US2666570A - Fiber cutter for suction cleaners - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 195.4 F, s, HOWARD 2,666,570

FIBER CUTTER'FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed June 6, 1949 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 19, 1954 F. s. HOWARD FIBER CUTTER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS 2 Shets-Shee; 2

Filed June 6, 1949 Patented Jan. 19, 1954 FIBER CUTTER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Frank S. Howard, Chicago, Ill., assignor to B rtman Electric Company, a corporation of Illinois Application June 6, 1949, Serial No. 97,439

- 1 This invention relates to a suction cleaner having a rotatable suction fan, and relates particularly to a fiber cutter for such a cleaner for cutting long fibers such as threads, hairs and the like that become deposited in regions adjacent the fan.

In suction cleaners employing a rotatable suction fan for drawing a dirt-laden air stream from the surface being cleaned and ejecting it into a bag or other dust trap, difficulties are frequently encountered when relatively long fibers such as hair, thread and the like, are drawn into the cleaner by the air stream. These relatively long fibers often become wound around the fan shaft or other portions of the cleaner adjacent the fan. The rotation of the fan and the air flow cooperate to cause this winding as the firstturn of the fiber holds it in place, while thefan and air flow complete the winding. An accumulation of fibers is soon built up and interferes with theair flow. In those cleaners where a belt is provided for driving a rotatable brush, the fibers sometimes get between the belt and the driving spindle wherethey rapidly damage the belt and cause it to break.

I have invented a fiber cutter which operates to cut the fibers into small pieces so that the air stream can pick up these pieces and blow them into the dust collecting bag. Thus an accumulation of the fibers on the operating parts of the cleaner is avoided. I r

This fiber cutter is particularly applicable to a suction cleaner which includes a rotatable member such as a fan or fan shaft and a non-rotatable member such as protective collar or guard adjacent the rotatable member. The fiber cutter is provided with at least one cutter blade and is'mounted on one of the non-rotatableor rotatable members and adjacent the other member to out fibers deposited from the fiber-laden air stream on this other member. As the fiber cutter operates continuously, the fibers are cut into small pieces before an accumulation has built up within the cleaner. r

The'invention will be described as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings: Of the drawings: Fig. l is a side elevation partially broken away and partially in section of a suction cleanerprovided with a fiber cutter of this invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial vertical section through the suction fan, fiber cutter and adjacent parts of the cleaner; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 3+3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a bottom elevation of the fiber cutter itself; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the fiber cutter of Fig. 4. I

In the" embodiment shown in the drawings, the

' suction cleaner includes a housing ID, a nozzle 5 Claims. (Cl. .230132) is provided a rotatably mounted brush having bristles l'l thereon. This brush is driven by a belt I 8 of rubber or the like extending rearwardly to a spindle [9. This spindle is preferably formed as the lower end of the vertically arranged motor shaft 2!] driven by a motor 2!. Mounted on the motor shaft 29 is a suction fan 22 arranged to draw a fiber and dust laden air stream from the nozzle i l and eject it into the dust collecting bag [3L There is provided a fan housing 23 around the fan 22 with this housing having an inlet eye 23a preferably opening downwardly as shown in Fig. 1. In order to protect the belt l8 from damage by dust and other particles in the air stream, there is preferably provided a belt guard housing 24 surrounding the belt and the spindle IS. The portion of the housing 24 adjacent the spindle 9 is provided with an annular upwardly extending portion 24a that is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of the spindle l9 and the motor shaft 29.

When the suction cleaner is in operation it often picks up long threads, hairs and other fibers and these are drawn by the air stream through the fan housing inlet eye 2311 into the housing. The force of the air stream and the rotation of the fan 22 frequently causes these fibers to be wound around the shaft or adjacent portion of the belt guard housing 24. In a relatively short time these fibers can accumulate to such a mass that the inlet eye 23a will became at least partially obstructed. In those cleaners which do not employ a belt guard housing or a shaft guard, the fibers become wound around the fan shaft and gradually work downwardly on the spindle l9 until they get between the spindle l9 and the belt so that the belt rapidly becomes damaged and frequently breaks. In any type cleaner employing a rotatable fan, the accumulated wound fibers soon become objectionable and decrease the chi- .ciency of the cleaner.

In order to'prevent these relatively long fibers from causing damage to the cleaner and reducing its efficiency, I have invented a fiber cutter which cuts the fiber into small pieces so thatthe air stream drawn by the fan can eject the pieces in- .to the dust bag l3. In the embodiment shown in the drawings the fiber cutter 25 comprise an annular planar body portion 2511 provided with a rim portion 25b provided with spaced cutter blades 25c thereon. As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, each cutter blade 250 is of substantially triangular shape and is curved inwardly toward the center of the cutter 25. As shown in Fig. 2,

the fiber cutter 25 is held inposition in a recess 22a on the bottom of the fan 22so that the cutter blades 25c extend downwardly and inwardly. The

central axes of the recess 22a and the fiber cutter 25 substantially coincide with'theaxis of rotation 3 of the motor shaft 20 on which the fan 22 is mounted.

Immediately beneath the fiber cutter 25 there is provided an annular guard member 26. This guard member has a portion 26d closely embracing and fixedly mounted on the top of the belt guard housing portion 24a. The outer surface of the guard member 26 adj'acent'the embracing portion 26a thereof is provided a portion 26b sloping inwardly toward thefanr22 and in the direction of fiow of the air stream. This portion 26b has the shape of ,a ,frustum. of, a cone. Immediately adjacent the inner end of the sloped portion 2611 there is provided .an annular groove 260 on the guard member 26 and into which the ends of the cutter blades 25c ex tend. This groove 260 has its top surface bounded by an outwardly projecting shoulder 26d which is located betwen the innermost ends of the cutter blades 25c and the body portion 25a of the fiber cutter. In order to seal the area between the shoulder 26d .and the body portion 25a there is provided an annular washer 2! .of felt .or-other compressible material.

In the structure described above, the guard member 2G is fixed to the portion 24d of the belt guard housing and thus is non-rotatable. The fan 22 is rotated by the motor 2| and the fiber cutter 25 is locked to the fan .so that the fiber cutter rotates therewith. .Any structure desired may be employed for causing this locking and in the embodiment shown the flocking arrangement is provided by having a pair of. cut-out sections 25d provided on the inner surface of the fiber cutter 25 to engage similarly shaped sections on the fan 22.

When the suctioncleaner is in operation, the dust and fiber laden air stream is drawn by the fan from the nozzle H through the fan housing inlet eye 23d and forced into the dust bag '13 where the dust and relatively short fibers are separated from the air stream. When relatively long fibers of hair, thread and the like are in the air stream these will often become wound around the guard member '26. The force of the air stream and the rotation of the fan causes these fibers to be drawn upwardly along the outer surface of the guard member. vDue to the sloped portion 26b of the guard member, these wound fibers will be gradually drawn into the As the groove is relatively annular groove 26c. narrow, the fibers soon build up to the point where they can be engaged by the blades 250 of the rotating fiber cutter 25. These blades cut the fibers within the groove into short pieces which are easily drawn by the air stream and ejected into the bag 13 with the dust and small fibers. As will be noted in the drawings, there is an appreciable distance between the innermost edges of the blades 25c and the bottom of the groove 260. The reason for this space is that manufacturing tolerances do not warrant having the cutter blades extend the full depth of the groove. Even with this construction there will never the a large accumulation of fibers within the groove for as soon as they come in contact with the cutter blades they are immediately cut into small piec 85,

could be provided wherein the fiber cutter is mounted on a non-rotatable member and operatin in c njunction with a rotatable member.

As will be noted, the bottom of the guard member 26 extends to a point within the fan housing inlet eye 23a. This is provided so that practically all the ,fibers that are deposited on the large diameter of the portion 26a will be easily drawn over this portion and inwardly .ralohg theqsloned portion 26b into the groove 260 where they are in position to be cut by the ro-- .t ing fiber cutter 25.

Having described my invention as related to thecembodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope .as set out in the accompanying claims. i

I claim-z 1. In a suction cleaner including a rotatable fan shaft,.a fan chamber having an opening through which said shaft extends and a fan within said chamber mounted on said shaft for drawing a fiber-laden air stream through said op ning, a non-rotatable guard member surrounding said shaft adjacent said fan and said opening, and .a fiber cuttermounted. for rotation with said fan shaftandhavingat least .onecutter blade adiacent said guard member to cut fibers depositedthereon.

.2. The suction cleaner of claim 1 wherein said guard member is provided with an annular groove substantiallyconcentric with the axis of rotation of said cutter .and into which said cutter blade extends.

3,. The suction cleaner of claim 1 wherein said guard member is provided with a portion sloping inwardly in the direction of flow of said air stream from an area spaced from said cutter to anarea adjacentsaid cutter blade.

4. The suction cleaner of claim 1 wherein said fiber cutter is provided with a plurality of spaced cutter blades.

5. In a suction cleaner including a rotatable fan shaft, a fan chamber having an opening through which said shaft extends and a fan within said chamber mounted on said shaft for drawing a fiber-laden air stream through said opening, a non-rotatable guard member surrounding said shaft adjacent said fan and said opening, said guard member being provided with an annular groove substantially concentric with the axis ofyrotaltion or said fan shaft and being provided with a sloped portion on its outer surface sloping inwardly in the direction of flow of said air stream from an area spaced from said groove to said groove, and a fiber cutter mounted for rotation with said fan shaft and having a lieved obvious that an alternate c nst uction plurality of spaced cutter blades extending into said groove to cut fibers deposited therein.

- 'S. HOWARD.

*References Bi-ted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Num r ,Name Date 31513550 I-|,a'sl a July 7 .1931 ;.2,1 9.;2 ,':l.62 'Vincze 2, Mar. 5, .940 2,20 2 3 Riebel et a1. "a", June 11.3, 1940 2,224,205 Whitaker gar-rm"... Dec. .10, 1940

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