Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RUG AND UPHOLSTERY CLEANIN~, APPARATUS
BACKGROUND AND SUM~RY OF THE INVENTION -
Rug and upholstery cleaning devices in general
use are arranged and constructed to direct a stream of
cleaning fluid directly onto the base of the material to be
cleaned with the driving force of the cleaning fluid being
utilized to loosen the soil. The result of directing
cleaning fluid onto the base of the surface cleaned tends to
drive dirt and/or soil into the structure of the hase and
also results in a puddling or collection of cleaning fluid
thereon whereupon the suction used is directed to withdraw
the cleaning fluid after it has become puddled and subsequent
to the cleaning effort of the surface.
Prior art practice as described in Hayes U.S. Patent
No. 3,262,146 shows a two chamber nozzle structure with
which a high pressure stream solvent solution is applied
from one chamber and a vacuum in an adjacent chamber condenses
and collects the cleaning va~or. Shown are downwardly
opening chambers terminating in a common plane with lower
edges notched for entry of air. The spray head is angled
downwardly having the emerging stream impact against a wall
surface of the spray head and becoming deflected down
directly into the pile of nap of the material being cleaned.
The whole impact is in a substantially vertical direction
resulting in beating down into the warp or base of the
material being cleaned with the full impact of the cleaning
fluid and the soil and dirt which is present becomes impacted
into the warp or base. The stream solvent is condensed upon
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contact with the material and condensated will tend to
puddle or settle upon the base of the material. Here the
vacuum attempts to withdraw the fluid after it has become
settled or puddled upon the material being cleaned.
Squier in U. S. ~atent No. 930,628 embodies a
brush for cleaning, the brush being manipulated in a
spinning scrubbing action.
Thomsen in his French Patent No. 449,826 embodies
the use of an oscillating brush. In Crites in U. S. Patent
No. 2,292,435, a rotary brush i5 used.
Grave, the applicant herein, in his U. S. Patent
No. 3,431,582, discloses a cleaning head over which the
present invention represents substantial improvement and in
which the cleaning fluid under high pressure is discharged
directly down into the base of the material to be cleaned
prior to being withdrawn by suction.
Lotz in U.S. Patent No. 742,880 discloses a cleaning
head or nozzle causing the soil picked up to be withdrawn
through a narrow slit suction inlet with an adjacent funnel
opening head which sprays water upon the surface being cleaned.
Other commonly used cleaning devices utilize a
rotating or spinning pad such as a felt pad which is
impregnated with or accompanied by cleaning fluid as it
spins over the surface and in effect beating the cleaning
fluid into the material and in an abrasive action using its
pressure and spinning effect to disperse the cleaning fluid
through the surface cleaned.
This invention relates in particular to a nozzle
structure used with a rug or upholstery cleaninq apparatus,
the periphery of the nozzle being surface engaging and
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embodying a suction and a cleaning chamber and suction
together with the application of cleaning fluid under
pressure causes the pile of a rug to become raised and
aligned in the applied direction of the cleaning fluid and
the surface oE upholstery material to become raised and the
stream of cleaning fluid is directed to sweep through the
raised pile or upholstery material and is withdrawn therefrom
by suction in a simultaneous and continuous action whereby
substantially the only residue of the cleaning fluid and soil
picked up thereby is the dampness of the material cleaned.
It is an ob~ect of this invention to provide a
nozzle structure particularly designed to sweep a cleaning
upholstery material whereby the soil is picked up and
maintained in suspension within the body of cleaning fluid
and that simultaneous with the cleaning action and in effect
as a continuation thereof, the cleaning fluid with the soil
therein is withdrawn and discharged.
It is another object of this invention to provide
a nozzle structure particularly arranged to direct a stream
of cleaning fluid to clean a surface to the extent that
there is soil penetration and to avoid beating the soil into
the base of the material cleaned.
It is a further object of this invention to provide
a nozzle structure in connection with a cleaning apparatus
embodying a cleaning and a cooperating extraction chamber in
which the application of cleaning fluid is directed to be at
a shallow angle to the surface to be cleaned and its extrac-
tion laden with soil is a continuing simultaneous action.
More specifically, it is an object of this
invention to provide a nozzle structure for a rug cleaning
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apparatus in whlch a jet directs a stream of cleaning fluid
at such an angle as to cause the pile of the surface cleaned
to tend to become erect and aligned and to pass through the
pile at a depth approximating the depth of the penetration
of soil therein, the nozzle including a raised baffle pro-
viding an area of reduced pressure and a suction hose within
said area whereby in an action simultaneous with the action
of the cleaning fluid sweeping through the pile assisted by
an air stream through inlet ports, the suction in a venturi
like action withdraws the fluid and the soil therein ~rom
the pile, thus avoiding the deposit of soil and the collection
of fluid as in puddles on the surface cleaned. Upholstery
material is cleaned in a like manner.
According to a first broad aspect, the present
invention provides in connection with a rug and upholstery
material cleaning apparatus, a nozzle structure comprising
a housing having a peripheral portion overlying a surface
portion to be cleaned of said material, a cleaning chamber
and a suction chamber within said housing, means separating
said chambers positioned to provide communication therebetween
at said surface portion to be cleaned, outlet jets carried in
said cleaning chamber ejecting cleaning fluid at such an angle
as to pass through said material at said surface portion to
be cleaned, said cleaning fluid being directed to sweep through
and align said surface portion, air ports into said cleaning
chamber, the suction of said suction chamber simultaneous
with the ejection of said cleaning fluid and incoming stream
of air from said air ports raising said surface portion to
be cleaned and withdrawing said cleaning fluid from and
drawing said air stream through said raised surface portion
o~
in a continuous cleaning action whereby said cleaning fluid
and said air stream are under constant movement in being
withdrawn and discharged hy said suction leaving substantially
only dampness in said surface portion as a residue.
According to a second broad aspect, the present
invention provides a nozzle structure comprising a housing
having a peripheral portion engaging a surface portion of
material to be cleaned, a cleaning chamber and a suction
chamber within said housing, means separating said chambers,
providing between said chambers a passage passing over said
surface portion of said material, the suction of said suction
chamber drawing upon and raising said surface portion of
said material, air inlet ports into said cleaning chamber,
a jet carried in said cleaning chamber, means connecting
said jet to a supply of cleaning fluid, a stream of cleaning
fluid ejected by said jet combined with air through said
ports being particularly directed at such a shallow angle as
to sweep through said raised portion of said material, said
suction simultaneous with the sweeping action of said air
and cleaning fluid causes a continuous movement of said
cleaning fluid in withdrawing the same and the soil therein
from said material, whereby substantially the only residue
is the dampness of said material.
These and other objects and advantages of the
invention will be set forth in the following description
made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which
like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout
the several views.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS -
Fig. 1 is a top plan view partially in perspective;
Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view partially in
perspective;
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 on an enlarged
scale with portions thereof broken away;
Fig. 4 is a view on a magnified scale in vertical
transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 as indicated;
Fig. S is a view in vertical transverse section
taken on line 5~5 of Fig. 4 as indicated;
Figs. 6-8 are respectively broken views in top
plan, side elevation and in hottom plan with a portion
broken out, and
Fig. 9 is a view on an enlarged scale in vertical
section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 6 as indicated.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFFERED EMBODIMENT -
Referring to the drawings, the nozzle or nozzle
structure comprising the subject matter of the invention
herein is indicated generally at 10. The cleaning apparatus
with which the nozzle is intended for use is referred to
incidentally, it is not shown and forms no part of the
present invention.
Said nozzle preferably is made up for the most
part of suitable plastic molded components.
Said nozzle comprises two basic functionally
related portions or heads - the cleaning head 14 and the
suction and discharge or withdrawal head 16.
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Referring first to said cleaning head, the same
comprises an overhead wall or plate 18 which is substantially
rectangular in plan. It will be noted in Fig. 4, said plate
member 18 in operating position is inclined downwardly
forwardly on the order of 30 and has a depending front end
wall 19 which in operating position is substantially at
right angles to the horizontal. This front end wall will be
further described. Said top plate has depending side walls
20 and 21.
The rearward portion of said plate 18 is a down-
wardly projecting portion 23 of sufficient cross sectional
dimension to form a manifold having a substantially full
width cylindrical chamber 28 therein. Tapped into the front
wall 29 of said chamber and spaced therealong in communication
with said chamber are jet fittings or jets 31, 32, 33 and 34.
Entering said chamber 28 centrally rearwardly thereof is an
inlet fitting 36 forming a port, the same being tapped into
the rear wall 25. Leading to and being suitably connected
with said inlet fitting 36 is a supply line 38 which will
run to a source of a suitable cleaning fluid.
Underlying said plate member 18 in spaced
relation and secured to the bottom wall 30 of said manifold
by screws 42 and extending between the side walls 20 and 21
is a bottom wall 41. Said bottom wall is further secured by
a pair of transversely spaced posts 44 extending between it
and said top plate 18, the same being secured by screws 46
extending therethrough from said bottom wall to said top
plate.
Referring to the jets 31-34, the slotted outlets
31a-34a thereof are designed to eject a wide flared or fan
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shaped spray or stream 47. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that
the outlets 32a and 33a preferably are analed axially whereby
the adjacent portions of the sprays will overlap in a
vertically spaced relationship.
The bottom wall 41 terminates at a point spaced
from the end wall 19 forming an opening 45 shown here to be
an elongated slot therebetween through which the streams of
cleaning fluid 47 will be directed to the underlying space
thereof as will be further described.
Suitably mounted overlying the cleaning head 14 is
the suction or withdrawal head 16.
Said withdrawal head comprises a forward or front
end molded manifold 50 extending the width of said end wall
19 and comprising spaced walls 50a and 51a with the wall 51a
being secured to the end wall 19 as by screws 62. Said end
wall 51a is coterminus with said end wall 19 and the end
wall 50a is shown extending downwardly of the tapered end
portion 41a. Formed between the lower ends of said walls
50a and 51a is a suction opening 60 shown being slotted. In
operating position the end wall 50a and the bottom wall
portion 41a will rest flush upon a surface to be cleaned.
Said manifold 50 is formed to have a central
upward tubular shank 52 which is angled rearwardly with a
curved radius to overlie said plate member 18 and having an
extended tubular portion 53 terminating in an outlet end
portion 53a to which is connected a suction line 56 fitting
thereover with an externally threaded portion 56a thereof
and a compression closure or locking ring 57 is threaded
thereon having therebetween an 0- ring seal 59.
Within said manifold 50 is a suction chamber 67
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and within said cleaning head 14 is a chamber 65.
As described, the bottom wall 41 has a forward
tapered end portion 41a. The walls 51a and 19 are raised
above the planar level of the bottom wall portion 41a whereby
in effect the walls 51a and 19 taken together form a raised
baffle separating the cleaning chamber 65 from the suction
chamber 67 providing a passage 66 thereunder~
For purpose of illustration, a rug 48 is shown in
Eig. 4 with the pile thereof indicated as being in a usual
crushed condition. At 48b the pile is shown raised by action
of the suction chamber 67 and at 48a the pile is shown
aligned as indicated and swept through by the shallow angled
directed stream of cleaning fluid 47. The warp or base of
said rug is indicated at 48c.
For purpose of convenience the supply line 38 is
run through the suction line 56 and extends outwardly at 70
for connection to the inlet fitting 36.
Spaced across the upper wall 18 and the lower wall
41 are a plurality of air holes or ports 80.
It will be noted that a spacer 44a forms an
extension of the post 44 between the wall 18 and the bottom
wall 51 of the suction head 16. The screw 46 extends
through said spaced and extends into said bottom wall 51 for
securing said cleaning and suction heads together.
OPERATION -
The particular arrangement and operation of the
nozzle structure represents significant improvement over
prior art cleaning nozzles as described in the Background
and Summary of the Invention herein~
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The nozzle is held at an operating angle of some
30 to the horizontal which positions the bottom wall portion
41a to be flush upon the surface to be cleaned confining the
cleaning action to be substantially within -the area defined
by slots 45-60 of the nozzle structure.
The baffle member 19 and the adjacen-t end wall 51a
being spaced upwardly provide the passage 66 for direct
communication between the cleaning chamber 65 and the
suction chamber 67. The jets 31-34 are particularly
positioned to eject streams of cleaning fluid at such a
shallow angle as to have a sweeping action through the
raised pile.
The suction and the cleaning steps are in a
complementary simultaneous operation and serve to align the
pile in an upward position as shown at 4~a. The suction
tends to raise the pile of the material cleaned. The angle
of the cleaning fluid is such that the cleaning fluid enters
the raised pile in a sweeping action which tends to both
align and penetrate the pile to the depth that soil is
generally present and lodged therein and avoids direct
impact upon the base or warp of the rug and does not impact
or drive the soil into said base of the rug.
The suction and cleaning steps in a continuous
action with a reduced pressure in the suction chamber causes
a venturi effect to be present with regard to the cleaning
fluid being drawn into the suctionchamber through the raised
pile. The cleaning fluid and soil therein is thus
accelerated into the suction chamber. It is the combination
of a high pressure thrust of cleaning fluid (150 psi - 2,000
psi, as desired) of cleaning fluid sweeping through the pile
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and the pulling effect of the suction which effectively
withdraws the cleaning fluid from the pile lifting out with
it the loosened soil within the stream of cleaning fluid.
~voided here is the opportunity for the cleaning fluid to
settle or puddle and also avoided is the opportunity for the
soil within the stream of cleaning fluid to settle down or
become deposited upon the base of the material cleaned. The
result is what is substantially a complete removal of liquid
and soil with a residue of dampness in the pile.
The jet stream of cleaning fluid upon engagement
with the pile together with the simultaneous suction upon the
pile tends to align the pile in the direction in which the
cleaning fluid in effect is swept through the pile. The
basic cleaning movement of the nozzle may be in the direction
of the operator although it may be in a forward backward
motion towards and away from the operator with the final
motion being in the direction toward the operator, the effect
of the suction is to cause the pile to be in a raised
upright position upon completion of the cleaning action.
There is ample flow of air entering through the holes 80 to
support the movement of the cleaning fluid. Air may also be
drawn in at or about the passage 66 by the cleaning action.
The cleaning fluid supply line and the suction
line will be operated by a hand valve control not here shown
and which is a conventional flow control type of valve.
The significant aspect of the method and operation
of the structure herein is the dual simultaneous function of
a high pressure spray of cleaning fluid entering into and
being at the same time sucked through the pile which action
keeps the cleaning fluid in constant motion with the result
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of leaving as a residue substantially onlv a dampness in
the pile as above indicated.
A higher degree of pressure than otherwise may be
used in connection with the structure herein in directing
the stream of cleaning fluid through the pile due to
avoiding direct impact upon the base of the material.
It wi]l be noted in Fig. 5, that the jet streams
from the jets 32 and 33 are here shown preferably angled
axially sufflciently to avoid the inter-engagement of the
overlapping portions of the streams from the jets 31 and 34.
This is a matter of preference.
-The nozzle as disclosed and described herein has
been very successful in actual practice in achieving
excellent cleaning results with carpeting and with upholstery
materials.
MODIFICATION -
Referring to Figs. 6-9, a modification is shown
of the nozzle structure above described, this modification
representing a nozzle reduced in size to be more particularly
adapted to clean upholstery material but is also desirable
for use in cleaning rugs in restricted areas or as for spot
cleaning purposes. The portions hereof above descrihed are
indicated by like reference numbers.
The nozzle structure is indicated generally bv
the reference numeral 100 and comprises a cleaning head 101
and a suction head 102.
The cleaning head is described as a manifold
comprising a housing being substantially rectangular in
vertical cross section and flared outwardly in plan having a
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top wall 106, a bottom wall 107~ end walls 108 and 109 and
side walls 116 and 117. Said bottom wall 107 is secured by
screws 111 to said end wall 109 and side walls 116 and 117.
The end wall 108 is spaced from the adjacent end 107a of the
bottom wall 107 to form the slot opening 110 therebetween.
Disposed through the end wall 10~ is a jet 112 connected to
said supply line 38. Said jet has an aperture 114 which
ejects a fan shaped spray 115 of cleaning fluid at a shallow
angle to an underlying surface at the area of said slot 110.
Within said cleanin~ head is a chamber 125.
Overlying said ~leaning head 101 is said suction
head 102 having a cylindrical body portion 118 terminating
in a flared fan shaped end portion 119 having a suction
passage 121 therethrough and having a terminal manifold
portion 120 curved downwardly extending said passage 121
through the end wall 108. The inner portion 108a of said
end wall 108 serves as a baffle which separates the suction
passage 121 from the chamber 125 of the cleaning head and it
is noted that said baffle has a raised bottom 108b providing
a passage 122 for communication thereunder between the
chamber 125 and the passage 121.
As previously described, the supply line passes
through the suction line 56 for purpose of convenience. A
off-on valve 130 has the supply line 38 pass therethrough
for manual control thereof.
The operation of this nozzle 100 is substantially
as described above. Upholstery fabric indicated by the
reference numera; 132 is fairly thin and porous material.
It is to be noted at the area of the passage 122 that the
fabric 132 is raised by the suction of the passage 121 and
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the stream of cleaning fluid 115 is directed to this area to
penetrate and simultaneously be sucked through said raised
fabric. With the suction downstream of the stream of
cleaning fluid, a venturi effect is present which serves
to accelerate the passage of the cleaning fluid through
the upholstery material.
Thus the cleaning fluid and the soil loosened
thereby is in continuous motion ln being drawn through the
fabric whereby substantially the only residue is a dampness
of the fabric. There appears to be no noticeable deposit or
settling of cleaning fluid upon, within or under the outer
layer of fabric as is the case where the action of suction is
subsequent to and following after the completion of each
cleaning stroke wherein puddling, settling and/or deposit of
cleaning fluid is present. The nozzle is moved by the
operator in a motion away from and towards himself. The
suetion and cleaning action being simultaneous causes the
fabric to be in a raised condition as indicated at 122 for
the cleaning effort as described.
The structure and operation of the nozzle as
described has resulted in practice as having a very effective
cleaning effort leaving a surface which has a residue
substantially only dampness and leaving no saturated surfaces
as in the case of prior art devices.
It will of course be understood that various
changes will be made in the form, details, arrangement and
proportions of the apparatus and in the steps and sequence
of steps of the method without departing from the scope of
applicant's invention which, generallv stated, consists in
an apparatus and method capable of carrying out the objects
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above set forth, such as disclosed and defined in the
appended claims.
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