Year: 1888

page_text: I REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert & Co. Patent Agents of 18 Buck-
ingham Street, Strand W.C. London in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to ine from abroad by
THE BISSELL CARPET SWEEPER COMPANY of Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
of America, Manufacturers, 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 carpet sweepers and the purpose thereof is to provide, a
simple, durable and inexpensive combination of parts whereby the brush shaft may
receive vertical adjustment at such times and to such degree as may be required, the
mechanism whereby said adjustment is effected being at all times under the control of
the person using the carpet sweeper.
The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new com-
binations of parts hereinafter fully described and then specifically pointed out and
defined in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the sweeper case illustrating the invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sweeper inverted.
Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the end band removed from the sweeper.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the springs shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a view showing a modified construction.
In the said drawing the reference numeral 1 designates that casing of the sweeper
supported at one or both ends by drive wheels 2. These wheels are mounted in the
present instance upon shafts 3 extending within the casing 1 and in those machines.
having wheels at both ends it is convenient to extend the shafts the entire length of
the casing and project their ends through the end walls to receive the wheels 2.
One of the shafts 3 is supported by springs 4 mounted upon any suitable portion

page_text: of the casing and said springs normally press the shaft downward until its ends are
arrested by the walls of the openings 5 in the end walls in which the shaft has a
limited movement in a vertical or nearly vertical direction.
Crossing each outer end of the sweeper casing is a band or strap 6 supported by
the extended front and rear walls 7* and so arranged that it lies outside of the drive
wheels and the drawing pulley 7 of the brush shaft which lies between the wheels
upon the inner face of this band or strip 6 is a lever S having its fulcrum 9 upon one
side of the centre of the casing and provided with a seat or bearing 10 for the end
of the brush shaft. At or near its other end the lever is bent somewhat away from
the band 6 and toward the end of the casing and in the portion so formed is a
bearing 11 for the end of that one of the drive shafts 3 which is mounted on the spring
supports 4.
The casing is propelled by a handle attached to a bail 12 the latter being preferably
pivoted to ears 13 attached on the same side of the casing as the fulcrum of the lever 8
and having stop lugs 14.,
To lin.it the action of the lever S, a stop 15 may be formed on its end and projected
through an opening or slot 16 in the band 6-but any other construction may be
substituted which will produce a like result.
When operating the sweepers, downward pressure upon the bail 12 will depress
that side of the casing supported by the shaft 3 which is carried by the springs 4
thereby lifting the end of the lever 8, in which the shaft 3 has bearing. This
operation depresses that side of the lever which carries the-journal of the brush shaft
and depresses the latter, the brush not only moving downward with the casing itself
but receiving also the additional downward movement imparted by the lever. The
downward movement of the central portion of the casing is comparatively small but
its movement, together with the drop of the brush shaft produced by the lever 8
brings the brush into close contact with the floor and enables the operator to exert
a sufficient power to remove any rubbish on which a sweeper is adapted to act.
This invention though shown and described in connection with shafts extending
into, or when four wheels are used, through the casing is manifestly independent of
such construction as I may use any form of support for the driving wheels suitable
for the purpose.
In carpet sweepers heretofore constructed so that pressure on the casing forces, the
brush into close contact with the carpet, the brush and case are lowered to. the floor
in unison, and the casing moves downward to the same extent as the brush.
For this reason to suit different kinds of carpets or floor coverings, the dust pans
must be placed further from the lower edge of the casing than is possible.in this
construction, because in prior sweepers if the pans were fixed on a line with, or very
near on a line to the constant surface of the brush, with the floor covering, the brush
would be too high to properly sweep hard carpets or the cracks or crevices in rubber
or other matting. But according to this invention, a very downward movement of
the sweeper case effects, through the lever considerable downward movement, of
the brush and therefore the pans can be set nearer the lower, edges of the casing and
hence nearer the floor than has heretofore been possible for sweeping different kinds
of floor coverings.
It is evident that the lever 8 may be duplicated at one or both ends of the casing as
in Fig. 5 and in such case both sides of the casing, will drop. when pressure is
exerted and the brush shaft will then be depressed by levers acting, upon both sides
instead of one.
The springs may also be directly connected to the levers 8., instead of to the drive
wheels as shown at 18 in Fig.. 5.
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 the casing of a curnat sweener of a lever fulcrumed between

page_text: its ends, a brush shaft journalled at or to the other end of said lever substantially as
and for the purpose described.
2. The combination with the casing of a carpet sweeper, of a lever fulcrumed
between its ends, a brush shaft journalled at or adjacent to one end of the lever a
drive wheel journalled at or adjacent to the other end of said lever and a spring
for pressing the drive wheel downward substantially as and for the purpose
described.