US2648434A - Manually operated magnetic sweeper - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1953 L. RUSSELL MANUALLY OPERATED MAGNETIC SWEEPER Filed Feb. 17, 1949 g my W A. ,2 f I a 5M Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MANUALLY OPERATED MAGNETIC SWEEPER George L. Russell, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 17, 1949, Serial No. 76,913

22 Claims. I

This invention relates generally to magnetic devices and is particularly adapted among other uses for collectingferro-magnetic material.

object of this invention is to providea new magnetic device for collecting such material.

A further object is to provide such a device in which the collected material may be easily removed from the device.

Another object is to provide such a device in which a high ratio of length to cross-sectional area may be attained.

An'other'object is toprovide a rotatable device which may be rolled along a surface to be cleaned of ferrromagnetic material.

Another object is to provide such a device in which material may be collected around substantially the entire peripheral surface of the rotatable device.

Another object is toprovide a magnetic device in which permanent magnets are housed within a nonmagnetic shell.

A further object is to provide such a shell with a space substantiallyfree of magnetic him.

A still further object is to provide in combination with such magneticmaterial' attracted; by said magnets along theperiphery' of the shell toward a relatively fluxv free portion whereby the attracted material is freed from the field of the magnet.

Other objects will be apparent from. the specification, the: appended claims and the drawingszin. which drawings:

Figlne L is an elevational view of a magnetic device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken. substantially along the lines 2I' 2; ofF'i'g. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken lines3-3 offFig'..2

Fig. 4. is a. view taken. substantially along the lines 4.4' of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a partial view similar to that of Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig- 6 is a view taken substantially along the 1ines66of Fig. 5-; and:

Fig. 7 isa. view similar to Fig. 6 showin a still further modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeralindicates generally a magnetic device adapted to be rolled along a substantially along the surface for removing ferromagnetic material therefrom. The device has a handle 2 connected: by means of a yoke member 4 to opposite ends of a rotatable magnetically energized member generally designated 6. The rotatable member 6 comprises a thin tube of relatively a shell means for sliding ferrononmagnetic material which, for example; may be brass or nickel, and which is open at. its opposite ends. By nonmagnetic material as used' in this specification and the claims appended thereto is meant that material which ha a relatively low susceptibility as compared with: the more common materials normally referred to as magnetic, such as ordinary soi-t steel and ironsilicon alloys. Among material's defined: as nonmagnetic are included, copper, nickel, aluminum, etc.

A rubber, fiber, or other nonmagnetic mate:- rial wheel Ill is provided with a cylindrical hub portion I 2 which is tightly received within and closes one end of the tube 8. A second wheel M of similar material. is provided with a similar hub portion l6 which is tightly receivedwithin and closes the other end of the tube 8 A plurality of magnets [8 are received within the tube and are arranged with their magnetic poles in repelling relation. It has been found that for best results bar magnets should not be of too great alength as compared with their cross sectional area. The optimum ratio of such area to length is a variable depending upon. the material of which the magnets are fabricated. In the case of Alnicos a ratio in the vicinity of l to 4 has been found desirable. Accordingly for the length of tube 8 as shown, two magnets is are used but it will be obvious that for other lengths of tube 8 or for magnets made: of other material a diiiferent number of magnets may be desirable. Insuch event the magnets should be arranged so that the adjacent poles of any two magnets are of like polarity. By this. arrangement it is possible to produce a highly efiicient structure having a large length to area ratio.

The wheel l0 has a central. aperture 20 extending therethrough which receives an. axle bolt 22: journaled within an aperture 26- in one portion of the yoke or bracket 4-. The bolt 22 extends longitudinally and concentrically of the tube 8 through the wheel Ill and its hub portion. [2 and has screw threaded thereon a nut 28 abutting the inner surface of the hub: portion if. The bolt preferably is of bronze while the bracket is of brass to provide a dissimilarity of metals to prevent seizing which would interfere with rotation of the bolt 22 relative to the bracket 4. A nonmagnetic material washer 36 is positioned between the wheel Hi and the bracket 4 and the nut threaded upon the bolt with sufiicient tightness to provide the desired amount of friction against rotation of the wheel Ill. The other wheel M is similarly secured to the bracket 4 as by means of bolt 22a having nut 28a and washer 36a. This arrangement for frictionally controlling the wheels I9 and Hi permits the device I to be placed adjacent a wall with the handle 2 extending at an acute angle with respect to such wall without the downward component of force exerted by the handle 2 causing the device I to roll outwardly away from the wall where it might move into an obstructing position subject to being injured or to cause injury to something else.

One pole of the left one of the magnets I8 abuts against the bronze bolt 22, the like pole of the right one of the magnets I8 abuts against a nonmagnetic spacer 32 which in turn abuts against the adjacent end of the bolt 22a. The like poles of the magnet I8 are spaced by a disk 34 which is preferably of sponge rubber or other similar material to permit some tolerance of dimension between the inner ends of the bolts 22 and 22a and yet to cause the magnets l8 and spacer 32 to be tightly carried within the tube 8. It has been found that if the thickness of the spacer lid is too little so that the magnets it are too close that this small spacing tends to demagnetize the magnets and if too great causes a dead spot between the magnets. It is preferred for best results that with magnets of the same degree of magnetic strength that this distance be substantially seven-eighths of the diameter of the magnet. For example, with Alnico magnets of one inch diameter the spacing should be seven-eighths of an inch for best results since this spacing is short enough to prevent any substantial dead spots and far enough not to interfere substantially with the strength of the magnets.

The surface of the wheel in adjacent the tube 8' may be and preferably does extend in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the tube 8. The surface 38 of the wheel I4 adjaoent the tube ii preferably is in the form of a cone frustum for easy removal of the material picked up by the roller 6 as will be explained more in detail hereinafter.

A slidable annular member 40 is provided for the tube 8 and is normally carried in abutting relation with the inner edge surface of th wheel Ill and is slidable across the tube 8 for removing material picked up by the roller 6. The disk M! for strength is of substantial thickness but is provided adjacent its inner opening with a relatively narrow lip d2 which tightly and frictionally engages the outer surface of the tube 8 to wipe this outer surface upon movement of the annular disk 49 but which will not exert sulficient opposition to movement of this disk 40 along the member 8 to prevent its movement by the user.

The handle 2 may be a solid rod, as shown, or a tubular member The handle 2 is provided with a threaded aperture adjacent its end portion which abuts the yoke l and may be secured thereto as by means of a cap screw 54 which extends through an aperture 56 of the yoke 4 and screw threadedly received within the aperture 52. Preferably a spacer member 58, which may be of the sam diameter as the handle 2, is provided intermediate the head of the cap screw 54 and the yoke ii to provide an extension of the handle 2 to form grippin means whereby the user may conveniently hold the yoke in his hand during removal of the material from the roller 6 as for example with two fingers astraddle the spacer member 58.

In Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown a modified form of tube 8a in which the outer peripheral surface is corrugated to provide longitudinally extending grooves or valleys 60 and raised portions or mountains 62 so that when materials have been picked up by one of the magnets I8 and the tube 8a rotated, the tendency of certain types of material to slide in relation to the outer peripheral surface of th tube will be prevented and the tube 8a will pick up and hold this type of material about the entire 360 of its surface.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a still further modified form of outer contour of the surface 8b corresponding to the tube 8 which as shown is rectangular in cross section and which will prevent sliding of such certain types of material about the peripheral surface. In this form the-re is shown a magnet of square cross section.

In operation, the magnetic device I is rolled along the floor and as the ferromagnetic mate-- rial lying on the floor is included within the flux field of the magnets, this material is attracted thereby and afiixes itself to the outer peripheral surface of the roller ii. When a desired load of material has attached itself to the roller 6, the operator grasps the yoke l adjacent the handle 2 and spacer 58 with his hand thereabout with fingers astride the handle 2, spacer 58 and yoke 4 and slides the annular member if! across the tube 8 whereby the lip 42 pushes the material longitudinally of the tube 8 over to the dead or relatively fiux free portion ofthe tube 8 which will be outwardly of the right-hand magnet I8. As the material is moved so that it is no longer strongly attracted by the force of the magnet, it will fall free of the device I into a suitable receptacle. Under some circumstances, as for example, with elongated steel pieces having one dimension greater than the longitudinal dimension of the dead space of the member 8, material pushed ahead of the magnet may slide along the outer surface of the tube 8 and against the adjacent surface of the wheel I4. Such material will engage the inclined surface of the wheel [4 and slide the-reover and not tend to wedge itself under the lip 42 but will be forced outwardly of the tube along the conical surface.

The operation of the modified forms shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 will be apparent from the foregoing description.

It will be obvious that for certain operations such as the removal of ferromagnetic materials from a running stream of fluid that the yoke 4 and handle 2 may be dispensed with and the magnetic member 6 held in a suitable manner in the fluid stream whereby it will attract such material therefrom as the material is carried along by the fluid stream in much the same manner as it is propelled along a surface. This material may be removed fromthe roller 6 by movement of the annular disk 46 substantially as described.

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated, thin walled, hollow tubular member of nonmagnetic material, a plurality of solid permanent-type magnets arranged in end-toend relation within said member and magnetized to provide longitudinally spaced poles, the adjacent poles of adjacent magnets being of like polarity, and nonmagnetic means positioned intermediate said adjacent magnets for spacing said magnets within said member, said magnets fitting closely within said member, whereby substantially all of the lines of magnetic force extending between the ends of each magnet are exterior to said member, said nonmagnetic means spacing said magnets apart a distance such that the space surrounding the exterior of said tubular member and extending longitudinally thereof from end-to-end of the plurality of magnets is substantially devoid of. dead spots.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said hollow member extends outwardly in one direction from said magnets to provide a peripheral surface portion thereof which is substantially uninfiuenced by the magnetic lines of flux of said magnets.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said member is provided with means surrounding said member and longitudinally slidable along the outer surface thereof to move material attracted thereto by said magnet to said surface portion.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated hollow member of nonmagnetic material, a plurality of permanent-type magnets arranged in end-to-end relation within said member, nonmagnetic means for positioning said magnets within said member, said hollow member extending outwardly in one direction from said magnets to provide a peripheral surface portion which is substantially noninfiuenced by the magnetic lines of flux of said magnets, and means surrounding said member and longitudinally slidable along the outer surface thereof to move material attracted thereto by said magnet to said surface portion, said surrounding means comprising an annular member having at its inner periphery a resilient portion resiliently engaging the outer surface of said member.

5. In an apparatus for removing magnetic material from the floor or the like surfaces, a tubular member of non-magnetic material and having a relatively thin wall, at least a pair of permanent magnets within said tubular member, each said magnet having its poles spaced axially of each other along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, roller means supporting said tubular member for rotation about said longitudinal axis and in spaced relation to the surface which is to be cleaned, and nonmagnetic spacer means between said magnets and within said tube for spacing said magnets from each other and for holding said magnets in fixed position with respect to said tube.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said roller means are provided with axles journaled within a manually grasped member for movement of said wheels along said surface and in which means is provided to oppose rotation of said wheels with a predetermined magnitude of opposition.

7. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubular member of nonmagnetic material, at least a pair of bar magnets arranged in end-to-end relation within said member, adjacent poles of adjacent magnets being of like polarity, resilient nonmagnetic material separating said magnets, a pair of wheels closing and supporting opposite ends of said tubular member and having rim portions of a larger diameter than the largest cross sectional dimension of said tubular member, the total length of said magnets plus said separating material being less than the length of said tubular member, nonmagnetic means within said tubular member and positioning said magnets to provide a substantially nonmagnetic space within said tubular member, a U-shaped yoke having a connecting element and substantially paralleloutwardly extending arms, said tubular" member and said wheels being received between the outward end portions of said arms, means for rotatably supporting said wheelson said arms; and a ringlike member receivingsaidtubular member and slidable axially thereof towipe magnetic material attracted to the surface of said tubular member along said surface into alignment with said nonmagnetic space whereby saidmaterial will d'ropaway from said tubular member.

8*. Ina magnetic device, an elongated member of nonmagnetic material having a chamber, permanent magnet means in said chamber and providing magnetic poles spaced longitudinally of saidmember, whereby the flux lines between said poles are longitudinally disposed, said magnet means being positioned within said member such that a complete peripheral portion extending completelyaround the periphery of said member is out of the path of any substantial flux estab lished bysaid magnet means.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which said fiux' free portion is adjacent one end portion of said elongated member.

10 In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated thin-walled hollow member of nonmagnetic material, a solid permanent magnet of the bar type of similar andsubstantially equal cross-sectional area to the hollow section area of said member and magnetized to provide longitudinall'y spaced poles, and means positioning said magnet within said member to provide a portion of said member which is substantially free of flux.

11. The combination of claim 10 in which there is provided a wiping member longitudinallymovable along said' hollow member for sliding magnetic material attracted by said magnet to said flu-i: free portion for discharge from such apparatus.

12. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubular member of nonmagnetic material, permanent magnet means Within said member and establishing a flux field externally of and completely around said member throughout a desired longitudinal portion thereof, a pair of wheels having hub portions positioned within and closing opposite ends of said tubular member and having rim portions of a larger diameter than the largest cross-sectional dimension of saidtubular member, the total length of said magnet means being less than the dimension between adjacent hub portions, nonmagnetic spacer means within said tubular memher and positioning said magnet means to provide a substantially nonmagnetic space within said tubular member, a wiping member receiving said tubular member and slidable axially therealong to wipe magnetic material attracted to the surface of said tubular member along said surface into alignment with said nonmagnetic space-wherebysai'd material will drop away from said tubular member.

13. The combination of claim 12 in which said nonmagnetic space is adjacent one of said wheels and said one wheel is provided with a frustoconical surface leading outwardly from said tubular member whereby such mag-netic material which is elongated will be deflected outwardly as it is being wiped by said ringlike member into said nonmagnetic space.

14. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubular member of nonmagnetic material, at least a pair of bar magnets arranged in end-to-end relation within said member, adjacent poles of adjacent magnets being of like polarity, nonmagnetic material separating said magnets, a pair of wheels having hub portions positioned within and closing opposite ends of said tubular member and having rim portions of a larger diameter than the largest crosssectional dimension of said tubular member, the total length of said magnets plus said separating material being less than the dimension between adjacent hub portions, nonmagnetic spacer means within said tubular member and positioning said magnets to provide a substantially nonmagnetic space within said tubular member, a wiping member receiving said tubular member and slidable axially therealong to wipe magnetic material attracted to the surface of said tubular member along said surface into alignment with said nonmagnetic space whereby said material will drop away from said tubular member.

15. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubular member of nonmag netic material, at least one bar magnet magnetized to provide longitudinally spaced poles and arranged with its axis longitudinal of the axis of said tubular member, a pair of wheels secured to opposite ends of said tubular member and having rim portions of a larger diameter than the largest cross-sectional dimension of said tubular member, the total length of said magnets being less than the length of said tubular member, nonmagnetic spacer means within said tubular member and positioning said magnets to provide a substantially nonmagnetic space within said tubular member, a wiping member receiving said tubular member and slidable axially therealong to wipe magnetic material attracted to the surface of said tubular member along said surface into alignment with said nonmagnetic space whereby said material will drop away from said tubular member.

16. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus for picking up magnetic material, at least one elongated bar magnet having end walls and a peripheral wall extending between said end walls, said magnet being longitudinally magnetized to provide poles at said end walls, and means housing and supporting said magnet and surrounding said peripheral wall, the portion of said means surrounding said peripheral wall being of nonmagnetic material, the relative dimensions of said housing means and magnet being such that the flux lines of said magnet will extend outwardly of said nonmagnetic material and extend longitudinally and externally of said nonmagnetic material between the poles of said magnet for the entire distance between said poles.

17. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus for collecting magnetic material, at least one elongated solid bar magnet magnetized longitudinally, an elongated hollow nonmagnetic member having a longitudinally extending chamber of substantially the same cross-sectional area as that of said magnet and in which said magnet is longitudinally positioned whereby the flux lines of said magnet extend outwardly of said nonmagnetic member and extend longitudinally and externally of said nonmagnetic member between the poles of said magnet, said apparatus being further characterized by the absence of magnetic pole pieces for said magnet.

18. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus for picking up magnetic material, at least one elongated bar magnet having end walls and a peripheral wall extending between said end walls, said magnet being longitudinally magnetized to provide poles at said end walls, means housing and supporting said magnet and surrounding said peripheral wall, the portion of said means surrounding said peripheral wall being of nonmagnetic material, the relative dimensions of said housing means and magnet being such that the flux lines of said magnet will extend outwardly of said nonmagnetic material and extend longitudinally and externally of said nonmagnetic material between the poles of said magnet for the entire distance between said poles, and means for supporting said housing means for rolling movement along and in spaced relation to a surface.

19. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus. permanent magnet means, a member housing said magnet means, said member having a complete peripheral portion spaced from said magnet and substantially free of flux from said magnet means so that material attracted to said housing member may be moved thereto for release irom said housing member.

20. In apparatus of the character described, a straight elongated hollow member of nonmagnetic material, a plurality of solid, straight permanent-type magnets arranged in end-to-end relation within said member, each of said ma nets being magnetized to provide longitudinally spaced opposite poles at the ends thereof, nonmagnetic means positioned intermediate the ends of adjacent magnets for spacing said magnets within said member, said magnets being arranged with like poles adjacent to each other.

21. Structure as defined in claim 20, in which said magnets fit closely within said hollow member so that substantially all of the magnetic lines of force extending between the opposite ends of each magnet are exterior of said hollow member.

22. Structure as defined in claim 21, which comprises non-magnetic means within one end of said hollow member spacing the adjacent one of said magnets from the end or said hollow member a distance suiiicient to render the peripheral end portion of said hollow member substantially free of magnetic lines of force.

GEORGE? L. RUSSELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 225,029 Thayer Mar. 2, 1880 824,893 Weatherly July 3, 1906 1,326,560 Ady Dec. 30, 1919 1,326,561 Ady Dec. 30, 1919 1,630,987 Turner May 31, 1927 1,961,336 Close June 5, 1934 2,056,906 Porkhill Oct. 6, 1936 2,426,795 Sjostrom Sept. 2, 1947 2,455,319 Stearns Nov. 30, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,286 Great Britain Mar. 23, 1911 556,057 Germany Aug. 2, 1932 461,816 Great Britain Feb. 25, 1937 523,205 Great Britain July 9, 1940 218,614 Switzerland June 1, 1942

Images