Manufacturers of Sweeping Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by THE ONONDAGA SWEEPER COMPANY, a corporation
organized under the laws of the State of New York and having its principal
place of business in the City of Syracuse, County of Onondaga and State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturers of Sweeping Machines.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6 Lord Street
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
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 sweeping-machines in which a cylindrical
brush receives rotary motion from carrying-wheels supporting the machine.
The object of the invention is to provide a sweeping-machine which shall be
efficient in operation and effectually prevent the escape of dust from under the
machine.
And to that end the invention consists in the improved construction and
combination of parts as hereinafter described.
In the annexed Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of a sweeping machine embodying
the invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of said machine,
Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse section with the central portion of the machine
broken away, Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the ratchet mechanism
employed for transmitting motion to the brush.
A represents the rotary brush, which is pivoted at its ends to the bracket C¹
secured to the inner sides of the case C, which encloses the brush. Said pivoted
connection of the brush is made in the following manner: each of the brackets C' is
provided with an inwardly projecting tubular boss e, in which is secured the concave
plate h, through the center of which passes the brush-shaft f. To each end of this
shaft is fastened a cone h' and between this cone and aforesaid concave plate are
placed the balls i, thus forming anti-friction bearings for the two ends of the
brush-shaft. To each of the aforesaid brackets C¹ is pivoted one of the driving-
wheels B, which carry the front portion of the case and are provided with rubber tires
to obtain the requisite frictional hold upon the floor to be swept. To each of these
driving-wheels attached an internally toothed gear b, which meshes with a pinion c
pivoted to the bracket C'. This pinion meshes with another pinion d, which is
mounted loosely on the brush-shaft and transmits motion to the said shaft by a

page_text: ratchet g formed on the hub of the pinion d and a dog g' sliding in a transverse
groove in the brush-shaft and engaging the said ratchet.
a a are the dust-pans which are placed removably in the front and rear portions of
the case C and are supported at their inner ends upon ledges 61 secured to the sides
of the case. To insure the collection of the sweepings in said dust-pans the sides of
the case Care provided with vertically yielding guard-plates j, which automatically
conform to any unevenness of the floor and are constantly in contact therewith during
the operation of sweeping. These plates are pivoted at their ends to other guard-
plates j', which extend across the bottom of the case and are hinged to the ends
of the case, as shown at . These bottom guard-plates are provided with dust-guiding
flanges, which project over the inner portions of the dust-pans, as shown in
Fig. 2 of the Drawings. The bottom edges of these flanges are constantly on a level
with the bottom edges of the side guard-plates, and in the operation of the machine
said side guard-plates confine the dust within the case and the flanges n guide the
dust into the dust-pans.
In a machine provided with driving-gears at each end of the brush-shaft in the
manner hereinbefore described, the brush invariably receives rotary motion during
the period of turning the machine in either direction from a straight line of travel,
hence the operation of sweeping the floor is materially expedited.
Another important feature of the invention resides in the novel arrangement of
the ball-bearings for the ends of the brush-shaft in combination with the pawl and
ratchet mechanism transmitting motion to said shaft, as hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:
1. The combination with the rotary brush and its enclosing-case, of two driving-
wheels respectively on opposite sides of said case, an internally toothed gear on each
of said wheels, a pinion on each end of the brush-shaft, and intermediate pinions
transmitting motion from the internally toothed gears to the pinions of the brush-
shaft, as set forth.
2. The combination with the rotary brush and its enclosing-case, of two driving-
wheels respectively on opposite sides of said case and carrying the same, an
internally toothed gear on each of said wheels, two pinions pivoted respectively
to opposite sides of the case and provided with tubular hubs, the brush-shaft
extending into said hubs and journalled therein by interposed anti-friction ball-
bearings, pawl and ratchet mechanisins transmitting motion in one direction from
said pinions to the brush-shaft, and intermediate pinions transmitting motion
from the internally toothed gears to the pinions of the brush-shaft, as set
forth.
3. The combination with the rotary brush, its enclosing-case and dust-pan, of
guard-plates separate from the dust-pan and extending along the sides of the case at
the bottom thereof and connected to the case by vertically yielding supports allowing
said plates to conform to the unevenness of the floor and close the spaces under the
sides of the case independently of the dust-pan, as set forth.
4. The combination with the rotary brush, its enclosing-case and dust-pan, of
vertically yielding guard-plates separate from the dust-pan and extending along the
bottom of the sides of the case and along the receiving edge of the dust-pan and
over said edge, said guard-plates being connected to the case by vertically yielding
supports to allow them to move vertically without disturbing the dust-pan and to
conform to the unevenness of the floor and by maintaining contiguous thereto confine
the sweepings in the case and conducting them to the dust-pan, as set forth.
5. The combination with the rotary brush, its enclosing-case and dust-pans,
respectively, in the front and rear portions of said case, of bottom guard-plates
extending across the case beneath the dust-pans and hinged to the case, respectively,
adjacent to the front and rear thereof, side guard-plates pivotally connected at their
ends to the aforesaid bottom guard-plates adjacent to the inner edges thereof and

page_text: inclined dust-guiding flanges extending from the inner edges of the latter plates
partway over the dust-pans, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 8th day of June 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.