US2537523A - Portable vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 9, 1951 c. A. FROST PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANER '2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 9, 1948 INVENTOR. #(ZEME/VTJ A FPOJ'T 4 BY I Jan. 9, 1951. c. A. FROST 2,537,523

' PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 9, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. (Cl. 183-36) This invention relates to portable vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a rug cleaning apparatus of the vacuum type wherein the rug is subjected to a beating action while it is being cleaned.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved commercial rug cleaning apparatus of the vacuum type which is very simple in constructions, easy to operate and which is readily emptied when a rug cleaning operation is completed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved commercial rug cleaning machine which removes dirt from rugs by vacuum action, the rug being beaten during the suction of dirt therefrom so that dirt particles adhering to the rug are shaken free, the machine being relatively compact in size, light in weight and rugged in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through a rug cleaning machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view with parts in cross-section, of the rug cleaning machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the rug cleaning machine of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken through the suction rotor of the apparatus of Figure 1 on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken through the rug beating rotor of the apparatus on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, H designates a housing of sheet metal or the like provided with a detachable bottom pan 12, said pan being provided with wheels 13. The housing H is detachably secured to the pan I2 by means of draw bolts Id at the upper marginal portions of the sides of the pan which engage suitable lugs carried by the bottom margins of the side walls of the housing. The housing H is formed to define a hollow forward intake section or extension l5, positioned forwardly of the pan l2, and forming an intake chamber. The housin ll further comprises an intermediate passage l6 and an enlarged rear compartment ll, overlying the pan l2 and constituting a receiving 22 by a belt 25.

to each other.

chamber. Secured to the rear compartment I! of housing H is a porous flexible bag [8. Designated at E9 is a U-shaped handle bar Whose arms are secured to the sides of housing H.

' The end of bag I8 is connected to the intermediate portion of handle bar i9 by a strap member 29.

Journalled transversely in the rear compartment 1? is a shaft 2i provided with an external pulley 22. Mounted on housing I! forwardly of compartment i1 is an electric motor 23. One end of the motor shaft is provided with a relatively large pulley 24 whichis coupled to pulley The other end of the motor shaft is provided with a relatively small pulley 26. Journalled transversely in the intake section i5 is a shaft 21 having an external pulley 28. Pulley 28 is coupled to pulley 26 by a belt 29.

Secured to shaft 21 by arcuate clamping plates Eli and by bolts 31 passing through said clamping plates and threaded into shaft 21 are opposed flexible rotor vanes 32, 32 extending substantially the entire transverse width of intake section l5 and provided at their free ends with spaced metal ferrule elements 33. The vanes 32 are radially slotted at 34 to increase the flexibility of the end portions of the vanes whereby said vanes comprise axially spaced radial fingers which are independently yieldable with respect The bottom of intake section I5 is substantially open and is provided with a grid structure 35 to limit upward entry of a rug area into said intake section responsive to suetion. The ends of the radial fingers sweep through the apertures of said grid structure. As

shown in Figure 1, when a rug area is deflected upwardly against the grid 35 by suction the flexible fingers of the beater vanes 32 may repeatedly strike said rug area and produce a beating action thereon.

Transversely secured to the sidewalls of housis to deflect dirt-laden air downwardly and to cause the heavier dirt particles carried by the air current to be deposited in the pan l2 as said air current travels rearwardly in passage 16.

The baffle plate 35 forms a reduced passage between the forward intake chamber and the pan 2-, Figure 1.

Compartment '3! is provided with an intermediate vertical longitudinal partition wall 31 formed with an aperture 38 concentric with shaft 2|. Designated at 38 is a bottom partition wall 3 provided in compartment I! which defines with vertical wall 31 a blower or fan chamber 39. The rear end of blower chamber 39 communicates with bag 18 through an outlet opening 40 formed in the rear wall of housing ll. Said rear wall is formed with a transverse lower opening 4! and provided in the housing adjacent opening M is a transverse depending wall 42, defining with the sides of the housing a second reduced passage leading from the bag 18 into the top of the pan l2 at the rear end of the pan. Rotatably mounted on a transverse axis in the lower rear portion of housing II is a valve plate 43 which normally closes ofi" bag IS with respect w to pan l2. W'hen valve plate 43 is rotated to an open position, as shown in dotted viewin Figure 1, dirt in bag I8 may be emptied into pan [2. The shaft of valve plate 43 is provided with an external operating lever 44. Valve plate 43 is normally held closed by gravity, but may be rotated to open position by means of lever 44'. Secured to shaft 2! in compartment 39 is a vertical disc 45 carrying a plurality of horizontal pins 46 arranged on a circle concentric with shaft 2! and extending adjacent the vertical partition Wall 31. Pivotally carried on each pin 46 is a flexible flap member 4?. When disc 45 rotates, fiap members 01 are held outwardly by centrifugal force and provide blower action in chamber 33. This produces an air stream which enters the machine at the bottom of intake section 15, passes through passage l6 into compartment ll, enters fan chamber 39 through opening 38 and passes into bag !8 through outlet opening 40.

The suction at the bottom of intake section l5 elevates the rug area into engagement with grid 35 and allows beater vanes 32 to strike the rug area, as above described loosening the dirt particles carried by the rug. The air stream carries the dirt and dust from the rug into engagement with baflie plate 36., whereby most of the dirt is deposited in pan R2. The air stream carries the remaining dirt particles through blower chamber 39 into bag 58 where the dirt particles are trapped by the filtering action of said bag.

After a cleaning operation, the dirt in bag l8 may be emptied into pan I2 by opening flap valve 43. Pan l2 may then be detached from housing H and the dirt carried therein may be emptied into a suitable disposal receptacle.

The rotation of the beater vanes 32 takes place at a much slower rate than that of blower shaft 2! in view of the much smaller size of covering the outlet opening of the fan chamber and the outer opening of the second reduced pas-v sage, a rotary fan within the fan chamber, and

pulley 28 as compared with pulley 24 and the relatively large size of pulley 28 as compared with pulley 22.

While a specific embodiment of a rug cleaning apparatus has been disclosed in the foregoing descr ption, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vaonum cleaner, a housing including a forward intake chamber and a rearreceiving chamber. the intake chamber having an opening in its bottom and the receiving chamber having its bottom formed open, a pan removably mounted upon the receiving chamber to cover its open bottom, means within the housing for forming a first reduced passage between the intake chamber and the forward end of the re ceiving chamber, the first reduced passage leading downwardly into the pan, means within the housing and forming a fan chamber in the receiving chamber, said fan chamber having an intake opening in its end and an outlet opening in its side near its top, means arranged within the receiving chamber and forming a second reduced passage near and beneath the fan chamber and leading into the upper end of the pan, the second reduced passage having an outer opening, a valve to cover and uncover the second reduced passage, a bag attached to the housing and covering the outlet opening of the fan chamher and the outer opening of the second reduced passage, a rotary fan within the fan chamber, and means to drive the fan.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing including a forward intake chamber and a rear receiving chamber, the intake chamber having an opening in its bottom and the receiving chamber having its bottom formed open, an elongated substantially horizontal pan removably mounted beneath the receiving chamber for covering its open bottom, a transverse depending baflie plate mounted within the housing and forming with the sides of the housing a first reduced passage between the intake chamber and the forward end of the pan, wall means within the housing for forming a fan chamber in the receiving chamber, the fan chamber having an intake opening in its end and an outlet opening in its side near its top, a generally vertical wall arranged within the receiving chamber adjacent to the rear side of the fan chamber and forming a second reduced passage near and beneath the fan chamber and leading into the upper end of the pan at the rearv end of the pan, the second reduced passage having an outer opening adjacent to the rear end of the pan, a normally substantially horizontal plate valve mounted within the second reduced passage for opening and closing such passage, a bag attached to the rear end of the casing and means to drive the fan.

CLEMENTS A. FROST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 974,304 Spangler Nov. 1, 1910 1,412,420 Polansky Apr. 11, 1922 1,422,100 Hoff July 11, 1922 1,577,070 Orr Mar. 16, 1926 1,742,671 Squires Jan. 7, 1930 1,949,052 Kirby Feb. 27, 1934. 1,965,614 Sellers July 10, 1934 2,067,434 Charipar Jan. 12, 1937 2,165,678 Riebel July 11, 1939 2,291,770 Smellie Aug. 4, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 517,065 Germany Jan. 30, 1931

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