IMPROVEMENTS IN STREET AND ROAD SWEEPING MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO THE SEPARATION OF LIQUID FROM SOLID SUBSTANCES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STREET AND ROAD SWEEPING MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO
THE SEPARATION OF LIQUID FROM SOLID SUBSTANCES."-A communication
L1 Ladinand Toman of Con France
Sealed the 18th July 1862, and dated the 21st January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st January 1862.
RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STREET AND ROAD SWEEPING MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH
ARE APPLICABLE TO THE SEPARATION OF LIQUID FROM SOLID SUBSTANCES," (Communi-
cated to me from abroad by Victor Ferdinand Jeauneau, of Cosne, France,) to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in the employment in machines for sweeping
streets and roads, of two side brooms for drawing the mud and dirt into the
path of the chain of brooms, by which it is to be raised into a receiver; second,
in the particular construction and arrangement of the chain for carrying the

page_text: brooms, as berein-after described; third, in the means afforded for raising the
whole sweeping apparatus off the ground; fourth, in the method of attaching
the sweeping machine to the receiver for collecting the material swept up;
fifth, in the particular construction of the receiver to fit it for separating the
heavy from the more liquid material swept up, so that the liquid may in case
of need be used for watering the streets or roads.
The sweeping machine is supported on wheels mounted on an axle carrying
a toothed wheel, round which a chain passes to rollers above, between which
there is a pinion gearing into the chain, whereby motion is communicated to
the endless chains carrying the brooms. These latter chains are extended in
a sloping position round polygonal rollers or drums supported by
a fixed
frame, one roller or drum at the top, and the other at the bottom of the
machine, the upper roller being mounted on the same shaft as that carrying
the pinion. A passage by which the mud or other material is guided to the
upper part of the machine is maintained parallel with the chain, whatever
position the latter may assume, The brooms at the side of the machine are
placed obliquely to guide the mud into the path to be traversed by the chain
of brooms; they are jointed to rods free to slide in a guide fitted to the frame,
and have their height. from the ground regulated as well as that of the chain of
brooms, in the following manner :-A lever free to move about a fixed point,
the position of which is maintained by means of a rack formed on its under
side, is connected at one end to forked levers, which are themselves attached
to the drums; a chain connects it with the brooms. By depressing the outer
end of the lever the drums and brooms are raised from the ground, and vice
versâ. There is a clutch on the wheel axle for stopping the motion of the
brushes, it is provided with tongues or catches taking into corresponding aper-
tures on the nave of the wheel; springs keep the tongues on the clutch in the
apertures in the nave while the machine is advancing, but when its motion is
reversed, the springs yield and the clutch becomes disengaged from the wheel.
Any other means may, however, be adopted for stopping the motion of the
brushes and chain without stopping the revolution of the running wheels.
The sweeping machine is connected by shafts to the receiver, the ends of
the shafts are united by a cross bar or frame, which is hooked or otherwise
secured to the receiver. This receiver is divided by an inclined partition
into. two parts, into the upper one of which the whole of the mud or
other material brought up by the brushes falls; there is an opening at-the
extreme end of the receiver by which the liquid portion contained in the upper
part flows into the lower. There are apertures in the upper part to draw off

page_text: the solid parts, and orifices in the lower for the outflow of the liquid parts.
When required the liquid may be used for watering the roads and streets, and
in such case the outlet pipe is perforated to project the liquid in showers or
streams. The receiver is applicable for the separation of other solid from
liquid matters than road and street sweepings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE -PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STREET AND ROAD SWEEPING MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH
ARE APPLICABLE TO THE SEPARATION OF LIQUID FROM SOLID SUBSTANCES," (a com-
munication from abroad by Victor Ferdinand Jeauneau, of Cosne, France,).
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald
Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe.
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date-
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to:
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.

page_text: following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
"
This Invention consists, first; in the employment of machines for sweeping
streets and roads of two side brooms for drawing the mud and dirt into the
path of the chain of brooms,
which it is to be raised into a receiver; second,
in the particular construction and arrangement of the chain for carrying the
brooms herein-after described;- third, in the means afforded for raising the
whole sweeping apparatus off the ground; fourth, in the method of attaching
the sweeping machine to the receiver for collecting the material swept up;
fifth, in the particular construction of the receiver to fit it for separating the
heavy from the more liquid material swept up, so that the liquid may in case
of need be used for watering the streets or roads.
The sweeping machine is supported on wheels mounted on an axle. carrying
a toothed wheel, round which a chain passes to rollers above, between which
there is a pinion gearing into the chain, whereby motion is communicated to
the endless chains carrying the brooms. These latter chains are extended in a
sloping position round polygonal rollers or drums supported by a fixed frame,
one roller or drum at the top and the other at the bottom of the machine, the
upper roller being mounted on the same shaft as that carrying the pinion. A
passage by which the mud or other material is guided to the upper part of the
machine is maintained parallel with the chain, whatever position the latter
may assume. The brooms at the side of the machine are placed obliquely to
guide the mud into the path to be traversed by the chain of brooms; they are
jointed to rods free to slide in a guide fitted to the frame, and have their height
from the ground regulated as well as that of the chain of brooms, in the
following manner :-A lever free to move about a fixed point, the position of
which is maintained by means of a rack formed on its under side, is connected
at one end to forked levers, which are themselves attached to the drums; a
chain connects it with the brooms. By depressing the outer end of the lever,
the drums and brooms are raised from the ground, and vice versa. There is a
clutch on the wheel axle for stopping the motion of the brushes; it is provided
with tongues or catches taking into corresponding apertures on the nave of the
wheel; springs keep the tongues on the clutch in the apertures in the nave
while the machine is advancing, but when its motion is reversed the springs yield,
and the clutch becomes disengaged from the wheel. Any other means may
however, be adopted for stopping the motion of the brushes and chain without
stopping the revolution of the running wheels. The sweeping machine is con-
nected by shafts to the receiver; the ends of the shafts are united by a cross

page_text: bar or frame, which is hooked or otherwise secured to the receiver. This
receiver is divided by an inclined partition into two parts, into the upper one
of which the whole of the mud or other material brought up by the brushes
falls; there is an opening at the extreme end of the receiver, by which the
liquid portion contained in the upper part flows into the lower. There are aper-
tures in the upper part to draw off the solid parts, and orifices in the lower for
the outflow of the liquid parts. When required the liquid may be used for
watering the roads and streets, and in such case the outlet pipe is perforated
to project the liquid in showers or streams. The receiver is applicable for
the separation of other solid from liquid matters than road and street
sweepings..
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2
is a longitudinal section of a street and road sweeping machine, constructed
according to this Invention; Figure 3 is a section taken at the main axle,
but drawn on a larger scale than that of the other Figures.
a is the case or frame, made, by preference, of sheet iron, and strengthened
by angle pieces and supports shown at Figure 3. This case is open at the
end; c is the main or driving axle, which passes through the sides of it; d is
a guide bar, terminating in a bracket e supporting the bearing f and the
pulleys 9, g'. The axis h on which the pinion i is keyed is free to revolve in
the bearing f; this pinion gears into the teeth on the endless chain, which
is driven by the toothed wheel k on the axle c; is a polygonal drum,
mounted on the axis h inside the case a; this drum is connected to another
and similar drum m by means of the frame n; a roller o supports the weight
of the chain. During the upward motion of the brooms, the dirt is drawn
into the passage p to the shoot or guide q, and thence into a receiver. The
conduit p is free to move upon an axis r, in such manner as to remain parallel
with the chain of brooms, however much the latter may be worn; s, s, are
side brooms, one only of which is seen, they are placed at an angle with the
line of draft, so as to guide the dirt into the line traversed by the brooms.
These brooms s, s, are united to knee pieces t, which slide in a guide fixed
outside the. case. a. The height of the chain of brooms from the ground is
regulated in the following manner :-On the shaft v, which is fixed to the
case a, the lever x is free to move, the
lated by the rack y. To this lever
depressing the end of the lever x, the
sequently the drum m, and with it the chain of brooms are raised from the
ground. A similar motion of the lever a raises the side brooms by means of
position of the weight A being regu-
the forks B are fixed, so that by
frame n is pushed back, and con-

page_text: the chain z, which is fixed to its other extremity; a chain is used in pre-
ference to any other connection, because by means of the links of which it is
composed its length can be easily adapted to suit the wear of the brooms.
The clutch arrangement D, seen at Figure 3, slides on a collar on the shaft c,
and abuts against the springs E fixed to the outer side of the case a. The
clutch is provided with inclined catches, which take into corresponding
apertures formed in the nave F of the driving wheel. The springs E'tend to
press the clutch against the nave of the wheel, so that when the machine
advances, the running wheel draws with it the clutch as well as the wheel k,
which forms part of it. If the machine moves in a contrary direction or back-
wards the box F presses against the teeth of the clutch D, which compresses
the springs E and stops the motion. G, Figure 3, is a bearing fixed to the
frame a; H and I are internal and external strengthening pieces for supporting
and keeping together the case or frame of the machine. The chain j is composed
of metal plates, held together by pins on each side, and which enter the
notches in the toothed wheel k; the pinion i is arranged in a similar manner;
any other construction of toothed wheel and chain may, however, be employed.
The sweeping machine is attached to the receiver by shafts J, J, fixed to the
sides of the frame; the ends of these shafts are united to form a sort of stay,
through which a gudgeon N passes fixed to a horizontal metal cross bar O.
This cross bar is itself held by two hooks P placed on each side of the
receiver, which is divided centrally by the inclined partition Q. The dirt,
rubbish, mud, and materials which are swept up the conduit p by the brooms,
and thence conveyed by the spout q first fall into the compartment R, the
liquid portion passes to the compartment T by the aperture S, while the heavy
portion sinks in the compartment R, from whence it is removed by the
door U; V, V, are apertures, one on each side of the receiver, but one only
of which is seen, by which the contents of the compartment T are emptied.
When it is desired to use the liquid portion for watering the road, the orifice X
is opened by raising the plug Y, which is fitted with a rose or spreader.
By the construction of this apparatus streets and roads are swept, the mud
is washed, the sand extracted from it, the liquid portion thereof employed for
watering the roads, and the heavy thrown into sewers or other receptacles for
manure and other purposes. The shape and dimensions of the machine may
be varied as well as the arrangement of the stoppers, doors, or registers with
which the machines are furnished without departing from the Invention.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―

page_text: First, the employment in machines for sweeping streets and roads of two side
brooms for directing the mud into the path of the chain of brooms, by which
it is raised into a receiver, as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, the method, herein-before described, of attaching the sweeping
machine to a receiver.
Third, the construction of receivers to fit them for separating heavy from
liquid material, whereby in the case of street-sweeping machines the liquid
may be used for watering the streets or roads, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two.