US2197641A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1940- o. HOLM-HANSEN ,6

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 23, 1937 Inventof: Osmuhd Helm-Hansen, by

His AttoTYjey.

Patented Apr. 16, 1940 V PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Osmund Holm-Hanaen,

Stratford, Com, s-

aignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 23, 1937, Serial No. 181,331

1 Claim.

' The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the type having an agitating element in the suction nozzle for agitating the floor covering or other surface being cleaned.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement for supporting the agitating element in the suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my inven- W tion, attention is directed to the following description and the claim appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top w plan view of the vacuum cleaner broken away to show the construction for driving .and supporting the agitatingelement; Fig. 3 is a detailview of the rock shaft and one of the seats for resiliently supporting the agitating element; and

til Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the construction for holding the agitating element in a plurality of positions.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown my invention in connection with a vacuum cleaner 95 having an outer casing l having walls providing a suction nozzle 2 at the front and forked dis-v charge outlets 3 at the rear between which is pivoted the forked end 4 of a discharge conduit 5. Within the casing is mounted an electric motor driven fan which draws the dust-laden air through the suction nozzle and discharges it through the discharge outlets 3 to the conduit 5. The .air discharged through the conduit 5 is passed through a suitable separator (not shown) such as a filter, which removes the dustfrom the air. The casing is supported at the rear by wheels 6 rotatably carried on an arm I fixed to the casing l and is supported at the front by wheels 8 rotatably carried in arms 9 fixed to a rock shaft Ill. The rock shaft is journaled in bearings ll fixed to the casing. By rotating the rock shaft in the position of the wheels 8 with respect to the casing can be varied, thereby 4w changing the height of the suction nozzle above the surface being cleaned. Arrangements for rotating the rock shaft l and holding it in this adjusted position are well known in the art and illustration thereof is not required for the purm poses of the present invention. The nozzle is provided with walls l2 and I3 which enclose the wheels 8. A rubber bumper i4 fits over an outwardly extending flange IS on the outside of the suction nozzle.

% At the rear of the suction nozzle, and extending lengthwise thereof, is a countershaft i6 journaled in bearing housings i'l fixed to the vacuum cleaner casing. The countershaft I6 is in substantially the same horizontal plane as the suction nozzle and is directly below the outer 5 end of the motor shaft l8. The countershaft I6 is rotated by a belt is extending over the motor shaft l8 and a pulley fixed to the countershaft. The belt is accessible through an opening 2| in the bottom of the cleaner casing. The opening 10 is closed by a cover plate 22.

On the inner side of the end walls of the suction nozzle are bosses 23 having pins 24 fixed therein on which a rock shaft 25 is pivotally supported. At each end of the rock shaft are fixed arms 26 15 having forked or semi-cylindrical seats 21 offset from the pivotal axis of the rock shaft. The seats are covered by a coating 28 of rubber or other resilient material which provides a yielding support :for the agitating element. The yielding 10 support of the agitating element, permits it to yield upwardly after striking the floor covering, reducing the pressure on the fioor covering and the resultant wear. The yielding support also reduces noise due to vibration of the agitating element. The seats 2'! have open ends 28 presented toward-the front of the suction nozzle which are adapted to receive the bearing housings 30 ofan agitating element. Bearing housings of the agitating element are insertable in the seats by movement transverse to the axis of the agitating element. The agitating element comprises, a body 3| journaled in the bearing housings 30 and having agitating members, such as brushes 32, projecting therefrom. At the center of the agitating element is a pulley 33.

The agitating element is rotated by a-belt 34 p running over the pulley 33 and over a pulley 35 fixed to the countershait l6. In addition to (0 driving the agitating element the belt 34 also holds the bearing housings 30 of the agitating element in the seats 21. There is a double speed reduction between the motor shaft and the agitatinglelement which permits a desirable reductiomin the speed of rotation of the agitating elementf The belt 34 is in substantially the horizontal plane of the suction nozzle. This permits the suction nozzle to be relatively low and to extend forward from the main portion of the vacuum cleaner casing. This is advantageous in cleaning under furniture. The rock shaft 25 has an offset rtion 36 extending upward over the top of the it 34. This permits;

the belt to he removed without disassembling the rock shaft. e k

Under some circumstances, it is desirable to lower the agitating element with respect to the nozzle lips, for example, in cleaning floors. en

the agitating element is lowered the brushes contact the floor and sweep the surface of the floor. The adjustment of the agitating element is accomplished'by rotating the rock! shaft 2% by means of the crank 31 fixed to the rock shaft and projecting through a slot 38 in the walls It of the vacuum cleaner casing. The slot 38 is provided with notches 39 which engage the crank. 31 and retain the rock'shaft in a plurality oi positions.

Vifhen the crank is in the position shown in Fig. 4 the rock shaft is in its normal position aieaeai position the brushes $201. the agitating element may directly contact the floor.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a vacuum cleaner, an elongated suction nomle, an agitator in the suction nozzle rotatable on an axis parallel to the length of the suction nozzle, a rock shaft within the suction nozzle at the rear of and extending substantially parallel to the agitator, said rock shaft being journaled in the nozzle for rotation on an axis parallel'to the axis of the agitator, arms at the ends of the rock shaft and projecting forward therefrom, forked seats at the front ends of said arms presented to the agitator into which the agitator is insertable 6y movement transverse to its axis, a suction chamber connected to the rear of the suction nozzle, a power shaft therein, a horizontally extending belt operatively connecting said power shaft to the agitator intermediate said arms for rotating the agitator and for holding the agitator element in said seats, a portion of said rock shaft intermediate said arms extending over the belt, and means for rotating the rock shaft whereby the position of the agitator in the nozzle is adjusted. I

OS HOLM-HANH.

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