Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reissue Patent
2000-01-24
2001-05-08
Moore, Chris K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S385000
Reissue Patent
active
RE037162
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention is concerned with the removal from a hard surface, such as cement, of soils, such as gum, soda pop, candy and other foods and oil and grease drippings from motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND ART
Governmental regulations enacted in recent years concerning the disposal of hazardous materials prohibit removing surface soils by scrubbing the surface and flushing the removed soil down a drain with water. The soil that is removed must be collected and transported to an approved disposal facility.
Appliances have been devised which reportedly were capable of cleaning hard surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,930 granted Jun. 22, 1925 to H. G. Tuthill, Jr. for “Surface Cleaning Apparatus” discloses such an appliance. However, because Tuthill relied primarily oft rotating brush action to loosen soil, his appliance was more suited for carpet cleaning than removing hard-to-remove stains from concrete.
Carl R. Young in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,015 granted Aug. 4, 1992 for “Pressurized Fluid Cleaning Device” recognized the capability of high pressure liquid spray from a rotating nozzle assembly to loosen soil and debris. Young's appliance does not comply with current regulations because in cannot retrieve the loosened soil.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,191,589 granted Mar. 4, 1980 to K. F. Halls et al for “Method and Apparatus for Cleaning Carpets and Surfaces Using Cleaning Fluid” and 4,377,018 granted Mar. 22, 1983 to G. E. Cain for “Cleaning Devices for Surfaces” combine serf propelling rotatable spray nozzle assemblies with adjoining vacuum nozzles for removing the soil. The disposition of the vacuum nozzle in these appliances limits their effectiveness and versatility. For example, in use the Halls et al appliance must be drawn rearwardly in a straight line. And the vacuum hood of the Cain appliance likely gave uneven performance across its width.
The inventors identified in two prior patents sought to improve the vacuum withdrawal of soil by providing bell-shaped vacuum hoods with flexible sealing skirts at their lower peripheries. Their patents are U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,290 granted Jul. 26, 1977 to J. J. Rose et al for “Vacuum Cleaning Device” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,816 granted Aug. 22, 1978 to P. W. Matthews for “Cleaning Heads”. Both inventors preferred to provide a motor for rotating spray nozzles in the hoods. Rose et al employed an air jet nozzle while Matthews chose to spray cleaning water. Neither of these two appliances offers a particularly effective vacuum soil removing system.
There continues to be a need for a hard surface cleaning appliance which effectively loosens soil from the surface and removes and captures the soil and spent cleaning fluid.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
This invention significantly improves the capability of the cleaning appliance to remove substantially all of the loosened soil and cleaning fluid from the surface, thus reducing runoff of possibly hazardous materials.
The improvement resides primarily in the construction of the hood covering the cleaning area and associated components. The hood has a depending wall in which vacuum passage means are formed. The bottom edge region of the hood wall carries a foramenous skirt which is adapted to contact the surface being cleaned.
Positioned inside the hood is an inner shroud which cooperates with the hood in forming the vacuum passages. The lower edge of the shroud is elevated slightly above the surface to be cleaned to permit cleaning fluid and soil to be drawn outwardly beneath the lower edge of the shroud into the vacuum passages. At the same time the foramenous skirt permits a quantity of air to be drawn through the skirt into the vacuum passage thereby precluding cleaning fluid and soil from passing outwardly through or beneath the skirt and providing a moving air stream to carry the cleaning fluid and soil through the appliance and away from the surface.
The vacuum passage means preferably includes a plurality of substantially upright passages in the hood. One-half of the upright passages are in communication with one semi-circular manifold passage and the other haft of the upright passages are in communication with a second semi-circular manifold passage.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2220224 (1940-11-01), Faber
patent: 3189930 (1965-06-01), Tuthill
patent: 3719966 (1973-03-01), Lamont
patent: 4037290 (1977-07-01), Rose et al.
patent: 4107816 (1978-08-01), Matthews
patent: 4191589 (1980-03-01), Halls et al.
patent: 4377018 (1983-03-01), Cain
patent: 5088151 (1992-02-01), Legatt
patent: 5135015 (1992-08-01), Young
patent: 5388305 (1995-02-01), Fields
patent: 5428863 (1995-07-01), Tanasescu et al.
Cahill Sutton & Thomas P.L.C.
Moore Chris K.
Professional Chemicals Corporation
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