Improvement in Street-sweeping Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1995-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Street-sweeping Machines.
I, CHARLES MILTON KIMBALL, of Toledo, in the County of Lucas and State
of Ohio, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 street-sweeping machines, and has in view a novel
organization possessing superior advantages in the thoroughness of its work and the
ease with which it can be manipulated. The accompanying drawings, which form
part of this Specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 1 shows the complete machine in side elevation, with part of the elevator-
casing and of the hopper broken away, and one rear wheel removed, the axle being
shown in section.
Figure 2 shows the machine in rear elevation, with a portion of the main brush
removed and part of the elevator-casing broken away.
Figure 3 shows a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and looking in the
direction of the arrow crossing said line.
Figure 4 shows a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction
of the arrow crossing said line..
Figure 5 shows a top plan view of the rear portion of the machine with the
elevator-casing in section.
Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section on line 6-6 of Figure 5.
Figures 7 and 8 show details of a clutch mechanism, Figure 7 being a section
taken longitudinally of the driving-axle, and Figure 8 being a section taken on
line 8-8 of Figure 7.
The truck or frame of the machine is preferably composed of I-beams a
connected by suitable cross-ties and supporting bearings for the traction or ground-
wheels. The rear wheels b are the drivers, and they are fixedly mounted on an
axle b'. On this axle there is loosely mounted a large gear-wheel c, and on the
extended hub of the latter there is affixed a sprocket-wheel d. Clutch-teeth are
formed in the end of the gear-hub, and there is a sliding clutch-block e splined
to the axle and adapted to control rotative connection between the latter and
the gear and sprocket. The means for shipping the clutch-block will be herein-
after described in connection with other parts which are operated through the same
agencies.
A pair of arms c' are pivoted upon the axle 61, and they have bearings at their
outer ends for the trunnions of a cylindrical brush c³, which carries a gear c³ in
mesh with the gear c. It will be seen that to whatever position the brush c² is
brought by movement of the arms c¹, its gear e³ will always be in mesh with the
gear c. A segmental pan partially embraces the front side of the brush c² and
has a hinged section adapted to trail on the ground; the brush sweeps the dirt
up into this pan, and it will be seen that the brush will always be in close contact
with the pan notwithstanding wear of the brush; for when let down to compensate
for wear, it also moves forward. A flaring chute c leads from the upper part of
the pan c into the lower end of a casing f enclosing an elevator and extending
upward on an incline to the upper end of a hopper g. Both these parts fand g are
rigidly held between the two beams a. The elevator is composed of sprocket-
chains which are carried by sprocket-wheels 2 on shafts ff journalled in the
upper and lower ends of the casing f, and buckets f* fastened to the said chains.
The matter swept up by the brush is taken by the buckets f" and dumped into

page_text: the hopper g. The latter has an inclined bottom (see Figure 3) which is continued
beyond the side of the hopper to form an outlet-chute g which is normally closed
by a hinge door 9 in the side of the hopper. This door can be opened for
discharging the contents of the hopper, by operating a handle-bar
affixed to a rock-shaft gt in bearings on one of the beams a and carrying arms g³
connected by links g with ears on the door.
which is
For sweeping out the gutters and getting into the corners at the base of the
curbstones,
arrange side-brushes d' in advance of the main brush c and designel
to sweep the dirt into the path of the latter so as to be taken up thereby. These
side-brushes are of disc-like form, and are set obliquely in order to obtain better
action in going into the corners, and they are secured to spindles d' which extend
through bearings d³ on the ends of a cross-beam supported by hangers ³ pendent
from the beams a. The spindles are arranged to slide through the bearings d³, so
that the brushes may be raised and lowered; and the said bearings support bevel-
gears which are splined to the spindles. A cross-shaft in bearings on the
hangers carries bevel-gears din mesh with the gears do, and also a sprocket-
wheel which is connected by a chain 10 with the sprocket-wheel d. The shaft d
carries another sprocket-wheel which is connected by a chain fe with a sprocket-
wheel on the upper elevator-shaft f³.
The spindles d' carry grooved collars i, which are embraced by the forked ends
of levers having studs engaging the grooves. The inner ends of the said, levers
are pivoted to a bearing 2 fastened to the beam d³.
Mechanism whereby the main brush, the side-brushes, and the clutch-block are
all shifted simultaneously will now be described. A rock-shaft jis journalled in
bearings on the beams a, and carries affixed to it a pair of horizontally extending
arms which are connected by links with the arms c'. The said rock-shaft
also carries affixed to it an upstanding arm j' to which one end of a long reach-
rod is connected. The front end of this rod 3 is connected with an arm
pendent from and affixed to a rock-shaft in bearings on the beams a. A pair of
horizontally extending arms affixed to the said shaft are connected respectively
by links with the levers i¹.
Referring again to the rock-shaft j, it carries a short crank-arm el (see Figures 2
and 8) which is connected by a reach-rod e² with one arm of a bell-crank lever e³
whose other arm extends under the horizontal arm of a bent lever et pivoted to
a bearing on the side of the beam a and having a forked lower end embracing
the clutch-block e, which is grooved to receive studs on the fork of the lever.
The upstanding arm has attached to it one end of a long reach-rod whose
forward end is connected with a hand-lever js located beside the seat at the front
of the machine.
In all the views, the parts are shown in the positions they maintain while the
machine is in action.
It will be seen that upon pulling back the hand-lever 13, the brushes c³ and d¹ will
be lifted from the ground, and simultaneously the clutch-block e will be thrown out
of engagement with the gear cand the brush will be stopped. Reversely, when
the said hand-lever is thrown forward, the brushes are lowered and the clutch
thrown into engagement with the gear. A spring e (see Figure 7) exerts itself to
engage the clutch-block with the gear.
Racks 9 and are arranged in conjunction with the levers y3 and 73, which are
both provided with pawls 98 and jo for engagement with said racks. By this means,
the said hand-levers can be set at any adjustment desired. When the brushes
wear, the adjustment of the lever 3 is changed to compensate for the wear by
lowering the brushes.
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 1
claim is :-
]. In a street-sweeping machine, the combination of side-brushes of disc form on

page_text: spindles longitudinally movable in their bearings, levers controlling said spindles
longitudinally, means for working the said levers to raise and lower the brushes, and
connections between the ground-wheels of the machine and the brushes for
revolving the latter.
2. In a street-sweeping machine, the combination of side-brushes of disc form on
longitudinally movable spindles, levers controlling said spindles longitudinally, a
rock-shaft in bearings above the levers and having arms affixed to it, links
connecting said arms with the levers, means for turning the rock-shaft to raise and
lower the brushes, and means connecting the brushes with ground-wheels of the
machine whereby said brushes are revolved.
3. In a street-sweeping machine, the combination of a truck-frame having side-
beams, a cross-beam supported from said side beams at a lower point, oblique
bearings at the ends of said cross-beams, a bracket erected at the middle of said
cross-beam, disc-brushes having spindles fitted to slide through the oblique
bearings, levers engaged with said spindles and pivoted to the central bracket, a
rock-shaft in bearings on the side-beams of the truck and having arms affixed to it,
links connecting said arms with the aforesaid levers, means applied to the rock-
shaft for turning it and thereby raising or lowering the brushes, and means
connecting the brushes with ground-wheels of the vehicle for revolving said
brushes.
Dated this 20th dox of Tan 1805
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.