US2226365A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

- Dec. 24, 1940- V B Q BEKER 2,226,365

, SUCTION CLEANER "Filed Oc t; s,- 195a 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fi i I NVENTOR fiernar d (.Beeker Deceased 7 a?" .i fierfzbefiecieali 2921;

r ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES.

A PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER Application October 5, l938,', Serial No. 233,452

6 Claims.

. The present invention relates to suction cleaners and particularly to a new and improved handle control mechanism in a suction cleaner. More specifically the invention comprises a simple, economically manufactured, handle-position-controlling means adapted for use in a suction cleaner or similar article-in which the cleaner handle is pivoted as the operator propels the machine back and forth across the surface undergoing cleaning.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. It is another object of the invention to provide new and improved handle-controlling means in a suction cleaner. It is another object of the invention to provide a simple handle-control in a suction cleaner in which a foot-operated release controls the movement of the handle from certain positions and in certain directions. A further object of the invention is to provide a handle control construction formed of a plurality of rigid and strong pieces which provide great strength and rigidity. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following speciflcation and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed:

Figure l is a side elevation of a modern suetion cleaner embodying the present invention with certain parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a partial top view of the cleaner shown in Figure 1 with a portion of the casing broken away to show the invention embodied therein; a

Figure 3 is a side view of the rear of the casing opposite that found in Figure 1, with parts of the casing broken away to show the invention embodied therein;

Figure 4is a vertical section upon the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section upon the line '5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with the handle released for free pivotal movement, the foot pedal being depressed;

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of the sector element which is fixedly secured within and becomes a part of the head of the socket element by which the handle is pivotally mounted to the cleaner.

The modern suction cleaner is provided with a pivoted handle movable between a vertical storage position and a horizontal position in which the cleaner can readily be propelled under low articles of furniture. With the handle positioned rearwardly of the cleaner center ofgravity, it-.be-;

comes necessary to provide positive locking means f to prevent the cleaner body from pivoting down; wardly as the machine is lifted by the handle It is also desirable that the'handle should be freely movable in certain directions but should be releasably retained in certain positions. These objectives and results are obtained by the control mechanism comprising the present invention in a positive and inexpensive manner as will hereinafter appear.

Referring again to the drawings a modern suction cleaner is illustrated comprising a main casing l which is formed as a nozzle 2, a fan chamber 3, and an exhaust passageway 4, there being an enclosing skirt 5 which extends rearwardly from the nozzle 2 at the sides of the fan chamber 3 and exhaust passageway 4. The rear of the exhaust passageway is provided with a vertical flange which carries bag-securing nuts 6 by which a bag ring I of the dust bag 8 is removably secured to the machine. A removable motor casing 9 seats upon the top of main casing l and extends from the nozzle 2 rearwardly to the point of connection of the bag 8.

The cleaner body is movably supported upon front supporting wheels 10, i0 and rear wheels H. H, the latter being pivotally carried upon a transverse shaft l3 by their frame I4 which extends the length of the supporting shaft and partially therearound in cupping relationship, as

. indicated at l5, to house a plurality of coil springs l6. These springs with but one exception, contact the casing and the frame to urge the latter downwardly to its lowermost position. The suction for the cleaner is provided by a rotatable suction-creating fan 20 driven by an unshown motor positioned within the casinglQ. The shaft 2| of the unshown motor extends downwardly through the fan chamber 3 to be formed at its end as a driving pulley 22 to which connects a power-transmitting belt 23. The fan chamber 3 is directly connected through the easing 1 to the nozzle 2 and the belt 23 extends forwardly to encircle a rotary agitator 25 in the nozzle which is adapted to contact a lifted surface covering to dislodge embedded foreign matter. Such matter is then carried by the air stream, drawn by the fan 20, from the nozzle, through the fan chamber, and is exhausted through the outlet 4 into the dirt-filtering bag 8. The bag functions to separate the foreign matter from the air in which it is suspended allowing the latter to escape to the atmosphere.

The cleaner in order to operate upon a surface covering must be'propelled by the operator and to accomplish this a pivoted handle of a general and well known type is provided. This handle is indicated generally by the reference character 28 and is seen to be removably secured in a headed socket element 29 by a transverse pin 30. The lower end and head 3| of socket extends downwardly through a. slot 32 in the rear of the motor casing 9 where its parallel side walls carry bushings 33, 33 which rotatably seat upon the pivot pin 35. Pin 35, as is clearly seen in Figure l, is positioned within the confines of the motor casing 9 and is carried by a bracket 36. This bracket is formed with back and side walls which are secured by riveting to the exhaust outlet flange and to the top surface, respectively, of the main casing of the machine, the side walls being provided with laterally extending feet 31, 31. A tongue 38 is pressed inwardly from one side wall of the bracket to act as a handle stop when the handle is moved to itsvertical position at which time it is contacted by the forward extremity of the head 3|. 7

The sector element 40 is fixedly positioned within the head 3| of the socket and comprises a curved seat-forming face 4| which lies contiguous to the top rounded surface of head 3|. Raised portions 42, 42 contact the underside of the curved portion of head 3| and are welded thereto. Seats, comprising cutout slots er sections 43, 44 and 45 are formed in the sector element and are exposed exteriorly of the head by an elongated slot 46 therein.

Sector element 40 is formed with a'flat end 48 which serves as a closure for the bottom of socket proper 29 and, through being provided with an offset shoulder 49, provides means by which the socket-carried electric plug 50 -may be secured against accidental displacement by a set screw An opening 52 formed in end 48 of the sector provides an exit for the currentcarrying conductor 53 from the socket 50 which extends downwardly and around the pivot pin 35, out through a suitable opening in the supporting bracket 36, to be connected to the unshown driving motor.

Side arms 55, 55 extend inwardly from the end wall 48 of the sector element and lie along the side walls of the socket head 3 I. These side arms are formed with openings 56, 56 at their forward ends which enclose and seat upon the head-carried bushings 33, 33. One side arm'55 is formed with an offset tongue 51 which may be stamped from it before the sector is positioned within the socket head. A preferable way of forming the socket unit is to form separately the side openings in the side walls of head 3| and the openings 56, 56 in the side arms 55, 55 in the sector element 40. This may be done by a punching operation. The pieces are then assembled and the bushings 33, 33 riveted into place to locate the sector element in the socket head after which the two elements are preferably welded together. Thereafter the bushings are reamed so that the openings therein for the pivotal supporting pin 35 are aligned.

A relatively strong coiled spring 66 encircles the pivot pin 35 of the handle with one of its ends lying against the bracket-carried handle stop 38 and its other end underlying the socket-carried tongue 51 on the sector element 46. This spring at all times exerts a force to move the handle upwardly to counterbalance the handle weight.

Cooperating with the sector element 40 is a bifurcated latch element 64 formed at its contacting surface with a cam surface 65 and an abrupt shoulder 66. The latch element is formed of two stamped metal arms which extend downwardly at the sides of head 3| of socket 29 to be pivoted upon a transverse pin 68 carried by the side arms of bracket 36. These arms at their upper ends come together and extend inwardly through the slot 46 in the head 3| and into contact with the sector element 46. By spring means hereinafter described, the latch is pressed into contact with the sector element and extends into the seats 43, 44 and 45 as the handle is pivoted. One arm of latch 64 extends downwardly through the casing at a slot 69 formed therein and is formed at its lower extremity with a vertical slot 10.

A foot pedal 12 is provided for actuation of the handle latch 64. This latch extends laterally from under the casing skirt 5 adjacent the rear of the cleaner and is carried by a pivoted pedal frame 13 pivotally mounted upon the transverse shaft l3 at the ends of the wheel frame l4. Centrally pedal frame 13 is formed wi h an outstanding part 14 upon which is formed a right angle pincarrying face 15 from which a pin 16 extends into cooperating relationship with the slot I0 formed in the latch element 64. Pedal frame is permitted a pivotal movement between limits de fined by rigid casing-carried stops l8 and 19, the frame normally being urged against the forward stop 19 with the pedal 12 in its upper position by means of one of the coil springs I6 which extends into contact therewith, as illustrated in Figure 5. A downward force exerted upon the pedal 12 results in the frame 13 being pivoted until the face 15 thereof contacts the rear stop 18, as illustrated in Figure 6.

The operation of the handle control constructed in accordance with the present invention is as follows:

With the handle in the vertical or storage position, if the operator desires to lower it, he need only to step upon the foot pedal 12 thereby causing the frame 13 to pivot, resulting in the clockwise pivotal movement of the latch 64 from the position shown in Figure 3 to that shown in Figure 6. The pin and slot relationship existing between the pedal frame and the latch 64 provides for this transference of motion. The movement of the latch element withdraws its locking shoulder 66 from contact with the sector 40 and the handle can be pivoted to any position desired down to the horizontal at which position further movement is restricted by the contact of the end of slot 46 in the socket head with the latch shoulder 66. If the foot pedal is released before the handle reaches the'horizontal, the latch is again spring-pressed into contact with the sector and the locking shoulder 66 catches the lower end of the succeeding slot thereby preventing further lovering of the handle.

From the horizontal position, or from an intermediate position, the handle can be raisedas far as desired without actuation of the foot pedal 12. The cam face 65 which contacts the various upper limits of the recesses 43, 44 and 45 makes this possible. Once the shoulder 66 of the latch 64 has moved into a higher seat recess, however, the handle cannot be moved downwardly into a lower range without depressing the foot pedal.

It is to be understood that the protection herein applied for is not confined to the particular combinations of features or elements set out in the following claims. Protection is herein applied for for any one or more of the features or elements referred to in the following claims, or described in the foregoing specification or shown in the accompanying drawings, either independently or in combination.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination in handle-position-controlling means for a suction cleaner or similar article, abody, a socket pivotally mounted on said body in a medium longitudinal plane therethrough and including a sector, a handle carried by said socket, a pivoted latch element on said body extended downwardly therethrough and movable into and from engagement with said sector to position said handle, and a foot lever extended laterally from-below said body and mounted for movement thereon between limits, said lever having a pivotal connection with'said latch element to pivot the latter relative to said sector, and springmeans normally urging said latch element into engagement with said sector.

2. In combination in a handle-position-controlling means for a suction cleaner or similar article, a body, a bracket at the top and rear of said body, a handle-seating socket pivoted on said bracket and including a slotted sector partially encircling the pivoted axis of the socket on the bracket, a

' handle carried by said socket, a spiral spring at the pivotal axis of said socket in contact therewith and with said bracket and exerting a force to pivot said socket in one direction, a latch pivoted on said. bracket at the side of said socket and formed with an end having a cam surface and a locking surface which are adapted to extend into the slots in said sector to permit unhindered socket movement in one direction and to prevent movement in the opposite direction, said latch extending downwardly below said bracket, and a foot pedal connected to said latch to': =pi vot it formed with an end wall which serves as the bottom of the socket proper.

4. In combination in a handle-position-control a seat-locking shoulder, said lever extended downwardly through said body and provided with a vertical slotat its lower end; and a pivoted footactuated pedal frame including a, pin slidingly mounted in said vertical slot whereby the movement of said frame causes said lever to pivot relative to said sector.

5. In a suction cleaner comprising a body, a

bracket at the top and rear of said body, a handle pivotally mounted on said bracket, a sector rigidly mounted in said handle, a latch pivoted intermediate its ends and provided'at' one end with detent means for engaging said sector to hold said handle in adjusted positions, the oppositeend of said latch extending downwardly through and below said body, and a foot operated lever pivotally supported below said body and pivotally connected to said latch and extending from said opposite end of said latch laterally of said body, said foot operated lever actuating said detent means out of engagement with said sector.

-6. In a suction cleaner comprising a body, a handle pivotally mounted at the top and rear of said body, a sector along the central longitudi- 7

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