Squegee mounting for floor scrubber

• US 5,454,138 A
• Filed: 10/17/1994
• Issued: 10/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minuteman International, Inc. (L. Possehl & Co. mit beschränkter Haftung)
• Original Assignee: Minuteman International, Inc. (L. Possehl & Co. mit beschränkter Haftung)
• Inventors: Mondigo, Jesse V., Palmer, Gary E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Christopher K.
• Application Number:
  US08/324,250
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/321, 15/245, 15/401, 15/373, 15/354
• US Class Current: 15/354
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/305 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4005 Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4052 Movement of the tools or the like perpendicular to the cleaning surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4094 Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices

Abstract

An integral gimbal housing is trunnion mounted beneath and to the rear of the frame of a floor scrubber. The gimbal housing includes a vertical pivot shaft to which a yoke is mounted. A spring biases the gimbal housing to the use position. The yoke swings laterally and includes a rearwardly extending tubular receptacle which receives a forwardly extending tube of the squeegee so that the squeegee assembly has independent rotation about a horizontal axis and the squeegee adjusts to uneven surfaces. Torsion springs bias a vertical pivot shaft in the gimbal housing to the center position.

Claims

1. In combination with a floor scrubber having a frame, a powered brush mounted on said frame for working cleaning solution into a floor, and suction means including a squeegee assembly behind the brush for recovering spent liquid, an improved mounting assembly for said squeegee comprising:

a mounting bracket mounted beneath said frame at the rear of said machine;

a gimbal housing mounted beneath the frame of said machine and adjacent the rear thereof, said gimbal housing mounting to said bracket for rotation about a transverse horizontal axis;

a yoke mounted to said gimbal housing for rotation about a vertical axis and including a rearwardly extending first member adapted for swinging motion in a horizontal plane;

said squeegee assembly including a forwardly-extending second member;

means for coupling said second tubular member of said squeegee assembly to said first member of said gimbal housing to permit rotation of said squeegee assembly about a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of travel of said machine when said squeegee assembly is centered for adjusting to uneven surfaces.

first spring means connected between said machine of said frame and said housing for biasing the rear end of said housing in a downward direction to apply a downward force on said squeegee assembly;

second spring means carried in said housing for urging said yoke toward the centered position thereof; and

means on said housing for receiving a lift cable, whereby when said lift cable is raised vertically, said housing pivots about said first pivot axis against the bias of said first spring means to raise said squeegee assembly and said second pivot means to a nonuse position above the floor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gimbal housing includes a rearwardly-extending plate having a distal end remote from the horizontal axis of rotation of said housing, and wherein said machine includes a lift cable having one end connected to the distal end of said plate of said gimbal housing, and the other end is under control of the operator of said machine for selectively raising said gimbal housing to a nonuse position by pulling upwardly on the distal end of plate of said housing and thereby rotating said gimbal housing about said transverse horizontal axis, whereby said squeegee is elevated out of contact with the floor;

and

first spring means connected between said frame and said gimbal housing for biasing said gimbal housing in rotation about said transverse horizontal axis to urge said squeegee assembly into contact with the floor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising second spring means connected between said yoke and said gimbal housing for biasing said yoke in a normal, centered position in which said first member of said yoke extends generally along the center line of said machine in the direction of travel, while permitting said squeegee assembly to move laterally to either side of said machine.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a vertical shaft in said gimbal housing;

and means for coupling said yoke in driving relation with said vertical shaft, where said second spring means comprises at least one torsion spring connected to said vertical shaft and having an outwardly extending end and anchored to said gimbal housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gimbal housing comprises a top plate, a bottom plate, and first and second side plates formed into an integral, rigid housing, said top plate extending rearwardly to a distal end;

and said apparatus further includes a lift cable under control of the operator of said machine having one end connected to the distal end of said top plate of said housing for raising said housing and said squeegee assembly to a non-use position out of contact with the floor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a shaft mounted between the top and bottom walls of said gimbal housing and having a center section in driving relation with said yoke;

and further including torsion spring means for biasing said shaft to a position in which said first tubular member extends along the centerline of said machine in the direction of travel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said side plates of said gimbal housing each include an outwardly extending stub shaft;

and wherein said mounting bracket includes first and second depending legs coupled respectively to the first and second stub shafts of said sidewalls of said gimbal housing to provide a trunnion mount for said gimbal housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a pitch adjusting bracket on said squeegee assembly for mounting said squeegee to said second member while permitting adjustment of the pitch of said squeegee assembly.

9. In combination with a floor scrubbing machine having a frame, a powered brush mounted on said frame in a forward position for working cleaning solution into a floor to be treated, and suction means including a squeegee assembly behind said brush for recovering spent liquid from the floor, an improved mounting assembly for said squeegee comprising:

a mounting bracket mounted beneath said frame at the rear of said frame and including first and second downwardly depending legs, the lower portion of each leg providing a journal for defining a trunnion mount;

a gimbal housing having a top plate, first and second side plates and a bottom plate connected together to form a rigid, integral housing, said top plate extending rearwardly to a distal end, said first and second side plates each including an outwardly-extending stub shaft received respectively in the journals of said first and second depending legs of said mounting bracket, whereby said housing is trunnion-mounted to said bracket;

first spring means connected between said frame and said gimbal housing for urging said squeegee assembly to use position;

a shaft mounted vertically in said housing;

second spring means for centering said yoke while permitting said yoke to rotate about a vertical axis;

a yoke mounted to said shaft and extending rearwardly thereof;

and means for mounting said squeegee assembly to said yoke while permitting said squeegee assembly to rotate about a horizontal axis defined by said yoke, whereby said squeegee may accommodate itself to variations in floor level.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 said squeegee is characterized as being curved such that its ends extend forwardly of the center section thereof, said apparatus further including a lift cable under operator control having a lower end connected to the distal end of said top plate of said gimbal housing, whereby said gimbal housing and said squeegee assembly may be elevated to a raised position wherein said second spring means act to center said squeegee assembly behind said housing to insure that the forward ends of the curved squeegee are out of engagement with the floor.