Abstract:
A flying insect trap comprising a hollow housing with a canal descending through the top face of the housing into said hollow housing, and a plurality of barbs located internally throughout said canal to impale said insects upon ascending through said canal in an effort to escape said trap. The barbs are preferably angled downward to facilitate entry into said trap and impalement of said insects ascent when attempting escape from said trap. Either or both ends of the housing are removeable to permit cleansing and reloading of the bait inside the trap.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to wash brushes, and more particularly, to wash brushes which are multi-functional with the inclusion of a rotating brush or sponge driven by an impellor in direct response to pressurize water communicating with the impellor, a multi-function shower head, and direct outlet. The brush housing includes a reservoir for cleansing products which may be introduced directly into the water flow creating a water-cleanser mix upon discharge of the water through the brush. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Water-operated wash brushes are known for use in many cleaning applications, such as cleaning persons, dishes, floors, walls, and vehicles. Such wash brushes commonly include an upper casing into which a nozzle forcefully directs a tangential jet of water that rotatably drives a turbine-like impellor, which in turn through appropriate reducing gears, drives a wash brush supported in depending relation to the casing at a rotary speed less than the turbine. The wash brush is constantly wetted by the water that produces the brush rotation. 
         [0003]    The application of cleansing liquids to the brushes generally requires the direct application of the cleaner to the brush. To simplify the washing process, the cleanser is introduced into the water stream which in turn comes into contact with the brush. Rather than removing the brush from the spigot or hose, a direct water outlet is included in the brush to allow rinsing of the cleaned object. 
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a water-operated wash brush that is adapted for 
         [0005]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a 
       
    
    
       [0010]    While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0011]    Referring now more particularly to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, there is shown an illustrative wash brush  10  in accordance with the invention. The wash brush  10  includes a casing  11  and a rotary brush  14  supported co-axially for relative rotation as an incident to the supply of washing liquid to the wash brush. The casing  11  in this case includes a downwardly opening cup-shaped cover  15  and a lower frame plate  16 . A hollow support and liquid supply rod  18  is connected in outwardly extending fashion to the cover  15  for coupling to a supply of water or other cleaning fluid in a known manner. A nozzle insert  19  is secured in the downstream end of the rod  18  for forcefully directing a tangential liquid flow stream into an internal chamber  20  defined by the cover  15 . The frame plate  16  in this instance includes a plurality of radial spokes  21  which extend between an outer ring  22  from which the fixed brush is supported and a central hub  24 . The fixed brush  12  has bristles which extend in slight outwardly extending frustoconical relation to the outer ring  22 . 
         [0012]    The rotary brush  14  is fixed to a central shaft  30  which is rotatably supported between a central opening in the frame hub  24  and a socket  31  integrally formed in depending relation to the cover  15 . Respective bushings  32 ,  34  are provided between the shaft  30  and the frame hub  24  and socket  31  for facilitating relative rotational movement of the shaft  30 . The rotary brush  14  includes an upper base  35  with a central hub  36  that is fixed to the shaft  30  by a bolt  38  and which carries an annular array of downwardly directed bristles  39 . The bristles  39  of the rotary brush  14  in this instance extend in substantially parallel relation to the axis of rotation. The base  35  of the illustrated rotary brush  14  is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings  37 . 
         [0013]    For rotating the rotary brush  14  as an incident to direction of pressurized water or other cleaning fluid into the casing  11  through the tangential nozzle  19 , an impellor  40  is supported on the shaft  30  for relative rotation. The impellor  40  includes a central hub  41  mounted about the shaft  30  and an outer cylindrical sidewall  42  formed with a plurality of equally spaced cordal blades  44  which are driven by discharging liquid from the tangential nozzle  19 . A bushing  45  is provided between the impellor hub  41  and the shaft  30  to facilitate relative rotation. Rotary movement of the impellor  40  is transmitted to the rotary brush  14  through a reducing gear train  50 . 
         [0014]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the cover of the brush is made of a transparent material which enables a user to observe operation of the impellor and the speed reducing gear train is disposed below the impellor for more ascetic appearance. To this end, the cover  15  preferably is made of a clear plastic material, which may be economically produced by injection molding, and the impellor  40  has a downwardly opening cup shape which overlies the speed reducing gear train  50 . The impellor  40  in this case has an upper horizontal wall  51  disposed adjacent an upper perimeter of the discharge orifice of the nozzle  19  such that the cylindrical sidewall  42  and blades  44  are engaged by the discharging flow stream from the nozzle  19 . 
         [0015]    For transmitting rotary motion to the rotary brush  14 , the reducing gear train  50  in this instance includes gear teeth  52  formed on the impellor hub  41  which cooperate with the teeth of a larger diameter gear wheel  53  supported for rotation about an upwardly turned pin  54  mounted in fixed relation to the frame plate  16 . The gear wheel  53  includes a smaller diameter hub formed with gear teeth  55  for in turn driving a larger diameter gear wheel  56  fixed to the shaft  30 . Hence, rotational movement of the impellor  40  will drive the central shaft  30  and rotary brush  14  through the gear train  50  at a rotatable speed less than the impellor  14 , preferably a rotational speed equal to one-quarter of the rotational speed of the impellor. With the gear train  50  disposed below the impellor, they are hidden when viewed from the top of the brush through the clear plastic cover  15  if the impellor  40  is made of a non-transparent material. Even if the impellor  40  is made of a transparent or translucent material, the gear train is not directly under the cover. In either case, operation of the impellor  40  can be viewed through the cover  15  more ascetically. Since the downwardly opening cup-shaped impellor  40  substantially overlies the reducing gear train  50  of the rotary brush  14 , the cylindrical sidewall  42  of the impellor  40  also prevents the liquid flow stream which drives the impellor  40  from directly impinging upon the reducing gears, and furthermore, causes the water to be flung radially outwardly within the cover for direction downwardly through the bristles  39  of the rotary brush  14  without impeding operation of the reducing gear train  50 . 
         [0016]    In carrying out a further feature of the invention, a splash plate is provided on the underside of the speed reducing gear train for preventing splash back of liquid from the rotary brush that might impede operation of the gear train, and hence, rotary movement of the brush. To this end, a generally circular splash plate  60  is mounted in fixed relation on the casing frame plate  16  about the shaft  30  between the gear train  50  and rotary brush  14 . The splash plate  60  preferably has a diameter of at least one-half of the diameter of the impellor, and most preferably, at least three-quarters of the diameter of the impellor, for substantially preventing backsplash of liquid from the rotary brush  14  against the reducing gears and teeth. The upstanding support pin  54  for the gear  53  in this case is supported on the splash plate  60 , which in turn is fixed to the casing frame plate  16 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the splash plate  60  may be an integrally formed part of the frame plate  16 . 
         [0017]    From the foregoing, it can be seen that the water operated wash brush of the present invention is adapted for efficient and economical manufacture and has an ascetically pleasing appearance even when assembled with a clear plastic casing. While the wash brush has a reducing gear train disposed below the impellor for aesthetic purposes, it is effectively protected from liquid that can impede reliable rotary action of the brush.