Floor maintenance machine and method

• US 4,586,208 A
• Filed: 12/17/1984
• Issued: 05/06/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Trevarthen, Donald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US06/682,612
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 15/321, 15/328, 15/353, 8/158, 210/167, 210/172, 210/232, 210/240, 210/412
• US Class Current: 8/158
• 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 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4033 Means for cleaning filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers

Abstract

This is a floor maintenance machine in the nature of a carpet extractor and a method of operating it whereby it may be operated either as a single cycle unit or a recycling unit. It also includes a method and apparatus for converting a carpet extractor so that the running time between solution changes is greatly extended. There is also a back flushing arangement of the filter which extends running time. The unit also has a liquid surge control. It also includes or encompasses a convertability cart which may function in several ways.

Claims

1. A method of operating a floor maintenance machine having a solution chamber for holding clean solution to be supplied to a floor to be cleaned, a recovery chamber for receiving dirty solution returned from the floor, two conduits and a cleaning head connected to the chambers for supplying clean solution from the solution chamber to the floor to be cleaned and for returning dirty solution to the recovery chamber, a pump for supplying clean solution from the solution chamber to the cleaning head, and a vacuum fan for creating a vacuum in the recovery chamber so that dirty solution will be drawn from the floor through the cleaning head, including the steps of establishing communication between the chambers, both above and below the normal solution level, so that solution may flow from the recovery chamber through the below communication into the solution chamber and the vacuum in the recovery chamber will be applied through the above communication to the top of the solution in the solution chamber, cleaning the dirty solution flowing through the below communication so that the dirty solution in tne recovery chamber will be cleaned before it is returned to the solution chamber to thereby operate the machine on a recycling basis, and closing both the above and below communications so that the machine may also be operated on a non-recycling basis.

2. The method of claim 1 further characterized by and including the step of venting the air space in the top of the solution chamber when the communications are closed.

3. The method of claim 1 further characterized by and including the step of movably mounting the recovery chamber relative to the solution chamber so that the recovery chamber may be emptied.

4. The method of claim 3 further characterized by and including the step of removably mounting the recovery chamber relative to the solution chamber.

5. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the surface maintenance machine is a carpet extractor, and the conduit and cleaning head are in the form of a flexible hose and wand.

6. In a floor maintenance unit, a machine, a solution container on the machine for holding clean solution to be supplied to a floor to be cleaned, a recovery container on the machine for receiving dirty solution returned from the floor, conduits and a cleaning head connected to the containers for supplying clean solution from the solution container to the floor and for returning dirty solution from the floor to the recovery container, a pump for supplying clean solution from the solution container to the cleaning head, a vacuum fan on the machine for creating a vacuum in the recovery container so that dirty solution will be drawn from the floor through the cleaning head, ports between the containers, one above and the other below the normal solution level, so that solution may flow from the recovery container through the below port into the solution container and the vacuum in the air space in the recovery container will be communicated through the above port to the air space above the solution in the solution container, a cleaner across the below port so that dirty solution in the recovery container will be cleaned before it is returned to the solution container so that the unit may be operated on a recycling basis, and means for closing the ports so that the unit may also be operated on a non-recycling basis.

7. The structure of claim 6 further characterized by and including means for venting the air space in the top of the solution container when the ports are closed.

8. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that the recovery container is movably mounted on the machine so that it may be emptied.

9. The structure of claim 8 further characterized in that the solution container includes a well therein, and the recovery container is removably mounted in the well.

10. The structure of claim 9 further characterized in that the port below the normal solution level is in the form of openings in the bottom of the well and recovery container, and further including means for joining the well and recovery container openings in a fluid tight releasable sealing relation.

11. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that the surface maintenance unit is a carpet extractor, and the conduits and cleaning head are in the form of flexible hoses and a wand.

12. The structure of claim 6 in which the recovery container is removably mounted on the machine.