An Improved Lawn Sweeper.
Year: 1891

page_text: DI MOITICATION.
An Improved Lawn Sweeper.
JESTER
I LESTER ACHEY SCHAEFFER, of Dayton, in the County of Montgomery and
State of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for an IMPROVED LAWN SWEEPER, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :---
This sweeper is intended to lift grass clippings and debris from lawns largely by
the air current created by the rotary fan, which fan serves as a sweeper by
depressing the machine.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the sweeper, the dirt receptacle broken away.
Fig. 2 is a central cross section of same parts.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the dirt receptacle.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the sweeper with part of casing removed.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the rotary brush arms, modified.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are details of the driving mechanism.
The casing is made up of end plates 2, 2, bars 7, 8, 9, and 10 connecting said
end plates, and back plate 11 and front plate 12. The end plates are preferably
cast metal, having outwardly projecting edge flanges. The bars are of wood or
metal, bolted to flanges on the end plates. The curved plates 11 and 12 are
preferably sheet metal, attached by screws or otherwise. The casing is thus
somewhat in form of a scroll, with opening at the bottom and rear upper side.
The end plates 2, 2, have open spiders 4, which support the journals of the main
shaft 6. At least one end of said shaft projects outside the casing.
The shaft 6 carries rigid arms 15. Bars 16 are attached to the arms 15, parallel
with the shaft 6. Brushes 20 are hinged to the bars 16.
The brushes 20 may have bristles, strips of leather, wires, or other usual
sweeping devices. Springs 21 press on the bars 16 and on the brushes to hold the
brushes in radial position, but to permit the brushes to yield or swing on their
hinges when they encounter an abnormally great resistance. There may be a
number of short brushes hinged to each bar 16 (as shown in Fig. 5) instead of a
single long brush, (Fig. 4).
The rotary shaft 6 has a clutch plate 25 rigidly attached. Plate 25 has a
recess 26 provided with ratchet bearing faces 27. A pinion 28 mounted loosely on
shaft 6 alongside plate 25, has a pawl 29 which lies in the recess of plate 25.
Pawl 29 engages with the ratchet faces 27 when the pinion 28 is driven in one
direction, and thus drives shaft 6 and the fan brush, when pinion 28 is driven
forward. When the pinion is driven in the opposite direction the pawl rides over
the ratchet faces, and does not drive the shaft 6.
Driving wheels 30 are mounted on short axles or bolts 31 projecting from the
rear sides of end plates 2. The wheels 30 have driving gears 33 which engage the
pinions 28 to rotate the fan brush, as has been described.
Push bars or handles 35 are attached near the upper corner of plates 2. These
handle bars pass through notches 36 in the flanges of the end plates, and are held
to the plates by bolts 37 which are adjustable in slots 38. The handles may be
thus adjusted as to height.
By bearing down on the upper rear ends of the handles the brush and fan will
be lifted, the axles 31 serving as a fulcrum on which the machine rocks.
The machine is generally used as a fan, and the handles are so held as to run
the fan brush just above the grass and the air current will lift the debris. If dirt
be imbedded in the lawn, the brush may be lowered, so as to sweep up the debris
and carry it over the rotary brush and into the dirt receptacle.

page_text: The open bottom of the casing, and the open spider ends, admit air to the fan.
The improved dirt receptacle consists of two polygonal end pieces 46, 46,
composed of a wooden frame and canvas sides. The receptacle has a bottom and
side covering 48, of fabric, which may be strengthened if need be by braces 49
and is removable from the box ends, thus making a very light "knock_down
dirt receptacle. Of course other forms of receptacles may be used, but I prefer
the open top receptacle having entrance opening at the end next the sweeper.
"
The ends of the dirt receptacle have hooks 50, which hook over a bar 52, which
bar is held to the machine by hooks 51.
The back plate 11 is curved about concentric with the fan brush. The bar 9
inclines so that any debris carried up by the fan brush which fails to pass over
this bar into the dirt receptacle will fall back and be carried round again by the
fan brush. The front plate 12 is bent on a longer curve than plate 11, and is
close to the brush at its central part. This form of casing gives good results in
directing the air current.
The sweeper may be made very light, and when sweeping by the air current, or
fanning the dirt up and into the receptacle the machine runs very easily.
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 I
claim is.:
..
CLAIMS.
1. The general construction and arrangement of the parts forming the casing of
scroll-like form, and the rotary fan and brush in the casing, with the mechanism
substantially as described for rotating the same.
2. The combination with the casing of the rotary fan and brush and the brush
arms having hinged brushes yielding under abnormal pressure independently of the
clasticity of the brush, substantially as described.
3. The casing having the rotary brush and fan, and the "knock down" dirt
receptacle composed of bars and canvas covering arranged with reference to the
Sweeper substantially as described.
4. The casing with the brush and driving connections and the "knock down"
dirt receptacle attached to the sweeper by hooks and a bar as described and the
handle by which the sweeper may be raised or lowered, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of March 1891.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.