Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: e of Application. 26th Sept. 1893-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
I, JAMES ROGERS GALLAGHER, Gentleman, of 43 Browne Street, Buena
Vista, Hudson County, New Jersey, 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 :-
My invention relates to street sweeping machines, and the objects of my
improvements are to gather in the sweepings expeditiously and economically and
at the same time to distribute the shocks and thereby diminish the noise made in
working the machine, and also to diminish the raising of dust.
I accomplish this object by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1, represents a side elevation of the machine ;
Fig. 2, represents a top view thereof;
Fig. 3, is a central vertical longitudinal section of the machine;
Fig. 34 is a detail view showing the mode of securing the screw 9 to the casing
and in the fork in a larger scale ;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show details of the conveyer or elevator;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the conveyer ;
Figs. 8 and 9 show detail views of the frames of the conveyer;
Fig. 10 represents a bottom view of the rear part of the machine.
Upon an axle a supported on each end by a wheel L are mounted, preferably
centrally, the side walls H of a casing or box H, which forms the body of my
street sweeping and dirt gathering machine, which is preferably of the shape
indicated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, and which carries in front outside
the seat for the driver and inside near the top a hopper H³ provided below with
the customary outlet valve.
There is a space provided below the hopper and a platform H* drawn across the
bottom of the casing H at this point, which will support the receptacles, bags, and
the like into which the sweepings are gathered by one or more attendants, so that
the gathering and emptying is done simultaneously with the sweeping, while the
machine is in motion, the bags being deposited along the route and collected
separately.
Larger objects, which are too heavy to be moved by the revolving brush and
liable to clog the valve of the hopper H3 hereinafter described, are removed by
hand and deposited in crates N, Figs. 1 and 2, one of which is mounted at
each side of the machine and can be easily detached therefrom and replaced by
others.
A cover H¹ is provided in the casing over the hopper and forward end of the
conveyer. Above the axle a is mounted in suitable bearings secured upon the
casing on body H, the transmission shaft carrying chain wheels and pulleys for
transmitting the motion from the driving wheels L to the revolving brush and to
the conveyer. At the bottom near the rear end of the casing H is mounted in
adjustable bearings the revolving brush A extending across the entire inner width
of the casing and to the rear end and part of the side-walls is secured an U shaped
brush A' reaching from their lower edge to the ground and closely encircling
three sides of the space occupied by the revolving brush A, while the fourth side
is closed by the lower end-transverse-brace C₁ of the conveyer frame y.
The axle I of the revolving brush after passing through the parallel slats H³ in
the sidewalls of the casing H is rotatably mounted in bearings secured to the ends

page_text: of the fork F which is vertically adjustable by means of a screw a secured
rotatably to a beam G, mounted upon the casing and engaging with the screw
thread cut preferably central, in the horizontal member of the fork F.
"
A water tank D is mounted directly over the revolving brush and a pipe E
carries the water from there to a sprinkler E' arranged in front of the lower end
of the conveyer B and running along its entire width and employed to moisten the
dirt when the weather is dry. To facilitate access to the revolving brush a hinged
door He is provided at the rear end of the casing H.
A peculiar feature in my sweeping machine is the conveyer B which is preferably
of the shape of an S and which is hung at or near its front end upon the pivots
secured in bearings mounted in the sidewalls H2 of the casing while the lower rear
end is supported by two rollers or wheels secured to its frame y, which will roll
upon the pavement and thus relieve the machine proper, not only from about
one-half of its weight but suffer less by the shocks received by the machine
passing over irregular pavement and consequently will carry the dirt safer to the
hopper and raise less dirt as when it would be firmly affixed to the casing.
The endless chain and pockets of the conveyer are preferably of the construction
shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, and carry rollers travelling on railings Z mounted to
the inner sides of the conveyer and are guided over sprocket wheels Q to one of
which, preferably the one in front, the motion is transferred from the driving
wheels L by means of chain wheels, chains, transmission shaft and clutch couplings,
causing the chain to travel in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. 3 of the
drawings.
The revolving brush is turned in the opposite direction to that in which the
wheels L, L are turning by means of crossing the belts I¹ leading from the pulleys
on the transmission shaft to those on the revolving brush axle I.
The motion of the driving wheels L, L is transferred to the chain wheels M. M
mounted upon the axle a and carrying in key ways on their hubs each one member
of a clutch coupling r, the other member forming part of the hub of a driving
wheel L, the sliding member of each clutch coupling is worked from a lever T
mounted over the revolving brush on the top of the casing H by means of pivoted
levers and links in such a position that one man standing on top of the tail end
of the machine can adjust the vertical position of the revolving brush A and also
work the clutch couplings, starting or stopping the motion of the parts without
leaving its place.
The weights of the casing H and all the parts mounted thereon are balanced
upon the axle a in such a manner that when the water tank is empty there will be
a considerable overbalance in front of the machine which will be supported by the
axle a' and wheels L' mounted one at each end of the axle a. The casing is firmly
closed at all sides with exception of its lower tail end, at which the conveyer and
the brushes project beyond its lower edge. When in this position on their home
trip, the revolving brush can be raised from the ground by turning the screw g.
When the machine is to commence operation, water is fed into the tank D and
the latter, partially filled, will outweigh the overbalance of the front end of the
machine and tip it over the axle a throwing the weight of any additional water let
into the tank D upon the adjusted revolving brush A, thus enabling the adjustment
of the pressure with which the revolving brush is operated.
If in dry weather this water is gradually drawn out through the sprinkler the
gradual accumulation of sacks filled with dirt and placed on the top of the tail end
of the machine will there retain the desired overbalance, thus replacing the weight
of the water drawn from the tank.
The machine can be worked with three or four men, one on the driver's seat,
one on the top of the rear end of the machine, and one or two below the hopper
or around the machine, although in time of need more attendants can be employed
to advantage.
I am well aware that scraper attachments have been used suspended from a
wagon in combination with a conveyer, and do not claim such arrangements.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:
1. In a street sweeping machine, the combination of an adjustable revolving brush,
driven from an axle carrying the main weight of the machine, with stationary
brushes, enclosing the space in which the revolving brush is operating on three sides,
while the front side is closed by the end-transverse-brace of the conveyer frame,
and with the conveyer mounted in an S-shaped oscillating frame, one end of which is
pivotally connected with the body of the machine, while the other end is supported
by rollers, as and for the purposes herein shown and described.
2. In a street sweeping machine, the combination of the brushes mounted at the
tail end of the machine upon an oscillating casing with a water tank whose contents
regulate the pressure upon the brushes, an oscillating conveyer and a hopper, as and
for the purposes herein shown and set forth.
Dated this 26th day of September 1893.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.