Patent ID: 8578552

Claim:
An apparatus for clearing waste from a surface, comprising: a vacuum suction head having a suction opening for accepting waste material; a waste receptacle for storing waste material that are vacuumed through said suction opening, said waste receptacle having a discharge port through which waste material stored within said waste receptacle may be discharged for emptying said waste receptacle; a vacuum passage fluidically connecting said suction opening and said waste receptacle; a reversible vacuum pump in communication with said waste receptacle for alternately providing a vacuum on said waste receptacle and pressurizing said waste receptacle; a vacuum passage valve disposed across said vacuum passage, said vacuum passage valve operable to alternately permit or preclude a flow through said vacuum passage; a waste receptacle discharge valve disposed across said discharge port, said waste receptacle discharge valve operable to alternately permit or preclude a flow through said discharge port; a fluid passage configured at one end to be connected to a source of pressurized water by a garden hose; a first spray nozzle connected to an end of said fluid passage and configured to jet fluid from said fluid passage in a direction away from an operator and against material on the surface; and a control valve disposed across said fluid passage, said control valve operable to alternately permit or preclude a flow through said fluid passage.