US2986764A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

D. C. KRAMMES SUCTION CLEANER June 6, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1958 D. C. KRAMMES June 6, 1961 SUCTION CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1958 D. C. KRAMMES SUCTION CLEANER June 6, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 8, 1958 D.C.KRAMME$ SUCTION CLEANER June 6, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 8, 1958 June 6, 1961 D. c. KRAMMES SUCTION CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 8, 1958 Unite I The present invention relates to acombined scrubbing and water pick-up or drying appliance and more particularly to the control of the device for first dispensing water, then scrubbing without applying water to the floor and then for applying suction to the nozzle to dry the floor while retaining the water valve closed.

The appliance of the present invention is a self contained unit which has all the necessary facilities for dispensing soapy water onto the floor preparatory to a-scrubbing operation or during that operation, for scrubbing the floor with the soapy water and for drying the floor by removing the dirty water therefrom.

The general arrangement of the parts of the appliance disclosed herein forms no part of the present invention but is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending United States application Serial No. 754,093 filed concurrently herewith.

The appliance of the present invention is constructed to have the motor in operation at all times during use of the appliance and to that end the control includes means for venting the suction tube to atmosphere during the detergent dispensing and scrubbing operations and for closing the vent during the dirty water pick-up operation.

According to a modification of the invention'the motor is automatically switched ofi when the control is actuated to convert the appliance from its floor drying operation to its scrubbing or detergent dispensing operations.

According to the broadest aspects of the present invention a self-contained cleansing apparatus is provided which may first be used to dispense detergent solution onto the floor to be cleaned and spread it around'to perform a scrubbing operation both while'the solution is being dispensed and during the intervals betWe'e'ndispens ing operations and the appliance may thereafter be used to dry the surface by sucking up the water therefrom and a control therefor including a three-position lever having a neutral or scrub position in which water or solution is not being'dispensed and suction is not being applied to the nozzle, an upper water position in whichwater or solution is being applied to the surface to be cleaned and no suction is being applied to the nozzle and a lower or dry position in which no water is being applied to the surface and a suction is applied to pick up the dirty water and in which the motor-fan unit may be in operation at all times during the operation. of the appliance, suction being applied and cut ofi from the" nozzle by opening and closing a suction vent valve in the suction line between the suction side of the fan and the nozzle. Specifically, the suction vent valve is in the form of a lid for the water separator which is positioned inthe suction line ahead of the motor-fan unit.

In the modification where the motor is automatically de-energized at the end of the dryingoperation, the vent is also opened to immediately vent the detergent dispensing tank so that detergent may be dispensed immediately. Otherwise, the rotational speed of the motor-fan unit would continue to cause a vacuum to" be drawnover the detergent tank and prevent the dispensing of detergent until the motor-fan unit ceased to rotate.

In each of the modifications disclosed herein the water valve and the vent are controlled by a reciprocating rod positioned within the handle and" operated by athreeposition lever pivotally mounted for ready access adjacenttlie hand grip portion of the handle. In each case States Patent 'ice the handle is made in two parts and may be separated at a point immediately above the water separator. The push rod control is also separable at the handle joint and the two sections of the control rod abut each other at that point. I

In each modification the lower section of the control rod is connected, near its upper end, by a lost motion connection to the suction vent valve which is in the form of a lid for the water separator and normally held in its upper or vent opening position by a spring detent. In each case the lower section of the control rod passes through a slot in the handle wall and its lower end is formed to actuate a water valve in the lower wall of a water tank.

In each modification the control lever has a central neutral position in which the suction vent valve is open and the water valve is closed and is designated the scrub position. In each case the lever is pulled upwardly against the handle for dispensing water which opens the water valve while the suction vent valve remains open. This is designated the water position. In each case the lever is moved downwardly away from the handle to close the suction vent valve to apply suction to the nozzle while the water valve remains closed. This is designated the dry position.

In the first modification a compression spring acting on the lower control rod section biases it upwardly and moves the control lever to its neutral central position against aspring detent stop and is designated the scrub position, the spring automatically moves the control lever from its water position to its neutral or scrub position while it must be manually moved against the action of the spring det'ent both to and from its dry position where the suction vent valve is closed.

In the second modification a tension spring actingon the lower control rod section biases it upwardly to hold the control lever against a releasable latch at which point it is in its central or scrub position. The control level may be moved upwardly against the handle to its water position against the bias of the spring and when the leveris released the spring automatically returns the lever to its scrub position against the latch. When the latch is released the bias of the spring automatically moves the control lever down to its dry position to close the suction vent valve and apply suction to the nozzle for picking up water. The lever must then be manually moved back to its central or scrub position against the pull of the spring and the latch, being itself spring biased to latching position, will automatically latch the lever against return to its dry position.

In the-third modification a slide type switch is actuated by the control rod so that when the control rod is moved downwardly to its dry position, the motor is energized and when the lever ismoved upwardly away from its dry position the motor is de-energized.

Thus in each modification the control lever is pulledto its Water dispensing position and when released returns to its scrub position by the spring action to provide for ease in dispensing detergent by merely pulling upwardly on the lever like pulling on a trigger when more detergent solution is needed. Thus the quantity of water or detergent solution dispensed is under the immediate control of the operator and flow will cease'when the lever is released.

In the second modification an adjustable stop is provided for limiting the opening of the water valve from a maximum to a minimum to control the rate at which the Water or detergent-solution is dispensed between amin'i mum rate and a maximum rate to suit the users choice.

In each case the control lever must be positively'moved from its dry position to its neutral or scrub position and that is natural since the water pick-up'ope'ration is considerably longerinduration than'the water dispensing operation which usually takes place in a plurality of short spurts during the scrubbing operation.

In the second modification the lever is moved from its neutral or scrub position to its dry position by merely depressing a detent while in the first modification the control lever must be manually moved to its dry" position against the action of a spring detent.

In the first modification the upper end of the upper section of the control rod is turned upwardly through a slot in the handle to coact with indicia on the handle to indicate the water, scrub and dry positions of the control lever. In the second modification the end of the control lever extends through a slot in the handle for the same purpose. In the first modification when the valve is open to dispense detergent solution, the solution is led through a suitable conduit to a point to the rear of the nozzle and there is no need to make provisions for closing a port in the suction conduit when the appliance is used for water pick-up.

In the second modification the detergent solution is dispensed through the nozzle proper and an opening is provided in the side of the suction tube for the admittance of the solution into the tube. For that reason the water control arrangement must include some means for closing ,ofi? that opening during the water pick-up operation of the appliance so that a suction will be produced at the nozzle mouth.

For that purpose the lower end of the lower control rod section is extended to reciprocate in a bore in the water tank support. The rod extension is provided with an enlarged head which acts as a valve and is positioned below the opening through the suction tube opening when the water valve is opened and when the water valve is closed the enlargement fills the bore leading to the opening through the suction tube wall so as to prevent any loss of suction at that point when the appliance is used for water pick-up purposes.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the appliance of the present invention on a small scale showing the arrangement of the parts,

FIG. 2 is a view from the top of the appliance of the present invention partly in section and showing the suction circuit from the nozzle to the suction side of the motorfan unit,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the appliance of FIG. 1 partly in section and showing how the water or detergent solution is dispensed according to one modification of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a view of the upper end of the water control arrangement of the first modification partly in section to show the details of construction,

FIG. 5 shows the handle of the appliance of the first modification of the invention with special reference to how the water control mechanism is associated therewith,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing how the water or detergent is dispensed according to a second modification of the invention,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows,

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. 7 showing how the valve is arranged for opening and closing the opening in the suction tube which is used for dispensing water through the nozzle of the device,

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing the control arrangement of the second modification of the invention,

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, but showing the second modification and,

FIG. 11 is a segmental view similar to the upper end of FIG. 9 and showing a modification in which a switch 4 l energizes and de-energizes the motor as the control lever is moved to and from its dry position.

Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the appliance of the present invention comprises a combined scrubbing and water pick-up nozzle 10, a motor-fan unit inside of casing 11, a combined water or detergent solution dispensing and dirty water pick-up tank 12, a combined water separator and non-return water valve vessel 13 having a suction vent lid 14, a propelling handle 15 and supporting wheels 16.

As disclosed in my aforementioned co-pending application, Serial No. 754,093 the handle 15 forms the main support for the parts of the appliance. It also houses the water control apparatus which includes a three-position control lever 17. Electric energy is supplied to the motorfan unit in housing 11 by means of the usual electric cord 18 which is also housed within the handle 15, the current being cut off and on by a switch 19 in the first two modifications. Supports 20 for the cord 18 are also mounted on the handle as shown.

FIG. 2 shows the suction circuit of the device. A lower suction tube 21 connects the nozzle 10 with a casting 22 having a bore 23 in which the upper end of tube 21 is secured and in which the lower end of wet suction tube 24 is also secured. The upper end of the wet suction tube 24 fits in a bore 25 in a molding which forms the non-return water valve vessel 26. The bore 25 is extended to communicate with the entrance 27 of the water separator vessel 28 which is cemented on the top of vessel 26. The

outlet 29 of water separator 28 communicates with a second bore 30 in vessel 26 which receives the upper end of dry suction tube 31, the lower end of which is received in a bore 32 in casting 22. A molding 33 has a nipple which also fits in bore 32 and cooperates with the upper casing 34 of the fan 35 to complete the suction passage to the fan eye 36.

The dirty water is separated from the air in the water separator 28 and this water flows downwardly into vessel 26 which is provided with an opening (not shown) which discharges into the top of the water tank 12. The specific construction of the water separator 28 and vessel 26 forms no part of the present invention but is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 754,035 filed concurrently herewith and now Patent No. 2,955,674.

Construction of first modification FIG. 3 shows the dispensing arrangement of the first modification of the present invention. The water tank 12 includes a translucent plastic casing 37 having a slanted bottom wall 38. Extending downwardly from wall 38 is a boss 39, bored to form a water outlet 40. The bore 40 is enlarged at its lower end to form a housing for a needle valve 41 which is normally closed against its seat, which is in the form of a gasket 42, by a spring 43 secured to a boss on the bottom wall 38 as shown. The spring 43 has an extension 44 by which the valve 41 may be opened as will be explained hereinafter.

A collapsible dirty water bag 77 is disposed in the upper part of the casing 37 as is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 652,565, filed April 12, 1957.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show the control arrangement of the first modification. The handle 15 is made in two sections, an upper section 45 and a lower section 46. The lower end of lower handle section 46 is received in a bore 47 in the casting 22 as shown in FIG. 2 and passes through bores 48 and 49 in the rear of vessels 26 and 28. The two sections 46 and 45 of handle 15 are secured together above the water separator 28 by means of a separable joint 50 of any suitable construction. The lever 17 is pivoted at 51 to the upper section 45 of handle 15 and includes a hand piece 52 at one side of the pivot 51 and an operating end 53 on the opposite side of the pivot. The end 53 is offset relative to one leg of the lever 17 and is proyided with a slot 54 through which the upwardly turned upper end 55 of the upper section 56 of a'reciprocating control rod extends.

The lever 17 has two legs which straddle the handle section 45 with their upper eds extending into the interior of a housing 58 attached to the upper side of the handle section 45. One of the legs is bent inwardly at 90 to form the operating end 53 of lever 17. The upturned end 55 of rod 56 extends through a slot 57 in the handle section 45 with its end appearing through a slot 59 in housing 58 to form an indicia as will later appear.

The lower end of rod section 56 abuts against the upper end of a lower rod section 60 which reciprocates in the lower handle section 46. The lid 14 for the Water separator is pivoted at 61 to the top of the vessel 28 and its rear end is provided with a lug 62 which extends through a slot 63 in the lower handle section 46. The lid 14 is normally held in its open position as shown in FIG. 4 by a spring detent 64.

The lower section 60 of the operating rod is provided with an elongated slot 65 which forms a lost motion connection with the lug 62 of the lid14 for a purpose which will presently appear.

The lower rod section 60 is curved outwardly at 66 so as to extend through an elongated slot 67 in the lower handle section 46 to position the lower end of rod section 60 on the outside of the handle. At its lower end the rod section 60 is provided with an enlargement 68 which serves to contact the extension 44' of valve spring 43 under certain conditions as shown inFIG. 3. A compression spring 69 surrounds rod section 66 and acts between a bracket 70 attached to handlesection 46 and a washer 71 secured to the lower rod section 60. The arrangement is such that spring 69 serves to bias the control rod upwardly as shown by the arrow of FIG. 5 so as to hold the lever 17 in its full line position of FIG. 4 with its end 79 pushing against spring detent 75.

As shown in FIG. 3, the casting 22 is provided with 'a recess or depression portion 72 beneath the valve 41 to catch the water or detergent solution. An opening 73 is formed through the bottom of the depressed portion 72 which communicates with a dispensing tube 74. At'its lower end the tube discharges in front of the fan exhaust tube 76 to spray the water onto the floor.

As shown in FIG. 4, the hand piece 52 of lever 17 is adapted to be moved to either of its dotted line positions as will presently be explained. To indicate those positions the housing 58 on either side of the slot 59 is provided with indicia which cooperates with the end 55 of rod 56 to indicate the three positions of the lever 17. For example, the lower position will be water, the central position scrub and the upper position dry. The lever 17 is held in its dry setting by a spring detent 75.

Operation. of first modification The tank 12 is first filled with water or a detergent solution, the flexible bag 77 placed in position, the appliance moved to the scene of operation and the motor-fan unit energized by operation of the switch 13.

The lever 17 is normally held in its central or scrub position by the spring 69 and. detent 75 in which position the water valve 41 is closed and the lid 14 of the water separator 28 is open so as to vent the suction line to atmosphere to the end that no suction will be applied to the nozzle 10.

The appliance is then moved'about over the surface. to be cleaned and the lever 17' intermittently moved to its upper dotted line position of FIG. 4. That will cause the inner end 53 of lever 17 to. contact end' 55 of rod section 56 to move it downwardly- The lower end of rod 5;6"will contactthe upper end of rod section 60- and push itQdownwardly against the, bias of spring 69; During this movement thelid 14 will remain open since the slot 65 permits such relative movement between rod section 60 and the lug 62 of lid 14; As shown in FIG. 3 the 6 enlargement 68 of the =-lower end of rod section60 will contact; the end 44 of spring'43 and move valve'41 downwardly away from its seat 42 and water or detergent solution will flow downwardly into the depression 72, through opening 73 and dispensing duct 74 andbe discharged in front of the outlet of exhaust tube 76 where the air stream will spray it toward-the nozzle 10. I

As the appliance is moved about and the lever 17 intermittently actuated as above described, the appliance will be alternately used as a dispenser and scrubber with the bristles 78 of nozzle 10 working the soapy water into the surface to loosen dirt and grime therefrom. Pressure may be applied to the nozzle 10 by lifting the appliance forwardly off of the'wheels '16 to aid in loosening dirt.

As the water or detergent solution is dispensed from vessel 37 the level therein will fall and the lower end of bag 77 will fall to provide room therein for the dirty water as it is later collected.

When a suitable area of the floor has been scrubbed the floor is dried by merely converting the appliance to its water pick-up or drying operation. To do that, it is only necessary to move the lever 17 to its lower dotted line position of FIG. 4.

That operation will move the lug 79 on the end 53 of lever 17 behind detent and also move the rod section 56 upwardly. The rod section 60 will follow under the bias of spring 69 and the lower end of the slot 65 will engage the lug 62 of lid 14 and move it upwardly past spring detent 64 so as to pivot the lid 14 about-its pivot 61 and close it against the top of the water separa tor 62 so that the suction of the motor-fan unit is no longer vented to atmosphere but will be applied at the nozzle 10. The valve 41 will remain closed since the control rod enlargement. 68 is moved: away from-the 'extension 44 of spring 43.

The dirty water will be sucked up by the nozzle 10 in the manner described in the aforementioned Ripple application, pass through the suction tubes 21 and 24 and into the water separator 28 where the water will be separated from the air. The dirty water will flow downwardly through the vessel 26 and drip into the bag 77 in the tank 12. The dried air will pass through suction tube 31 and molding 33 to the fan eye 36, where it will be placed under pressure and discharged through the discharge duct 76 onto the floor where it Will produce some drying action.

When the drying operation is completed the'l'ever '17 is manually returned to its full line position as shown in FIG. 4. The lug 79 of lever 17 will thus be moved from beyond the detent 75 and the bias of spring 69 will immediately take over and hold the inner end 53 of lever 17 against the detent 75 in the position'shownin' FIG. 42

In moving the lever 17 past its full line positionof FIG. 4 the control rod sections 56 and 60 are pushed downwardly suflicient for the upper edge of slot 65 to engage lug'62' and pivot the lid 14 upwardly to: a position where the spring detent 64 will take over and hold the lid 14 in its open position as shown in FIG. 4.

The appliance may then be used in thesame manner to scrub and dry other areas of the surface being cleaned;

Construction of second modification The general arrangement of FIG. 1 and theaii-"flbw 7 the bottom of the casting 80 adjacent to the bore 83 which receives the lower end of suction tube 24 and the upper end of lower suction tube 84 and a transverse opening 85 is provided leading from the recess 82 to the interior of the suction tube 84. The wall 81 encloses a space 86 which is immediately below a water tank valve 87 which is supported on the free end of a leaf spring 88 secured to the bottom 38 of the water tank receptacle 37. The valve 87 is of the reciprocating type and opens and closes an outlet opening 89 formed in the wall 38. The spring 88 is provided with an extension 90 for contact with a control element as will presently appear.

The handle is divided into two sections 91 and 92 by an overlapping joint 93 immediately above the water separator 28. A three position lever 94 is pivoted at 95 to the upper handle section 91. The lever 94 is formed with a. pair of upwardly extending legs which straddle the handle section 91 and extend into a housing 98 secured to the upper side of the handle as shown. One of the legs is turned inwardly at right angles to form the actuator end 96 and the other extended upwardly through a slot 99 in housing 98 to form an indicia extension 100. A hand actuator 97 is provided for manual actuation of the lever 94.

Indicia extension 100 extends through slot 99 to cooperate with the indicia water, scrub and dry as in the first modification. The end 96 of lever 94 is also provided with an opening 101 through which the back turned end 102 of the control rod section 103 extends. The rod section 103 is mounted for reciprocation in the upper handle section 91. The hand piece 97 of lever 94 is provided with an adjustable maximum and minimum limit stop 104 for controlling the maximum and minimum opening of the valve 87. The stop 104 is rotatably mounted on the hand piece 97 and includes an actuating knob 105 and a cam 106 adapted to contact the handle as the lever is moved to its upper dotted line position as shown in FIG. 9. With the stop positioned as shown in the full lines of FIG. 9 the hand piece 97 can be moved almost against the handle to its upper dotted line position. This represents the maximum opening for the valve 87. By rotating the knob 105 180 the movement of the hand piece 97 toward the handle will be limited to the second dotted line position of FIG. 9. This represents the minimum opening for the valve 87. By rotating the knob 105 to points between zero and 180 the valve opening may be varied to any point between maximum and minimum.

The lower end of the upper control rod section 103 abuts against the upper end of lower rod section 107. The lug 62 of lid 14 extends through the slot 63 in the lower handle section 92 and through a lost motion slot 108 formed in the upper end of the lower control rod section 107. As in the first modification the lid 14 is normally held open by the spring detent 64.

The lower control rod section 107 is biased upwardly as shown by the arrow of FIG. 10 by tension Spring 109, tensioned between the bracket 110 secured to handle section 92 and a valve actuating member 111 secured to the rod section 107 and having a sidewardly extending lug 112 adapted to contact extension 90 of the spring 88 as shown in FIG. 6.

The lower end of rod 107 is formed with a valve head 113 adapted to enter and be moved upwardly and downwardly in the pocket 82 to close ofi communication between the opening 85 and the water collecting space 86 so as to permit water to flow into the suction tube 84 when the valve 87 is open and to close the opening 85 into the suction tube at other times.

The lever 94 is held in the full line position of FIG. 9 against the bias of spring 109 by a detent latch 114 pivotally mounted within the housing 98 by means of a post 115 which passes through an opening in the handle to provide for the pivotal movement of the latch 114.

The end 116 of latch 114 normally abutsagainst the lug 1-17 on the operating end 96 of lever 94, the latch being biased by a spring 118 to hold it in that position. An operating button 119 passes through an opening 120 in housing 98 for ready access by the operator. The button 119 may be provided with suitable indicia to inform the operator of its purpose.

Operation of second modification The vessel 37 is filled with water or a detergent solution, the bag 77 replaced, the tank 12 replaced on the appliance and the latter transported on its wheels 16 to the place where the floor is to be cleaned.

The knob 105 is turned to the setting desired. If the operator desires to dispense solution fast it is turned to the position shown in FIG. 9. If a slower dispensing rate is desired it is turned from that position or to any intermediate position. If during the scrubbing operation it is found that the dispensing rate should be changed the setting of knob 105 can be changed accordingly.

The normal position of the control lever 94 is its full line position of FIG. 9 in which position the valve 87 is closed and the valve head 113 is slightly above or to the left of the position shown in FIG. 8. The lid 14 of the water separator is open so that no suction will be applied to the nozzle 10. The motor-fan unit is energized by operating switch 19 and the appliance then moved about over the surface to be cleaned. The hand piece 97 is grasped intermittently to move it to one of its upper dotted line positions of FIG. 9 to intermittently dispense detergent solution onto the floor as the appliance is moved about using the bristles 78 to work the soapy water into the floor.

Movement of the lever 94 upwardly will cause the control rod sections 103 and 107 to move downwardly and the lug 112 will contact the end 90 of spring 88 and open valve 87. At the same time the valve head 113 will move to the position shown in FIG. 8 to open communication between the space 86 beneath the valve 87 and the interior of the suction tube 84 and permit the clean detergent solution to flow past valve head 113 into the depression 82 and through the port 85 and into the suction tube 84. There will be no suction applied to suction tube 84 at that time because the slot 108 in rod section 107 will permit the lid 14 of the water separator to remain open and vent the suction to atmosphere. The detergent solution will thus flow downwardly through the suction tube 84 and be dispensed onto the floor through the nozzle 10.

When the hand piece 97 is released the lever 94 is returned to its central full line position and the various parts will return to the neutral scrub position as described above.

As the clean detergent solution is dispensed the level in the vessel 37 falls and the bottom of bag 77 which floats on top of the liquid in vessel 37 will also fall to provide room for receiving dirty water when the appliance is converted to drying operation.

When a suitable area of the floor has been thoroughly scrubbed the appliance is converted to drying operation by the operator depressing button 119 to remove the end 116 of detent 114 from in front of lug 117 which will permit the spring 109 to move the control rod sections 107 and 103 upwardly and pivot the lever 94 to its lower dotted line position as shown in FIG. 9.

As the control rod section 107 moves upwardly the valve head 113 on its lower end moves upwardly into the pocket 82 to a point above the opening 85 (FIG. 8) and closes otf communication between the suction tube 84 and the space 86.

At the same time the lower edge of slot 108 in rod section 107 will engage the lug 62 of lid 14 and move it above the detent 64 and move the lid 14 into closing position relative to the water separator 28 so that the suction of the motor-fan unit will be applied at the nozzle 10.

amazin The nozzle will then. operatef'imthe; mannerw'described in the aforementioned Ripple application to lift thedirty water from the floor and to completely. the floor.

The dirty water will be sucked'upwardly through the suction tubes 84 and 24 into the water separator where the dirty water will be separated from the air which then passes by suction tube 31 and .molding 33 to the fan 35 where it will be discharged to atmosphere through. suitable discharge openings in casing 11' provided for that purpose. The dirty water will flow downwardly through vessel 26 and drip into the dirty water bag 77.

When the floor area undergoing cleaning has been completely dried the hand piece 97 oflever 94 ismanually moved upwardly to and past its full line position of FIG. 9, which will cause the lug 11.7 to move behind the end 116 of detent 114 to hold the lever in the full line position of FIG. 9. At the same timethe control rod sections Y103 and 107 are moved downwardly and the upper end of slot 108 in rod section 107 contacts the-lug 62 of lid 14 and pivots it upwardly to open it, where it is held by the spring detent 64. The valve head 113 also moves downwardly in the pocket 82.

The appliance may then be used to clean another floor area as previously described.

Construction of third modification The third modification is shown in FIG. 11 and is the same as the second modification except thata special switch for controlling the motor is provided. Where the parts are the same they have been giventhe-same reference numerals.

A slide switch 121 is mounted within the handle section 91 and to which the cord 18 is connected .in-any,

well known manner. The switch12'1is actuated by an actuator 122 connected to the rodsection..103 so that theswitch 121 is actuated as the rod section .103 is reciprocated.

The switch 121 is a well known slide type. In the position shown in FIG. 11, the lever 94 is in. its new Operation. of Third Modification As described in connectionwith the second modification when the lever 94 is in' its full line position, the control is set for scrubbing with the dispensingvalve 87 closed and the vent lid 14 open. As shown in FIG. 11 that condition also exists and the switch 12 1 is open so that the motor-fan unit is not in operation.

In order to dispense detergent, the hand lever 97 is pulled upwardly against the handle and detergent will be dispensed as described in connection with the second modification except that the switch actuator 122 will be moved to the left of the position shown in FIG. 11, but the switch 121 will remain open and the motor-fan. unit will not be operating.

The lever 94 may then be moved back and forth to alternately dispense and scrub as described inconnection with the other modifications except that the motorfan unit will not be in operation.

When a suitable area of the floor has been scrubbed the button 119 is pushed inwardly and the lever 94 moves to its downward position as described in connection with the second modification. That will move the rod section 103 upwardly under the bias of spring 109 and the lid 14 will close the top of vessel 28 as described in connection with the second modification.

Movement of the rod section 103 upwardly will also move the switch actuator 122 to the right from the position shown in FIG. 11 and close the switch 121 to energize the motor-fan unit whereby a suction will be applied at the nozzle I10. The devicewill operate-tr} dry the floor as described in connection with the othermodifications.

When the floor is dried the hand piece 97 is moved past the position shown in FIG. 11 which will move the rod section 103 downwardlyand open the lid 14 as described in connection with the second modification. At the same time the switch actuator 122 will move to the left to the position shown in FIG. 1'1 and open the switch 121 to de-energize the motor-fan unit.

The motor-fan unit will have rotational speed and its inertia will cause it to rotate for some time after the switch 121 is opened. However, the lid 14 has already been opened to vent the suction to atmosphere so that detergent may be dispensed immediately should it be desired to scrub another section of floor.

FIG. 11 shows the neutral position of lever 94 where the dispensing valve is closed and the motor-fan unit shut oh? so that the appliance may be stored with the parts in that position.

From the foregoing it can be seen that the present invention provides a completely self-contained appliance for applying a detergent solution to the floor, for scrubbing the detergent solution into the floor for a complete cleaning of the floor and for removing the dirty water from the floor to completely dry it.

The present invention also provides a simple, easy to operate control .for such an appliance by which the appliance is easily converted from plain scrubbing to scrubbing and solution dispensing and to drying, in the form of a three position lever pivotally mounted on the handle for easy access by the operator whereby the above conversions may readily be made.

Where the terms detergent solution, soapy water,

etc. are used herein they are intended to mean a cleaning liquid of any kind, including water. Where the term dirty water is used it is intended to mean dirty cleaningliquid of any kind whatever it may be that is being used.

While I have shown and described but three embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that those embodiments are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the specific structure shown and described but wish to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A self-contained combined floor scrubbing and drying appliance comprising, a suction nozzle, a propelling handle, a motor-fan unit mounted on said handle above said nozzle, .a combined dispensing and collecting tank detachably mounted on said handle above and in alignment with said motor-fan unit, a water separator vessel permanently'mounted on said handle above and in alignment with said motor-fan unit and tank and being in cominunication with said tank for the gravity flow of liquid from said vessel to said tank when the latter is in its supported position, a suction circuit including said water separator connecting the suction side of said motor-fan unit to said nozzle, a liquid dispensing valve associated with said tank for dispensing cleaning liquid onto the surface to becleaned, a vent valve associated with said water separator and a three position control means mounted on said handle above said water separator for controlling said dispensing valve and said vent valve; said control means having a central position in which said vent valve is open to vent the suction side of said motor-fan to atmosphere and said liquid dispensing valve is closed, one end position in which said vent valve remains open and said liquid dispensing valve is opened to dispense Water onto a surface to be cleaned and a second end position in which said vent valve is closed so that the suction side of said motor-fan unit is connected to said nozzle and said liquid dispensing valve is closed.

2. An appliance according to claim 1 including spring 11 means for normally biasing said control means fromsaid one end position to said central position.

3. An appliance according to claim 2 including detent means for preventing said control means from moving from said central to said second end position under the bias of said spring means.

4. An appliance according to claim 3 in which said detent means is a spring detent and manually actuatable means for moving said control means from said central position to said second end position against the action of said spring detent.

5. An appliance according to claim 3 in which said detent means includes a stop to prevent movement of said control means from said central position to said second end position and is manually actuatable to remove said stop from the path of movement of said control means to permit the latter to move to said second end position under the bias of said spring means.

6. An appliance according to claim 1 in which said vent valve is in the form of a lid for said vessel which is raised in the central and said one end position of said control means to vent said circuit to atmosphere and is closed in said second end position of said control means to connect the suction side of said motor-fan unit to said nozzle.

7. An appliance according to claim 1 including an adjustable limit stop associated with said control means as it is moved to said one end position to vary the maximum opening of said liquid dispensing valve.

8. A self-contained combined floor scrubbing and drying appliance comprising; a combined scrubbing and suction nozzle; a supporting framework including a propelling handle extending upwardly and rearwardly from said nozzle; a motor-fan unit supported on said framework adjacent its lower end; a suction circuit forming a part of said framework and connecting the suction side of said motor-fan unit to said nozzle; a combined liquid dispensing and dirty water collecting tank supported on said framework above said motor-fan unit; said suction circuit including a water separating vessel between the suction side of said motor-fan unit and said nozzle and supported above said tank in gravity flow communication therewith; a water dispensing valve in the bottom of said tank, means for leading liquid dispensed by said valve to the floor, a lid pivoted to the top of said water separating vessel and forming a vent valve for venting said suction circuit to atmosphere between the suction side of said motor-fan unit and said nozzle when said lid is open; a control lever pivoted to said propelling handle above said water separating vessel and means connecting said control lever to said liquid dispensing valve and to said lid for actuating the same; said control lever having a central position in which said liquid dispensing valve is closed and said lid is open, an upper position in which said water dispensing valve is opened and said lid is open and a lower position in which said liquid dispensing valve is closed and said lid is closed to connect the suction side of said motor-fan unit to said nozzle.

9. An appliance according to claim 8 in which said means for connecting said control lever to said valve and lid comprises rod means connected to said control lever and mounted for reciprocation in said handle, a lost motion connection between said rod means and said lid 1'2 and an'abutment on said'rod means for actuating said valve.

10. An appliance according to claim 9 including a detent for holding said lever against movement to its lower position and spring means for biasing said rod means upwardly to hold said lever against said detent and operative to oppose movement of said lever to its upper position and to return said lever against said detent when said lever is moved to its upper position and released.

11. An appliance according to claim 10 in which said detent includes stop means in the path of movement of said lever to its lower position and manually actuatable means for removing said stop from the path of movement of said lever to its lower position to permit said lever to move to its lower position under the bias of said spring means.

'12. An appliance according to claim 9 in which said lid is provided with an extension extending through a slot in said handle and forming part of said lost motion connection, a spring detent cooperating with said extension to hold said lid either in its closed or open positions, said lost motion connection being so constructed that movement of said lever to its lower position will move said extension past said detent whereby said detent will hold said lid in its closed position and movement of said lever upwardly past its central position will move said extension past said detent in the opposite direction whereby said detent will hold said lid in its open position.

13. An appliance according to claim 9 in which the means for leading dispensed liquid to the floor includes an opening through the wall of said suction circuit adjacent its lower end whereby liquid is dispensed to the floor through said nozzle and said rod means includes a valve head on said rod means for closing said opening when said lever is moved to its lower position and for opening said opening when said lever is moved to its central or upper positions.

14. An appliance according to claim 9 in which said handle comprises two sections joined by a separable joint immediately above said water separating vessel, said rod means comprising upper and lower control rod sections abutting each other adjacent said joint, the upper of said rod sections being attached to said lever and spring means for biasing the lower of said rod sections against the upper of said rod sections.

15. An appliance according to claim 8 including a maximum and minimum control stop associated with said lever to limit the maximum movement of said lever toward its upward position and thus limit the degree of opening of said water dispensing valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,687,283 Deutscher Oct. 9, 1928 2,200,026 Juelson May 7, 1940 2,531,370 Thompson Nov. 21, 1950 2,607,067 Minerley Aug. 19, 1952 2,607,068 Minerley Aug. 19, 1952 2,635,276 Norris Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,871 France Oct. 17, 1925

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