Mechanical sweeper
[ Apr. 29, 1975 3.457.575 7/l969 l5/4l A MECHANICAL SWEEPER Inventor: Maurice Claude Cousin, Flers.  
 France Primary E.\&#39;aminer-Edward L. Roberts Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter Becker S 8 r e n .w.m m to C S i Mn m t k M &amp;a t .5 AE e n g .M S A H 7 Flers, Orne, France T C A R T S B A n 5 3 7 9 6 l w 3 F3 0 N .ml P MD. FA N 27- A mechanical carpet sweeper having a housing with [30] Foreign Application Priority Data fore and aft rotary brushes therein and drive rollers Dec. 7. I97] 7143932 adjacent the brushes. In each direction of reciproca 72.34708 tion of the housing while supported on the rollers, the  
 trailing rotary brush is driven while the leading rotary brush is idle. Nonrotary brush members extend along Sept. 29, I972 the sides of the housing at the bottom and partway across the front and back ends of the housing and are detachably connected to the housing for ready assembly therewith and disassembly therefrom.  
  53 .l 2 m I. v llBfl m NA 0 l 5 Wm4C mmRw mm WHM4 &#34;5 &#34;W Unn WW S HNH4 s n b unhl Ur &#34;&#34;8 &#34;W .L h l WM k UI .F Hum 555 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures MECHANICAL SWEEPER The present invention concerns a mechanical sweeper for sweeping and cleaning floors covered with a carpet or rug.  
  The heretofore known mechanical sweepers are generally equipped with relatively complicated mechanisms and also comprise rather expensive means for disengaging and engaging the rotatable brushes depending on the direction in which the sweeper is to be moved.  
  It is an object of the present invention to provide simple and relatively inexpensive means which will permit selectively to drive each brush in conformity with the desired direction of movement of the sweeper.  
  It is also an object of the invention to provide a sweeper, as set forth in the preceding paragraph, which will increase the coefficient of friction and will confer to the sweeper a higher degree of efficiency as to the marginal sweeping while bringing about that any traces or marks which are made by the rollers on the carpet or rug will be eliminated.  
  These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a plan view partially in section of the mechanical sweeper according to the invention.  
  FIG. 2 represents a section taken along the line llll of FIG. 1.  
  FlG. 3 is a lateral section taken along the line lIllll of FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 4 illustrates partially in plan view and partially in section another embodiment of a sweeper according to the present invention.  
  FIG. 5 represents a section taken along the line VV of FIG. 4.  
  HO. 6 is a partial section taken along the line Vl-Vl of FIG. 5.  
  The sweeper according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that it comprises a housing or casing with two rotatable bruches which are arranged parallel to each other, and furthermore cmprises lateral roller means which are mounted with a certain play on shoulders formed by supporting elements which permit an easy horizontal movement of the rollers so that they will cooperate by friction selectively with one or the other of the two rotating brushes of the sweeper depending in the desired direction of movement.  
  Referring now to the drawings in detail, and FIGS. 1-3 thereof in particular, the mechanical sweeper illustrated therein comprises a U-shaped housing I with two rotatable brushes 4, therein and with a relatively thin element 6 of substantially U-shape, the parallel arms of which form the two slots 7 and 8 for receiving the axles 9 and 10 of the wheels 2 and 3. Between the slots 7 and 8 of the element 6 and the rollers, the axles are so formed as to successively represent a bendcounterbend which permits an adjustment as to height of the housing and of the rotary brushes by actuating a push button ll which is connected to the U-shaped element 6. The push button 11 is arranged above the housing 1. Depending on the position, the mechanical sweeper is adapted to the nature of the carpet or rug to be cleaned. Below the U-shaped element 6 there is provided a dust collector 12 which is open toward the top and is closed at the bottom by flaps or shutters 13, I4  
 which are adapted to pivot about the shafts l8, l9 and permit the discharge of collected dust. The lateral walls of the dust collector 12 have at half their height and at each end a shoulder l5, 16 on which the roller shafts 9, 10 rest. According to the invention, the shafts 9, 10 can easily displace themselves on the shoulders l5, 16 while being retained by a leaf spring 17 which is somewhat W-shaped.  
  The mechanical sweeper operates as follows: When the sweeper is pushed by means of the pivotable handle 20 in the direction of the arrow S, the shafts 9, 10 of the rollers 2 and 3 are slightly displaced on the shoulders l5, 16 in view of a play provided for this purpose. and the rear rollers (with regard to the direction of movement of the sweeper) will come into contact with wheels fastened to each end of the shaft of the rear rotating brush. Due to the fact that the wheels as well as the rollers are covered with rubber or another similar material of high coefficient of friction, the rotatable brush is rotated and can thus carry out its function. When the mechanical sweeper is pushed in the oppo site direction it produces an inverse effect.  
  According to another embodiment of the sweeper according to the present invention, said embodiment being shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, there is provided a housing 30 which has the shape of a box of which two oppositely located parallel sides support two iron fittings 31, each of which is in the form of a U-shaped section with unequal arms 32, 32a. The larger arms 32 are formed at the bearings for the rotatable axles 33 and 34 of two rotatable parallel brushes 34 and 36. The fittings have shorter arms 32a below arms 32. The parallel arms 32 and 32a of the fittings 31 form outwardly opening notches 37a and 380, which define upwardly facing shoulders 37 and 38 upon which rest the shafts 39 and 40 of two pairs of roller elements 41 and 42 which in the present example are wheels provided with a tread. The shafts 39 and 40 are formed by bent off end sections of the two shafts 43 and 44 and extend parallel to the brush. The shafts 43 and 44 are also so bent so that each one has a respective arch 45, 46 offset at least partially with regard to the straight corresponding end portions 39 or 40. The shafts 43 and 44 are interconnected in the region of the central unbent portions thereof by means of two control plates or connections 47, each of which defines two rectangular windows 48 which are vertically directed. Each window 48 has a size which is noticeably greater than the diameter of the shafts 43 and 44 which extend through said windows. At least one of the connecting plates 47 is connected to a control push button 49 which protrudes in upward direction beyond the housing 30. The arches 45 and 46 of shafts 43 and 44 are enagageable with tabs 50, 51 formed on trays 52 and 53 which are pivotally mounted on the bearings 53&#39; and together form a dust container. The trays 52 and 53 are maintained in closed position by the action of at least one elastic return element 54. The tabs 50 and 51 and shoulders 37 and 38 form supporting surfaces for the arches 45 and 46 so that the actuation of the knob 49, for instance; in the direction of the arrow fl will, due to the control plates 47 bring about the rotation of the shafts 43 and 44. As a result thereof, the end parts 39 and 40 of the shafts are subjected to a circular displacement partially toward the interior of the notches 37a and 38a so that the roller members 41 and 42 are. relatively elevated or lowered with regard to the housing 30 thereby permitting to set or control the height of the brushes 35 and 36 with regard to their function as to the cleaning of the floor cover to be cleaned. A spring 55 for compensating for the play, has the shape ofa flat W and engages the terminal ends 39 and 40 in order to keep the same on the shoulders 37 and 38.  
  The fittings 31 likewise support two shafts 56 which form two journals 57 upon which the sections of a control handle, or yoke, 58 are articulated. As will be seen from FIG. 5, the slots 37a and 38a arranged in the fit tings 31 for defining the shoulders 37 and 38 are provided to that their vertical edges are more closely spaced than the gap between the terminal sections 39 and 40. Thus, when the mechanical sweeper is displaced in the direction of the arrow f (FIG. the friction exerted upon the floor or the cover for the floor will cause the wheels 41 and 42 to move axially and will also cause rotation of the wheels 41 and 42. The provision of the windows 48 and the notches 37a and 38a permits a relative displacement of the end portions 39 and 40 in such a way that the wheels 42 and spaced from the frictional elements 350, whereas the wheels 41 are pressed against the members 36a. The brush which is the front brush when considering the direction of movement of the sweeper is thus disengaged and the rear brush is positively engaged for rotation in the direction of the arrow f The edges of the housing which correspond to the wheel pairs 41 and 42 carry two side parts 61 which extend parallel to and at a distance from the bearings 31 while surrounding without touching the journals 57, as well as the terminal parts of the yoke 58.  
  The side parts 61 may be formed in conformity with inclined parts of housing 30 or with folds and counter folds 59 and 60 similar to those provided for the passage 62 of the legs of the branches of yoke 58. Moreover, the box on housing 30 is designed so that the parts 61 and the transverse edges 63 which connect the same, extend in an oblique and diverging manner with regard to the upper portion of the box on housing 30. This arrangement is selected in order to permit the simple assembly with the housing of the two brush means, or bristle means, by insertion of mountings 64 which are respectively formed by a shaped piece of L-section complementary to the profile of the inner walls of sides 61 and edges 63. Each mounting may be on inserted enclosed in the interior of the box on housing 30 by simply pressing the mountings in place and by inclining the contacting surfaces. In order to realize a sufficiently strong clamping while permitting an easy assembly and disassembly, it is advantageous to use an elastic clamping, or bumper, element with a sufficiently high coefficient of friction. This, there may be employed an inner lip 66 formed on a bumper strip 65 normally mounted on the peripheral edge of the box on housing 30. The mountings 64 are provided with bristles 67 forming the brushes 68 which extend along the two sides of the box 30 perpendicular to the axes of the rotary brushes, and also form the portions 69, parallel to the rotary brushes, and extending along the transverse edge 63 of the box on housing 30 so as to overlap the ends of the rotary brushes. Preferably, the portions 69 have a length which at least equals that between the ends of the rotary brushes and 36 and the corresponding lat eral edges of the box on housing. The bristles 67 have a greater length than the maximum distance between the box on housing and the floor so as to rub or polish the floor in conformity with the height adjustment effected by the button 49. The supplementary rubbing or polishing effected by the two lateral brushes 68 reduces the freedom of displacement of the mechanical sweeper and thereby improves the contact and the friction existing between the rollers and the brush which is caused to rotate with each displacement. In this way the coefficient of friction between the wheels and the elements 350 and 36a can be increased and consequently each time a positive continuous rotation of the brush can be controlled in conformity with the adjustment as to height of the mechanical sweeper, the length, the density and the softness of the pile of the floor cover which is to be cleaned. The presence of the two lateral brushes 68 likewise permits a more energetic brushing of the floor cover, especially near the walls, and also of the panels and the furniture. Another advantage of the lateral brushes 68 is seen in the fact that parts 69, at any rate and regardless of the direction of movement of the sweeper, eliminate tracks or markings which might have been left by the rollers on the floor cover, carpet or rugs.  
  It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.  
 What is claimed is:  
  1. In a mechanical carpet sweeper; a box like housing which is open toward the bottom, spaced rotary brushes in said housing rotatable therein on parallel shafts defining axes having terminal ends and protruding downwardly therefrom and comprising a forward brush near the front of the housing and a rearward brush near the back of the housing, forward and rearward drive rollers for driving said brushes and supported in said housing for bodily movement in the housing in the fore and aft direction, roller support means with said rollers protruding from the bottom of the housing and engaging the floor surface beneath the housing so as to rotate when the housing is moved in the fore and aft direction on the floor surface, said rearward rollers being in front of said rearward brush and said forward rollers being in back of said forward brush, the rearward rollers frictionally engaging and driving said rearward brush while said forward rollers disengage from the forward brush when said housing is moved in the forward direction on said floor surface, and vice versa, and spring means operatively provided with said housing and bearing on said roller support means to diminish play of terminal ends thereof.  
  2. A mechanical carpet sweeper according to claim 1 which includes respective axles on which said rollers are mounted, and a leaf spring carried by said housing and bearing downwardly on said axles to diminish play thereof.  
  3. In a mechanical carpet sweeper a box-like housing which is open toward the bottom, spaced rotary brushes in said housing rotatable therein on parallel axes and protruding downwardly therefrom and comprising a forward brush near the front of the housing and a rearward brush near the back of the housing, forward and rearward drive rollers for driving said brushes and supported in said housing for bodily movement in the housing in the fore and aft direction, and rollers protruding from the bottom of the housing and engag ing the floor surface beneath the housing so as to rotate when the housing is moved in the fore and aft direction on the floor surface, said rearward rollers being in front of said rearward brush and said forward rollers being in back of said forward brush, the rearward rollers frictionally engaging and driving said rearward brush while said forward rollers disengages from the forward brush when said housing is moved in the forward dirction on said floor surface, and vice versa, nonrotary brush members mounted on the lower edge of said casing and extending longitudinally along the full length of said casing in a direction perpendicular to the axes of rotation of said rotary brushes, said drive rollers being vertically adjustable in said housing, and said brush members engaging the floor surface on which the drive rollers rest in all adjusted positions of the drive rollers.  
  4. A mechanical carpet sweeper according to claim 3 which includes further nonrotary brush members extending from the ends of the first mentioned brush members inwardly at the front and rear ends of the housing and forming continuations of the first mentioned brush members.  
  5. A mechanical carpet sweeper according to claim 4 in which said further brush members extend inwardly from the sides of said housing such a distance as to at least overlap the adjacent ends of said rotary brushes.  
  6. A mechanical carpet sweeper according to claim 5 in which each further brush member is integral with the adjacent first mentioned brush member to form a single brush unit. each brush unit comprising a mounting bar at the top and bristles secured to the mounting bar and extending downwardly therefrom, said housing tapering outwardly at the bottom, and said mounting bar being formed to a complementary taper for mounting of each brush unit in the housing merely by pressing the mounting bar of the said unit upwardly into the housing from beneath.  
  7. A mechanical carpet sweeper according to claim 6 which includes resilient member mounted on said housing near the bottom and including lip means engageable with said mounting bar to retain the mounting bar in readily detachable engagement with the housing.  
  8. A mechanical carpet sweeper according to claim 6 in which the lateral sides of said housing include outwardly offset plate portions having lower edges for receiving said mounting bars of said brush units.  
  9. [n a mechanical carpet sweeper a box-like housing which is open toward the bottom, spaced rotary brushes in said housing rotatable therein on parallel axes and protruding downwardly therefrom and comprising a forward brush near the front of the housing and a rearward brush near the back of the housing, forward and rearward drive rollers for driving said brushes and supported in said housing for bodily movement in the housing in the fore and aft direction, said roller protruding from the bottom of the housing and engaging the floor surface beneath the housing so as to rotate when the housing is moved in the fore and aft direction on the floor surface, said rearward rollers being front of said rearward brush and said forward rollers being in back of said forward brush, the rearward rollers frictionally engaging and driving said rearward brush while said forward rollers disengages from the forward brush when said housing is moved in the forward direction on said floor surface, and vice versa, said housing tapering outwardly toward the bottom and has a downwardly facing edge, and a pair of U-shaped brush units each comprising a mounting bar at the top and bristles dependant from the mounting bar, each bar having an inclined vertical leg, each said vertical leg fitting inside a respective lateral side edge of said housing and partway across the forward and rearward ends of th housing, and a resilient bumper strip extending about said housing near the lower edge thereof and including resilient lip means extending inwardly at the lower edge of the housing and supportingly engaging said vertical legs of said mounting bars.