Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority
from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/975,095
filed on October 2, 2007, which is herein incorporated by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to factory and sidewalk
sweepers, and more particularly to pick-up heads for factory and
sidewalk sweepers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Various types of sidewalk sweepers and factory floor
sweepers are well known in the industry. Sidewalk sweepers are
typically used to sweep sidewalks, parking lots, and so on, and
must sweep along curbs and the sides of buildings in order to sweep
dust and debris that is adjacent to the curbs and buildings.
Factory floor sweepers are typically used to sweep aisle ways in
factories and warehouses, and the like.
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[0003] In each case, the sidewalk sweepers or factory sweepers
typically have two gutter brooms each mounted on at laterally
movable arm assembly directly in front of the sweeping vehicle.;
however, there is no main broom.
[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
pick-up head for use with a sidewalk sweeper and a factory floor
sweeper.
[0005] It is another object of the present invention to provide
a pick-up head for use with a sidewalk sweeper and a factory floor
sweeper, wherein said pick-up head has at least one main broom.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention
there is disclosed a novel pick-up head for a mobile sweeping
vehicle. The pick-up head comprises a main housing defining a
substantially hollow interior and has a front, a back, a left end
and a right end, a top and a bottom, and a suctioning bottom
opening for suctioning dust and small debris into the substantially
hollow interior of the main housing. There is a dust and debris
outlet in the housing for permitting dust and debris to be
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suctioned from the substantially hollow interior of the housing
into a hopper. There is also at least one main broom operatively
mounted in the rearward portion of the substantially hollow
interior of the main housing, for rotation about a substantially
horizontal axis so as to sweep a surface being cleaned in a
generally forward direction, thereby propelling debris forwardly
into the substantially hollow interior of the main housing, for
subsequent suctioning into the dust and debris outlet. A
selectively operable motor means is for operating the at least one
main broom.
[0007] Other advantages, features and characteristics of the
present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of
the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts
and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon
consideration of the following detailed description and the
appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the
latter of which is briefly described herein below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The novel features which are believed to be
characteristic of the pick-up head for a mobile sweeping vehicle
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according to the present invention, as to its structure,
organization, use and method of operation, together with further
objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from
the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of
the invention will now be illustrated by way of example. It is
expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the
purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended
as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the
accompanying drawings:
[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred
embodiment of the pick-up head according to the present invention,
in use on a mobile sweeping vehicle;
[00010] Figure 2 is a cut-away top plan view of the preferred
embodiment pick-up head of Figure 1;
[00011] Figure 3 is a cut-away side elevational view of the
preferred embodiment pick-up head of Figure 1, with the selectably
movable partition in a lowered air-flow precluding position; and,
[00012] Figure 4 is a cut-away side elevational view of the
preferred embodiment pick-up head of Figure 1, with the selectably
movable partition in a raised broom-operating position.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[00013] Reference will now be made to Figures 1 through 5, which
show a preferred embodiment of the pick-up head for a mobile
sweeping vehicle 22 according to the present invention, as
indicated by general reference numeral 20. The pick-up head 20 for
a mobile sweeping vehicle 22 comprises a main housing 30 defining
a substantially hollow interior 31 and having a front 32, a back
33, a left end 34 and a right end 35, a top 36 and a bottom 37.
There is a suctioning bottom opening 38 for suctioning dust and
small debris, such as dirt and small stones, and the like, into the
substantially hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30. There is
a dust and debris outlet 39 in the main housing 30 for permitting
dust and debris to be suctioned from the substantially hollow
interior 31 of the main housing 30 into a hopper 23 that is mounted
at the back of the mobile sweeping vehicle 22, via a duct 26.
[00014] The pick-up head 20 further comprises a suctioning front
opening 60 disposed in the front of the main housing 30 for
receiving debris into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the
main housing 30, and in debris receiving relation with respect to
a surface being cleaned. Preferably, the suctioning front opening
60 is disposed generally centrally in the front of the main housing
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30. The suctioning front opening 60 needs to be large enough to
accept large debris, such as most sizes of cans and bottles
therethrough.
[00015] The front 32 of the main housing 30 comprises left and
right portions 32a,32b that are each sloped rearwardly and inwardly
from the left end 34 and the right end 35, respectively. The
suctioning front opening 60 is disposed in the front portion
between the left and right portions 32a,32b, in debris receiving
relation with respect to a surface being cleaned 29. The
suctioning front opening 60 is disposed generally centrally in the
front of the main housing 30, between the sloped left and right
portions 32a,32b.
[00016] The dust and debris outlet 39 is preferably disposed in
the top 36 of the main housing 30, rearwardly of the suctioning
front opening 60, so as to take advantage of the relative travel of
debris with respect to the pick-up head 20 as the mobile sweeping
vehicle 22 travels forwardly. Also, the dust and debris outlet 39
is generally centrally disposed from left to right in the main
housing 30, so as to be laterally aligned with the suctioning front
opening 60.
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[00017] A selectively openable and closable door means 70 is
operatively mounted on the pick-up head 20, at the suctioning front
opening 60, for selectively opening and closing the suctioning
front opening 60. The openable and closeable door means 70
comprises at least one door member mounted in hinged relation on
the main housing 30. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated,
the openable and closeable door means 70 comprises a single door 70
mounted by means of a horizontally oriented top hinge 72.
Preferably, the at least one door member 70 is mounted so as to
open inwardly into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the main
housing 30. In this manner, the door member 70 opens in the same
direction as the relative travel of debris with respect to the
pick-up head 20 as the mobile sweeping vehicle 22 travels
forwardly.
[00018] There is at least one main broom, as indicated by the
general reference numeral 40, operatively mounted in the rearward
portion of the substantially hollow interior of the main housing,
preferably immediately forwardly of the back 33 of the main housing
30. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the at least one
main broom 40 comprises a left main broom 41 and a right main broom
42. The left main broom 41 is angled rearwardly and inwardly from
the left end 34 of the housing and the right main broom 42 is
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angled rearwardly and inwardly from the right end 35 of the main
housing 30.
[00019] The left main broom 41 is mounted on the main housing 30
for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis "HL" so as to
sweep a surface being cleaned 29 in a generally forward direction,
into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30.
Similarly, the right main broom 42 is mounted on the main housing
30 for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis "HR" so as to
sweep a surface being cleaned 29 in a generally forward direction,
into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30.
The left main broom 41 and the right main broom 42 are situated as
close together in end-to-end relation as possible without each
interfering with the operation of the other, in order to preclude
a gap from existing between the left main broom 41 and the right
main broom 42.
[00020] As can be readily seen in the figures and understood from
the above description, the left main broom 41 and the right main
broom 42 are mounted as described for propelling debris forwardly
into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30,
for subsequent suctioning into the dust and debris outlet 39.
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[00021] There is also a selectively operable motor means for
operating the at least one main broom, as indicated by the general
reference numeral 50. The selectively operable motor means 50
preferably comprises two hydraulic motors, one hydraulic motor 51
mounted at the outer end of the left main broom 41 and the other
hydraulic motor 52 mounted at the outer end of the right main broom
42. The two hydraulic motors 51,52 are each supplied by a suitable
hydraulic pump (not specifically shown). The hydraulic pumps are
controlled by the operator of the vehicle 22 in order to turn on
the left main broom 41 and the right main broom 42 as required.
The left main broom 41 and the right main broom 42 are preferably
each a grinding type of broom that is suitable for removing debris
that is somewhat stuck to the surface being cleaned 29.
[00022] The preferred embodiment pick-up head 20 further
comprises a selectably movable partition means 80 mounted on the
main housing 30, preferably immediately forwardly of the at least
one main broom. The selectably movable partition means 80
preferably comprises a left partition 81 and a right partition 82.
The left partition 81 is preferably mounted immediately forwardly
of the left main broom 41. Similarly, the right partition 82 is
preferably mounted immediately forwardly of the right main broom
42. The left partition 81 and the right partition 82 are joined
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together by a piece of loose flexible material in order to preclude
a gap from existing between the left and right partitions 81,82.
[00023] The left partition 81 and the right partition 82 are each
mounted on the main housing 30 for movement between a lowered air-
flow precluding position, as can be best seen in Figure 3, and a
raised broom-operating position, as can be best seen in Figure 4
(right partition 82 and right main broom 42 actually shown).
[00024] The left partition 81 is powered by a hydraulic actuator
83 that is supplied by the same hydraulic pump that supplies the
hydraulic motor 51 that operates the left main broom 41. The left
partition 81 is moved from its lowered air-flow precluding position
to its raised broom-operating position when the left main broom 41
is operating. Similarly, the right partition 82 is powered by a
hydraulic actuator 84 that is supplied by the same hydraulic pump
that supplies the hydraulic motor 52 that operates the left main
broom 41. The right partition 82 is moved from its lowered air-
flow precluding position to its raised broom-operating position
when the right main broom 42 is operating, as in dicated by arrow
"A" in Figure 4.
[00025] In the lowered air-flow precluding position of each of
the left and right partitions 81,82, the substantially hollow
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interior of the main housing 30 is open to the left main broom 41
and the right main broom 42, thereby precluding air flow from the
substantially hollow interior of the main housing 30 from reaching
the left main broom 41 and the right main broom 42. This is
important since the suctioning air flow within the substantially
hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30 should be kept flowing
within a small confined area in order to be properly effective.
[00026] In the raised broom-operating position, the substantially
hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30 is closed off to the left
main broom 41 and the right main broom 42, thereby permitting
forwardly propelled debris from the at least one main broom to
reach the substantially hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30,
for subsequent suctioning into the dust and debris outlet 39.
[00027] In use, as the mobile sweeping vehicle 22 travels
forwardly, dust and debris on the surface being cleaned are
encountered by the pick-up head 20. Dust and small debris on the
surface being cleaned 29 are removed from the surface being cleaned
29 by the left main broom 41 and the right main broom 42, which
propel such debris past the left and right partitions 81,82, which
are each in their raised broom-operating position when both the
left main broom 41 and the right main broom 42 are operating, and
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into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the main housing 30,
for subsequent suctioning into the dust and debris outlet 39.
[00028] It should also be noted that the pick-up head 20 for a
mobile sweeping vehicle 22 according to the present invention can
be used as part of a vacuum type system on a sidewalk sweeper or a
factory floor sweeper, or as part of a re-circulating type system
on a sidewalk sweeper or a factory floor sweeper, as will now be
discussed.
[00029] As can be understood from the above description and from
the accompanying drawings, the present invention provides a pick-up
head for use with a sidewalk sweeper and a factory floor sweeper,
wherein said pick-up head has at least one main broom, all of which
features are unknown in the prior art.
[00030] Other variations of the above principles will be apparent
to those who are knowledgeable in the field of the invention, and
such variations are considered to be within the scope of the
present invention. Further, other modifications and alterations
may be used in the design and manufacture of the pick-up head for
a mobile sweeping vehicle of the present invention without
departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.
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