Patent Publication Number: US-6709529-B1

Title: Roof brush and method of use

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to apparatus and methods for cleaning buildings, and in particular to a roof brush and method of use. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     A cleaning problem associated with roofs is the accumulation of leaves and twigs that builds up from surrounding trees and large plants over time. This problem is especially pronounced in the case of screen enclosure roofs, such are commonly used over swimming pools. Surrounding trees tend to drop their leaves, berries, twigs, and flowers onto the screen pool enclosure, and the result is a load of tree trash accumulated on the screen enclosure roof. The problem then becomes removing this debris from the pool enclosure screen roof. 
     The problem is tougher than it might seem at first glance. Pool enclosures are typically made of aluminum extruded frame, with screen material covering the aluminum frame. Thus, unlike most building roofs, screen roofs are not safe to walk on, because an individual so doing would fall through the screen. 
     Even if a would-be screen roof cleaner only walked on the extruded aluminum roof frame, such a position is precarious, and if the individual were to fall, he could injure himself. In addition, many aluminum roof frames aren&#39;t strong enough to safely walk on. 
     One cleaning method which has been attempted is using a hose to blast the vegetation off the screen roof from the inside of the screen room. Unfortunately, this approach has the effect of turning the accumulated vegetable matter into a soggy mess, considerably heavier than the dry mess we started out with. Once the accumulated vegetable matter is wet, it becomes even more difficult to remove than when dry. 
     Existing Designs 
     A number of patents have been granted for articulated brooms and other cleaning devices capable of cleaning hard-to-reach places. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,817,867 and 2,896,239 were granted to Mr. Bugbird for gutter cleaning devices. While these patents taught a brush and a broom respectively held to a handle, the angle between the broom or brush and the handle was only adjustable from the ground, and thus these devices were not suitable for cleaning wide expanses of screen roof. In addition, no provision was taught for keeping the brush or broom on the roof at the end of a cleaning stroke. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,119,311, 5,853,209 and 3,773,375 were granted Lavallee, McDermott and Nehls respectively. While these patents taught a brush or other cleaning device hingedly attached to a handle, they all taught methods of use where the angle between the brush and the handle was set on the ground, and was not adjustable during use. For this reason, it would be difficult to keep the brush in contact with the roof to be cleaned. 
     Thus, it would be desirable to provide a roof cleaning brush which could have an angle between its brush and its handle adjustable during use. This feature would enable the brush to remain in contact with a roof being cleaned by virtue of gravity pushing the brush down onto the roof being cleaned. 
     In addition, it would be desirable to provide the brush portion of the roof brush with a horn to prevent the brush from falling off the roof being cleaned at the end of each stroke. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a roof brush which is capable of cleaning a screen building roof which permits an individual operating the roof brush to remain standing on the ground while cleaning the screen building roof. Design features allowing this object to be accomplished include a horizontal arm pivotally attached to a vertical arm at a pivot assembly, and a cleaning head at an extreme of the horizontal arm opposite the pivot assembly. Advantages associated with the accomplishment of this object include time savings, elimination of the requirement of a ladder, and increased cleaner safety. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a roof brush which permits a cleaning head to be pulled all the way to the edge of a screen roof being cleaned, so that debris on the screen roof can be brushed off the screen roof, without the cleaning head falling off the edge of the screen roof. Design features allowing this object to be accomplished include a cleaning head horn attached to a cleaning head. Benefits associated with the accomplishment of this object include time saved by not having to re-position the cleaning head on the screen roof, as well as better cleaning of the screen roof. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a roof brush which is capable of cleaning a screen roof with a liquid solution while brushing the screen roof. Design features enabling the accomplishment of this object include at least one horizontal arm bore, a hose attachment on the horizontal arm communicating with the horizontal arm bore, a cleaning head manifold communicating with the horizontal arm bore, and at least one cleaning head aperture in the cleaning head. An advantage associated with the realization of this object is better quality cleaning of the screen roof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a roof brush which can be easily swung into position on a screen roof to be cleaned. Design features allowing this object to be accomplished include a horizontal arm pivotally attached to a vertical arm at a pivot assembly, and a cleaning head at an extreme of the horizontal arm opposite the pivot assembly. Benefits associated with the accomplishment of this object include time saved positioning the cleaning head and elimination of the necessity of using a ladder to position the cleaning head. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a roof brush whose design is optimized to remove organic debris from screen roofs. Design features enabling the accomplishment of this object include a cleaning head having bristles attached at a bristle angle of 72°±20° relative to a horizontal arm. Advantages associated with the realization of this object include more efficient screen roof cleaning, along with the attendant cost and time savings. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a roof brush method of use which provides safe and easy roof cleaning. Design features allowing this object to be accomplished include the method steps of sizing the roof brush for a roof to be cleaned, positioning the roof brush on the roof, and using the vertical arm to pull the cleaning head through a cleaning stroke. Benefits associated with the accomplishment of this object include safety and efficiency. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a roof brush method of use which permits the roof brush cleaning head to be re-positioned on the roof, from the ground. Design features enabling the accomplishment of this object include the method steps of pulling down and then twisting the vertical arm. Advantages associated with the realization of this object include safety and efficiency. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention, together with the other objects, features, aspects and advantages thereof will be more clearly understood from the following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     Five sheets of drawings are provided. Sheet one contains FIG.  1 . Sheet two contains FIG.  2 . Sheet three contains FIGS. 3 and 4. Sheet four contains FIGS. 5 and 6. Sheet five contains FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     FIG. 1 is a side isometric view of a roof brush. 
     FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a roof brush. 
     FIG. 3 is a side quarter isometric view of a roof brush in position on a roof, ready to clean the roof. 
     FIG. 4 is side quarter isometric view of a roof brush in a swingable position on a roof, ready to be swung sideways to re-position the roof brush on the roof. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a roof brush in position on a roof, ready to clean the roof. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of a roof brush in position on a roof close to the end of a cleaning stroke. 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of a roof brush which has been pulled too far during a stroke, whose cleaning head has fallen off the roof, and which has been saved from falling off the roof by the cleaning head horn. 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of a folded roof brush. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 we observe a side isometric view of roof brush  2 . FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of roof brush  2 . Referring to these two figures, roof brush  2  comprises horizontal arm  4  pivotally attached to vertical arm  6  at pivot assembly  8 . Cleaning head  20  is disposed at an extreme of horizontal arm  4  opposite pivot assembly  8 . Handle  18  is disposed at an extreme of vertical arm  6  opposite pivot assembly  8 . 
     Horizontal arm  4  is free to pivot relative to vertical arm  6  as indicated by arrow  5  in FIG.  1 . The pivotal movement of horizontal arm  4  relative to vertical arm  6  is limited to being substantially within a plane containing horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6 , due to the pivotal attachment between horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6  provided by shaft  12  through side plates  10  and vertical arm bore  11 . In addition, side plates  10  help to limit the pivotal movement of horizontal arm  4  relative to vertical arm  6  to being substantially within a plane containing horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6 , side plates  10  being substantially parallel to a plane containing horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6 . 
     Horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6  may be comprised of two or more telescoping segments  16 . Telescoping segments  16 , in combination with pivot assembly  8 , permit roof brush  2  to be stored in a collapsed, folded configuration as is illustrated in FIG.  8 . 
     Cleaning head  20  comprises cleaning head body  24  attached to an extreme of horizontal arm  4  opposite pivot assembly  8 , bristles  26  disposed at a bristle angle  27  relative to horizontal arm  4 , and cleaning head horn  22 . Cleaning head horn  22  prevents roof brush  2  from falling off screen roof  42  at end of stroke, as is illustrated in FIG.  7 . 
     As may be observed in FIG. 1, bristles  26  are oriented at a bristle angle  27  of 72°±20° to horizontal arm  4 . It was determined experimentally that a bristle angle  27  of 72°±20° produced optimum cleaning of debris from screen roof  42 . 
     Pivot assembly  8  comprises a pair of side plates  10  attached to diametrically opposed sides of horizontal arm  4 , and to end of travel stop  14 . Side plates  10  are spaced so as to slidably admit vertical arm  6 . Vertical arm  6  is pivotally attached to side plates  10  by means of shaft  12  through side plates  10  and vertical arm bore  11 . The pivotal travel of vertical arm  6  on shaft  12  is limited at one end by horizontal arm  4  as depicted in FIG. 8, and at the opposite end by end of travel stop  14 . In the preferred embodiment, end of travel stop  14  was placed to limit the maximum angle between horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6  to 100°±20°. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, the pivotal movement between horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6  was limited to an arc of 100°±20°, substantially within a plane containing horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6 . 
     Side plates  10  serve to limit the movement of horizontal arm  4  relative to vertical arm  6  to coplanar pivoting. Thus, side plates  10  help stabilize horizontal arm  4  relative to vertical arm  6  in order to permit swinging cleaning head  20  sideways as indicated by arrow  50  in FIG. 4, by merely twisting vertical arm  6 . In addition, the stability imparted by side plates  10  permit good operator control of the instant roof brush  2  during cleaning strokes as illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. 
     FIG. 2 depicts an alternate embodiment of roof brush  2  wherein horizontal arm  4  comprises horizontal arm bore  28  communicating with cleaning head manifold  30  disposed in cleaning head  20 . Cleaning head manifold  30  communicates with the exterior of cleaning head  20  through cleaning head apertures  32 , disposed at the base of bristles  26 . Horizontal arm bore  28  communicates with the exterior of horizontal arm  4  through hose attachment  34 . 
     In the alternate embodiment roof brush  2  depicted in FIG. 2, a hose may be attached to horizontal arm  4  at hose attachment  34 . Liquid cleaning solution supplied by the hose courses through hose attachment  34 , horizontal arm bore  28  and cleaning head manifold  30 , and thence exits cleaning head manifold  30  at bristles  26  through cleaning head apertures  32 . This path of the liquid cleaning solution is indicated by arrows  33  in FIG.  2 . In this manner, cleaning solution can be delivered to any desired location an screen roof  42 , in order to maximize the cleaning achieved of screen roof  42 . 
     In the roof brush  2  embodiments discussed thus far, vertical arm  6  is free to pivot relative to horizontal arm  4 , constrained at its limits only by horizontal arm  4  at one end of its travel, and by end of travel stop  14  at an opposite end of its travel. In another alternate embodiment of roof brush  2 , shaft  12  is a bolt through side plates  10  and vertical arm bore  11 , with a butterfly nut at one end. The action of tightening the butterfly nut tightens side plates  10  onto vertical arm  6 , thus angularly immobilizing vertical arm  6  relative to horizontal arm  4 . Where a given cleaning application would benefit from a fixed angle between horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6 , the bolt and butterfly nut substituted for shaft  12  provides that function. 
     When roof brush  2  is to be used to clean a roof, first telescoping segments  16  of horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6  are extended as required to fit the height and width of the roof to be cleaned. Then roof brush  2  is positioned as indicated in FIG. 3, a side quarter isometric view of roof brush  2  in position on screen building  40  having screen roof  42 , ready to clean screen roof  42 . 
     Roof brush  2  may be re-positioned where desired on screen roof  42  as depicted in FIG.  4 . Vertical arm  6  is pulled downwards as indicated by arrow  46 , which due to the fulcrum effect of screen roof edge  44  on the lever which is horizontal arm  4 , and due to the pivotal connection between horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6 , has the effect of raising cleaning head  20  as indicated by arrow  48  in FIG.  4 . FIG. 4 is side quarter isometric view of roof brush  2  in a swingable position on screen roof  42 , ready to be swung sideways. As may be observed in FIG. 4, once cleaning head  20  is raised off screen roof  42  by pulling down on vertical arm  6 , cleaning head  20  may swung laterally as indicated by arrow  50  to any position on screen roof  42  desired simply by twisting vertical arm  6 . 
     Once cleaning head  20  is in the desired position on screen roof  42 , a cleaning stroke may be initiated to move debris  38  off screen roof  42 . Debris  38  may be comprised of leaves, twigs, and other foreign matter which tends to accumulate on roofs over time. FIG. 5 is a side view of a roof brush  2  in position on a roof, ready to initiate a cleaning stroke to move debris  38  off screen roof  42 . Note bristle angle  27  has been optimized at 72°±20° in order to produce optimum cleaning of debris  38  from screen roof  42 . 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of roof brush  2  in position on screen roof  42 , ready to clean screen roof  42 . FIG. 6 is a side view of roof brush  2  in position on screen roof  42  close to the end of a cleaning stroke. FIG. 7 is a side view of roof brush  2  which has been pulled too far during a stroke, whose cleaning head  20  has fallen off screen roof  42 , and which has been saved from falling off screen roof  42  by cleaning head horn  22 . A cleaning stroke is performed by pulling backwards on vertical arm  6  as indicated by arrow  52  in FIG.  5 . The action of pulling backwards on vertical arm  6  as indicated by arrow  52  in FIG. 5, in combination with the pivotable attachment between vertical arm  6  and horizontal arm  4  (indicated by arrow  54  in FIG.  6 ), has the effect of pulling cleaning head  20  towards screen roof edge  44  as indicated by arrow  58 . Throughout the cleaning stroke, gravity holds cleaning head  20  in contact with screen roof  42  as indicated by arrow  56 , thus ensuring that bristles  26  move debris  38  in the desired direction. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of roof brush  2  in position on screen roof  42  close to the end of a cleaning stroke. Debris  38  is being moved over screen roof edge  44  off screen roof  42 . 
     After the end of a cleaning stroke, vertical arm  6  is pushed in a direction opposite arrow  52  in FIG. 6 in order to reposition cleaning head  20  for the next cleaning stroke. If cleaning head  20  must be re-positioned laterally, such can be easily accomplished as described previously in connection with FIG.  4 . Once cleaning head  20  is in position, another cleaning stroke is initiated, and so forth until screen roof  42  has been completely cleaned. 
     In the eventuality that cleaning head  20  is pulled too far during a cleaning stroke, cleaning head horn  22  serves to save cleaning head  20  from falling off screen roof  42 . FIG. 7 depicts such a situation, where roof brush  2  has been pulled far enough during a cleaning stroke to cause cleaning head  20  to travel beyond screen roof edge  44 . Thanks to cleaning head horn  22 , cleaning head  20  doesn&#39;t fall, but needs only be re-positioned on screen roof  42  in order to initiate another cleaning stroke. 
     After use, roof brush  2  may be folded for storage as illustrated in FIG.  8 . The telescoping segments  16  of horizontal arm  4  and vertical arm  6  are collapsed as indicated by arrows  60  in FIG. 8, and horizontal arm  4  is folded against vertical arm  6 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, horizontal arm  4 , vertical arm  6 , side plates  10 , shaft  12  and end-of travel stop  14  were fabricated of aluminum, metal, synthetic, or other appropriate material. Bristles  26  were fabricated of organic material such as horse hair, synthetic, or other appropriate material. Handle  18  was made of rubber, synthetic, or other appropriate non-slip material. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the appending claims. 
     DRAWING ITEM INDEX 
       2  roof brush 
       4  horizontal arm 
       5  arrow 
       6  vertical arm 
       8  pivot assembly 
       10  side plate 
       11  vertical arm bore 
       12  shaft 
       14  end of travel stop 
       16  telescoping segment 
       18  handle 
       20  cleaning head 
       22  cleaning head horn 
       24  cleaning head body 
       26  bristles 
       27  bristle angle 
       28  horizontal arm bore 
       30  cleaning head manifold 
       32  cleaning head apertures 
       33  arrow 
       34  hose attachment 
       38  debris 
       40  screen building 
       42  screen roof 
       44  screen roof edge 
       46  arrow 
       48  arrow 
       50  arrow 
       52  arrow 
       54  arrow 
       56  arrow 
       58  arrow 
       60  arrow