High pressure carpet or rug cleaning apparatus

• US 4,723,337 A
• Filed: 12/09/1986
• Issued: 02/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shumpert & Ellison Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shumpert & Ellison Incorporated
• Inventors: Shumpert, George E., Ellison, Clifford D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US06/939,750
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 15/321, 15/353, 15/300 A
• US Class Current: 15/422.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated

Abstract

A single unit readily portable carpet and rug cleaning apparatus receives water directly from any spigot into a high pressure pump without the necessity for a clean water holding tank. Shampoo or cleaning concentrate from an outside container is delivered by siphoning to the incoming water stream being delivered to the high pressure pump. The high pressure cleaning liquid is delivered through a high pressure line extending along a vacuum wand directly onto the carpet or rug through a high pressure nozzle close to floor level. Simultaneously, water and dirt are withdrawn from the carpet or rug through a suction head and delivered through the vacuum wand and a vacuum hose to a dirty water holding tank within the apparatus by the action of twin vacuum motors. When the recovered dirty water reaches a certain level in the holding tank, a float actuates a switch causing the dirty water to be pumped from the holding tank into any convenient drain, commode, laundry tray or sewer. A second float-operated switch automatically cuts off the vacuum pump motors if for any reason the dirty water pump out system malfunctions. Dirty water entering the apparatus holding tank is filtered to remove debris and large particulate matter. Dirty water is never reused by the apparatus in the cleaning mode.

Claims

1. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus of single unit construction comprising,

a housing means,

a high pressure pump and pump motor within a lower portion of the housing means adapted to receive water at city water pressure through a water inlet fitting on the housing means and also adapted to receive a cleaning agent from a container external to the housing means, said high pressure pump having a pressure regulator connected to the pump outlet, a head of cleaning concentrate and adjustable flow meter means communicating with the inlet of said high pressure pump, and a conduit having one end connected to said external cleaning concentrate container and the opposite end connected to said cleaning concentrate head, whereby the desired mix of water and cleaning concentrate may be controlled,

a high pressure delivery line leading from said pump through a high pressure outlet fitting on the housing means,

a dirty water holding tank within the upper portion of the housing means and containing a removable filter,

twin vacuum motors on a wall of the holding tank for drawing dirty water through a vacuum inlet fitting on the housing means and delivering the dirty water through said filter into the dirty water holding tank,

a dirty water discharge pump in the rear portion of the housing means adapted to pump water from said holding tank through a dirty water discharge fitting on the housing means to a dirty water discharge line, and

a float switch means in the dirty water holding tank operable to turn on the dirty water discharge pump when the dirty water level in said tank reaches a certain elevation and operable to shut off the twin vacuum motors if the dirty water level in said tank reaches a second and higher elevation therein.

2. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, and a vacuum wand having a vacuum head and vacuum hose connected with said vacuum inlet fitting of the housing means, and said high pressure delivery line extending along the vacuum wand and including a high pressure cleaning nozzle adjacent to said vacuum head.

3. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, and said float switch means including separate float switches for turning on the dirty water discharge pump and for shutting off the twin vacuum motors, a first float having a relatively long lifter rod for activating the switch which turns on the dirty water discharge pump, and a second float having a shorter lifter arm for activating switches which shut off the twin vacuum motors.

4. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, and said dirty water holding tank having a partition wall between said filter and said twin vacuum motors, and said partition wall being perforated near its top above said vacuum motors to allow clean air to pass therethrough to the vacuum pumps.

5. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus of single unit construction comprising,

a housing means,

a high pressure pump and pump motor within a lower portion of the housing means adapted to receive water at city water pressure through a water inlet fitting on the housing means and also adapted to receive a cleaning agent from a container external to the housing means,

a high pressure delivery line leading from said pump through a high pressure outlet fitting on the housing means,

a dirty water holding tank within the upper portion of the housing means and containing a removable filter,

twin vacuum motors on a wall of the holding tank for drawing dirty water through a vacuum inlet fitting on the housing means and delivering the dirty water through said filter into the dirty water holding tank, said dirty water holding tank having a partition wall between said filter and said twin vacuum motors, said partition wall being perforated near its top above said vacuum motors to allow clean air to pass therethrough to the vacuum pumps,

a dirty water discharge pump in the rear portion of the housing means adapted to pump water from said holding tank through a dirty water discharge fitting on the housing means to a dirty water discharge line, and

a float switch means in the dirty water holding tank operable to turn on the dirty water discharge pump when the dirty water level in said tank reaches a certain elevation and operable to shut off the twin vacuum motors if the dirty water level in said tank reaches a second and higher elevation therein.

6. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 5, and a vacuum wand having a vacuum head and vacuum hose connected with said vacuum inlet fitting of the housing means, and said high pressure delivery line extending along the vacuum wand and including a high pressure cleaning nozzle adjacent to said vacuum head.

7. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 5, and said float switch means including separate float switches for turning on the dirty water discharge pump and for shutting off the twin vacuum motors, a first float having a relatively long lifter rod for activating the switch which turns on the dirty water discharge pump, and a second float having a shorter lifter arm for activating switches which shut off the twin vacuum motors.

8. A high pressure carpet cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 5, and said high pressure pump having a pressure regulator connected to the pump outlet, a head of cleaning concentrate and adjustable flow meter means communicating with the inlet of said high pressure pump, and a conduit having one end connected to said external cleaning concentrate container and the opposite end connected to said cleaning concentrate head, whereby the desired mix of water and cleaning concentrate may be controlled.