Floor cleaning machine
First Claim
1. A cleaning machine having a main frame and a ground-engaging brush driven for sweeping a surface and moving debris through a dirt transfer duct within a casing of said machine, the improvement comprising:
- a carrier frame mounted to said main frame and located below first and second dirt delivery openings formed in a wall of said casing;
first and second containers adapted to be removably positioned on said carrier frame, each container having an upper rim surrounding an associated container inlet opening; and
control linkage carried by said main frame and connected to said carrier frame for moving said carrier frame between a raised use position in which said upper rim of each of said dirt containers engages said casing wall and seals therewith about an associated one of said first and second dirt delivery openings, and a lowered access position in which outer portions of said first and second containers are lowered to an access position, permitting exterior access thereto.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A floor-cleaning machine which can be driven over the floor, includes a driven brush for sweeping the floor to be cleaned. The brush picks up dirt and debris from the floor and carries it, assisted by forced air flow, in an overhead motion and through a transfer duct to a pair of dirt containers in the form of buckets located side-by-side at the rear of the machine. A manual linkage at the rear of the machine moves a pivoted carrier frame which holds the dirt containers, between a raised use position in which the upper rims of the dirt containers are sealed to the machine for collection of debris, and a lowered access position for removal of the containers. Each container is independently accessible for emptying, and includes a bail-type handle pivotally attached such that a bucket, the opening of which faces forwardly and upwardly in the use position, extends generally horizontal when removed, to avoid spillage. Each container has a recess adjacent the inlet opening for receiving the handle in the operating position.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A cleaning machine having a main frame and a ground-engaging brush driven for sweeping a surface and moving debris through a dirt transfer duct within a casing of said machine, the improvement comprising:
-
a carrier frame mounted to said main frame and located below first and second dirt delivery openings formed in a wall of said casing;
first and second containers adapted to be removably positioned on said carrier frame, each container having an upper rim surrounding an associated container inlet opening; and
control linkage carried by said main frame and connected to said carrier frame for moving said carrier frame between a raised use position in which said upper rim of each of said dirt containers engages said casing wall and seals therewith about an associated one of said first and second dirt delivery openings, and a lowered access position in which outer portions of said first and second containers are lowered to an access position, permitting exterior access thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A container for use in a mobile floor sweeper machine, comprising:
-
left and right upright side walls, an upright rear wall, a forward wall, and a bottom, said forward wall being shorter than said outer rear wall, said forward wall, rear wall and first and second side walls cooperating to define an inlet opening extending along a plane at an angle approximately in the range of 30°
-40°
relative to said bottom, each of said side walls, rear wall, forward wall being of a dual wall construction and cooperating to define a continuous, flat upper sealing edge adapted to seal with the casing of said machine when said container is in a use position relative to said machine, the upper edges of said left and right side walls and said rear wall defining a generally U-shaped outer recess constructed to receive a handle;
and a bail handle having extending legs, the distal portions of said legs of said handle being pivotally mounted to upper intermediate portions of said left and right side walls respectively and arranged to be housed entirely in said recess such that extensions of the outer surfaces of said left and right side walls are outside the lateral portions of said handle when said handle is folded into said recess, and the upper surfaces of said left and right side walls and said rear wall define a sealing plane above said handle when said handle is received in said recess. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification