FILTER CHAMBER

• US 3,639,940 A
• Filed: 08/22/1969
• Issued: 02/08/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alfred D. Carlson, Joseph G. Kasper
• Original Assignee: Alfred D. Carlson, Joseph G. Kasper
• Inventors: Carlson, Alfred D., Kasper, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, C. K.
• Application Number:
  US04/852,326
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 15/340,352 55/305,341,342,288,300,304
• US Class Current: 15/352
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/55 for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners suction cleaners comprising filters A47L9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/04 Cleaning filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/4272 Special valve constructions adapted to filters or filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/76 involving vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A filter chamber including a shaking mechanism for vibrating dust from filter bags in a sweeping machine wherein an eccentric weight is mounted onto an electric motor, and the motor in turn is mounted on spring means which are attached to the filter bags and retain the bags under spring tension. The control for turning on the vibrator motor also controls a valve which shuts off vacuum flow to the filter compartment so that the dust will more easily fall down from the sides of the filter bag at the same time the shaking occurs.

Claims

1. In a dust control device having dust and debris pick up means including a vacuum source causing a dust laden airflow, and filter means interposed to filter said airflow, the improvement comprising a housing mounting said filter means, an air inlet to said housing, and a clean air outlet from said housing leading to said vacuum blower, the path of flow of air from said inlet to said outlet being only through said filter means, means defining a plenum chamber, said filter means comprising a plurality of filter pockets, each of which opens along one edge thereof to said plenum chamber, means fixing the peripheral edges of said means defining said plenum chamber to one wall of said filter housing, and a framework substantially extending around the opposite end edges of said Filter pockets, means to support each of said filter pockets on said framework, spring means, means to connect said spring means to said framework and to exert a tension on said filter pockets in direction generally in the planes of said filter pockets, and vibrator means for selectively vibrating said support means to impart vibration to said filter pockets.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said vibrator means comprises an electric motor mounted onto said spring means, and an eccentric weight drivably mounted onto an output shaft of said electric motor.

3. The combination as specified in claim 2 and switch means for controlling said electric motor, a control member for actuating said switch means, and valve means simultaneously actuated by said control member so that when said switch means is moved to position to power said motor and rotate said weight, said valve means substantially closes off the flow of air through the filter housing.

4. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said dust control device comprises a surface maintenance machine having a frame, and wherein said spring means comprises leaf spring members, means to mount first ends of said leaf spring members to the frame of said surface maintenance machine, and fastener means passing through a wall of said housing for said filter means, one end of said fastener means being attached to the framework, and the other end of said fastener means being attached to opposite ends of said leaf spring members from the ends of said spring members attached to the frame of said machine.

5. The combination as specified in claim 4 wherein there are a pair of leaf spring members, a cross member between said leaf spring members, said vibrator means being directly mounted to said cross member.

6. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said dust control device comprises a mobile surface maintenance machine, and said dust and debris pickup means further includes a sweeping brush, said housing mounting said filter means being supported on said sweeping machine above said sweeping brush, said housing having a bottom surface, a door member positioned in said bottom surface above and in the path of normal movement of said brush, and means to permit opening said door to discharge dust and debris from the bottom surface of said housing into the path of movement of said sweeping brush.

7. In a dust control device having dust and debris pick up means including a vacuum source causing a dust laden airflow, and filter means interposed to filter said airflow, the improvement comprising a housing mounting said filter means, an air inlet to said housing, and a clean air outlet from said housing leading to said vacuum source, the path of flow of air from said inlet to said outlet being only through said filter means, support means for said filter means including spring means for supporting at least one edge portion of said filter means, and vibrator means for selectively vibrating said support means to impart vibration to said filter means, said vibrator means comprising an electric motor mounted on said spring means, and an eccentric weight mounted to be driven by an output shaft of said electric motor, switch means for controlling said electric motor, a control means for actuating said switch means, said control means comprising a control rod, the rod having an actuator portion, a conduit leading from the clean air outlet from said housing, a valve attached to said rod for actuation therewith, said valve being located to control flow through said conduit, said control rod being movable for a first position wherein said valve does not substantially obstruct flow through said conduit and wherein said actuator portion permits the switch means for said electric motor to open, to a second position wherein said actuator portion closes the switch means for said electric motor, and wherein said valve substantially blocks flow through said conduit to substantially close off flow of air through said housing.

8. The combination as specified in claim 7 and spring means on said control rod urging said control rod to its first position.

9. In a mobile surface maintenance machine including dust and debris pick up means, wheel means for mounting said machine for movement over a surface, power means for driving said mobile maintenance machine, a vacuum source, drive means driving said vacuum source from said power means, a first housing mounted on said machine, filter means mounted in said first housing, said first housing having an inlet open to the dust and debris pick up means, said dust and debris pick up means including a dust and debris housing, a clean air outlet leading from said first housing to said vacuum source, the path of flow of air from the inlet to said outlet of said first housing being only through said filter means, an airflow connection between said first housing and said dust and debris housing including a first tubular member on one of said housings, a larger tubular member on the other of said housings, said tubular members telescoping together, a flexible diaphragm on said larger tubular member, said diaphragm having its outer periphery attached to the larger tubular member, and an opening in the center portions of the diaphragm of size to sealingly slidably receive the first tubular member to permit relative movement between the two tubular members without breaking the air flow connection between said housings, vibrator means for agitating said filter means, valve means in the path of airflow through said inlet to said vacuum source operable to and from a first valve position wherein said valve means substantially blocks airflow through said filter means, and control means to substantially simultaneously actuate said vibrator means and to move said valve means to said first valve position.