US2048518A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

July 21, 1936. -J. L. RAY

SUCTION CLEANER 7 Filed June: 9, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet i 1 a 3 m) t z :Ioqeph I). Buy

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' SUCTION CLEANER Filed June 9, 1934 WWweu July 1, 1936. J L, AY 2,048,518

SUCTION CLEANER Filed June 9, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gvwc/whmv Joseph L. Ray WiVfledb:

W 7 WW Patented July 21, 1936 SUCTION diLEANER i I. v Joseph L. Bay, New York; N.'='Y., as'sign'or to The Singer Manufacturing; 'Company,; .Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of NewJersey Application June 9, 1934, Serial Ni). 72iiifi4ii I 3 .Claims.

This invention relates to suction cleaners of the type embodying a motor-driven suction-fan and fan-casing supported on wheels andhavin'g a forwardly extending suction mouth or nozzle and anupwardly and rearwardly extending handle whereby the machine may be propelled over the floor or floor-covering to be cleaned.

In floor cleaners 'of the type in question it is customary to provide for theraising and lowering oft-he suction' 'nozzle relative to the floor surface or covering to be operated upon, by the incorporsnonor -mean's for vertically adjusting the axis ofone or more of the supporting wheels relative to the frame or "casing of the machine.

Floor coverings vary considerably in thickness and texture and, for the eificient cleaning thereof, it is desirable that the height of the suctionnozzle of the cleaner be adjusted to suit the particular floor covering being operated upon.

" In moving the cleaner about from one iio'o'r covering to another. there may be need for adjustment of the nozzle height and unless this ad- -3 stment be made quickly and conveniently, "it is likely to be neglected, witha resulting IO SS eificiency the operation of the machine.

The} present invention has for an object vto prance means for adjusting the nozzle height of a suction cleaner which may be so conveniently and -i' uickly operated to secure any desired adjustment, as to materially reduce the likelihood of its being neglected by the user in the normal day-by-day use of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that any desired adjustment may be instantly made by a single and quickly executed movement of an adjusting knob or handle, without the necessity of prior or subsequent manual operation of clamping or holding devices for maintaining the adjustment against displacement while the cleaner is in use.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a suction cleaner embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the rearwardly disposed wheeled truck for supporting the cleaner. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Figs. 4 and 5 are,

respectively, sections on the lines 44 and 5 :5, Fig... 2. Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the ad'- Il'listing "deyice a plane at right angles to the pramiorme section shownin Fig. 3. Fig. '7 is 'a disassembled perspective view 'of the guide, '5

screw andvroliower elements of the adjusting device; Fig. '8 is a disassembled perspective view of the handle and yielding detent elements of the device. Fi'gf'9 is a side elevation of the screwv element alone, and Fig. to is a disassembled er- 1'0 isfpectiveview of the bea'riii'g.fplat'e for the rearwardIy disposed wheeled truck of the cleaner.

In the preferred embodiment of the inventi'on illusti 'atedfthere is. a inain body or frame I including a motor-driven suction-fan 2 and fanhaving a forwardly projecting and downanaesthetics-nozzles} mouth 4. The main body .i is supported in from by thei'f rwardIy disposed fiair 'of wheels 5 and in rear by the pair of wheels 6. The usual prope ling handle 1 is pivoted to the 2'0 body 1 at a and s dust-bag efis connected to the 'd t-dis'charge "outlet 10 of the suction-fan casing 3.

" The forwardly disposed wheels 5 are journaled on assessment but coaxial i bearing studs i I. at

iiriderj's'ideofthebodyjl. The rearwardlydispo 1d greens are liquinale d on apivoted truck rinsing stained. and offset ends I2 carried bytii erase-"sins 12* 6f a pivot-shaft 13 which is journaled in the grooved bearing plate I4 screwed to the under side of the body I. The alined and offset ends [2 of the pivot-shaft I3 are parallel to the pivotal axis of such shaft and are off-set to the rear of such pivotal axis. The bearing plate I4 has in its shaft-receiving groove I 5 a central pocket 16 in which is disposed a rubber block I! which presses the shoe I8 against the shaft l3 with sufiicient pressure to frictionally hold the shaft against turning in the bearing plate when the cleaner is lifted from the floor for any reason. 7

Projecting from one side of the main body or frame I, adjacent the dust-discharge outlet i0, is a vertically bored lug [9 in which is fixed a cylindrical bushing 20 having the diametrically opposed vertical guide-slots 2| extending straightaway longitudinally of such bushing.

Rotatably mounted in the guide bushing 20 is the tubular screw-member 22 having a flange 23 at its lower end, a central hole 24, a reduced neck 25, and a pair of diametrically opposed screw-slots 26 extending spirally upwardly from the lower end of such screw-member and terminating in the end-stop walls 21.

The screwa slots 26lhave a steep pitch whichin the present instance is about 33. V

Slidablyfitted in'the hole 24 in the tubular screw-member 22 is agscrew-followerrrod 28 in which is fixed the screw-follower cross-pin 29 which extends laterally in opposite directions from the rod 28 through the 'spiralscrew-slots 26 in the member 22 and has reduced terminal 7 portions 30 on which are journaled antic-friction rollers 3| received'in the guide-slots 2| 'in thebushing 20.

A manually operated adjusting handle 32 is fixedly secured to the'reduced neck 25 ofthe screw-element 22. A spring-pressed 'detent in" the form of a ball 33' is housed in the handle :32 and is urged downwardly by the spring 34 tures39, Figs. 3

ing the rear wheels 6;

bushing 20."

and pressure-head 35' upon the circular detent plate 36 having a circular series of detent holes 31 therein and a pair of downwardly struck positioning lugs 38 which enter positioning aperand 7, in the uppersend of the It will be observed that the lower end of the follower rod 28'is roundedand bears upononer of the crank-arms I2 .01 the pivoted truck carry- By' a swiftly executed motion of thelhandle 32 thejope'rator may infstantly raise or lower the rear end of the body l relative to theaxis of they rear wheels 6, there by lowering or raising the nozzle 4 from the surface being operated upon; The motion of the handle 32 in a" counterclockwise direction [to r V elevate the 'nozzle'4 is limited by engagement of 1 the rollers 3| with the end-stop .walls. 2710f the screw-slots, The motion of thejhandlej32inithei reverse direction is limited by engagementf'with the frame casing adjacent the dust-discharge (outlet 10. The" extreme range of motion of the handle 32 coveringthe full range of adjustment 'of the nozzle 4, isless thanpne completerevoluti on; being in; the present instance about 190. "Thus the desiredadjustmentmay be" very easily and quickly effected. rFurthe'rmore by combining the spring-pressed; detent 33, 36 with the steeply pitched screw 22,-the adjustment is automatically held against' displacement: notwithstanding the tendency of the reverse or 'reactionary pressure of the rod 28 upon the screw 22 to turn the latter, yet the adjustment may be instantly changed without the necessity of manipulating special adjustment holding nuts;

screws or the like, prior'and subsequent to the actual adjusting'operationpA spring 40 is preferably disposed in the hole 24 in the screw-element 22 between the upper end of the rod 28 and the handle 32 to partially offset or counter,

balance the upward thrust on the rod 28 by the underlying crank-arm I2 of thepivoted truck.

Having thus set forth the nature of'the invention, what I claim herein i51 .1. An adjusting device fora vacuum-cleaner support comprising,a main body, a bushing fixed in said main body and having a guide -slot'extending longitudinallythereof; a spirally slotted *tubular' adjusting'screw journaled in saidbushing, a screw follower rod slidable longitudinally of and within said tubular screw, and a screw-i follower projecting laterally from said rod through I the spiral slot in said tubular screw and into the longitudinal guide-slot in saidbushing; said ffollower rod being adapted t0: sustain the. up-

ward thrustof avacuum cleanergsupport.

2.An adjusting device'for a vacuumcleanen supportcomprising, a main body; a cylindrical bushing fixed in said main body andhaving a pair of diametrically opposed guide-slots therein extending straightaway longitudinally thereof, a

slots therein extending: spirally longitudinally thereof; and. a follower rod slidablelong itudlnally tubular member journaled'inlisaid bushing and having azpair'of diametrically 'opposedfscrewo ofand within saidtubular'vmember, a cross-pin screw slots and intofsa'id guide-slots, said .f olhired in said rod and, extending through saidf lower rod'being adapted 'tofsustain theupward thrust of a vacuum cleanerfsupport. V j, 3. An adjusting device for a vacuum cleaner support comprising a body having a cylindrical bearing aperture "and aguideway in, thew'all of such aperture, a' spirally slotted tubular adj'usting screw journaled in said aperture -agscrew E follower rod slidable longitudinally'ofand within said tubular screw, and a screw-follower proj ecting laterally 7 from said follower-rod through said screwand into saidfguideway, said followerrod being adapted to sustain the upward thrust .of ava uum cl a r lp o g I QJOSEPHL.

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