Patent GB-706950-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to suction cleaners
IPC: A47L5/32
Filed: 1952-01-10
Abstract: 706,950. Suction cleaners. HOOVER, Ltd. Jan. 10, 1952 [Jan. 17, 1951; Jan. 17, 1951], No. 824/52. Class 8 (1). In a suction cleaner comprising a motordriven fan 18, Fig. 1, communicating with a suction nozzle 11 containing an agitator 12 driven by a belt 15 from a driving pulley 39, and a port 48 for a converter 52, Fig. 4, means is provided for shifting the belt 15 from the driving pulley 39 to an idler 38 located in a passage 17 axially at and adjacent to the pulley 39; the port 48 being arranged to receive the converter while the belt 15 is carried by the idler 38 in said position. The idler 38 is carried by a plate 37 riveted at 36 to the outer wall of the passage 17, and the belt 15 is shifted on it by a hook 46 of a belt shifter 40 carried by a leaf spring 41 also secured to the plate 37 and having an opening 42 through which the idler projects when in use. Actuation of the shifter 40 is effected by cams 45 on the handle trunnion 27 riding under legs 43, 44, Fig. 5, when the handle approaches its vertical storage position. In the normal operating range the cam 45 remains clear of the legs 43, 44 and the spring 41 returns the belt shifter 40 to the position shown in Fig. 1. The converter port cover 49 is interlocked with the handle so that it cannot be opened, except when the handle is in the vertical storage position and the belt is thus disconnected by means of a spring-pressed plunger 55 engaging a notch 56 in the cover 49 and released by an abutment 57 carried by the fan unit 18 which rocks with the handle. The latter is also prevented from being moved from its storage position whilst the converter is inserted by a leg 75 of a U-shaped locking member 71 being held by a projection 76 of the fan unit 18. To replace the belt 15 a cover plate 59 beneath the passage 17 is removed, a tab 61 of the plate 37 is lifted from a notch 63 and the belt-shifting assembly is pivoted about the rivet 36. Tension is released on shifting the belt by seating it in a groove 14 of smaller in diameter than the normal groove 13 in the agitator 12. In a modification the idle 38', Fig. 7, is secured to a detachable cover plate 103 which also carries a slotted leaf spring 105 and the shifting hook 46<SP>1</SP>. The spring 105 is deflected to effect belt shifting by a cam 108 projecting from the converter port cover 100. The belt shifting means is thus entirely movable with the cover plate 103, and there is no interlock between the handle 25' and the converter port cover 100. The latter houses a dirt finding lamp 110. In a further modification wherein the axis of the motor fan unit is vertical the idler 146, Fig. 10, is held by the inner wall of a removable cover plate 137 so as partly to project through an opening 150 of a plate spring 147 riveted at the rear edge to the cover 137 and having arms 151 only one of which is shown projecting from the front and depressed by a crank 153 actuated on opening a converter port cover 142, so as to expose the idler 146 to receive the belt from the driving pulley 144 when the lower run of the belt is forced down by the converter 160. In a fourth form of the invention a leaf spring corresponding to plate 147 is depressed by the converter itself to expose the idler and in a fifth form the plate spring, which is again depressed by the converter, is located below the suction passage cover.