Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2:th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
I, FRANK CLINTON CURRY, of Milford, County of Clermont, State of Ohio,
U.S.A., Doctor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The sweeping machine of this invention is mounted on travelling wheels and
comprises a rotary brush the shaft of which is carried in spring or movable
bearings located in the ends of the brush casing. The brush is driven from one
of the travelling wheels through a pitch chain and toothed wheels to take up dust
or dirt and deposit it upon an inclined endless carrier operated from the same
pitch chain to carry the dust or dirt to a waggon or a box carried on a waggon,
said box being in connection with the waggon body by chains and levers in such
a way that it may by means of a crank handle and connecting rope or chain be
slid upon and tilted over the edge of the waggon frame. The brush casing is
in connection with the carrying wheel frame by means of jointed levers and a
quadrant lever and notched quadrant, in such a way it may be adjusted relatively
to the ground.
The rear inner part of the brush casing is provided with a metal strip for the
purpose of stopping back draught of air and force the current generated by the
rapid rotation of the brush to pass out through an angular portion of the brush
casing. This casing is provided with one or more hinged lids.
Dated this 29th day of June 1895.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: The sweeping machine of this invention is mounted on travelling wheels and
comprises a brush A adapted to rotate and take up any dust or dirt upon the
street over which it travels and deposit the particles so taken up upon an endless
carrier B, the front end of the carrier, or rather the roll b over which it travels,
being so located with reference to a box C as that all matter taken up by the brush
and deposited upon the carrier will fall into the box. Any suitable operative
mechanism may be employed for rotating the brush and for driving the carrier,
that shewn being preferred, which is as follows:-One of the wheels D of the rear
truck is provided with a sprocket wheel D² which latter through the medium of
chain & drives the smaller sprocket wheel d² attached to one end of the brush shaft.
D³ is a pivotted arm carrying a sprocket wheel D which engages with, and rests
upon the chain d to adjust and tighten the latter. The lower roller E which
drives the carrier is provided with a sprocket wheel e which is also driven by a
chain when constructed as shewn in Figs. 1 and 4.
The brush and carrier are mounted within a suitable casing consisting respectively
of the rear portion F and angular portion f said casing being provided with a
suitable hinged lid or lids. The angular portion is formed closed on all sides
while the enlarged portion F is open across a portion of its bottom face to permit
the brush to come into contact with the street. The rear inner portion of
casing is provided with a strip F2 of metal or other suitable material the strip
extending across the inner face and being of an elliptical outline (in part in cross
section Fig. 2) the periphery of the cylinder brush impinging against the strip as
shewn at . The purpose of this construction is to stop any back draft and to
force the current of air generated by the rapid rotation of the brush to pass out
out over the carrier through the angular portion of the casing. The hinged
lid F³ is shewn as provided with a packing strip 3 across its lower face which
strip rests upon the top edge of strip F2 when the lid is closed as shewn. The
purpose of this packing strip is to assist in preventing any back draft for the
purpose aforestated.
The brush casing is also provided with a strip G which extends across the
inner face thereof in front of the brush and a slight distance above its lower point
of contact with the street sufficient space intervening between said strip and
brush to permit of suction to draw up any dust or fine particles loosened by the
brush. This strip is preferably formed concave on two of its sides as shewn to
accommodate the outline of the brush and the adjacent roller E. It is also
preferred to attach a flexible strip galong the top edge of strip G the former
acting in conjunction with the carrier strip 62 to prevent any particles from
dropping down between the strip G and roller E.
The journals of the brush are mounted in suitable bearings H one at each side
of the casing F and in order that the brush may accommodate itself to any
undulations in the street it is preferred that said bearings be loosely connected to
said casing in such a manner as that they may freely slide up or down thereon.
With this object in view I have illustrated said bearings as being constructed in
the following preferred manner :-H represents a block having a journal opening
with a top metal binding and a bottom binding said binding strips being
connected to said block by means of the rods the latter passing through the
block and strips and secured thereto in any suitable manner.
Between the bottom of block H and the lower strip 2 are provided the detachable
plates which may be removed or inserted by loosening the nuts on rods ³ and
again tightening them when the proper adjustment is made. These plates are for
the purpose of lowering the brush and its bearings to accommodate any wear on
the brush.
To the lower binding strip 2 is rivetted or otherwise attached a caster H³ the
latter being preferably ball shaped or round as shewn to prevent its entering the
groove of tram rails but the caster of each bearing may be formed of any other
desired configuration.
The opening formed in each side of the casing F is provided at each vertical

page_text: side with two projecting guide plates a between which plates the edges of the
bearing H engage in which position the latter is free to slide vertically.
A suitable spring J or other elastic packing is interposed between the top of
each bearing H and the casing. This spring or other packing is of sufficient
resiliency to permit the brush to adjust itself to any slight undulations in the street
without any adjustment of the casing or body of the sweeper.
From the above it will be seen that the rotary brush is mounted on casters
which are connected to the bearings of the brush. For the purpose of raising
and lowering the rear portion F of the casing the following is the preferred
means:-
K represents a supporting bar the front end of which is pivotted at k to the
sweeper casing as shewn in Figs. 1 and 4 the rear end of the bar being suitably
connected and mounted upon the axle of the rear truck as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Two of these supporting bars are preferably provided one at each side of the
rear casing as shewn in Fig. 4 the said casing being mounted and suspended upon
the pivot connections . T is a flanged plate attached at each rear side of the
casing the flanges of which are adapted to rest upon the bars K when the casing
is at its lowest point, so as to limit the downward movement of the casing.
L is a bar or rod pivottally connected to the rear end of the casing the top of
the rod being pivotted to a short bar which latter is rigidly attached to the
horizontal rod M mounted on the platform m over the rear axle of the truck.
Although two bars L and I are shewn one pair of such bars would be operative.
To the rod M is rigidly attached one end of a bar m² the opposite end of the
latter being pivotted to the bar m³ the latter at its opposite end being in turn
pivotted to the operating lever N which latter is provided with some suitable
device for holding it at any desired angle according as it is desired to raise or
lower the casing. The carrier portion of the casing is rigidly connected to the
frame of the frout trucks by means of suitable braces n.
P is a suitable frame work mounted upon the fifth wheel of the front truck
upon which frame the deposit box C is mounted, the latter being adapted to receive
the sweepings elevated by the carrier as afore stated. It is preferred that this
box be mounted on its support in a dumpable position and for that purpose I have
illustrated one means which consists of the bars R (Fig. 3) one end of each bar
being pivotted to the frame P the opposite end being pivotted to the inner face of
the bottom sill of the box. It is preferred to employ two pairs of the bars at
each side of the box and frame, one pair at front and one pair at rear of the box
the latter having a suitable rope or cord attached to its rear bottom portion the
cord passing over a pulley on the frame and attached to a suitable reel or
windlass mounted on the opposite side of the frame as shewo.
S is a hook pivotted on the side of the box C the hook being adapted to
engage within a suitable staple or eye on the edge of the lid C.
Sis a chain attached at one end to the outside of the frame P the opposite end
being attached to said pivotted hook, the chain remaining slack at all times except
when the box is in position to dump, at which time the chain will act to release
the book and permit the lid to swing outward as shewn by dotted lines in
Fig. 3.
The endless carrier B is preferably formed of canvas cloth with the strips b³
connected thereto, the meeting ends of said canvas being connected in any suitable
adjustable manner which will permit of taking up any slack occasioned by the
stretching of the canvas.
The
The primary advantage of my invention consists in the means and facility
afforded for taking up, elevating, depositing, and dumping the street sweepings all
of which is accomplished in any device without the aid of shovelers.
automatic adjustment of the brush independent of its casing is a valuable feature
of my invention as is also the feature of adjustment provided for raising and
lowering the casing.
While it is preferred to employ the detailed mechanism hereinbefore specified

page_text: for operating the brush and carrier and for dumping the deposit box I do not
confine myself to the detail mechanism excepting as specifically hereinafter
claimed.
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 :-
:―
1. In a street sweeper, the combination of a forward truck, a deposit box mounted
thereupon, an inclined casing connected therewith, a rotary brush and an endless
carrier within the casing, a rear truck, bars K connecting the lower end of the
casing, and the rear truck bars L pivotted to the lower end of the casing, and
meaus upon the rear truck for elevating and lowering the latter bars, substantially
as described and shewn.
2. In a street sweeper, the combination of a casing a rotary brush and an endless
carrier suitably mounted therein the brush being journalled within bearings which
latter are mounted to slide vertically in the sides of the casing, a caster for each
bearing and suitable mechanism for operating the brush and carrier, substantially
as described and shewn.
3. In a street sweeper, a rotary brush mounted on bearings, a casing for the
brush, the bearings engaging between flanges attached vertically to the sides of
the casing, a caster attached to cach bearing with detachable plates interposed
between the top of the caster and the bottom of the bearing blocks, trucks ou
which the casing is mounted and suitable mechanism for rotating the brush,
substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a street sweeper, the combination of a casing, a rotary brush mounted on
bearings therein, the latter being mounted to slide vertically in the sides of the
casing, a caster for cach bearing, an elastic packing interposed between the top of
cach bearing and the casing, and suitable mechanism for rotating the brush,
substantially as described and shewn.
5. In a street sweeper, the combination of a casing, a rotary brush mounted on
bearings therein, the latter being mounted to slide vertically in the sides of the
casing, a caster attached to each bearing, an elastic packing interposed between the
top of each bearing and the casing, and incans for adjusting each bearing block on
its caster, substantially as described and shown.
6. In a street sweeper, the combination of a forward truck, a deposit box mounted
thereupon, an inclined casing connected therewith, an endless carrier, and a rotary
brush within the casing, a rear truck, bars K connecting the lower end of the
casing and the rear truck, stop flanges T upon the casing for the bars K, and
suitable mechanism mounted upon the rear truck and attached to the casing for
elevating and lowering the same, and mechanism for operating the brush and
carrier, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 25th day of March 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.