Convertible suction cleaners

J. E. DUFF

CONVERTIBLE SUCTION CLEANERS

2,867,833

Sheets-Sheet 1

Jan. 13, 1959

Filed April 6, 1955

<img file="US2867833A_D0001.tif" />

Jan. 13, 1959

Filed April 6, 1955

J. E DUFF

CONVERTIBLE SUCTION CLEANERS

2,867,833

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US2867833A_D0002.tif" />

J. E. DUFF

CONVERTIBLE SUCTION CLEANERS

Jan. 13, 1959

Filed April 6, 1955

2,867,833

Sheets-Sheet 3

<img file="US2867833A_D0003.tif" />

United States Patent Office Patented Jan. 13, 1959

2,867,833

CONVERTIBLE SUCTION CLEANERS

Jack E. Duff, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio

Application April 6, 1955, Serial No. 499,613

Claims. (Cl. 15—323) and the

The present invention relates to suction cleaners more particularly to an arrangement whereby cleaner may be normally used as an upright or on-thefloor type cleaner and which may be readily converted for use for off-the-floor cleaning. &lt;

For normal' on-the-floor cleaning, the casing of the filter and motor-fan unit is pivoted to a wheeled suction . nozzle, the casing forming a handle for the cleaner whereby it may be propelled about for normal on-thefloor cleaning. .

The motor-fan unit is mounted in the bottom portion of the casing, and draws dirt laden air through a filter bag mounted in the top of the casing. A duct pivotally connected to the wheeled nozzle extends upwardly along the casing to an inlet in the top of the casing to conduct dirt laden air into the inlet of the filter bag.

The inlet connection to the filter bag is provided with a valve arrangement for insertion of a tube connected to a cleaning tool hose whereby upon insertion of the tube into the top of the casing air flow is diverted from the on-the-floor nozzle to the cleaning tool hose whereby dirt laden air from the cleaning tool is drawn into the inlet of the filter bag. . .

According to the present invention, the cleaning tool hose is an extensible and contractible hose which may be contracted axially into a small space occupying about one third of its extended length and when extended may be used for off-the-floor cleaning.

In order to store the collapsible hose on the cleaner when converted to oh-the-floor cleaning, a storage receptacle is provided in one side wall of the filter-motor-fan casing to receive the hose and also to receive the wand or extension tube normally attached to the end of.the hose when the latter is used for off-the-floor cleaning. Additionally, a hand piece which is used in propelling the cleaner about during on-the-floor cleaning is telescoped into the end fitting of the wand so as to form an integral part of the on-the-floor cleaner. When m storage position, the extensible and collapsible hose surrounds the extension tube or wand, and the latter is provided with a bayonet connection to anchor it at the bottom end of the storage receptacle so that it may be used for propelling the cleaning during on-the-floor cleaning. „ , _ ,

When it is desired to convert to off-the-floor cleaning, it is only necessary to remove the hand piece, collapsible hose and wand from the receptacle in which they are stored. The hose, being extensible to three or four times its collapsed or stored length, may be extended and used by itself as an off-the-floor cleaning tool. The hand piece may be connected to the free end of the hose and may be used as a cleaning tool. In addition, the wand may be attached to the end of the hand piece and any suitable cleaning tool attached to its other end.

In converting to off-the-floor cleaning, the wand is unlatched and removed from the storage receptacle.* Since the upper end of the contracted hose has a frictional fit with the wand, the hose will also be removed from the storage receptacle along with the propelling hand piece The free end of the hose is then inserted into the valved opening in the top of the filter casing to close off the normal on-the-floor dirt laden air conducting tube and to place the hose in open communication with the inlet to the filter.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings m which: , ...

Figure 1 is a side schematic view of the cleaner of the present invention showing the hose and wand in stored position and the hand piece in position for use in pro-, pelling the cleaner, .

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the filter casing showing the hose in its stored contracted position, the wand in stored position and the propelling hand piece attached, to the upper end of the wand, .

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view showing the posi²⁰ tion the hose takes when it is contracted and in relation to the wand when in storage position, . . _c-

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4—4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 shows the cleaner of the present invention converted to off-the-floor cleaning.

The hose used with the cleaner of the present invention is ultraflexible, extensible and contractable and is shown in detail in its contracted position m Figures 2 and 3 and in its extended position in Figure 5.

The hose is generally represented by the. reference numeral 10 and comprises a thin thermoplastic tube 11 encasing a cylindrical helix 12. The helix 12 is formed of a metallic helically coiled reinforcing element 13 encased or sheathed within a thermoplastic sheath 14

The hose 10 is provided with end fittings 15 and 16, one for connection to the suction inlet to the filter for off-the-floor cleaning, and the other for connection to suitable cleaning tools as will presently appear..

Between the fittings 15 and 16, the hose 10 is formed with deep folds having inwardly and outwardly facing valleys 17 and 18, respectively, with the turns 19 of the reinforcing element 12 trapped within the inwardly facing valleys 17 and with the walls 20 which form, the valleys in contact with each other when the hose isin 45 its contracted position as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The turns 19 of the reinforcing element are so wound as to tend to move into contact with each other to form the deep valleys 17 and 18 in the tube 11 when no extending force is applied thereto. The inside diameter of ⁵⁰ the tube being normally less than the diameter of the coil 12, its walls will move inwardly to form the folds 20 as the hose contracts. However, a few ounces of force will extend the hose 10 to the position shown m Figure 5 and the walls 20 will flatten out as shown at 21 in Figure 5, so that the hose 10 may be extended to three or four times its contracted length, but yet will occupy, when contracted, a very short length capable, of being stored in the small space provided by the length of the casing 25 of the cleaner generally indicated by the reterence numeral 26 as shown in Figures 1 and 5.

At the ends of the hose..10 where the fittings are attached, the turns 9 of the reinforcing element 12 are in contact with each other, and the wall 11 is uncorrugated as shown at 8. . , . ,, „

The cleaner 26 comprises a nozzle 27 having a downwardly facing nozzle opening 28 and is mounted for ambulatory movement by front and rear wheels 29 and 30, respectively. ... &lt;

A suction pipe 31 communicates with the nozzle open⁷⁰ ing 28 and is pivoted to the nozzle 27 at 32. The pipe 31 communicates with-a suction tube 33 which forms a part of the casing 25 and communicating with an inlet

2,867,833 and converter tube 36 which leads to the inlet of the filter as will presently appear. The cap 35 is hinged to the casing 25 and is held closed by a spring biased latch 37 as shown in Figure '2, whereby the cap 35 may be lifted for cleaning or replacement of the filter bag 38 which is mounted within the'Upper ; end of the casing 25 by means of a combined supporting ring and sealing gasket 39 as shown in Figure 2.

A motor-fan unit 40' is suitably supported in the lower end of casing 25 so as to produce a suction at the tube 36, the air being exhausted by way of an exhaust open,- ing 40.

A vertically extending receptacle 41 is formed in one wall of casing 25 for receiving the extension wand 42 and the contracted hose 10. A guide 43 is provided in the bottom of file receptacle 41 Tor centering the wand 42 and is provided with a pin 44 which coacts with the bayonet slot 45 in the end of the wand 42 to hold the latter in a rigid position within the receptacle 41.

The contracted hose 10 has an inside diameter such that it may be telescoped about the wand 42 in its storage position within the receptacle 41, the latter being provided with a cup shaped support 46' for engagement with the end of the fitting 16 to support the hose 10 in its storage position. The wand 42 has a sliding fit with the fitting 15 and operates to center the hose 10 at its upper end.

The hand piece 46 has one· end 47 shaped to frictionally fit within the upper end 48 of the wand 42 so that : the hand piece 46 may be used as a handle for propelling being noted that the lower end of the wand 42 is anchored in place by the bayonet connection 44, 45 for that purpose.

The fitting 16 is formed with a groove 50 which coacts with a spring clamp 51 to hold the end of the hose in the converter fitting 36 when the cleaner is converted to offthe-floor cleaning. The legs of the spring clamp 51 are normally positioned in slits 52 in the walls of the converter tube 36, but may be expanded by pressing on button 53 to release the hose as will presently appear.

The upper end of cap 35 is closed by a pivoted closure 55 which is spring biased to closed position as shown in full lines in Figure 2, but may be moved to its dotted line position shown in that figure to close the opening to the duct 34 when the cleaner is converted to off-thefloor cleaning.

When it is desired to convert to off-the-ffoor cleaning, the wand 42 is rotated to release the bayonet connection 44, 45, whereby it and the hose 10 may be easily removed from the receptacle 41.

The fitting 16 of the hose is then inserted into the converter tube 36 which will push the valve 55 to a dotted line position of Figure 2 and close the duct 34. At the same time, the wire clamp 51 will be engaged in the grove 50 of the fitting 16 and firmly hold that end of the hose 10 to the cleaner body whereby it may be extended to three or -four times its contracted length and used-for off-the-floor cleaning as shown in Figure 5.

The motor-fan unit may then be energized, and a suction will be drawn on the hose -10. The fitting 15 itself may be used as crevice tool whereby the dirt laden air will flow through the hose 10 into the filter 38 where the dirt will be deposited, and the air will pass through the walls of the filter and-the celan-air discharged! through the exhaust port 40.

If a longer extension is desired, either the hand piece 46 or 1 the wand-42 may be inserted» into - the fitting 15 of the hose and be held-therein by friction or any other suitable, connection. Any-suitable cleaning tool may be attached to the free end of the hand piece 46 or wand 42 2a as the case may be.

If a i longer extension is desired as when cleaning drapes, etc., the hand piece 46 is attached to the-fitting 15, and the wand 42 is-attached to its free end by the , - - .------,----------—* frictional· joint as shown in Figure 5. The bavonet slot d^UriI,g ^e ^n-the-floor^ cleaning, it 30 45 mayThen-be used to attach any suitable cleaning tool.

When it is, desired to reconvert-the cleaner to on-thefloor cleaning or to put it in storage, the end piece 46 and wand 42 are removed. The button 53 may-then „ _ ^be depressed to expand - the spring clamp 51 and release the fitting 16 whereby- it may be -removed from the -converter tube 36, and the valve 55 will move to its full line position of Figure 2 closing the- converter port and opening The port leading-to-the->duct/34. -The-· hose *10 may then be placed in receptacle 41 and contracted-as shown in Figure 2 with the end of fitting resting on cup 46, it being noted that the hose -10 will naturally tend to contract to-its minimum» length and in its contracted position will occupy the short length of receptacle :41,,

The bayonet end of the wand 42 may then be inserted within the contracted hose 10. Tts bayonet end 45» will engage the guide 43 and center both the wand 42 and the hose 10 within the receptacle 41. The wand 42 may then be rotated to. engage. the bayonet, connection .44, 45, whereby; the lower end of the wand will be firmly 50 anchored to .the casing 25. The end· 47 of the hand piece mayiThencbeTrictionally engaged within the;.end 48 of wand 42 whereby the hand piece 46 may be utilized .for propelling the cleaner about.

From the. foregoing -description, it may be seen that the present invention provides an arrangement by which both the wand 42 and the hand piece 46 serve a useful function both-when the cleaner is used for on-the-floor and also when used for off-the-floor cleaning. Additionally, the extensible and contractable hose may be 60 stored in a compact= package* about :the wand 42 when the cleaner is used for on-the-floor cleaning and may be extended To three or four times its contracted .length when used for off-the-floor cleaning tessis % bodiment is to» be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. * I do not wish-to.be limited.to the.particular structures shown and described, but wish to.ificlude all ,, “ I',,’ ---- “*“? -uxv-ixvw» uuuuug, »equivalent variations thereof except as limited bv;the scone tiie wand 42 is anchored to the bottom of the receptacle 70 of the claims. ' ' .