US3636580A

US3636580A - Road sweeper hydraulic broom drive and mounting

Info

Publication number: US3636580A
Application number: US883768A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rodney L Woodworth
Original assignee: Wayne Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Wayne Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1969-12-10
Filing date: 1969-12-10
Publication date: 1972-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-25

Abstract

A road sweeper pickup broom is suspended by a parallel linkage supporting a broom driving hydraulic motor having a broom drive rotor and a housing fixed to a support component of the linkage.

Description

United States Patent Woodworth [54] ROAD SWEEPER HYDRAULIC BROOM DRIVE AND MOUNTING [72] Inventor: Rodney L. Woodworth, Claremont, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Wayne Manufacturing Company, Pomona,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 883,768

[52] U.S. CI ..15/84 [51] Int. Cl ...E01h 1/04 [58] Field 0! Search l5/82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 15/340, 55

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l,069,773 8/l9 l3 0mm; rs 340x 51 Jan. 25, 1972 Burgdorff 15/84 3,113,332 12/1963 Kasper ..l5/83 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 620,540 5/1961 Italy ..i5/85 Primary ExaminerEdward L. Roberts Attorney-White & Haefliger 57 ABSTRACT A road sweeper pickup broom is suspended by a parallel linkage supporting a broom driving hydraulic motor having a broom drive rotor and a housing fixed to a support component of the linkage.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUmzsmz 3336580 SHEET 2 OF 2 IN vavrae Ram/5V1 WEaowaen/ ROAD SWEEPER HYDRAULIC BROOM DRIVE AND MOUNTING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, vehicle-mounted cylindrical road sweeper brooms have been connected to a pulling vehicle by a single pair of trailing arms pivoted to the vehicle frame to permit bodily displacement of the broom in response to sweeping and road conditions. As so mounted, the broom has been chain driven by an engine carried by the vehicle.

Using this same type of single pair broom pulling arms, it has been proposed to rotatively drive the broom by a motor carried by one of the arms concentrically with the broom axis, either inside or outside the broom core and with the motor stator or housing connected to the arm. 7

It is with improvements in arm-mounted motor broom drives that the present invention is concerned.

Among several factors which govern proper sweeping action of the broom are motor torque reaction influences and ground reaction to the broom and its sweep. Using single-arm mountings for the motor, it is found that the ground reaction is the opposite of that desired, as a consequence of which when heavy debris is encountered by the broom the ground reaction has been so decreased by the transmitted motor torque as to preclude clean sweeping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforementioned limitations are overcome in accordance with the present invention by the provision of a second motor mount arm component serving to remove or minimize the motor torque reaction effect and thereby maximize the sweeping efficiency of the broom.

This result is accomplished by the use of a parallel linkage suspension employing upper and lower arms pivoted to the pulling vehicle and interconnected with a motor support arm or link which transmits the motor torque to the upper arm while opposite pull and broom imposed forces are taken by the lower arm.

As will appear, the motor may be positioned concentrically with the broom axis at the juncture of the motor support with the lower arm or at an intermediate position between the arms, and the motor may be accommodated within or at the outside of the broom core.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings which are illustrative of the invention in typical embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view showing in side elevation a road sweeper vehicle carrying at the rear one form of pickup broom suspen sion embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isolated end elevation of the broom associated with the FIGS. 3 and 4 suspension;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlargement of the broom drive and suspension components within the broken line encircled 4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a variational form of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Except for the broom suspension generally indicated at 10, the pulling vehicle may be a conventional road sweeper truck having forward and rear wheels 11 and 12, gutter broom I3, and a frame structure 14 which carries a debris chamber or receptacle 15. The frame structure may be regarded as including beyond the pickup broom 16 a pair of depending arm mounting plates or members 17. The broom is power driven in the direction of the arrow 18 to displace swept debris forwardly of the vehicle for reception within the housing 19 of conveyor 20 which elevates the sweepings for delivery into the receptacle in a conventional manner.

In reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the broom suspension includes upper and lower essentially parallel and

equal length arms

21 and 22 pivoted at 23 and 24 to supports 25 and 26 carried by the vehicle frame. The

linkage arms

21 and 22 are pivotally connected at 27 and 28 to motor support arm 29 so that the arm assembly constitutes and functions essentially as a parallel linkage. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the

arms

21 and 29 may be provided beyond one end only of the broom 16, although if desired for greater stability the arm combination may be used at both ends of the broom with a single-motor drive now to be described.

Broadly contemplated is mounting of the hydraulic broom drive motor either at the outside of the broom and support 29 or within the tubular broom core 30 as illustrated. Preferably the motor is accommodated within the broom core in axial alignment with the broom with the head 31 on the motor rotor shaft 32 connected to the broom core as at 33. The motor stator component or housing 34 is fixed to the support arm 29 as by way of stub shaft 35 integral with plate 36 recessed at 37 to receive the end of the broom core and joined at 38 to the motor housing 34. As illustrated, the lower linkage arm 22 pivots at 39 on the stub shaft 35. By reason of the rigid association of the motor housing with support arm 29 the latter resists and transmits to arm 21 the motor housing torque reaction which is opposite the direction of the broom rotation and that of the motor shaft 32. Thus the motor torque influences on the sweeping action of the broom are minimized or eliminated and proper ground reaction to the broom is maintained for sweeping of light or heavy debris.

Referring now to the variational form of the invention appearing in FIG. 5, here the

arms

40 and 41 are pivotally connected at 42 and 43 to a motor link support 44 to the outside of which is mounted the hydraulic motor 45 having its shaft or rotor 46 suitably connected to a tubular or other broom core with the motor housing fixed to the mounting link. If desired, the motor may be accommodated within the broom core as in accordance with FIG. 3. Whether inside or outside the broom core the motor housing transmits its torque reaction by way of the support 44 to upper arm 40 to the same general effect and advantage as the previously described torque transmission by way of am 27 to link 21.

At its end opposite the motor drive the broom may be suspended by

parallel arms

46 and 47 corresponding to

arms

40, 41 and interconnected by link 48, or the upper arm 40 and link extension 48a to it may be omitted, leaving the broom suspension to arm 47.

Iclaim:

l. A road sweeper vehicle pickup broom suspension and drive, comprising a rotating cylindrical pickup broom positioned to be pulled by the vehicle in road surface contact with broom weight at all times fully applied to said surface, a hydraulic motor having a rotor for rotating the broom to displace debris forwardly of the vehicle and axially aligned with the broom, a motor housing support at one end of the broom and including a stub shaft and a support arm integral with said shaft and projecting radially therefrom, and spaced upper and lower substantially parallel arms pivotally connected to said support arm and said stub shaft at vertically spaced locations proximate a vertical plane containing the broom axis, and to the vehicle.

2. The combination of claim 1, including also conveyor means carried by the vehicle forwardly of the broom and receiving its sweepings for elevation to a debris chamber.

3. The combination of claim 1, and a single-ann connecting the opposite end of the broom to the vehicle.

4. The combination of claim 1, in which said support includes a vertical plate carrying said stub shaft at one side thereof, and annularly recessed to receive an end of a tubular core of said broom.

5. The combination of claim I, in which said motor is contained within a tubular core of said broom.

6. The combination of claim I, in which said motor is mounted to the outside of said support.

Claims

1. A road sweeper vehicle pickup broom suspension and drive, comprising a rotating cylindrical pickup broom positioned to be pulled by the vehicle in road surface contact with broom weight at all times fully applied to said surface, a hydraulic motor having a rotor for rotating the broom to displace debris forwardly of the vehicle and axially aligned with the broom, a motor housing support at one end of the broom and including a stub shaft and a support arm integral with said shaft and projecting radially therefrom, and spaced upper and lower substantially parallel arms pivotally connected to said support arm and said stub shaft at vertically spaced locations proximate a vertical plane containing the broom axis, and to the vehicle.

3. The combination of claim 1, and a single-arm connecting the opposite end of the broom to the vehicle.

5. The combination of claim 1, in which said motor is contained within a tubular core of said broom.

6. The combination of claim 1, in which said motor is mounted to the outside of said support.