Vehicle for dust and trash collecting

• US 5,715,567 A
• Filed: 05/03/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dulevo International S.p.A. (FAYAT SAS)
• Original Assignee: Duvelo International SPA
• Inventors: Tagliaferri, Fabrizio
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US08/642,284
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 15/340.3, 15/340.4, 15/82, 15/87, 15/349, 15/49.1, 15/52.1
• US Class Current: 15/340.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• 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 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/05 with driven brushes E01H1/04 takes precedence rotary brushes for snow removal E01H5/092

Abstract

A vehicle for dust and trash collecting comprises: wheels, a framework supported by said wheels, a storage tank (8) for dust and trash, at least one rotating brush (10), means (6) for setting said wheels in motion, and control means (7) comprising a fluid-operated work circuit (26), at least one peripheral motor (33) fed from the work circuit (26) and engaging the rotating brush (10), at least one fluid-operated cylinder (39) fed from the work circuit (26) and adapted to shift the rotating brush (10) towards a surface (11) to be swept, and elastically deformable members (42) active against the action of said work circuit (26) in the fluid-operated cylinder (39) and adapted to lift up the rotating brush (10) in the absence of pressure in the fluid-operated cylinder (39) itself, the work circuit (26) having a single control element (29) for actuation of the peripheral motor (33) and the fluid-operated cylinder (39).

Claims

1. A vehicle for dust and trash collecting comprising:

wheels (2,

     3), a framework (4) supported by said wheels (2,

     3), a storage tank (8) for dust and trash, dust and trash collecting members (5) comprising at least one rotating brush (10), means (6) for setting said wheels (2,

     3) in motion and control means (7) for said collecting members (5), said control means (7) comprising;

a fluid-operated work circuit (26),

at least one peripheral fluid-operated motor (33) fed from said work circuit (26) and engaging in rotation said at least one rotating brush (10),

at least one fluid-operated cylinder (39) fed from said work circuit (26) and adapted to move said at least one rotating brush (10) towards a surface (11) to be swept, and

elastically deformable members (42) active against the action of said work circuit (26) in said at least one fluid-operated cylinder (39) and adapted to lift up said at least one rotating brush (10) in the absence of pressure in said at least one fluid-operated cylinder (39),

said work circuit (26) having a single control element (29) to actuate both said at least one peripheral motor (33) and said at least one fluid-operated cylinder (39).

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one fluid-operated cylinder comprises a movable piston (40) and a rod (41) integral with said piston (40), and wherein said elastically deformable members (42) are embodied by a compression spring internal to said at least one cylinder (39) and active on said piston (40) against the action of said work circuit (26).

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one swinging arm (13) is provided, which arm is pivotally mounted to said framework (4) and carries said at least one rotating brush (10), and wherein said rod (41) embodies a calibrated stop for the displacements of said at least one swinging arm (13) caused by the weight of said at least one rotating brush (10).

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said work circuit (26) is active on said piston (44) in a manner adapted to press said compression spring (42) and to cause an at least partial retraction of said rod (41) in said at least one fluid-operated cylinder (39), lowering of said at least one rotating brush (10) being allowed by the retraction of said rod (41) in said at least one fluid-operated cylinder (39).

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said rod (41) is of adjustable length.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one swinging arm (13) has a free supporting end (13b) carrying said at least one rotating brush (10) and said at least one peripheral motor (33), and an operating end (13a) movable against the abutment action of said rod (41), wherein a pin (14) is arranged between said operating end (13a) and supporting end (13b), which pin rotatably links said at least one swinging arm (13) to said framework (4), and wherein the weight of said at least one rotating brush (10) and said at least one peripheral motor (33) is adapted to cause rotation of said at least one swinging arm (13) in a direction opposite to that imposed by said rod (41) projecting from said at least one fluid-operating cylinder (39), by the action of said compression spring (42).

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one rotating brush (10) is a brush of the type in the form of a truncated cone and having a substantially vertical axis of rotation.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dust and trash collecting members (5) comprise a plurality of rotating brushes (10), a plurality of peripheral motors (33), one for each of said rotating brushes (10), and a plurality of fluid-operated cylinders (39) adapted to cause lifting and lowering of said rotating brushes (10) relative to a surface (11) to be swept, and wherein all said peripheral motors (33) and fluid-operated cylinders (39) are fed from said work circuit (26) and interlocked to said single control element (29).

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dust and trash collecting members (5) further comprise a sucking fan (12) adapted to create a sucking air stream passing through said tank (8), wherein a third peripheral motor (33d) is provided for rotation of said sucking fan (12), and wherein said third peripheral motor (33d) too is moved by said work circuit (26) and interlocked to said single control element (29).

10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said single control element (29) is a lever engaging a working-oil distributor (30).