US3439375A - Vacuum cleaner with nozzle height adjusting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

J. R. EADES April 22,1969

VACUUM CLEANER WITH NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM sheet Filed May 9, 1966 mi w. 2 i

L lill mvsmon. Joseph R. Eades BY I 22 y ATmRNEY I: (Ik.

n S a R. EADES Apr-i122, 1969 VACUUM CLEANER WITH NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM v Filed May 9. 1966 Sheet INVENTOR. Joseph R. Ea des Witness flm w 4' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,439,375 VACUUM CLEANER WITH NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM Joseph R. Eades, Liberty. S.C., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 9, 1966, Ser. No. 548,586 Int. Cl. A471 /34 U.S. Cl. -354 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mechanism for controlling the height adjustment of a vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising an offset rear wheel axle cooperating with a cam projection carried by an elevation control lever pivotally carried by the chassis of the vacuum cleaner, wherein the cam engages a portion of the axle for turning it thereby adjusting the height of the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner.

Summary This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to a mechanism for raising and lowering the nozzle portion of a vacuum cleaner depending on the type of floor covering being cleaned.

Nozzle height adjusting mechanisms have been used for many years and one such mechanism is shown in United States Patent No. 3,163,439 issued Dec. 29, 1964. In the mechanism of the patent, as well as in the present mechanism, the nozzle is lowered by raising the rear portion of the vacuum cleaner and the nozzle is raised by lowering the rear portion of the cleaner, the vacuum cleaner chassis pivoting about the front wheels. While the mechanism of Patent No. 3,163,439 was found to operate successfully, it comprised a number of parts which were fairly expensive to manufacture and costly to assemble and the present invention is based on the fact that an entirely satisfactory nozzle height adjusting mechanism has been devised which comprises a few simple parts and the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of the character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle height adjusting mechanism which is easy to assemble.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nozzle height adjusting mechanism having an adjusting member which is easily accessible at a location below and to the rear of the vacuum cleaner.

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 the prefen-ed 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.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of a vacuum cleaner embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view looking upwardly from below the cleaner and illustrating a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an upright fragmentary part-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing the nozzle height adjusting mechanism in the nozzle raised position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the parts in the nozzle lowered position;

FIG. 5 is an upright exploded perspective view illustrating parts of the nozzle height adjusting mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, and

FIG. 6 is an upright fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

Description 0 the preferred embodiments Referring more specifically to the drawings the invention is disclosed as embodied in a vacuum cleaner 15 having a chassis 16 devised to support an electric motor 17 for driving a pair of fan impellers (not. shown) for causing dirt laden air to enter an aperture 18 in a nozzle 19 and exit through a discharge duct 21 to which a dust bag (not shown) may be connected. The front portion of the vacuum cleaner 15 is supported by a pair of wheels 22-22 rotatably mounted on the chassis 16.

The rear portion 36 of the chassis 16 is equipped with a nozzle height adjusting mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 41. The nozzle height adjusting mechanism 41, as herein shown, is the type which raises the nozzle 19 by causing the chassis 16 to pivot about the front wheels 22-22 in such a manner as to lower the rear portion 36 of the chassis 16, and lower the nozzle 19 by raising the rear portion 36 of the chassis 16, and the nozzle height adjusting mechanism 41 comprises a rear axle 42 extending from side to side of the chassis 16. The axle 42 is formed with a straight central portion 43 opposite ends of the portion 43 being offset as at 45, in such a manner as to form a pair of concentric straight journal portions 44-44 and the external ends of the portions 44-44 are each offset to form arms 46-4 6 and spindles 47-47 for rotatably carrying rear wheels 48-48 and washers 49-49. The portions 44-44 of the axle 42 are journaled in bearing recesses 50-50 formed in depending bosses 51-51 which are integral with the chassis 16 and the portions 44-44 are pressed into the bearing recesses 59-56 by a pair of retainer plates 54 and 56 secured to the chassis 16 by screws 57 and 58 respectively. In other words, the rear axle 42 is pivotally mounted to turn about its journals 4 4-44 and since the central portion 43 is offset from the two journals 44-44, the central portion 43' acts as a lever arm with respect to the journals 44-44. In like manner, since the two spindles 47-47 are offset by the arms 46-46 from the two journals 44-44, the spindles and thus the wheels 48-48 mounted thereon, will move with respect to the chassis 16 as the axle 42 turns in the journals 44-44.

The retainer plate 54 (FIG. 5) comprises a part-base 61 and a part-base 62 connected by a vertical wall 63, the part-bases being apertured as at 64 and 65 to receive holding screws 57. One edge and a portion of the opposite ends of the part-base 61 are bounded by an upstanding U-shaped wall 67, and one end of the part-base '62 extends outwardly and is bent upwardly to provide an L-shaped lug 68. The lug 68 and one end of the U-shaped wall 6-7 define a notch 69. The lug 68 and the other end of the U-shaped wall 67 define a large notch 70-. The purpose of notches 69 and 70 will presently appear.

The retainer plate 56 (FIG. 5) comprises a part-base 71 and a part-base 72 connected by a vertical wall 73, the part-bases being apertured as at 74 and 75 to receive holding screws 58. One edge and a small portion of the opposite ends of the part-base 71 are bounded by an upstanding U-shaped wall 77 and one end of the partbase 72 extends outwardly and is bent upwardly to provide an L-shaped lug 78. One edge and a portion of an adjacent edge of the part-base 72 are bounded by an upstanding L shaped wall 81 and opposite edges of the part base 71 are formed with upstanding lugs 82 and '83. The lug 82 and one end of the U-shaped wall 77 define a notch 84. The lug 83 and the other end of the U-shaped wall 77 define a notch 85. The lugs 83 and 78 define a notch 86.

3 The lug 78 and one end of the L-shaped wall 81 define a notch 87 and the other end of the wall 81 and the lug 82 define a notch 88. The purpose of notches 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88 will presently appear.

An operating or elevating cam lever 90, is provided and extends rearwardly from below the rear portion 36 of the chassis 16 and may be adjusted to either raise or lower the nozzle 19 of the vacuum cleaner. The lever 90 comprises a flat portion 91 formed with two threaded holes 92 and 93 and one edge of the flat portion 91 is joined to an edge of a flat portion 94 b a wall 96. The flat portion 94 is substantially U-shaped in outline and has an upstanding (FIG. handle tab 97. The lower surface of the flat portion 91 engages the upper surface of the part base 61, and the lever 90 is pivotally held to the base 61 by reason of one of the screws 57 passing upwardly through the aperture so as to thread into the hole 92. A cam stud 98, the lower end of which is threaded into the hole 93, extends upwardly from the upper surface of the flat portion 91 and is positioned to engage the lever arm or central portion 43 of the rear axle 42.

The rear portion 36 of the vacuum cleaner 15 is biased to a lowered position (i.e. nozzle raised position) by the weight of the cleaner.

A pin 102, a spring 103 and a pedal portion 104 are used to control a propelling handle (not shown) of the vacuum cleaner. The last three named elements form no part of the present invention.

Turning movement of the axle 42 on its journals 44 44 is limited (FIGS. 2 and 6) by the central lever arm portion 43 engaging, in one direction of turning, with an abutment lug 106 carried by the chassis 16, and, in the other direction of turning with an abutment edge of the lug 82. The notches 69 and of the plate 54 accommodate portions of the axle 42 and in addition the notch 70 provides space for swinging of the lever 90 from the solid line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dash-dash line position also shown in FIG. 2. The notches 86 and 88 of the plate 56 accommodate portions of the axle 42 and the notches S4 and accommodate the pin 102.

Operation of the hereinbefore described mechanism is as follows:

If it is assumed that the nozzle height adjusting mechanism 41 is arranged (FIG. 3) to raise the nozzle 19 (i.e. to lower the rear portion 36 of the chassis 16) for cleaning on deep pile rugs and it is desirable to lower the nozzle 19 (i.e. to raise the rear portion 36 of the chassis 16) the operator moves the cam lever from the solid line positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to the dash-dash position shown in FIG. 2 and the solid line position shown in FIG. 4. This movement of the lever 90 causes the cam stud 98 to move from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4 and this turns the central lever arm portion 43 of the axle 42 in a clockwise manner (FIGS. 3 and 4) about the center line of the journals 4444. This, of course, turns the arms 46-46 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4 and thus raises the .rear portion 36 of the chassis 16. When the lever 90 is in the position shown-in FIG. 4 and by dash-dash lines in FIG. 2, the cam stud 98 will be in a slightly over-center position with respect to the screw 57 which, as previously stated, passes through the hole 65 and is threaded into the aperture 92. I

If the operator wishes to raise thenozzle, he simply moves the lever 90 in the reverse direction and the Weight of the cleaner causes the arms 46-46 to turn in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that shown in FIG. 3.

Having thus described the nature of this invention, what is claimed herein is: j p V 1. A nozzle height adjusting mechanism for-a vacuum cleaner of the type wherein the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner is raised by lowering the rear portion of the vacuum. cleaner chassis and wherein the nozzle is lowered by raising the rear portion of the chassis, the said nozzle height adjusting mechanism comprising in combination a rear axle extending from side to side of said chassis, oliset arms and spindles formed at opposite ends of said axle, Wheels carried by said spindles, journals formed-as part of said rear ,axle, spaced bearings formed. as part of said chassis and turnably mounting said journals and thus turnably mounting said axle, a central portion of said axle being olfset to form a lever arm with respect to said journals, a lever movable between a plurality of positions, and means carried by said lever for engaging the offset central portion of said axle for turning said axle on its journals, means for operably mounting said lever relative to said chassis so that in a selected one of its positions the lever locates said engaging means carried thereby in an over-center position relative to said mounting means, whereby there is provided an arrangement for adjustment of the height of the nozzle of said vacuum cleaner.

References Cited Waters et al. l5-354 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. H

Images