirt, ex-

erting a sweeping action on the surface being cleaned. Furthermore, the brush is connected directly with its driving elements so that the use of a train of gears between the driving elements and the brush is entirely eliminated.

By reason of the resiliency of the brush core the brush is mounted yieldingl within the nozzle 12 so-that the brush adsiusts itself automatically to inequalities and unevenness in the surface being cleaned. Due

to this resiliency of the brush core, there results a-maintenancelof close engagement of the bristles 'with the surface, increasingthe cleaning power of the brush, so lthat lint,

threads and similar light particles are picked up by the brush in a psltive manner to be conveyed by the suctionof the fan into and through the throat 10.

The self-adjustment of the brush enables the latter always to be in proper close contact with the floor or surface on which the machine is mounted regardless of the height of the nozzle above said floor or surface, the resilient core of the brush forcing the bristles against the floor or surface under weight of the nozzle whether the nozzle be close to or relatively elevated above the floor or surface. A further result of the bowing of the brush under the yielding action of the resilient core thereof is to throw the center of the brush into eccentric relation with the driving rollers at the ends of the brush.

Vith a suction cleaner equipped with a brush constructed in accordance with the present invention, and rcsiliently mounted in the nozzle thereof as contemplated by the present invention, there is provided a selfadjusting element for loosening the dirt and dust as the machine is moved over the surface to be cleaned, and this element is driven by its own contact with the surface or floor through the rollers associated with the brush and constituting the driving elements there-- of. This eliminates the interposition of driving gears between the bruz'h and the suction fan or ,the bearing wheels of the machine, so that the working parts of the machine are thereby reduced in number, and impairment of such parts with necessary repair thereof is overcome. The close proximity of the brush bristles with the surface or fioor, and the maintenance of this contact by reason of the resilient character of the core, enables the brush to pick up lint, y threads and similar light particles notwithbeing merely one'practical embodiment for the formation of the core, and 1ts convenient e standing the nozzle 12 may be relatively elevated thereabove.

In positioning the brush within the nozzle the core thereof is sprung sufficiently to permit the ends thereof to be inserted within the inner ends of the bushings 18, with the oppositely slots 17 of the bushings. The brush likewise, may be removed by springing the same sufficiently to withdraw the ends thereof from the bushings, so that introduction of the brush to and removal of the same from the nozzle 12 `is effected in a simple manner and without the use of any special tools.

lVhile the core of the brush has been illustrated and described as formed of twisted wire, it will be understood, of course, that this may be radically changed, this form adaptation to the purposes of the invention.

I claim: In a suction cleaner, the combination with the nozzle thereof, of a rotatable brush extending over the length of said nozzle,.

said brush having a flexible axle supported in the nozzle only at its ends, whereby said brush 4is yieldingly supported in the nozzle for lateral movement between its ends to be pressed and maintained by the weight of the nozzle in operative engagement with the surface to be cleaned, greatest diameter at its mid-portion and tapering from said mid-portion to its ends, and means for drivingsaid brush.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto l subscribed my name.

BENJAMIN B. JACKSON.

disposed lugs 16 fitted in the l said brush having its

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