US2664588A - Nozzle construction for suction cleaners - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1954 G. A. BRACE NOZZLE CONSTRUCTION FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed June 10, 1948 INVEN TOR. 680 A. Brace 5' WM ATTORNEY.

fig 4 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 NOZZLE CONSTRUCTION FOR SUCTION CLEANERS George A. Brace, Highland Park, Ill., assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June 10, 1948, Serial No. 32,117

8 Claims. (C1. 15-416) The present invention relates to the art of suction cleaners and more particularly to a surface contacting cleaning nozzle construction for use with suction cleaning apparatus.

It is a particular object of the present inven tion to provide a cleaning nozzle which is readily convertible by a simple movement on the part of the operator from a normal comparatively large area nozzle to a small area nozzle through which the air flows with a high velocity for the purpose of picking up threads and similar articles which cannot be picked up by the nozzle in its usual and normal condition.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a suction cleaning nozzle with an auxiliary nozzle mounted therewithin selectively movable from an operative position in which it forms the sole air inlet to the suction cleaning apparatus to an inoperative position in which the same is completely inoperative to perform a cleaning function though still carried within the nozzle construction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cleaning nozzle for a suction cleaner having mounted therewithin a second, selectively usable, high velocity nozzle which opens a bleed air inlet port when moved to its operative position and seals such auxiliary air port to the nozzle when moved to its inoperative position.

' Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

' Figure 1 is a front elevational view partly in section of my nozzle construction shown connected to a suction cleaner unit; Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1 taken substantially on the lines 2--2 thereof and looking inthe direction of the arrows; N Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1 taken substantially along the line 33 and showing the auxiliary nozzle in operative position; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the auxiliary nozzle in its inoperative position.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and first to Figure 1 thereof, there is illustrated a suction cleaning apparatus I of the so-called tank type which extends a suction hose 2 which is connected to a rigid or semi-rigid cleaning wand; 8 which carries the surface contacting nozzle 4- upon its free end.

' The nozzle 4 includes the usual swiveledoutlet connection 5 which connects directly'to the wand 3 to communicate the source of suction to the hollow interior of the nozzle. The nozzle is provided with a substantially rectangular elongated opening 6 in its bottom face which is bounded by a surface contacting marginal wall I defining the perimeter of the suction cleaning air inlet to the nozzle 4.

The interior of the nozzle is provided with a pair of downwardly projecting partition elements 8 intermediate the ends thereof on opposite sides of the point at which the swiveled outlet connection 5 connects to the nozzle 4 proper. The elements 5 terminate well above the floor contacting surface 1. Only one of the interior partitions a is shown in Figure 1 but an identical element is positioned in the right hand side or the nozzle 4 in Figure 1.

Each partition 8 supports a swivel pin 9 which pivotally supports a secondary high velocity nozzle construction I0. As shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 4. the nozzle construction III comprises wedge shaped end plates II which lie against the facing walls of the partitions 8. The plates I I support a rigid plate I 2 extending therebetween and provided with a projecting narrow air inlet nozzle portion I3.

The nozzle I3 is in the form of a long narrow rectangular slot which lies in a plane inclined to the surface to be cleaned when the nozzle is in operative position as shown in Figure 3. The front or leading edge of the nozzle I3 is thus substantially in contact with the surface undergoing cleaning and the rear edge of the nozzle is spaced above such surface to allow free flow of cleaning air into the nozzle.

The rear wall of the nozzle 4 between the partitions 8 is defined by a curved plate I5 secured at It to the nozzle 4. A foot portion I! of the plate I5 completes the perimeter of the nozzle opening 5 and lies in the plane of the lower ends of the front and side portions of the wall I. Air

inlet ports I 4 are provided in the curved plate I5 to admit air to the interior of the nozzle 5 above the plane of the surface contacting foot I I.

When the secondary nozzle I0 is in the position shown in Figure 3, the rear edge of the'plate' I2 engages the upper inner surface of the plate I5 to form an air seal which prevents air admitted through openings I4 from flowing into the region operative position of the nozzle It shown in Fig,-- 7' ure 3, the guide arms 28 extend toward the front of the nozzle structure A and lie in recesses. 22 shaped to accommodate their lower ends with the nozzle It! in operative position and the: feet:

2| engaging the surface to. be; cleaned. The upper ends of the arms 26 are bent at right angles to the planes of the plates H to. provide. cars 23 which are slotted to receive the free ends of light leaf springs 2s. The leaf springsv 24 are. carried by brackets 25 secured to partitions 8.

The leaf springs. 2A bias: the nozzle. structure H1 to, a neutral position. in. which: the: guide arms 20 depend vertically below the. nozzle opening 6, as indicated in dotted lines at a. in Figure 2'.

Asshown in Figure 2 the surface engaging foot 2| is in its extreme forward position with the bottom thereof lying in the plane of the. bottom wall of the marginal structure 1-. The foot 2.! is moved. to this position when the operator first. places the nozzle. upon the surface to be cleaned by giving. it a slight rearward movement. After once being. moved to this position the angle of the arm 29 is such that it ill not ride baclrwardly to the dottedline position a. as long as. the nozzle ismaintained in contact with the surface to be cleaned regardless of the direction. in which the nozzle may be moved in the cleaning operation. Movement of the arm ill to the full line. position shown in Figure 2 rotates the: secondary nozzle structure: I i) to the position. shown. in Figures. 2 and 3 in which position the cleaner is conditioned for operation with the high velocity nozzle. i3.

If the operator desires to use. the full nozzle for cleaning operation the cleaner is given a slight. forward movement. as it. is first contacted with the surface to be cleaned. This rotates the arms 20 from vertical. position. to the rear. dotted line position shown in Figure: 2 in. which position. the arm. 26 will remain as long as thenozzle is contacting the surface tobecleaned regardless: of the direction in which it is moved. When. moved to the rear dottedposition shown in Figure 2, the secondary nozzle struoture In is rotated to the position shown in Figure 4:. In this position the nozzle opening it is inoperative: and the front portion of. the plate. i2. engages the.- curved face of the plate it including the opera ings. IA. to seal. the, openings ht and preventfur ther flow of air therethrough. as shown in Figtire-4.

The present invention is. characterized by the provision. of a. suction cleaner floor contacting nozzle. of conventional structure modified to incorporate within itself a selectively operableauxiliary nozzle structure having a. comparatively small. air inletto provide for extremely high velocity air. flow therethrough. The auxiliary nozzle is rendered. operable. or inoperable. at the will of. the operator simply by the manner in whichthe cleaning tool is first placed upon the surface to. be cleaned. That a. slight rearward move-- ment of; the nozzlestructureas it is. placedsupon. the. surface to. be. cleaned shifts. the auxiliary nozzle into its operative position and simultaneously opens the bleed ports M which will allow a large quantity of air to enter the nozzle structure beneath the plate 12 to aid the cleaning action of the high velocity nozzle l3. A slight forward movement of the nozzle as it is placed upon the: surface to be cleaned shifts the guide arms 29 to the position indicated in dotted lines at b in Figure 2 which rotates the secondary nozzle to its inoperative condition in which it seals the bleed ports i4 so that the cleaning tool operates as a conventional cleaning nozzle just as if the nozzle [9 and bleed ports Mi were: not provided.

For most. ordinary cleaning purposes the nozble area defined by the marginal structure I is adequate for cleaning purposes, however a straight air cleaner does not suck the air through this nozzle with a velocity sufficient to pick up certain types of litter such as threads which otter smal-L area tohe engaged by the air. stream and; which tend to, cling to the nap. of carpet and similar floor coverings. The narrow nozzle !3 will remove such. litter. When the narrow nozzle; It is in use a large. volume of. air sweeps through the openings l4 laterally across the. surface. tube. cleaned and flows through the nozzle t3 with a high velocity which is sufficient to detach and remove threads. and similar litter.

While I have illustrated; and described the in? venti-cn in considerable. detail, it. is to be understood that various-v changes may be: made. in the arrangement, proportion and construction of parts without. departing from; the spirit of. the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

1'. A, cleaning tool. for. suction. cleaning apparatus comprising a hollow body portion form ing. a suctionair. passage. terminating in. an air inlet opening, forminga. surface: cleaning nozzle, means for connecting the interior of said body to a source of suction, an element shaped to ex tend. across said air passage and engage portions: of said body to form a seal therearound between. said connecting means and. said nozzle, an air inlet in said element forming a second cleaning nozzle of smaller cross-sectional area than said first nozzle and arranged in surface cleaning position when said element is positioned across said air passage said small. area. nozzle having a low lip to contact. a surface under-- going cleaning and. a high lip to extend slightly above a surface undergoing cleaning, means to admit air into said hollow body between said element in its cleaning; position and the surface being cleaned, means movably mounting said element. on. said body for movement from. a first positionin. which said element. does not obstruct airflow to said. connecting means to. a. second. position in which said second nozzle is in cleaning positiom. and means selectively movable by ongagementv with asurface, to be cleanedfor moving said element toa selected" one. of said two positions.

2. A cleaning tool for suction cleaning, apparatus comprising: a. hollow body portion forming a suction air passage terminating in an air inlet opening forming a surface cleaning nozzle, means for connecting the interior of said body to a source of suction, anelement shaped to extend across said air passage and engage portions of said body to form a seal therearound between said connesting means and said nozzle, an air inlet in said element formingasecond cleaning nozzle of smaller cross-sectional area than said first nozzle and arranged in surface cleaning position when said element is positioned across said air passage, an atmospheric air passage in said body arranged to supply air from a region above said first mentioned nozzle to the region below said element when said smaller nozzle is in surface cleaning position, means movably mounting said element on said body for movement from a first position in which said element does not obstruct air flow to said connecting means to a second position in which said second nozzle is in cleaning position, said element being arranged to block fiow of air through said atmospheric air passage when in said first position, and means selectively movable byengagement with a surface to be cleaned for moving said element to a selected one of said two positions.

3. A surface cleaning suction tool comprising a body portion having an air passageway therethrough terminating in a first suction,v air inlet nozzle, a member mounted within said air passageway having a slot therein defining'a second suction air inlet nozzle which is smaller than said first nozzle, said member being shaped to extend across said passage to block air flow therethrough except through said second nozzle, means movably mounting said member for movement between a first position in which it extends across said passage with said second nozzle in surface cleaning position to a second position in which it does not obstruct air flow through said passage and said second nozzle is removed from surface cleaning position, and means for moving said second nozzle member selectively to either of said positions comprising a surface contacting member mounted on said second nozzle member within said first nozzle for movement by engagement with a surface to be cleaned transversely to the length of said nozzle in the direction of normal cleaning movements thereof to either of two positions in which it shifts said second nozzle to one of its .two positions, and means biasing said second nozzle member to a neutral position in which said surface contacting member extends through and depends below said first nozzle whereby the position of said second nozzle is determined by the intial direction of movement imparted to the tool when said element contacts a surface to be cleaned.

4. A surface cleaning tool comprising. a body portion formed with an air passage therein terminating in a suction air inlet nozzle, an element shaped to extend across and engage thewalls of said air passage, a second suction air inlet nozzle formed in said element and arranged in surface cleaning position when said element is positioned across said air passage, said second air inlet nozzle having a low lip to engage a surface undergoing cleaning and a high lip to cleara surface undergoing cleaning, an air inlet in said body above said first nozzle and opening into said air passage below said element when it is positioned across said passage, means movably mounting said element on said body portion for movement from a position across said air passage to another position in which it does not extend across said passage and said second nozzle is removed from surface cleaning position and said element having a portion thereof shaped to close said air inlet when it is in said another position.

5. A surface cleaning tool for suction cleaning apparatus comprising a hollow body-having a portion forming a first surface cleaning air inlet nozzle, means for connecting the interior of said hollow body to a source of suction, "an air inlet port in said hollow body spaced above said first nozzle, a nozzle structure movably mounted on said hollow body having a second air inlet c1ean+ ing nozzle of smaller area than said first nozzle, said nozzle structure shaped to engage portions of said hollow body above said first nozzle and said air inlet port to form an air seal around said nozzle structure with said second nozzle in surface cleaning position, said nozzle structure including means for closing said air inlet port when said nozzle structure is moved to a noncleaning position, and means for selectively positioning said nozzle structure in a first position in which said air seal is formed or in said noncleaning position.

6. A surface cleaning tool for suction cleaning apparatus comprising a body member having front and rear and end walls forming an air duct terminating in front and rear and end surface engaging lips defining a first suction air inlet nozzle, a pair of wall members in said air duct extending transversely of said front and rear walls adjacent to and spaced from said end walls and terminating above said nozzle lips whereby'air can fiow from the region adjacent said end walls only under said wall members, a second suction air inlet nozzle formed in a barrier member shaped to engage said wall members and said front and rear walls between said wall members to form an air seal therearound with said second nozzle in surface engaging position, means pivotally mounting said barrier member on said wall members for movement between a first position in which said second nozzle is in surface engaging position and a second position in which said second nozzle is not in surface engaging position and said air seal is not established, a surface engaging actuating member secured to said barrier member for arcuate movement therewith between a pair of stop positions in each of which said actuating member engages a surface being cleaned between said front and rear nozzle lips and rocks said barrier member to one of said positions thereof, and means biasing said barrier member to a third position in which said actuating member lies between and depends below said front and rear nozzle lips,

7. A cleaning tool for a suction cleaning apparatus comprising a body member having walls forming an air duct and surface engaging lips forming a first cleaning air inlet nozzle communicating with said air duct, means for connecting said air duct to a source of suction, a nozzle plate shaped to engage said walls to form an air seal therearound between said first 'nozzle and said connecting means, means on said nozzle plate forming a second air inlet cleaning nozzle having a lesser area than said first nozzle, means movably mounting said nozzle plate in' ;;said body member for movement to a first position in which said second nozzle is removed from surface engaging position and said first nozzle ha's free communication with said air duct to a second position in which said nozzle plate engagesfsaid walls in said air sealed relation and said second nozzle is in surface engaging position between and spaced from said first nozzle lips, means for selectively placing said nozzle plate in said first or said second position, an air port in said body member positioned to admit air to said airduct above said surface engaging lips and below said nozzle plate in said second position, and means on said nozzle plate for closing said air port when-said nozzle plate is in said first position.

8. A cleaning tool for suction cleaning apparat has comprising a hollow body portion forming a-suction air passage terminating in an air inlet opening forming a surface cleaning nozzle, means for connecting the interior of said body to a source of suction, a pair of partitions in said hellow body portion spaced on opposite sides of said connecting means, each of said partitions extending downwardly from the top wall of said hollow body and terminating short of the lower end of said surface cleaning nozzle whereby air flow from the end portions of said hollow body to said connecting means must pass under said partitions, a nozzle plate in said hollow body having a suction air cleaning nozzle therein of smaller cross-sectional area than said first mentioned nozzle, said nozzle plate being shaped to engage said partitions and the portions of said hollow body between said partitions to form an air seal around said nozzle-plate, means movably mountingsaid nozzle plate on; said partitions for movement from a first position in which said plate engages said partitions and said portions of said hollow body and said small nozzle is in surface cleaning position to a second position in whioh said nozzle plate does not obstruct air flow from a,

said first mentioned nozzle to said connecting means and said small nozzle is moved to an inoperative position, an actuating member mounted on one of said partitions in one of said end portions of said first nozzle operatively connected to said nozzle plate for actuating the same to-said first and second positions selectively, and means biasing said actuating member to a neutral position depending below said first nozzle whereby said nozzle plate is actuated to said first or said second position depending upon the initial direction of movement of said body portion as said actuating member contacts a surface to be cleaned.

GEO. A. BRACE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,902,561 Kuhnel Mai. 21, 1933 2,203,650 Forsberg June 4, 1940 7 2,235,674 Forsberg Mar. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS, Number Country Date 45,819 Netherlands May 15, 1939 280,428 Great Britain Nov. 1'7, 1927 597,246 Germany May 19, 1934

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