Improvements in Combined Street-sweepers and Loaders.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Street-sweepers and Loaders.
I, JOHN AMBROSE HANLON, of 368, Myrtle Avenue, in the City of Brooklyn, in
the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, Accountant,
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 the class of devices employed for sweeping up dust and
dirt from streets with the aid of a sweeper, and then elevating and discharging the
sweepings into a receptacle carried by the vehicle. The principal object of the
invention is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive apparatus which will
take up the sweepings and leave a clean wake, and wherein the draft will not
be excessive.
An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
whereof Fig. 1 is an elevation of the left-hand side of the apparatus; Fig. 2 being
a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section on the line 3 in
Fig. 2, showing the operating shafts. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail
plan of a part of the elevator chain; some of the brush-tufts being omitted in
order to show the form of the L-shaped holder. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing
the endless conveyor and elevator provided with a modified form of side-guard.
Premising that I do not limit myself to the exact mechanical construction
herein shown, but have represented the apparatus in a simple form, I will now
describe the same as illustrated in the drawings.
On an axle 1, are the ground-wheels 2, which may be ratcheted on the axle in a
well-known way to permit the wheels to rotate backward without turning the
axle. On the axle is mounted a strong frame 3, in which is mounted the receptacle
or bin 4, to receive the sweepings; and mounted also on the frame 3, in suitable
bearings, is a driving shaft 5 (Fig. 3) on which is a sprocket wheel 6, which is
geared to a sprocket wheel 7, on the axle through the medium of a chain 8. Thus
the axle drives the shaft 5 when the apparatus is drawn over the ground.
On the frame 3 is mounted an upper bed-frame 9, which is hinged at 10, at
or near the front of the frame 3. In Fig. 2 a part of the upper frame 9 is broken
away the better to show the construction. This upper bed-frame carries the
rotary broom 11, and the mechanism for elevating and depositing the sweepings.
The broom 11 is arranged obliquely to the axle, as shown, and has bearings in
suitable bracket-frames 12, on the bed-frame 9; it is driven through the medium
of an endless chain 13, gearing together a sprocket wheel 14, on the broom-axis
and a sprocket wheel 15, on a counter-shaft 16, mounted on the frame 9, the
shaft 16 being driven from the shaft 5 through gear-wheels 17 and 18, on the
respective shafts 5 and 16, as clearly shown.
The sweepings from the broom 11 are elevated by means of an endless brush-
elevator and conveyor, designated as a whole by 19, which is arranged to move
in a plane at right-angles, or substantially so, to the broom-axis, so as to cross
diagonally the line of sweepings thrown up by the broom as the apparatus moves

page_text: along. As herein shown this endless elevator is composed of two endless chains 20,
and L-shaped flights or brushes 21, (see Fig. 4) mounted at intervals in said chain.
One arm or branch of the brush extends transversely from one chain to the other
and constitutes a flexible or yielding flight and sweeper, and the other branch
extends along the outer side of the conveyor and elevator, from one brush flight
to the next, forming together a wall or keeper along the outer side. of the elevator.
This endless elevator 19 is mounted on pairs of sprocket-wheels 22 and 23 carried
in the bracket-frame 12, one pair of wheels being at the back and the other pair
at the front of the broom 11, so that the portion of the elevator at X in Fig. 1
moves substantially over or on the surface of the ground. In front of the pair
of wheels 23 the elevator enters an inclined chute 24, mounted on the frame 9, and
provided at its lower end with a rearwardly projecting apron 25, preferably formed
of thin flexible steel strips which rest on and readily adapt themselves to any
inequalities in the ground being swept.. At the upper end of the chute 24 the
endless chain conveyor is supported on a pair of driving sprocket-wheels 16" fixed
on the counter-shaft 16. Thus the rotation of said shaft drives the endless chain
elevator and conveyor and causes it to carry the sweepings up the chute 24, as
indicated at in Fig. 1, where the side of the chute and the lateral brushes of the
conveyor are broken away to illustrate the operation.
It will be noted that the characteristic feature of my apparatus is the arrange-
ment of the endless-chain conveyor and elevator in a vertical plane obliquely across
the line of movement of the apparatus and substantially at right-angles to the
axis of the obliquely arranged broom, a portion of the conveyor and elevator
sweeping over the surface as seen at X in Fig. 1, at the point where it moves across
the line of the broom-axis. This arrangement enables the conveyor to take up the
whole of the sweepings in a cleanly manner. The flights of the conveyor and
the portions making up the side-guard form V-shaped pockets which sweep over
the surface in the direction of the line of draft and also obliquely thereto by their
own movement; thus the flights do not move forward one directly behind another,
as in other constructions, and the apron 25 is disposed laterally, substantially out
of the path swept, so that it may rest on the ground. The apparatus is thus
adanted for sweeping debris of considerable size as well as dust.
At the upper end of the chute 24-which should be properly elevated above the
platform or frame of the apparatus- a spout 24" receives the sweepings and carries
them by gravity down into the bin 4 which may be provided with a slide 4* in its
bottom for discharging its contents.
As before stated, the upper frame 9, carrying the broom and endless conveyor,
is hinged at its front to the front of the lower frame 3. The purpose of this
construction is in part to enable the operator to lift the broom, etc., clear off the
ground when going to and from work, and in part to lift the wheel 18 out of gear
with the wheel 17, whereby the broom and elevator are thrown out of gear.
Any simple lifting mechanism may be employed for raising the rear end of the
upper bed-frame 9; that shown herein comprising a shaft 26, extending from
the driver's seat 27, back to the rear of the frames. This shaft has an operating
crank or wheel 28 at its free end, and a screw or worm 29 at its after extremity,
the latter gearing with a worm-wheel 30 on a cam-shaft 31 mounted to rotato
in bearings on the frame 3. On this shaft 31 are fixed cams or eccentrics 32, which
take under and raise the bed-frame 9 when the shaft 31 is rotated. This is a
simple and convenient mode of accomplishing the result, but other means may be
employed as well.
In lieu of employing brushes of an L-shape on the conveyor 19, the latter may
be furnished with transverse brushes or flights only, a side-guard 33 being fixed
on the bracket-frame 12 at that side, as shown in Fig. 5. Such a side-guard or
keeper may be of any suitable material and be arranged parallel with the conveyor
and elevator.
It will be noted that the horizontal' portion of the conveyor and elevator extends
beyond or in rear of the rotary broom, and, whatever the angle at which the axis

page_text: of the latter stands with reference to the line of movement of the sweeper, the
conveyor will be arranged in a plane substantially at right-angles thereto.
For the better illustration of the mechanism, I have not shown the apparatus
enclosed as is commonly done to prevent the escape of dust, but it will be understood
that my apparatus may be so enclosed.
The spiral arrangement of the tufts in the rotary broom serves to drive, the
sweepings over toward one end of the broom, as will be well understood, and also
to cause the tufts to sweep the entire surface over which the broom moves.
As shown herein, both the rotary broom and the horizontal portion of the
conveyor do the sweeping conjointly, but good work may be done with the
apparatus without the rotary broom and I do not limit myself to its use either as a
primary sweeper or as a mere auxiliary to the oblique conveyor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim:
1. The improved street-sweeper and loader.constructed or operating substantially
as herein described and comprising. a rotating broom arranged obliquely to the
line of draught, an endless travelling elevator and conveyor similarly arranged
and working at right-angles to the broom, a chute wherein said elevator works,
and a bin for the reception of the debris swept up..
2. In a street-sweeper and loader, the combination with a frame and ground-
wheels, a rotating broom arranged obliquely to the line of draft, and a conveyor
chute, also arranged obliquely to the line of draft, and substantially at right-angles
to the broom-axis, of an endless elevator and conveyor, arranged in the same
vertical plane with the chute and having a horizontal portion extending rear-
wardly of the broom, whereby, in the forward movement of the sweeper and loader,
the horizontal portion of the conveyor is drawn over the surface in a path obliquely
to its own movement, substantially as set forth.
3. In a street-sweeper and loader, the combination with a frame and ground-
wheels, of a rotating broom arranged obliquely to the line of draft, a chute arranged
obliquely to the line of draft and having its lower end laterally out of the path
swept, an endless-chain elevator and conveyor arranged in the same vertical plane
with the chute, said elevator and conveyor having a horizontal portion adjacent
to the rear end of the broom and extending rearwardly of the axis of the same,
and a side-guard to said conveyor at the side thereof remote from the rotating
broom, whereby the apron of the chute is removed from the path to be swept,
substantially as set forth.
4. In a street-sweeper and loader, the combination with the frame and the
obliquely rotating broom, of the endless conveyor and elevator 19 and the chute,
said conveyor and elevator having L-shaped brushes 21, one branch of each of
such brushes extending transversely of the elevator to form a flight and the other
branch extending along the outer side of the elevator to form a side-guard,
substantially as set forth.
5. In a street-sweeper and loader, the combination with a supporting frame and
wheels, of a rotating broom, whose axis is arranged obliquely to the line of draft,
an endless-chain elevator and conveyor arranged in a vertical plane which is also
oblique to the line of draft, said conveyor and elevator having a horizontal portion
which sweeps the ground and extends rearwardly of the broom, whereby the
transverse flights of the conveyor are presented obliquely to the line of draft, a
side-guard for said conveyor on the side remote from the broom and oblique to
the line of draft, and the chute for the upright portion of the conveyor, substantially
as set forth.
6. A street-sweeper and loader provided with a rotating broom, a moving
conveyor and elevator for the sweepings, and a bin to receive the latter when
elevated and having a lower frame on which said bin and the driving shaft is
mounted, an upper frame on which the broom, the elevator and the counter-shaft
for driving same are mounted, said frames being hinged together as described,

page_text: and means, under the control of the driver, for elevating said upper frame, sub-
stantially as set forth.
7. In a street sweeper and loader, the combination with a supporting frame
and a chute 24, of an endless conveyor and elevator provided with flights formed.
of brushes and with the side-guards on each flight also formed of brushes, said 5
conveyor having a horizontal portion X, substantially as set forth.
8. In a street-sweeper and loader, the combination with a supporting frame and
ground-wheels, with or without a rotating broom arranged obliquely to the line
of draft, of the endless conveyor and elevator arranged obliquely to the line of draft
and in a vertical plane, and a chute for the upright portion of the elevator, said 1
conveyor and elevator having flights and side-guard portions of an L-shape,
whereby in moving over the surface obliquely to the line of draft, these latter form
sweepers and pockets, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 6th day of July, 1897.
For the Applicant,
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.