An Improved Apparatus for Washing Floors.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1891—Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Washing Floors.
We, GUNDER TELLEFSEN of Danevirke Hawkes Bay in the Colony of New
Zealand, Machinist, and HENRY HUGHES of No. 4 Lambton Quay in the City
of Wellington in the said Colony, Registered Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for washing floors; a machine constructed to
embody these improvements consisting essentially of a revolving cylindrical wiper or
brush automatically supplied with water or washing liquid from a suitable tank,
this liquid being fed into a receiving tank after use. The supply of water or
other liquid is capable of adjustment and the pressure of the cylindrical wiper or
brush may be regulated as desired.
The brush or roller is preferably made from or covered with some absorbent
material such as a sheep's fleece or wool, and is caused to revolve in a direction
opposite to that in which the machine is travelling by gearing or by rotating in
frictional contact with the wheels of the machine. A casing partly surrounds the
roller and forms a passage for the water and dirt carried up on their way to the
receiving tank, the current of air established also materially assisting the con-
veyance of the liquid and dirt.
The water supply tank is furnished with a revolving bucket wheel which derives
its motion from the wheels of the machine, thus ensuring a supply of liquid to the
brush proportionate to the speed at which the machine is moving, the supply being
stopped when the machine is at rest. The liquid employed is discharged in front
of the machine and is then swept up with the dirt and carried round by the
absorbent roller until it is diverted into the receiving tank by means of a plate
lightly pressing upon the roller.
The appended drawings illustrate the improved apparatus, similar letters of
reference thereon being used to indicate similar parts where they occur in the
different figures.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate respectively side and front views of the machine ;
Figure 3 is a vertical section along the line A B (Figure 2) and
Figure 4 is a plan of the machine.
The side frames a a are held firmly together and kept at a proper distance apart
by means of a stay rod a' and the axle a. Suitable wheels are mounted loosely
upon either end of the axle a² and are preferably furnished with rubber tyres. One
of these wheels has a pulley b' attached to it.
The revolving wiper or brush c preferably formed as before described from a
compact sheep's fleece has its axle c¹ mounted in bearings formed in the arms c³
which are pivoted to the side frames of the machine by the pins c³. The ends of
the brush axle e' carry pulleys c' which gear or are in contact with the driving
wheels so that a motion is imparted to the brush in an opposite direction to, and
quicker than that of the wheels themselves.
A sheet metal casing d surrounds the brush for about one half of its circum-
ference and partly covers the ends, extending from a point d' near the floor to the
delivery point d.
The tank e which contains the water or washing fluid is provided with brackets
or lugs e resting upon and capable of movement around the pins & secured to the
sides of the casing d. Inside the tank is a bucket wheel fixed on a spindle
which revolves in the bearing 2 and the stuffing box f³. The outer end of this
axle carries a pulley bearing upon the pulley b¹ attached to the wheel b the
requisite pressure to ensure neapar frictional contact being maintained by the weight

page_text: of the tank. The other side of the tank is supported on the frame a by the
bracket e². The bucket wheel is secured upon its spindle by the screw and can
be moved laterally to and fro to regulate the amount of liquid delivered into the
hopper g. A pipe or gutter conducts the water from the hopper to a
distributor whence it trickles, over the casing d on to the floor in front of the
brush or wiper.
For the purpose of diverting the dirt and water taken up by the wiper into the
receiving tank a plate or scraper extends the whole length of the wiper, its
front edge being lightly pressed thereon by a spring ². The tank is suspended
from the axle a² and is easily removable.
The handle i is forked so as to embrace both sides of the machine and is mounted
so as to oscillate upon the axle «². The ends of the forks are continued past the
axle as shewn at (Figure 1) slots being formed in the continuations. These
slots contain pins secured to the connecting rods or links k, by means of which
any motion imparted to the handle of the machine is transmitted to the arms e² in
which is mounted the axle of the wiper or brush. Thus, when it is desired to turn
the machine it is only necessary to depress the handle of the machine to throw
the wiper pulleys out of gear and leave the wheels free to revolve
independently.
Small levers are pivoted upon the side frames of the machine at one end of
each engaging with the handle and the other with projections 12 upon the water
containing tank. Should it be considered necessary to run the wiper without water
for the purpose of more thoroughly drying the floor, the handle is depressed to a
slight extent (but not sufficiently to disengage the wiper pulleys) and the tank is
thereby raised until the pulley and the bucket wheel cease to be driven by the
pulley. This arrangement is specially useful for preventing dripping, as by its
employment the supply of water can be stopped a short distance before stopping
the machine.
The front of the machine is supported by small wheels m m their axle m¹ being
mounted so as to be capable of oscillation around the pin m² and to allow the
wheels to adjust themselves to any irregularities in the floor. The wheels and
their axle are secured to the stay rod a' by the sliding bar m and the clip bolt and
nut m³. They can thus be adjusted to any height and regulate the pressure of the
wiper upon the floor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1. In a floor washing machine a revolving roller or wiper having its surface
formed preferably of a fleece of wool and constructed and operated substantially
as hereinbefore set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a floor washing machine the combination and arrangement with a revolving
roller or wiper of a cover or casing d, a receiving tank h and a scraper ¹; sub-
stantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a floor washing machine the combination and arrangement with the tank e
of the bucket wheel and the delivery pipe or gutter g'; substantially as set forth
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. In a floor washing machine the combination construction and arrangement
with the handle of the lever I substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
5. In a floor washing machine, the combination and arrangement with, the
handle of the extensions, the connecting rods and the oscillating arms c²;
substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
6. In a floor washing machine the combination and arrangement with the
driving wheels b of the roller or wiper c the carrying wheels m and the device for

page_text: regulating or adjusting these wheels substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
7. In a floor washing machine the combination and arrangement with the frame a
having stays a¹ a², of the wheels h, the tank e, the bucket wheel f, and the driving
pulleys and 1; substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
8. A floor washing machine constructed arranged and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of December A.D. 1891.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.