Improvements in Sweeping Machines for Roads, Railways, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sweeping Machines for Roads, Railways, and
the like.
I, MARY SOFIA KJELLSTROM, Gentlewoman, of 208, East 38th Street, in the
City, County, and State of New York, United States of America, 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 relates to improvements in road sweepers and particularly to
those employed for removing dirt, snow, etc., from railway lines, and has for its
object to provide a simple, practical device of the character indicated which will be
adapted for speedy attachment to a railway carriage or removal therefrom, that
will afford means for adjusting the brushes as to height, and that may be used on
any road independently of the carriage.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, partly in section.
Figure 2 is a rear view broken into section on one side and front parts
removed.
Figure 3 is a front view, with the rear portion broken away, and
Figure 4 is a side view of the machine on the front of a railway carriage, partly
in section, taken on line 4-4, Figure 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
Two cylindrical brushes A. are provided. These are of a suitable length for
effective service and each have their radial splints thickly and evenly projected
from a centre block A' that is made of wood or other available material. Each
block A is axially perforated to receive a shaft B which shafts are projected at
their ends and form journals for the revoluble support of the brushes. A main.
frame C is provided for the device which frame is inade of wood or metal and is.
composed of three flat beams joined at the ends to produce a triangle. The..
brushes A are sustained below two converging sides of the frame C so that two of
their ends will be nearly in contact and the opposite ends widely separated, as.
shewn in Figure 1. There is a depending bracket frame D affixed to the forward
angle of the main frame which bracket frame is provided with two boxes a that.
are in the same horizontal plane and so diverge from each other rearwardly as .to
receive and rotatably sustain the front journal ends of the shafts B. Below the
boxes a two depending parallel limbs are formed on the bracket frame D. These.
limbs are spaced apart to admit the ground wheel E between them, the latter
having a revoluble support on a cross-bolt or axle 6' that is secured in the limbs
mentioned. The diverging rear ends of the shafts B are journaled in bearings
formed in two similar sliding boxes F, as shewn in Figures 1 and 4. An axle.G
extends between the rear ends of the brushes A and on it is mounted two track
wheels I that are secured thereon a proper distance from the journal ends c of the
axle which latter are inserted through the boxes F below the journals of the brush
shafts B. The wheels I have radial flanges d on their inner edges to retain them
from displacement when moved on a car track and on their outer sides a bevel gear
rim d' is formed or secured to each wheel, which gears mesh with pinions e that are
secured on the brush shafts. The main frame C is attached to the boxes F so as
to afford an elastic connection between these parts, the use of which will be
that
explained: Such a connection (shewn in Figure 2) consists of a spring case g
slides telescopically within a cup g', the case having a flange g³ on its upper end
that is secured to the frame C. There is a cup and spring case of like construction

page_text: for each box F and within the cups g' a spiral spring his seated in each, which by
expansion will project the frame Caway from the boxes F. Within each spring h
a chain or other suitable flexible connection is placed, which chains have their
upper ends affixed to the top walls of the cases g the lower end of each chain
having connection with a cross-shaft k that extends through the box F in a plane
parallel with the journals c of the axle G there being a sufficient space provided at
their points of juncture, to allow the chains to be wrapped partly upon the shaft
bodies. On the inner ends of the shafts ka nut or other equivalent device is
secured to prevent an outward displacement of the shafts and on the outer pro-
jecting end portion of each shaft a ratchet wheel m is affixed. Outside of the
wheels m a keeper bar n is jointed by its lower end to the terminal of each shaft k
which bars are adapted to fold upwardly and also have a joint n' formed in each at
about their centres of length. On an outer depending portion of the flange g³
that is a part of each spring case g, there is a pawl m' pivoted; said pawls engaging
with their free ends to teeth of the wheels m are held against them by the
springs m².
Referring to the bracket frame D again, as shewn in Figure 4, there is a cup o
formed in the upper portion of this frame at its centre of width and within the cup
a spring case o¹ is inserted. Within the cup and spring case a spiral spring pis
placed which presses the case of upwardly, the parts being connected by a vertical
bolt p. Upon the upper end wall of the spring case o' the forward flattened end
portion of a brace rod J is imposed and is thereto secured by the bolt p₁ that
extends through the perforated flattened end of the brace, a nut p³ on the threaded
projecting part of said bolt, serving to hold all parts together, limits the upward
movement of the spring case.
As before indicated, the device is preferably employed to sweep the road bed and
tracks of a surface railroad, and as shewn in position for service on the front end of
a car in Figure 4.
To properly and conveniently locate the rear portion of the main frame C of the
sweeper below the front platform M of the car whereon the device is to be secured,
the track wheels are placed on the track and the wheel E on the road bed
between the tracks. The keeper bars n are now flexed at their joints n¹ so as to
convert the bars into crank handles which, if rotatably moved at the same time in a
proper direction, will cause the shafts to wrap the lower portions of the chains i
upon their bodies and thus lower the main frame C a proper degree for the intro-
duction of its rear portions below the car platform M, the ratchet wheels m and
pawls m conducing to this result by a retention of the spring cases I at any point
of depression. After the main frame C has been placed in position below the case
platform M the con.pressing devices for the spiral springs are adjusted to release
the latter which by their force will project the frame C upwardly against the lower.
side of the car platform and to secure said frame and the entire device in position
the keeper bars are straightened so as to permit them to be attached securely to
the sides of the car body, see Figure 4. The front end of the frame C is controlled
by the brace-rod J which is bent upwardly from the point of connection with the
bolt p¹ and is rearwardly extended, its length being so proportioned that when the
frame C is in secured adjustment below the car platform M the rear end of the brace
rod that is bent upwardly as at r will be in contact with the wall N of the platform M.
As shewn in Figure 3, the end portion of brace J is perforated at intervals to
allow the front end of the brushes A to be elevated from the road bed if this is
desired, and then be again lowered to cause said brushes to have sweeping contact
with the latter, the relative dimensions of the ground wheel E being such as will
permit the peripheries of the brushes to have such a bearing on the surface to be
cleaned.
It will be seen that from the geared connection of the brushes A with the
wheels I, said brushes will sweep the dirt from between the tracks of a railroad or
the surface of any other road, if used independently of a car and deposit the refuse
in two rows at the sides of the machine, and as the brushes are diverged from the

page_text: front rearward they are adapted to thoroughly cleanse all the surface they pass
over when the sweeper is propelled forwardly by any source of power applied to
the car.
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. In a road sweeper, the combination, with a frame, of two brushes that are
converged forwardly and supported on the frame free to rotate and mechanism
that will rotate the brushes outwardly on their lower surfaces, substantially as
described.
2. In a road sweeper, the combination of two cylindrical brushes rotatably held
below on a frame having their forward ends adjacent and their rear ends diverged,
a transverse axle, two track wheels thereon at the rear of the brushes, and gearing
connected with the track wheels and brush supports which will rotate the lower
sides of the brushes outwardly, substantially as described.
3. In a road sweeper, the combination of a main triangular frame, two cylindric
brushes, two centre shafts therefor having projecting journal ends, a forward
bracket frame engaging adjacent journal ends of the brush shafts, two spring-
cushioned boxes on the frame rearward that rotatably support the rear ends of the
brush shafts, a transverse axle journaled in the spring cushioned boxes, two track
wheels thereon, bevel gears on the track wheels, and pinions on the brush shafts
meshed with the bevel gears, substantially as described.
4. In a road sweeper, the combination, with a frame and brushes mounted below
the frame, of springs interposed between the frame and the boxes of the rear ends
of the brush shafts, and means for compressing the springs to lower the frame,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a road sweeper, the combination, with a frame and brushes mounted below
the frame, of springs interposed between the frame and the boxes of the rear ends
of the brush shafts, shafts mounted in the boxes, chains having one end secured to
the shafts and the other end connected with the frame, and means for operating
said shafts, substantially as described.
6. In a road sweeper, the combination, with a frame and brushes mounted below
the same, of cups on the boxes of the brush shaft, cases secured to the frame and
sliding in the cups, springs in the cups and cases, shafts mounted in the boxes,
chains secured to the cases and to the shafts, jointed keeper bars on the ends of
the shafts, and pawl and ratchet mechanism for said shafts, substantially as herein
shewn and described.
Dated this 29th day of March 1892
MARY SOFIA KJELLSTROM,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.