Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1893-4ccepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street Sweeping Machines.
I, FRANCIS COPE WILLIAMS, of 1318 Spruce Street, in the City of Phila-
delphia, County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Merchant, 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:-
My invention relates to the class of street sweeping machines which are adapted,
in connection with their function of sweeping the surfaces of the streets over which
they travel, to elevate the refuse and sweepings encountered or operated upon, into
a containing receptacle and transport them to a place of ultimate deposit.
It is the object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the foregoing
character which shall be less expensive in construction, lighter in weight, and
more efficient in operation, than such apparatus as heretofore constructed and
arranged.
In the drawings I show, and herein I describe, a good form of a convenient
embodiment of my invention, the particular subject matter claimed as novel being
hereinafter definitely set forth.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a top plan view, of an apparatus embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of an apparatus embodying a preferred form
of my invention, sight being taken from the left hand side of the apparatus.
Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of said apparatus or machine, sight being
taken from the right hand side thereof.
Figure 4 is a view of what I term the balance spring, the top of the spring case
being supposed removed.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the drawings, A indicates the body of the machine, being a structure
consisting of the walls a¹ a³ a³ a', conveniently of the form shown in the drawings,
mounted upon a travelling support shown as consisting of two road or side wheels B
and two front wheels C, upon which front wheels the front portion of the body rests
through any convenient fifth wheel arrangement desired.
A floor D is mounted in the body A, to form with the walls of said body a
containing receptacle for the collected sweepings. This floor is to be placed in
such position, and is to be of such form as to allow of the receptacle being of the
greatest possible capacity and as, at the same time, to avoid interference with the
working parts of the apparatus.
In the form of apparatus illustrated, the said floor, which is conveniently of sheet
metal, extends from the lower rear portion of the body forward as far as the brush,
whereof hereinafter, then upward to clear said brush, and forward to the wall a',
where said floor trends upward and extends as a lining up along the inner face of
said wall a¹.
For convenience of discharge of the contents of the receptacle, the floor is
arranged to tilt or drop away from the body. In the drawings said floor is shown
as provided with a lug at either side, through which it is so pivotally connected to
the walls a² a as to be free to tilt into the position shown in dotted lines in
Figure 2. Said floor is normally held in position by a latch d*, situated at the
rear end of the body, with which it automatically engages when said floor, after
the discharge of its contents, is returned to its place.
The side walls a² a² of the body A are extended downwardly and forwardly
beyond the floor as cheek pieces, and in said cheek pieces is conveniently journalled
the shaft E of the revolving cylinder brush Ex. The left hand end of the shaft E

page_text: trans-
is equipped with a gear wheel E' with which is engaged a driving gear wheel A*
connected and rotating with the adjacent road wheel B, and through these gear
wheels, the revolution of the road wheels, in the travel of the machine,
mitted to and occasions the revolution of the brush, in a direction opposite to that
of the road wheels, to sweep forward the refuse encountered by it.
F is a carrier, normally existing in position to receive the refuse driven forward
and upward by the action of the revolving brush, and adapted to be automatically
elevated at predetermined intervals into a position in which its contents are
discharged, conveniently by gravity merely, into the containing receptacle of the
machine.
In the preferred form of apparatus illustrated in the drawings, this carrier
-extends across the full breadth of the machine, and is from its lower edge, which
extends to a point immediately in front of the point of contact of the brush with
the ground, curved forwardly and upwardly to any desired height, and is con-
veniently provided with a series of pockets formed by upwardly projecting flanges
existing within the hollow of the carrier, and extending from end to end thereof.
This carrier may be made of any suitable material which combines with the
requisite lightness the necessary durability.
The means to which I prefer to resort for supporting and operating the carrier
are as follows:
fare a pair of supporting arms, formed of any convenient rigid material,
secured to the carrier, conveniently at the respective ends thereof, extending
upward between the cheek pieces, then outwardly away from each other, and then
rearwardly along the outside of the body, the arm f1 being secured by any suitable
swivelled or pivotal arrangement to one side of the body, and the arm f' being
secured to a toothed pinion G, mounted free for rotative oscillation upon a suitable
stud or axle projecting from the side of said body.
HH are a pair of keepers, secured to the respective sides of the body, in which
the arms rest to support the carrier in its normal position.
The toothed pinion G is provided with a series of teeth extending around a
portion only of its periphery.
J is a gear wheel, rigidly affixed to so as to rotate with the road wheel at the
right hand side of the machine, and it is provided with a series of teeth extending
around a portion only of its periphery, which teeth are adapted to encounter and
mesh with the teeth of the wheel G.
K is an upwardly curving spring tongue mounted upon the arm f', and K¹ is a
downwardly curving spring tongue also mounted upon said arm. The springs KK'
are conveniently formed as integral with, or as attachments of, a collar K* mounted
in any convenient manner upon said arm f', and adapted to secure both said spring
tongues in position.
L is a screw shaft, having an operating hand wheel L*, and passing through a.
cross piece A' extending from one cheek piece to the other, and bearing upon and
swivelled with respect to the upper member of the fifth wheel mechanism N, as
shown. The fifth wheel mechanism N may be such as convenience may require.
The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood:
When the machine is propelled, the rotation of the road wheels, through the
gear wheels A E', occasions the opposite rotation of the revolving brush, which
normally makes contact with the ground, and carries forward whatever refuse or
loose material may be encountered by it. The carrier, which is normally down in
the position shown in Figures and 3, receives and contains the refuse swept
forward by the brush,-the dimensions of the carrier being such with relation to
the diameter and ordinary rate of revolution of the brush that no part of the refuse
escapes over its upper edge.
In the travel of the machine, the toothed portion of the wheel J comes into
contact with the teeth of the wheel G, and occasions the rotation of the wheel G
in a direction opposite to that of the road wheels, and, the arm f' of the carrier

page_text: being rigidly connected to said wheel G, said carrier is, in said rotation, carried
bodily upwardly and rearwardly into a position above the containing receptacle,
in which position its contents drop by gravity into the containing receptacle of the
machine.
The number of teeth of the wheels J and G are such that the end tooth j of the
wheel J leaves the wheel G, and the blank peripheral portions of the wheels J
and G are brought opposite each other, just as the carrier is in a position in which
its arms are very slightly inclined from the vertical, so that, in that further
rearward movement of the carrier F which is due to its own momentum, the curved
spring K is first compressed by its contact with a stud M extending from the side
of the body, and then recoils and throws said carrier forward into a position in
which it will drop by gravity to the normal position shown in full lines in Figures 2
and 3, being cushioned in its descent by the encounter of the spring K with the
keeper H. As will be understood, the jar or shock of the encounter of the carrier-
arm against the stud M will free the carrier from any such materials as adhere to
it and do not drop from it by gravity.
The proportions of the toothed wheels J and G are such that both the elevation
of the carrier and its subsequent descent into its normal position are very quickly
accomplished, the brush, during the period of such elevation and descent, driving
and maintaining ahead of it such refuse as it may encounter, and depositing it
within the carrier immediately upon the descent of the latter.
When a load of refuse has been accumulated within the containing receptacle,
the screw L may be rotated to occasion the elevation of the front portion of the
body to enable the brush to clear the ground, in the travel of the machine, as a
vehicle merely, to the place of deposit. When it is desired to discharge the load,
the latch at the rear of the body may be opened, whereupon the tilting bottom
of the receptacle may be turned upon its axis, as shown in Figure 2, and its contents
will be discharged by gravity.
The axle of the road wheels may either extend entirely through the body of the
machine, or may be formed as independent studs or projections secured to and
extending from the respective sides of the machine.
When a sufficient load of refuse has been collected, it is desirable, in the use of
the machine as a vehicle merely, in transporting the load to its place of ultimate
deposit, to throw the carrier out of operation, and this may be conveniently done
by resting it so gently against the stud M that the compression and recoil of the
spring K are avoided, and the carrier not thrown forward, and as in such position
the blank space of the wheel G is presented to the wheel J, the carrier is not
brought into operation by the rotation of the wheel J, but remains leaning or
resting against the stud.
M* is a fender, mounted upon the machine to the front of the brush and carrier,
extending from side to side of the machine, and from a point close to the ground
upward to any desired height. The object of the fender is to prevent the throwing
too far forward of any refuse not received by the carrier.
prefer to employ, in connection with the carrier and its arms, a spring which I
term a "balance spring" and which tends, by exerting an upward stress upon the
carrier, both to balance the same or lessen the force required to occasion its
elevation, and to cushion its descent.
In the drawings, the arm fl of the carrier is provided at its point of pivotal con-
nection with the body of the machine, with a stud n, which is concentric with
respect to the axis of movement of said arm.
N is a spring case attached to the side of the body of the machine, enclosing
the stud n, and embodying a slot in its side through which said arm extends,
said slot being of sufficient length to allow of the contemplated movement of said
arm.
n is a balance spring mounted within the case, being iliustrated in the
drawings as a band spring of the expansive variety, wound upon the stud n to
which its inner end is secured, while its outer end is secured to the spring case.

page_text: The constant effort of the spring to expand tends to rotate the stud and therefore
to exert an upward stress upon the carrier arm and carrier, thereby lessening the
force required to be applied to occasion the elevation of the carrier and easing
the operation of the machine. When the carrier has been elevated, it, as will be
understood, in the act of descending, occasions the winding or tightening of the
spring, and its descent is therefore cushioned by the said spring.
As will be understood, springs of a character other than that described may be
substituted in its stead without departure from the invention.
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 combination, a travelling support, a containing receptacle, a brush, and
means for operating said brush, a carrier, and means for elevating said carrier
above the receptacle, substantially as set forth.
2. In combination, a travelling support, a containing receptacle, a brush, and
means for operating said brush, a carrier, and means for automatically elevating
said carrier at predetermined intervals above said receptacle, substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination, to form a street sweeper, of a travelling support, a con-
taining receptacle, a revolving brush, a carrier, arms by which said carrier is
pivotally connected to the machine, and gearing adapted to occasion the elevation
of the carrier, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, to form a street sweeper, of a travelling support, a containing
receptacle, a revolving brush, a carrier, arms by which said carrier is pivotally
connected to the machine, gearing adapted to occasion the elevation of said carrier,
and a stop or stud in position to be encountered by the carrier in its throw,
substantially as set forth."
5. The combination, to form a street sweeping machine, of a containing receptacle,
road wheels, a brush, a carrier, arms by which said carrier is pivotally connected
to the machine, and mechanism operated from the road wheels adapted to occasion
the elevation of the said carrier, substantially as set forth.
6. In a street sweeping machine, in combination, a travelling support, a containing
receptacle, road wheels, a brush, and a carrier, provided with a series of pockets
and adapted to be automatically elevated at regular intervals, substantially as set
forth.
7. In combination, in a street sweeping machine, a containing receptacle, road
wheels, a revolving brush, a carrier pivotally secured to the machine, and
provided with a toothed wheel, and a toothed wheel rotating with the road wheels
and adapted to mesh with the toothed wheel first mentioned, substantially as set
forth.
8. In combination, in a street sweeping machine, a containing receptacle, road
wheels, a brush, a carrier pivotally secured to the machine, and provided with a
wheel having teeth upon a portion of its periphery, and a wheel having teeth upon
a portion of its periphery, rotating with the road wheels, and adapted to inter-
mittently engage with the first named toothed wheel, substantially as set forth.
9. In combination, in a street sweeping machine, a receptacle, a carrier provided
with arms pivotally connected to the machine, keepers adapted to support said
carrier normally in position in adjacency to the ground, a brush, and means for
operating the brush, substantially as set forth.
10. In combination, in a street sweeping machine, a receptacle, a reciprocating
carrier, provided with arms pivotally secured to the machine, springs adapted to
cushion the throw of the carrier, a gear wheel rigidly secured to one of said arms
and provided with a blank peripheral space, and a gear wheel adapted to be driven
by the road wheels, provided with a blank peripheral space, and adapted to encounter
the gear wheel first mentioned, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 11. In combination, a travelling support, a containing receptacle, a revolving
brush, a carrier, arms by which said carrier is pivotally connected to the machine,
gearing adapted to occasion the elevation of the carrier, and a balance spring,
adapted to constantly exert an upward stress upon the carrier, substantially as set.
forth.
Dated this 20th day of January A.D. 1893.