US2963731A - Cleaning cover for brooms - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 13, 1960 J. M. HOOTS CLEANING CQVER FOR BROOMS Filed Dec. 10, 1958 INVENTOR: Y 1 3 JAMES M. Hoo'rs ATTORNEYS United States Patent C CLEANING COVER FOR BROOMS James M. Hoots, 213 Church St., High Point, N.C.

Filed Dec. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 779,409

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-247) This invention relates to cleaning covers for brooms and more particularly to a cleaning cover which is made of textile material and is adapted to be easily and quickly applied to and removed from a broom.

There are several types of cleaning covers for brooms presently available, all of which are secured to the broom by tying with strings or tape which is attached to the cover. In order to apply and remove this type of cleaning cover, it is necessary to position the cover in the correct position on the broom and then tie the strings or tape, which can be time consuming and aggravating. Cleaning covers have also been provided with snap fasteners to secure the cover in position on the broom but this type cover must be properly positioned before it is secured to the broom and the snap fasteners make laundering and cleaning the cover diflicult.

The primary object of this invention is to overcome the above-listed difficulties by providing a cleaning or duster cover of textile material which may be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the brush portion of a broom thereby facilitating the easy conversion of the broom to a dusting utensil.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cleaning cover which is resiliently held on the brush portion of a broom and thus, the cover may be held in any of several positions on the brush portion of the broom. Since the cover may be positioned in several positions on the broom, the present cover is more versatile than other known types and may be used for difierent cleaning operations.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cleaning cover which is formed of a textile material in a simple and economical manner and which does not have strings or the like attached thereto, whereby the cover may be readily laundered in home washing machines and the like.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a broom showing the duster cover of the present invention positioned in one operative position on the brush portion of the broom;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the lower portion of the broom and showing the cluster cover surrounding the broom handle and supported above the brush portion of the broom;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the duster cover positioned in one position for cleaning;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the fabric enclosed in the dash-dot line rectangle indicated at 4 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the duster cover, removed from the broom and at a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings, the duster or cleaning cover is referred to broadly at and comprises a tubular fabric sleeve which is preferably knit on a circular knitting machine with conventional terry knit construction to thus 7 2,963,731 Patented Dec. 13, 1960.

provide a pile loop body portion 11 and a stretchable area or band 12 at the upper end thereof. The lower edge of the body portion 11 is turned upwardly inside of the sleeve and sewn thereto along the dotted line 13 in Figure 5 to form a hem around the lower edge.

When the fabric sleeve 10 is knitted on a circular knitting machine, it is preferred that the stretchable band 12 be formed by laying in elastic or rubber covered yarn 15 (Figure 4) in the knit courses to contract the fabric in this area. Most circular knitting machines are provided with means for feeding an elastic yarn to the needles and then laying the elastic yarn in the fabric in a conventional manner. This laying in of an elastic yarn is the usual practice in knitting the top portion of mens and childrens hosiery.

The broom on which the present cover is adapted to be secured comprises a broom head or lower brush portion 20 which is fixed in a conventional manner to the lower end of a rigid handle 21. It is necessary that the cover 10 resiliently engage the brush poriton 20 of the broom with enough force to hold the same in position and ordinarily the band 12 will possess enough elasticity to support the cover in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 3 as well as in positions therebetween. However, in order to adapt the cover for use with brooms of different sizes and to make the body portion 11 snugly engage the brush portion 24 of the broom, it is preferred that the body portion 11 be stretchable.

The body portion 11 is preferably formed of a stretch able type yarn, such as Helanca, combined with a normally non-stretchable yarn, such as cotton or the like. This combination yarn provides enough stretchability to the cover 10 so that the cover 10 will frictionally engage the brush portion of the broom and hold the same in position when it is pulled down over the brush portion of the broom. It may be possible to form the sleeve entirely of non-stretchable yarn as long as the fabric has enough inherent stretchability to frictionally grip the brush portion of the broom tight enough to be held thereon.

When not in use, it is contemplated that the cover 10 will be positioned as shown in Figure 2 where it will be supported on the brush portion 20 of the broom and surround the handle 21 thereof. Thus, in this position, the cover 10 will not interfere with the usual sweeping operation of the broom and will be readily accessible when needed to clean the Walls, ceiling or to remove cobwebs and the like from the walls of the room. With the sleeve in the position shown in Figure 2, the cover 10 may be easily moved to cleaning position by grasping the lower edge or hem of the body portion 11 and pulling the cover downwardly to cover the brush portion 20 of the broom. The cover 10 may be pulled to substantially the position shown in Figure 3, where the lower end of the sleeve 10 will just barely cover the lower end of the broom or the cover may be pulled down on the broom so that more of the cover extends beyond the end of the broom, as shown in Figure 1.

When using a fabric covered broom to clean and dust walls, ceilings and the like, only the portion of the cover adjacent the end of the broom contacts the surface to be cleaned and this portion collects most of the dust and dirt. When the lower portion of the cover 10 becomes dirty, a clean portion may be provided by merely pulling the resiliently held cover 10 further down on the brush portion 20 of the broom, as shown in Figure 1.

Since the elastic band 12 tightly engages the broom and the body portion 11 of the cover It) resiliently engages the brush portion of the broom with less tension, the cover will remain firmly in any position on the broom. Also, by positioning the cover 10 on the brush portion of the broom 20 so that a considerable amount er the lower end ofthe sleeve will be hanging" free over the end of the broom, as shown in Figure 1, the dust cover can be utilized to clean and dust areas which could not be reached by prior dust covers. For example, with the cover positioned as shown in Figure 1, the broom may 'be raised and moved so that the portionof'the cover hanging downwardly therefrom will" engage and be dragged along the high horizontal surfaces of cornice boards, door facings, the upper edges'ot'picturelframes, and the like. 7

Although the cover 10 is described as being formed of a terry knit fabric, it is to be understood that it may be formed of other types 'of absorbent textile material, such as woven towel material. band 12 may be woven in a'separate operation andthen attached to one end of the body portion .11' as by sewing.

When the dust cover is dirty or it is desired to again sweep with the broom, the cover 10'may'beeasily're moved by pulling the same over the' lower end of the broom. In order to again position the cover 10. so that it will be readily accessible, it is merely necessary to thread or pass the upper end of the broom handle .21 through the cover and release the cover so that it will drop, by gravity, to the position shown in Figure' 2. If desired, the inner surface of the cover 10' may be relatively smooth or may have a terry or other type of fluffy surface so that it may be turned inside out and used again when one side becomesdirty.

The duster and cleaning cover ofthe'present invention thus provides a cleaning article which isad'apte'd to be normally carried by the broom and which can be easily and quickly positioned to cover the brush portion of a broom to thereby convert the broom to a cleaning and dusting appliance. The resilient means for holding the duster cover on the broom also provides means for positioning the cover in various positions on the brush portion of a broom. Since the cluster cover of this inven- Also, the stretchable 2,963,731 V i a A 0 tion comprises a textile sleeve which has no attachments, such as strings, tying tape, snaps orthe like, laundering of the sleeve is no problem. a

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claim.

I claim: g r

In a broom construction including. a. brown head and a cleaning cover surrounding and' at least partially covering said broom" head, said covercomprising a stretchable tubular textile sleeve frictionally engaging said broom head under tension throughout the entire area of said sleeve surrounding said broom head, said sleeve being open at both ends, a fastening band on one end of said sleeve, said band having a higher degree of stretchability than said sleeve and engaging the upper end portion of said broom head for supporting said sleeve on said broom head, and said band being stretched by the upper portion of said broom head to assume a tension therein of increased magnitudecompared to'the'tension in said sleeve induced by the frictional engagement of said sleeve with said broom head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 544,252 Green Aug. 6, 1895 1,357,006 Schloss Oct. 26, 1920 2,101,027 Karger no. Dec.- 7, 1937 OLena May 7,

FOREIGN PATENTS 219,842 Great Britain Aug. 2, 1924 396,338 Great Britain Aug. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION December 13 1960 Patent No, $963,731

James Mo Hoots error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that aid Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and that the s corrected below.

Column 4 line 11 for "brown" read broom "'6 Signed and sealed this 9th day of May 1961;

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST we SWIDER DAVID L LADD Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

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