Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
I REGINALD HADDAN of the firm of Herbert Haddan & Co. of 18 Buckingham
Street Strand W.C. London, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this
invention a communication to me from abroad by The Bissell Carpet Sweeper Co.
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 has for its object to provide a new and improved antifriction
roller bearing for the drive wheel of a carpet sweeper, whereby the pulley on
the brush shaft forms one of the roller bearings, and one or more pulleys connected
with the case and bearing upon the wheel axle or a hub upon the wheel forms the
other roller bearing, the said pulley or pulleys connected with the case and the brush
shaft or pulley thereon, together with the bearing upon the floor or carpet,
supporting the drive wheel, so that the drive wheel will revolve with the least
possible friction.
The invention also has for its object to provide novel means, whereby the drive
wheel of a carpet sweeper rests at one side of the wheel base against the roller of
the brush shaft, and the axle or hub of the drive wheel is in contact with a friction
roller in a proper position to maintain a sufficient pressure between the brush shaft
and the drive wheel, and the drive wheel will be held in place by the friction roller
bearings, the brush shaft and its contact with the floor.
The invention also has for its object to provide novel means whereby the drive
wheel of a carpet sweeper rests at one side of the wheel base against a roller bearing
and at the opposite side thereof against the brush shaft so that when pressure
is applied to the sweeper case the roller bearing operates to force the drive wheel
toward the brush shaft for the purpose of effectively rotating the latter.
The invention also has for its object to provide novel, simple, efficient and
economical means for obtaining the well known broom action in a carpet sweeper.
To accomplish these objects this invention involves substantially the features
of construction and the combination or arrangement of devices hereinafter described
and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which :-
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of sufficient of a carpet sweeper to illustrate this
invention, the antifriction roller bearings being illustrated in dotted lines as they
are located between the sweeper case and the drive wheels.
Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the antifriction roller bearings and their
supporting spring yoke or frame.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a portion of a carpet sweeper showing a modification
of this invention, and,
Fig. 4 is a detail end elevation of a sweeper case, showing another modification of
this invention.
It is my design to use this invention in all forms of sweepers; one form of
sweeper being what is ordinarily known as the broom action sweeper, that is a
sweeper in which the brush roller can be moved toward the floor or carpet, by down-
ward pressure upon the sweeper case or handle. Another form of sweeper is the
ordinary carpet sweeper in which the brush roller cannot be moved appreciably to
and from the floor by means of pressure upon the sweeper case or handle. The
first form is illustrated in Fig. 1, the second form by Fig. 3.
In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use this invention I will
now describe the same in detail referring to the drawing where the Dumeral,
indicates a carpet sweeper case having a suitable handle carrying bail 2 and an end
wall 3. The axles shafts or supports 5 of the drive wheels are suitably arranged

page_text: so that when the latter rest upon the floor or other surface to be traversed, the
sweeper case can be raised and lowered independent of the vertical movement of
the drive wheels. The brush shaft 7 is interposed between the drive wheels and
may be of any construction suitable for the conditions required. As illustrated in
Fig. 1 the drive wheels are each provided with a hub or pulley 8, and on these
hubs or pulleys at points outside of the wheel base, rests a portion of the peripheries
of a pair of antifriction roller bearings 9 composed of wheels or disks of any
suitable construction journalled on the end portions of an elastic yoke or frame 10
secured centrally between its ends as at 12 to the end wall 3 of the sweeper case.
The drive wheels bear against the brush shaft at points inside the wheel base, and
obviously if pressure is applied to the sweeper case, the antifriction roller
bearings 9 will move upward from their normal position so that the hubs of the
drive wheel remain in frictional contact with such roller bearings, and the latter
operate to force the drive wheels in a direction toward the brush shaft with more or
less pressure according to the force exerted on the sweeper case in lowering it
toward the floor or other surface traversed.
It will be observed that each drive wheel has two bearings in addition to its
bearing on the floor or other surface, one of such bearings being composed of the
antifriction wheel or disk 9, and the other being composed of the brush shaft, and
when the drive wheels rest upon the floor or other surface, the axles or shafts
of the drive wheels are held away from frictional contact with the sweeper case.
In this example of this invention I do not wish to be understood as confining
myself to any particular construction of yielding support for the antifriction roller
bearings, as the elastic yoke or frame can be variously constructed, to attain the
desired result, or any form of support may be used without altering the character
of this invention. In a carpet sweeper constructed as above described and
illustrated in Fig. 1 I am enabled to obtain the well known broom action by the
simple movement of the antifriction roller bearings and yielding supports therefor.
In the modification Fig. 3 the antifriction roller bearings are composed of wheels
or disks 14. journalled on axles, shafts or studs 15, suitably secured to the sweeper
case in such relation to the axles and drive wheels that the antifriction roller
bearings rest against the wheel hub or wheel axle at suitable points for holding the
drive wheel in frictional contact with the brush shaft at the point inside the wheel base.
In this example of the invention, the antifriction roller bearings are supported in
any suitable manner by the case, and are not designed to rise or fall independent
thereof, but are so constructed or arranged as to retain the drive wheel in position
so that its axle will have little or no contact with the sweeper case when the sweeper
is placed upon the floor in position for use. The roller bearings rest upon the wheel
hubs or wheel axles to maintain the drive wheels against the brush shaft with more
or less pressure, and they may be so placed that the pressure will be increased by
increased downward pressure through the handle or otherwise upon the sweeper
case.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the term "wheel base "
signifies that portion of the drive wheel which rests upon the floor or other surface,
and drawing vertical lines from such points through the axes of the drive wheels, it
will be evident that antifriction roller bearings in the form shown in Fig. 3 rest
against the drive wheels at a point outside the wheel base, while the drive wheels
themselves rest against the brush shaft at a point inside the base. In the two
different constructions exhibited the antifriction roller bearings are carried by what
I may term parts of the sweeper case, and the drive wheels are preferably so sup-
ported as to be susceptible of being moved laterally to and from the brush shaft,
while the sweeper case can rise and fall independent of the drive wheels when this
invention is applied to the broom action sweeper, in such manner that by pressure
on the sweeper case the antifriction' roller bearings are caused to force or press the
drive wheels, against the brush shaft with more or less pressure, according to the
force exerted on the sweeper case.
:
I also prefer in the second form of this invention as illustrated in Figure. 3. that

page_text: the friction pulley which bears against the hub of the wheel shall be placed so that
increased friction can be produced by downward pressure upon the case through the
handle or otherwise.
I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to any particular construction
of sweeper case or drive wheels, or to any particular method of supporting the
drive wheels, nor do I wish to be understood as confining myself to a pair of drive
wheels at each end of the sweeper case in connected with a pair of antifriction
roller bearings, for obviously if a single drive wheel is used to act on the brush
shaft, one or more antifriction roller bearings can be employed, to act on said drive
wheel, for the purpose of retaining the same in proper relation to the brush shaft
and effectually rotate the latter. I do not intend to confine this invention to one
antifriction roller, as two or more may be used; but I deem the construction with
one anti-friction roller preferable, and it will be obvious that in case two or more
rollers are used, only such rollers will co-operate in connection with the axle of the
drive wheel as are opposite, or substantially opposite the pressure exerted by the
floor, and the pressure exerted by the brush roller upon the drive wheel.
In the modification Fig. 4 two roller bearings, 16, are journalled to a segmental..
or curved plate 17 pivoted at 18 to one end of an elastic arm or rod 19, the opposite
end of which is engaged with a part of the sweeper case in any suitable manner.
The pivotal point of attachment 18 of the plate 17 is located outside the wheel
base, so that upward pressure on the drive wheel increases the frictional contact
between the latter and the brush shaft, and the two roller bearings equally resist
the upward pressure of the drive wheel.
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. The combination with a carpet sweeper case, a drive wheel and a brush shaft,.
of an antifriction roller bearing substantially as described.
2. The combination with the carpet sweeper case, a drive wheel and a brush
shaft, of an antifriction roller, said drive wheel held away from frictional contact
with the case by means of the antifriction roller, the brush shaft and its bearings
upon the floor substantially as described.
3. The combination with a carpet sweeper case, a drive wheel and a brush shaft
of an antifriction roller bearing acting to force or press the drive wheel toward the
brush shaft when pressure is applied to the sweeper case, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a carpet sweeper case, and a drive wheel, of a roller
bearing acting on the drive wheel, outside the wheel base, and a brush shaft acted
on by the drive wheel inside the wheel base, so that by pressure on the sweeper
case the roller bearing forces or presses the drive wheel toward the brush shaft
substantially as described.
5. The combination with a carpet sweeper case, and a drive wheel, of an elastic
support carrying a roller bearing, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a carpet sweeper case, and a drive wheel, of an elastic
support carrying a roller bearing which acts on the drive wheel outside the wheel
base, and a brush shaft acted on by the drive wheel inside the wheel base, substan-
tially as described.
Dated this 15th dow of
1009