US2498102A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

H. B. WHITE SUCTION CLEANER Feb. 21, 195o 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1945 ,z r 5M. a.

SUCTION CLEANER Filed June 25, 1945 s sheets-sheef y @www H. B. WHITE SUCTION CLEANER Feb. 21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 23, 1945 m @y @v LSSS Patented F eb. 2l, 195() sUorrroN CLEANER Harry B. White, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company,v North Canton, Ohio, a corporation; of Ohio Application J une 23, 1945, Serial No. 601,177

(Cl. 18S- 58) l The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to an im- 'proved bag-cleaning mechanism in a suction cleaner; More speci'ca-lly the invention comprises a tank type cleaner in which collected foreign material can be removed from the filter by operator-operated means while in place in the machine.

It is van object of the present invention to provide av new and improved suction cleaner. Itis another object' of the invention to provide new and improved; filter-cleaning means inv a suction cleaner: A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tank cleaner in which foreign' material can be dislodged from the dirt iilter and emptied ontor al receiving' surface without the necessity of removing the lter from the cleaner; Still another object of the invention is to provide a tankl type suction cleaner in which, upon the machine being placed upon` one end, the operator can `clean the dirt filter by the application of a force to effect the vibration and shakingA of the lter. Still another object of the invention is to provide a tank type -cleaneradapted to rest, in the lter-cleaning operation, with an open end uponv a supporting surface, and in which manually operable bag-shaking. means are providedv by 'which the operator can shake the lter to dislodge foreign material which falls upon the supporting surface. A still further objectA of the invention is to provide a bag-shaking mechanism by which the operator, by the exertionvof al linearorce, shakes the lter bag to dislodge foreign material' therefrom. A further object of:v the invention isto provide a tank type cleaner having a bag-shaking mechanism including a normally retracted operating pedal which moves into a projecting operating position upon placing the machine in a bag-cleaning relationship. These andV other more specic objects will appear upon reading the following specication and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they' relate. Referringy now to theI drawings in. which a preferred embodiment ofY the invention is disclosed, and in which the same reference character refers rto the same part throughout:

Figure 1 Ais a longitudinal vertical section through a cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section upon the lineA 2 2 of' Figurey l anddiscloses. the coil vspring which is' loadedf in the bag-sliaking operation;

pending curved lip 1 which seats within a pocket ring lll" to the sides of which are secured rigid shaft El is rotatably'mounted and the pins 22 the shaft and its opposite endv extended under Figure 3 is a partial bottom view ofthe cleaner looking in the direction of' the arrows upon the line 3-3 of Figure l, part of the outer casing being broken away and the actuating pedal being shown in its operative position;

Figure 4 is a partial showing of` the structure illustrated in Figure, the actuating' pedaly being movedv tothe inoperative or retracted position;

Figure 5 is a view looking in the direction of the arrovvs upon the line 5--5 of FigureV 3.

Al tank typecleaner is illustrated in the dra-wings and is seen to comprise an outer elongated casing i. Casing I is sl'idably supported by longitudinally extending runners 2; Its opposite ends are closed by end caps 3 and' il, each of which is respectively provided with areceiving seatl 5 and 6 for a dusting tool hose unit. Cap fi, atr the suction end oi the machine, is removable; being provided at itslower edge with a deil formed at the end of a sliding lever 9- on the underside of casing i. Lever 9 is slotted and rides on a headed pin |50, being drawn by aspring Hr to hold cover 4 tightly in place. At the top side of the casing is a manually operable latch i2y adaptedV to overlie the upper end of the cap and to clamp it against the end of the casing.

f The end of casing l normally closed by the cap lv is deiined `by a xedly secured end plate i3'Which is interiorly flanged and which carries one end of a cylindrical filter i4 positioned within casing i. A rubber sealing ring l5 is positioned in the outerface of plate i3. The. oppositefend of iilter' it is mounted upon a second brackets Il. Spaced parallel equilength arms I8 and I9 are pivotally mounted at their upper ends on each bracket lf'i', thelower ends of arms i8` being rigidly attached to shaft 2i, and the lower ends of arms |91 pivoted on pins 22. The 4 rigidly supported in a bracketv 23 attached' to the bottom of' casing l'. A coil springA 2tencircles thev shaft 2l, one of its ends being connected' to ment'.

. supporting surface.

Between the lter bag I4 and the end of the cleaner closed by cap 3 is positioned the motorfan unit comprising a driving motor 26, the casing of which is secured to an adjacent fan chamber 21 having an inlet port 28 and an exhaust port 29. Within the chamber 21 upon the extended rotatable shaft of motor 26 is mounted a pair of rotatable fans 3I which are spaced by a non-rotating guide vane element 32.

The forward end of the motor- fan unit 26, 21 is supported resiliently by a rubber ring 34 in a bulkhead 35 xedly secured within the casing i. The rearward end of the unit is supported by a second rubber ring 36 in a bulkhead member 31 also secured in easing I. Member 31 is perforated, as indicated at 38, and cooperates with a removable perforated cup element 39 to form a final ilter chamber 4I within which is positioned any suitable ltering air-permeable material which may, if desired, be impregnated with a volatile odorizing substance.

Electric current to the motor 26 is carried by leads 46 which enter through the casing I via the manually operable switch 41 which forms one end of the iiexible handle 48.

With the end cap 4 removed and the cleaner tilted upon its end the iiat end ring I3, and

Vparticularly the seal I thereon, is adapted to rest in substantially sealing relationship on a flat The bag I4 is positioned above and is open to the supporting surface. To vibrate and shake the bag with the cleaner so positioned there is provided an operator-operable mechanism wliich includes a foot pedal 5I pivotally carried at the end of a longitudinally slidable square rod 52 which extends from within the casing I into a recess 53 formed in the eX- terna1 underside thereof. Rod 52 passes from the casing through a suitable sealed joint indicated generally at 54. Pedal 5I is normally in the retracted position, illustrated in Figure 4, as a result of its lower end being connected vby a pin 55 to the slotted end of a connecting link 56. The opposite end of link 56 is pivoted to the underside of the casing I at 51 and the lever 9 pivotally connects thereto at 58 a short distance from the pivot point 51. With the end cap 4 in place the lever 9 is pulled outwardly by the cooperation of lip 1 with the cup 8 at the end of lever 9 and the link 56 is pivoted in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 3 and 4, and the pedal 5I is moved into the inoperative position shown in Figure 4. With the cap 4 removed, however, lever 6 is released and the spring I I pulls the link 56 in a counterclockwise direction. The link 56, as it pivots from the position of Figure 4 to that of Figure 3, forces the end of the pedal 5I carrying pin 55 inwardly and moves the pedal into its outer operative position as shown in Figure 3.

The inner end of the square rod 52 is formed as a cylindrical extension 6I which is slidingly supported by a support 62 secured to the bulkhead 35. A coil spring 63 encircles the extension 6I of the shaft between the bulkhead 35 and a pin 64 at the outer end of the shaft and at all times exerts a force which urges the shaft 52 inwardly so as to hold the lever 5I at the upper or left end of the recess 53, that is, in the position illustrated in Figures l, 3 and 4. A force upon the pedal 5I effects the movement of the shaft 52 and the compression of the spring 6I. To transmit this force to the bag-supporting ring I6 there is provided a sloping sided pivoted pawl 65 carried by a pin 6l) on shaft 52. A coil spring 66 is connected to pawl 65 and to the underside of shaft 52 and at all times exerts a pivoting force which tends to move the pawl 65 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, to the extent permitted by the pin 61 to which the spring 66 is attached.

Fixedly mounted upon the arm-carrying rotatable shaft 2I is a lever arm 1I which carries a roller 12 at its outer end which is positioned as to contact the sloping or inclined side of pawl 65. That element moves toward the roller 12 in the movement of the shaft 52 under the actuation of a. force applied to the pedal 5I moving it to the right as viewed in Figures 1 and 3. This direction would be downward with the machine tilted on its end. As the pawl moves the roller 12 is forced upwardly along its inclined surface effecting the rotation of the shaft 2| and of the arms I8 carried thereby. Arms I 9 connected to the arms I8 by the connecting member I1 and also the ring I6 carrying the end of the bag I4 are moved. The lever arm 1I is so positioned and is of such length that as the roller 12 travels up the inclined edge of the pawl 65 it finally rides over the top thereof at which time the force which has been stored in the spring 24 by rotation of shaft 2I accompanying the pivoting of the arms I8 is released and the arms I6 and I9 move violently in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure l, thereby moving the bag ring I6 toward the left to jerk the bag taut. Any collected foreign material is vibrated loose from the bag surface by this shaking action. The shaft 52 together with the pawl 65 can continue toward the right as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 until the pedal 5i reaches the end of the recess 53 at which time, if the operator-exerted force is released, the shaft and pedal move back to their original position, that illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, under the urging of the spring 63. Pawl 65 moves under the roller 12, pivoting downwardly as it does so, and extends the coil spring 66 which immediately snaps it back to its normal and illustrated position upon passing by the roller.

The construction is shown and has been described with the machine positioned horizontally but actually the machine would be turned up on end, the cap 4 being removed, and the end plate I3 resting directly upon a supporting iioor or surface. This would mean that the operatorexerted force would be exerted downwardly upon the pedal 5I and that the dislodged dirt would fall by gravity onto the supporting surface. The operation can be repeated a plurality of times, as desired, each operation resulting in the violent shaking of the bag as it is drawn taut under the actuation of the operator-provided energy stored in the coil spring 24.

I 1 The operation of the cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention may be briefly described as follows: The machine is placed in operation, a suitable dusting tool hose unit being connected to the inlet or suction port 6 in the removable end cap 4. Upon the closing of the manually operable switch 41 electrical current passes through the driving motor 26 and the fans 3| rotate at high speed thereby creating a suction which is effective to draw air in through the hose, into the lter bag I4, through the wall thereof and into the space there-around within the main casing I, through the inlet 28 of the fan chamber, and to exhaust it through the exhaust port 26 thereof into the space around the motor 26. The air makes its exit from the machine through the exhaust port 5 having first passed through the final filter 4I. Should 'the which may be of anydesired and well known type, are attached to the exhaust'port inthe cap 3 rather `than to the inlet port 6in the removable cap 4.

After the machine .has been used for ya considerable period of time and foreign material has collected within the filter bag i4 the. resistance thereof to the passage of `air therethrough `increases and, in order to maintain the machine at Vits maximum cleaning effectiveness, .it is desirable to remove vthe foreign material. To accomplish this the operator releases the manually operable latch l2 vthereby permitting `the end cap 4 lto tilt. outwardly at its top, as shownin Figure 1, whereupon the bottom lip 'l thereof can be withdrawn yfrom the pocket 8 in the lever 9. The operator then tilts the machine so that'the end plate i3 supports the machine flat upon the surface covering, the machine then having its longitudinal or major axis extended vertically'rather than horizontally. The machine is then ready forv the bag-cleaning operation proper.

As' the operator removed the end cap `4 the effect of the withdrawal of the lip l' from lthe pocket 8 was to release the lever 9 whereupon the coil spring i I on the underside of the cleaner was free to pivot the link 56 in a counterclockwise direction, that is, from the position illustrated in Figure 4 to that illustrated in Figure 3. This effected the movement of the foot pedal 5i from Athe retracted position of Figure 4 tothe extended surface. Simultaneously with one foot he exerts -a downward force upon the foot pedal. 5i.

This force results in the movement of theshaft 52 and the pivotal movement of the bag-carrying arms i8 and I9, as described, and the subsequent snapping action on the bag under the vactuation of the coil spring 24 as previously described. Preferably the operator will release the pedal 5I permitting it to move upwardly under the actuation of the coil spring 63 on the shaft. 52 and will repeat the downward force a plurality of times with the result that all foreign material lcollected upon the bag surface is dislodged and falls through the open end of the machine to collect upon the supporting surface.

After the operation has been completedv the operator need only lift the machine andrestore it to its horizontal position thereafter replacing the cap 4 by inserting lip l in the pocketv 8: and pivoting the cap from the position illustrated in Figure 1 in full lines to the position illustrated by the dotted line upper portion of. the cap at which time the operation of the latch i2 will iixedly lockv the end capplace and. the machine Ais again ready for use.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner of the type. having an enclosing casing housing a filter and rsuctioncreating means to move a dirt-laden air stream therethrough during normal surfacey cleaning.; a removable end cap for said housing adjacent' said filter, said casing being adapted torest upon its open end with saidi end. cap removed', means within said casini,r toi dislodge dirt from. said. filter :so that; said dirt may fall through said open end,

and. operator-operatedimeans connected with said dirtV dislodging means, and'. arranged outside of said casing out of contact with the surfaceY being cleaned during normal surface cleaning, said operatoreoperatedme'ans actuating said dirt dis.-

lodging; means when said casing isy resting on its said' open end.

2. In. a suction cleaner of the tank type including suction-creating means, a filter, a casing enclosingV said suction-creatingy means and said filter, aremovable cover closing an open end of sai-d casing duringv normal surface cleaning which open end. adapted' to make sealing contact with a supporting surface with saidv cover-removed and with said cleaner tilted into its filter-cleaning position, and. in which: said filterA is positioned adjacent said open' end, means movably mount,- ingA a portion of said. filter, means to shake said portion of said filter, and means including an operator-operated member extending outsidesaid casing out of contact with the surface being cleaned during normal surface cleaning, said operator-operated member transmittingv an operator supplied actuating force to said filter shaking means to shake said filter to dislodge dirt. therefrom so that the dislodgedA dirt may fall'through said open end.

3'. In a suction cleaner of the tank type` including suction-creating means, a lter, a casing enclosing `said, suction-creating means and said filter, a removable covery closing an open end of said. casing during normal surface cleaning'which open endisadapted to make sealing contact with a supporting surface with said cover removed and with said cleaner tilted into its filter-cleaning position, and in which said iilter is positioned' adjacent saidopen end; means to dislodge collected foreign material from; said filter with the cleaner in its filter-cleaningposition so` that said dirt can fall through: saidv open end. onto an underlying surface, a pedal extended laterally from the lower end of said casing in its filter-cleaning position andoutv of contact with the surface being cleaned during normal surface cleaning, means mount:- ing said pedal. for bodily displacement relative tosaid casing, spring means urging said pedal to its uppermost position and adapted to bodily return said pedal to said position after being depressed by@ a downward force thereon, a for-cetransmitting'means to transmit a downward. force on saidv pedal into a dirt-dislodging for-ce at said means to` dislodge collected foreign material.

4-.In ak suction cleaner of the tank type including suction-creating means', a filter, a casing enclosing said suction-creating means and'. said filter, a removable cover closing an open end-of said casing which open end isI adapted to make sealing contactY with a supporting surface with said cover removed and with said cleaner tilted into its. filter-cleaning position, andv in which said filter is positioned adjacent sai-d open, end; meansito vibrate said filter to displace adherent foreign. materialA therefrom so. thatv said material can fall `throughsaid open end onto anunderlying surface, means to impart: an. actuatingl force to saidy laste-mentioned means including manually operatedY means adapted toy receive an operator applied force, andseparatemeans to return said manually operated means to.- its force-receiving position upon its release.- from. said operator ari--` plied force.

5. Inv a suction cleaner, an. elongated casing, means.I to. support. said casing movably with. its

major axis. extended; horizontally/, a. removable `cover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed, presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support said casing with its major axis extended vertically, a filter bag in said casingwith its open end opening toward the open end ci said casing, supporting means supporting the closed end of said bag including spring means exerting a force to vdraw taut the side wall of said bag, and means to .move said supporting means to release the tautness in the bag wall and to store energy in said spring and including cam means to suddenly release said supporting means whereupon said .spring means jerks said bag wall taut to dislodge collected foreign material.

6. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, means to support said casing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removable cover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed, presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support said casing with its major axis extended vertically, a iilter bag in said casing with its open end opening toward the open end of said casing, supporting means supporting the closed end of said bag including spring means exerting a force to draw taut the side wall of said bag, actuating means to move said supporting means to relax the tautness of said bag wall and including cam means to abruptly release said supporting means to the action of the stored energy of said spring means, said actuating means including a foot pedal extended laterally rom said casing adapted to receive a downward force with said casing supported on its open end.

'7. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, means to support said casing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removable cover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed, presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support said casing with its major axis extended vertically, a filter in said casing adjacent the open end thereof and through which dirt-laden air Vthrough said cleaner passes, means to dislodge dirt from said lter so that it may fall through the open end of said casing onto a supporting surface with said casing supported on said open end, and operator-operated means to actuate said last-mentioned means including a pedal nor- `mally extended alongside the exterior of said casing in inoperative position, and means actuated by removal of said cover for moving said pedal into a lateral operative position relative to said casing whereby said pedal may be operated 'to actuate said dirt dislodging means.

8. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, .means to support said casing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removable cover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed, presenting an open end -adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support said casing with its major axis extended vertically, la filter bag in said casing with its open end opening toward the open end of said casing, a bag frame at the closed end of lsaid bag holding said bag distended, a pair ci supporting arms upon each side of said frame mounting said frame for movement toward and from said open end, a spring exerting a pivoting force on said arms to move said frame from said open end and to draw the side Wall of said bag taut, and means to pivot said supporting arms against the force of said spring to relax the tautness in said side wall and including means to release said .arms to =move' under the force of said spring to jerk said bag side wall taut, and operator-operated means to actuate said last-mentioned means.

9. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, means to support said casing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removable cover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed, presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support said casing with its major axis extended vertically, a filter bag in said casing with its open end opening toward the open end of said casing, supporting means supporting the closed end of said lter bag including pivotally mounted means, a coil spring at the pivotal axis of said last-mentioned means exerting a force thereon to draw taut the side wall of said bag, means to move said supporting means to relieve the tautness of said bag and to store energy in said coil spring and including means to suddenly release said supporting means whereupon said spring is enabled to jerk said bag taut to dislodge collected foreign material.

10. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a filter, a casing enclosing said suctioncreating means and said filter, filter-shaking means to dislodge collected foreign material from said filter, a removable cover closing an open end of said casing through which said dislodged foreign material may be removed, and means controlled by said cover and connected with said filter shaking means for preventing operation of the latter when said cover closes said open end of said casing.

11. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a filter, a casing enclosing said suctioncreating means and said filter, filter-shaking means to dislodge collected foreign material from vsaid ilter, a removable cover closing an open end of said casing through which said dislodged foreign material may be removed, and means controlled by said cover for maintaining said ltershaking means inoperative when said cover closes said open end of said casing, said means connected with said cover and operated upon removal of said cover to release said lter shaking means for dislodging the foreign material from said lter.

12. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a lter, a casing enclosing said suctioncreating means and said filter, filter-shaking means to dislodge collected foreign material from said filter, a removable cover closing an open end of said casing through which said dislodged foreign material may be removed, latch means for locking said cover to said casing in closed position, and means connected to said cover and iltershaking means for urging said cover away from said casing toward its removed position upon release of said latch means.

13. In a suction cleaner, a filter, a casing enclosing said lter, filter-shaking means to dislodge foreign material from said lter, a removable cover closing an open end of said casing through which the dislodged foreign material may be removed, latch means for securing said cover to said casing, and means connecting said cover latch means to said filter-shaking means to prevent operaton of the latter when said `latch means secure said cover to said casing.

14. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, a removable cover for one end of said casing, said casing with said cover removed presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support said casing in filter cleaning position, .nlterisupportina means including, resilient means to maintain said lter in one positionnwith respect to said `casing open end, moving meafnsffor moving said lter supporting means against fthe force of said resilient means to shift said` filter to another position, `cam means to release sadlnoving means from. said lter supporting means and the influence of said resilient means to' permit the latter to abruptly snap said filter baclto its said one position to dislodge dirt from said filter through said casing open end onto the vsupporting surface, and operator-operated Ineans for actuating said moving means. f'

HARRY B.

REFERES CITED The following referenes are of record in the le of this patent: """f' 5 UNITED s'rajins PATENTS Number Name` Date 1,933,105 Forsberg e Oct. 31, 1933 2,304,309 Leathers Dec. 8, 1942 10 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date '700,388 Germany- Mar. 6, 1941

Images