Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 13th May, 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1889.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carpet Sweepers.
I REGINALD HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co. Patent Agents of 18 Buckingham
Street, Strand, London W.C. in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by The
Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company of Grand Rapids Michigan in the United States of.
America Manufacturers, to be as follows:
My invention relates to carpet sweepers and particularly to mechanism for opening
the dust pans and its object is to provide a device, simple, cheap and easily operated
for opening and emptying the pans from the outside and one suitable to use with
sweepers having the bail pivoted to the ends and having the wheels outside of the case.
The dust pan or each dust pan if there be more than one is pivoted to swing open for
emptying and a bent wire spring is pivoted thereto and under such tension as to hold
the pans closed a lever is hung in or on the case so that one end thereof engages with
the spring for operating the same to open the pan or pans and the other end of said
lever projects from the case and may be provided with a suitable thumb piece so that
pressure on the lever may open the pans to permit the dust to fall out.
Thus in a sweeper having a centrally journalled brush shaft and pans before and
behind the same the pans may be pivoted on pins in the case so as to swing open that
edge or side of each nearest to the brush shaft. A bent wire spring lying on the
inside of the end of the case is bent and pivoted at each end to the respective pans in
such a manner that the tension of the spring pressing the ends of the spring away
from each other swings up the pans and holds the same in closed position.
The spring may lie in a groove in the end of the case of sufficient depth to receive
and contain the spring and of sufficient size to have the necessary lateral and vertical
play. This construction allows the end of the dust pan to be in close contact with
the end wall of the case not even the thickness of the spring being interposed but the
grooves are not essential to my invention. The lever is hung on a pivot to the case.
At one end the lever has a thumb piece and at the other end it is bent at right angles
so that the end will engage the spring at its highest point. The thumb piece is
outside of and above the casing the lever passing out through an opening in the top
of the case.
It is evident that the form and arrangement of the lever and spring may
be much varied without departing from the invention. As for instance the parts
might be so arranged as to raise instead of depress the lever thereby depressing
instead of elevating the spring in which case the spring would be attached to the pans
outside of the pivot by which the pans are hung instead of inside.
There may also be a block attached to the underside of the top of the case and
having a concave lower surface adapted to receive the spring when thrown up against
it by the action of the lever. This block is desirable but not essential to the successful
operation of the device.
The operation of the invention is as follows. When it is desired to empty the dust
pans I press down upon
the thumb piece on top of the lever. This raises the opposite.
end of the lever and with it the spring and as the spring is raised, the pans swing
upon their pivots and are opened so that the contents fall out. Upon releasing the
lever from pressure the elasticity of the spring at once returns the pans to their.
closed position and holds them there during the process of sweeping.
I do not wish to limit myself to the specific form of lever and spring described as
obviously a single spring operating as this does and a lever for operating the spring
may be combined in various equivalent methods.
Dated thie 12th day of Angust 1888
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.

page_text: the centre of the spring engaging with the lever, describes an arc of a circle, of which
the centre is the pivot 6, while the ends of the spring follow arcs the centres of which
are the pivots 2, 2.
Hence the grooves in the end of the case containing the wires, must be of sufficient
width to allow for this motion. The upward movement of the spring is limited by
the case, and at the point of contact I place the block 9, with a concave lower
surface, which holds the spring at the centre, and ensures the equal opening of
the pans.
By this construction I avoid any opening or slot in the case through which much
dust might escape, as the slot through which passes lever 5, is substantially filled by
that lever, and at the same time the wires are entirely outside of the pans, and do not
clog the dirt contained therein. The single wire spring is simple and efficient for
holding both pans closed, and the same wire operates to open them, the use of the
lever in connection with the spring making it possible for a slight pressure to over-
come the resistance of the spring.
I do not wish to limit myself to the specific form of lever and spring shown, as
obviously a single spring, operating as this does, and a lever for operating the spring,
may be combined in various equivalent methods.
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. In a carpet sweeper, and in combination with the pans thereof, a bent wire
spring pivoted to the pans, and under such tension as to hold them closed, and
a lever hung to the case, at one end engaging with and operating the spring, so
as to open the pans, and at the other end projecting through the case, substantially as
described.
2. In a carpet sweeper, having grooves in the inside of one end of the casing, a
bent wire spring lying in such grooves, attached at its ends to the dust pans so as to
hold them closed, and a lever projecting through the case and engaging with and
operating the spring, whereby the pans can be opened, substantially as described.
3. In a carpet sweeper, and in combination with the pans thereof, a bent wire
spring, pivoted at its ends to the pans, and holding them closed, a lever for operating
said spring and opening the pans, and a stop attached to the casing to receive and hold
the spring when operated by the lever, substantially as described.
n: 101L 1 M. 1980
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.