Floor buffing machine with automatic pad pressure adjustment
First Claim
1. Apparatus for treating a floor comprising:
- a housing;
wheel means mounted to said housing for rollably supporting said housing on the floor;
handle means connected to the housing for moving the housing over the floor on said wheel means;
a first electric motor mounted on said housing;
holder means mounted for rotational movement to said first motor for supporting a floor treatment element in confronting relation to the floor, said first motor being operative to rotate said holder means and said floor treatment element;
means mounting the holder means to said first motor for vertical movement relative to the floor;
lifter means connected to said holder means for supporting said holder means on said mounting means; and
a second electric motor mounted to said housing and connected to said lifter means for raising and lowering said lifter means relative to the floor so as to engage and disengage the floor with the rotating floor treatment element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electric buffing machine and a method buffing waxed floors are disclosed. The buffing machine comprises a molded plastic housing, a foldable handle and a DC drive motor directly driving a buffing pad holder. The pad is movable into and out of engagement with the floor by a pad lifter mechanism which raises and lowers the pad holder along a splined drive shaft of the drive motor. The pad lifter mechanism comprises a reversible motor mounted to the housing and connected to the pad holder by means of a threaded output shaft which supports a lifter arm rotatably connected to the pad holder. Rotation of the threaded shaft in one direction or the other moves the lifter arm into which the shaft is threaded together with the pad holder and pad up or down relative to the floor. By observing the current draw of the drive motor, control of pad pressure may be achieved. The pad holder design provides a directed air flow into the housing to collect dust, dirt and debris generated by the buffing operation.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. Apparatus for treating a floor comprising:
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a housing; wheel means mounted to said housing for rollably supporting said housing on the floor; handle means connected to the housing for moving the housing over the floor on said wheel means; a first electric motor mounted on said housing; holder means mounted for rotational movement to said first motor for supporting a floor treatment element in confronting relation to the floor, said first motor being operative to rotate said holder means and said floor treatment element; means mounting the holder means to said first motor for vertical movement relative to the floor; lifter means connected to said holder means for supporting said holder means on said mounting means; and a second electric motor mounted to said housing and connected to said lifter means for raising and lowering said lifter means relative to the floor so as to engage and disengage the floor with the rotating floor treatment element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A buffing machine for buffing a floor comprising:
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a housing having a first electric motor mounted thereon, said motor including a splined drive shaft disposed on a first rotational axis; means mounted to said housing for supporting said housing relative to the floor; a buffing pad holder having a splined bore slidably mounted for axial movement on said splined shaft; and lifter means connected to said holder for slidably positioning said holder in a selected axial position along said drive shaft for rotation about said axis, said lifter means further comprising a second motor mounted to said housing and a lifter arm connected between said second motor and said holder. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. Apparatus for treating a floor comprising:
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a housing; wheel means mounted to said housing for rollably supporting said housing on the floor; handle means connected to the housing for moving the housing over the floor on said wheel means; a first electric motor mounted on said housing, said first motor having a splined drive shaft; holder means mounted for rotational movement to said first motor for supporting a floor treatment element in confronting relation to the floor, said first motor being operative to rotate said holder means and said floor treatment element, said holder means having a splined bore axially slidable along said splined drive shaft; lifter means connected to said holder means for supporting said holder means; and a second electric motor mounted to said housing and connected to said lifter means for raising and lowering said lifter means relative to the floor so as to engage and disengage the floor with the rotating floor treatment element, said second motor being a reversible motor and having a threaded drive shaft, said lifter means comprising a lifter arm having first and second ends, said first end being rotatably mounted to said holder means and said second end having a threaded bore, said threaded drive shaft being threadably received in said threaded bore whereby when the threaded drive shaft of said second motor is rotated in one rotational direction, said lifter arm is raised relative to the floor and when the threaded drive shaft of said second motor is rotated in the other rotational direction, said lifter arm is lowered relative to the floor.
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30. Apparatus for treating a floor comprising:
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a housing; wheel means mounted to said housing for rollably supporting said housing on the floor; handle means connected to the housing for moving the housing over the floor on said wheel means; a first electric motor mounted on said housing, said first motor comprising a DC motor and having a drive shaft; holder means slidably mounted to said drive shaft for direct rotational drive by the drive of said first motor, said holder means supporting a floor treatment element in confronting relation with the floor, said first motor being operative to rotate said holder means and said floor treatment element; lifter means connected to said holder means for supporting said holder means; and a second electric motor comprising a reversible gear motor and being mounted to said housing and connected to said lifter means for raising and lowering said lifter means relative to the floor so as to engage and disengage the floor with the rotating floor treatment element.
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Specification