Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
I, REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co. Patent Agents
of. 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C: London Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by The Bissell
Carpet Sweeper Company of Grand Rapids, State of Michigan, United States of
America 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 certain new and useful improvements in carpet sweepers,
and the objects of the invention are, First, to furnish an efficient means for protecting
the wheel from dirt, dust and other materials which have a tendency to attach to or
wind around the axles of carpet sweepers; second, to use the dust protecting device
in such a manner that the same may serve to retain the larger material in the dust
pans after the same has once been carried into the pans by the revolving brush and,
third, to simplify the construction and increase the efficiency of a carpet sweeper.
These objects I accomplish by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, in which-
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view through the central line of the wheel
axles, showing a section of case, a section of the protecting tube, and the position
of the wheel axle within the tube, said sectional line being substantially on
line X X of Fig. 2.
Figure 2 shows a cross section of a carpet sweeper case containing my invention,
illustrating the position of the tubes within the case and their relative position to
the dust pans.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in both views.
A represents the sweeper case, constructed in any suitable form.
B represents the brush roller supported in the case, in any suitable manner.
C represents the axle which extends through from end to end of the case,
supporting the driving wheels W W on the outside of the case.
The axle is held
in position, in the example of my invention shown in the drawings, by means of the
springs S S.-
T represents the tube or dust protecting device which entirely surrounds the
wheel axle C, and which extends from end to end of the case, and preferably into
or through the end pieces of the sweeper.
PP represents the pans, constructed and supported within the sweeper case in any
ordinary manner. In the ordinary carpet sweeper the inclined portions of the pans
which convey the dust into the pans are set at an angle, the line of which angle
points substantially towards the axles. In my invention as constructed the tubes,
which are preferably round, serve as additional means for retaining especially large
articles within the pans after the same have been swept into the pans by the brush.
It sometimes and not unfrequently happens that a piece of paper will be carried out
of the pan by means of the revolving brush, but in a carpet sweeper as above
described whatever is carried into the pans by the revolving of the brush will remain
there until the pans are emptied in the ordinary manner.
In using a carpet sweeper the brush operates upon the carpet entirely between the
ends of the case, so that the dust which it raises is really confined or caught in
the case or box of the carpet sweeper. In moving the carpet sweeper rapidly over the

page_text: carpet a considerable quantity of dust is raised, and naturally this dust works into the
journals or journal bearings of the driving wheels, causing said journals soon to
become worn, and also causing the wheels to revolve with considerable friction. By
the construction above described no dust can work into the journals of the driving
wheels which is raised inside of the case.
In all carpet sweepers having an axle rod extending through the case and
supporting the drive wheels on the outside thereof, these axle rods if they have a
rotary motion, invariably wind up threads and other materials, and thereby clog and
impede the free revolution of the axle rod, hence in many cases it has been found
necessary where long axle rods are used to allow the driving wheels to revolve upon
the axle rods instead of revolving the axle rods and driving wheels together. My
invention obviates the above difficulty, and enables the manufacturer to construct his
carpet sweepers provided with long axle rods, which rods may or may not revolve
with the driving wheels.
In sweepers as now constructed the wheels are hung upon strings, or supported in
some other manner, so that the wheels may be raised or lowered with reference to
the shell or case of a carpet sweeper, the object being to place in the hands of the
user means for lowering the brush at will in order to sweep. heavy or light, as may
be desired. 1 therefore have provided a tube T of sufficient size to allow the wheels
to have this vertical motion, and yet to prevent the axle C from coming in contact
with any portion of the tube T. This tube T. may be constructed of metal or any
other suitable material, and may be constructed round or in any other suitable shape,
but I prefer a metal tube cylindrical in form.
The springs are shown by S S, which are attached, in the example of my invention
shown in the drawing, to the upper portion of the case, extend downward and at an
angle so as to allow the wheels to have a vertical motion with reference to the case,
but it will be evident that any form of supporting mechanism for the driving wheels
may be used, and this invention is adapted more particularly to sweepers which have
the journals of the driving wheels supported by springs or by cam levers so as
to allow for the vertical automatic adjustment of the driving wheels when the sweeper
is in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a case, an axle rod extending through
the ends of the case and supporting driving wheels on the outside thereof, and a
tube surrounding said axle rod and fixed at its opposite ends in the ends of the
case, whereby the axle rod is protected from dust and other material, substantially as
described.
(2) In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a case, a vertically movable axle rod
extending through the ends of the case, driving wheels supported on said axle rod
outside the ends of the case, and a tube surrounding said axle rod and fixed at its
opposite ends in the ends of the case, said tube being considerably larger in diameter
than the diameter of the axle rod to perimit of the vertical adjustment of the axle
rod within said tube, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of December 1896
R. HADDAN.