Surface maintenance machine drive and brush

• US 4,138,756 A
• Filed: 10/03/1977
• Issued: 02/13/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Mason, Richard A., Krier, Keith N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/838,565
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 15/82-87, 15/340
• US Class Current: 15/83
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 7/04 interchangeably removable bristle carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/02 Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0854 Apparatus in which the mechanically dislodged dirt is partially sucked-off, e.g. dislodging- sweeping apparatus with dirt collector in brush housing or dirt container mechanical dislodging machines with independent suction nozzles E01H1/0827; combined with blowing and suction E01H1/0872

Abstract

A mobile sweeping machine having separate hydraulic motors for driving a main brush, a propulsion wheel, and a curb brush and a suction blower; a constant speed power source that through a mechanical drive connection drive two variable speed displacement pumps and a fixed displacement pump; one of the variable displacement pumps being fluidly connected to the propulsion wheel motor; the other variable displacement pump being fluidly connected to the main brush motor; and the fixed displacement pump being fluidly connected to a valve for operating the cylinder for varying the downward pressure on the main brush, and to a valve for selectively applying fluid to the cylinder for operating the sweeper hopper, and supplying fluid to drive the curb brush and suction blower motors. A manual control is provided for operating the main brush hydraulic motor to discontinue the rotation of the main brush, to drive the main brush at a low brush speed, and to drive the main brush at a high brush speed. Brush tuft mounting annular flanges are tack welded to a brush tube at spaced locations around the inner peripheries of the flanges which are axially spaced from one another on the brush tube.

Claims

1. A surface maintenance machine having a frame, propulsion and steering wheels on the frame, a main surface cleaning brush, means for mounting the main brush on the frame, hydraulic motor first means for driving the propulsion wheel, hydraulic motor second means for driving the brush, a reversible variable displacement first pump, a variable displacement second pump, power source means for driving the pumps, first and second lines for conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from the first pump to the first motor means and return fluid from the first motor means to the first pump, and third and fourth lines for conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from the second pump to the second motor means and return fluid from the second motor means to the second pump.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that there is provided control means for the second pump means to selectively vary the amount of fluid under pressure pumped by the second pump means to the second motor means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that it includes a curb brush mounted on the frame, a hopper for receiving debris, means for mounting the hopper on the frame, operable suction blower means fluidly connected to the hopper to withdraw air therefrom, a third hydraulic pump, a third hydraulic motor for driving the curb brush, a fourth hydraulic motor for operating the blower means, and means for fluidly connecting the third pump to the third and fourth motors to selectively drive the third and fourth motors.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that the means for mounting the hopper includes operatable lift arm means mounted on the frame for mounting the hopper and moving the hopper between a street level sweeping position and an elevated dumping position and piston cylinder means for operating the lift arm means for moving the hopper between its positions, and that the means for fluidly connecting the third pump to the third and fourth motors includes means for selectively applying fluid under pressure from the third pump to piston cylinder means.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that there is provided a sump, a fluid line having a flow restrictor therein for conducting a limited amount of fluid from one of third and fourth lines to the sump and that the means that is fluidly connected the third and fourth motors is connected to the second pump for supplying the charging fluid thereto and a suction line between the sump and third pump.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further characterized in that the main brush includes an axially elongated tubular metal brush core having a central axis, several annular tuft mounting metal flanges, and a plurality of angularly spaced tack welds for each flange to secured the respective flange to the brush core in axial spaced relationship to the other flanges on the brush core.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further characterized in that the flanges have axial opposite sides and that there are four tack welds securing each flange side to the brush core.

8. A surface maintenance machine having a frame, ground engaging wheels mounted on the frame, a rotary main surface cleaning tool, means for mounting the tool on the frame, hydraulic motor means for drivingly rotating the tool, a variable displacement pump, first and second lines for conducting hydraulic fluid from the pump to the motor means and return fluid from the motor means to the pump, and control means for the pump to selectively vary the amount of fluid under pressure pumped by the pump to the motor means, the control means including a control lever, means movably mounting the lever on the frame, linkage means for operatively connecting the lever to the pump, and means for movably retaining the control lever in any one of three selected positions, including a stop position, the last mentioned means including a plate mounted in the frame that has an elongated slot, the lever being extended through the slot, said plate having an edge portion defining one end of said slot, and first and second stop means mounted on the plate for selected adjustment on the plate relative the length of the slot and extended partially across the slot for retaining the lever in preselected positions.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further characterized in that the plate has a second elongated slot adjacent the first slot that is elongated in the same direction as the first slot and that the stop means includes a first stop, a second stop, each of said stops having a lever receiving recess, and means for each of the stops extended through the second slot to retain the stops in adjusted spaced relationship with their recesses facing remote from said edge portion and extending partially across the first slot.

10. A surface maintenance machine having a frame, propulsion and steering wheels on the frame, a main surface cleaning brush, means for mounting the main brush on the frame, hydraulic motor first means for driving the propulsion wheel, hydraulic motor second means for driving the brush, a reversible variable displacement first pump, a variable displacement second pump, power source means for driving the pumps, first and second lines for conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from the first pump to the first motor means and return fluid from the first motor means to the first pump, and third and fourth lines for conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from the second pump to the second motor means and return fluid from the second motor means to the second pump, and control means for the second pump means to selectively vary the amount of fluid under pressure pumped by the second pump means to the second motor means, the control means including a control lever movably mounted on the frame, linkage means for operatively connecting the lever to the second pump means, and means on the frame for movably retaining the control lever in any one of at least three selected positions.

11. A surface maintenance machine having a frame, propulsion and steering wheels on the frame, a main surface cleaning brush means for mounting the main brush on the frame, hydraulic motor first means for driving the propulsion wheel, hydraulic motor second means for driving the brush, a reversible variable displacement first pump, a variable displacement second pump, power source means for driving the pumps, first and second lines for conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from the first pump to the first motor means and return fluid from the first motor means to the first pump, and third and fourth lines for conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from the second pump to the second motor means and return fluid from the second motor means to the second pump, a curb brush mounted on the frame, a hopper for receiving debris, means for mounting the hopper on the frame, operable suction blower means fluidly connected to the hopper to withdraw air therefrom, a third hydraulic pump, a third hydraulic motor for driving the curb brush, a fourth hydraulic motor for operating the blower means, and means for fluidly connecting the third pump to the third and fourth motors to selectively drive the third and fourth motors, the means for mounting the main brush including piston cylinder means for moving the main brush between a surface sweeping position and an elevated travel position, a sump, and means connected between the third pump, sump and the last mentioned piston cylinder means for selectively applying fluid under pressure from the third pump to the last mentioned piston cylinder means to move the main brush between its position.