US1755054A - Vacuum-cleaner-brush bearing - Google Patents

Description

25 tion showing the interior construction of said heldiby the housing. The housingis ada t d Patented A pr. 1d, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAKES I. DABST, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER COMPANY, INC., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VACUUM-CLEANER-BRUSE BEARING Application filed January 3, 1928. Serial No. 244,071.

The present invention relates to a vacuum Referring to Fig. 2, 19 is a tube which carcleaner brush bearing and has for its, object ries the centrally mounted driving pulley 11 to provide an improved bearing of this charand the brush proper comprising the usual acter which is thoroughly sealed and prorows of hair tufts inserted in the walls of the tected from lint, threads and dust-laden air tube. The tube, brush proper and pulley to which it is subjected in use,.which' is at the may be conveniently termed the brush and same time readily demountable in the field represents any rotary brush for a vacuum for cleaning and inspection, and which per-' cleaner. The brush 1s mounted at each end mits the brush assembly to be removed and rein bearings, the exterior housing of one of 10 placed without dismantling the bearing. which is shown at 20 and the latter is in turn For a consideration of what is believed to carried in a fixedholder 21 ofsuitable conbe novel and my invention, attention is directstruction secured to the side wall of nozzle 6. ed to the accompanying drawing, the follow- In the present example it is secured to a boss ing description taken in connection with the 22 integral with the nozzle wall. The particdrawing, and the ap nded claim. ular holding means for the bearin sdoes not In the drawin ig. 1 is a side view of a concern the present invention. owever, it

' vacuum cleaner having a rotary brush with is arranged preferably to permit the easy re- Which the a i g 0f the p ese nV ti n is w moval from and insertion in the nozzle of the adapted to be used; Fig. 2 is an enlarged View, brush with its bearings. v

partly in cross section, showing a bearlng Referring now to Fig. 3, the bearing housembodying the invention mounted in the nozing 20 is a single-piece or unitary, cylindrical, 1 zle of the vacuum cleaner of Fig. 1, one end of cup-shaped member into which a suitable the brush and one bearing being shown, and bearing, such as aball bearing 23 is pressed,

- Fig. 3 is a further enlarged view in cross sectheouter race 24 of the bearing being thereby bearing. v to begripped and held on its exterior a out Referring to Fig. 1, 5 is the cas ng of a the bearing and is there provided with a vacuum cleaner having a forwardly extendpressedexterior projection 25 which preing floor nozzle 6 through which dust and vents it from rotating in the holding means21. so other matter are drawn by a suction fan 7 and Theinner race 26 of the bearing is free to delivered through the casing to a dust bag 8. rotate andreceives the shouldered end of an The nozzle is supported on side rollers or castaxially extendinghollow stud 27 connecteders 9 and is fitted with a rotary floor brush inwith the brush. The stud is slidably removdicated at 10. The bIZIlSh is provided Wlth a able from the inner race and is held therein pulley wh1ch 1s drlven through a belt by a finely pitchedscrew 28 which engages y a dri g pulley 13. The drivingpulley corresponding threads 29 inthe bore30 of and fan re m n e on a m on Shflfi1 14 the stud and draws the shouldered end of the which is driven directly by an electrlc m r stud into a seated position within and against 15, the armature Of which is indicated at 16. the innen race, A lock washer 31 beneath The cleaner is moved over thev surface to be th h d f th Screw d th fin it h f th cleaned by a Suitable handle 17 and is l P- screw prevents the stud from loosening from ported at the rearby a caster or wheel 18. the bearing in operation.

The above-described vacuum cleanerrepreq .The bearing is lubricated when necessary sents any vacuum cleaner havinga rotary andthescrew 28 is readily accessible, through brush to which bearings embodymg-the ina bossedcentral opening 32 in the end wall of vention may be applied., In the present ex-' ample the brush is journaled within the nozzle according to the usual practice in bearings supported by the nozzle side walls as shown more fully in Fig. 2.

the housing adjacent the bearing and directly in line with the screw. The opening is pro yided with a suitable closure means, such as ascrew cap 33. The bearing is thus protected from dust on one side by the closed nd of the housing. On the opposite side itis protected by a cup-shaped packing washer 34 which surrounds the stud and seats adjacent the outer frace within the housing. The 'washer carries aring packing 35 of suitable material and aretaining washer 36 for the packing. The packing contacts with the stud and packs it against dust and other foreign matter which may tend to enter the bearing.

Thebrush stud 27 isconnected with the brush by a flanged orgrooved head 37 which is integral with the stud and which is pressed onto the end of the brush tube. The brush, grooved head, stud and inner race are thus connected and are rotatable together abouta common axis, while the housing, outer race and packing means remain stationary. The housing is enlarged at it's'outer end to receive the grooved head fully within it and is of such internal diameter about the head-that only a close running clearance space i38-38 is provided between it and the head. This space, together with anannular chamber 39 formed by the groove in the head provide a labyrinth packing between the dust-laden air within the nozzle and the inner packing means 34 and35. The head-for the brush tube is also protected from thread winding by the housing which extends over it, that is overhangs theflange 40.

-' The above-described bearing structure may ,be considered to comprise a brush assembly which includes the brush orbrush tube 19 with the heads mounted thereon, and the bearing assembly which includes the housing 2Q, bearing 23, and packing means,-together withscrew 28 andwasher 31. With the construction shown the brush assembly'may be -.removed from the beari-n assembly by simply removing'cap 33 anunscrewing screw 28 The brush assembly is then withdrawn axially as indicated by the dottedoutline 41 leaving the be ring assembly in readiness to receive a new ush' assembly without disturbing the bearing arrangement.

This construction thus makes field servicing of the bearing and brush structure very simple and easy since the brush when worn out is thus easily removed and replaced by a new one and the bearing is easily relubricated through the opening provided .byremovable cap 33. This results in asaving to the user since the brush replacement involves only the cost of the brush and is quickly accomplished. 1

The easy removal of the brush assembly from the bearing also facilitates occasional cleaning of the bearing and brush. The construction has the advantage that the support for the bearing maybe located directly about the bearing, tlius eliminating vibration and wear ordinarily occasioned'by an overhung construction in which the bearing is supported hand this 24th day axially at a distance from the bearing sur-- the shouldered end of the stud is seated, means carried by the stud for engaging the inner race to hold the stud in said seated position,

said means being releasable to permit the stud to be withdrawn from the bearing, a cylindrical cup-shaped housing having-at one end an enlarged portion which surrounds the head wit a close running clearance, said head being rovided with an annular groove which forms a labyrinth packing with the enlarged portion of the housing, at the opposite end of said housing enclosing the bearing, and a removable closure means for said oppgs'ite end of the casing, said closure means ing axially in line with the'holdin means and adjacent the bearing, whereby y removing said closure means, said holdin means may be removed and the bearing an outer memberdpf the packing removed as a unit from the stu 1 In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my of December,'1927.

JAMES M. DARST.

Images