Floor and baseboard treating machine

• US 4,783,872 A
• Filed: 11/25/1986
• Issued: 11/15/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Burhoe, Herbert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Leary, K. L.
• Application Number:
  US06/934,902
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 51/176, 51/174, 51/170 R, 51/170 T, 51/170 PT, 51/177, 15/98, 15/49 R, 15/49 C, 15/3.0, 15/50 R, 15/385, 180/19.1, 180/19.2, 180/19.3, 180/320, 474/148, 474/150
• US Class Current: 15/98
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/162 having only a single disc brush
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• 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: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers

Abstract

An improved high-speed floor treating machine is provided comprising a frame, a control and guiding handle extending rearwardly of the frame and an electric motor for rotating a floor contacting pad is secured. The improvement of this invention includes an elongated low clearance extension member secured to the frame. The vertical axis of the forward shaft may be offset from the frame longitudinal axis by angular rotation of the extension member with respect to the frame. The floor contacting pad extends radially beyond the extension member for providing ease of access to difficult treating areas. An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a novel baseboard floor contacting pad attached to the forward shaft of a modified extension member.

Claims

1. A machine for treating a floor comprising:

a frame base plate defining a longitudinal axis,

a guiding and control handle attached to said frame base plate,

a pair of laterally spaced rollers secured to said frame base plate for at least partially pivotally supporting said machine with respect to the floor,

a mounting plate disposed on said frame base plate,

a drive motor carried by said mounting plate,

an elongated extension member secured at one end to said mounting plate and having at its other end a treating head means, said treating head means for rotatingly treating the floor and at least partially supporting said machine with respect to the floor,

means for transmission of rotation of said drive motor to said treating head means, and

securing means for angularly varying said mounting plate with respect to said frame base plate such that said mounting plate and said treating head means of said elongated extension member may be variably angularly oriented within an arc extending from both lateral sides of said longitudinal axis,

whereby the weight of said drive motor is at least partially transferred to said treating head means via said mounting plate and said elongated extension member.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises:

a curved slot disposed in said mounting plate,

an aperture in said base plate, and

shaft means disposed in said mounting plate slot and said base plate aperture for controlling relative angular movement of said mounting plate with respect to said base plate.

3. The machine of claim 2 further comprising means for locking said base plate relative to said mounting plate.

4. The machine of claim 1 wherein said treating head means includes

a vertical shaft,

a backing pad secured to said vertical shaft, and

a treating pad attached to said backing pad by a hook and loop connector.

5. The machine of claim 1 wherein said treating head means includes

a vertical shaft,

a cylindrical drum attached to said shaft,

a floor treating pad attached to the bottom of the drum for treating the floor, and

a baseboard treating pad attached to the periphery of the drum for treating a baseboard, wherein,

said treating head enables simultaneous treatment of a baseboard and a floor surface immediately adjacent the baseboard.