Mobile surface cleaning machine

• US 5,377,376 A
• Filed: 08/23/1993
• Issued: 01/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advance Machine Co. (Nilfisk Holding A/S)
• Original Assignee: Advance Machine Co. (Nilfisk Holding A/S)
• Inventors: Wood, David, Brunn, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/110,362
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 15/83-86, 15/340.3, 15/340.4, 414/706, 414/707, 414/715
• US Class Current: 15/83
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/283 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/047 Collecting apparatus characterised by the hopper or by means for unloading the hopper

Abstract

A surface cleaning machine (10) is disclosed in the preferred form as a combination sweeping-scrubbing apparatus including a sweeping brush (18) for sweeping debris into a hopper (20) and a one piece squeegee (112) for picking up solution after four staggered, disc brushes (122). The squeegee (112) is U-shaped having a longitudinal extent greater than that of the disc brushes (122) located intermediate the legs (124) of the squeegee (112). The drive wheel (16) is located in front of the disc brushes (122), the squeegee (112) and the solution applying means (128). The squeegee (112) is raised and lowered relative to the frame (12) by an actuator (104) which pivots an L-shaped member (94), the leg (96) of which abuts against and pivots a lever (84) interconnected to the mount (62) for the squeegee (112) by a turnbuckle (88). The hopper (20) is raised and simultaneously tilted by a single cylinder (30 ) which pivots the upper arm (24) of a parallelogram including a lower arm (36). The hopper (20) is pivotally mounted to an end of a hopper arm (48), the opposite end of which is pivotally mounted to the end of the upper arm (24), and is further pivotally mounted to the end of the lower arm (36). The hopper (20) is simultaneously tilted at a generally constant dump angle as the hopper (20) is raised from a lowered position in a horizontal debris collecting condition to a raised position with the hopper (20) in a dumping condition.

Claims

1. Machine for movement along a surface having debris comprising, in combination:

a frame;

a hopper for holding debris collected from the surface; and

means for raising the hopper relative to the frame from a lowered position with the hopper in a horizontal debris collecting condition to a raised position with the hopper in a dumping condition and for simultaneously tilting the hopper as the hopper is raised from the lowered position to allow dumping of the debris from the hopper at multiple levels above the surface comprising, in combination;

a first arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the frame and a second end;

means for pivoting the first arm relative to the frame about the first end;

means for operatively connecting the hopper to the second end of the first arm for raising and simultaneously tilting the hopper as the first arm is raised relative to the frame by the pivoting means comprising, in combination;

a second arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the frame spaced from the first end of the first arm and having a second end pivotally mounted to the hopper; and

a rotation arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the first arm intermediate the first and second ends and having a second end pivotally mounted to the second arm intermediate the first and second ends.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein the operatively connecting means comprises, in combination:

a hopper arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the second end of the first arm and a second end pivotally mounted to the hopper spaced from the second end of the second arm.

3. The machine of claim 2 wherein the hopper has an end opposite the frame and an end adjacent the frame, with the end opposite the frame including a dumping door, with the end opposite the frame located vertically below the end adjacent the frame in the raised position.

4. The machine of claim 1 further comprising, in combination:

a plurality of brushes carried by the frame in a longitudinally staggered arrangement and having a longitudinal extent; and

a one piece squeegee having a U-shape including first and second legs integrally extending from the opposite ends of a central portion, with the first and second legs having free ends, with the squeegee having a longitudinal extent greater than the longitudinal extent of the brushes, with the brushes located in the squeegee intermediate the first and second legs and with the free ends of the first and second legs extending beyond the longitudinal extent of the brushes.

5. The machine of claim 4 further comprising, in combination:

means for raising and lowering the one piece squeegee relative to the frame comprising, in combination;

a lever having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the lever being pivotally mounted to the frame about a lever axis;

means for connecting the squeegee to the second end of the lever for movement therewith;

a first leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the leg being pivotally mounted to the frame about a leg axis, with the second end of the first leg abutting with the lever intermediate the first and second ends; and

means for pivoting the first leg about the leg axis.

6. The machine of claim 5 wherein the pivoting means comprises, in combination:

a second leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the second leg being interconnected to the first end of the first leg; and

means for pivoting the second leg about the leg axis.

7. The machine of claim 1 further comprising, in combination:

a squeegee; and

means for raising and lowering the squeegee relative to the frame comprising, in combination;

a lever having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the lever being pivotally mounted to the frame about a lever axis;

means for connecting the squeegee to the second end of the lever for movement therewith;

a first leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the leg being pivotally mounted to the frame about a leg axis, with the second end of the first leg abutting with the lever intermediate the first and second ends; and

means for pivoting the first leg about the leg axis.

8. The machine of claim 7 wherein the pivoting means comprises, in combination:

a second leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the second leg being interconnected to the first end of the first leg; and

means for pivoting the second leg about the leg axis.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein the leg axis is parallel to and spaced from the lever axis.

10. Machine for movement along a surface having debris comprising, in combination:

a frame;

a hopper for holding debris collected from the surface; and

means for raising the bopper relative to the frame from a lowered position with the hopper in a horizontal debris collecting condition to a raised position with the hopper in a dumping condition and for simultaneously tilting the hopper as the hopper is raised from the lowered position to allow dumping of the debris from the hopper at multiple levels above the surface comprising, in combination;

a first arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the frame and a second end;

means for pivoting the first arm relative to the frame about the first end;

a hopper arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the second end of the first arm and a second end pivotally mounted to the hopper; and

means for pivotally mounting the hopper about a pivot axis spaced from the second end of the hopper arm and moveable along an arc when the first arm is pivoted relative to the frame.

11. The machine of claim 10 wherein the pivotally mounting means comprises, in combination:

a second arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the frame spaced from the first end of the first arm and having a second end pivotally mounted to the hopper spaced from the second end of the hopper arm.

12. The machine of claim 11 wherein the pivotally mounting means further comprises, in combination:

a rotation arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the first arm intermediate the first and second ends and having a second end pivotally mounted to the second arm intermediate the first and second ends.

13. The machine of claim 10 further comprising, in combination:

a plurality of brushes carried by the frame in a longitudinally staggered arrangement and having a longitudinal extent; and

a one piece squeegee having a U-shape including first and second legs integrally extending from the opposite ends of a central portion, with the first and second legs having free ends, with the squeegee having a longitudinal extent greater than the longitudinal extent of the brushes, with the brushes located in the squeegee intermediate the first and second legs and with the free ends of the first and second legs extending beyond the longitudinal extent of the brushes.

14. The machine of claim 13 further comprising, in combination:

means for raising and lowering the one piece squeegee relative to the frame comprising, in combination;

a lever having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the lever being pivotally mounted to the frame about a lever axis;

means for connecting the squeegee to the second end of the lever for movement therewith;

a first leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the leg being pivotally mounted to the frame about a leg axis, with the second end of the first leg abutting with the lever intermediate the first and second ends; and

means for pivoting the first leg about the leg axis.

15. The machine of claim 14 wherein the pivoting means comprises, in combination:

a second leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the second leg being interconnected to the first end of the first leg; and

means for pivoting the second leg about the leg axis.

16. The machine of claim 15 wherein the leg axis is parallel to and spaced from the lever axis.

17. The machine of claim 10 further comprising, in combination:

a squeegee; and

means for raising and lowering the squeegee relative to the frame comprising, in combination;

a lever having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the lever being pivotally mounted to the frame about a lever axis;

means for connecting the squeegee to the second end of the lever for movement therewith;

a first leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the leg being pivotally mounted to the frame about a leg axis, with the second end of the first leg abutting with the lever intermediate the first and second ends; and

means for pivoting the first leg about the leg axis.

18. The machine of claim 17 wherein the pivoting means comprises, in combination:

a second leg having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the second leg being interconnected to the first end of the first leg; and

means for pivoting the second leg about the leg axis.

19. The machine of claim 18 wherein the leg axis is parallel to and spaced from the lever axis.

20. The machine of claim 10 wherein the hopper has an end opposite the frame and an end adjacent the frame, with the end opposite the frame including a dumping door, with the end opposite the frame located vertically below the end adjacent the frame in the raised position.