Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
We, SAMUEL MCEWEN SKIRVING, of No. 4505, German Town Avenue, Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, Machinist, and AMBROSE JACOB BUEHLER BERGER, of
No. 2104, Camac Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Contractor, both in the
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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in street sweeping machines, and comprises
mechanism substantially as hereinafter described for raising and lowering the rotary
brush of the device and of a novel brush guard and dirt gatherer, also of a tension
device for the sprocket chains of the bucket carrying apron.
Our said invention also comprises a movable box for receiving the dirt from the
It also comprises the
conveyor, and a track therefor, and of a novel conveyor.
combination of the several parts all as hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a side view of a street sweeping machine, embodying our
invention.
Figure 1.
Figure 3.
Figure 2 represents a top or plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a sectional view on line xx
Figure 4 represents a sectional view on line
Figure 5 represents a sectional view on line z z
the buckets being advanced in position.
Figure 4 on an enlarged scale,
Figure 6 represents a sectional view on line v, v, Figure 2.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
A designates a street sweeping machine having the frame B, and the rear running
wheels C, with the axle D. Secured to the frame B, and on the sides thereof, is a
conveyor E, which at its lower horizontal portion F, below the frame, is open on the
one side thereof, forming a trough, so as to admit the dirt thrown thercin from the
rotary brush G.
The said conveyor E extends upwardly on both sides of the frame B, and across
the same, having an outlet in a chute H on the upper portion of one side
thereof. In the corners or attachments of the walls of the said conveyor E, are
suitably journalled the shafts J, each having sprocket wheels K thereon, and on the
sprocket wheels are secured the chains L, provided with the V-shaped buckets M,
which are secured thereto as shown in Figure 3, so that in the horizontal portions
of the conveyor the dirt is pushed or drawn along the same, and in the vertical
passage N, it is lifted.
To prevent any return of the dirt down the side portion P of the conveyor, the
upper horizontal portion Q thereof extends beyond the top of the said portion P,
and into the chute H. To adjust the tension of the chains L, taking up the slack
of the same, a shaft R with sprocket wheels S, and journalled in the plate T, is
provided. The said conveyor has the recesses U therein, so that the plates are
vertically guided by the pins V which are secured to the said plate, and pass
into the said recesses.
An arm or attachment W of the wall of the conveyor E, furnishes a bearing for
a screw X, the end of which works against the under face of a plate T, so as to
raise the same and thereby press the sprocket wheel S against the chain L,
tightening the same.
The rotary brush G, which is mounted on a shaft Y, extends across the under-
side of the frame, and on the side opposite the chute H, has its end substantially in
the plane of the outer side of the rear running wheel on that side, so as to permit the

page_text: close approach of the brush to the side of the curb, and thus insure the perfect
sweeping of the street.
The ends of the shafts Y, have bearings in the slides Z of the boxes A', which
latter are secured to the underside of the frame B, and are provided with bevel gear
wheels B¹ which mesh with bevel gears C', firmly secured on the lower ends of the
vertically movable shafts D' so as to both rise and rotate therewith, the latter having
bearings in cross pieces or attachments E' of the boxes A.'.
Keyed on the upper ends of the said shafts D' are the bevel wheels F', which are
supported on the upper cross pieces E' and mesh with the bevel wheels G on the
shaft H the latter being journalled in the frame B.
Between the axle D and the shaft H' is a shaft J' which is journalled in the
frame B, and has thereon a large and a small sprocket wheel K' L', respectively,
which are connected by the sprocket chains M! N1 with the sprocket wheels P¹ Qi
on the axle D and the shaft H' so as to communicate rotary motion from said axle,
when revolving to the shaft H', and thus to the brush G.
The slides are vertically movable in the boxes A', by means of the links R¹
pivoted thereto, the elbow levers S¹ pivoted to the links and to the boxes A' the
rod T connected with a rod U' connecting the upper end of the said levers, and the
lever pivoted at its lower end to the frame B, and having the rod T¹ connected
therewith, the upper end of said lever V extending above the frame, and being
adjacent to the seat W on the frame B.
A rack Z' serves to hold the lever V' in place when the brush is raised.
Extending across the device, and in front of the brush is a curved plate A²
forming a shield or guard, and also a dirt gatherer. The said plate has the studs B2
at its ends which form journals resting in the oblique slots C2 in the walls of the
boxes A' so as to rise and fall therein, in case of inequality of the ground. Pins D²
on the slides Z keep the upper end of the shield or guard A2 from contact with the
brush and serve to raise the said shield when the brush is raised, so that it is always
the same distance from the brush.
To rotate the sprocket wheels K of the conveyor E, and thereby the chains L,
on one of the shafts J, is mounted a bevel wheel E2 which meshes with a bevel
gear on a shaft G2 carrying a sprocket wheel H2, the latter being connected by
a sprocket chain J2 with a sprocket wheel K2 on the axle D, so that a rotary
motion is communicated from said axle to said sprocket wheels K.
The sprocket wheels P and K² are each connected with a loose member L² of a
clutch mechanism, so as to be idle on the axle, D, when not connected with the fast
members M2 thereof, and the elbow or crank lever N2 which operates the fast
member of the clutch of the wheel P is connected by a rod P2 with the rod U' so
as to be operated by the movements of the lever V and the fast member M² of the
wheel Khas an operating elbow lever with rod Q2 connected with a lever R²
which is pivoted to the frame, and has its handle adjacent to the seat W
Instead of removing the dirt from the conveyor E, by means of the chute H, it
may be conveniently removed from the rear end of the device, and for this purpose
the following described mechanism is employed. A box S2 having an opening T
in its top, and provided with an inclined bottom U2, and a discharge valve V2, is
mounted on a track W2 which is supported on the standards X2 firmly secured to
the frame B. The said box is adapted to be moved beneath the upper horizontal
portion of the conveyor so as to receive the dirt from the same through the
opening in the underside thereof the said opening being closed when the
discharge is from the chute H, by means of a sliding plate Z².
The operation of the device is as follows, the parts being as shown in Figure 1.
When the machine is moved forward, the brush G rotates in the direction of the
arrow 1 and the dirt in contact with the brush is swept on the shield A² and
brushed into the trough portion of the conveyor, through which latter it is passed.
being pushed in the horizontal portions thereof, and lifted in the vertical portion N
by the buckets M, until it is discharged either at the opening Yinto the box S²,
or from the chute H. In case of inequalities of the surface of the ground which is

page_text: being passed over, the shield A' owing to its journals resting loosely in the slots C²,
is permitted to rise and fall, so that there will be no breaking or injury to these
parts.
If it be desired to stop the operation of sweeping, the brush can be readily raised
by operating the lever V₁ so as to raise the slide Z, thereby lifting the shaft Y with
the brush. It being seen that the bevel wheel C¹ is raised, so as to lift the shaft D',
which latter slides in the bevel wheel F', so that the said wheel F¹ is not disengaged
from the bevel wheel G'.
The same movement of the lever uncoupled the members of the clutch mechanism
of the sprocket wheel P¹, so that the rotation of the axle D, no longer revolves the
shafts J, H', D' and Y with the brush G. At the same time the lever R' is
operated, so as to free the fast member from the loose member of the clutch
mechanism of the sprocket wheel K³, thereby stopping the rotation of the shafts G³
and J, and the sprocket chains L with their buckets M. The machine can now
be moved either forward or backward, without operating the sweeping mechanism
thereon.
When it is desired to employ or bring in operation the said sweeping mechanism,
the levers V and R' are moved so as to lower the brush, and connect the loose and
fast members of the clutches of the wheels P and K, when the machine being
moved forward, the brush will rotate and the endless chain of the conveyor will
carry the buckets as before described.
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 :-
First. A street sweeping machine having a conveyor with a receiving trough
below the frame thereof, upright passage-ways communicating with said trough, and
a horizontal passage-way extending across the frame of the machine, an endless belt
with buckets thereon, and a rotary brush substantially parallel with said trough,
said parts being combined, substantially as described.
Second. A street sweeping machine provided with a conveyor having a receiving
trough with an opening in its side, a rotary brush, a shield for said brusb, vertical
passage-ways on the sides of the frame, a horizontal passage-way extending across
said frame, and an endless belt with buckets thereon, said parts being combined,
substantially as described.
Third. The combination of a frame, a rotary brush, a dirt gatherer adapted to be
raised and lowered, a conveyor with trough adapted to receive dirt from the brush
and gatherer substantially as described.
Fourth. A street sweeping machine having a conveyor with a receiving trough
below the frame thereof, a vertical passage therefrom, a horizontal passage-way
above the frame, having an opening in its underside, and a box movable on a track
secured to the device, and having an opening in its top adapted to register with
the opening in the underside of the said passage-way said parts being combined,
substantially as described.
Fifth. In a street sweeping machine, a conveyor having an upper horizontal
passage extending at one end thereof beyond the side of a descending vertical
passage thereof, and an endless belt with buckets working in said passages,
substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. In a street sweeping machine, a frame with boxes on its underside, slides
vertically movable in the ends of said boxes, a rotary shaft journalled in said slides,
a brush on said shaft, pivoted links connected with said slide, elbow levers pivoted
to the boxes, and sliding rods with operating levers, said parts being combined,
substantially as described.
Seventh. In a street sweeping machine a frame with boxes on the underside,
slides in said boxes, a brush with journals having bearings in said slides, and a
pivoted circular shield partially encircling said brush, and adapted to be raised and

page_text: lowered by the movement of said slides, said parts being combined, substantially as
described.
Eighth. In a street sweeping machine, a frame with boxes having slides therein,
a rotary brush mounted on said slides, a shield adapted to receive the dirt swept by
the brush and a conveyor having a trough adapted to receive the dirt from the brush
and shield, substantially as described.
Ninth. In a street sweeping machine, a frame with boxes having the slots C³
therein, a rotary brush journalled in slides in said boxes, and a shield journalled in
said slots and partially encircling said brush, said parts being combined substantially
as described.
Tenth. In a street sweeping machine, a pivoted shield for the rotary brush
thereof, having its journal bearings freely mounted in slots, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
Eleventh. In a street sweeping machine, a rotary brush having its journal
bearings in vertically movable slides, a pivoted shield partially encircling said brush,
studs on the slides supporting the upper end of said shield and mechanism,
substantially as described for raising and lowering said brush, said parts being
combined, substantially as described.
Twelfth. In a street sweeping machine, a conveyor, an endless belt in said
conveyor, and having buckets thereon, plates movable on the sides of the
conveyor, and having a shaft journalled therein, wheels on said shaft bearing against
said belt, and screws working in projections on the conveyor, and bearing against the
said plates said parts being combined, substantially as described.
Thirteenth. In a street sweeping machine, a conveyor having a receiving
horizontal passage-way below the frame thereof, vertical passage-ways on the side
of the frame, and a horizontal passage-way above the frame, in combination with an
endless belt within buckets, said parts being combined, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of January 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.