SCRUBBING MACHINE

• US 3,702,488 A
• Filed: 09/15/1970
• Issued: 11/14/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph G. Kasper
• Original Assignee: Joseph G. Kasper
• Inventors: Kasper, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/072,275
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 15/49C,5R,5C,79,83-86,320,384,340
• US Class Current: 15/50.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/00 Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/047 Collecting apparatus characterised by the hopper or by means for unloading the hopper
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/103 in which the soiled loosening or washing liquid is removed, e.g. by suction removing liquids in general E01H1/108

Abstract

A scrubbing machine having a drive unit on which an operator can sit, and a separate scrubbing unit mounted for movement independently of the frame of the drive unit. The scrubber uses double brushes driven under power which will pick up debris from and scrub surfaces on which the unit is operating. The drive unit as shown operates on a dry surface because the scrubbing unit is trailing.

Claims

1. A surface maintenance device comprising a framework forming a housing, a pair of rotatable surface engaging maintenance tools rotatably mounted within said housing about substantially parallel spaced apart axes which are parallel to the surface to be maintained, power means to rotate said maintenance tools when the tools are in contact with said surface, means to apply a liquid scrubbing solution to said surface, a receptacle to receive material carried by said maintenance tools, and positioned adjacent a first of said tools and on an opposite side of said first tool from the side of said first tool adjacent said second tool, means to determine the path of material carried by said maintenance tools to deflect debris from the surface being maintained toward said receptacle and permit a portion of any liquid picked up by said tools to move in opposite direction from said receptacle, said means to determine the path of material comprising a V-shaped deflector forming an edge positioned above and between said maintenance tools, and the edge of said V extend-ing downwardly and in direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said surface maintenance tools and is positioned above the periphery of the second of said maintenance tools, whereby liquid collecting along said edge and dripping down therefrom under gravity will strike the periphery of said second maintenance tool.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said receptacle is removably mounted on said frame for manual movement thereof.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said receptacle has side walls and a movable bottom panel, means mounting said movable bottom panel with respect to the side walls thereof, said means mounting said bottom panel permitting movement of said bottom panel from a first receptacle bottom closing position to a second position wherein said bottom panel is moved to provide an opening through the bottom of said receptacle.

4. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said means mounting said bottom panel comprise pivoting link means, actuating means for said link means operable to move said bottom panel substantially 90* between its bottom closing position and its second position.

5. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said maintenance tool comprises scrubbing brushes, squeegee means at the trailing end of said unit behind said brushes, and means mounting said squeegee means for selective movement toward and away from the surface to be maintained.

6. The combination as specified in claim 5 and vacuum means to remove material from said receptacle.

7. The combination as specified in claim 5 and a squeegee assembly adjacent each of the side edges of said surface maintenance unit, said squeegee assembly including a flexible member, and row brush means attached to said flexible member, said row brush means being positioned on each side of the surface maintenance unit adjacent the rotating brushes and aligned with the transverse gap between the brushes.

8. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said maintenance tools are brushes of different diameter.

9. The combination as specified in claim 1 and means to rotate said maintenance tools at different rotational speeds.

10. A surface maintenance device comprisinG a framework forming a housing, a pair of rotatable surface engaging maintenance tools rotatably mounted within said housing about substantially parallel spaced apart axes which are parallel to the surface to be maintained, power means to rotate said maintenance tools in opposite direction wherein said tools rotate toward each other when in contact with said surface, a receptacle to receive material carried by said maintenance tools, means to determine the path of material carried by said maintenance tools to deflect debris from the surface being maintained toward said receptacle, and permit a portion of any liquid picked up by said tools to move in opposite direction from said receptacle, said framework comprising a top plate member directly overlying and forming a shield over said surface maintenance tools, and said means to determine the path of material comprising deflector means formed as a V-shaped structural member extending transversely along said top plate member and fixed thereto to reinforce said top plate member.

11. A surface scrubbing machine having a frame member, a pair of scrubbing brushes rotatably mounted on said frame member about substantially parallel axes substantially transverse to the direction of movement of said scrubbing machine, means to rotate said brushes for scrubbing said surface, means to apply a liquid scrubbing material in the path of normal travel of said scrubbing brushes, a trash receptacle adjacent one of said brushes, baffle means on said frame member having surfaces positioned above and at least partially between said brushes to direct debris over a first one of said brushes toward said receptacle, said surfaces including surface portions inclined downwardly from a horizontal plane when the brushes are in working position to form an edge at the junction of the surface portions, said edge being positioned to at least be partially above a leading brush in direction of normal travel of said machine whereby liquid scrubbing material striking said baffle will tend to flow toward said edge and drip down toward the surface.

12. The combination as specified in claim 11 wherein said surface scrubbing machine includes a surface maintenance unit and a separate power drive and steering unit having drive and steerable wheel means thereon, and means to attach said surface maintenance unit to said separate power drive and steering unit, said means to attach comprising a link member, means pivotally mounting said link member to said surface maintenance unit, and power lift means for acting on said link member to raise said surface maintenance unit.

13. The combination as specified in claim 12 wherein said means pivotally mounting said link member to said surface maintenance unit includes means to permit transverse movement of said surface maintenance unit relative to said power drive and steering unit.

14. The combination as specified in claim 12 wherein said power drive and steering unit has a pair of powered wheels, motor means for driving each of said wheels under fluid pressure, and means to reverse the direction of said motor means in response to turning to a preselected position with said steering means.

15. A surface scrubbing machine having a frame member, a pair of counterrotating scrubbing brushes rotatably mounted on said frame member about substantially parallel axes substantially transverse to the direction of movement of said scrubbing unit, means to apply a liquid scrubbing material in the path of normal travel of said scrubbing brushes, a trash receptacle adjacent one of said brushes, a baffle on said frame member positioned above and between said brushes to direct debris over a first one of said brushes toward said receptacle, said baffle being positioned so that liquid hitting said baffle will drip under gravity onto the leading brush.

16. The combination as specified in claim 15 wherein said brushes have tubular core member, means powering said brushes comprising hydraulic motors mounted substantially within said tubUlar cores adjacent one end thereof, and idler means rotatably mounting the other ends of brushes.

17. The combination as specified in claim 16 wherein said idler means comprises separate plugs mounted inside said tubular core members at the opposite ends of said brushes, and bracket means mounting said idler plugs for removal thereof from said core members in a first direction, said tubular core members being slidably removable from said drive motors in direction toward the second ends thereof when said bracket means and idler plugs are removed.

18. The combination as specified in claim 15 and squeegee means at the trailing end of said scrubbing machine behind said brushes, and means mounting said squeegee means for selective movement toward and away from the surface to be scrubbed.

19. The scrubbing machine of claim 18 and fluid pressure means to control movement of said squeegee, control means for said fluid pressure means to limit the amount of downward force on said squeegee means.

20. The scrubbing machine of claim 18 wherein said squeegee means comprises a frame, a pair of spaced apart, co-extensive surface engaging flexible member forming a liquid receiving channel, and vacuum means to remove liquid from said channel.

21. A surface scrubbing machine having a frame member, means to move said machine along the surface to be scrubbed, a pair of counterrotating scrubbing brushes rotatably mounted on said frame member about substantially parallel axes substantially transverse to the direction of movement of said scrubbing machine, means to apply a liquid scrubbing material in the path of normal travel of said scrubbing brushes, a trash receptacle adjacent a first one of said brushes, baffle means to direct solid debris and a first portion of the liquid scrubbing material engaged by said brushes over said first one of said brushes into said receptacle said baffle means on said frame being positioned to be more closely spaced from one of said brushes than the other to permit selective separation of liquid and other debris and to cause recirculation of a portion of the liquid scrubbing material picked up by said brushes back onto the surface being scrubbed in the path of travel of said brushes.

22. The surface scrubbing machine of claim 21 and a first squeegee assembly, means mounting said squeegee assembly to the rear of both of said brushes in respect to the direction of travel, said squeegee assembly extending transversely for substantially the axial length of said brushes, and having forwardly extending portions adjacent the lateral sides thereof, and separate lateral side squeegee assemblies adjacent each side of said frame member and to the outside of the ends of said brushes, said side squeegee assemblies having trailing end portions overlapping the respective forwardly directing portions of said first squeegee assembly and positioned on the inside of said forwardly directed portions.

23. The surface scrubbing machine of claim 21 and a squeegee assembly to the rear of said brushes, means to mount said squeegee assembly on said frame comprising pivoting parallel arm means, and means to raise said squeegee assembly off the surface being scrubbed.

24. The surface scrubbing machine of claim 21 and vacuum means to remove liquid from said receptacle.

25. The surface scrubbing machine of claim 24 wherein said vacuum means includes a vacuum source, a first hydraulic motor means driving said vacuum source, and a second hydraulic motor means for driving said brushes, a source of fluid under pressure, and control means controlling operation of said first and second hydraulic motor means.

26. The surface scrubbing machine of claim 25 wherein said control means permit operation of said first and second hydraulic motor means simultaneously in series, and selectively permit operation of only said first motor means.

27. The scrubbing machine of claim 25 and a separate power unit, and a scrubbing unit, means to lift said scrubbing unit relative to said power Unit comprising a fluid pressure actuated cylinder, bypass means to control fluid pressure on said cylinder said source of fluid under pressure supplying said bypass means, and flow divider means from said source of fluid under pressure supplying a priority flow of fluid under pressure to said bypass means.

28. A maintenance machine for surfaces such as a floor or the like comprising in combination, a maintenance unit comprising a pair of brushes rotatably mounted about substantially parallel axes and having peripheries positioned closely adjacent each other, first power means to move said unit across a surface to be maintained in direction generally transverse to the extension of the axes of said brushes, second separate power means to rotate each of said brushes in opposite directions of rotation so as to have the brushes rotating toward each other while in contact with the surface to be maintained, said brushes being of different diameter, a first brush having a smaller diameter, a debris receiving receptacle adjacent the side of said first brush opposite from the other brush, and in the trajectory path of material engaged by said brushes as determined by the different diameter brushes.

29. A maintenance machine for surfaces such as a floor or the like comprising in combination, a maintenance unit comprising a pair of brushes rotatably mounted about substantially parallel axes and having peripheries positioned closely adjacent each other, first power means to move said unit across a surface to be maintained in direction generally transverse to the extension of the axes of said brushes, second separate power means to rotate each of said brushes in opposite directions of rotation so as to have the brushes rotating toward each other while in contact with the surface to be maintained, means to rotate said brushes at different speeds of rotation from each other to direct material picked up by said brushes from a surface to be maintained at a desired trajectory, and a debris receiving receptacle adjacent the side of one of said brushes opposite from the other brush and in the trajectory path of material picked up by said brushes.

30. A maintenance machine for surfaces such as a floor or the like comprising in combination, a maintenance unit comprising a pair of brushes rotatably mounted about substantially parallel axes and having peripheries positioned closely adjacent each other, first power means to move said unit across a surface to be maintained in direction generally transverse to the extension of the axes of said brushes, second separate power means to rotate each of said brushes in desired directions of rotation so as to have the brushes powered for rotation while in contact with the surface to be maintained, mechanical means for determining the trajectory of material picked up by said brushes from a surface to be maintained, a debris receiving receptacle adjacent the side of one of said brushes opposite from the other brush and in the trajectory path of material engaged by said brushes, said mechanical means comprising a deflector member having a surface with an elongated axis extending substantially parallel to the axes of said brushes, said surface having a depending edge extending in direction along said brushes, said surface extending upwardly from said edge and inclined toward said receptacle, said edge being positioned closer to said other brush than the distance between any portion of said surface and said one brush, whereby said deflector member deflects larger and lighter particles over said one brush toward the receptacle.

31. A surface maintenance device comprising a framework forming a housing, a pair of rotatable surface engaging maintenance tools rotatably mounted within said housing about substantially parallel spaced apart axes which are parallel to the surface to be maintained, power means to rotate said maintenance tools when said tools are in contact with said surface, a receptacle to receive material carried by said maintenance tools, means to Determine the path of material carried by said maintenance tools to deflect debris from the surface being maintained toward said receptacle, comprising a V-shaped deflector positioned above and between said maintenance tools, and an edge surface of said V extends downwardly and in direction parallel to the axes of rotation of said tools, and is positioned above the periphery of one of said tools and permits a portion of any liquid picked up by said tools to move in opposite direction from said receptacle.