US2268059A - Sweeper - Google Patents

Description

E. D. PARKER ET'AL 4 Dec. 3o, 1941.

SWEEPER Dec.30,1941. E. D. PARKER ETAL 22681159 SWEEPER Filed March 7, 1940 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 G torneg Patented Dec. 30, 1941 SWEEPER Edwin D. Parker, Springfield, Ohio, and Edwin S.

George, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Application March 7, 1940, Serial No. 322,728

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to cleaning devices and more particularly to sweepers.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and improved sweeper capable of picking up dust and also being capable of picking up relatively large and heavy objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sweeper having a relatively low speed brush for picking up dust and small objects and having a relatively high speed brush for picking up large and heavy objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sweeper having a pair of rotary brushes separated b-y a readily removable refuse receptacle common to both of said brushes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sweeper having flexible and adjustable ground engaging means to direct dirt and objects into the refuse receptacle of the sweeper and having provisions for adjusting the pressure of the brushes against the floor or other surface to be swept.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the sweeper having parts broken away and in section to show certain details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the sweeper;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the sweeper;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the sweeper taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a removable refuse receptacle of the sweeper; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical side view of a modified form of sweeper.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the sweeper shown includes a hollow casing which may be made of sheet metal having a top Wall I0, side walls II and end or front and rear walls I2 and I3 respectively. The end or front and rear walls I2, I3 are contnuations of the top wall and are rounded or curved downwardly to the bottom of the casing which is open, as shown. Intermediate the front and rear ends of the casing, the casing top wall I is provided with an opening which extends substantially entirely across the width of the casing and is closed by a readily removable refuse receptacle I4. This receptacle I4 divides the cascompartment I and a rear compartment I6.

. In the front compartment I5 is mounted a relatively high speed rotary brush II and in the rear compartment I6 is mounted a relatively low speed brush I8, the axes of these brushes being substantially parallel to each other and extending transversely of the casing. In the present disclosure, the front brush II is smaller in diameter than the rear brush I8, but it will be understood that the brushes may be substantially the same diameter, if desired, or the front brush may be larger than the rear brush. The front brush I'I is rotated at a. relatively high speed to obtain a lifting force to pick up heavy objects,

while the rear brush I8 is rotated at a relatively low speed to avoid unnecessary stirring up of dust.

The front brush I'I mayA comprise a hollow spindle 2li-on the outer periphery of which individual bristle holding members 20a may be releasably and suitably secured to the spindle and the spindle may be xed on a shaft 22. On wearing of the bristles, spacer members or shims may be provided between the members 20a and the spindle 20 to bring the bristles into proper engagement with the oor or other surface to y on which separate bristle holding mernbers`24a ing into two compartments comprising a front 5a may be suitably secured, and the spindle 24 may be secured to and over a shaft 25 having its opposite ends rotatably supported in bores of brackets 26 which may be rigidly secured to the outer sides of the casing. As in the brush I'I, the bristle holders 24 of the brush I8 may be released and shims may be provided between the holders and the spindle 24 to compensate for wear of the brush.

. Referring now in detail to the receptacle I4, this receptacle is arranged to receive sweepings from both of the brushes and comprises a bottom wall 28, end walls 29, side walls 30, 3| and a top wall 32. Preferably, the receptacle top wall 32 is provided with outturned flanges 33 for seating on the upper surface of the casing top wall I0 and rigidly secured to the receptacle top wall 32 there may be provided one or more handles 34 for conveniently lifting and removing the receptacle from the sweeper casing. In its front and rear walls, the receptacle is provided with inlet openings 35 and 36 respectively for the entrance of dirt and other sweepings from the brushes I'I and I8, these openings 35 and 36 extending substantially entirely the full length of the receptacle or coextensive with the brushes. Intermediate the top and bottom walls of the receptacle I4, an internal wall 31 forms the top wall of a refuse chamber 38, the internal wall 3l extending between and to the end walls 29 and extending downwardly from the upper edges.

of the opening to an apex. Theseangularly disposed walls serve to direct downwardly the dirt and other objects entering the chamber 38 of the receptacle.

Formed out of the casing top wall I 6 is a downwardly extending flange 40 which extendstransversely of the casing along and defines theA forward edge of the opening in the casing topwall the bolts, the slotsproyiding for adjustment of the. guard with respect to the end's4 of. the brush bristles. Theguard43 cooperateswith the. brush II-. to lift dirt and other. objects which are later thrown olf the brushthroughthe opening,35'into chamber 384 and thelower edgeof theguard 43 is preferably provided. with .anupwardlyv facing beveled surface to decrease resistance tothe' en.w trance of sweepings between thebrushandithe inner surface of the. guard, the lower beveled edge of the guard being. spacedfabove the ground or oonas indicated at44. Disposed below the metallic guard 43is-a second .and-flexible ground engaging guard 45, preferably a strip of rubber to prevent dirt and objects' from being swept under thel lower edge of themetallic guard 43; The rubber strip 45maybe suitably secured to a metallic strip 46, see Fig, 4, which may be movably supported near its oppositeendsinslotsr4l provided in4 brackets' 48 which-may*A be rigidly secured respectively to the casing side walls I'I. As showm the slots 4?! are arranged such that the metallic strips 46, upon engaging at fixed object, will move rearwardly and upwardly to clear the object, thus avoiding' damage to the sweeper. Mounted on each of the brackets 48 is a spring 49 arranged-to urge the rubberguard downwardly into contact with the floor or ground, the springs 49:being respectively wrapped around pins- 56' secured to respective brackets and one end'of each spring beingfanchoredan'd the other ends of the springs engaginginapertures provided in the metallic' backingstrip for the rubber strip 45. Extending downwardly from the lower edge ofthe opening 36 there is a metallic guard 46a similar to theguardi43.' theguard 46L beingr coextensive with thebrush I 8 curving rearwardly such that the bristlesr engage or are in close proximity with theL concave surface of the guard. The guard 46a isfprovided with end ilanges 46h having horizontalslots 46 to receive bolts which secure the guard to the side walls of the sweeper casing, the slots providing for adjustment of the guard withrespect to the ends of the brush bristles. Seeuredtothe guard' 46il by a bracket or backing strip 41a is a flexible ground engaging guard 48*1 which is preferably a strip of rubber extending downwardly and rearwardly and having its lower edge beveled, as shown.

Intermediate the brushes I'I and I8, the sweeper is provided with a pair of ground wheels 5I)a which may be of any suitable construction, preferably provided with rubber tires, and at the rear of the sweeper is provided a single and swivable ground wheel 5I which permits easy steering of the sweeper, the wheel 5I being vertically adjustable by a screw 5W to aid in adjusting the pressure of the brush I8 against the floor or ground. The wheels 55a may be mounted on separate, aligned, hollow spindles 52 which may be rotatably mounted on separate fixed shafts 53, and the shafts 53 may have inner end portions thereof rigidly secured respectively in hollow bosses of brackets 54 which may be rigidly secured to the casing side walls I I by bolts or by other suitable means. The bolts are received in vertical slots 54a provided in the brackets 54 to provide for vertical raising and/or lowering of the sweeper casing to attain correct pressure of the brushes on the floor.

Integral or otherwise secured to each of the spindles 52 is a pair of spaced sprockets 55 and 56, the sprockets 55 being` separately connected by chains 56a respectively` to sprockets 5Iv secured to the outer ends of the front brush shaft 22.

The other or inner sprockets 56 areconnected by chains 51a respectively to drive idler sprockets 58 on stubv shafts which are mounted on the casing side walls II near the rear end of the casing, and intermediate the wheel sprockets 56 and the idler sprockets 53 the chains. respectively drive sprockets 66 providedorr opposite ends of. the rear brush shaft. 25. Itv will-baseren that theA idler gears 58 provide for rotationof the'rear brush I 8 in the oppositedirection with respect to the rotation of the front brush` I'I. In Fig. 6 there is shown a sweeper which, instead of having two pairs of drive chains connecting the ground wheels and brushes, has but one pair of continuous chains, designated by the numeral 63. A handle for pushing the sweeper may have side members 6I which may be suitably secured to the casing side walls II. On each side of the sweeper casing the sprockets and chains may be provided with a housing 62 which may 'ne-secured to the sweeper casing in any suitable manner.

At times, it may be desired to sweep along the edge of a dock or other platform where, in order for the brush to reach, the outer ground wheel would have to overhang the dock or platform and. to this end, a wheel or caster 65 is provided at the front of the casing to support the same under the above condition. If desired, the front castor 65, like the rear castor 5I, may be made vertically adjustable.

In operation of the sweeper, when the sweeper is pushed along the floor or ground the ground wheels 50a through the sprocket andA chain drives will rotate the brushes II and I8 in opposite directions and the brushes will discharge the sweepings into their common receptacle I4. The front brush I I will have a greater speed than the rear or relatively large brush due to their differences in size and further due to the differences in diameters of their respective driven sprockets 51 and 60. This arrangement and differences in brush speeds result in the rear brush I8# sweeping up dust and dirt andl iineobjects while the front brush l1 will sweep up heavy objects. When desired the receptacle I4 may be readily lifted out of the sweeper casing and the dust, dirt and articles therein may be dumped out of the receptacle through the openings 35 and 36.

While we have shown and described our invention in detail it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the Iappended claims for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. In a sweeper, a casing having front and rear ends, a rotary brush disposed Within said casing adjacent one end thereof, another rotary brush disposed within said casing adjacent the other end thereof and spaced from said rst-named brush, a receptacle disposed within said casing between said brushes and having oppositely disposed inlets for respective brushes, ground wheels supporting said casing, and means operatively connecting said ground wheels and both of said brushes and so arranged to rotate one brush at a relatively high peripheral speed and the other brush at a relatively low Iperipheral speed.

2. In a sweeper, a casing, a rotary brush mounted in said casing, another rotary brush mounted in said casing in spaced relation to said firstnamed brush, a receptacle disposed within said casing between said brushes and having oppositely disposed side walls in close proximity to the respective brushes, an inlet formed in each of said walls opposite the respective brush, ground wheels supporting said casing, and means operatively connecting said ground wheels and said brushes and so arranged to rotate one brush at a relatively high peripheral speed and the other brush at a relatively low peripheral speed.

3. In a sweeper having ground supporting means, a casing carried by the supporting means and having front and rear ends, -a rotary brush mounted within said casing adjacent said front end, a second rotary brush mounted within said casing adjacent said rear end, said casing having a wall provided therein with an opening between said brushes, a receptacle removably carried within said opening and extending transversely of said casing, elongated inlets formed in the front and rear walls of said receptacle opposite said brushes and between the upper and lower ends of said receptacle, and a Wall carried by said front and rear walls of said receptacle at the upper ends of said inlets and declined from said upper inlet ends toward an apex disposed below and intermediate same.

EDWIN D. PARKER. EDWIN S. GEORGE.

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