Guide for a driven endless belt

• US 4,685,171 A
• Filed: 05/08/1986
• Issued: 08/11/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IONA Appliances Incorporated /Appereils IONA Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Iona Appliances, Inc.
• Inventors: Beaudoin, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Chris K.
• Application Number:
  US06/860,912
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 15/332, 15/391, 15/389-390, 474/144
• US Class Current: 15/391
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/26 with driven dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts

Abstract

The combination with apparatus, wherein an endless tensioned belt is twisted to form a first loop engaging the unsupported end of a motor shaft and a second loop engaging a rotary element so as to drive same, of a removable barrier to the advancement or creep of the endless tensioned belt towards the unsupported end of the motor shaft when the rotary element has reverse rotation imparted to it, the removable barrier including an anchoring portion securable to the housing and having a portion projecting therefrom into the housing to present a bearing surface to at least one reach of the tensioned belt in the path of advancement or creep of same.

Claims

1. In vacuum cleaner apparatus wherein an endless tensioned belt is adapted to be applied over and extend between a rotary beater element and the unsupported end of a motor-driven shaft or removed therefrom, with said belt being twisted to present two spaced apart reaches thereof with a first loop engaging over said rotary beater element and a second loop engaging over said unsupported end of said motor driven shaft in a position disposed inwardly thereof when said belt is driven by said shaft and displaced outwardly thereof from the aforesaid position of said second loop to disengage therefrom when said shaft is driven by said belt through reverse rotation of said beater element, a housing therefore including an internal suction passageway therein extending from said rotary beater element to said unsupported shaft end and enclosing said endless tensioned belt therewithin, said housing having an opening thereinto providing access to said suction passageway and to said second loop of said belt for applying same over said unsupported shaft end or removing same therefrom, and a removable closure element for closing said access opening during normal operation to complete said suction passageway, a bearing surface formation fixedly carried by said removable closure element to project inwardly therefrom into said suction passageway when said access opening is closed thereby, said bearing surface formation having an extent and configuration so as to occupy a region within said suction passageway between said shaft and said rotary beater element and in spaced apart relation outwardly of the position of at least one of said reaches of said endless tensioned belt when driven by said shaft and to bear against said aforesaid reach of said belt only when displaced outwardly from said aforesaid position of said reach when said shaft is driven by said belt through reverse rotation of said beater element whereby further displacement from the position of engagement of said second loop applied over said unsupported end of said shaft is restrained.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bearing surface formation includes an anchoring portion carried by said removable closure element and a projecting portion extending therefrom into said passageway.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said projecting portion comprises an elongated flange with the elongated edge thereof remote from said anchoring portion constituting the bearing surface.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said elongated edge is positioned at substantially right angles to the direction of travel of one of said reaches of said driven endless belt.