Debris collecting mechanism
First Claim
1. A maintenance machine used to simultaneously sweep and scrub floor surfaces, comprising movable body means including a forward end, at least two substantially side-by-side disc brushes carried by said body means, said brushes including a forwardmost brush positioned slightly ahead of a rearwardmost brush, said brushes rotating in the same rotational direction as determined by the forward edge of the forwardmost brush with said rearwardmost brush sweeping generally towards the forwardmost brush;
- a housing attached to said forward end, said housing comprising a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept therein by said brushes; and
means for receiving debris, said receiving means being mounted intermediate said hopper and said brushes adjacent said rearward opening for receiving debris swept forwardly by said brushes.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a combination sweeping, polishing and scrubbing floor maintenance machine, the present invention includes a debris hopper removably positioned in a frame secured to a portion of the machine. The debris hopper has a rearward opening facing a pair of substantially side-by-side disc tools, e.g. brushes. The brushes preferably rotate in the same rotational direction with one brush positioned slightly ahead of the other brush. Immediately in front of the forward edge of the leading brush is a conduit means secured to the hopper. Adjacent the conduit means and extending along the hopper opening is a flexible member. Both the flexible member and the conduit means serve as debris receiving means for directing swept debris upwardly into the debris hopper. Blade members may be provided forward of the debris receiving means and beneath the hopper to guide debris into a central area of the machine'"'"'s path of travel.
78 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A maintenance machine used to simultaneously sweep and scrub floor surfaces, comprising movable body means including a forward end, at least two substantially side-by-side disc brushes carried by said body means, said brushes including a forwardmost brush positioned slightly ahead of a rearwardmost brush, said brushes rotating in the same rotational direction as determined by the forward edge of the forwardmost brush with said rearwardmost brush sweeping generally towards the forwardmost brush;
- a housing attached to said forward end, said housing comprising a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept therein by said brushes; and
means for receiving debris, said receiving means being mounted intermediate said hopper and said brushes adjacent said rearward opening for receiving debris swept forwardly by said brushes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- a housing attached to said forward end, said housing comprising a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept therein by said brushes; and
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8. A floor maintenance machine comprising a body supported on a plurality of wheels;
- disc brush means disposed at the forward end of the machine for sweeping at least one pathway;
a debris hopper;
a frame positioned forwardly of said disc brush means and constructed and arranged for removable securement of said debris hopper therein;
a debris conduit and a flexible member secured with respect to said hopper immediately forward of said disc brush means, said member having an end portion located adjacent said debris conduit and a generally elongated body portion having means therein for allowing debris to travel therethrough to said brush means, said flexible member providing a ramp for debris swept forwardly to enter said hopper. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
- disc brush means disposed at the forward end of the machine for sweeping at least one pathway;
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11. In a floor surface cleaning unit, including a body supported on a plurality of wheels, the improvement comprising:
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a frame mounted on said cleaning unit; a debris hopper removably secured within said frame; a leading disc brush and a trailing disc brush, each of said brushes adapted for operable connection to the cleaning unit, said trailing brush constructed and arranged to rotate the forward edge of said brush in a direction generally toward said leading brush, said leading brush being constructed and arranged to rotate in the same direction as said trailing brush; a debris conduit mounted to said hopper adjacent to and in front of said leading disc brush; at least one debris blade mounted to said frame principally beneath said hopper and apart from said brushes at an angle oblique to the normal direction of forward travel of the cleaning unit; and a flexible ramp secured to said hopper adjacent said debris conduit, intermediate said brushes and said blade, said ramp directing debris into said hopper allowing debris to pass therethrough to said brushes. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A mobile cleaning unit used to simultaneously scrub and sweep a floor surface, said unit including a body structure having a forward end portion and being supported by means for moving said unit across a floor surface, a power source for driving said unit, a tank for containing scrubbing solution, means for applying said solution to a surface to be scrubbed, and at least two substantially side-by-side disc-shaped floor maintenance tools, one of said tools being positioned slightly ahead of said other tool with both tools rotating in the same rotational direction, means for collecting debris swept forwardly by said rotating tools, said collecting means comprising:
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a housing removably secured to said body structure forward end portion, said housing including a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept forwardly by said tools; and
,means on said hopper for receiving debris swept forwardly by said tools, said receiving means constructed and arranged to serve as a ramp for directing debris into said hopper. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A maintenance machine used to simultaneously sweep and scrub a floor surface, comprising movable body means including a rearward end, a squeegee mounted at said rearward end, at least two substantially side-by-side disc brushes carried by said body means, said brushes being diposed immediately forward of said squeegee, said brushes rotating in the same rotational direction;
- a housing positioned beneath and attached to said body means near said brushes, said housing comprising a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept forwardly therein by said brushes; and
means for receiving debris swept forward by said brushes, said receiving means being mounted intermediate said hopper and said brushes and adjacent to said rearward opening. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
- a housing positioned beneath and attached to said body means near said brushes, said housing comprising a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept forwardly therein by said brushes; and
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25. A maintenance machine used to simultaneously sweep and scrub a floor surface, comprising movable body means including a forward end, a plurality of disc brushes carried by said body means, said brushes including a pair of forwardmost brushes spaced apart in a substantially side-by-side relationship, said forwardmost brushes rotating in opposite directions, said plurality of brushes further including at least two rearwardmost brushes each positioned slightly behind a respective forwardmost brush and generally side-by-side and closer together with respect to said respective forwardmost brushes, said rearwardmost brushes each rotating in the same direction as said forwardmost brush positioned directly ahead thereof;
- a housing attached to said forward end, said housing comprising a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept therein by said brushes;
said hopper having at least one rearward opening adjacent said forwardmost brushes; and
means for receiving debris swept forwardly, said receiving means being mounted intermediate said hopper and said forwardmost brushes and adjacent to said rearward opening of said hopper.
- a housing attached to said forward end, said housing comprising a rearwardly opening hopper for containing debris swept therein by said brushes;
- 28. A maintenance machine for simultaneously sweeping and scrubbing a floor surface, said machine comprising movable body means, disc brush means carried by said body means, and removable hopper means disposed immediately forward of said disc brush means, said hopper means including ramp means for receiving debris projected from said disc brush means, said hopper being readily removable for dumping of said debris.
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30. A maintenance machine for simulaneously sweeping and scrubbing a floor surface, said machine comprising movable body means, disc brush means carried by said body means, and removable hopper means disposed immediately forward of said disc brush means, said hopper means including ramp means for receiving debris projected from said disc brush means, said disc brush means comprising a pair of side-by-dide disc brushes.
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32. A maintenance machine comprising a body supported on a plurality of wheels;
- disc tool means for maintenance of at least one pathway;
a debris hopper opening rearwardly;
a frame positioned forwardly of said disc tool means, said frame being adapted to support said debris hopper in a manner to allow periodic removal of debris from said hopper;
said debris hopper including means for receiving debris thrown forwardly by said disc tool means, said debris receiving means being disposed between said rearward opening and said disc tool means.
- disc tool means for maintenance of at least one pathway;
Specification