Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MECHANICAL SWEEPER WITH UNPOWERED WHEELS
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to a mechanical sweeper. More
specifically, the present invention relates to a mechanical sweeper with
unpowered
wheels, comprising a deployable conveyor for conveying debris toward an
auxiliary
vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Debris including litter, dust, sand, gravel and abrasive used during
winter
time and the like are often found on roads, parking lots, airport runways and
other
surfaces aimed at circulation of vehicles. Since debris may damage vehicles
circulating on such surfaces and/or impair the security of the passengers
thereof,
removal of sand, gravel and the like from road surfaces has become very
common.
[0003] Amongst the most common technologies developed for removing debris
from road surfaces are the self-propelled sweeper vehicles. Typically, such
vehicles
are provided with a rotary brush for lifting the debris toward a container,
where the
debris are captured. A conveyor such as a vacuum conveyor or a belt conveyor
then
carries the debris from the container, toward a recipient or reservoir mounted
in the
vehicle, where the debris are stored. Once the reservoir has been
substantially filled
with the debris, the vehicle travels to a landfill or depot, where the
reservoir is
emptied.
[0004] The quality of cleaning of these types of systems tends to be
satisfactory in
that minimal amounts of debris are found on such surface after the passage of
the
vehicle. However, the efficiency of these systems is greatly reduced by the
limited
size of the debris reservoir, involving frequent interruption of sweeping
activities for
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the vehicle to travel back and forth to the landfill areas. In some cases, the
travel
time may represent up to 75% of the operation time of the vehicle while
cleaning
operation per se only represents 25%. As such, traditional sweepers tend not
to be
cost effective.
[0005] To minimize travel time of the sweeping vehicles, other vehicles such
as
dump truck may be brought to the cleaning sites. In these occasions, the
debris
reservoir of the sweeping vehicle is emptied into the dump truck, which will
further
deliver the debris to the landfill. Although this mode of operation
considerably
reduces travel time, interruption of the cleaning activities is still required
and
efficiency of the sweeping vehicles still not optimized.
[0006] To avoid the need for emptying debris reservoirs, some have proposed
mechanical sweepers provided with conveyor assemblies for carrying the debris
from the road directly towards another vehicle. For instance, some have come
with a
mechanical sweeper towed by a vehicle such as a dump truck. Such a mechanical
sweeper comprises a pickup broom transferring debris on a first conveyor belt,
which in turn transfers the material on a second conveyor belt. The second
conveyor
belt conveys the material into the dump body of the dump truck. Because the
sweeper is towed by a vehicle, it must be detached from the vehicle when the
latter
is full or, alternatively, be brought to disposal site. In any event,
operating or cleaning
time tends to be reduced by any of these additional operations.
[0007] Some others have come with self-propelled mechanical sweepers. Such
mechanical sweepers of the prior art comprise a pickup broom transferring
debris
toward an auger (i.e. an endless screw), which directs the debris on a first
belt. A
second belt conveyor carries the debris from the first conveyor toward an
auxiliary
vehicle. Larger debris found on roads (i.e. rocks, plastic bottles, wheel
covers) tend
to remain jammed in the auger and impair proper functioning of the sweeper.
Further, the mechanical sweepers of the art need to be transported from one
cleaning site to another on a truck or a trailer as they tend to be very slow.
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[0008] An example of a self-propelled mechanical sweeper is disclosed in US
Patent Application No. 12/109,147, now published under US Publication No.
US2009/0265870. This self-propelled mechanical sweeper disclosed in this
reference comprises a first belt conveyor for conveying debris from a surface
and a
deployable conveyor for conveying debris conveyed by the first conveyor toward
another vehicle.
[0009] It would be desirable to be provided with a mechanical sweeper capable
of
being displaced between cleaning sites and capable of handling relatively
large
debris, and providing additional advantages over the sweepers disclosed in the
prior
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0010] In order to address the above and other drawbacks, there is disclosed a
mechanical sweeper for cleaning debris from a surface.
[0011] According to one embodiment, there is provided a mechanical sweeper
comprising a frame mounted on wheels for motion on the surface and a pickup
broom assembly mounted to the frame for lifting the debris from the surface.
The
mechanical sweeper also comprises a first belt conveyor mounted to the frame
for
collecting the debris lifted by the pickup broom assembly and conveying the
same
away from the surface, and a deployable conveyor assembly mounted to the frame
and operable for conveying debris conveyed by the first conveyor toward
another
vehicle.
[0012] The deployable conveyor assembly comprises a first conveyor portion
comprising a coupling means and a second conveyor portion mounted to the first
conveyor portion via the coupling means. The coupling means enables movement
of
the second portion relative to the first portion between a folded position and
an
extended position. The deployable conveyor assembly further comprises at least
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one belt operatively mounted on the first conveyor portion and the second
conveyor
portion and operable for motion thereon.
[0013] An actuator assembly is mounted to the deployable belt conveyor for
urging
the movement of the second conveyor portion between the folded position and
the
extended position. Further, a drive assembly is mounted to the frame of the
mechanical sweeper for driving operation of the pickup broom, the first belt
conveyor, the deployable conveyor assembly and the actuator assembly.
[0014] The wheels of the mechanical sweeper are unpowered, and the mechanical
sweeper is displaced using a powered vehicle. The use of an unpowered vehicle
with unpowered wheels, such as a trailer, advantageously reduces the
maintenance
required on the mechanical sweeper. If, for instance, the engine of the
powered
vehicle breaks down and needs to be repaired, the unpowered vehicle may simply
be disconnected from the powered vehicle and connected to another powered
vehicle to avoid a substantial interruption of the cleaning activities.
[0015] It will be appreciated that in this configuration, the mechanical
sweeper does
not require a cab assembly. The manufacturing of the mechanical sweeper is
therefore advantageously less complex and thus less expensive and less time
consuming. In one embodiment, the trailer may even comprise an existing
trailer on
which have been mounted the various elements of the mechanical sweeper, as
described hereinbefore. This would advantageously further reduce the cost
associated with manufacturing the mechanical sweeper.
[0016] It will also be appreciated that in some jurisdictions, an approval
process
may be required to be granted permission to operate a new type of powered
vehicle
on public and/or private areas. This approval process may be costly, complex
and
time consuming. A mechanical sweeper mounted on an existing unpowered vehicle
such as a trailer may not be required to go through this approval process and
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therefore may advantageously allow delays and costs associated with this
approval
process to be avoided.
[0017] According to one aspect, the frame of the mechanical sweeper comprises
a
frame of a trailer.
[0018] According to one aspect, the mechanical sweeper is displaceable using a
powered vehicle.
[0019] According to one aspect, the powered vehicle comprises a loader.
[0020] According to one aspect, the powered vehicle is adapted to push the
mechanical sweeper.
[0021] According to one aspect, the powered vehicle is adapted to pull the
mechanical sweeper.
[0022] According to one aspect, the mechanical sweeper comprises control means
operatively connected to the drive assembly for allowing an operator to
control the
drive assembly.
[0023] According to a further aspect, the control means are located in the
powered
vehicle to allow operation of the drive assembly by a driver of the powered
vehicle.
[0024] According to one aspect, the first conveyor portion comprises a first
end and
a second opposed end. The second conveyor portion also comprises a first end
and
a second opposed end. The first end of the second conveyor portion is
connected to
the second end of the first conveyor portion via the coupling means, the
coupling
means being preferably a hinge assembly or a slide mechanism.
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[0025] According to another aspect, the mechanical sweeper further comprises
at
least one gutter broom assembly. The at least one gutter broom is mounted to
the
frame for rotation about a vertical axis and is operable to contact the
surface and to
direct debris toward the pickup broom assembly.
[0026] According to yet another aspect, the mechanical sweeper further
comprises
a deflector. The deflector is mounted to the frame and adapted for controlling
the
movement of the debris directed by the at least one gutter broom and directing
the
same toward the pickup broom assembly.
[0027] According to yet a further aspect, the deployable conveyor assembly is
mounted to the frame for pivot movement about a vertical axis. The vertical
axis is
preferably located proximal to the first end of the deployable conveyor
assembly.
The mechanical sweeper may further comprise an actuator assembly for urging
pivoting of the deployable conveyor assembly about the vertical axis.
[0028] According to another aspect, the deployable conveyor assembly is
mounted
to the frame for pivot movement about a horizontal axis, the horizontal axis
being
preferably located proximal to the first end of the deployable conveyor
assembly.
The mechanical sweeper may further comprise an actuator assembly for urging
pivoting of the deployable conveyor assembly about the horizontal axis.
[0029] According to another embodiment, there is provided a deployable
conveyor
assembly for a mechanical sweeper. The deployable conveyor assembly comprises
a first conveyor portion comprising a coupling means and a second conveyor
portion
mounted to the first conveyor portion via the coupling means. The coupling
means
enables movement of the second portion relative to the first portion between a
folded
position and an extended position. At least one belt is operatively mounted on
the
first conveyor portion and the second conveyor portion and is operable for
motion
thereon. The deployable conveyor assembly further comprises an actuator
assembly connected to the first conveyor portion and the second conveyor
portion
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for movement of the second conveyor portion between the folded position and
the
extended position.
[0030] According to one aspect, the first conveyor portion comprises a first
end and
a second opposed end. The second conveyor portion also comprises a first end
and
a second opposed end. The first end of the second conveyor portion is
connected to
the second end of the first conveyor portion via the coupling means, where the
coupling means is preferably a hinge assembly.
[0031] According to yet another embodiment, a self-propelled mechanical
sweeper
for cleaning debris from a surface is provided. The mechanical sweeper
comprises
a frame mounted on wheels for motion on the surface and a pickup broom
assembly
mounted to the frame for lifting the debris from the surface. The mechanical
sweeper further comprises a first belt conveyor mounted to the frame for
collecting
the debris lifted by the pickup broom assembly and conveying the same away
from
the surface and a deployable conveyor assembly.
[0032] The deployable conveyor assembly is mounted to the frame and is
operable
for conveying debris conveyed by the first conveyor toward another vehicle.
The
deployable conveyor assembly comprises a first conveyor portion comprising a
first
end mounted to the frame and a second opposed end comprising a hinge assembly.
The deployable conveyor assembly also comprises a second conveyor portion
comprising a first end connected to the hinge assembly and a second end for
pivoting relative to the first conveyor portion between a folded position and
an
extended position, and a belt operatively mounted on the first conveyor
portion and
the second conveyor portion and operable for continuous motion thereon. An
actuator assembly is mounted to the deployable belt conveyor for urging pivot
of the
second conveyor portion between the folded position and the extended position.
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[0033] According to this embodiment, the mechanical sweeper also comprises a
drive assembly mounted to the frame for driving operation of the pickup broom,
the
first belt conveyor, the deployable conveyor assembly and the actuator
assembly.
[0034] These and other objects, advantages and features of the present
invention
will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the details
of the
invention more fully set forth below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by
way of illustration an illustrative embodiment thereof, and in which:
[0036] FIG. 1 is a right side elevation view of a loader and of a mechanical
sweeper having unpowered wheels in accordance with one embodiment, showing
the deployable conveyor assembly in fully folded configuration;
[0037] FIG. 2 is another right side elevation view of the mechanical sweeper
shown
in FIG. 1, with the back portion of the deployable conveyor assembly in an
upper
position and the front portion thereof folded;
[0038] FIG. 3 is a further right side elevation view of the mechanical sweeper
shown in FIG. 1, with the deployable conveyor assembly in a fully deployed
configuration;
[0039] FIG. 4 is an enlarged right side view of the pickup broom assembly and
receptacle assembly of the mechanical sweeper shown in FIG. 1;
[0040] FIG. 5 is a right, partial cross-sectioned view of the mechanical
sweeper
shown in FIG. 1 for showing the movement of the debris on the first conveyor
assembly and the deployable conveyor assembly in operation;
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[0041] FIG. 6 is an enlarged front right perspective view of a turntable of
the
deployable conveyor of the mechanical sweeper, according to one embodiment;
[0042] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the mechanical sweeper showing the
deployable
belt conveyor from moving between the left and right sides the mechanical
sweeper
to the other side, in accordance with one embodiment;
[0043] FIG. 8 is a front right perspective view of the junction between the
back
portion and the front portion of the deployable conveyor according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0044] FIG. 9 is a top view of a mechanical sweeper showing the gutter brooms
directing the debris toward the deflector and the pickup broom, in accordance
with
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0045] FIG. 10 is another top view of the a mechanical sweeper showing the
debris
lifted by the pickup broom and conveyed on the first conveyor assembly and on
the
second conveyor assembly; and
[0046] FIG. 11 is a right side elevation view of a mechanical sweeper, in
accordance with an alternative embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0047] The description which follows, and the embodiments described therein
are
provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples of particular
embodiments
of principles and aspects of the present invention. These examples are
provided for
the purpose of explanation and not of limitation, of those principles of the
invention.
In the description that follows, like parts are marked throughout the
specification and
the drawings with the same respective reference numerals.
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[0048] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a mechanical sweeper 20
in
accordance with one embodiment. In this embodiment, the mechanical sweeper 20
comprises an unpowered vehicle, such as a trailer 21 or the like. More
specifically,
the trailer 21 comprises a frame 22 mounted on unpowered wheels 24 for
movement
on a surface such as a road, a parking lot, an airport runway and the like.
[0049] The mechanical sweeper 20 further comprises a pickup broom assembly 26
mounted on the frame 22, between the front and back wheels 24, a pickup
receptacle assembly 28 for receiving the debris lifted by the pickup broom
assembly
26 and a first conveyor assembly 30 mounted to the frame 22 and operable for
collecting the debris from the receptacle assembly 28 and to move them
upwardly,
toward a second conveyor assembly 32. As it will become apparent below, the
second conveyor assembly 32 is adapted for conveying the debris from the first
conveyor assembly 30 in a container carried by another, auxiliary vehicle such
as,
for instance, a dump truck (not shown).
[0050] One skilled in the art will appreciate that the wheels of an unpowered
vehicle such as a trailer are not operatively coupled to an engine. Instead,
the trailer
21 is designed to be moved by being pulled or pushed by a powered vehicle 35,
which is distinct from the unpowered vehicle and comprises an engine which
provides power to displace the powered vehicle 35. The skilled addressee will
appreciate that the powered vehicle may be selected according to the size and
weight of the mechanical sweeper 20, such that it has sufficient power to also
be
able to displace the mechanical sweeper 20.
[0051] It will be appreciated that the term "trailer", as used hereinafter, is
not limited
to unpowered vehicles designed to be pulled or towed, but also comprises
unpowered vehicles designed to be pushed, or otherwise be moved by a powered
vehicle.
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[0052] In one embodiment, the powered vehicle 35 comprises a loader, which is
a
widely known and used heavy equipment vehicle which usually comprises a bucket
at the front. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the powered vehicle
35
comprises a loader 36 from which the bucket has been removed. In this
embodiment, the trailer 21 is not attached to the loader 36, but is simply
positioned
in front of it to allow the loader 36 to push the trailer 21 on the surface to
be cleaned
during operation of the mechanical sweeper 20 or to displace the trailer 21
from one
site to another. This configuration advantageously allows the operator of the
loader
36 to have good visibility of the mechanical sweeper 20 during operation
thereof.
[0053] Alternatively, the trailer 21 may be attached to the powered vehicle 35
using
conventional attachment means known in the art, such as a trailer coupler
secured
to one of the trailer 21 and the powered vehicle 35 and a trailer ball secured
to the
other one of the trailer 21 and the powered vehicle 35.
[0054] Instead of a loader, the powered vehicle 35 may alternatively comprise
any
other type of vehicle known to the skilled addressee which has sufficient
power to
displace the trailer 21.
[0055] In one embodiment, some or all of the wheels 24 of the trailer 21
comprise
swivel casters to facilitate turning of the trailer 21, as one skilled in the
art will
appreciate.
[0056] In the illustrated embodiment, the sweeper 20 is further provided with
gutter
brooms assemblies 40a, 40b on each side of the frame 22, for directing debris
toward the pickup broom assembly 26 during operation of the sweeper 20 (as
shown
in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10).
[0057] The mechanical sweeper 20 also comprises a drive assembly 38 mounted
on the frame 22 and operatively coupled to the pickup broom assembly 26 and
the
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first and second conveyor assemblies 30 and 32, for driving operation thereof
as it
will become apparent below.
[0058] The drive assembly 38 is not coupled to the wheels 24 of the trailer
21,
because the wheels 24 of the trailer 21 are unpowered, as explained above.
Since
the drive assembly 38 is not used to displace the trailer 21, this
configuration may
enable the use of a drive assembly comprising a relatively smaller motor,
which may
advantageously reduce the overall cost of the mechanical sweeper 20 and the
cost
of fuel associated with operating the mechanical sweeper 20.
[0059] Accordingly, the mechanical sweeper 20 is also not provided with a cab
assembly for housing an operator and controlling the operation of the
mechanical
sweeper 20. In one embodiment, the operation of the mechanical sweeper 20 may
instead be controlled via the powered vehicle 35. For instance, the drive
assembly
38 of the mechanical sweeper 20 may be connected to control means located in
the
powered vehicle 35 via cables or other means of connection known to the
skilled
addressee, to allow a driver of the powered vehicle 35 to simultaneously
control
operation of the mechanical sweeper 20. The cables may be connected to the
drive
assembly 38 during operation of the mechanical sweeper 20 and be disconnected
from the drive assembly 38 when the mechanical sweeper 20 is moved away from
the powered vehicle 35, for storage for instance.
[0060] Alternatively, the control means may be mounted to the trailer 21, such
that
an operator standing next to the trailer 21 may control the mechanical sweeper
20.
In yet another embodiment, the drive assembly 38 may be controlled remotely
from
the mechanical sweeper 20, using remote control means known to the skilled
addressee.
[0061] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 9, the pickup broom assembly 26 is mounted
below the frame 22 and comprises a pair of spaced-apart support members 44,
46.
Each support member 44, 46 being mirror image of one another, only support
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member 44 will be described throughout the description. A person skilled in
the art
will appreciate that a similar description also applies to support member 46.
The
support member 44 comprises a front end 48 pivotably mounted to the receptacle
assembly 28 and a back end 50.
[0062] Mounted for rotation between the support members 44, 46, proximal to
the
back end 50 thereof, is a cylindrical pickup broom 52. The pickup broom 52
comprises a cylindrical shaft 54 from which are radially extending bristles 56
distributed along the entire length of the shaft 54. In one embodiment, the
shaft 54 of
the broom 52 has a length L1 (shown in FIGS. 9 and 10) corresponding to the
distance between the support members 44, 46 and comprises mounting rods (not
shown) concentrically extending from each end of the shaft 54 for rotatively
mounting the pickup broom 52 to the support members 44, 46. In this
embodiment,
the length L' ranges from about 1 foot to about 20 feet, preferably between
about 3
and 15 feet, and corresponds more preferably to 5 feet. A person skilled in
the art
will appreciate that the length L' of the shaft 54 (or the width of the broom
52) can be
adapted to the width of the surface to be cleaned and to the transport
regulations or
constraints relevant to circulation on surface. For instance, where
regulations
determine a maximum width for vehicles circulating on a type of roads (e.g.
highways or secondary roads) the length L1 of the shaft 54 and the width of
the
sweeper 20 will be adapted to comply with such regulations. On the other end,
where regulations are permissive and the surface to be cleaned is wider, (e.g.
on
airport runways) the length L' of the shaft 54 may well exceed 20 feet.
[0063] The pickup broom 52 is configured for rotating about a horizontal
rotation
axis
R1-R1, the axis R1-R1 being perpendicular to the travel direction T of the
sweeper in
operation (shown in FIGS. 9 and 10). The pickup broom assembly 26 also
comprises a hydraulic motor (not shown) mounted to one of the support member
44
and 46 and operatively coupled to the pick up broom 52 for urging rotation
thereof
about the axis R1-R1. In one embodiment, the hydraulic motor (not shown) is
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operable to urge rotation of the pickup broom 52 in a rotation direction
countersense
to the rotation direction of the wheels 24 when the sweeper 20 travels
forward. In
other words, the motor (not shown) is operable to urge counterclockwise
rotation of
the pickup broom 52, when seen from the right side of the sweeper (e.g. as
shown in
FIG. 5) as the mechanical sweeper 20 travels forward on the surface to be
cleaned.
[0064] Still referring to FIG. 4, the pickup broom assembly 26 is further
provided
with a pair of actuators 58 coupled to the frame 22 and connecting each
support
members 44 or 46 between the pickup broom 52 and the front end 48. The
actuator
58 is adapted for adjusting the position of the pickup broom 52 relative to
the
receptacle assembly 28 therefore the pressure exerted by the pickup broom 52
on
the surface to be cleaned by pivoting the same about the front end 48 of the
support
members 44, 46.
[0065] The pickup broom assembly 26 collaborates with the receptacle assembly
28 for cleaning the debris from the surface. More specifically, as the broom
52 of the
pickup broom assembly 24 is rotated, the bristles 56 lift the debris and
project them
frontwardly, toward the receptacle assembly 28. As such, the receptacle
assembly
28 is located below the frame 22, frontward from the pickup broom assembly 26.
[0066] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 9, the receptacle assembly 28 is similar to
receptacles assemblies known in the art and comprises a hopper 60 and a pair
of
vertically extendible mounting members 66a, 66b. Each mounting member 66a, 66b
being mirror image of one another, only mounting member 66a will be described.
It
will be appreciated that a similar description also applies to mounting member
66b.
The mounting member 66a comprises an upper end 68 connected to the frame and
a lower end 70 connected to the hopper 60 of the receptacle assembly 28. A
hydraulic actuator 72 is connected to the upper and lower ends 68 and 70,
respectively of the mounting member 66a, for causing extension thereof from a
travel position (i.e. when the receptacle assembly 28 and the pickup broom 52
are
lifted away from the surface as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4) and a cleaning position
(i.e.
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when the receptacle and the pickup broom assemblies 28 and 52, respectively
are
lowered down on the surface and contact the same, as shown in FIG. 5).
[0067] Returning to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 7, the first conveyor assembly 30
comprises a
frame 74 on which is rotatably mounted a conveyor belt 76. More specifically,
the
frame comprises two spaced-apart side members 78a, 78b connected to one
another by a cross-member (not shown). The frame 74 of the conveyor assembly
30
is angularly mounted to the frame 22 of the sweeper 20 and comprises a lower
end
extending 80 in the receptacle assembly 28 (i.e. below the frame 22 of the
sweeper
20) and an upper end 82 extending above the frame 22 of the sweeper 20. In one
embodiment, the frame 74 of the first belt conveyor 30 defines an angle 81 of
approximately 60 with the frame 22 of the sweeper 20. A person skilled in the
art
will appreciate that the angle 0' may be different. For instance, angle 81 may
be
adjusted according to the configuration of the sweeper and the room available
for
positioning such first belt conveyor 30. For instance, where the frame 22 of
the
sweeper 20 is shorter and less room is available, the first belt conveyor 30
may be
positioned at a higher angle (e.g. about 80 ) while where the frame 22 is
longer and
more room is available, the angle 0' may be reduced (e.g. about 45 ).
[0068] Mounted at the lower and upper ends 80, 82 of the frame 74 are two
parallel
rollers 84, 86, each roller 84, 86 being configured for rotation about a
horizontal axis
(shown in FIG. 5). In one embodiment, at least one of the rollers 84, 86 is
coupled to
a hydraulic motor (not shown) for urging rotation thereof and thereby driving
rotation
of the belt 76.
[0069] In one embodiment, the rotation direction of the rollers 84, 86 is
opposed to
the rotation direction of the pickup broom 56. As the sweeper 20 travels
forward, the
rollers 84, 86 of the first conveyor assembly 30 rotate clockwise (when seen
from the
right side of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 5).
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[0070] Mounted on the rollers 84, 86 is the belt 76. In one embodiment, the
belt 76
is preferably a rubber belt carrying a plurality of V-shaped protrusions 88
(shown in
FIG. 6) for enhancing the gripping properties of the belt 76 over debris as
the
sweeper 20 is operated. The belt 76 has a top portion 90 and a bottom portion
92. A
person skilled in the art will appreciate that the belt 76 could be made from
any
suitable material. Further, such a conveyor belt 76 could be exempt of
protrusions
or, when present, such protrusions 88 may have a different shape.
[0071] In one embodiment, the belt 76 of the first conveyor assembly 30 has a
width W1 corresponding to the length L' of the pickup broom 52 (shown in FIG.
12).
As such, the width W1 of the belt 76 preferably ranges between about 1 and 20
feet,
preferably between about 3 and 15 feet, and more preferably has a width of 5
feet. A
person skilled in the art will appreciate that the length W1 of the belt 76 is
adapted to
the lengths L' of the shaft 54 and, similarly, can be adapted to the width of
the
surface to be cleaned and to the transport regulations or constraints relevant
to
circulation on surface. As it will become apparent below, the first conveyor
assembly
30 is configured to capture the debris from the receptacle assembly 28 and to
convey the same toward the second, deployable conveyor assembly 32.
[0072] The deployable conveyor assembly 32 comprises a turntable 94 rotatably
mounted on the frame 22 of the trailer 21, proximal to the front end 96 of the
trailer
21 (best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). The turntable 94 comprises a vertical pivot
axis
R2-R2 about which the deployable conveyor assembly 32 can be pivoted, between
the left and right sides of the trailer 21 (best shown in FIG. 7). For causing
rotation
thereof about the R2-R2 axis, the turntable 94 is coupled to a pair of
hydraulic
actuators 98a, 98b. The hydraulic actuators 98a, 98b being similar to one
another,
only hydraulic actuator 98a will be described. It will be understood that a
similar
description also applies to hydraulic actuator 98b. The hydraulic actuator 98
has a
back end 100 mounted to the frame 74 of the first conveyor assembly 30 and a
front
end 102 coupled to the turntable 94. When a first hydraulic actuator (e.g.
actuator
98a) is extended and the other hydraulic actuator (e.g. actuator 98b) is
retracted, the
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turntable 94 is forced to rotate towards the left side of the trailer 21 and
displace the
deployable conveyor assembly 32 towards the same direction. At the opposite,
when
the first hydraulic actuator (e.g. actuator 98a) is retracted and the other
hydraulic
actuator (e.g. actuator 98b) is extended, it causes the turntable to move in
the
opposite direction, thus displacing the deployable conveyor assembly 32
towards the
right of the trailer 21. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the
turntable 94
could be configured differently. For instance, pivoting about the vertical R2-
R2 axis
could be provided by using only one hydraulic actuator. Further, rack and
pinion
means or other actuator means known in the art could replace the hydraulic
actuators 98a, 98b.
[0073] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 8, the deployable conveyor assembly 32
also
comprises a deployable conveyor 104 mounted on the turntable 94. In one
embodiment, the deployable conveyor 104 comprises a back portion 106 pivotably
connected to the turntable 94 via a hinge bracket 108, and a front portion 110
articulately mounted to the back portion 106, as best described below.
[0074] The back portion 106 comprises a pair of spaced-apart frame members
112a, 112b connected to one another by a cross-member (not shown) and having a
top side 114 and a bottom side 116. The back portion 106 also comprises a back
end 118, and an opposed front end 120. Mounted between the frame members
112a, 112b, at the back end 118 of the back portion 106, is a roller 122
adapted for
rotation about a horizontal rotation axis.
[0075] As best shown in FIG. 5, the back end 118 of the back portion 106 is
positioned below the upper end 82 of the first conveyor assembly 30, for
receiving
debris conveyed by the first conveyor assembly 30 during operation of the
sweeper
20.
[0076] Now returning to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 8, the back portion 106, at the
front
end 120 thereof, is provided with a hinge bracket 122 extending from the
bottom
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side 116 of the frame members 112a, 112b and a lock bracket 124 extending from
the top side 114 of the frame members 112a, 112b. The hinge bracket 122
comprises two pairs of spaced-apart plates 126a, 126b and 128a, 128b, each
pair
extending downwardly from the bottom side 116 of a corresponding frame member
112a, 112b, respectively. The plates 126a, 126b of the hinge bracket 122 are
provided with horizontally aligned holes (not shown) for receiving therein
pins 130 for
pivotably mounting the front portion 110 of the deployable conveyor assembly
32 to
the back portion 106, as best described below.
[0077] The lock bracket 124 comprises two lock plates 132a, 132b, each lock
plate
extending upwardly from the top side 114 of one corresponding frame member
112a, 112b and projecting slightly forwardly from the front end 120 of the
frame
members 112a, 112b. Each plate 132a, 132b is provided with a circular hole
134a,
134b, the holes 134a, 134b of the two plates 132a, 132b being horizontally
aligned
to one another.
[0078] Similarly to the back portion 106, the front portion 110 of the
deployable
conveyor assembly 32 comprises a pair of spaced-apart frame members 136a, 136b
connected to one another by a cross-member (not shown). Each frame member
136a, 136b comprises a back end 138 and a front end 140. Mounted for rotation
between the frame members 136a, 136b, at the front end 140 thereof, is a
roller 142
(shown in FIG. 5).
[0079] As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the frame member 136a of the front
portion
110 is slightly bending between the back and front ends 138, 140 to define a
back
linear portion 142 and a front linear portion 144. The frame member 136b has a
similar configuration. As it will become apparent below, this configuration
reduces
the angle of the front end of the deployable conveyor assembly 32, relative to
the
auxiliary truck receiving the material from the sweeper 20 when the conveyor
assembly 32 is fully deployed.
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[0080] The front portion 110 comprises a hinge bracket 146 comprising two
plates
148a, 148b, each plate extending downwardly from the bottom side of one frame
member 132a, 132b and having a hole (not shown) extending therethrough. Once
the front portion 110 of the deployable conveyor 32 is assembled to the back
portion
106, each plate 148a, 148b of the front portion 110 is received between the
corresponding plates 126a, 126b or 128a, 128b of the back portion 106, and the
corresponding holes aligned. The pins 130 are then secured in the hinge
brackets
122 and 146, thereby enabling the front portion 110 of deployable conveyor
assembly 142 to pivot upwardly and downwardly relative to the back portion
106,
between a folded position (shown in FIG. 1) and a deployed position (shown in
FIG.
3).
[0081] For urging deployment thereof, the deployable conveyor assembly 32 is
provided with a pair of hydraulic actuators 149 mounted on each side of the
frame
members 112a, 112b. Each hydraulic actuator 149 has a back end 150 operatively
connected to one frame member 11 2a, 11 2b of the back portion 106 and a front
end
152 operatively connected to one corresponding frame member 136a, 136b of the
front portion 110. When the hydraulic actuators 149 are in a retracted
position, the
front portion 110 is positioned downwardly, in the folded position (shown in
FIGS. 2
and 3). As the actuators 149 are actuated toward an extended position, they
force
the front portion 110 to pivot upwardly toward the deployed position (as best
shown
in FIG. 4).
[0082] To maintain the deployable conveyor assembly 32 in the deployed
configuration during cleaning operation of the sweeper 20, the front portion
110 is
provided with a lock assembly 154, shown in FIG. 8. The lock assembly 154
comprises two pairs of spaced-apart plate members 156a, 156b and 158a, 158b
extending upwardly from the top side of frame members 132a, 132b, slightly
frontwardly, and a lock actuator 160 mounted between the two pairs of plate
members 156a, 156b and 158a, 158b and operatively connected thereto. The lock
actuator 160 comprises a left and a right end 162, 164, each end carrying a
lock pin
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(not shown), the lock pin being configured to fit within corresponding holes
166a,
166b in the plate members.
[0083] When the conveyor assembly 32 is in deployed position, the plate
members
132a, 132b of the back portion 106 are received between two corresponding
plate
members 156a, 156b and 158a, 158b of the front portion 110, the holes 134a,
134b
and 166a, 166b of the back and front plate members 132a, 132b and 156a, 156b
and 158a, 158b being aligned. The lock actuator 160 is then actuated. As it
extends,
the lock pins (not shown) move toward each side of the conveyor, inside the
aligned
holes of the lock bracket 124 and lock assembly 152 therefore preventing
downward
movement of the front portion 110, toward the folded position.
[0084] As best shown in FIG. 2, the back portion 106 of the deployable
conveyor
assembly 32 is generally horizontal when the conveyor 32 is completely folded,
while it defines an angle 02 relative to the frame 22 of the sweeper 20 when
partially
deployed (FIG. 2) or fully deployed (FIG. 3). As such, the front end 120 of
the back
portion 106 can move upwardly and downwardly. To move the back portion 106
upwardly and downwardly, the deployable conveyor assembly 32 is provided with
a
pair of hydraulic actuators 168a, 168b (shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6). Each
actuator
168a, 168b has a lower end 170 operatively connected to the turntable 94 and
an
upper end 172 coupled to a frame member 112a, 112b of the back portion 106.
When the actuators 168a, 168b are retracted, the back portion 106 becomes
generally horizontal, while when the actuators 168a, 168b are extended, they
force
the back portion 106 to pivot upwardly.
[0085] Mounted on the back and front portions 106, 110 of the deployable
conveyor 104 is a conveyor belt 170 (FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6). The conveyor belt
170
extends from the back end 118 of the back portion 106 to the front end 140 of
the
front portion 110 and is operable to rotate about the roller 122 of the back
portion
106 and the roller 142 of the front portion 110 when the conveyor 32 is
deployed.
For urging rotation of the belt 170, the roller 122 of the back portion 106 is
coupled
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to a hydraulic motor (not shown). A person skilled in the art will appreciate
that both
the back and front rollers 122 and 142 could be coupled to a hydraulic motor.
[0086] In one embodiment, the belt 170 is a rubber belt carrying V-shaped
protrusions 172 for enhancing the grip of the belt 170 over the material
conveyed
thereon (shown in FIG. 8). Similarly to the belt 76 of the first conveyor
assembly 30,
the belt 170 could be made from any suitable material. Further, such a
conveyor
belt 170 could be exempt of protrusions or, when present, such protrusions 172
may
have a different shape.
[0087] A person skilled in the art will appreciate that when the deployable
conveyor
assembly 32 is in folded configuration (as shown in FIG. 1), the belt 170 may
sag or
slack from the bottom side 116 of the back portion 106, which may impair
proper
positioning of the belt 170 during deployment of the deployable conveyor
assembly
32. To avoid such sagging of the belt 170 and maintain the same into position
during
folding and deployment of the deployable conveyor assembly 32, the back and
front
portions 106, 110 are provided with auxiliary rollers 172. Each auxiliary
roller
extends between the frame members, on the bottom side thereof. The back and
front portions 106, 110 of the deployable conveyor may also comprise guard
means
174, 176 mounted on the frame members 112a, 112b and 132a, 132b, respectively
for controlling the movement of the debris conveyed on the belt 170 and avoid
unwanted falling thereof during the operation of the mechanical sweeper 20
(shown
in FIG. 8).
[0088] In one embodiment, the belt 170 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32
has a width W2 ranging from about 6 inches to about 6 feet, and preferably
from
about 1 foot to about 4 feet and has preferably a width of 32 inches. A person
skilled
in the art will appreciate that the width W2 of the deployable conveyor
assembly 32 is
smaller than the width W1 of the belt 76 of the first conveyor assembly 30. To
direct
or funnel the debris falling from the upper end 82 of the first conveyor 30 on
the belt
170 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32, a chute 178 is mounted on the
frame
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members 112a, 112b of the back portion 106 (shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 9 and 10).
The
chute 178 comprises a pair of sidewalls 180a, 180b made from a flexible
material
such as rubber, each sidewall 180a, 180b angularly extending from the top side
of a
frame member 112a, 112b, proximal to the back end 118 thereof. The chute 178
also comprises a back wall 182 comprising a row of bristles extending upwardly
to
contact the belt 76 of the first conveyor 30. A person skilled in the art will
appreciate
that the chute 178 could be made from any other suitable material and that
such
chute may take different configurations.
[0089] While the second, deployable conveyor assembly 32 has been described in
connection with one embodiment, a person skilled in the art will appreciate
that
multiple deployable conveyor configurations would be possible. For instance,
rather
than providing a hinge assembly (e.g. hinge brackets 122 and 146), the front
portion
110 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32 could be mounted to the back
portion
106 via a slide mechanism (not shown) or other coupling means. Where such a
slide mechanism is provided, the deployable conveyor assembly 32 would be
telescopically deployed and folded rather than being provided with a pivoting-
type
deployment assembly. In such an embodiment, retracting or folding of the
second
portion may cause the belt 170 to loosen or slack. Therefore, one may opt for
using
an individual belt on each of the back and front portions rather then using a
single
belt.
[0090] In one embodiment, the mechanical sweeper 20 is provided with the
gutter
broom assemblies 40a, 40b for directing debris toward the pickup broom 52
shown
in FIGS. 1, 4, 7, 9 and 10). In this embodiment, each gutter broom assembly
40a,
40b comprises a mounting member 184 having a back end 186 connected to the
extending member 66a of the receptacle assembly 128 for pivot about a vertical
axis, and a front end 188. The front end 188 carries a broom 190 configured to
rotate about a vertical axis and a hydraulic motor (not shown) coupled to the
broom
190 for urging rotation thereof. A hydraulic actuator (not shown) is coupled
to the
frame 22 of the trailer 21 and to the mounting member 184 and is operable to
cause
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the gutter broom assemblies 40a, 40b to move between a closed position (as
shown
in FIG. 7) and an open position (as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10).
[0091] The gutter brooms 190a, 190b rotate countersense from one another so as
to direct the debris toward the opposite side of the mechanical sweeper 20. To
stop
the course of such debris toward the opposite side of the mechanical sweeper
20, a
deflector 192 can be provided. As known in the art, the angle of the gutter
brooms
190a, 190b relative to the surface to be cleaned can be adjusted to optimize
directing debris toward the deflector 192. For instance, the gutter brooms
190a,
190b can be inclined such that only a portion thereof will contact the surface
to be
cleaned.
[0092] In one embodiment, the drive assembly 38 of the mechanical sweeper 20
comprises a motor and a transmission adapted for coupling the motor to a
hydraulic
pump. The hydraulic pump is coupled to the various hydraulic actuators and
motors
by hydraulic hoses and is operable for driving actuation thereof.
[0093] In one embodiment, the motor is a diesel engine and the transmission is
a
hydrostatic transmission. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that
such a diesel
engine could be replaced by a gas motor, an electric motor and the like and
that the
hydrostatic transmission may be replaced by chain and sprockets, belt and
pulleys,
or gears and shaft transmissions.
[0094] Having described the general configuration of the mechanical sweeper
20,
its operation will now be described. According to one embodiment, the
mechanical
sweeper 20 is in a travel configuration when it travels from one operation
site to
another. When the mechanical sweeper 20 is in such a travel configuration, the
deployable conveyor assembly 32 and the gutter brooms 40a, 40b are in folded
configurations (as best shown in FIG. 1). This enables the mechanical sweeper
20 to
travel safely on roads, highways and the like with a speed up to 100 km/h,
thereby
reducing the time spent traveling from one site to another.
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[0095] Once the mechanical sweeper 20 has reached the operation site, the
operator actuates the various components of the sweeper to adopt the operation
or
cleaning configuration (shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 9 and 10). More specifically,
the
operator actuates the hydraulic actuators 168a, 168b of the deployable
conveyor 32
for lifting the front end 120 of the back portion 106 of the deployable
conveyor
assembly 32. As the front end 120 of the back portion 106 reaches the upper
position (shown in FIG. 2), the front end 140 of the front portion 110 of the
deployable conveyor 32 is caused to move upwardly, toward the fully deployed
configuration, by actuating the hydraulic actuators 149 toward the extended
position.
Once the deployable conveyor is fully deployed (as shown in FIG. 3), the
hydraulic
actuator 160 of the lock assembly 154 is urged to extend, thereby forcing the
locking
pins to enter the holes 134a, 134b and 166a, 166b of the brackets 132a, 132b,
156a, 156b and 158a, 158b and locking the front portion 110 of the deployable
conveyor 32 into the fully deployed configuration (shown in FIG. 3).
[0096] The operator then turns to deploy the gutter brooms assemblies 40a, 40b
on
each side of the sweeper 20. More specifically, the hydraulic actuators (not
shown)
are extended, thereby causing the mounting members 184a, 184b to pivot and the
gutter brooms 190a, 190b attached thereto to move laterally, away from one
another, and downwardly to contact the surface to be cleaned. As it will
become
apparent below, deployment of the gutter brooms 190a, 190b enables extending
the
width of the cleaning surface beyond the length L' of the pickup broom 52.
[0097] The sweeper 20 is then moved frontwardly, toward the dump truck, in
which
the debris collected by the sweeper 20 will be transferred, as it will become
apparent
below. The front end 140 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32 is located
above
the dump body of the dump truck, such that debris falling therefrom will be
received
in the dump body. The operator can modify the angle of the deployable conveyor
assembly 32 by controlling the hydraulic actuators 168a, 168b to reduce or
increase
the distance between the deployable conveyor and the dump body of the truck as
the sweeper is operated.
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CA 02752302 2011-09-14
[0098] For cleaning the surface, the hydraulic motors of the gutter and pickup
brooms assemblies 26, 40a and 40b are actuated. The gutter brooms 190a, 190b
rotate countersense from one another to direct the debris on each side of the
sweeper toward the deflector 192, which deflector 192 stops the debris and
keep the
same in the course of the pickup broom 52 (shown in FIG. 9). The pickup broom
52
then lifts the debris and moves them towards the receptacle assembly 28. The
debris are then captured from the receptacle assembly 28 by the conveyor belt
76 of
the first conveyor assembly 30, at the lower end 80 thereof, and conveyed
toward
the upper end 82 thereof (FIGS. 9 and 10). The debris then fall from the upper
end
82 of the first conveyor assembly 30, into the chute 178, which directs the
debris
toward the back end 118 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32, which in turn
conveys the debris toward the dump truck.
[0099] When a sufficient amount of debris has been conveyed into the dump
truck,
the operator of the sweeper 20 signals the operator of the truck, which then
leaves
the operation site to travel to the landfill where the truck will be emptied.
During the
travel time of the dump truck toward the landfill, another dump truck is
positioned for
receiving the debris from the sweeper 20. To facilitate movement of the trucks
relative to the sweeper 20, the deployable conveyor assembly 32 may be pivoted
laterally towards the left or right sides thereof (shown in FIG. 7).
[00100] Once the cleaning operations are completed, the gutter brooms 190 may
be
retracted and the deployable conveyor may be folded for the mechanical sweeper
20
to travel from the operation site toward another operation site.
[00101] In one embodiment, the trailer 21 may be selectively moved during
operation of the mechanical sweeper 20 and carried between sites using
different
vehicles. For instance, the trailer 21 may be adapted to be pushed by a first
powered
vehicle during operation and towed by a second powered vehicle when the
trailer 21
is displaced from one site to another. In this embodiment, the trailer 21 may
be
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CA 02752302 2011-09-14
pushed by a loader during operation and connected to a transport vehicle such
as a
truck to be towed from one site to another, for instance.
[00102] Alternatively, the trailer 21 may instead be adapted to be selectively
pushed
and pulled by the powered vehicle 35. Specifically, the same vehicle may be
used to
push the trailer 21 during operation of the mechanical sweeper 20, and then
connected to the trailer 21 to tow the trailer 21 from one site to another.
[00103] In an alternative embodiment, the trailer 21 may instead be towed
during
operation by a powered vehicle, such as a dump truck, which also receives
debris
conveyed by the deployable conveyor assembly 32. In this alternative
embodiment,
the dump truck may comprise an open-box bed to receive the debris, and the
dump
truck may be connected to the trailer 21 such that the open-box bed is
positioned
underneath the deployable conveyor assembly 32 during operation of the
mechanical sweeper 20. This configuration enables a cleaning operation using
the
mechanical sweeper 20 to be performed using a single powered vehicle, which
advantageously reduces the cost of fuel and operators associated with the use
of an
additional powered vehicle.
[00104] In this embodiment, when the open-box bed of the dump truck has been
filled or contains a sufficient amount of debris, the dump truck may be
disconnected
from the trailer 21 and another dump truck may be connected to the trailer 21
to
advantageously enable operation of the mechanical sweeper 20 to be resumed
substantially without interruption.
[00105] The use of an unpowered vehicle, such as the trailer 21,
advantageously
reduces the amount of maintenance required on the mechanical sweeper 20. If,
for
instance, the engine of the powered vehicle 35 breaks down and needs to be
repaired, the trailer 21 may simply be disconnected from the powered vehicle
35 and
connected to another vehicle to avoid a substantial interruption of the
cleaning
activities.
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CA 02752302 2011-09-14
[00106] Since the unpowered vehicle is not provided with a cab assembly, the
manufacturing of the mechanical sweeper 20 is also advantageously less complex
and thus less expensive and less time consuming. In one embodiment, the
trailer 21
may even comprise an existing trailer on which have been mounted the various
elements of the mechanical sweeper 20, as described hereinbefore. This would
advantageously further reduce the cost associated with manufacturing the
mechanical sweeper 20.
[00107] It will also be appreciated that in some jurisdictions, an approval
process
may be required to be granted permission to operate a new type of powered
vehicle
on public and/or private areas. This approval process may be costly, complex
and
time consuming. A mechanical sweeper mounted on an existing unpowered vehicle
such as a trailer may not be required to go through this approval process and
therefore may advantageously allow delays and costs associated with this
approval
process to be avoided.
[00108] Now turning to FIG. 11, there is shown a mechanical sweeper 1100, in
accordance with an alternative embodiment. Similarly to the embodiment shown
in
FIGS. 1 to 10, the mechanical sweeper 1100 comprises a kit comprising a pickup
broom assembly 1102, a pickup receptacle assembly 1104, a first conveyor
assembly 1106 and a second conveyor assembly 1108.
[00109] Similarly to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, the second
conveyor
assembly 1108 comprises a first conveyor portion 1110 and a second conveyor
portion 1112 connected to the first conveyor portion 1110 via coupling means
1114,
which enables movement of the second conveyor portion 1112 relative to the
first
conveyor portion 1110 between a folded position and an extended position, as
described above.
[00110] In this embodiment, the mechanical sweeper 1100 comprises an existing
vehicle, such as a semi-trailer truck 1150, which has been modified to
accommodate
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the pickup broom assembly 1102, the pickup receptacle assembly 1104, the first
conveyor assembly 1106 and the second conveyor assembly 1108.
[00111] Specifically, the semi-trailer truck 1150 comprises a frame 1152
mounted on
wheels 1154 and a cab 1156, as is widely known in the art. In the illustrated
embodiment, a platform 1158 extends rearwardly from the semi-trailer truck
1150
and the pickup broom assembly 1102, the pickup receptacle assembly 1104 and
the
first conveyor assembly 1106 are mounted to the platform 1158. Still in the
illustrated
embodiment, the second conveyor assembly 1108 is mounted on the frame 1152
and extends over the cab 1156 for conveying the debris from the first conveyor
assembly 1110 in a container carried by another, auxiliary vehicle such as,
for
instance, a dump truck, which is positioned in front of the semi-trailer truck
1150.
[00112] In one embodiment, the pickup broom assembly 1102, the pickup
receptacle assembly 1104, the first conveyor assembly 1106 and the second
conveyor assembly 1108 are removably secured to the semi-trailer truck 1150.
This
configuration advantageously enables the semi-trailer truck 1150 to be
selectively
used as a regular semi-trailer truck and as a mechanical sweeper. It will be
appreciated that using an existing vehicle further advantageously reduces the
cost
and complexity associated with manufacturing the mechanical sweeper 1100.
[00113] Although the foregoing description and accompanying drawings relate to
specific preferred embodiments of the present invention as presently
contemplated
by the inventor, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and
adaptations may be made.
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