Surface cleaning apparatus
First Claim
1. A surface cleaning apparatus for removing debris from a ground surface while moving relative to the ground surface in a forward travel direction, comprising:
- a rotatable broom extending along a principal broom axis for rotation thereabout, said broom having helically wound bristles at a selected pitch;
an air-blast orifice spaced rearwardly from said broom relative to the travel direction and extending at least partially coextensive with said broom;
a housing enclosing said broom and air-blast orifice, said housing having sides thereof for defining an air-plenum when said housing is positioned on a pavement to be cleaned;
an inlet on one side of said housing for introducing pressurized air to the air-blast orifice;
an outlet on another side of said housing for exhausting air from the housing and any debris entrained therein; and
means for rotating said broom so that debris on the pavement is propelled forwardly in the direction of travel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pavement sweeping apparatus includes an angled, counter-rotating transverse roller broom followed by a high pressure/high velocity and full-width blast of air to remove particles too small for the broom to sweep up. The roller shaped broom has auger wound bristles causing dynamic propulsion of objects that come in contact with the surface of the rotating broom. The objects are forced by mechanical action, both by the windrow effect of the transverse angle of the broom and, additionally, by the augering action of the helical wound broom bristles to propel object toward an exhaust port of the powerhood for further transfer into a storage bin. A blast orifice, narrow and elongated in shape with its elongated length angled in a transverse position and parallel with and positioned behind the broom, entrains fine particles and small objects not propelled and windrowed by the broom will be blasted by the high-velocity air and forced back under the broom where they are forced back in front of the broom again to be transferred toward the exhaust port. Some of the extremely small particles or objects will be propelled entirely by the high velocity air stream as the broom will have limited effect on extremely fine particles of a size not visible by the human eye.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A surface cleaning apparatus for removing debris from a ground surface while moving relative to the ground surface in a forward travel direction, comprising:
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a rotatable broom extending along a principal broom axis for rotation thereabout, said broom having helically wound bristles at a selected pitch; an air-blast orifice spaced rearwardly from said broom relative to the travel direction and extending at least partially coextensive with said broom; a housing enclosing said broom and air-blast orifice, said housing having sides thereof for defining an air-plenum when said housing is positioned on a pavement to be cleaned; an inlet on one side of said housing for introducing pressurized air to the air-blast orifice; an outlet on another side of said housing for exhausting air from the housing and any debris entrained therein; and means for rotating said broom so that debris on the pavement is propelled forwardly in the direction of travel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A surface cleaning apparatus for removing debris from a ground surface while moving relative to the ground surface in a forward travel direction, comprising:
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a rotatable broom extending along a principal broom axis for rotation thereabout; means for rotating said broom so that debris on the pavement is propelled forwardly in the direction of travel; an air-blast orifice spaced rearwardly from said broom relative to the travel direction and extending at least partially coextensive with said broom, the orifice directing the pressurized air flow in the direction of travel; a housing enclosing said broom and air-blast orifice, said housing having sides thereof for defining an air-plenum when said housing is positioned on a pavement to be cleaned; an inlet on one side of said housing for introducing pressurized air to the air-blast orifice; and an outlet on another side of said housing for exhausting air from the housing and any debris entrained therein. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification