Improvements in Road Sweeping Machinery.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1394-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
CODE LEIE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Road Sweeping Machinery.
A communication from abroad by FRANK HOPEWELL, of 82, Magazine Street,
Cambridgeport, Middlesex County, State of Massachusetts, one of the
United States of America, Merchant.
I Alfred GEORGE BROOKES of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention has for its object the production of a road or street sweeping
machine to sweep up the dirt or dust efficiently and rapidly into a windrow, the
sweepings being thereafter gathered up from the windrow and deposited in a
suitable receptacle on the machine receptacle being so arranged that it can be
readily discharged when full into a cart or into a pile, as may be desired.
Referring to the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken out, of a sweeping machine embodying
the invention.
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof; and
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a sufficient part of the machine shown in Fig. 2 to be
understood, to more particularly show the receptacle for the sweepings and the
mechanism for raising and lowering it.
The sweeping machine consists of a frame A, of suitable shape to support the
operating parts. It being preferably constructed of channel irons suitably bolted
together and provided with suitable bearings, front and rear braces A¹ and A'
maintaining the frame rigid.
Brackets a secured to the sides of the frame form bearings a', shown in dotted
lines Fig. 2 and in full lines Fig. 3, for a rotatable shaft a projecting at its ends
beyond the sides of the frame A and having secured thereto supporting wheels B
said wheels being loose on the shaft, the hubs a¹x of said wheels being provided
at their inner sides with like pawls a* to engage ratchet wheels a fast on the
inain shaft a, so that retrograde movement of the machine will not rotate the
inain shaft, and by means of the pawl and ratchet connections the apparatus can
turn sharp corners very easily, the main shaft being rotated by the wheels B as the
machine is drawn along over the surface to be swept.
A suitable traction wheel B' is swivelled to the front of the frame by a suitable
bracket a*, see Fig. 1, the machine being guided in its movements by means of
said traction wheel.
The sweeper brush C, of any usual or desired construction, is arranged diagonally
with relation to the path of movement of the machine, as best shown in Fig. 2, the
axis c of the brush projecting beyond the ends thereof and having bearings c¹
attached to the lower ends of depending links, said links being in turn pivotally
connected to arms of a rock shaft c mounted in sleeve like bearings secured
to the frame A, said rock-shaft having attached thereto an actuating lever c, by
means of which the sweeper brush may be raised or lowered to adjust it to the
surface to be swept, or to raise the brush altogether from contact therewith.
A suitable notched or other segment e' is adapted to be engaged by the lever c³ to
hold the brush at the desired elevation.

page_text: A bent arm A³ is pivotally supported at one end by the portion of the shaft a
projecting beyond the hub of the supporting wheel B, the other end of the arm
terminating in the bearing e, herein before described, while an arm a has formed
in it the other bearing c¹ at the opposite end of the sweeper brush, said arm being
pivoted on a shaft to be described.
In order to give greater rigidity to the arm A³, a brace A' is rigidly secured
thereto at one end, the other end of the brace being pivoted to the frame
at A, see Fig. 2.
The arms A and A' thus form a strong and durable supporting frame for the
sweeper brush, the pivotal arrangement of said arms enabling the brush to rise
and fall as it passes over inequalities in the surface to be swept.
Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the leading end of the sweeper brush
projects beyond the supporting wheel B at that side of the machine, so that
the machine may be brought very close to a curb or wall and sweep the space
adjacent thereto.
An actuating shaft d is supported in a bearing d', see dotted lines Fig. 2, and
full lines Fig. 3, secured to the bracket a and in a bearing d' on a depending
lug or bracket d secured to the main frame A, said shaft projecting beyond
the bearing to receive thereon loosely the upper end of the supporting arm A*
hereinbefore described.
A bevelled gear is secured to the actuating shaft d in mesh with a large
bevel gear a mounted upon the shaft a' of the machine, and connected therewith
by a suitable clutch d', the said clutch being thrown into or out of operation by a
bent lever & operable from the forward part of the frame, so that the rotation of
the actuating shaft d is directly under the control of the driver or person operating
the apparatus.
A sprocket or other suitable wheel is secured to the actuating shaft d, and a
similar sprocket wheel do is secured to the rearmɔst end of the shaft c on the
sweeper brush, said sprocket wheels being connected by a suitable link or chain
belt do whereby when the machine is drawn forward or to the right viewing
Figs. 1 and 2, and the clutch do is in engagement with the gearwheel d³, the rotary
movement imparted to the main shaft a of the machine will be transferred to the
actuating shaft d and thence to the sweeper brush, rotating the same in the direction
of the arrow 10 Fig. 1 and at a comparatively slow speed, to thereby sweep up the
surface passed over by the machine, the diagonal arrangement of the brush with
relation to the path of movement of the machine collecting and carrying the
sweepings over to the rear-most end of the sweeper brush and throwing the
sweepings so collected against a shield e suspended from the frame by flexible
connections e, parallel to the path of movement of the machine, and having its
lower edge in close proximity to the surface to be swept, the forward end of the
shield being rounded as at e to readily surmount slight obstacles, the sweepings
delivered against the vertical inner face of this shield being left thereby in a species
of windrow as the machine is moved ahead, and the flexible connections e¹ permit
the shield to move laterally if desired.
Depending legs D and D' are pivotally mounted upon a shaft D' to be described,
bearings being formed at the lower end of said legs to receive therein the ends
of the shaft of a rotatable loading brush F, the legs being connected by the
chains or other flexible connections to arms f secured to a rock shaft f* mounted
upon the frame A, an actuating lever pivoted to the frame at f being connected
by a link to an arm of said rock-shaft whereby the loading brush F may be
raised or lowered.
Viewing Fig. 1, it will be noticed that the flexible connectious' hang slack
when the loading brush rests upon the surface to be swept, in order that it may
also rest upon said surface whether the same be smooth or irregular.
Were the said connections rigid, such as rods, the loading brush would be
lifted from the ground every time the front of the machine descended into a

page_text: hollow, and in consequence, a portion of the sweepings would not be engaged by
he loading brush.
The main shaft as of the machine supports loosely a gear a adapted to be engaged
at times by a suitable clutch g', see dotted lines Fig. 2, to rotate with the said
main shaft, the clutch being controlled by an actuating lever g', and the shaft D'
supported in suitable bearings on the frame has fast thereon a gear 9 in engage-
ment with the gear and to be rotated thereby, while sprocket wheel g' is
secured to the shaft D' beyond the frame of the machine.
A smaller sprocket wheel g³ is secured to the shaft of the loading brush F,
and said sprockets are connected by link belt or chain 9, so that rotation of the
shaft D2 is communicated to the loading brush F to rotate the same in the direction
of the arrow 20 Fig. 1.
.
This loading brush as best shewn in Fig. 2, is located behind and near the
rearmost end of the sweeper brush C to load the sweepings into a trailing dust-pan
to be described, whence they are conveyed to a suitable receptacle or hopper to be
described.
A conveyor or elevator chute G, partially broken out in Fig. 1 and composed of
suitable framework, preferably covered with sheet iron, is rigidly secured to the
framework A of the machine by suitable bolts 3 best shewn in Fig. 3, a shaft h
passing through and having bearings formed for it in the lower part of the
conveyor chute, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the said shaft extending
beyond the conveyor chute for some distance at the rear of the machine, its outer
end being supported in a suitable bearing at the lower end of a bracket h' depending
from the main frame, rotation being transmitted to the shaft h by a suitable belt h³
passing over sprocket or other suitable wheels and fast on the shafts and a³
respectively.
The conveyor is herein shewn as an endless series of connected buckets ³, see
Fig. 1, passing around an enlarged portion of the shaft h, within the conveyor
chute, and at the upper end over an adjustable roll / having its bearings in sliding
blocks h, regulated by an adjusting screw 48, whereby slack in the series of
conveyor buckets h³ can be taken up.
The upper end of the conveyor chute G is notched to form a hood G¹ inturned
towards the centre of the machine and having an inclined bottom h³, a narrow
flap pivoted at h" to the side of the chute forming a continuation of the
bottom and being adapted to be turned up when the hopper is raised to empty
it, as will be described hereinafter.
A trailing dust-pan H is pivoted at H' to the base of the chute, which latter is
open at its rear side adjacent the loading brush F, the vertical sides of the dust-
pan H extending below the axis of and quite near the ends of the loading brush,
the portion H of the bottom of the pan being independently pivoted at 50 to the
vertical sides thereof.
The loading brush F gathers up the sweepings left in a windrow by the sweeper
brush C and by its rapid rotation throws the sweepings up over the bottom of the
trailing pan, and into the open end of the conveyor chute, to be gathered up and
carried by the series of buckets h' to the top of the chute and there discharged
through the hood G¹.
As the pan is pivoted at H¹ it is free to rise and fall with the inequalities of the
surface being swept, and the independently pivoted portion H2 of the bottom of
said pan will yield somewhat should the machine be pushed backwards for any
reason, thus obviating any possibility of breakage.
In order to collect the sweepings in a convenient receptacle as they are delivered
from the hood G¹ there is provided a hopper K having at its front and rear sides
trunnions k, to which are pivotally connected supporting arms k¹, the other ends of
the arms loosely embracing a shaft supported in bearings on brackets k³ extended
upwardly from the main frame A, said shaft having fast thereon at one end
preferably, and as herein shewn the front, a gear k in engagement with a smaller

page_text: gear k on a crank shaft k and rotated by a suitable crank k', retrograde movement
of the crank shaft being prevented by the pawl and ratchet mechanism 3 and 4, of
any usual construction.
The hopper K is pivotally supported on its trunnions k, so that it can be tipped
upon them as a centre and, it can also be raised on the supporting arms A to a
position above the wheels B of the machine as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 3 by
mechanism to be described, so that it may be tipped on its trunnions to be
emptied.
When in its normal full line position; the pivoted apron h¹ rests upon the top of
and projects slightly into the hopper, so that the sweepings will readily pass from
the hood G to the hopper.
Tracks m are secured to the cross braces A1 and A2 and to the brackets k³, to
receive thereupon rotatable rolls m' mounted upon suitable studs m³ secured to the
lower ends of the links m³ loosely surrounding the trunnions k of the hopper, and
to an ear m* secured to or forming a part of each link m³ is secured an actuator,
herein shewn as an endless belt or chain m³ passing over guides m° and m², secured
to the braces A', A', and to the tracks m respectively, the belt or chain also passing
over a suitable sprocket or other wheel m³ fast on the shaft k³.
The upper ends of the tracks m are upturned or hook-shaped as at m* to form
limiting stops for the rolls m³ when they have reached their dotted line position
Fig. 3.
When the hopper is full of the sweepings, collected and conveyed thereto as
herein before described, the machine is preferably stopped, and the crank arm k³ is
rotated until the rotation of the shaft and the consequent movement given thereby
to the actuator m³ causes- the rolls m' to rise along the tracks m into the dotted
line position shewn in Fig. 3, such movement swinging the arms k¹ and elevating
the hopper, when it will be held in such elevated position by the pawl and
ratchet 3, 4.
A cart or wagon may then be drawn up alongside of the machine and the hopper
tipped and its contents dumped therein, after which the pawl and ratchet will be
released and the hopper will, return to its normal position, the pivoteron ho
permitting the movement of the hopper described.
It will be noticed that the various actuating levers or cranks are broug..
forward part of the machine where the drivers seat would be placed, to be
reached by him without interfering with his other duties.
the
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:
1. The use in a road or street sweeping machine, of a brush to collect the dust
or dirt into a windrow, and a loading brush to gather up the sweepings from the
windrow and load them into a pan having a hinged bottom permitted to trail upon
or near the surface being swept in advance of the loading brush, so that the
Bweepings can be conveyed from the windrow to a suitable receptacle, substantially
as described..
2. The use in a road or street sweeping machine, of a brush to collect the dust
or dirt into a windrow, and a loading brush to gather up the sweepings from the
windrow and deposit them on a conveyor, to carry them to a hopper which may be
moved into an elevated position to turn and discharge the sweepings deposited in
it, substantially as described.
3. The use in a road or street sweeping machine having a hopper which can be
elevated at one side of the machine to empty the sweepings, of a brush to collect
the dust or dirt into a windrow, and a loading brush to gather up the sweepings
from the windrow and deposit them on a conveyor, the chute of which is provided
with a flap projecting over the hopper before it is elevated, substantially as
described.

page_text: 4. The use in a road or street sweeping machine having a brush to collect the
dust or dirt into a windrow, whence it is gathered up by a loading brush and carried
by a conveyor to a hopper, of a hopper pivoted to swinging supports, and inclined
tracks for rolls connected to the hopper to be moved upon, to swing the supports
and raise or lower the hopper substantially as described.
Dated the 10th day of September 1894.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.