US2226630A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 31, 1940. A, c; mbco 2,226,630

CLEANING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1936 3 Sheets-:Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HZVZ'I? 6f fif 'ora.

ATTORNEY.

I Dec. 31,1940.

A. C. M CORD CLEANING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllIllllllll|7|I||||I lllllllllll I l IIIIII ll w m w A Deb. 31, 1940. A. c. MCCORD 2,225,630

CLEANING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet s (BY E ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning devices and more particularly to vacuum cleaners of the type in which a suction producing apparatus and the cleaning means are portably encased together and connected to the. cleaning nozzle by means of a length of flexible hose.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved secondary screen for a vacuum cleaner by which a larger proportion of the fine dust is prevented from entering the fan chamber.

Another object of.my invention is to provide an improved form of vacuum cleaner op rating mechanism which will be stable and'capable of maintaining itself inoperative position without auxiliary supporting means.

Another object of my invention is to provide, for a vacuum cleaner of this type, an improved cleaning mechanism having a plurality of dust collecting devices in series, one of said devices being more readily removable than the other, the parts being so arranged that removal of one device serves to clean the other.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved air cleaning or dust collecting device made entirely of metal or other rigid waterproof material.

A further object of my invention is to provide in one of the forms an improved dust collecting device and attaching mechanism whereby the device may be removed, washed, and immediately placed back in use without waiting for it to dry,

- and without soiling the hands of the operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dirt trap in which the incoming air is cleaned and passed directly out of the trap without having to pass through any dirt accumulated therein.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved suction producing apparatus and means to control the flow of air therethrough either on the suction or the blower side thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved nozzle and connections between the nozzle and air moving apparatus whereby the air may be blown from or sucked into the nozzle, these operations being obtainable alone or in combination.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this speci- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the suction end of. my improved vacuum cleaner.

. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blower end of the cleaner.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of my cleaner, the section being taken on a vertical plane parallel to the center line of the cleaner, and showing in detail the suction producing and air cleaning mechanisms.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '5 is another transverse vertical sectional view, taken'on the line 5--5 of 3.

Fig. 6 is still another transverse vertical view,

taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3, showing the.

means for automatically cleaning the inner of the two cleaning devices.

Fig. 7 is afragmentary perspective view showing a part of the cleaner mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a view showing the inner cleaning device.

Fig. 9 is a transverse view partly taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a view showing the means for regulating the size of the suction opening in the casing.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a combined suction and blower nozzle.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing a modified construction of a part of the cleaning system.

The vacuum cleaner to be described preferably comprises an outer member into which is built a vacuum chamber at the intake end and in which is'located air cleaning means of the two-stage type. The outer member also forms an intermediate chamber in which is located suction producing means, and a final or discharge chamber that provides a. free outlet for cleaned air eliminating the necessity for baflles or shutters. V

The first cleaning stage is efiected in a removable collector in which the heavier dirtparticles are entrapped by a combined centrifugal and filtering action. The second cleaning stage is eflc'ected by a cleaning screen which arrests any thereon. I

Means are also provided in my improved cleaner for convenient removal of the collector and for. discharging the entrapped dirt. and also for automatic shaking of the screen while the collector box is being removed.

The cleaner is adapted tobe used selectively as a suction cleaner, as a blower, or as a combined in section of the smaller dust particles which may impinge A still further object of my invention is to problowing and suction device, means being provided for adjustably regulating both the suction and the blower action thereof.

In the drawings there is shown, by way of example, a cleanerembodying the present invention. Referring to Fig. 1, the cleaner comprises an enclosing member 20 of rectangular prismatic shape, said member being adapted to rest on one of its sides. The member is preferably made of sheet metal, and a. plurality of protecting and supporting lugs 2| may be pressed out of the metal at the supporting side. The ends of the member 20 are closed by air tight covers 22 and 23. The front or suction cover 23 is provided with a coupling having a bayonet slot for connecting a length of rubber hose 24, the opposite end whereof is fitted with a suction nozzle 25. At the top of the enclosing member, and above the center of gravity of the cleaner, there is provided a rigid handle 28 secured thereto in any suitable manner such as by screws 21. One end of the handle 28 is recessed as shown at 23 for covering prongs 29 adapted to engage a plug 30 provided on the end of a cable 3|. Thus the cleaner may be connected with a suitable source of electric energy. A switch 32 controls electric connection of said prongs 29 with an electric motor 33 driving a two-stage centrifugal blower 34 secured at the end of the armature shaft 35 of the motor, said shaft being disposed substantially along the center line of the casing 20. The directing vanes 34a are carried by the motor jacket, to be described, in any convenient manner.

The motor 33 is supported by a ring 36, which forms the division wall between the intermediate and discharge chambers previously referred to, of angular cross section secured inside of the member 20, lugs 31 provided on the motor housing being connected to said ring 36 by means of a plurality of screws 38. Rubber inserts 39 are provided between the screws 38 and the lugs 31 for the purpose of resiliently mounting the motor 33 and dampening vibrations thereof.

A substantially streamlined air jacket consisting of two portions 40 and 4| encloses the motor 33 and the blower 34 and directs the air toward an opening 42 provided in the back cover 22 of the member 20. Said jacket portions are secured to the flange 43 of the motor housing by means of a plurality of screws. The front end of the portion 4| bears against the partition 44 attached to the member 20, a suitable gasket 45 being provided between said partition and the flanged edges of the portion 4|, screws 38 operating yieldably to press said -gasket 45 against the partition 44.. A circular hole 46 is provided at the center of the partition 44 concentric with the axis of the motor shaft 35. The partition forms the division wall between the vacuum and the intermediate chambers.

The jacket portion 4|! converges rearwardly, and its rearmost extremity is provided with hose connecting means foruse during blowing operation of the cleaner. Qpenings 41 adapted to be adjustably closed by a spring pressed shutter 48, controlled with the aid of a handle 49, are provided in said portion 40 -for the purpose of adjustably controlling the area of the blower discharge openings, thus providing means for regulating the action of the cleaner.-

The air cleaning means are of the two-stage type.- The first stage cleaning means is a collector box or cleaning trap 50 rigidly secured to the front cover 23. This boxmay be made of sheet metal or other rigid waterproof or nonabsorbent material. Between the front wall 5| of said box 50 and the cover 23are provided means for locking and unlocking the cover-andbox unit to the member 20. Said means comprise a handle 52 carrying a plate 53 to which are hingedly connected lock bars .54 sliding outwardly in brackets 55. When the handle 52 is ,vided with a hinged door 56 normally kept locked by a spring 57, said door forming a dirt outlet when the box is to be emptied. The top of the box 50 is formed of a perforated plate 58 preferably of metal or other waterproof material, sloping rearwardly and downwardly. The bottom plate 59 of the box slides on runners 99, the flanges 66a whereof operating in the slots formed between said plate 59 and strips 6| secured to the plate 59. The front plate 5| is provided with a hole 62 through which the air enters the box near its top.

Means are provided within the box to cause curvilinear air flow through the box, said means, as shown, being baflie plates 63, 54 and 65, which are secured to the front plate 5| andslope rearwardly therefrom. Thesebaffles are disposed in such a relation with respect to the opening 62 that the air entering therethrough is directed diagonally down towards the curved portion 56a of the door 56.

The second stage of the air cleaning process is effected by a cloth member 68 comprising a piece of flnely woven cloth or other screening material held in a frame or retainer ring 61 which is removably attached to the portion 44 by means of a plurality of spring holders 68. Reenforcing wire screen 69 is secured to the frame for the purpose of supporting the cloth and preventing it frombeing pulled out of the frame by the pressure of the flowing air.

Means for shaking off the flne dust particles which adhere to the cloth'are exemplified by a metal pin 66a secured to a plate fastened to the cloth at the center thereof and adapted to engage the slotted end E0 of a shaker bar H perpendicular to the plate. This bar is hingedly supported in the member 29 along the bottom thereof as shown in Figs. 6 and '7. The horizontally extending portion of the shaker bar 7| is provided with a wavy edge I3 adapted to be engaged by a slotted follower 14 (see Fig. 7) secured to the bottom of the box 50. When the box 59 is being removed the follower 14 causes rapid oscillations of the bar II and, consequently, shaking of the cloth to remove therefrom any adhering fine particles of dust.

With the structure described above, the operation of my novel and improved cleaner is as followsiWhen the plug 30 electrically connected to a suitable electric circuit is inserted into the recess 28 and the switch 32 is thrown on, the motor 33 rotates the blower 34 and draws the air out of the air cleaning. or vacuum compartment. The partial vacuum created therein causes the air to flow into said compartment through the nozzle 25 and hose 24, and to carry therein the dust and dirt'particles picked up at the nozzle. Upon entering the box 59, the speed of the'air decreases and the heaviest dirt particles which were rolling along the lower portionits travel between the bailles B3, 84 and 65 and is discharged downwardly against the curved portion of the door 56, whereupon it turns downwardly and forwardly as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. Because of the centrifugal force, the

heaviest particles of dust are thrown outwardly and are deposited in the middle of the rear corner of the box as indicated at 18. In its continued travel the air strikes the front wall 5| of the box and turns upward, depositing more dirt at this point. Because of the strong current of air between the baflies, the air is partly recirculated and follows said current, but most of it is separated in two streams bythe obliquely arranged baffles 63 and 64. These two streams flow forwardly between the side walls of the box 5t and the baflles 63 and 64. Upon reaching the end of said baiiles the air in said two streams rises up around the edges of the baiiie 65 and flows up along the side walls of the box 50 into the wedge space formed by the baflie 65 and the perforated plate 58. Here the air loses most 'of its velocity and filters through the plate 58. The dust particles which are too heavy to be held in suspension in the air seeping through the plate 58 fall down mostly in the middle of the baffle plate 65 where the air speed is the least, and slide down toward the lower endoi' the plate where they get into the downward current of newly drawn-air flowing between the baiiies and sent on a repeated cycle, during which most of the remaining dust particles aredeposited (because of the centrifugal force) in the corners of the casing as above described. It should be distinctly understood that above are indicated and explained only the main tendencies of, the air currents in the box W, and that under actual conditions numerous eddies will somewhatmodiiy and divert said currents from the paths indicated.

The partially cleaned air flows away from the plate 58 and toward the cloth member 88. By passing through the cloth the air'is finally fitered and any remaining dust particles contained therein are detained by said cloth and the second stage of the air cleaning process is thereby effected. The cleaned air continues its flow and passes through the runners or impellers of the blower 84 and is discharged under a certain amount of pressure into the rear part .of the Jacket ll. Part of the discharged air passes through the motor 83 andcools the same, while the remaining air passes around the motor and enters the rear portion 40 of the air jacket from where it is discharged partly through the openings 41 and partly through the central opening, through which is also discharged the motor cooling air. All the air is finally discharged'through the opening 42 of the cover 22.

It is an important feature of the present invention that both the suction and the blower action of the device can be controlled by two independent means. Said means are represented in the present embodiment by the above described shutter 48 at the end of the air jacket and by a damper 18 at the'suction end of the cleaner. The damper 18 may be provided at any place between the opening 62 in the front plate 5| and the suction nozzle 25. It comprises means restricting the cross section of the intake opening and it may be made in the form of a fiat damper piece slidable in friction ways 18 and adapted to restrict the opening 88, said friction ways when made of rubberserving also as a sealing means for the damper piece 19. r

In the operation of the device either as a blower or as a suction cleaner, closing the damper I8 increases the resistance of the air intake means and limits the air discharge. Thus, both the suction and the discharge can be regulated.

When a hose is connected to the central dis-- charge opening of the air jacket 48 as indicated at ll in Fig. 2, opening of the shutters 48 mayv thus adjustably decrease the air discharge when desirable to do so. When the device is operating as a suction cleaner only, a certain limited amount of control may be secured byopening and closing said shutters. I prefer to use the control situated in the intake air passage of the cleaner since it possesses many inherent advantages. One of them consists in avoiding building up excessive pressure in the enclosing mem ber, such as is done when the discharge opening is being restricted, while another advantage is found in a wide range of regulation control which may extend from the maximum capacity of the device to practically'zero. It should be noted that under certain conditions it is inadvisable to operate the device with the discharge opening completely or nearly closed.

With the above described type of regulation control, the necessity of providing complicated means for regulating the speed of the electric motor is entirely eliminated.

Numerous valuable advantagesare attainable device more stable, less noisy, more compact in operation and in storing, and very easy and pleasant to handle. The rigid handle located at the center of gravity of the device improves the handling characteristics still further. The collector box isa rigid unit with the front cover and it can be removed, and emptied in a most simple manner. It can also be washed, if desired, andthe device may be used after such washing without the necessity of drying it. The handle which positively locks the box in the casing is also used for removing, carrying and washing the box. Preliminary centrifugal separation of the heavier dust particles prevents clogging oi the perforated plate. I i i Fig. 11 shows a modified form of the cleaning nozzle'for combined suction and blower action of the device, and referring thereto said nozzle may comprise a body portion 8| in which there is provided a suction opening 82 connected by means of a hose 83 with the suction side of the device. A plurality of blowing openings 84, in

the present instance two, are provided in proximity to said suction opening 82 and are confor the purpose'of keeping the hose 86 normally interrupted and to, permit selective use of blowing openings when the same is advantageous, such as when cleaning under radiators and the like.

Fig. 12 shows a modified construction'of the battle plate. In this case an opening 81'is provided in the battle plate 88 corresponding to the plate 85 of the preferred structure, for the purpose of opening up the end or thewedge-shaped space formed between the baille plate 81 and the perforated plate 58 to allow dust there collected to be sent on a return circulation by letting it be drawn by the air flowing from the air receiving opening in the wall-5i. This opening e1 extends downwardly to a point slightly above the top 01 the opening 62, but no further. Hence no interference can occur with the main currents oi air above described.

, Although I have described my invention with a specific embodiment, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications which will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited'only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cleaning device having an enclosing member, a cover on said member, means for securing said cover to said member, a dirt trap made of-non-absorbent material rigidly secured to said cover and provided with air receiving and air discharging openings, means on said cover for removably connecting a suction hose to said box at the air receiving opening, a plurality of bame plates within said dirt trap for effecting a now of air in said box in a plurality of curvilinear paths,

and an air filtering metal member arranged at said air discharging opening.

2. In a cleaning device, a plurality of relatively movable air cleaning elements, and means extending between said elements including a member for agitating one of said elements upon the occurrence of relative movementbetween said elements.

3. ma cleaning device, an enclosing member, I

an air cleaning element removably mounted in said member, a second air cleaning element in said member, and means extending between said elements including a member for agitating said second element when said first element is moved ing element, and means on said first air cleaning element to impart a movement to said connecting member.

ALVIN C. McCORD.

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