US3054132A - Floor cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 18, 1962 E, ORMERQD 3,054,132

FLOOR CLEANER Filed Jan. 12, 1959 3,054,132 FLOOR CLEANER Ellis Grmerod, 508 Wallner Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Filed Jan. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 786,235 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-535) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in oor cleaners, particularly door cleaners of the type which require a liquid for the cleaning operation.

In Ithe art of floor cleaning, it is normally the practice to clean or scrub the door with a liquid which then has to be mopped up. Various methods have been provided to distribute liquid over the floor prior to the cleaning operation but lall of these tend to be wasteful and uneven in the spreading action.

I have overcome these disadvantages by providing a floor cleaner in which the amount of liquid is controlled by the rhythmic movement of the llui'd in the tank which in turn is controlled by the operators walking motion while operating the device. Furthermore, by using a bristled brush covered by Ia mop cloth, I have found that both the cleaning and mop-ping action can be carried out at the same time.

The principal object and essence of my invention is therefore to provide a oor cleaning brush covered with a detachably secured mop cloth and containing a oor cleaning liquid reservoir above the brush head in which the liquid is dispensed by the rhythmic movement of the operator, in doing the cleaning operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the mopping and cleaning action is carried out in one operation.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a `device of the character herewithin described which gives and even controlled amount of cleaning fluid to the floor.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which does not contain any valving action for the dispenser which means that maintenance problems are at an absolute minimum.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is relatively lightweight and easy to carry from one room to the other.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which no leaking can occur from the container when the device is not 1n use.

With the foregoing objects in View, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevation of a non-elected embodiment of my device showing the mopping cloth in position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of FIGURE l but in a reduced scale Iand with the mop cloth removed.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective View of the preferred ernbodiment of my device.

FIGURE 4 is `a side elevation of FIGURE 3 but with the container top in place.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the dierent ligures.

The embodiments shown in FIGURES l and 2, and in FIGURES 3 and 4, are similar in operation with the exception that the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2 is for use on relatively small door areas, whereas the ernboditates Patent Oiice 3,354,132 Patented Sept. 18, 1962 ments shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 is somewhat larger and is particularly suitable for use on large lloor areas.

Proceeding first to describe the embodiments shown in FIGURES l and 2, it will be seen that I have provided |a broom or brush head 1 having conventional bristles 2 depending downwardly therefrom.

These bristles are covered by a mopping cloth 3 so that the bristle action acts through the cloth upon the floor and the extending ends 4 and 5 of the mop cloth act to mop the floor after lthe scrubbing action. A tension spring 6 extends around the perimeter' 7 of the head l1 and Vis secured to 'the Ihead at the end 8 Ithereof by means of screws (not illustrated). The mop cloth 3l, which is substantially rectangular when viewed in plan, is passed by the end thereof between the spring `6I and the head 1, as clearly shown in FIGURE l covering the bristles 2 and having the extremities 4 and 5 extending upon each side of the broom head.

In this connection, right angled brackets 9 are secured to the front and rear sides 10 of the head ,and hold the cloth 3 yaway from the front rand rear bristles 11 thus permitting the bristles room to flex as the device is operating.

A handle 12 is secured to the head in the usual manner (not illustrated) and extends upwardly and rearwardly therehonr, said handle -also supporting a canister 13 which in turn detachably supports the licor cleaning liquid container. This canister, which is open topped, comprises a front panel 15, a base 16, a rear panel 17, and a pair of side panels 18, and is secured to the handle Iby means of clips 19. Adjacent the rear edge 20` of the base panel 16, is a plurality of apertures 21 and adjacent these apertures, is a clip 22 which maintains the canister 14 forwardly of the rear panel 17 so that the base of the canister does not block the apertures 21.

Immediately below the apertures 21 is a series of vertical drillings 23 extending through the broom head to the bristle area, these apertures extending across the width of the broom head from side to side.

The fluid container 14 is provided with a iilling neck 24 and a series of discharge apertures 25 across the top panel 26 of the container and adjacent the rear corner 27 thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Liquid 28 is placed in the container through the neck 24 and the mop cloth 3` is secured as hereinbefore described wherein the device is ready for use.

In operation, it will be observed that when the head is parallel with the iloor surface, the canister 13 is inclined rearwardly parallel to the handle 12 so that the liquid takes up the level illustrated in FIGURE l.

Forward and backward motion of the broom upon the floor surface causes liquid to be discharged rhythmically through the apertures 25 in the top of the container whereupon it passes downwardly between the container and the canister back 17 to exit through the aperture 211 in the base of the canister. From there it passes downwardly through the drilling 23 to the brush area so that it is available for cleaning purposes upon the floor surface.

The quantity of liquid discharged can readily be controlled both by the rhythmic action of the operator and by the inclination of the handle y12.

The extremities 4 and 5 exert a mopping action upon the iloor after the brush area has acted thereupon and acts to puta inish on the door surface.

Dealing next with the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES 3 and 4, this also consists of a brush head 1 having bristles 2 depending downwardly therefrom. The handle 2.6 consists of two members 27 extending upwardly from each side of the head 1 and terminating in a transverse pulling handle 28. Also spanning the members 27 and below the pulling handle -28 is a further cross bar 29 which acts as a carrying handle for the device. A pair of relatively short stabilizing legs (one of which is shown) 30 are secured one each to the members 27 and extend forwardly therefrom so that when the members 27 are placed in a vertical position, the extremities 31 of the stabilizing legs engage the ground thus supporting the device when not in use.

The `oor liquid cleaning container 32 is cylindrical in this embodiment and is mounted between the members 27 and upon the undersurface of the head 1, bracket 33 securing the container by the end to the members 27.

Upon the upper surface 34 of the cylindrical container 32, I have provided an open area 35 extending from side to side through which the container may be lled with the oor cleaning liquid.

Extending across the forward curved portion 36 of the container, I have provided a series of discharge apertures 37 and it should be appreciated that the liquid level 38, when the device is stationary and in a position shown in FIGURE 3, is just `below the discharge apertures 37.

A mop cloth 3 is also utilized in this embodiment and is secured to the head in the following manner.

A pair of resilient U-shaped brackets 39 are secured to the forward side 40 of the head and an elongated dowel 41 is adapted to be clipped into these U-shaped brackets. One end 42 of the towel is first wrapped around the dowel which is then slipped into the U-shaped bracket thus holding the towel firmly byY one edge thereof, the other edge 43 passing under the bristles and trailing behind the device.

In operation, this particular embodiment is designed to be pulled in the direction of arrow 44 and the walking motion of the operator causes a slight up and down motion of the handle thus causing the liquid to exit through the apertures 37 and pass downwardly through the floor area being cleaned. The trailing end 43 of the mop cloth mops the iloor as it passes thereover thus completing the job in one operation.

Since various modiiications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made Within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying speciiication shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A floor cleaning and mopping device comprising in combination a transverse brush head, a handle secured to said head and extending upwardly and vforwardly therefrom, a door cleaning iluid container mounted above said head and supported by said handle, a mop cloth covering the underside of said head, means to detachably secure said mop cloth to said head and apertures in said container -above the liquid level therein, adapted to permit egress of liquid therethrough when said liquid is agitated manually, said apertures being situated on one side of said container and horizontally thereacross, said handle extending upwardly from said container, stabilizing legs secured to and extending rearwardly and downwardly from said handle and so positioned to engage the ground to support the device when said handle is in the vertical position.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said means includes a pair of resilient U-shaped brackets secured to one side of said head, and a dowel resiliently clipped by said bracket, one end of said mop cloth passing around said dowel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 630,086 Maynard Aug. l, 1899 759,930 Stow May 17, 1904 866,469 Huggins Sept. 17, 1907 1,059,427 Barnwell Apr. 22, 1913 1,065,975 Shaw July 1, 1913 1,112,094 Rackoil Sept. 29, 1914 1,342,492 Zaboy June 8, 1920 1,553,635 Schultz Sept. 15, 1925 1,656,981 Lewis Jan. 24, 1928 2,261,411 Rees Nov. 4, 1941 2,547,223 Lombardo Apr. 3, 1951 2,817,105 Di Rubbo Dec. 24, 1957

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