Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-03-06
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S346000, C015S348000, C015S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195836
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to surface cleaning vehicles such as street sweeping vehicles and factory floor sweeping vehicles, and more particularly to such surface cleaning vehicles that employ air to remove small particulate matter from the surface being cleaned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The removal of dirt and debris from streets, parking lots, airport runways, factory floors, and other similar paved surfaces, through the use of various types of street cleaning vehicles or factory sweeping vehicles, as may be the case, has been known for many years. For the sake of brevity, clarity and simplicity, such vehicles will be generally referred to in this document as surface cleaning vehicles.
One type of conventional surface cleaning vehicle is known as a surface sweeping vehicle, commonly referred to as a “sweeper”. In a mechanical surface sweeping vehicle, a pair of counter-rotating disc type brushes, commonly called gutter brooms, sweep dirt and debris inwardly to underneath the central area of the sweeper and an elongate cylindrically-shaped sweeping broom that rotates about a horizontal axis sweeps the dirt and debris onto a conveyor. The conveyor deposits the dirt and debris into a hopper for subsequent controlled dumping from the hopper. Such sweepers can remove large amounts of dirt and debris from a paved surface quite quickly and thoroughly, and can generally remove large pieces of debris quite readily. However, they cannot remove dirt and debris from significant depressions, cannot thoroughly clean a paved surface, cannot clean out a porous surface and cannot effectively remove fine particulate matter from a surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a surface cleaning vehicle that employs a mechanical debris loading means and that sweeps the surface with a sweeping broom first and then cleans small particulate matter from the surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surface cleaning vehicle that employs a mechanical debris loading means and that sweeps the surface with a sweeping broom first and then cleans small particulate matter from the surface, without the use of water for dust suppression.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surface cleaning vehicle that employs a mechanical debris loading means and that can clean depressions and cracks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a novel mechanical surface cleaning vehicle having a front end, a back end, a debris retaining hopper, and defining a medial longitudinal axis “L”. The surface cleaning vehicle comprises a cylindrically-shaped rotating sweeping broom of width “W
B
” mounted on the vehicle for rotation about a horizontal axis of rotation and to propel forwardly from a surface contacting segment debris disposed on a contacted portion of a surface being cleaned, the contacted portion being defined at its front by a leading edge, thereby creating a forwardly propelled stream of debris. A mechanical debris elevating means is mounted on the vehicle to receive and retain the forwardly propelled stream of debris and deposit the received and retained debris into the hopper. A deflector flap means is disposed forwardly of the rotating sweeping broom and adjacent the debris accepting lower end portion of the mechanical debris elevating means, to receive at least a portion of the forwardly propelled stream of debris and to deflect it upwardly and forwardly onto the mechanical debris elevating means. An air blast generating means is for effecting a blast of air that forcefully impinges the surface behind the leading edge, thereby propelling forwardly therewith fine debris disposed on the surface, and that carries forwardly through the rotating sweeping broom and egresses therefrom, to deflect forwardly and upwardly off the deflector flap means and forwardly past the deflector flap means to the mechanical debris elevating means.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a novel mechanical surface cleaning vehicle having a front end, a back end, a debris retaining hopper, and defining a medial longitudinal axis “L”. The surface sweeping vehicle comprises a cylindrically-shaped rotating sweeping broom of width “W
B
” mounted on the vehicle for rotation about a horizontal axis of rotation and to propel forwardly from a surface contacting segment debris disposed on a contacted portion of a surface being cleaned, the contacted portion being defined at its front by a leading edge, thereby creating a forwardly propelled stream of debris. A mechanical debris elevating means is mounted on the vehicle to receive and retain the forwardly propelled stream of debris and to deposit the received and retained debris into the hopper. An air blast generating means is for effecting a blast of air that forcefully impinges the surface behind the leading edge of the contacted portion thereby propelling forwardly therewith fine debris disposed on the surface, and that carries through the rotating sweeping broom and egresses therefrom to the mechanical debris elevating means, exclusive of subsequent re-entry into the lower portion of the rotating sweeping broom below the horizontal axis of rotation prior to reaching the mechanical debris elevating means.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a novel mechanical surface cleaning vehicle having a front end, a back end, a debris retaining hopper, and defining a medial longitudinal axis “L”. The surface sweeping vehicle comprises a cylindrically-shaped rotating sweeping broom of width “W
B
” mounted on the vehicle for rotation about a horizontal axis of rotation and to propel forwardly from a surface contacting segment debris disposed on a contacted portion of a surface being cleaned, the contacted portion being defined at its front by a leading edge, thereby creating a forwardly propelled stream of debris. A mechanical debris elevating means is mounted on the vehicle to receive and retain the forwardly propelled stream of debris and to deposit the received and retained debris into the hopper. An air blast generating means is for effecting a blast of air that forcefully impinges the surface behind the leading edge of the contacted portion thereby propelling forwardly therewith fine debris disposed on the surface, and that carries through the rotating sweeping broom and egresses therefrom to the mechanical debris elevating means, exclusive of subsequent impingement of the surface prior to reaching the mechanical debris elevating means.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a novel mechanical surface cleaning vehicle having a front end, a back end, a debris retaining hopper, and defining a medial longitudinal axis “L”. The surface sweeping vehicle comprises a cylindrically-shaped rotating sweeping broom of width “W
B
” mounted on the vehicle for rotation about a horizontal axis of rotation and to propel forwardly from a surface contacting segment debris disposed on a contacted portion of a surface being cleaned, the contacted portion being defined at its front by a leading edge, thereby creating a forwardly propelled stream of debris. A mechanical debris elevating means is mounted on the vehicle to receive and retain the forwardly propelled stream of debris and to deposit the received and retained debris into the hopper. An air blast generating means having a horizontally elongate air blast outlet of width “W
O
” is disposed immediately rearwardly of the contacted portion of the surface for effecting a blast of air that forcefully impinges the surface behind the leading edge of the contacted portion thereby propelling forwardly therewith fine debris disposed on the surface, and that carries forwardly through the rotating sweeping broom and egresses therefrom, to the mechanical debris elevating means.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a novel mechanical surface cleaning vehicle having a
Snider Theresa T.
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
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