Improvements in Street-sweepers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street-sweepers.
A communication from OLIVER BARTON SHEPPARD, of 11, Adelaide Street
West, in the City of Toronto, and County of York, Dominion of Canada,
and JOSEPH ALEXANDER HUNTLEY, of the same place.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 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 the invention is to construct a street-sweeper, which can be readily
adjusted and which will be both substantial and easily operated and it consists in
the arrangement and construction of the parts hereinafter more particularly
oxplained.
Figure I'is a perspective view of the improved sweeper.
Figure 2 is a perspective longitudinal sectional detail of the broom used in
connection with the sweeper.
Figure 3 is a perspective end view of the broom showing its operating
mechanism.
Figure 4 is an inside view of one of the end pieces of the broom.
Figure 5 is a view of a steel broom.
In the drawings A represents the platform or main frame of the machine which
is suitably supported at its rear end by the ground wheels B and at its front end by
an ordinary wagon truck which is not shown in the drawings, as there is nothing
peculiar in its construction.
Cis a sprocket wheel fixed to the wheel B.
D is a bar pivotted on the end of the wheel axle E which axle is stationary. A
journal box is fixed to the opposite end of the bar D, to receive a spindle projecting
from the yoke G. A bracket H, is pivotted on the bolts I which secure it to the
yoke G as indicated. The rear end of the bracket H has a rod J pivotted upon
and arranged to support it as hereinafter described.
K is a brace extending from the end of the bar D to the axle E on which axle
the said brace K is pirotted.
L is a sprocket wheel loosely journalled on a spindle M extending from and
supported by the bracket H. This sprocket wheel L is connected to the sprocket
wheel C by the sprocket chain N so that when the sprocket wheel C revolves with
its wheel B the motion of the said wheel is conveyed to the sprocket wheel L.
A bevel pinion O is cast upon or connected to the sprocket wheel L, and is
designed to mesh with the bevel pinion P fixed to the shaft Q of the brush R the
said shaft being suitably journalled at one end in the bracket H and at its other
end in a socket S attached to the arm T pivotted on a suitable support U fixed to
the platform A. A rod is pivotted on the top of the socket S and extends up to
the bar W. The bar W is pivotted on a bracket X located substantially in the
centre of the platform A. The bar Y to which the rod J is connected is also
pivotted on the bracket X.
Z is an equalizing bar suspended on the end of the lever a which is suitably
pivotted as indicated and extends past the driver's seat bas shown. This equalizing
bar is connected by the links d to the bar W and to the bar Y. As the rod
connects the bracket H (in which the shaft Q is journalled) to the bar Y and the
opposite end of the shaft Q is supported by the rod V connected to the bar W and
as the equalizing bar Z supports both of the pivotted bars W and Y it follows that
the shaft Q is carried by the bar Z suspended from the end of the lever a.
As the

page_text: end of the shaft Q on which the driving gearing is supported is heavier than the
opposite end of the said shaft, the link which connects the bar Y to the equalizing
bar Z is placed nearer to the outer end of the bar Y than the link which connects
the said equalizing bar to the bar W is placed their relative position being such
that in the normal position of the bars described the brush R on the shaft Q is
suspended horizontally.
By means of the lever a the brush R may be raised clear off the ground or such
-pressure downward as may be required can be directed against the brush R by
simply adjusting the. lever a. This lever it will be observed passes through the
bracket e and is held by means of a pin f which may be placed in any of the holes
made in the bracket e.
The pivotted bar W passes through the bracket g in which bracket a series of
holes are made.
Should it be desired to hold the light end of the brush R stationary while its
opposite end is being raised or lowered, a pin is placed in one of the holes in the
bracket so that the lever a may be moved in the required direction without
adjusting the light end of the brush. In this way the brush R may be set so as to
act upon the road no matter at what angle the said road may be made. It will be
noticed that the bracket g extends over the bar W so as to prevent the said bar
being raised higher than a given distance, should the end of the brush R come in
contact with an obstruction.
An arm k fixed to the platform A extends over the bar Y for the same purpose
as is accomplished by the bracket
g.
7 is a case or tube through which the sprocket chain N is carried so as to protect
the said sprocket chain from the dirt which will be thrown up by the brush R. It
may be mentioned here that it would be possible to cover the entire gearing
described with a casing in such a manuer as to protect the said gearing without
interfering with its satisfactory working.
By supporting the brush R at one end by a bracket supported as described so
that it has a free flexible movement both vertically and horizontally and at its
other end by what is in fact a universal joint, the said brush has a perfectly free
movement to adjust itself to any unevenness in the road without in any way
interfering with the driving mechanism by which the brush R is revolved. On
reference to Figures 2 and 4 it will be observed that the bristles of the brush Rare
fixed to strips or bars m' fitted at one end into the recessed disc n and at the other
against the disc p both of which discs are securely fastened to the shaft Q. These
strips or bars m are held together by the bands q which are cramped around the
steps or bars so as to securely hold them together.
From this description it will be seen that my correspondents have produced a
substantially constructed street sweeper which can be easily manipulated and in
which all its working parts may be readily got at.
In Figure 5 is shown a view of a broom made of steel. When constructed in
this manner the broom is made of a series of narrow strips of steel arranged in
parallel lines longitudinally along the centre of the core, the rows of strips
marked m arranged so that as the broom revolves, the ends of the strips come in
contact with the ground edgewise, while the rows of strips marked n', come in
contact with the ground sideways, the rows of strips marked m' in this way acts
as scrapers which loosen the dirt on the side-walk while the rows of strips
marked n', being pliable, sweep the soil and dirt loosened by the strips m¹. The
rows of strips are separated by ribs p¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The bar D pivotted at one end on the axle E and having fixed to its other end
a journal-box F in which a spindle extending from the yoke G is journalled in

page_text: combination with the bracket H pivotally connected to the yoke G and having a
journal box formed in it to receive the shaft Q substantially as and for the purpose-
specified.
2. A bevel-pinion P fixed to the shaft Q journalled in the bracket H and the
bevel-pinion carried by a spindle extending from the bracket H in combination.
with the sprocket wheel L sprocket chain N and sprocket wheel C arranged
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The bar D pivotted at one end on the axle E and having fixed to its other end.
a journal-box F in which a spindle extending from the yoke & is journalled and the
bracket H pivotally connected to the yoke G and having a journal-box formed in:
it to receive the shaft Q in combination with the bevel-pinion T, fixed to the
shaft journalled in the bracket H the bevel-pinion O carried by a spindle
extending from the bracket H a sprocket-wheel L sprocket-chain N and sprocket--
wheel C arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. A rotating brush-shaft Q suitably supported at one end, a rod J connected at
one end to a properly-supported pivotted bar Y and at its other end to the
bracket H which supports the other or driven end of said shaft Q in combination
with yoke G pivotally connected to the bracket H and journalled on the rod D.
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. The rod V arranged to connect the socket S in which the light end of the
shaft is supported to the pivotted bar W in combination with the equalizing-bar Z.
suspended from the pivotted lever a and connected respectively to the pivotted
bar W and the pivotted bar Y in such a manner that the weight supported by the
said pivotted bars shall be equally divided between the ends of the said
equalizing-bar Z arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. A cylindrical brush made in segments supported by and between two end
pieces fixed to the shaft Q and held together and in position by adjustable metal
bands, arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7. A broom composed of a series of narrow strips of steel arranged in alternate
rows, one row m¹ pointing edgewaye, the other row n¹ sideways substantially as and.
for the purpose specified.
1
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.