Underwater brush

Oct. 10, 1961

3,003,168

D’ARCY V. SHOULDICE

UNDERWATER BRUSH

Filed Aug. 24, 1959

<img file="US3003168A_D0001.tif" />

AGENT

United States Patent Office

3,003,168

Patented Oct. 10, 1961

3,003,168 UNDERWATER BRUSH

D’Arcy V. Shouldice, Alamo, Calif. (3514 El Grande Drive, San Jose, Calif.)

Filed Aug. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 835,719

Claims. (CI. 15—1.7)

The present invention relates to brushes and more specifically to brushes for scrubbing underwater surfaces.

Large surfaces, as in swimming pools, which remain under water for long periods of time, accumulate an adherent coating of organic matter, e.g., algae, and dirt or scum. In order to remove or prevent such accumulations, the surfaces must be periodically and frequently scrubbed. Generally the scrubbing is accomplished by manually scouring the surface with a stiff bristled brush. A long handle is attached to the brush to facilitate reaching the underwater surfaces which often extend 10 to 12 feet beneath the water surface. The physical effort involved in scrubbing underwater surfaces is quite great, since the operator must manipulate the brush at a distance by means of the long handle. In addition the brush must be positively forced against the surface in order to remove the tightly adhering scum and algae. Scrubbing vertical walls is especially difficult since the operator must stand on the pool apron, extend a part of his body out over the water to hold the brush handle, move the brush up and down, and exert pressure towards the pool wall being scrubbed. Such an operation is extremely tiresome and inefficient.

Now an underwater brush has been invented whereby the water itself assists the operator in forcing the brush against the surface being scrubbed. In the present invention, a water foil mounted on the brush holder Vane is actuated by the brush’s movement through the water. The water foil thereby presents a large surface at an angle to the water whereby the water flowing over such surface imparts a downward thrusting force upon the entire brush. Such force greatly enhances the operator’s ability to scrub underwater surfaces.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a brush for underwater surfaces wherein a water foil increases the scrubbing pressure of the brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide an underwater brush wherein a portion of the push-pull motion imparted to the brush is converted into a scrubbing pressure upon the surface being cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an underwater brush and a water foil affixed thereto.

Still another object: of the invention is to provide an underwater brush which is assisted in its scrubbing action by the water medium.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an underwater brush and a water foil affixed thereto, and means whereby the attack angle of the water foil is regulated by the water flow over said brush foil.

The invention and its operation will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing of which:

FIGURE 1 is a partially exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the underwater brush; and

FIGURE 2 is partially exploded view of a second embodiment of the invention.

The term “water foil” as used in the present invention refers to a thin rigid structural member having relatively large flat surface areas lying in a plane transverse to a plane through the thin portion thereof. The water foil is in general analogous structurally to an air foil or wing commonly utilized in supporting heavier-than-air craft in flight. However in the present invention the water foil serves the function of directing forces created by water flowing thereover in certain desired directions as explained in other portions of the description.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown an underwater brush 11 comprising a handle fitting 12 shaped at one end to retain a handle 13 therein. The other end of the handle fitting 12 is rigidly secured to a brush backing vane 14 as by screws 16. Backing vane 14 is generally longer than it is wide and is fitted to the handle fitting 12 such that its longitudinal axis is transverse to the axis of handle 13. The under surface of backing vane 14 is milled out along its longitudinal axis to form retaining grooves for scrubbing brushes 17 and. 18. Brushes 17 and 18 are retained in the grooves as by screws (not shown) driven through the body of the backing vane 14.

The upper surface of backing vane 14 is shaped into a depressed arcuate portion 19, such portion running longitudinally along the backing vane. Running longitudinally along the upper surface of vane 14 and at either end of arcuate portion 19 are foil stops 21 and 22. Foil stops 21 and 22 form an integral raised portion of backing vane 14.

End plates 23 and 24 are rigidly retained on the flat transverse ends of vane 14. End plates 23 and 24 generally conform in their lower portions to the cross-sectional shape of vane 14, but in addition have an upwardly extending generally triangular portion 26 and 27 respectively. Bearing holes 28 and 29 are drilled through the upwardly extending portions 26 and 27 of the end plates. Such bearing holes have their centers on an axis above and concentric to the upper surface of arcuate portion 19 of backing vane 14. Additionally, bearing holes 28 and 29 are to retain the end portions of a shaft 31.

Shaft 31 extends through a rigid water foil 32 and is fixedly secured thereto. Waterfoil 32 is rectangular in shape and is relatively thin in cross-section. Water foil 32 has a length almost but not quite equal to the length of backing vane 14. In addition, water foil 32 while generally flat on its broad surface, is divided into an upper portion 33 and a lower portion 34, the junction of such upper and lower portions being at a line along which shaft 31 passes through water foil 32. Lower portion 34 has a width slightly less than a radius extending from the center of the bearing holes 28 and 29 to the upper surface of arcuate portion 19 of backing vane 14. Upper portion 33 may have any convenient width, which, however, must be greater than the width of lower portion 34.

When shaft 31 is held in bearing holes 28 and 29, water foil 32 is free to rotate about the axis of shaft 31. However, the water foil’s freedom of rotation is restricted by foil stops 21 and 22, i.e., water foil 32 can rotate about shaft 31 until lower portion 34 bears up against one of the foil stops. Water foil 32 can then rotate in the opposite direction^: until lower portion 34 bears up against the other foil stop.

Generally all the parts of the underwater brush described above except the brushes themselves are constructed of a rigid, corrosion resistant material such as aluminum alloy commonly available in commerce. Water foil 32 and end plates 23 and 24 can be manufactured by either stamping or forging. Backing vane 14 is particularly suited for forming by an extrusion process. In any event all the parts are easily constructed using processes well known in the art. The scrubbing brushes 17 and 18 are also commercially available and are well known in trade.

In operation, brush 11 is manipulated by handle 13.

Scrubbing brushes 17 and 18 are brought to bear against an underwater surface to be scrubbed. The brush is simply moved over the underwater surface with a push-pull

3,003,168 ³ motion. However in the present invention the motion of the brush through the water forces water foil 32 to present its broad flat surface at an angle to the water. Since water foil upper portion 33 is larger in area than lower portion 32 the total force exerted against it by the water is greater than the force exerted on the lower portion. As a result a torque about shaft 31 develops and water foil 32 flips into a position whereby the water foil is inclined away from the direction of brush motion. The water foil 32 is held in such position by the force of the water on the foil surface and the restraint of one of the foil stops 21 or 22.

As the brush moves through the water the foil 32 forces the water passing thereover in an upward direction. As a consequence the water exerts a force upon foil 32 and a component of such force is directed in a downward direction, i.e., towards scrubbing brushes 17 and 18. The net effect is to force the entire underwater brush 11 against the surface being scrubbed, whereby the scrubbing action is greatly increased and the burden of exerting the scrubbing force is removed from the operator.

When the operator reverses the direction of brush motion, the water once again exerts a torque upon water foil 32 and the foil flips into position where its broad surface inclines away from the direction of brush motion. Once again the water moving over the foil surface exerts a downward thrusting force and the moving brush is forced against the surface being scrubbed.

In such a manner, as the operator alternates in pushing and pulling the brush, the water foil alternates in position to cause the water to exert a downward force upon the brush.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. The brushes, brush backing vane and end plates are generally identical to those parts as shown in FIGURE 1. However in the brush of FIGURE 2 upper and lower portions 36 and 37 respectively, of water foil 38, are both identical in area. Shaft 39, fixed rigidly to water foil 38, passes longitudinally therethrough and separates areas 36 and 37 of the water foil. Additionally shaft 39 passes through and extends beyond end plates 41 and 42 to form stubs 43 and 44.

Pilot foils 46 and 47 are secured to stubs 43 and 44, respectively, as by set screws. Pilot foils 46 and 47 have generally rectangular foil surfaces with such surfaces extending to one side only of the shaft portion thereof. Such foil surfaces are small in relation to the area of water foil 38. Pilot foils 46 and 47 are aligned with water foil 38 and have their foil surfaces extending away from shaft 39 in a plane passing through area 37 of water foil 38.

Water foil 38 co-acts with the end plates and brush backing vane in exactly the same manner as previously described in reference to FIGURE 1. However in this embodiment water passing over water foil 38 does not exert a torque as both surfaces 36 and 37 are identical in area. However, water passing over pilot foils 46 and 47 forces water foil 38, attached in fixed position thereto, to flip into a position wherein said water foil is inclined away from the direction of? brush motion. As a consequence the passing water produces a downward thrusting force upon the entire brush, thus increasing the scrubbing action. Pilot foils 46 and 47 insure the proper orientation of water foil 38 by flipping the foil into the proper inclined position at the beginning of each push and pull movement.

While there has been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made in the underwater brush and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.