Device for treatment of surfaces, particularly for cleaning and polishing

The invention relates to a device for surface treatment, particularly for cleaning, polishing and grinding, and including a housing provided with a handle, which surrounds at least partly an electric motor rotating in an unbalanced manner due to a balance weight, and wherein the motor transfers its oscillating movement to a rotatable tool carrier extending transversely to the axle of the motor through a rigid connection, and wherein the oscillation system, which consists of the unbalanced drive motor and a tool carrier, is oscillatably arranged on the housing.

A device of the aforedescribed kind is, for example, described in U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,295,240 as a cleaning device. The tool carrier designated as a 
"cleaning element" is disposed therein on a knock-out spindle extending 
from the end of the housing, and wherein the cleaning tool consists of a 
cleaning cloth and is denoted as a "cleaning part". The knock-out spindle 
forms a firm component of a connection part, the so-called "drive part" in 
the interior of the housing, and which surrounds the balance weight in a 
shell-like manner, and is flanged onto the motor. The tool carrier, the 
so-called drive part, and the unbalanced drive motor together form the 
oscillating system, which is oscillatably supported on the housing. 
In the above named device, certain disadvantages, particularly in the 
implementation of the oscillating system, could be determined. Thus, for 
example, the arrangement of the tool carrier on a knock-out spindle 
results in a larger spacing of the operating surface thereof from the 
elastic support, so that in the case of any non-axially directed 
drive-loads, a tilting moment is exerted on the elastic support, which 
leads to a substantial reduction of the formation of oscillations. 
Disadvantages also result, when a tool carrier having a larger operating 
surface is used, as that tool carrier must then be implemented in a very 
stable manner, due to a lack of any support. The known embodiment 
therefore requires as a whole a higher weight of the oscillating system, 
and consequently also a higher drive output. Furthermore, the larger 
construction length of the housing, due to the so-called drive part, must 
be viewed as a further disadvantage, as it makes the handling thereof much 
more difficult. 
It is a task of the invention to remove these disadvantages and to further 
develop the above-named device, so that it ensures also a further 
application, apart from the above-named applications. 
This is attained, according to the invention, by the drive motor being 
directly connected to the tool carrier, which in turn is oscillatably 
arranged on the housing substantially by means of oscillation elements 
disposed in its peripheral region and extending parallel to the axle of 
the motor, and wherein the tool carrier which adjoins the rim of the 
housing therebelow and at a small spacing therefrom, includes 
approximately at the level of the balance weight and in the rim region 
connecting surfaces or connecting elements for replaceable attachment of 
operating means or additional devices, and wherein the tool carrier is 
closed off directly below the balance weight by means of a floor plate 
which is optionally insertable or may be set up, and which under certain 
circumstances is also suitable as support for the operating means. 
Treatment tools or operating means of different types can therefore be 
advantageously disposed near the balance weight, and also on the housing, 
so that also in case of tools having a larger operating surface, a 
frequently required edge use of the device, for example in the treatment 
of hollow channels, edges or the like is possible at a full effect of the 
oscillating system. Since consequently also greater connecting surfaces 
have been created on the tool carrier, an easily replaceable and reliably 
holdable attachment is ensured not only of operating means, but also of 
any additional devices for further use of the apparatus. 
In the further development of the invention, it is possible to provide that 
the oscillatable holder consists of an elastic suspension, for example of 
several swing bolts distributed uniformly along the periphery, extending 
parallel to the axle of the motor, and disposed between the rim of the 
housing and the tool carrier. These can then provide for the tool carrier 
to be secured to the unbalanced drive motor at a distance from the end of 
the housing which is required for the oscillating movement, and therefore 
also offer advantageously an adequate securement against any twisting 
thereof, or of the entire drive system. 
Inventive advantages according to a further development of the invention 
can also be obtained thereby, if additionally to the oscillatable holder, 
the oscillating system is supported, or optionally held in a pivot support 
on a side of the housing disposed opposite to the oscillatable holder. The 
oscillatable holder can therefore transfer the oscillating movement 
without being loaded by any possibly higher operating pressure forces, so 
that a pendulum-like, circular-like oscillating movement may thereby be 
transferred. 
It is also an advantage if the tool carrier is formed as a pan open on a 
side facing the oscillating side of the motor, and whose mantle preferably 
extends along a circumference equal to that of the housing, as 
consequently within the rim region thereof a connecting surface is formed, 
which considerably facilitates the attachment of treatment tools or 
operating means, for example of a cleaning cloth. 
Particular advantages of an inventive nature can also be obtained, if the 
tool carrier includes a projection which is spaced downwardly from the 
tool carrier in an annular manner, and which is provded with connecting 
surfaces, or preferably with attachment means of a bayonet type, the shaft 
of the motor with the balance weight extending into that projection 
directly up to the upper surface of a floor plate, which in turn may 
optionally be inserted or set up, or extending up to a holder for the 
operating means. By this means, different operating means suitable for 
surface treatment can be replaceably and also holdably inserted without 
any effort on the housing, so that the device can be quickly matched to 
the respective application. 
In a further implementation of the invention, it can also be provided that 
the tool carrier, and optionally also the housing is formed with air 
passages, and by there being provided a dust catching aggregate instead of 
the floor plate, which is attachable to the ring-shaped projection, and 
which substantially consists of a dust filter and a container for the 
caught dust, inclusive of a handle, and by the balance weight being 
removeably disposed in favor of the insertion of a suction rotor. By 
attaching a suction rotor instead of a balance weight, the drive motor can 
no longer exert an oscillating drive movement. Upon insertion of the dust 
catching aggregate onto the annular projection of the tool carrier, 
instead of the floor plate insertable thereonto, the drive motor is also 
connected through that projection with the container for the caught dust, 
and wherein the housing at least partly surrounding the drive motor is now 
moveable along the oscillatable motor support, but does not thereby exert 
any effect whatever. 
A further development of the invention consists therein that a cover part 
is associated with a blower motor, which in turn remains constantly on the 
shaft of the motor, the cover part, in the case of a requirement (for 
oscillating treatment of the surfaces) being in turn settable onto the 
blower motor, closing off at least the suction openings of the blower 
motor, and including the balance weight. By this means, the suction effect 
of the suction rotor is inhibited during polishing operations or the like, 
and only a part, namely the cover plate including the balance weight, is 
to be arranged on the suction rotor or on the shaft of the drive motor, in 
the case of a requirement. 
An optimal effect of the device can be attained for both different uses 
according to a further advantageous implementation of the invention, by 
there being provided regulating means for the number of rotations, such 
as, for example a voltage regulator for the current supply, for driving of 
the balance weight at a number of rotations, which is smaller than that of 
the blower rotor.

In the inventively implemented device of FIG. 1 for cleaning, polishing and 
grinding, the tool carrier 2 receiving the treatment tool 1 is connected 
by means of a double-armed bracket 3 and by means of screws 4 directly to 
the drive motor 6, so as to be oscillatable therewith, which motor rotates 
in an unbalanced manner due to a balance weight 5, the tool carrier 2 
being supported in a pendulum-like manner through a ball-and-socket joint 
9, which is a ball-shaped extension of the bracket 3, and which is 
disposed in a housing 7, namely at the end of the holder 8. The housing 7 
and the ball-and-socket joint 9 inserted therein are partitioned for this 
purpose in the cutting plane into two parts, and wherein the housing-and 
support-halves may be threadably bolted by means of four screws, - 
represented by the symmetry lines 10. 
The tool carrier 2 ends adjoining to the balance weight 5 with a pan-shaped 
floor plate 16, and is supported through the joint 9 so in the housing 7, 
that the tool carrier 2 is spaced with the upper rim of the floor plate 16 
from the rim 7' of the housing disposed opposite to the holder 8 of the 
housing. The spacing between the rim 7' of the housing and the upper 
border of the floor plate 16 amounts to about 3 to 6 millimeters. The 
named parts, which are disposed so as to oscillate with the unbalanced 
drive motor 6, and which together form the oscillating system, are 
oscillatably held and supported at about the level of the balance weight 5 
through four helical springs 11 disposed in the direction of the axle of 
the drive motor 6, and arranged at the same peripheral distance between 
the rim 7' of the housing and the floor plate 16. On the housing 7 there 
are further arranged the starting and stopping switch 13, as well as the 
rubber lip 14 for the current cable 15. The treatment tool 1 is also 
pot-shaped, and is connected with a foam part 17, which serves for 
polishing. It is secured through its own tension and through claw-like 
extensions, which engage recesses 18 of the tool carrier 2. 
In FIG. 2, the tool carrier 2 is connected to a suspension 12 connected to 
the rim 7' of the housing, serving as an oscillatable holder, and 
therefore spaced from the rim 7' of the housing at a distance permitting 
an oscillatory movement, and is simultaneously supported on the rim 7' of 
the housing. The elastic suspension 12 consists of three swing bolts 
uniformly distributed on the outer periphery on the housing and disposed 
parallel to the longitudinal axle of the drive motor 6, which on one side 
are screwed into the rim 7' of the housing through built-in vulcanized 
threaded pins 19, and include on the other side built-in vulcanized nuts 
21, through which the tool carrier 2 is secured to the rim of the housing 
7' by means of flat headed screws 20. The tool carrier 2 includes a 
ring-shaped extension 22, into which projects the shaft of the drive motor 
with the balance weight 5 and wherein an insertable floor plate 16' with a 
bayonet lock 23 is disposed thereon. Since the insertable floor plate 16' 
is also pan-shaped, cleaning cloths 17 can be disposed thereon by means of 
the tension ring 24, or operating means can be used, which are provided 
with foam materials, grinding leaves or the like, so as to also effect 
polishing and grinding. 
The housing 7 is manufactured in one piece with one part of the 
bulge-shaped handle 8, and wherein the further part 8' of the handle is 
screwed thereonto by means of screws 25. In the partitioned handle 8, 8' 
there are disposed several rechargeable batteries 26 for driving the motor 
6. The batteries 26 are disposed on a supporting plate 27 inserted in the 
holder 8. In the housing 7 there are also disposed the start-stop switch 
13, as well as a connector socket for charging of the batteries 26, which, 
however, is not visible in this representation. 
FIG. 3 shows the device according to FIG. 2 alternately with parts disposed 
thereon serving to suck off dust, and wherein instead of the balance 
weight 5 there is disposed on the ring-shaped projection 22 of the tool 
carrier 2 the suction rotor 28, and instead of the insertable floor plate 
16' there is disposed on that ring-shaped projection 22 the dust catcher 
aggregate consisting of the container 29 for the caught dust and of the 
dust filter 30, 31. The housing 7 and the tool carrier 2 are formed with 
passage openings 36, 37, which are also of advantage when using the device 
for polishing or the like, as these effect a good aeration of the drive 
motor 6. At the end of the container 29 for the caught dust the suction 
nozzle 34 is insertable, which in turn is closable by the non-return valve 
35. The dust filter 30 is secured by means of the elastic ring 32 to the 
cage 31, which in turn is partitioned into two parts in the plane of the 
section. Handling of the apparatus transformed in a further development 
into a device for suctioning off dust is accomplished by the handle 38 
disposed on the container 29 for the caught dust. 
The oscillating system 2, 5, 6, which, according to FIGS. 2 and 3, is 
oscillatably supported on the elastic suspension 12, can additionally also 
be slidably or pivotably supported on the side of the housing 7, 8 
opposite to the elastic suspension, as shown in FIG. 1. An implementation 
version of the additional pivot support is shown in FIG. 3, and consists 
of a supporting portion 40 disposed on the bearing extension 39 of the 
drive motor 6, and being semi-spherically shaped on the end thereof, the 
supporting portion 40 being guidably received in a recess 41 formed in the 
support plate 27. It is obvious that in the case of use of any additional 
abutment or support, that abutment or support remains constantly disposed 
there, both during polishing, as well as during suctioning off dust. 
In FIG. 4, which shows the tool carrier 2, a portion of the drive motor 6, 
and of the elastic suspension 12 in cross-section, the suction rotor 28 
remains always, secured to the shaft of the drive motor 6, namely also 
during polishing or the like. In the case of transformation of the device 
to polishing or the like, the suctioning effect of the blower rotor 28 is 
made inoperative by the cover part 42. The arrangement of the cover part 
42, on the outer side of which the balance weight 5 is secured, is 
accomplished, for example, by means of the nut 4, which may be screwed 
onto a threaded sleeve 43 formed on the blower rotor 28. When the device 
is transformed for suctioning off dust, only the cover portion 42 is 
therefore to be removed, and the dust catching aggregate is to be inserted 
on the ring-shaped extension 22. It is also an advantage, if there is 
provided on the device or exterior thereof an arrangement for regulating 
the number of revolutions, such as for example a voltage regulator of the 
current supply, for driving of the balance weight 5, and having a number 
of revolutions smaller than those of the blower rotor 28, as a voltage 
regulator is of particular advantage compared to a possible 
mechanically-acting regulation of the number of revolutions. 
The versions shown in the individual figures and described therein can also 
be exchanged with respect to one another. In particular, the suspension 12 
formed as a pivotable holder, and the additional support 40, 41, or the 
additional holder 9 can be used in all versions. Any devices disposed 
between the drive motor 6 and the tool carrier 2, which do not immediately 
serve for transmitting oscillations, such as, for example an annex rigidly 
connected therewith, have hereby no influence on the inventive operating 
effect. 
The insertable treatment tools can be shaped differently, or can be 
disposed by means of an extension on the tool carrier 2. It is also 
possible to optionally form the device instead of with the handle 8, with 
an extension rod, or to form the housing thereof in such a manner, that an 
extension rod can be disposed thereon, so that the device can also serve 
as a floor device.