CLEANSING MACHINES." IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD SWEEPING AND
Year: 1880

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to George Marquand Truss, of Southampton, in the County
of Hants, for an Invention of
CLEANSING MACHINES."
IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD SWEEPING AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Marquand Truss at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th July 1880.
GEORGE MARQUAND TRUSS, of Southampton, in the County of Hants.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD SWEEPING AND CLEANSING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved machine for sweeping
and cleansing roads, whereby mud, dust, or other refuse is automatically swept and
conveyed into a suitable cart or receptacle, means being provided, if required, for
separating the water from the solid parts of the refuse.
In carrying out my Invention I provide any suitable construction of cart or
receptacle mounted on wheels in the usual manner. In the front of the cart I form
one or more conveying channels opening at the top into the said cart, and in these
channels work a series of scoops adapted to fit the said channels and connected to
an endless band passing over suitable pulleys and operated from the axle of the
front wheel of the machine. At the bottom of each channel I adapt a brush or
scraper, or a combined brush and scraper, of such a shape as to collect the mud,
dirt, or other refuse into the mouth or lower end of its corresponding channel so
as to bring it into the required position, from which it may be raised by the
revolving scoops and discharged into the cart. Means are provided for keeping the
scoops in working position and to allow of their revolving with facility.
When the cart or machine is full, or travelling, without it being required for
sweeping or cleaning, the brushes or scrapers are raised, and the endless band
carrying the scoops is put out of gear.
A suitable sieve or screen may be adapted to the interior of the cart for the
purpose of separating or straining off the water from the solid parts of the refuse,
and thus allow of the water being discharged direct into the sewer or otherwise.
The cart may also be provided with a distributing tap or nozzle, so as to allow of
it being used for cleansing the gutters by a discharge of water.
It is to be understood that the cart or receptacle is made watertight and is
provided with suitable means for emptying the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Marquand Truss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
January 1881.
GEORGE MARQUAND TRUSS, of Southampton, in the County of Hants.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD SWEEPING AND CLEANSING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved machine for sweeping
and cleansing roads, whereby mud, dust, or other refuse is automatically swept and
conveyed into a suitable cart or receptacle, means being provided, if required, for
separating the water from the solid parts of the refuse.
In carrying out my Invention I provide any suitable construction of cart or
receptacle mounted on wheels in the usual manner. In the back of the cart I form
one or more conveying channels opening at the top into the said cart, and in this
channel or these channels work a series of scoops or troughs adapted to fit the said
channel or channels, and connected to an endless band passing over suitable pulleys
and operated from the axle of one of the wheels of the machine. At the bottom of
each channel I adapt a brush or scraper, or a combined brush and scraper, of such
a shape as to collect the mud, dirt, or other refuse into the mouth or lower end of
its corresponding channel so as to bring it into the required position, from which it
may be raised by the revolving scoops and discharged into the cart. Means are
provided for keeping the scoops in working position to allow of their revolving with
facility.
When the cart or machine is full, or travelling, without it being required for
sweeping or cleansing, the brushes or scrapers are raised, and the endless band
carrying the scoops or troughs is put out of gear.
A suitable sieve or screen may be adapted to the interior of the cart for the
purpose of separating or straining off the water from the solid parts of the refuse,
and thus allow of the water being discharged direct into the sewer or otherwise.
The cart may also be provided with a distributing tap or nozzle, so as to allow of
it being used for cleansing the gutters by a discharge of water,
It is to be understood that the cart or receptacle is made watertight, and is
provided with suitable means for emptying the same.
But to make my Invention better understood I will now proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side
elevation; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3, a longitudinal section of a road
sweeping machine constructed according to my Invention. Similar letters in all
the Figures represent similar parts.
a, a,
is the cart or receptacle of any suitable construction mounted on the
wheels b, b; c is the conveying channel extending the whole width of the machine
and open at the bottom to admit the mud, dust, or other refuse, and also open at
the top to allow of the discharge of the said refuse into the cart. In Figure 2 the
upper side of the conveying channel is removed to shew the buckets or troughs;
d, d, d, are the scoops or troughs, preferably extending entirely across the channel c,
and connected to the endless band e in the usual manner; the said band e passes
over the chain pullies fixed on the shafts g, g', the shaft g being driven by an
endless chain e passing over the chain pulley h on the axle i of the machine, and
over the chain pulley j on the shaft g; k is the scraper fitted at the bottom of and
behind the conveying channel c, such scraper consisting of a steel plate k, provided
or not with a squeezer of vulcanized india rubber or like material; behind the
said scraper I adapt the brush m, n, extending like the scraper (of which it forms
a part) the whole width of the machine; the ends of the body n of the brush and
scraper are provided with pivots which pass through slots o in the side frames p, p,
and a lever and catch (not shewn in the Drawing) or other equivalent means are
provided to allow of raising the combined brush and scraper out of action when
the machine is being drawn along without being required to sweep or work; it
will be seen, by reference to Figure 2, that the combined brush and scraper inclines

page_text: backwards from each side towards the centre, or it may be curved in the same
direction.
The ends of the shaft g of the endless band è extend through the curved slots q
in the side frames p, p, and the ends of the shaft galso project outside the side
frames p, p, the said shafts g and g' being connected by the connecting rods r, r, so
that the conveying channel c, with its scoops or troughs d, d, centre or pivot on the
shaft g¹ so as to allow the lower part of the channel c to be automatically raised
when passing over stones or other obstacles; s, s, trail wheels on the ends of the
connecting rods r, r, to keep the bottom of the channel c the required distance from
the ground.
In the plan at Figure 2 I have shewn at t, t, gearing which may be employed for
driving the lower chain pulley h, instead of the said pulley h being on the axle i of
the machine.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
As the machine is drawn along the combined brush and scraper will scrape and
sweep the road and collect the refuse, the inclined front of the brush and scraper
preventing the refuse from escaping at the sides thereof. As the refuse is collected
by the brush and scraper it is taken up by the scoops or troughs d, operated by any
suitable arrangement, as herein before described, which, working over the pullies f.ƒ,
convey it up through the channel c until it arrives at the top thereof, when the
scoops or troughs turn over and discharge the refuse into the cart or receptacle a.
When the cart is full the endless band is put out of gear by any suitable
arrangement, and the refuse can then be conveyed to the place required for its
discharge, which may be effected in any suitable manner.
Figure 4 shews a modification of the apparatus, in which I employ a horizontal
rotating scraper A, consisting of a drum or roll provided with buckets or troughs a'
(operated from the axle of the machine) in place of or in combination with the
fixed scraper bereinbefore described; in this arrangement the conveying channel is
formed with a curved bottom concentric with the scoops or troughs, and the dirt or
other refuse collected by the fixed brush and revolving scraper carried by the
scraper into the channel c, and is carried up by the scoops and turned over into the
cart in the manner hereinbefore described; u is a guard placed between the brush
and the revolving scraper.
Any suitable arrangement, such as that shewn in this Figure, may be employed
for raising the brush and scraper out of action.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the best means with
which I am acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down and shewn in
the Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of my said Invention, but what I do claim is,-
Firstly. The construction and employment of the improved road sweeping and
cleansing machine, arranged and operating substantially in the manner herein before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing, or any mere modification
thereof.
Secondly. In a road sweeping and cleansing machine, I claim the combination of
the peculiar construction of scraper and brush as and for the purposes described
and represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing, or the modification shewn in
Figure 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Marquand Truss, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of January, in the year of our
G. M. TRUSS. (L.S.)