US3504393A - Wringing apparatus for floor mops - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1970 P. E. Foss ErAL 3,504,393

WRINGING APPARATUS FOR FLOOR MOPS Filed Dec. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F2 I I INVENTORS Pena E. Foss ALFRED H WARNER BY mai jdM-l wm ATTORNEY April 7, 1970 F055 ETAL 3,504,393

WRINGING APPARATUS FOR FLOOR MOPS Filed Dec. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Penn: 5. F035 BY Awken H. WARNER an- M/JJM Adam ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,504,393 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 3,504,393 WRINGING APPARATUS FOR FLOOR MOPS Peter Ernest Foss, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, and Alfred Henry Warner, Redhill, England, assiguors t Floor Cleaning Services Limited Filed Dec. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 690,538 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 14, 1966, 56,005/ 66 Int. Cl. A471 13/59 US. Cl. 15262 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mop wringing apparatus comprising a fixed reaction member having a surface upon which the absorbent head of a mop can be positioned, a roller support structure pivoted about a pivot axis generally transverse to and spaced from the surface, a roller mounted on the support structure for rotation about an axis generally parallel with the said pivot axis and for bodily movement towards and away from the said pivot axis, and spring means between the support structure and the roller biasing the roller away from the said pivot axis.

This invention relates to mop wringing apparatus of the kind including a roller, a fixed reaction member having a surface upon which the absorbent head of the mop can be positioned, and operating mechanism arranged to be actuated by an operating lever and when so actuated first to move the roller from an inoperative position in which it is spaced from the surface of the reaction member, into an operative position in which, when the absorbent head is in position on the said surface, the roller presses the absorbent head against the surface, and then to roll the roller, when in such operative position, across the surface of the reaction member and over the absorbent head to expel liquid from the absorbent head.

One known construction of mop wringing apparatus of the kind referred to above is described in the specification of the present applicants British Patent No. 941,920. In this known construction the operating mechanism comprises a series of links and arms interconnecting the operating lever and the roller and while it is suitable for use where relatively large areas of floor have to be cleaned, for example assembly halls, it is complicated and expensive and is not particularly suitable for use where smaller areas of floor have to be cleaned. It is an object of the present invention to provide mop wringing apparatus of the kind referred to which will be simpler than that described in Patent No. 941,920 and more particularly suitable for use where only relatively small areas of floor have to be cleaned.

Mop wringing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a fixed reaction member having a surface upon which the absorbent head of a mop can be positioned, a roller support structure pivoted about a pivot axis generally transverse to and spaced from the surface, a roller mounted on the support structure for rotation about an axis generally parallel with the said pivot axis and for bodily movement towards and away from the said pivot axis, and spring means between the support structure and the roller biassing the roller away from the said pivot axis, the support structure being pivotable about the said pivot axis from a first position in which the roller is spaced from the said surface through a second position in which it will contact a mop head located on the surface and thence to a third position beyond the second position, movement between the second and third positions serving to squeeze a mop head located on the surface with movement of the roller towards the pivot axis against the bias.

Preferably an operating lever is connected to the support structure and movement of which causes pivotal movement of the support structure and conveniently slotted members are provided for guiding the pivotal movement of the roller with respect to the pivotal axis. The support structure may include a bar rotatably supporting the roller, and the support structure is preferably mounted on a rod co-axial with the pivotal axis.

The slotted members may be formed by U-shaped members the arms of each of which are connected to the bar supporting the roller and the bases of which extend around the rod. The spring means are preferably in the form of compression springs extending between the bar and the rod and conveniently they are arranged around the U-shaped members.

The apparatus preferably includes a frame arranged to carry an open topped receptacle disposed to collect the liquid expelled from the absorbent head and preferably also a further open topped receptacle for use as a container for water and/or detergent. In a preferred construction the frame is provided with wheels, which may be disposed on one side of the frame sothat the frame can be tilted to move it while supporting feet are provided on the opposite side to support the frame in a stationary position. Further supporting feet may also be provided intermediate the sides of the frame and serving to support the apparatus on a stair or like ledge.

The rod is preferably supported in the frame in a readily detachable manner and in which case the ends of the rod may be received in sockets in the frame. The sockets are preferably in the form of generally U-shaped members the closed ends of which are arranged to receive the ends of the rod. The U-shaped members may be arranged in an upwardly sloping position with the open ends uppermost and having the lower limb of the U longer than the upper limb so that the ends of the rod can be placed on the lower limb and slid into position.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but one specific embodiment will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of mop wringing apparatus according to the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing the operating mechanism in its two extreme positions.

As shown in the figures the apparatus comprises a frame indicated generally at 1 and provided with a pair of supporting wheels 2 mounted on axle 3. The frame comprises a base 4 which is approximately rectangular in plan and has two frame members in the form of uprights 5 extending upwards from the rear corners of the base and two further frame members having parts 6 extending upwards from the front corners of the base, and parts 6A which extend below the base and are provided with feet 7. Two further members 8A extend downwards from the sides of the base and are each provided with similar feet 8 which are spaced from the rear by a distance such that the apparatus can stand on almost all widths of stair.

The upwardly extending parts 6 have rearwardly inclined upper portions 10 which are connected at their upper ends to the uprights 5. The uprights 5 are joined at their upper ends by a crossbar 11 retaining them together. Connected between the upper parts of each of the members 6, the members 10 and the upper part of the members 5 are side plates 13, and extending between and rigidly supported by the rear part of the frame is a reaction member in the form of an imperforate plate indicated at 14. Positioned adjacent the upper edge of the plate are a pair of projecting prongs which are so spaced horizontally from one another and disposed as to engage two holes in the upper part of the back of a mop, indicated at 16 in FIGURE 2, the fringe 17 of which will then rest against the reaction plate 14 as indicated.

The projecting prongs 15 are connected, as by welding, to the crossbar 11 and have parts extending therethrough and which parts are provided with screw threads arranged to be engaged by wing nuts 18 and which serve to retain a detachable propelling handle 19 in position. The handle 19 is of generally cruciform shape with a cross member 20 which when the handle is mounted on the frame abuts against the back of the plate 14 and which, and the member 11, is provided with two holes through which the threaded parts of the prongs 15 extend and are retained thereon by the wing nuts 18. The lower part of the handle is hollow and is arranged to fit over a boss 21 connected to a plate 22 rigidly secured to the lower part of the reaction member which as shown at 23 slopes slightly inwardly.

The plates 13 have welded to them generally U-shaped strips which form slightly upwardly sloping sockets 24, the lower limbs 25 of which are longer than the upper limbs 26. Retained in the sockets 24 is a rod 28 forming the supporting member of the operating mechanism.

Extending around the rod 28 are the bases of two U-shaped members 30 the ends of the arms of which are rigidly secured to a bar 31. The bar 31 has flanges 32 extending from its ends in which a roller 33 is rotatably mounted. Arranged between the bar 31 and the rod 28 are compression springs 34 biassing the bar 31 away fro-m the rod 28, the springs being arranged around the U-shaped members 30. Rigidly connected to the bar 31 is an operating handle 35 by which the operating mechanism can be actuated so that the operating mechanism is moved from the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 2 to the position shown in chain lines to squeeze the water out of the mop.

Supported upon the base 4 of the frame is a rectangularly shaped container 36 divided into two compartments 37 and 38 by a dividing wall 40. The compartment 37 is intended to contain liquid into which a mop can be dipped while the compartment 38 constitutes a receptacle for liquid expelled from the mop by the wringing mechanism. The compartment 37 may include a perforated or imperforate inclined plate, as indicated at 41 adjacent to the dividing wall to enable an operator to squeeze some of the liquid from the fringe of the mop in well known manner after it has been dipped into the liquid in the container 37 and prior to a floor mopping operation or a wringing operation.

In use of the apparatus, a mop head which is to be wrung is suspended from the prongs 15, the prongs engaging in the holes or eyes provided for this purpose on the back of the mop head, i.e. on the rigid member in which the tufts of the mop are anchored. The operating handle 35 is then pulled rearward to swing the roller 33 from its first (or inoperative) position into a second position in which the roller 33 engages the upper portions of the tufts, pressing them against the reaction plate 14. Continued movement of the operating handle then causes the roller 33 and its support bar 31 to rotate to move the roller down over the tufts of the mop. The roller thus rolls down the tufts and presses them resiliently against the imperforate reaction plate 14 to squeeze the moisture from the tufts. This moisture runs down the face of the reaction plate into compartment 38. The springs 34 enable the roller to accommodate variations in the thickness of the tufts.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure y Letters Pa ent 5 5:

1. A mop wringing apparatus comprising a fixed reaction member having an imperforate surface upon which the absorbent head of a mop can be positioned, a fixed horizontal rod defining a pivot axis generally parallel to and spaced from the imperforate surface, a roller support structure mounted on the rod including slotted members and a bar, a roller mounted on the bar for rotation about an axis generally parallel with said pivot axis, said slotted members permitting translatory movement of the roller towards and away from said pivot axis and comprising U-shaped members, the arms of each of the U-shaped members being connected to the bar supporting the roller and the bases of the U-shaped members extending around the rod, and spring means urging the roller radially away from said pivot axis, the support structure being pivotable about said pivot axis to move from a first position in which the roller is spaced from said imperforate surface into a second position in which it will engage a mop head located on the surface and thence to roll along the mop head pressing the mop head resiliently against said imperforate surface so as to squeeze moisture from the mop head.

2. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which a manual operating lever is connected to the support structure for actuating pivotal movement of the support structure.

3. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises compression springs extending between the bar and the rod.

4. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the compression springs are arranged around the U-shaped members.

5. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a frame arranged to carry an open topped receptacle disposed to collect the liquid expelled from the absorbent head.

6. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the frame is provided with wheels which are disposed coaxially with each other at one side of the frame so that the frame can be tilted to be supported on the wheels to move it, supporting feet being provided on the opposite side of the frame to support the frame when stationary.

7. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the frame has further supporting feet which are disposed intermediate the wheels and the first said supporting feet.

8. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which sockets are provided in the frame and the ends of the rod are received in the sockets.

9. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which each of the sockets is in the form of a generally U-shaped member, the closed ends of which are arranged to receive the ends of the rod.

10. Mop wringing apparatus comprising a fixed reaction member having an imperforate surface, means for positioning an absorbent mop head on said surface of said reaction member, a fixed horizontal rod defining a pivot axis generally parallel to and spaced from the surface of said reaction member, a support structure mounted on said rod and comprising a bar and U-shaped members having arms connected together by a base, the arms being connected to the bar and the bases extending around the rod, a roller mounted on the bar for rotation about an axis generally parallel with said pivot axis and for translatory movement towards and away from said first pivot axis, and spring means urging the roller radially away from said pivot axis, the support structure being pivotable about said pivot axis to move from a first position in which the roller is spaced from said imperforate surface into a second position in which it will engage a mop head located on the surface and thence to roll along the mop head pressing the mop head resiliently against said perforate surface so as to squeeze moisture from the mo head.

11. Mop wringing apparatus comprising a frame, a fixed reaction member mounted thereon having an imperforate surface, means for positioning an absorbent mop head on said surface of said reaction member, a fixed horizontal rod defining a pivot axis generally parallel to and spaced from the surface of said reaction member, U-shaped socket members mounted on said frame for receiving the ends of said rod, a support structure mounted on said rod, a roller mounted on said support structure for rotation about an axis generally parallel with said pivot axis and for translatory movement towards and away from said pivot axis, and spring means urging the roller radially away from said pivot axis, the support structure being pivotable about said pivot axis to move from a first position in which the roller is spaced from said imperforate surface into a second position in which it will engage a mop head located on the surface and thence to roll along the mop head pressing the mop head resiliently against said imperforate surface so as to squeeze moisture from the mop head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,671 2/1908 Phillips 15--262 921,207 5/1909 Davis 15-262 5 1,378,879 5/1921 Lawlor 15262 1,902,688 3/1933 Cesario 15264 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 389,547 3/1933 Great Britain. 418,864 11/1934 Great Britain. 941,920 11/1963 Great Britain.

US. Cl. X.R.

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