Patent GB-706144-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to suction cleaners
IPC: A47L5/32
Filed: 1951-12-06
Abstract: 706,144. Suction cleaners. HOOVER, Ltd. Dec. 6, 1951 [Dec. 12, 1950], No. 28593/51. Class 8 (1). The suction nozzle 11, Fig. 1, and the agitator 19 of a handle propelled suction cleaner are raised to an inoperative position clear of the floor by releasing the handle 38 and allowing it . to fall to an inclined rest position and thereby shift one or more wheels e.g. rear wheels 16 relatively to the cleaner body 10 by means of a cam 45 connected to and moving in unison with the handle 38 and co-operating with a follower e.g. a roller 44 operatively connected to the wheels 16, the cam having portions coaxial with its axis co-operating with the roller 44 to keep the nozzle in an operative position when the handle is in either an upper or lower working range and projections or recesses 46 co-operating with the roller 44 to cause the nozzle to be raised to the inoperative position when the handle is either raised to a vertical storage position or allowed to fall to the inclined rest position. The recess 47 defines the normal operating range of the handle and a stop 48 limits downward movement of the handle. Adjustment of nozzle height to accommodate carpets of varying thickness is effected by movement of the roller 44 along its axis, which is slightly inclined to the horizontal. To this end the roller 44 is mounted on a sliding strip 42, Fig. 3, at one end of a manually operated lever 65 pivoted to a carriage 17 at a pin 61. A converter port 49 normally closed by a snap-on-cover 50 has notches 53, 54 engaged by a key and latch respectively on the converter which is L-shaped and a tab 56 (not shown) enters one or other of two notches in the converter according to whether the handle is in the vertical or inclined rest position. In a modification wherein the axis of the motor fan unit is vertical, the rear wheels 80 are carried by an axle 90 which extends through vertical slots 91 in body brackets 92 and is positioned relative to the body by links 94 pivoted to levers 95 which are themselves pivoted at pins 96 to a handle bracket 83 and are connected to the ends of levers 97 also pivoted at the pins 96. The levers 97 carry rollers 100 which engage one or other of two pairs of recesses 101, 102 in the surface 84 of the handle socket according to whether the handle 81 is in the inclined or vertical rest position. Projecting into a converter port 106 is the end 111 of a spring pressed plunger 109 which in the position shown abuts a collar 112 and so prevents entry of the converter until the handle is in one or other of its rest positions, and whilst the converter is in place the plunger 109 beneath the collar 112 locks the rear wheels in their raised position whilst allowing movement of the handle by virtue of the roller carrying lever 97 being movable against the spring 98. Nozzle height adjustment to suit varying carpet thickness is effected by vertical adjustment of the rear wheels 80 relative to the body 70 by means of turnbuckles 114. In both constructions, the front instead of the rear wheels may be adjusted and the recesses engaged by the rollers may be replaced by projections.