Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1892
COME DELE D
Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & 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 Bissell Carpet
Sweeper Company, of Grand Rapids, 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 that type of carpet sweepers wherein a drive wheel is
subjected to the action of a spring to press it in frictional contact with a brush-
shaft for revolving the latter as the sweeper is caused to traverse the surface to be
swept.
The objects of the present invention are to provide novel means whereby the
brush is made effective in action, without exerting pressure on the sweeper case
through the medium of the handle; to provide novel means whereby the drive-
wheel is normally held against the brush-shaft with sufficient pressure to secure
perfect action of the brush, while enabling the pressure to be increased as occasion
may demand for producing the broom action, and to provide a stop for holding
under tension the spring which presses the drive-wheel into contact with the brush-
shaft, whereby the drive-wheel is normally held against the brush-shaft with
sufficient pressure to obtain effective action at all times, and the weight of the
sweeper-case itself cannot lower the brush to such extent that insufficient frictional
contact between the drive-wheel and the brush-shaft occurs and prevents effective
rotation of the brush-shaft unless considerable pressure is exerted upon the
sweeper-case through the medium of the propelling handle.
To accomplish all these objects the invention involves the features of construc-
tion and the combination or arrangement of devices hereinafter described and
claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is an end elevation of sufficient of a carpet sweeper to illustrate this
invention, and
Figure 2 is a similar view showing portions of the drive wheels broken away
to exhibit those parts which are located behind such wheels.
In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention I will
now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawing, where the numeral 1
indicates the casing of a carpet sweeper, 2 the brush shaft, 3 the drive wheels,
and 4 springs which operate to press or move the drive wheels into frictional
contact with the brush-shaft. I do not deem it essential to illustrate the usual
propelling handle, bail, dust-pans, and brush surface of the brush shaft, as all of
such elements may be of the usual or of any construction suitable for the conditions
required.
The drive-wheels are each mounted at their centre on a journal 5, attached to
or supported by one end of a flattened metallic-plate 6, which is connected at its
opposite end, as at 7, with one extremity of the spring 4. The spring is suitably
connected with the sweeper case at its end 8, in any suitable manner, preferably
by inserting the extremity of the spring into a suitable recess in the end wall of
the case.
The spring is of preferably curved or arched form, and may be com-
posed of a strip of wire or other material suitable for the conditions required.
The flattened metallic plates 6 are each constructed with a longitudinal slot 9,
and through this slot passes a pin or screw 10, which is engaged with the end wall
of the sweeper-case, in such manner that while the metallic plate can swing or
oscillate on the pin or screw as a centre, such plate can also slide longitudinally to

page_text: permit the movement of the sweeper-case when it is lowered by pressure exerted
through the medium of the propelling handle for the purpose of securing the well
known broom action.
The pins or screws 10 constitute fulcrums for the plates 6. Since these plates
are connected at one end with the journals of the drive-wheels, and the drive-
wheels rest against the brush-shaft, it will be obvious that stops are required which
hold or maintain the springs under tension. The stops, as here shown, each
comprise the pin or screw 10 and the swinging or oscillating plate 6, connected
with a drive-wheel and a spring, so that the resilient action of the spring causes the
wheel to press against the brush-shaft, while the spring is held partially bent or
under tension by the pin or screw. I do not, however, confine myself to the exact
construction of stop described and shown, and further I do not confine myself to
two drive-wheels and two stop devices at the end of a sweeper-case, as a single
drive-wheel and a single stop device at one end of the case could be employed.
When there is no pressure upon the sweeper-case the pins or screws 10 will
occupy the upper end portions of the slots 9, the springs will be partially bent and
held under tension, and the drive-wheels will be pressed into frictional contact
with the brush-shaft. This is the normal condition of the parts, and therefore the
drive-wheels are normally held against the brush-shaft with sufficient pressure to
obtain effective action at all times, and the weight of the sweeper-case itself
cannot lower the brush to such extent that insufficient frictional contact between
the drive-wheels and the brush-shaft would occur and prevent effective rotation of
the brush-shaft unless pressure were exerted on the sweeper-case through the
medium of the propelling handle.
In ordinary carpet sweepers having springs to press the drive-wheels into
frictional contact with the brush-shaft, the springs are not normally held under
tension, and in some sweepers the springs are not placed under tension until
pressure is applied to the sweeper case. In this said type of carpet sweepers the
weight of the sweeper case unduly lowers the brush-shaft, the brush is placed in
contact with the surface traversed and there is insufficient frictional contact between
the drive-wheel and the brush-shaft to effectively revolve the latter.
This objection is entirely avoided by this invention in that the stop maintains or
holds the spring under tension, and consequently preserves the drive-wheel in
contact with the brush-shaft at all times with such power as to secure perfect
action of the brush even though no pressure be exerted on the sweeper-case through
the handle.
Further, in sweepers of the character alluded to, the sweeper case is lowered at
the beginning with little resistance from the spring, whereas in this invention there
is considerable resistance at the beginning, in fact nearly as much as when pressure
is applied to the sweeper case, since the spring is normally held under considerable
tension.
If the frictional contact between the drive-wheels and the brush-shaft is to be
increased, this can be accomplished with considerable positiveness by downward
pressure on the sweeper case, so that the well known broom action is secured,
and this type of carpet sweepers is rendered very desirable and perfect in
operation.
The flattened plates having journals on which the drive wheels are mounted
provide a construction which can be readily attached to a carpet sweeper case
without the necessity of forming holes or openings in the end wall thereof for the
passage of the axles of the drive wheels.
By shifting the position of the pins or screws 10 the tension of the spring can
he changed or adjusted and the frictional contact between the drive-wheels and the
brush-shaft varied to suit the conditions required.
I do not wish to be understood as broadly claiming a carpet sweeper case
provided with spring supported drive-wheels, whereby downward pressure on the
oase brings the brush into closer contact with the carpet, and at the same time
exerts an increased elastic pressure upon the pulley of the brush-shaft, but,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a sweeper case, a brush-shaft, a drive-wheel, and a
spring for pressing the drive-wheel against the brush-shaft, of a stop which holds
the spring under tension, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The combination with a sweeper-case, a brush-shaft, a drive-wheel, and a
spring for pressing the drive-wheel against the brush-shaft, of a stop device
comprising a plate connected with the drive-wheel and a spring, and a pin or
screw for maintaining the spring under tension, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
3. The combination with a sweeper-case, a brush-shaft, a drive-wheel, and a
spring for pressing the drive-wheel against the brush-shaft, of a slotted plate con-
nected with the drive-wheel and spring, and a pin extending through the slotted
portion of the plate and engaged with the sweeper-case, for maintaining the
spring under tension, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. The combination with a sweeper-case, a brush-shaft, a drive-wheel, and a spring
for pressing the drive-wheel against the brush-shaft, of a plate connected at one end
with the spring and provided at the opposite end with a journal on which the
drive-wheel is mounted, and a pin which supports the plate on the sweeper-case,
for maintaining the spring under tension, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Dated this ith dox of Fohm 1909
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.