Patent GB-394971-A (GB)
Title: Floor scrubbing and mopping machine
IPC: A47L11/30
Filed: 1931-12-05
Abstract: 394,971. Floor -cleaning machines. FINNELL, W. S., 500, East Street, Elkhart, Indiana, U.S.A. Dec. 5, 1931, No. 33782. Convention date, Dec. 5, 1930. [Class 138 (i).] In a floor scrubbing and mopping machine having means for supplying and for eliminating water, the squeegee 61 is pivotally supported from a substantially horizontal U-shaped frame 87 itself pivotally supported from the frame of the machine, the pivotal movement of the squeegee, however, being controlled in such a way that downward movement of its front end is limited by stop means 91 between the squeegee and the U-shaped frame. The squeegee comprises a V-shaped frame 61a, Fig. 10, having similarly shaped rubber sections 61b to perform the mopping operation, and is pivotally supported by brackets 89, 89<1> from the U-shaped frame 87 which is pivoted at its front end to a casting 33 secured to the machine frame. The bracket 89<1> is provided with an extension 89a supporting an adjustable screw 91 to form the stop means. The squeegee is held normally out of contact with the floor by springs 93, Fig. 2, but is held in engagement with the floor by latch means. The latch means comprise a latch element 98 adjustably mounted on a leg 97, hinged to the machine frame and pulled rearwardly by a spring 100, and engaging a cross-bar 103 on the U-shaped frame ; the latch may be released by depressing a rearwardlyextending portion 104 of the leg 97. An upwardly-projecting yielding member 105a on the squeegee member is adapted to engage a portion of the machine frame when the squeegee is moved upwardly into inoperative position to cause the squeegee to assume a position substantially parallel to the floor. The machine frame, which is mounted on wheels 42 on the casting 33, supports an L-shaped receptacle 27 for the cleaning liquid, which is delivered to the floor through a conduit 56 having a valve 56b actuated by a rod and handle means 56c, and openings 55 in the supports 51 of the brushes 58, which are rotated inwardly towards each other by connections to an electric motor 40. The soiled liquid collected by the squeegee is removed from the floor by suction through a conduit 112 leading to a receptacle 110 in which a partial vacuum is produced by an exhauster III driven by a motor 41. The conduit is provided with a nozzle 113 which may have a cut-away part 114 to ensure a flow of air through the conduit ; openings 115 may be provided in the conduit for the same purpose. An automatic dump valve 116, controlled by the vacuum in the receptacle 110 and the weight of the soiled liquid therein, is provided for discharging the soiled liquid at intervals from the receptacle 110 into a receptacle 21 slidingly supported in the machine frame. Air and liquid may be separated in the receptacle 110 by a separator 117 and any liquid drawn into the exhauster may be discharged into the receptacle 21 through a nozzlelike extension 118 on the exhauster. A float member 119 serves to indicate the level of the liquid in the receptacle 21, which is provided with a discharge valve 120. For convenience in filling the receptacle 27, there is provided an adjustable spout mounted in the funnel-like opening 122 of the receptacle. The spout comprises a trough-like body 123 having a hook-shaped outer end 123a adapted to hook over the forward end of the receptacle. The underside of the spout is provided with an angled member 124 which, when the spout is lifted upwards for filling purposes, is adapted to engage the forward end of the receptacle ; a leg 126 on the spout seating on the inclined wall 122a of the opening 122 serves to hold the spout properly inclined, and a hook member 125 adapted to hook over the wall portion 122b of the opening 122 serves to limit the normal withdrawal movement of the spout. An electric cable 37 for supplying power to the motors passes round a cable drum 36. The machine .may be provided with covers. The mechanism for driving the brushes includes the motor 40 having a driven shaft 40a, Fig. 3, connected to a worm 62 meshing with gears 63, 64 in the housing 49 ; the gears 63, 64 have each a vertically-depending drive-stem 65 which is connected with the respective brush support 51 by a universal-drive connection which permits of wobble and vertical adjustment of the brush supports relative to the driving-mechanism to compensate for variations in the level of the floor surface. The brush supports 51 are of inverted cup-shape having a central opening therein, the walls of the opening being formed in part by the downturned edges 51a, Fig. 12, of the brush-support material and in part by a cylindrical piece 53. A cylindrical concaveconvex driving-boss 54 is secured to the flange 51a. In this way, a central pocket is formed in the brush structure to which the cleaning liquid is delivered from the conduit 56, the liquid finding its way to the floor surface at the centre of the brush structure through the openings 55 in the driving-boss. The outer annular edges of the brush support 51 are turned downwardly and inwardly, the brushes 58 having their heads complementally shaped so that springs 59 acting on the inner sides of the brushes hold the brushes in place. The universal-drive connection, shown in Figs. 12 and 13, comprises a head 66 secured to the drive stem 65 and having a rectangular-shaped tongue 67 secured somewhat loosely in the rectangularshaped slot 69 of a connector member 70 by a pin 71. The connector member 70 has a rectangular-shaped tongue 72, at right-angles to the tongue 67, which passes through a rectangular-shaped opening of slightly greater dimensions in the boss member 54 so that the depending tongue 67 can rock therein and at right-angles to the rocking motion permitted by the pin 71. The tongue 72 is detachably secured to the boss 54 by a U-shaped latch spring 80 secured to the boss 54 and engaging a flanged opening 74 in the lower end of the tongue 72 ; normally, there is some clearance vertically between the arms of the spring 80 and the flanged opening 73 whereby the brush-head structure is adapted to adjust itself vertically with respect to the driving- mechanism in addition to the wobble-adjusting movements. An alternative form of universaldrive connection is shown in Fig. 15; in this form the drive stem 65 is secured to a connector member 83 which is loosely mounted and held for rocking movement in a socket 84 in a member 85 by screw pins 86. The member 85 has a tongue 85a, detachably secured to the drive boss 54 in the same way as the tongue 72 in the modification shown in Figs. 12 and 13 ; a spring 85c may be positioned between the shoulder on the member 85 and the drive boss 54. Specification 331,631, [Class 138 (i), Washing and cleaning buildings &c.], is referred to.