US3060484A - Floor scrubber - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1962 D. c. KRAMMES 3,060,484

' FLOOR SCRUBBER Filed Sept. 11, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,D. c. KRAMMES 3,060,484

FLOOR SCRUBBER Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 30, 1962 Filed Sept. 11, 1958 Oct. 30, 1962 D. c. KRAMMES 3,060,434

FLOOR SCRUBBER Filed Sept. 11, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.3

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3,660,484 Patented Get. 30, 1952 fire 3,060,484 FLOOR SCRUBBER Don C. Krammes, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 11, 1953, Ser. No. 760,348 Claims. (Cl. 15-320) The present invention relates to a surface cleaning appliance and more particularly to a tank in a floor scrubber for dispensing a clean detergent solution onto a surface and collecting dirty detergent solution removed from the surface being cleaned.

An object of the invention is to provide a dual functional tank for use in a iloor scrubber and which includes a collapsible receptacle for clean detergent solution disposed within a rigid receptacle for collecting dirty detergent solution. Another object is to provide a floor scrubber with a dual functional tank and valve means for a collapsible receptacle to dispense clean detergent solu tion and also to refill the collapsible receptacle with clean detergent solution. A further object is to provide a dual functional tank for a floor scrubber and wherein a rigid receptacle has a top opening to receive dirty detergent solution and a collapsible receptacle is connected to an opening in the lower end of the rigid receptacle whereby upon upending the tank the dirty detergent solution is emptied from the rigid receptacle and the lower opening exposed for refilling the collapsible receptacle. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a broken side elevational view, partly in section of a floor scrubber which embodies the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a section of the tank attached to the scrubber and the valve in position to dispense a clean detergent solution,

FIGURE 3 is a section of the dual functional tank removed from the scrubber and the valve in fully opened position for refilling the collapsible receptacle with clean detergent solution, and

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2.

The invention is disclosed in a floor scrubbing appliance comprising a nozzle provided withscrubbing bristles 11 and the nozzle is attached to an upwardly extendingwet suction tube 12, theupper end 13 of which is connected with a bore 14 in asupport 15 The bore 14 communicates with the interior of an air-water separator 16 of suitable construction known in the art. Supported on the air-water separator 16 is a motor-fan unit 17 provided with afan 18 disposed in afan chamber 19 having aninlet 20 communicating with the interior of the air-water separator 16 and having anoutlet 21 for escape of air. Ahandle 22 is removably attached to thesupport 15 and is provided with aswitch 23 suitably connected to the motor-fan unit 17 to control the latter. A pair ofwheels 24 is mounted on theconduit 12 and cooperates with thebristles 11 to support the appliance in an inclined position on asurface 25 to be cleaned. Above thenozzle 10 is aplatform 26 provided with a dispensingconduit 27 having a funnel shapedinlet 28 at its upper end and itslower end 29* is arranged rearwardly of thenozzle 10 for escape of clean detergent solution onto thesurface 25.

Arranged between theplatform 26 and the lowerperipheral edge 30 of the air-water separator 16 is a dualfunctional tank 31 and the latter is removably attached to the air-water separator 16 by a pair of oppositely disposedclamps 32. Thetank 31 comprises an outerrigid receptacle 33 and an interiorly disposedcollapsible receptacle 34 made of water impervious material such as a flexible plastic. Therigid receptacle 33 has anannular side wall 35, atop flange 36 defining anupper opening 37 and abottom wall 33. Askirt portion 39 of the side wall extends below the bottom wall 38 and is provided with amarginal slot 40 adjacent theconduit 12 to receive thefunnel 28 as the tank is attached to the appliance. Theupper opening 37 in the receptacle 3 3 communicates with theoutlet 41 in the air-water separator 16 to receive the dirty detergent solution removed from the surface being cleaned.

Projecting upwardly from the tank bottom wall 38 is a boss 42 to which the opening 43 of thecollapsible receptacle 34 is secured by asuitable garter spring 44. The bore 4-5 in the boss 42 is provided with a spider construction comprising four spacedribs 46 each having an upper vertical portion 47', aninclined portion 48 and a lowervertical portion 49. Mounted on the tank bottom wall 38 is a valve support 50 having an opening 51 and a lug 52 which projects inwardly of the opening and is provided with aport 53 in which is slidably mounted the stem 54- of a valve 55 The valve 55 has aportion 56 which is adapted to engage the vertical andinclined portions 47 and 48 respectively of theribs 46, and the stem 4 engages thelower portions 49 of theribs 46 to guide the valve 55 in its movements to opened and closed positions. The upper end of the valve 55 has aflange 58 which seats against agasket 59 attached to the boss 42 to close the opening 45 and prevent escape of clean detergent solution from within thecollapsible receptacle 34. The valve 55 is biased to closed position by aspring 60 which is arranged between the lug 52 and a knurled knob 61. A pin 62 on thestem 54 is adapted to engage a ledge 63 on the valve support 50 to hold the valve in open position as shown in FIGURE 3.

The valve 55 is controlled by a lever 65 pivotally secured at 66 to theconduit 12 and has onelever arm 67 projecting through themarginal slot 40 in thetank skirt 39 into engagement with the lower surface of the knurled knob 61. Thelever arm 67 is provided with a substantially U-shapedoffset portion 64 to bypass. thefunnel 28. Theopposite lever arm 68 abuts the lower end '69 of a rod 70 slidably mounted in spaced brackets 71 attached to theconduit 12. Aspring 72 is arranged between the lower bracket 71 and acollar 73 secured to the rod 70 and at all times urges the rod upwardly to valve closed position to allow thevalve spring 60 to move the valve 55 to closed position and pivot the lever 65 in a counterclockwise direction.

The upper end of the rod '70 is offset to provide ahandle 74 for manipulating the rod and is adapted to be seated in spacedrecesses 75 and 76 in amember 77 mounted on theconduit 12. When thehandle 74 is in theupper recess 76 thevalve spring 60 is free to move the valve 55 to close position and when the handle is moved downwardly into the lower recess 75- against the force of therod spring 72 the lever 65 is pivoted clockwise to move the valve 55 to its open position shown in FIGURE 2.

In operation, thebag 34 is first filled with a clean detergent solution by releasing thetank clamps 32 to re-. move the tank from the appliance. Thetank 31 is upended and the operator depresses the knob 61 and rotates the latter to position the pin 62 against the ledge 63 to hold the valve 55 in opened filling position as shown in FIGURE 3. Clean detergent solution is then poured through the opening 51 and the valve port 45 until thebag 34 is filled and thereafter the knob 61 is rotated to engage the pin 62 from the ledge 63 and thevalve spring 60 moves thevalve flange 58 into sealing engagement with thegasket 59. Thetank 31 is then replaced on the appliance and theclamps 32 locked to secure the upper 3flange 36 of the tank into water tight engagement with a defining edge 38 of the air-water separator 16.

When thetank 31 is reattached to the appliance, thebag 34 being flexible and fully charged with clean detergent solution settles to the lower portion of the rigid receptacle as shown indotted lines 78 in FIGURE 2 and provides avacant space 79 thereabove for collection of dirty detergent solution discharged from the opening 41 in the air-water separator 16.

Thevalve operating handle 74 is removed from theupper recess 76 and moved downwardly into thelower recess 75. During such downward movement of the rod 70 thelower end 69 engages thelever arm 68 and rotates the lever 65 clockwise causing thelever arm 67 to engage the knob 61 and move thevalve stem 54 upwardly to lift thevalve flange 58 out of engagement with thegasket 59 to uncover the port 45, as shown in FIGURE 2, for escape of clean liquid detergent solution. The detergent solution drops into thefunnel 23 and flows through the dispensingtube 27 onto thesurface 25 rearwardly of thenozzle 10.

The nozzle is then reciprocated along thesurface 25 and thebristles 11 distribute the clean detergent Solution which loosens the dirt from thesurface 25 and becomes a dirty detergent solution. When the scrubbing operation is completed thevalve rod 78 is shifted upwardly to seat thehandle 74 in theupper recess 76 and permit the valve 55 to close under the bias of thespring 60 whereby flow of clean detergent solution through the valve port 45 will cease.

The dirty detergent solution is removed from thesurface 25 by closing theswitch 23 to energize themotorfan unit 18 and provide suction in thenozzle 10. Thenozzle 10 is then moved across the previouslyscrubbed surface 25 and the suction draws the dirty detergent solution upwardly through thenozzle 10 and conduit 12 into theseparator 16 where the dirty detergent solution will be separated from the air stream and the clean air will be drawn into thefan chamber inlet 20 and discharged through theexhaust opening 21. The separated dirty detergent solution falls through theseparator outlet 41 and the top opening 37 of therigid receptacle 33 into the latter and settles in thespace 79 around and above thebag 34.

As the clean detergent solution is dispensed from thebag 34 the upper wall portion of the latter will collapse and fall from itsoriginal position 78 to an assumed lower position similar to that shown at 80 in FIGURE 2, and the dirty detergent solution removed from the surface will be deposited through the separator opening 41 into therigid receptacle 33 and fill the space between 78 and 80 previously occupied by the bag 34-. Thecollapsible bag 34 is shown smaller than therigid receptacle 33. However, in actual practice the relative dimensions are such that the capacity of thebag 34 for the clean detergent solution is substantially that of therigid receptacle 33 so that the latter accumulates and stores all the dirty detergent solution at the end of the scrubbing operation.

In order to empty therigid receptacle 33 thetank 31 is removed from the appliance and upended whereby the dirty detergent solution flows out of the top opening 37 of the rigid receptacle. At this time thebag 34 may be refilled with clean detergent solution by depressing the valve 55 to uncover the port 45 in the same manner previously described, and thereafter thetank 31 is reattached to the appliance by means of theclamps 32.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A surface scrubbing appliance comprising: a body having a nozzle for scrubbing a surface, means for dispensing a clean liquid onto the surface, a tank removably attached to said body and including an outer rigid receptacle for collecting dirty liquid removed from the surface and a collapsible receptacle having an open end within said rigid receptacle for storing a clean liquid, conduit means connected with said nozzle and terminating in a fixed outlet adjacent the upper end of said rigid collecting receptacle for conveying dirty liquid from said nozzle to said outlet, means defining a collecting and emptying opening at the upper end of said rigid receptacle and removably connected with said fixed conduit means outlet for entrance of dirty liquid from said conduit means into said rigid receptacle and said upper opening providing for passage of the dirty liquid from said rigid receptacle to empty the latter when said tank is disconnected from said conduit means outlet by removal from said body and is upended, means defining an opening at the lower end of said tank communicating with said dispensing means, and means securing the open end of said collapsible receptacle to said opening in the lower end of said tank and in fluid flow relationship thereto for passage of clean liquid through said lower opening to said dispensing means.

2. A surface scrubbing appliance according to claim 1, and valve means operable to uncover said tank lower opening for pouring clean liquid into said collapsible receptacle to refill the latter when said tank is removed from said body and is upended.

3. A surface scrubbing appliance according to claim 1, and valve means for controlling flow of clean liquid from said collapsible receptacle through said tank lower opening to said dispensing means and for uncovering said tank lower opening to pour clean liquid into said collapsible receptacle to refill the latter upon upending said tank when detached from said body.

4. A surface scrubbing appliance according to claim 1, and valve means mounted on said tank for controlling flow of clean liquid from said collapsible receptacle through said tank lower opening to said dispensing means, and said valve means removable with said tank and operable when said tank is upended to uncover said tank lower opening for pouring clean liquid into said collapsible receptacle to refill the latter.

5. A combined floor scrubber and floor drying appliance comprising, a suction floor nozzle constructed for scrubbing the floor and for picking up dirty water therefrom, a suction tube connected to said nozzle, a combined detergent dispensing and dirty water collecting tank removably supported on said appliance above said nozzle, a detergent dispensing connection formed in the lower end of said tank, an open ended flexible bag within said tank for storing detergent, means securing said open end of said flexible bag to said dispensing connection and in fluid flow relationship to said dispensing connection to conduct detergent thereto, and a water separator in said suction tube and connected in liquid flow relationship to the upper end of said tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,390,176 Struve Sept. 6, 1921 1,687,283 Deutscher Oct. 9, 1928 1,849,663 Finnell Mar. 15, 1932 1,892,347 Jerome Dec. 27, 1932 1,910,727 Walter May 23, 1933 1,979,797 Finnell Nov. 6, 1934 2,394,415 Wilkinson et al Feb. 5, 1946 2,554,570 Harvey May 29, 1951 2,798,639 Urban July 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 67,806 Denmark Oct. 4, 1948

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