Suction cleaner

Application filed February €

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to new and novel improvements in the construction and arrangement of parts in the suction 6 cleaner nozzle. More specifically the invention comprises the provision, in a suction cleaner nozzle, of an air tunnel containing air at substantially the pressure of the external atmosphere and which is provided 10 with rotary agitating lips under which the air escapes from the air tunnel into the suction cleaner nozzle in response to the reduced pressure created therein by the suction-creating means of the cleaner.

In the usual suction cleaner the cleaning air is drawn under the nozzle lips and passes thru the pile of the surface covering, which is contacted by the lips, to remove the embedded foreign matter which, if the machine 20 is provided with agitating means, has been loosened and dislodged by agitation. In the usual suction cleaner a rotary agitator is positioned within the nozzle between the front and rear lips, extending parallel to and being spaced equidistant between them. The removal of the foreign matter by the cleaning air is effected, in such a construction, at a point spaced from the point at which the surface covering receives its agitation, that 30 point being the point at which the covering is contacted by the agitator. Research has disclosed that maximum cleaning efficiency is obtained when the point of agitation and the point of cleaning effectiveness are coinci⁸⁵ dent and it is toward a construction in which this relationship is obtained that the present invention is directed. ' .,,

According to the present invention, the nozzle lips are made relatively broad so as to ⁴⁰ limit the amount of air which passes between them and the surface covering in the cleaning operation. Within the nozzle is provided an air tunnel or housing which is interiorly connected with the ambient and so contains air ⁴⁵ at substantially atmospheric pressure. The air tunnel is provided with rotating agitators as surface contacting lips at each side, said sides extending parallel to the nozzle lips and being spaced therefrom and from each ⁶⁰ other. The air in the tunnel in drawn into

1,900,889

Fig. 6 is a section upon the line 6—6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a section upon the line 7—7 of Fig·.⁶;

Fig. 8 is an end view upon the line 8—8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a view of a detached nozzle end plate;

Fig. 10 is a section through an agitating lip upon the line 10—10 of Fig. 6.

The present invention is disclosed embodied in a modern suction cleaner comprising a nozzle 1, having removable end plates 2, 2; a fan chamber 3, which is preferably formed integrally with the nozzle 1 and is connected interiorly thereto by means of the inlet 4, and which houses a suction-creating fan 5; a motor casing 6 which houses a driving motor, which is not shown but the shaft 7 of which extends thru the fan chamber 3 where it carries the fan 5 and into the nozzle 1 where it is provided with a pulley 8 which is connected, by means which will be hereinafter described, to the agitating means positioned within nozzle 1; front supporting wheels 9, 9 and a rear supporting wheel 1() by which the cleaner is removably supported upon the covering undergoing cleaning; a pivoted handle 11 by means of which the operator can easily propel the cleaner upon the surface. As in the usual cleaner a dust bag 12 is provided which connects to the exhaust outlet of the fan chamber 3 and which functions to remove from the exhausted dirtladen air the suspended foreign matter. The nozzle 1 is provided with detachable front and rear surface-contacting lips 13 and 14 which are of relatively great breadth as compared to the usual nozzle lips and which overlie, when the surface covering has been lifted into contact therewith by the reduced pressure existing within the nozzle, a plurality of adjacent tufts of pile, or adjacent rows of tufts of pile to substantially restrict the flow of air into the nozzle and to provide a positive seal with the surface covering. Within the nozzle 1 and extending parallel to the front and rear lips 13 and 14 are rotary agitators 15 and 16 provided with helically extending recessed portions 15α and 16α which function as beater elements. Each end of each agitator is rotatably supported within a removable nozzle end plate 2 by means of a stub shaft 17 which extends from the agitator and seats within a bearing 18 suitably housed within a seat 19 carried by the end plate. The seats 19,19 on each end plate are suitably secured and extend thru openings 20, 20 formed therein. Each agitator 15 and 16 is divided midway between its ends into two sections which are connected by means of a shaft 21, as is clearly shown in Figure 6, which is rotatably supported between said sections in a gear box 22 by means of bearings 23, 23, Gear box 22 is clearly shown in Figure 4. The driving or rotating means for the agitators comprises a snaft 24 which extends thru gear box 22 perpendicularly to the spaced shafts 21, 21, being supported by means of bearings 25, 25 carried 70 by that box. Shaft 24 is provided with spaced worm gears 26, 26 having opposite directions of thread advance and these gears mesh with spiral gears 27, 27 carried by the respective shafts 21, 21 of agitators 15 and 16 between 75 the bearings 23, 23 in the gear box. Shaft 24 functions to revolve shafts 21, 21 and so the agitators to which they are connected, in opposite directions of rotation upon being driven itself by the belt 28 connected be- 80 tween the driving pulley 8 on motor shaft 7 and the pulley 29 which it carries in the rear of the rear nozzle lip 14.

Within nozzle 1 and extending from end to end thereof, being divided into two sec- 85 tions in a manner similar to agitators 15 and 16, is a tunnel or housing member 30 of which one section is shown in perspective in Figure 5. Tunnel 30 is suitably attached at its outer ends to respective end plates 2. 2 by 90 means of outstanding lugs and screws, or in any suitable’ manner, and similarly at the inner ends of the respective sections, to the adjacent sides of the gear box 22. The tunnel is positioned above the agitators 15 and 95 16 and encloses them, extending around at their sides in close proximity to their smooth cylindrical surfaces in a manner permitted by the presence of the recess-type beater. The interior of tunnel 30 is open to the ex- too terior atmosphere thru openings 31. 31 formed in the end plates 2, 2 between the spaced openings 20,20, which are of sufficient size that the pressure existing within the tunnel 30, and the respective sections there- ¹⁰⁵of, is substantially atmospheric in the operation of the machine. The relationship existing between the agitators 15 and 16 and the housing 30 is such that substantially no air passes from the housing 30 into the nozzle 1 ¹¹⁰between it and the agitators, their proximity providing an effective seal. In effect agitators 15 and 16 serve as extensions of the side walls of tunnel 30 extending said tunnel to their lowest points and so make it necessary ¹¹⁵for the air, in leaving the tunnel to enter the nozzle, to pass under said agitators.

In the operation of a suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention, upon the rotation of the driving mo- ¹²⁹tor the suction-creating fan Γ> creates a reduced pressure vvitliin the nozzle 1 which lifts the surface covering upwardly against the nozzle lips 13 and 14 and into contact with the rotary agitators 15 and 16. Agitators ¹²⁵15 and 16 are rotated, thru the aforedescribed mechanism comprising the driving belt, pulleys, shafts and gears, in opposite directions and contact the surface covering and impart thereto a violent agitation resulting in the ¹³⁹

1,900,889 air at substantially atmospheric pressure positioned in said nozzle, agitators in said nozzle defining the sides of said air tunnel, and means to actuate said agitators, characterized by the fact that said agitators are 70 of the positive-beating type and are provided with rotary movement.

6. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle, spaced lips upon said nozzle adapted to contact the surface covering undergoing clean- 75 ing, means to draw air thru said nozzle., a stationary housing within said nozzle interiorly connected to the atmosphere and having a downwardly facing opening, rotary surface-contacting elements . in air sealed 80 relation to said housing defining the sides of said opening and extending into the plane of said nozzle lips being adapted to contact the surface covering therebetween, and means to rotate said surface contacting elements. 85

7. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle, spaced lips upon said nozzle defining a nozzle mouth, means to draw air thru said nozzle and to lift the surface covering undergoing cleaning against said nozzle lips, a stationary ⁹⁰air tunnel in said nozzle connected interiorly to a source of air pressure greater than that in said nozzle, said trunnel having an opening facing the surface covering undergoing cleaning, agitating elements in said nozzle 3 defining said tunnel opening and adapted to contact the surface covering undergoing cleaning, and means to actuate said agitating means relative to said air tunnel and to said nozzle to agitate the surface covering. ¹⁰⁰

8. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle, spaced lips upon said nozzle defining a nozzle mouth, means to draw air thru said nozzle and to lift the surface covering undergoing cleaning against said nozzle lips, a stationary air tunnel in said nozzle connected interiorly to a source of air pressure greater than that in said nozzle, said tunnel having an opening facing the surface covering undergoing cleaning, rotary agitators in said nozzle in air sealed relationship with said tunnel defining said tunnel opening and adapted to contact the surface covering undergoing cleaning, and means to rotate said agitators rela- _ tive to said air tunnel and to said nozzle to ¹agitate the surface covering.

9. A suction cleaner including rotary suction-creating means, a nozzle communicating with said suction-creating means, lips _ upon said nozzle, a stationary air tunnel within said nozzle interiorly connected with the atmosphere and having a downwardly facing exhaust outlet, rotary surface-contacting agitating elements at the sides of the exhaust outlet of said air tunnel in substantially sealed relationship therewith, a rotatable shaft carried by said nozzle transversely to said agitators, gear means connecting said shaft to said agitator, and means connecting said rotatable shaft to said rotary suction- loosening and dislodgment of. the embedded foreign matter. The nozzle lips 13 and 14, thru being of relatively great width, permit but a slight amount of air to pass between 5 themselves and the surface covering into the nozzle thereby directing substantially the entire draft of’ the suction-creating means to the tunnel 30 which is open to the nozzle between its rotary lips and which contains 10 air at substantially atmospheric pressure.

The air which has entered tunnel 30 thru the openings 31, 31 in the end walls of the nozz.e is drawn therefrom by the reduced pressure within the nozzle 1, and passes under the 15 rotating agitators 15 and 16, which functions as the lips for the tunnel, and in doing so passes over and thru the surface covering at the points where it contacts with the agitators thereby providing the coincidence of the 20 point of surface covering agitation and air cleaning effectiveness.