Abstract:
A rain-gutter cleaning system has an agitator head that is mounted to the top end of a long suction tube and pole and supported aloft by them. A vacuum pump on the ground is connected to bring rain-gutter debris down the suction tube and into a collection bag. The agitator head includes opposite, synchronized rotating paddles that tear and break up tangles and clogs encountered in a rain gutter and that helps direct the loosened debris down the throat of the suction tube. An optional camera mounted atop the agitator head allows an operator on the ground below to see the performance inside of the rain gutter on a small monitor screen.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to rain-gutter cleaners, and more particularly to pole mounted devices that allow an operator to remain on the ground even when cleaning a rain gutter high overhead. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A roof can shed large amounts of rainwater during a storm, and the collected volume of water at the height of a typical roof can do a lot of damage if it&#39;s allowed to crash to the ground uncontrolled. So rain gutters have been used for centuries to catch the water at the eaves and channel it to a downspout. 
     Unfortunately, these gutters also catch leaves and other debris that can clog the gutter and prevent the downspouts from functioning. The present inventor, Ira George Hall, answered this problem with U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,782 (Hall &#39;782), issued Feb. 13, 2001. 
     The most direct way to clean out rain gutters is to go up on the roof and use a small scoop or hands to clean out the build-up. But working so close to the edge of a roof can be very dangerous. Working from ladders is a little better, but ladders are not completely safe either. Ladders are also awkward to move about and position, and some spots along the rain gutter cannot be reached by ladder. 
     The rain-gutter cleaning system described in Hall &#39;782 uses an agitator head mounted on the distal end of a long pole. A vacuum pump on the ground is connected to the agitator head with a long suction tube. A set of paddles mounted to a rotating drum slap against any debris in the bottom of a rain gutter. The vacuum and the paddles lift the debris up into an auger screw that forces the material into the suction tube and then down to the ground where it can be disposed of. 
     Experience is now showing that such an auger screw requires too large an enclosure volume, and the screw itself can get clogged with wet debris. The usual debris in rain gutters can include twigs and small branches, and compacted materials that are hard to break up and remove. Each ounce of weight that can be saved in the construction of the agitator head can lead to better mobility and reduced operator fatigue. And a more compact housing would make it easier to maneuver through tree branches overhanging the eaves. So what is needed is a rain gutter vacuuming system that weighs less and does a better job of breaking up even compacted debris. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, a rain-gutter vacuuming system embodiment of the present invention has an agitator head that is mounted to the top end of a long suction tube and pole and supported aloft by them. A vacuum pump on the ground is connected to bring rain-gutter debris down the suction tube and into a collection bag. The agitator head includes opposite rotating paddles that gather together and break up leaves, twigs, and small branches collected in a rain gutter. The loosened debris is pulled by the vacuum down the throat of the suction tube. A camera may be mounted on the agitator head to allow an operator on the ground below to see the inside of the rain gutter on a small monitor screen. The camera can also record the cleaning process and document damaged or rotted gutters when connected to a camcorder. 
     The above and still further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a rain-gutter cleaning system embodiment of the present invention being used on a two-story house by an operator; 
         FIG. 2A  is a front perspective view diagram of an agitator head for a rain-gutter cleaning system like that shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a rear perspective view diagram of the agitator head of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a bottom perspective view diagram of the agitator head of  FIG. 2A , and shows the opening in the bottom through which the paddles protrude and rotate; and 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view diagram of a paddle transmission assembly used in the agitator head of  FIGS. 2A-2C . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a rain-gutter cleaning system embodiment of the present invention referred to herein by the reference numeral  100 . A rain gutter  101  that needs cleaning may be high on the eaves of a one or two story house. An agitator head  102  and video camera  104  are held aloft on a control boom  106 . A telescoping extension pole  108  is fitted with a control cable  110 . Means are provided to automatically take up any slack in the control cable  110 . A control panel  114  allows the operator to control activity within the agitator head  102 . A display monitor screen  116  is connected to the video camera  104  and allows the operator to look into the rain gutter  101 . 
     In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the display monitor screen  116  includes a video tape recorder, e.g., am 8 mm type, that allows the before and after condition of the rain gutter to be recorded. Such recording can be used to increase customer good will, or used in legal proceedings to prove or disprove liability. 
     A vacuum cleaner  118  has a collection bag  120  for loosened debris that flows down from the agitator head  102  through a suction hose  122 . In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the extension pole  108  and suction hose  122  can be partly or totally replaced by lightweight rigid pipe sections. The vacuum cleaner  118  and collection bag  120  could also be mounted on a truck, or they could be replaced by a shop vacuum, instead of being carried by the operator. 
     An adjustment knob  124  or switch is used to adjust the height of the telescoping extension pole  108  through a system of concave rubber rollers. The necessary operating power for the agitator head  102 , video camera  104 , display monitor screen  116 , and vacuum cleaner  118 , can be provided by a small gasoline-powered engine, battery, or electrical extension cord. Such power alternatives are represented by a back-pack power unit  126 . Each different kind of power source has its own advantages and disadvantages. In alternative embodiments of the present invention vacuum  118 , collection bag  120  and power unit  126  can be replaced by using flexible ducting that connects to a remote vacuum that may be portable or truck mounted. 
     Embodiments of the present invention are portable and enable operators to clean rain gutters while standing on the ground. A gas engine or other power unit maybe mounted in a back pack, much like a conventional leaf blower. The engine powers a vacuum system, attached to which is an expandable suction tube capable of reaching the rain gutters on a one and two story house while the operator is standing on the ground. 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  represent an agitator head  200  that could be used in system  100 . The whole is sized to fit and slip longitudinally within a typical rain gutter at a roof edge. Agitator head  200  comprises a vacuum and paddles chamber  202 , a paddle transmission  204 , and a vacuum connection  206  for a hose. A motor  208  mounted to a bracket  209  powers the transmission  204  to turn two rotating hub assemblies  210  and  212  and double-ended and synchronized paddles  214  and  215 . A paddle tip is just visible in the perspective views of  FIGS. 2A and 2B  protruding from the open bottom of the paddle and vacuum chamber  202 .  FIG. 2C  shows paddles  214  and  215  more fully. 
     Gears and chain drives inside the transmission  204  are connected to the two rotating hub assemblies  210  and  212  and rotate one rotating hub assembly and paddle clockwise while the other rotates counter-clockwise.  FIG. 3  shows one such arrangement in greater detail. The paddles  214  and  215  are typically aligned on their rotating hub assemblies  210  and  212  so that their two tips will point at each other every 180° of rotation.  FIG. 2C  shows this configuration, and such helps to beat debris between the paddles to break it up. The rotating paddles also act to partially block and then open the vacuum that reaches the bottom of the gutter being cleaned. Such pulsating vacuum also aids in dislodging debris. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , a crane  216  is fitted at its distal end with a loose gimbal  218  such that the agitator head  200  can dangle below. A bracket  219  is used to attach the lower end of the gimbal  218  to agitator head  200 , preferably at a point that allows the agitator head  200  to hang with its bottom edge level both laterally and longitudinally. Such gimbal  218  is relatively loose given the weigh it supports, and its configuration allows a limited range of pivoting, twisting, and swiveling of the agitator head on the crane  216 . A wire tie  220  is used to dress a power wire cable  222  for motor  208 . The crane  216  can be attached to the end of a long telescoping pole, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Alternatively, power wire cable  222  could be run down inside crane  216  and the telescoping pole. 
       FIG. 3  represents a paddle transmission assembly  300  that could be used for the agitator head of  FIGS. 2A-2C . The paddle transmission assembly  300  comprises a base plate  302  with a motor and paddles mounted on the backside. A driven gear  304  meshes with a drive gear  306  and has a 1:1 ratio. Driven gear  304  is sistered to a chain sprocket (not visible) on a free axle  308 . Similarly, drive gear  306  is also sistered to another chain sprocket (not visible) on a motor drive shaft  310 . 
     A small DC electric motor, like motor  208  in  FIGS. 2A-2C , is mounted to the backside of the transmission  300 , and it receives operating power on a connecting wire run down a pole to the ground and an operator. Such motor could be powered in forward and reverse directions by switching the electrical polarity. Faster and slower speeds could be realized by changing the applied voltage and/or gear ratios. 
     The two chain sprockets turn in opposite directions due to the gear meshing. A first chain  314  drives a sprocket  316  clockwise, e.g., on a spindle hub  318 . A second chain  320  drives a sprocket  322  counter-clockwise, e.g., on a spindle hub  324 . These rotate paddles  330  and  332  in opposite directions, but synchronized such that their respective tips will come close together twice each rotation. 
     The rotating paddles slap and beat debris within their reach to loosen it for vacuuming and removable. In general, the rotating paddles slap and beat debris up in the space between them. But in some situations it may be advantageous to reverse their mutual rotations. 
     The gearing and motor speeds to use should be empirically selected to produce the best cleaning action of debris from a rain-gutter. A variable control may also be advantageous when conditions and debris materials vary in the field. The hardness and stiffness of the paddles  330  and  332  can also be adjusted for best operation. In a prototype that was built that produced good results, the paddles were cut from two thicknesses of rubber very similar to that used in heavy duty automotive tire inner tubes. Of course other materials and configurations may produce better results in particular situations. 
     A method embodiment of the present invention for cleaning rain gutters includes dragging an agitator head along inside a rain gutter to collect debris with a vacuum. A pair of oppositely rotating paddles are mounted in a bottom edge of said agitator head. The debris is beat and slapped with the pair of oppositely rotating paddles, and they are synchronized to come close together at their tips twice each rotation. The agitator head can be lofted above ground to a roof edge with a telescoping pole. The performance of the agitator head above ground can be monitored with a video camera. It can also be advantageous to reverse the rotation of the pair of oppositely rotating paddles. 
     Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, such is not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and changes will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that the invention only be limited by the scope of the appended claims.