Scrubber head anti-vibration mounting

• US 6,530,102 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1999
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Pierce, Paul M., Waldhauser, Steven John Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US09/421,909
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 15/491, 15/501, 15/503, 15/521, 15/98, 15/51, 15/52, 15/82, 15/792
• US Class Current: 15/52.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4058 for adjusting the height of the tool
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/05 with driven brushes E01H1/04 takes precedence rotary brushes for snow removal E01H5/092
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/04 in the direction of the axis of rotation F16F7/023 takes precedence

Abstract

A floor surface conditioning machine, typically a floor scrubbing machine comprising a support structure and supporting wheels, powered scrub brushes beneath the support structure, a brush carriage connecting the scrub brushes to the support structure, and a frictional motion dampener between the brush carriage and the support structure to dampen vibration of the brush carriage caused by the scrub brushes, this frictional motion dampener having a pair of friction members spaced from each other and astraddle a fixed member, and a pair of biasing springs biasing the pair of friction members against opposite sides of the fixed member. The fixed member includes a cam track and the friction members have a cam follower therebetween to follow the cam track during vertical movement of the brush carriage.

Claims

1. A surface conditioning machine comprising:

a support structure and lower supporting wheels mounted on said support structure and defining a horizontal plane of support;

at least one powered surface engageable conditioning element beneath said support structure;

a carriage connecting said at least one conditioning element to said support structure whereby said at least one conditioning element is vertically movable beneath said support structure;

a power actuator between said support structure and said vertically movable carriage for raising or lowering said at least one conditioning element; and

a frictional motion dampener between said carriage and said support structure to dampen vibration of said carriage during operation of said at least one conditioning element.

2. The surface conditioning machine in claim 1 wherein said frictional motion dampener comprises at least one friction member and at least one biasing member biasing said friction member toward a frictional relationship with said support structure.

3. The surface conditioning machine in claim 2 wherein said support structure includes a fixed member engaged by said at least one friction member.

4. The surface conditioning machine in claim 3 wherein said at least one friction member comprises a pair of friction members spaced from each other and astraddle said fixed member.

5. The surface conditioning machine in claim 4 wherein said at least one biasing member comprises a pair of biasing members biasing said pair of friction members against said fixed member.

6. The surface conditioning machine in claim 5 wherein said fixed member includes a cam track and said friction members have a cam follower therebetween and located to follow said cam track.

7. The surface conditioning machine in claim 1 wherein said carriage is mounted to said support structure with connector means for causing said carriage to be vertically movable generally parallel to said horizontal plane of support.

8. The surface conditioning machine in claim 7 wherein said frictional motion dampener includes a fixed member engaged by at least one friction member.

9. The surface conditioning machine in claim 8 wherein said at least one friction member comprises a pair of friction members spaced from each other and astraddle said fixed member, wherein a pair of biasing members bias said pair of friction members against said fixed member, said fixed member includes a cam track, and said friction members have a cam follower therebetween and located to follow said cam track.

10. A floor scrubbing machine comprising:

a support structure and lower supporting wheels mounted on said support structure and defining a horizontal plane of support;

powered scrub brushes beneath said support structure;

a brush carriage connecting said scrub brushes to said support structure whereby said scrub brushes are vertically movable beneath said support structure;

a power actuator between said support structure and said vertically movable carriage for raising or lowering said conditioning elements; and

a frictional motion dampener between said carriage and said support structure to dampen vibration of said carriage during operation of said scrub brushes.

11. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 10 wherein said frictional motion dampener comprises at least one friction member and at least one biasing member biasing said friction member toward a frictional relationship with said support structure.

12. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 11 wherein said support structure includes at least one fixed member engaged by said at least one friction member.

13. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 12 wherein said at least one friction member comprises a pair of opposite friction members spaced from each other and astraddle said fixed member.

14. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 13 wherein said at least one biasing member comprises a pair of opposite biasing members biasing said pair of opposite friction members against said fixed member.

15. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 14 wherein said fixed member includes a cam track and said friction members have a cam follower therebetween and located to follow said cam track.

16. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 15 wherein said powered scrub brushes comprise horizontally oriented cylindrical brushes.

17. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 15 wherein said powered scrub brushes comprise disc brushes rotational on vertical axes.

18. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 10 wherein said brush carriage is mounted to said support structure with connector means for causing said carriage to be vertically movable generally parallel to said horizontal plane of support.

19. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 18 wherein said frictional motion dampener includes a fixed member engaged by said at least one friction member.

20. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 19 wherein said at least one friction member comprises a pair of friction members spaced from each other and astraddle said fixed member, wherein a pair of biasing members bias said pair of friction members against said fixed member, said fixed member includes a cam track, and said friction members have a cam follower therebetween and located to follow said cam track.

21. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 20 wherein said powered scrub brushes comprise horizontally oriented cylindrical brushes.

22. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 20 wherein said powered scrub brushes comprise disc brushes rotational on vertical axes.

23. A floor scrubbing machine comprising:

a support structure and lower supporting wheels mounted on said support structure and defining a horizontal plane of support;

powered scrub brushes beneath said support structure;

a brush carriage connecting said scrub brushes to said support structure;

a frictional motion dampener between said brush carriage and said support structure to dampen vibration of said carriage, comprising at least one fixed member, a pair of friction members on said brush carriage spaced from each other and astraddle said at least one fixed member, and a pair of biasing members biasing said pair of friction members against said fixed member.

24. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 23 wherein said fixed member includes a cam track and said friction members have a cam follower therebetween and located to follow said cam track.

25. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 23 wherein said frictional motion dampener includes a cross pin extending through said friction members and said fixed member, and said pair of biasing members are coil springs on said cross pin.

26. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 25 wherein said coil springs are compression coil springs.

27. The floor scrubbing machine in claim 26 wherein said brush carriage includes a pair of arms straddling said coil springs, said friction members and said fixed member.