Abstract:
A dual mode floor scrubber with a square cleaning pad that can rotate in a first mode to achieve a scrubbing operation away from the walls, and reciprocate longitudinally in a second mode adjacent to a wall to remove the sediment next to the wall and corners.

Description:
[0001]    The present application is related to the co-pending provisional patent application No. 61/143,570 of Freddie Walker, filed 9 Jan. 2009, entitled “Apparatus for Cleaning Floor Surfaces”, and based on which priority is herewith claimed under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if fully rewritten herein. 
         [0002]    The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,060, application Ser. No. 11/178,820, filed on Jul. 12, 2005, of Freddie Walker, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully re-written herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The present invention relates generally to floor cleaning apparatus and specifically to floor scrubbers and buffers. Conventional floor cleaning schemes require a scrubber having a round scrubbing pad that rotates to remove wax and other unwanted sediment from a floor prior to applying a new coat of wax. Contemporaneous to the scrubbing operation, cleaning personnel must, on hands and knees, proceed along the periphery of a room with a hand held scraper to remove sediment from next to the wall that the round scrubbing pad cannot access. This is problematic in terms of time consumption and/or additional personnel required. The present invention overcomes this disadvantage, as well as achieving other objects and advantages that will be apparent to those of skill in the art, by providing a dual mode scrubber with a square cleaning pad that can rotate in a first mode to achieve the scrubbing operation away from the walls, and reciprocate longitudinally in a second mode adjacent to a wall to remove the sediment next to the wall. 
         [0004]    Generally, the present invention accomplishes a dual mode operation having a first rotating mode and a second reciprocating mode using a “dog clutch” arrangement. In the rotating mode, the dog clutch is disengaged and a gear arrangement is engaged causing a lower portion to rotate. In the reciprocating mode, the gear arrangement is disengaged and the dog clutch engages a double throw crank shaft with attached dual linkage. One linkage arm is pivotably secured to the scrubber plate. A second linkage arm is pivotably secured to a counter weight assembly which dampens unwanted vibrations. It is to be understood that the terms buffer and scrubber can be used interchangeably herein while in the art the terms can refer to the polishing of a newly waxed floor and the removing of old wax or other sediment, respectively. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of the lower assembly of one embodiment of the invention 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of the upper assembly of one embodiment of the invention 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  depicts a frontal, partial view of the various plates of one embodiment of the invention 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  depicts a bottom, partial view of the various plates of one embodiment of the invention 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  depicts a side, partial view of the various plates and linkage arms of one embodiment of the invention 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  depicts a side, partial view of the various plates and linkage arms of one embodiment of the invention in the rotating mode 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  depicts a side, partial view of the various plates and linkage arms of one embodiment of the invention in the reciprocating mode 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  depicts a side view of the invention (handle fragmented) 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    One embodiment of a floor scrubber comprises: an upper assembly  1  comprising, a motor  100 , a first plate  3  having a lower surface  30 , a support plate  20  having first and second holes  33 , 40 , a first clutch member  34 , a shaft  35 , a first gear  37 , a second gear  36 , a third gear  38 , a housing  39 , a support plate  20 , and a shroud  101 ; a lower assembly  2  comprising, a first linkage arm  62  having first and second ends  4 , 5 , a square pad  6 , a second linkage arm  17  having first and second ends  7 , 8 , a fourth gear  11 , a second clutch member  10 , a second plate  12 , a third plate  50  having two tapered edges  51  on opposite sides, a fourth plate  23 , a fifth plate  14  having upper and lower surfaces  24 , 18 , eight V-groove rollers  15 , a double throw crank shaft  16  having first and second eccentric portions  60 , 61 , two flanges  19  connected to upper surface  24  of fifth plate  14 , a second hole  21  being displaced in second plate  12 , a first ball bearing set  63 , a second ball bearing set  64 , a mounting plate  26 , mating holes  22  displaced on opposite sides of each of plates  12  &amp;  23 , and further being adapted to coincide with locking pins  31 , and a mounting plate  26 ; handle  102 ; and wheels  103 . 
         [0014]    Upper assembly  2  ( FIG. 2 ) is secured to lower assembly  1  ( FIG. 1 ); surface  30  of first plate  3  is flush with the upper surface of plate  12  and secured by bolts. Shaft  35  fits within hole  21  and may freely rotate within it. Pins  31  go through mating holes  22  in plates  3 ,  12 , and  23 . Pins  31  slidingly engage holes  22  in fourth plate  23  in the reciprocating mode (thus locking plate  23  with plates  3  &amp;  12 ) and are retracted (thus disengaging plate  23 ) in the rotating mode. Second plate  23  is attached to gear  11  by sleeve  66  ( FIG. 6 ) which rotates freely within bearing set  65  which is retained in Plate  12  ( FIG. 6 ) as depicted by direction arrows  25  in  FIG. 1 . Therefore, plates  14  and  23  in  FIG. 1  and plate  50  in  FIG. 3  may rotate with respect to the upper assembly in FIG.  2  in the rotating mode. 
         [0015]    Plates  14 ,  23  &amp;  50  can only move longitudinally with respect to each other. Therefore, if fifth plate  23  rotates, so will plates  14  &amp;  50 . This is achieved by disposing flanges  19  to upper surface  24  of fifth plate  14  on opposite sides thereof. Flanges  19  engage four V-groove rollers  15 , two on either side of plate  23 . The remaining four V-groove rollers are in contact with plate  50  (two on each side). 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , each of the rollers  15  are connected to fourth plate  23  (four on either side). On each side of fourth plate  23 , two rollers engage flanges  19  and the other two (inner most rollers) engage third plate  50 . Third plate  50  has tapered edges  51 , as do flanges  19 . The tapered edges engage the V-grooves ( FIG. 3 ) in rollers  15 . The rollers are latitudinally adjustable to engage either flanges  19  or plate  50 . 
         [0017]    The four rollers that are in contact with flanges  19  are connected approximate each of the four corners of fourth plate  23 . The remaining four rollers (in contact with third plate  50 —two on either side) are connected to fourth plate  23  and situated inside of the rollers that are in contact with flanges  19 . All of the rollers on either side of fourth plate  23  are coplanar with respect to each other ( FIG. 3 ), yet staggered as viewed from top or bottom ( FIG. 4 ). If fourth plate  23  rotates, plates  14  &amp;  50  will also rotate. 
         [0018]    In the rotating mode ( FIG. 6 ), first clutch member  34  is refracted and disengaged from second clutch member  10 . This is preferably achieved by using a cam assembly (not shown) to lift the motor assembly (including motor  100  having a shaft, third gear  38 , locking pins  31 , and first clutch member  34 ) upward thereby retracting first clutch member  34  and pins  31 . A locking mechanism (not shown) serves to lock the motor assembly in place in the elevated position. 
         [0019]    In this mode, first gear  37  is engaged to third gear  38  (which is coaxial and affixed to the motor shaft with the motor shaft) whereas in the second reciprocating mode it is not. First gear  37  is coaxial with second gear  36  and connected to it by shaft  35 . Second gear  36  engages fourth gear  11 . Fourth gear  11  is connected to sleeve  66  which is connected to fourth plate  23 . Thus, fourth plate  23  rotates along with fourth gear  11 . Thus, power is transferred from the motor shaft to third gear  38 , then to first gear  37 , then to second gear  36 , then to fourth gear  11  which causes plates  14 ,  23 , &amp;  50  to rotate (plates  14  and  50  necessarily rotate along with fourth plate  23 ). 
         [0020]    In the reciprocating mode, plates  50  and  14  reciprocate longitudinally and parallel with each other, but 180 degrees out of phase. To switch to the reciprocating mode, the locking mechanism is released and the cam assembly lowers the motor downwardly, to engage first and second clutch members  34  &amp;  10 . In this mode, first gear  37  is disengaged from third gear  38  (and thus from the motor shaft), so it does not rotate. 
         [0021]    Second clutch member  10  is connected to a double throw crank shaft  16  with first and second linkage arms  62 ,  17  attached thereto. Double throw crank shaft  16  has first and second eccentric portions  60 ,  61  that are disposed 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other ( FIG. 5 ). First eccentric portion  60  is connected to first end  4  of first linkage arm  62  via first ball bearing set  63 . Second end  5  of first linkage arm  62  is pivotably connected to third plate  50 . Second eccentric portion  61  is connected to second end  8  of second linkage arm  17  via second ball bearing set  64 . First end  7  of second linkage arm  17  is pivotably connected to mounting plate  26  which is attached to upper surface  24  of fifth plate  14 . 
         [0022]    Plate  50  serves as a counter weight. It reciprocates 180 degrees out of phase with respect to plate  14 . This effectively dampens unwanted vibration. One of skill in the art will appreciate that the actual weight of third plate  50  (counter weight) can be chosen proportional to the actual weight of fifth plate  14  and the various components attached thereto and resistance of the surface being cleaned. 
         [0023]    A square buffing or scrubbing pad  6  is secured to lower surface  18  of fifth plate  14  which either rotates or reciprocates. A distinct advantage is achieved, not only in having a dual mode machine, but also having a square pad that can clean next to walls and corners (in the reciprocating mode). 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, shroud  101  is removably connected to first plate  3  so as to cover portions of upper and lower assemblies  1  &amp;  2 . In one embodiment, pins  31  are located outside of housing  39 . However, pins  31  can also be within housing  39 .