Window glass cleaner

Sept. 27, 1955

2,718,656

F. H. KIRK

WINDOW GLASS CLEANER

Filed March 9, 1950

<img file="US2718656A_D0001.tif" />

2,718,656

Patented Sept. 27, 1955

United States Patent Office

2,718,656

WINDOW GLASS CLEANER Frank H. Kirk, Stamford, Conn. Application .March 9,1950, Serial Nd. 148,628 3 Claims. (CI. 15—320)

.....Tile present invention reflates to a window glass cleaner. 15 While it will be described in connection with cleaning of window glass, it will of course be understood that it is capable of other related Uses.

Heretofore the conventional method df Cleaning windows has been to wet the window thoroughly to loosen 20 dny dried dirt thereon, ahd then scrape the window down with a^; riibber squeegee. This clearly involved two separate operations, and a consequently fairly large amount of labor.

The present invention provides a means for combining ²⁵bdth the wetting down of the window ahd the scraping of it by the squeegee. !n Order to accomplish this, there is a ‘container or the like adapted to be placed against the window glass, together with meansfor charging the container with ah ait suspension of finely divided water par- ³⁰ticles which can be directed onto the window tb penetrate all Of the dirt particles and wet them. Also, there is a r&amp;tatirig cleaner member that moves in contact With the glass to loosen the dirt particles. Finally, there is a double squeegee arrangement so that the loosened dirt ³³can be scraped from the window when the apparatus is moved either upwardly or downwardly, aS the case may be, on the window.

The apparatus includes theh a portable water vapor suspension container, a Container for water or Other suit- ⁴⁰able washing liquid, a means tb force the liquid ih finely divided ftirin into the washing container, a power driven wiper in tile container, and opposed squeegees On Opposite edges of the container so that the window may be scraped thereby when the apparatus is moved backward or for- ⁴⁵ward.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation partly broken away, taken approximately on the line 2—2 of Figure 1; ³⁰

Figure 3 is a front elevation, showing the side adapted to be placed against the window;

Figure 4 is an end elevation;

Figure 5 is a transverse section through the middle of ., the. apparatus taken on the line 5—5 of Figure 1; ³³

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the washing liquid reservoir showing the capillary liquid pick-up; and

Figure 7 is a section through the jet taken on the line 7—7 at the upper right corner of Figure 3.

The apparatus is shown here as having a handle or like ⁶⁰support generally indicated at 10. This handle may be either short or long, depending upon the requirements of the operator. At the end of the handle, there is a base plate 11 that acts as a mounting means for the remaining parts of the equipment. ⁶³

The forward face or side of the apparatus is the side that is adapted to be placed against the glass. At this end of the base plate 11, there is a box-like container member 12 closed on all of its sides except for a front opening 13. It has a back wall 14, a top wall 15, a bottom wall 16 and end walls 17 and 18. As illustrated, the bottom wall may have an angular extension 16' that is provided to extend upwardly and outwardly to the lower part of the opening 13, thereby providing a receptacle 20 in the lower part of the container 12 for a purpose to be described.

The upper and lower edges Of the opening 13 are supplied with rubber squeegees 21 and 22, respectively. These project forwardly from said edges.

Within the container and disposed along the opening 13, there is a rotary scraper or wiper 25. This scraper is generally helical ih shape and has stud shafts at its ends mounting it ih the end walls 17 and 18, respectively, so that it may rotate within the container. One of these stud shafts 26 is mounted ih a bearing 27 in the end 17. The other stud shaft 28 has a bearing in the end wall 18, but projects through the end wall and has a pulley or like driving member 29 oh its Outer end.

The sefaper 25 is provided with a plurality of flexible wiper edge members 30 that may be preferably made of rubber Of equivalent material. As shown in Figure 5, these rubber edges project forwardly from the front edge of the container 12 so that they contact the window glass with suitable pressure when the cleaning device is placed against the glass. Also, as illustrated in Figure 5, these rubber members may be doubled to obtain a superior action.

In order to deliver moisture in finely divided condition into the container 12, there is a small pump 34 of the centrifugal aspirator type mounted upon the base plate 11 immediately behind the container 12. This pump includes a housing having a central inlet opening 35, and an otitlet 36, the latter being more or less tangential. An impeller 37 is formed upon a sleeve shaft 38, that extends back from the back wall of the casing. The sleeve shaft 38 fits over and is pinned to a motor shaft 39 that is driven by a motor 40. The motor 40 is mounted by suitable brackets upon the base plate 11. It is preferably an electric motor that may be driven from a suitable source of power. The particular source is not shown other than by power leads 41. They may be connected to an extension cord that is attachable to conventional power outlet in the building, or suitable battery power sources m;iy be mounted upon the apparatus.

The outlet 36 of the impeller is connected by a flexible or other suitable conduit 44 to a jet 45 that is mounted on aiid extends through the end wall 18 of the container 12. This jet 45 is also connected with a tube 46 that leads into a cleaning liquid supply tank 47 that is attached to the back wall 14 of the container 12. A wick 48 extends from the lower part of the tank 47 through the tube 46 to the interior of the jet 45, where its end is within the flow path of air delivered from the impeller 34 through the tube 44.

As heretofore indicated, the motor 40 drives the impeller blades 37. It is also designed to drive the rotor 25. TotaCcbmplish this latter, the shaft 38 has a. pulley or like member 50 secured thereon. Also the tank 47 has lugs that support a vertical shaft 51 which has two pulleys 52 and 53 mounted on it. A belt or cord 54 extends around the pulley 50 to the pulley 52, thence around the pulley 29 on the impeller 25, thence back around the pulley 53 to return to the pulley 50. This provides means for driving the rotor 25 at the same time the impeller is operated to feed a stream of water bearing air into the container 12.

Operation

The operation of the device is as follows: When the motor is energized, the impeller will operate to deliver a stream of air to the tube 44. In the meanwhile, with a suitable washing liquid (which may be water) in the tank 47, the wick 48 will deliver moisture into the air

2,718,656 stream from the impeller at the jet 45. The jet will therefore discharge water laden air lengthwise of the container 12 at one side of and preferably at the upper side of the rotor 25. At the same time, the rotor will be driven by the motor through the connection described.

The user places the container 12 against the window, preferably in a manner to compress both of the squeegees 21 and 22. The impeller delivers enough water to make the atmosphere in the container, when its opening 13 is closed by the window glass, heavily laden with moisture, which moisture will then deposit or condense onto the window glass area softening the dirt thereon. In the meanwhile, the rotor 25 will rotate, bringing its rubber edges 30 against the glass to loosen and scrape the dirt. A good deal of this dirt will be caused to drop down into the sump 20 within the container 12.

In this operation, the user moves the handle 10 so as to displace the container 12 forwardly or backwardly along the glass. In this, one of the two squeegees 21 or 22, depending upon the angularity at which the user holds the container, will scrape the window in the familiar squeegee fashion, removing wet dirt therefrom. If both squeegees are in contact with the window, the leading one will have substantially no effect on the dirt which is dry outside the area being moistened by the moisture emitting from the opening 13.

The dirt thus scraped from the window then drops down and is conducted by the sloping surface 16' into the sump 20. A continuous drain may be provided for this if desired, but normally it is not necessary as the sump may be drained at any time it becomes filled.

Thus it will be seen that there is a single apparatus for performing all of the cleaning operations on a window or other similar surface that is to be washed. Likewise, the apparatus is effective whether it be moved forwardly or backwardly, since there are two squeegees designed to work equally well. There is an actual moving rotor that supplies the energy to remove the dirt that is moistened quickly, or at least to loosen it so that it can be removed by the relatively slow displacement of the squeegees 21 and 22.

The amount of moisture can be varied to suit the conditions. Also, the cleansing liquid may be any that is desired.