Scrubbing machine with water regeneration

• US 4,295,244 A
• Filed: 11/19/1979
• Issued: 10/20/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Herpers, Ferdinand J., Dodge, Paul D., Carlson, Alfred D., Kroll, Harley E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Chris K.
• Application Number:
  US06/095,343
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/340, 15/353, 210/167, 210/320, 210/335, 210/513, 210/521, 210/522, 210/455, 210/483
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4022 with means for recycling the dirty liquid treatment of waste water C02F
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• 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 scrubber is disclosed including an applicator for applying a cleaning solution, a rotary brush for working such solution on the soiled surface and a pick up section for removing the cleaning solution and suspended soilage from the surface being scrubbed. The scrubber includes a dirty solution chamber and a clean solution chamber. A separator is provided between such chambers to separate the dirty water into a sludge portion which is returned to the dirty water chamber and a clean solution portion which is fed into the second chamber.

Claims

1. A scrubbing device including a body portion suitable for movement along a surface to be scrubbed;

a tank including a pair of tank chambers and separator means providing communication between said chambers, said separator means comprising a basket-like filter member, said separator means being capable of separating a dirty scrubbing solution into a clean solution portion and a solid matter portion, said clean portion being fed into one of said tank chambers, said basket-like filter member comprising a mesh basket and a box-like filter member being spaced from the bottom of said tank, thereby providing a first tank chamber outside said basket-like filter member and a second tank chamber within said basket-like filter, said tank including means cooperating with said basket-like filter member to prevent downward movement of said basket-like filter member, and to concurrently preclude any resistance against upward movement of said basket-like filter member to thereby allow said basket-like filter member to be readily removable at all times for dumping the used box-like filter.

2. The scrubbing device of claim 1 wherein said brush means includes a pair of brushes.

3. The scrubbing device of claim 2 wherein said brushes comprise a pair of counter rotating brushes.

4. The scrubbing device of claim 1 wherein said separator means further include a separator section comprising a plurality of interconnected settling chambers through which the scrubbing solution sequentially travels to remove part of the solid matter portion.

5. The scrubbing device of claim 4 wherein said settling chambers are disposed upstream of said basket-like filter member.

6. A scrubbing machine adapted for recirculation of scrubbing solution, said machine comprising:

a chamber for holding scrubbing solution;

means for applying scrubbing solution from said holding chamber to a surface to be scrubbed;

vacuum means for lifting said scrubbing solution from said surface;

means for separating the lifted solution into a reusable portion and a solid matter portion, said separating means comprising a basket filter unit disposed in said holding chamber, said basket filter unit comprising a wire basket supported in said holding chamber and a basket-like filter supported in said wire basket, said holding chamber including means cooperating with said wire basket to prevent downward movement of said wire basket, and to concurrently preclude any resistance against upward movement of said wire basket to thereby allow said wire basket to be readily removable at all times to dump said filter; and

means for conveying said lifted solution into said holding chamber whereby said solution may be separated by said filter unit.

7. The scrubbing machine of claim 6 wherein said separating means further include a separator section comprising a plurality of interconnected settling chambers through which the scrubbing solution sequentially travels to remove part of the solid matter portion.

8. The scrubbing machine of claim 7 wherein said settling chambers are disposed upstream of said basket filter unit.