Improvements in Street Sweepers and Cleaners.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Street Sweepers and Cleaners.
PLUMMER SMITH PAGE, of 427 North Washington Avenue in the City of
Scranton, County of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, U.S. A., Gentleman,
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:-
The object of this invention is to improve that kind of street sweeper and cleaner,
having a revoluble brush, an elevating mechanism and refuse receptacles.
The invention consists in the improved street sweeper, its revolving brush
supporting and adjusting mechanism, in the refuse elevating means, and in the
combination and arrangement of the various parts thereof, substantially as will be
hereinafter more fully described and finally embodied in the clauses of the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the two figures: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my
improved street sweeper and Fig. 2 a top plan view thereof.
In said drawings, a represents a truck frame with the drivers seat a', and having
bearings for the axles b and b, carrying the rear and front wheels and b
respectively. Fulcrumed on the rear axle is the inclined elevator casing c, to the
forward upper end of which is secured a chain f, connected to the crank f³,
projecting from the shaft. Said shaft is arranged at right angles to the axles
and is supported in standards f5 and f6, secured in turn to the truck frame a, and
is provided at its forward end with a crank handle f7, for the purpose of operating
said shaft to thus raise or lower the elevator casing. The lower upper portion of
said casing terminates in a series of hoppers c', adapted to be engaged by refuse
receptacles c2, which in the present case are bags, and which are arranged on a
platform c3, supported by braces c 4 and c 5, secured to the truck frame a, as
clearly shown.
The lower rear end of the elevator casing c terminates in a pan c 10, adapted to
receive the refuse, as will be manifest. A hood d is arranged at the rear end of
the elevator casing and is provided at each side with a radial elongated slot d',
penetrated by the shaft d2, carrying the revolving brush d 3. Said shaft is
supported in bearings formed at the rear ends of the levers e, fulcrumed at their
forward ends on the shaft el, having its bearings in brackets m, secured to and
projecting from the casing c.
On each side of the said casing and towards the rear portion thereof is fulcrumed,
as at e 5, a lever e 4, provided with an upwardly extending arm e3, the upper
portion of which is connected by a chain e 2 with the bearing for the shaft d 2,
which bearing, as heretofore described, is arranged at the rear end of its respective
lever e. It must be stated, that the chain can be lengthened or shortened, as
desired. A handle e 6 projects rearward from each of said levers e 4, and is
adapted to be engaged by one of a series of stops e 7, secured to and arranged on
the side of the hood.
A wheel f, journalled in bracket f, which in turn is swivelled on its respective
lever e 4, is arranged on each side of the hood and below the axle d 2 and forms in
connection with the levers e and e4, the main support for the revolving brush
carrying shaft d 2.

page_text: On the said shaft d2 and on the ends thereof are secured the sprocket wheels g,
connected by sprocket chains g' with the sprocket wheels g 2, which latter are
securely mounted on the shaft e¹.
On one end of said shaft is secured a gear wheel g 3, meshing into gear
wheel g4,
mounted on the parallel shaft g 5, having its bearings in the brackets m. The free
ends of said shafts are prevented from spreading by means of the bridge or tie glo,
and the gear wheels are thus kept in mesh. On the shaft g 5 and on each side of
the casing are loosely mounted the sprocket wheels g 6, controlled by and held
normally on said shaft by the clutches o, and are connected by sprocket chains g 7
with the sprocket wheels g 8, which latter are secured to the rear wheels b', in any
desired manner.
On the opposite end of shaft e' is secured another sprocket wheel i, operating
through sprocket chain the sprocket wheel 2, which latter is mounted on the
shaft . Said shaft penetrates the casing, and has its bearings in the sides thereof,
and carries within said casing a series of sprocket wheels h. At the lower end of
the casing is arranged a shaft h3, parallel with shaft h and carrying a series of
rollers or sprocket wheels 2, arranged in alignment with the sprocket wheels on
shaft, and connected therewith by the sprocket-chains 2. Each of said sprocket
chains carries a series of scrapers 14, which are alternately arranged with and
between each other. The shaft h 3 has its bearings in the brackets h 22, secured
to the sides of and within the casing a.
In operation, power is transmitted from the rear wheels to the shaft g5, which
in turn operates the shaft e¹ through the gear wheels g 4 and g 3. The shaft e¹ is
thus rotated in a direction opposite to that of the rear wheels, and in turn transmits
its motion to the shaft h', and to the revolving brush carrying shaft d2, thus
operating the elevator chains 2 and the revolving brush d 3 respectively.
Should the sweeper turn around a corner, that is to say, one of the rear wheels
revolve slower than the other the clutch o on the respective side enters into
operation, in a manner well understood, and thus prevents a breakage of the
elevator chain operating mechanism, on account of excess of tension. By the
lever arrangement e and e4 and the wheels f', the revolving brush d 3 is capable
of adjusting itself to any unevenness of the road way, to be cleaned, and should the
brush be worn off, (that is become reduced in diameter) the chain e 2 is lengthened,
and thus the brush brought again to a proper height, as will be manifest.
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. A sweeper consisting of a truck on wheels, an inclined elevator casing
fulcrumed on the axle of the rear wheels, a hood arranged at the lower rear end
of said casing and provided at each of its sides with a radial elongated slot, the
revolving brush carrying shaft arranged in said hood and penetrating said slots, a
fulcrumed lever on each side of the casing and furnishing bearings for the said
shaft, a shorter lever on each side of and fulcrumed on the casing and provided
with an upwardly extending arm, chains connecting said arms with the levers
forming the bearings for the shaft, a wheel swivelled on each of said shorter levers,
and means for revolving said brush, substantially as described.
2. A sweeper consisting of a truck on wheels, an inclined elevator casing
fulcrumed on the axle of the rear wheels, a hood arranged at the lower end of the
casing and provided on each of its sides with a radial elongated slot, a revolving
brush carrying shaft in said hood and penetrating said slots, means for self
adjustably supporting said shaft, two parallel shafts arranged at or near the upper
end of said casing, a gear wheel on each of said shafts and meshing into each
other, a sprocket wheel loosely mounted on one of said shafts and receiving its
motion from the rear driving wheels, a clutch controlling said sprocket wheel, a
sprocket wheel on the other one of said shafts, a sprocket wheel on the revolving
brush carrying shaft, a sprocket chain connecting the two last mentioned sprocket

page_text: wheels, an elevator mechanism in the casing, and means for transmitting motion
from one of said parallel shafts to said elevator mechanism, substantially as
described.
3. A sweeper consisting of a truck on wheels, an inclined elevator casing
fulcrumed on the axle of the rear wheels, a hood arranged at the lower rear end of
said casing and provided at each of its sides with an elongated slot, a revolving
brush carrying shaft in said hood and penetrating said slots, means for self-
adjustably supporting said shaft, means for operating said shaft, and means for
raising and lowering the casing, all said parts substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Dated this 26th day of November 1896
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicant.