US2103054A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

B. c. BEczKi-:RfI

SUCTION CLEANER Dec. 21, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. l0, 1936 m N n INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec.'21,1937. B BECKER 2,103,054

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 10,1936 I' 2 sheets-sheet 2 vl2 i [2b l INVENToR Bernard ecferl Y 4,4?- m M L Patented nee. 21,1937- OFFICE- sUcrloN cLEANEn L Bernard C. Becker, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company; North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 1o, 193s, serial Ne. 63,131

c claims. A (ci. ls-ls) 'I'his invention relates to' improvements .in suc-4 tion cleaners and more particularly to Ysuction cleaners of the portable. handle maneuvered type and characterized by a wheeled casing supporting a motor driven fan for creating the suction applied at the nozzle into which the dirt-laden air is drawn and thence through the xfan to be discharged into'a dust collecting bag.

The object ofthe invention-is to provide an improved construction and design for suction cleaners, embodying the assembly of the bottom plate forming the nozzle opening and the adja' cent supporting wheels into a unit pivotally mounted on the cleaner casing for bodily move` ment relative thereto, and the pivotal mounting of said wheels on the bottom plate to permit their adjustment for varying the height of the nozzleabove the floor. p

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in'connection with the accom-"- panyingjdrawings inwhich: Y

Figure 1--is a general view in side elevation of the suctioncleaner embodying the invention with portions broken away and shown insection;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the forward portion of the cleaner; v

Figure 3.is an enlarged detailed view of the latch member for the bottom plate as taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailview in vertical section through one end of the nozzle as taken on line II-.l'of Figure l;

o Figure 5`is`a view in vertical section taken on line v5 5 of Figure 2, showing the bottom platel and carrier wheel assembly swung downwardly from the nozzle; .I f l Figure 6 is a perspective view of the bottom plate and carrier wheel assembly removed from the cleaner and Figure -7 is a bottom plan view of thecleaner similar to that of Figure 2, but with the bottom plate and carrier wheel assembly removed.

Referring to the cleaner in its general aspects, same comprises a casing I, generally cylindric in shape withv its axis extending horizontally. Integral with the [casing I and extending transversely across its forward end, is the nozzle section 2 with its end portion extended somewhat beyond the ycasing I and having a downwardly facing opening or suction mouth. l

The nozzle section 2 forms a chamber vsepararated from the main casing I by a vertical wall 2a, the space immediately behind this wall being open throughout substantially one-half the bot-l tom of the casing I, as clearlyvshown ,in Figures `2 and 7; the other half forming a chamber or passage I a extending rearwardly from the right vhard end portion lof the nozzle chamber and including the fan chamber ,4 and exhaust passage 5 terminating in a rearwardly opening flanged 5 outlet connection 5a to whichva dust collecting bag 6 is attached.

- The motor I is mounted lengthwise ofthe casing I with 'its axis horizontal and slightly eccentric to the axis of the casing. At one end of the 10 motor is the fan 8, mounted directly on an extension of the armature shaft of the motor, the fan being enclosed within the fan chamber I, forming a part of the front to rearv extending j passage Ia of the casing I, while the major por- 15 tion of the motor is exp'osed through the open bottom thereof.

Formed integral with the casing I and located on opposite sides thereof are laterally project-- ing housings 9 and IIJ extending forwardly and 20 downwardly with a slight convergence and iinally merging with the end portions of the nozzle section 2.as clearly shown in Figure 1. These housings or integral lateral extensions of the casf of lthe fan.

l'I'lie corresponding housing I0 on the opposite side of the casing. as shown in Figure 1 and on the left in, `Figure 7, provides a conduit for a 35 belt II engaging a drivepulley. IIa on the end lol? the'motorshaft and extending forwardly and engaging a rotary agitator `I2 extending length- 1 wise of the nozzle chamber. The agitatorIZ consists of a cylindric metal lshell journalled on an 40 axle I3, which in turn is supported at its ends in brackets I4, III secured to the end walls 'of the" nozzle section 2, thesebrackets being so formed as to permit the agitatory to be removed .through the bottom of the nozzle for adjustments or re- 45 pairs. On' theI surface of the agitator I2 is a pair of helically arranged projections or beater' bars I2a and a pair of diametrically opposed brushes I2b, neither ,of which need be described in detail since the agitator per se has long been in .common use. However, it is to be noted that the cylindric body of the agitator is grooved' at I2c to provide a pulley for the belt I I.

The cleaner issupported upon'wheels as already suggested. A par er wheels Is, ls suics n and wheels, there is fixed at each end of the axle ably journalled on a bracket I5a attached or ilxed to the underside of the casing form a caster-like same, as clearly shown in Figure 6, has some-4 what the appearance of a shallow pan increasing slightly in depth transversely or from front to rear and with its bottom open to form a suction mouth surrounded by narrow lips which contact the carpet around the opening. Extending from the upper rear edge of the body of the bottom plate is an extension I9 consisting largely of a pair of channel-like members I9a and I9b spaced inwardly a short distance from either end of the plate and having their side edges as well as the remaining edges of the extension I9 upturned to form shallow marginal flanges. And finally, as integral parts of the 'bottom plate I8 is a pair of supporting arms 20, 20 whereby the same are hinged or pivotally supported on the cleaner casing. These arms are preferably fiat blade-like members having their forward ends bent at right angles and fastened rigidly to the underside of the rearwardly projecting channel extensions I9a, I9b, as by rivets or spot welding and pivotally mounted at their rear ends on pivot' pins.

2I, 2| anchored in bosses 22, 22 adjacent the lower edge of the main casing I and directly beneath the central axis thereof.

For all practical purposes the bottom plate I8- may be considered as a one piece sheet metal stamping, although in actual practice it would Abe made up of several part's assembled into a unit as clearly shown in Figures l or 5 and in accord-l ance with the accepted practice in sheet metal working.

Now, as clearly shown in Figure 6, the wheel supporting axis extends just rearwardly of the extension I9. Referring to the means employed for completing the assembly of the bottom plate I1 an arm 23 extending radially and horizontally rearwardly therefrom; these arms having the form of sheet metal straps looped around the axle at 23a and locked thereto as by tongues I1a on the axle to prevent relative rotation. At the other end of the arms 23 are smaller loops 28h which engage pivot pins 24, 24 carried by the arms 20, 20' and extending laterally and outwardly at right angles thereto adjacent their for- Ward ends.

By this mounting, the wheels with their axle I1 are capable of swinging bodily in an arc about s the coincident axes of the pivot pins 24, 24 and toward and from the bottom plate, although the latter movement,` that is, in a downward direction, is resisted by a spring 25 (Figure 2) coiled about an extension 24a of one of the pivot pins 24, and having one end looped around the axle I1 and the other end hooked over the bottom edge of the adjacent arm 20.

. The springA 25 thus acts constantly to press or force the wheels to swing bodily and toward the underside of the bottom plate as clearly shown in Figure 1. However, the carrier wheels may be adjusted or shifted relative to the/bottom plate and. against the action of the spring 25 for the purpose of adjusting the heightk of the cleaner nozzle relative to the floor level by the applicathe contacting edges of tion of a more or less standard arrangement of a nozzle height adjusting device (Figure 5).

This adjusting device consists primarily of a verltically adjustable rod or stem 28 projecting downwardly through the top wall of cleaner casing I Vfor 'contact with the axle I1 midway between its ends and a manually operated adjusting knob 21 mounted on the -upper end of the stem, which is threaded so that -in turning the knob in one direction or the other the stemis shifted endwise in a corresponding direction, either forcing the wheels downwardly .and against the tension of the spring 25 or allowing the wheels to retract ina bracket 29 mounted on the yrear face of the wal1'2a at-the back of the nozzle chamber, the stem 26 having a keyway 26avengaged by a key 29a in the opening in the bracket 29 through which the stem extends, to prevent the rotation of the latter.

Now, since the bottom plate is capable of being swung bodily downward from its normal position in contact withthe under side of the casl ing I', it is necessary to seal the -contacting edges against air leakage. Thus the upstanding flanges 5 surrounding the end and front edges of the bottom plate I8 are covered and enclosed by a sealing strip 30 preferably of rubber and fashioned in U-shape. However, the flanged edges of the rearwardly extended portion I9 of the bottom plate, including the two channel shaped rearward projections I9a and I9b, are not covered with rubber sealing strips but, as clearly shown in Figure 7, the bottom edgesof vertical wall 2a conforms exactly .with flanged edges on the plate and the former are covered with strips 3l of rubber. In other words. the sealing strips are carried vin part by the bottom plate and in part by the casing, the result being an air-tight seal around the bottom plate and casing.

` Thus when the bottom plate is in closed position, the rearwardly projecting channel portions I9a, |917 thereof form the bottom wall of the two passages leading rearwardly andA upwardly on opposite sides of the casing I, the' passage at the left (in Figure 7') accommodating the driving belt I I for the agitator I2, wherehaving a ared entrance) conveys the dir t laden as the passage at the right (somewhat wider and air from the nozzle chamber into fan chamber and from thence into the exhaust passage 5 and finally into the dust bag'8.

And lastly, it-is desirable to provide means for locking the bottom plate in a closed position,'this being accomplished by a latch member 32 pivoted on a bracket 33 attached' to the inner face of the forward lip of the plate and, projecting through a longitudinal slot 33a, has an external finger piece 32a whlchlies flush in a recess in the bottom surface of the cover plate as is clearly shown in Figure 3; Adjacent the pivot of the latch member is a locking'head 34 projecting from the inner surface of the front wall of the nozzle section 2 and engaged by the latch member to hold the bottom plate in closed position. Thus, when it is desiredto release the bottom plate, the latch member 32 is swungdownwardly as shown in Figure 5. f

The advantage of the herein describedv bottom plate and carrier wheel assembly; aside from providing a convenientL means of access to the agitator and nozzle chamber, materially simpliiies the cleaner construction by utilizing the pivotally mounted bottom plate as the supporting structure for the carrier wheels-.which are in turn plvotally mounted to cooperate withy the.

nozzle height adJusting device.

Having disclosed the preferred embodiment of the invention I claim as my invention:

1. lIn a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing having a Inozzle extending transversely thereof and open-atits bottom, a plate adapted ,l to seat over the opening to said nozzle and slotted to form a suction mouth, 4said plate having arms extending rearwardly and plvotally connected with said casing whereby saidv plate vmay*` be swung downwardly from its normal position, wheels for supporting ysaid casing including anaxlehaving arms extending radially therefrom Y .and plvotally, mounted -on said plate, tension means acting to retain said axle in a predete`rl mined position relative to saidplate' and means4 mounted on said casingeand adapted to engage said axlefor shifting ,the same bodily relative to Vsaid plate. f

2. In, a suction/"cleaner, Athe combination of a casing having a`n'ozzle extending transversely thereof and open at its bottom. a bottom plate` adapted to seat over the opening to said nozzle and adapted to form asuction mouthfsaid plate v having arms extending rearwardly and plvotally' connected to said casing whereby said plate may be swung downwardly 'from itsnormal position,`

wheels. supporting said casing including an axle extending transversely thereof and rearwardly\ of said nozzle, said axle having radially disposed arms plvotally mounted onsaid bottom plate.

supporting arms, tensionl meansactlng-to force said axle toward vsa-idgl'alate and means mounted o'n said casing and operative. to shift-'said axlev and wheels bodily` fromfsaidbottom plate and against the tension ofsaid'spring.

3. In .a suction cleaner, the combination-Volga casing having' a 'downwardly opening nozzlel chamber, a bottom plate 'normally adapted "to lit over the opening o t said nonne chamber isoform 4. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing having Aa vdownwardly opening nozzle chamber, a bottom' plate extending over the opening 'of said nozzle chamber and having a slotted portion forming the suction mouth therethe latter in its normalvv bf, saidplate having arms extending rearwardly and plvotally connected tosid casing, brackets plvotally 'mounted onf said bottom plate, wheels.

`.'ournalled at the free ends of said bracket, and

means carried by said casing for adjusting said` lwheels vertically with respect'to said casing. 5. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing-having anozzle chamber, a bottom plate having a portion extending over said nozzle chamber and rearwardly extending arms pivot- .ally connected to \said casing, an axle extending transversely beneath -said bottom plate -rearwardly of said nozzle chamber, wheels Journalled at the free ends of said axle,` and axle supporting brackets plvotally mounted on said bottom Vplate'a'djfaceut the pivoted ends of said arm,and

' .means for swinging said wheel supporting axle and brackets bodily'with respect to said bottom pme.

6. Ina-suction cleaner, the combination of a casing lhaving a downwardly facing .no le chamber, a bottom plate forming the suct on mouth of4 said nozzle chamber and havin rearwardly extending arms plvotally connecte with said'oasin'g, an' axle having radially extending i arms' plvotally mounted at their endstofsaidv bottom plate rearwardly of said nozzle chambe/r, wheels iournalled on said axle, and an adjusting screw carried by said casing in vertical alignment with-said axle and adapted to contact the same ,to ellect the vertical` adjustment of said wheels -relativ'eto said casing. 'T 3 naar:l o. anomalal l.'

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