USRE22426E - Suction cleanek - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 25, 1944. 0. G. SMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER Original Filed Dec. 13, 1939 I mvEN'roR' flonald G. S'mellz'e ATTO RN EY Reissued Jan. 25, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER Donald G. Smellie, Canton, om, assllliol' to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a comration of Ohio Original No. 2,260,236,

16 Claims.

handle, sound-absorbing means which extend into the bag and are so mounted as to improve the relationship 01 the bag to the cleaner body. A still Iurther object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner construction in which the dust has carried by the pivoted handle is connected through the sound-absorbing muiiier and its fixed pivotal connection to the cleaner body. A further object oi the invention i to provide a suction cleaner in which the sound-absorbin fl r is connected to the exhaust outlet or the cleaner by means of a collapsible bellows and rigid means pivoted upon an horizontal axis. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Reierring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment oi the present invention is disclosed: W

Figure 1 is a side elevation 01 a modern suction cleaner embodying the present invention;

Figu e 2 is an enlarged section through the cleaner muiller and bag unit.

In the modern suction cleaner the noise of cleaner operation has been greatly reduced by numerous refinements until today a large part of the audible sounds are discharged into the ambient by means of the exhausted air from the cleaner. The removal or the this exhausted air is accomplished in the present invention by a new and improvedconstruction which has the advantage or providing an improved connection between the cleaner bag and the cleaner body.

Referring again to the drawing, a suction cleaner is disclosed which is seen to comprise a nomle I which is interiorly connected by an air passageway 2 to a fan chamber 3 housing a suction-creating ran. Within the nozzle I is positioned-ta rotary,.-agitator 5 which is driven throu h a power-transmitting belt 6 by suitable unshcwn motor posimeans which includes an sound vibrations in I dated October 21, 1941, Serial No. 308,914, December 13, for reissue October 1, 1942, Serial No.

1939. Application pl-VOW mounted.

tioned within a motor casing 1, immediately over Ian chamber 3, the shaft 8 or which extends downwardly through the fan chamber where it carries the suction-creating fan 4. The fan chamber 3 is provided with an formed with a rear flange Ill to which the bag and muiller unit, hereinafter described, is removably secured by means of a manually operable securing element II. The cleaner body is movably supported by means of the front and rear wheels I! and I3, respectively, and, as in the usual cleaner, a pivoted handle H is provided by which the operator can-exert a propelling force.

The bag and muiiier unit is seen to comprise a connector it formed in its principal body portion as a conduit. there being a transversely extending flange lb at the entrance of the conduit which is adapted to abut and be secured to the cleaner exhaust iiange In by the manually operable securing means ll. Connector I5 is termed above its conduit body portion with a rearwardiy extending supporting bracket or arm ii to which the lower rigid casing section l8 oi the muiiier is DECLl-Oll l8 comprises an outer cylmorlcal body portion I! and an enlarged head portion 2|] prereraoly shaped as illustrated in .r'lgures 1 and 2, which is pivoted by means of a pin 2| upon the supporting bracket ll. An outer metallic, cylindrical body section 22 seats upon the cylindrical body portion Ill 01 section Id and extends tllel'ebeyonu, substantially as a continuation, being rormeo. at its outer'end with an inwardly curved rim or face. Seated within me rigid body, iormed by I9 and 22 is a cylinder of sound-absorbing materlal such as sponge rubber, indicated at a, which-is connned against outward displacement by me inwardly turned end or cylinder '11 and against inward displacement by the mtulned mange a l rormed upon'sectlon In at the Junction 01 the head portion Ill and the upper portion l8.

'lhe passageway body portion or lining It is connected to the conquit body portion or connector i5 by means of an expanslble contractlble bellows 21 which is pl'eferably made or rubber or some similar resllient material and mum comprlses a plurality oi circular corrugations or pleats which are or greater depth at the bottom than at the top. The bellows is clamped to the conduit-body of conarhaust outlet 9 a through the sound-absorbing I supported at its upper end by'a supporting strap 33 and a channel member 34 which closes the upper end of the bag. At the neck of the bag is,

a cylindrical sleeve 35 which, like the bag itself, is preferably. made of paper but of a stifier variety and which is of a size adapted closely to enclose the mufller body. which secure the lower end of the bag in place upon the mufller, as illustrated, is disclosed and claimed in the co-pending application, Serial No.

283,326, filed by Harry B. -White, July 8, 1939,

and is not per se the present invention. Briefly, the securing means comprises a rubber ring or sleeve 38 which seats within a peripheral recess 39 in the mufiier cylindrical body pgrtionJa,

closely enclosing that element by its own resiliency. Within and under the rubber ring 38, and seated in a peripheral groove 40 of even smaller diameter, are'expansible rings 42 which are provided with one or more lever arms 43 pivoted within the muiiier head section 20 at 44. Rings 42 are illustrated in Figure 2 in the sleeve-expanding, bag-retaining relationship. Normally the expansible rings do not expand the rubber ring or sleeve 38 except upon the expanding movement of the lever arm 43 which is accomplished bythe manual pivoting of a pivoted lever arm 45 from an outstanding radial position to that shown in Figure 2. The lever arm is shown in its lower position in Figure 2 and the expansis ble rings have been expanded to expand the retaining rubber'sleeve 38 to secure the neck'of the bag 32 in place. The exact construction of this retaining means is not of the essence of'this invention but is instead claimed in the copending application mentioned.

The construction is completed by the presence of a coil spring 48 and a resilient bumper 49. The spring 48 encircles the pivot pin 2| of the muilier and bag construction and is in contact at one of its ends with the head 20 of the muflier and at its opposite end with the arm I! of the connector. Spring 48 functions at all times to.

exert an upwardly pivoting force upon the muiiler The retaining means reducing the lifting eifect necessary from the operator. In the operation of the cleaner, the cleaning air laden with foreign material is exhausted from the cleaner exhaust 9 through the bellows 21 and the muflier and into the bag. As

it passes through the sound-absorbing material 23 thesound wavesfttherein are reducedand absorbedand the 'air is exhausted into'the bag proper in a quieted condition producing a quieter operation of the cleaner. Bag replacement is accomplished by pivoting the manually operable lever 45 outwardly, whereupon the rings 42 move inwardly, the resilient sleeve 38 contracts, and the bag neck can be slid off the cylindrical muiiler body. The insertion of a new or cleaned bag is exactly the reverse operation.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner comprising a body formed with an exhaust outlet and suctioncreating means to exhaust dirt-laden air through said outlet, a handle pivotally connected to said body, a dirt-filtering bag supported at its upper end from said handle and formed at its lower end with a reduced neck portion, a sound-absorbing muflier detachably seatingsaid bag, rigid means pivotally mounting said muilier to said exhaust outlet about an horizontal. axis fixed relative to the cleaner body to enable said muflier to move unit. The bumper 49, which may be of rubber, is

carried by the lower casing section l8 of the muffier body on its underside, being so positioned as to contact articles of furniture etc. which are struck by the cleaner when moving in a rearward direction. In operation the cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention is pro- ,pelled back and forth across the surface covering undergoing cleaning by the operator exerting a propelling force through the cleaner handle l4. As the machine is reciprocated the angular position of the handle relative to the cleaner body changes and as it changes the upper end of the dust bag 32 is raised and. lowered effecting a change in bag angularity. With the cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention this change in angularity is accomplished by the pivotal movement of the bag and the muflier construction about the pivotal axis 2|, the relative movement being accommodated by the expansion and compression of the bellows 21. The coil spring 48 at thepivotal axis serves at all timesto exert a lifting force upon the bag and muiiler which tends to offset the weight thereof, thereby Q relative to said body under forces transmitted through said bag, from thehandle, and means including an expansible-contractible accordionlike rubber tube interiorly connecting said muiiler to said exhaust outlet in all positions of the former.

2. In a suction cleaner comprising a body formed'with an exhaust outlet'and suction-creating means to exhaust dirt-laden air through said outlet, a handle pivotally connected to said body, a dirt-filtering bag supported at its upper end from said handle and formed at its lower end Witha reduced neck portion, a sound-absorbing muiiler detachably seating said bag, rigid means pivotally mounting 'said mufller, to. said exhaust outlet about an horizontal axis fixed relative to the cleaner body to enable said muffier to move relative to said body under forces transmitted through said bag from the handle,

and means including an expansible-contractible rubber bellows positioned at one side of and below the pivotal axisof said rigid pivotal mounting means and interiorly connecting said muflier to said exhaust outlet in all positions of the former.

3. A suction-cleaner bag and muiiler unit comprising a connector adapted to be detachably secured to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner and including a body-conduit portion, a soundabsorbing muiiler pivoted about a fixed axis on said connector, an expansible-contractible bellows connecting the interiors of said muiiier and said body-conduit portion, and a dust bag removably seated on said muflier.

4. A suction-cleaner bag and muilier unit comprising a connector adapted to be detachably se cured to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner and including a body-conduit portion, a soundabsorbing muliier including a rigid body and sound-absorbing material, rigid means pivotally mounting the mufller body for limited pivotal movement about a fixed axis on said connector, an expansible-contractible resilient connection between said mother and said connector, and a dust bag seated on said muilier.

5. A suction-cleaner bag and mufller unit comprising a connector adapted to be detachably secured to'the exhaust outlet ot a suction cleaner and including a body-conduit portion, a cyllndrical sound-absorbing muffler aligned with the body-conduit portion of said connector, rigid means pivotally connecting said mufiler to said connector for movement about an axis above said body-conduit portion, spring means urging said muffler upwardly about said pivotal axis, expansible-contractible resilient means connecting said ing construction comprising a tubular connector adapted to be detachably seated upon the exmuflier to said body-conduit portion, and a dust bag removably seated on said mufller.

6. A suction-cleaner bag and mufiler unit comprising a connector adapted to be detachably securedto the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner and including a body-conduit portion, a soundabsorbing muffler including a rigid body, rigid means pivotally mounting said rigidmuffier body on said connector and preventing relative movement therebetween except about the pivotal axis, expansible-contractible resilient means connecting said mulller to said body-conduit portion, manually operable bag-seating-and-securing means on said mufiler, and a dust bag removably seated on said muffler.

7. Ina suction cleaner, an ambulant body in eluding a nozzle and an exhaust outlet, a soundabsorbing muffler pivotally connected to said exhaust outlet by means of an expansible-contractible bellows and by rigid pivotally related means adjacent and at the side of said expansible-contractible means, and bag-retaining means movable with said muffler.

8. In a suction cleaner, an ambulant body, a propelling handle pivotally connected thereto, a

'suction nozzle, suction-creating means connected thereto, an exhaust outlet to convey dirt-laden air from said means, a dirt-filtering bag to receive air from said outlet supported at its upper end by said handle, a muffler structure including an acoustic absorption means positioned within said bag, means to connect interiorly said has and muffler to said exhaust outlet to receive air therefrom including a flexible connection in the form of a bellows structure movabl supporting said muffler whereby said muffler may be displaced readily by a force transmitted through the bag from the handle in pivoting, and rigid means at one side of said bellows limiting bag and muffler movement to a pivotal movement about a fixed axis.

' 9. In a suction cleaner muffler and bag-mounting construction, a muffler including bag-seating means, a seating member adapted to be seated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner to which said mufiler is pivoted for movement about a fixed axis, and expansible-contractible resilient -means between said muffler and said seating member to connect interiorly said muffler to an exhaust outlet. 7 10. A suction cleaner mufller and bag-mounting construction comprising a connector adapted to be detachably seated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, a muiller including bagseating means adapted to'receive the mouth of a suction cleaner dust bag, a rigid pivotal connection between said muilier and said connector, and expansible-contractible means interiorly connecting said connector and said muffler.

11. A suction cleaner muffler and bag-mount- V haust outlet of a suction cleaner, a muffler including a rigid cylindrical body portion and an adjacent sound-absorbing body, bag-seating-andretaining means on said body portion, a rigid pivotal connection between said muffler and said connector, and an expansible-contractible tubular bellows interiorly connecting said 'mufller and said connector. 12. A suction cleaner muffler and bag-mounting construction comprising a connector adapted to be detachably seated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, a muffler including bagseating means adapted to receive the mouth of a suction cleaner dust bag, a rigid pivotal connection between said muffler and said connector, expansible-contractible means interiorly connecting said connector and said muffler, and resilient means exertingv a force to counterbalance the effect of gravityacting to pivot said mufller about 'of a suction cleaner, a muffler including bagseating means adapted to receive the mouth of a suction cleaner dust bag, a rigid pivotal connection between said muiller and said connector, expansibleecontractible means interiorly connecting said connector and said muffler, and a spiral coil spring at said pivotal connection exerting a force on said muffler to counterbalance the effect of gravity acting thereon.

14. In a suction cleaner, a body including an exhaust outlet, a mufiler including sound-absorbing means movably mounted on said outlet and extended therefrom, means interiorly and movably connecting said mufiler to said body and to said outlet including an expansible bellows, a dust bag seated on said muffler and movable therewith relative to said body, resilient means between said body and said muffler exerting a lifting force on said muffler tending to pivot it upwardly to counterbalance the effect of gravity on said mufller and bag, and manually operable means carried permanently on said muffler detachably securing said bag in place. a

15. In a suction cleaner a body including an exhaust outlet, a muffler including sound-absorbing meanspivotally mounted on said outlet and extended therefrom, a coil spring at the pivot point of said muffler exerting a lifting force thereon the exhaust outlet to lift said mufller to counterbalance the. effect of gravity on said muffler and bag.

DONALD SMELLIE.

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