An Improved Carpet Sweeping Machine.
Year: 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Carpet Sweeping Machine.
We THOMAS FRIANT of Grand Rapids, in the County of Kent and State of
Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer, and ALLEN BENJAMIN LINN,
of the same place, Foreman, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in carpet sweeping machines, and its
object is to provide the same with certain new and useful features, hereinafter
more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being
had to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a device embodying our invention.
Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a plan view of one end of the same with parts broken away; and,
Figs. 4 and 5 details showing the pan operating mechanism.
Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.
A represents the case, provided with a bale, the end portions of which bale are
shown at B, B, pivoted to vertically movable hangers C said hangers having
inwardly projecting studs C¹, on which the brush shaft G is journaled. Said
brush shaft is provided at each end with pulleys G', which are engaged by the
drive wheels J to rotate said shaft. D is a vertically flexible strip of metal, which
extends through vertically elongated openings A¹ in the case, and also through
openings in the hangers C, thus forming flexible supports for said hangers. The
ends of said spring strip D are made concave, and engage the bale B to sustain
said bale in a vertical position. Said spring also engages blocks N, N, in the
upper part of the case, and located at some distance from each other and from
the respective ends of said spring. A holt F passes through the middle of said
E is an
strip D, midway between said blocks and also through the top of the case.
upwardly projecting flange, surrounding said bolt, and provided with steps of
various elevation F is a transverse bar engaging the steps of said flange and
through which the bolt F passes. Said bar is provided with thumb piece F",
to adjust the same upon the various steps of the flange E whereby the middle
of the spring D is vertically adjusted, which thus vertically adjusts the normal
position of the brush shaft G relative to the carpet. Any downward pressure
on the bale B depresses the flexible outer ends o said spring D and thus lowers
the brush more or less from the normal, according to the amount of pressure so
exerted. The wheels J are journaled on pins K, which pins are secured to
spring arms I, formed of portions of the guard bars. Said guard bars are
secured near their ends to the sides of the case A, and bending at right angles
near the corners of said case, extend beyond the ends of the same outside the
wheels J. Said spring arms I are formed of portions of said guard bars, by
dividing the same longitudinally from points near their places of fastening to said
case to points beyond the journals of said wheels and thence downward, separating
said lower divided portions from the remaining portions of said bars, thus forming
the flexible arms I, which arms are bent at right angles near the corners of said
case and are also bent downward from said angles, thus allowing the ends of said
arms to spring longitudinally by the action of the portions beyond said angles, and
to spring vertically by torsion of the same. Guide plates L are secured to the
inner sides of said arms I near their ends, and extending upward engage the other

page_text: part of the guard bars, and prevent said arms from springing outward. The
wheels J being journaled on the pins K, which are rigidly secured to the outer
ends of the arms I, said wheels are held toward and in contact with said pulley G',
by the spring action of said arms, and as said case is supported by said wheels, any
pressure on said case will cause said arms to spring and allow said case to move
toward the floor, lowering said brush.
The dust pans are pivoted at each end at Q, Q, and are opened and closed, and
also held in each position by a spring wire bent at substantially right angles, and
passing through the end of the pan near said angle and close to one of the pivots Q,
one arm M¹ of said wire extends diagonally upward and outward through the case,
and is provided at its outer end with the thumb piece M", to turn the same on its
axis the other arm M of said wire is flexible and extends inward and presses down-
ward, and engages a slotted opening in the upper end of a post P, in the pan O, by
rotating the arm M' the arm M turns laterally at its inner end, and thus opens or
closes the pan, the downward pressure of said arm M serves to hold said pan open
or closed as said arm is turned to the respective sides of the line of the axis of the
pan. The slot P1 in the post P' permits the arm M to move to a greater distance
from the said axial line and thus increases the efficiency but said slot is not
necessary, any means of connecting the wire to the pan at this point will operate,
but with less leverage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a carpet sweeping machine, a vertically flexible bar extending through
vertically elongated openings in the ends of the case, a bale and brush shaft
supported by said bar, means for vertically adjusting the middle of the bar and
elevated supports on the top of the case engaging said bar at each side of its
middle and between the same and its ends, substantially as described.
2. In a carpet sweeping machine, a case having vertically elongated openings
in its ends, a continuous flexible bar extending through said openings, hangers
attached to the respective ends of said bar, a bale pivoted to said hangers, a
brush shaft journaled on the same, a bolt passing through the case and through
the middle of said bar, a transverse bar on said bolt, and an upwardly projecting
flange having steps, and engaging said bar, and blocks at each side of said bolt aud
at a distance therefrom and engaging said bar, substantially as described.
3. In a carpet sweeping machine, a case having vertically elongated openings
in its ends, a vertically flexible continuous bar passing through said openings,
hangers attached to the respective ends of said bar, a bale pivoted to said hangers,
and engaged by the ends of said bar, a brush shaft journaled on said bar, blocks
engaging said bar at each side of its middle, and at a distance therefrom, a bolt
passing through said bar and case, an upwardly projecting flange surrounding said
bolt, having steps of different elevations, a transverse bar rotatively engaging said
steps and the head of said bolt and provided with a thumb piece, substantially as
described.
4. In a carpet sweeping machine, a case, a dust pan pivoted to the same at each
end, a spring wire having a substantially right angle bend located near the pivot
of said pan, one arm of said wire being rotative on its axis and extending through
the case, the other arm of said wire engaging the pan at one side of the axial line
of the same and pressing upon the same, substantially as described.
5. In a carpet sweeping machine, in combination with a case and a dust pan
pivoted to the same, at each end, a spring wire bent at substantially right angles
and passing through the pan near the pivot and near the angle in said wire, one
arm of said wire extending through the case and provided with a thumb piece,
and a post attached to said pan, having a slotted opening engaging said wire,
substantially as described.
6. In a carpet sweeping machine, in combination with the case, guard bars

page_text: divided longitudinally throughout part of their lengths and having the lower of
said divisions detached at one end and bent downward, forming arms, driving and
supporting wheels journaled on pins attached to said arms and a brush engaged by
said wheels, substantially as described.
7. In a carpet sweeping machine, in combination with a case, guard bars secured
near their ends to the sides of said case, a brush journaled on studs adjacent to said
bars, and driving and supporting wheels journaled on spring arms having right
angle bends and formed of portions of said guard bars, whereby said wheels are
held in contact with said brush, and said case and brush are lowered by pressure,
substantially as described.
8. In combination with a casing, a brush, driving and supporting wheels, and
guard bars, flexible arms cut from the lower edges of said bars and extending from
near the ends of the same to points intermediate their angles, guide plates of said
arms, pins secured to said arms and forming journals for said wheels and studs near
said guard bars forming journals for said brush, substantially as described.
9. In a carpet sweeping machine, guard bars divided longitudinally in part, to
form spring arms, driving and supporting wheels journaled on the free ends of said
spring arms, and brush shaft engaged and rotated by said wheels, substantially as
described.
10. In a carpet sweeping machine, in combination with the case, driving wheels
and brush shaft, guard bars longitudinally divided in part and having spring.
arms forming flexible connections between the case and the working parts,
substantially as described.
90th der of December A.D 1805
THOMAS FRIANT.
ALLEN BENJAMIN LINN.