US2095948A - Vacuum cleaner truck - Google Patents

Description

` vACUUM CLEANER TRUCK Filed Nov. `2; 1935 MZJ AZmQUZLS" i. OScczMAndenson n t 30 c t v within the scope of the claims,

Patented Oct. l2, 1937 provide "'a` `vacuum-` cleaner supportingY truck` lvacuum `cleaner sothat it maybe easily moved c across the surfacebeing 'eminentes-PA vncUUM CLEANER TRUCK@ t nppiieunlnovember 2, 1935, sei-:simmons:

V Nils" T. "l Almquistgand Oscar M. Britain, Conn.,` assignors `to Anderson, 4New 1 Landers, Frary la:

,. Compa' corporation cof,` c

" t s 3 'r claims. (o1. 280461) 'I'hisinventionrelates toftrucks and,` more part c ticularly`,' to a truck especially adapted to pivotali cleanedg `It is thel primary object oi' this invention to t (adapted to evenly; supportthe cleanerand comc forj irregularities in the `surface being 1 `1o 1 cleaned.

` c s axes and to'coniorm withtuneven portions of a surface being cleaned and yet uniner that it may be tltedto lift the nozzlelof the desired.

t `with theeeend ether` bjeetsin vievmnepeesi ent inventlonfresld'es injanjovel construction .and

25"` t, "scribed," illustrated `in the accompan the combination of members Ulriereinafter f deding; and 1 referred te in the` vclaims. appended l hereto; it being understood thatl various changes int the general form, proportion;

other minor detailsfof"construction .lying may` "bei resorted towithout deviating from thefspirit ofthe inven- `tion or sacricing any of its advantages.

To the yaccomplisl'iments of these andother objects which will be apparent fromthefollowing f description," we have provided a trucklfor rotat- `ably andfplvotallysupporting'the rearward end r offra cleanersmechanisin in such a manner that thecleaner may be freely movedand easily turned x "cIn the drawingwherein `cated by like numerals:

the further purpose the ioorto aid the cleaner in moving onto a thick rug `ori` moving onto a rughaving al` fringed edge, .1 s 1t" like `-parts are indi- `Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vlacuuni cleaner having "a rear pivotally mounted rotatable'support constructed in accordance4 withour invention; t i t i i Altiglgis` a rear view ,of our invention; and

and 'rotatably support the `rear end` of an t `ferred `type of our` invention,

ya ,substantially horizontal :suitably shaped motor `casing I0 rigidly secured to a l It is e further ebjeet efthisinvention tento!` s s de a truck support having a` plurality `ofA rotate` *"able wheels arrangedior individualfmovement i *aboutvertical "formly support one end of ayacuumcleaner` s c further object of thisminvention to provide atruck arranged to fplvotally Support the` yingr drawandsizaas well u 1` projecting boss22 f use of bearing sleevell `the stud portion 32 maybe journalleddirectly Within bore 3|J'ifde`sired and accomplish `the same ward end of boss Referring to the drawingV illustrating the pre#-` fan casingi as by screws I2; lor other suitable `fastening` means.

TENTOFFIC'E Fig. 3 is elviewteken elong'the unece-a of Flea we "have provided The frontof-the fancasing is providedkwith a downwardly projecting nozzle `I4 which maybe i suitablyfsupported slightly abovethe surface to be cleaned as" by wheels 'I'he above parts are not s view of the fact that they do notsconstitute a 'novelpart ofthe invention. Hence, it will" be lunderstood that ourinvention,v which relates to 1" a truck for supporting "l5 journaueti thereto; described in detail in* the rear portion of afl vacuum cleaner, maybe arranged to be associated intended tobe supported by wheelsand to be s equalizer arm,"` generally ndicatedfby the numeral I8,

motor "about a substantially horizontal, axis 4and `supported at its outer ends by `casters 2l'l"arrariged` to individually pivot about substantially vertical Y axes.` Toiaccomplish" this, therearward portion ofmotor casing I0 terminates inan outwardly having a substantially ilat ver-` tical face 23` and al centralthreaded` hole 2`4jar rangedtoreceive aieduced screw threaded portion 26"ofgja-stud 28. Intermediate ofthejopposed `ends of the equalizer arm and substantially `centrally thereon, We have provided anenlarged cup-` i shaped boss 29 having abore therethrough,`

and la journal sleeve 3l secured` therein :Isar- `rangedfto receivewthe `intermediate cylindrical portion 32 of stud 28,*Whereby said equalizer arm c will be pivotally journalled for; transverse rockf ing lmovement: about the substantiallyhorizontal axis of stud 28." It will be appreciated, ofcourse, that the present invention is not limited to the in View ofthe fact `that result. c t

t As illustrated in Fig; sgthe metorengegtg the bottom of a counterbre" 39 within the rear- 29 land coaxial with hole 3| withany vacuumcleaner mechanism which is s rearward end of a vacuum cleaner in such a man 20 s s c 2()` 7 i i cleaner from thesurface being cleaned whenever s c and arranged to` be pivotallysecured intermediate of itsfends to the t y. nysudlnand compressed between theV head` of `,studl 28.and

therethrough. The head of said stud may be provided with a screw driver slot or other suitlable tool engaging means, and bearing portion 32 preferably terminates in a shoulder 40 adapted to abut against surface 28 to aid in rigidly positioning stud 28. The forward end of boss.

28 is further provided with anv outwardly pro- ,iecting annular portion 42 having a lower protruding portion 43 which is provided with an open end slot 45 having a pair of opposed spaced f side faces 41 arranged to receive a locking stud 48 therebetween which in turn is threaded Within a lower portion of boss 22.

As will be observed in Figs. 2 and 3, the stud ,41 are preferably spaced a suilicient distance apart to permit a requiredy rocking movement of equalizer arm and allow casters 20 to easily accommodate themselves to uneven portions within a surface such as a floor over which vtl'ie vacuum cleaner is being moved.

1 "Iheopposedends ofthe equalizer arm termi- ".nate in enlarged,` downwardly projecting portions may be of any familiar and well-known type of 58 .to pivotally accommodate casters 20 which construction. To accomplish this. each enlarged portion 50 is provided with a substantially vertical bore 5| having a bearing sleeve 52 secured therein and arranged to slidably engage the cylindrical shank 54 of caster 28 and permit its `free pivotal movementtherein. The upper enc' y )of bore 5I has a substantially fiat circular platt 55 secured therein and pivotally engageable with the upper rounded end 550i' shank 54. The lower en'd of each shank 54y has a suitable bifurcated member 58 integrally-secured thereto and arranged to fxedly support the opposed ends 'of a pin 8l!A upon which caster ywheels 6i are journalled.

To prevent the casters 20 from falling out of "their socketed positions within the equalizer arm,

we mayemploy any convenient device. In the presentinstance, as illustrated, we provide the upper endof each shank 54 with an annular groove 82 adapted toslidably receive a C-shaped springvmember 83. When the shankis forced its socket as the cleaner, is moved.

into position, the spring member 83 is peripheraily compressed against the bore of said bearling sleeve and serves to lock the caster in position. In view of the fact that the spring is freely slidable within the groove, it will not hinder any normal vertically pivotal caster movement in It is not desired that our invention necessarily l bev limited to the particular showing of caster mounting herein illustrated since it will be evident that any suitable `type of caster which is supported for vertical pivotal movement about features ofthe present invention. For example,

a vertical axis `would accomplish the essential it will be evident that the shank 54 may be secured in any suitable manner to an end of the q equalizer arm to provide fora vertically pivotal axial movement.

Itwill thus be apparent that our invention "provides a unique type of truck arranged to uniformly support the rearward end ofa vacuum cleaner mechanism. The transverse pivotal movement of the equalizer arm will permit each of the truck supporting wheels to engage uneven portions of the surface being cleaned, and the individual vertical pivotal movement of the casters will permit the cleaner to be quickly and easily turned to reach into corners and other normally inaccessible positions. Furthermore, the frictional contact of surfaces 28 and 34 as caused kby coiled spring 36 will restrain the pivotal movement of the equalizer arm sufiiciently so that the body portion of the cleaner mechanism including the nozzle, fan casing, and motor may be easily tilted about the axis of wheels 6| so that the nozzle may be quickly and easily lifted from the floor whenever desired.

WeA claim as our invention:

1. A truck for supporting the rearward portion of a vacuumY cleaner frame comprising a transversely disposed equalizer arm, a substantially cup-shaped enlarged portion on said arm intermediate of its ends and' having a face' which is frictionally engageable with a boss on said frame, a horizontally disposed pivot stud rigidly secured at one end within said boss and journalled at its other end within said cup-shaped portion to permit a transverse rocking movement of the equalizer arm, resilient means on the stud and engaging the arm to secure it lin desired pivotal position, a locking member in the frame arranged to lock the pivot stud in operative position, means on the cup-shaped portion engageable with said member to limit the extent of rocking movement of thearm, and individually pivotal means rotatably supporting each end of said arm.

2. A truck for supporting an end of a vacuum cleaner frame comprising a transversely disposed equalizer arm, a horizontally disposed, rearwardly extending pivot pin removably secured in said frame, saidv arm having a bearing portion intermediate of its ends and journalled on the pin, abutting contacting faces on the frame and bearing disposed at right angles to the axis of the pin, resilient means tending to maintain said faces in contact, a locking member removably secured within the frame and arranged to lock against the pivot pin, means on the arm engageable with the locking pin to limit the extent of pivotal movement of said arm, and a wheel pivotally supported beneath each of the opposed ends of said arm.

3. A truck for supporting an end of a vacuum cleaner frame comprising a transversely disposed member, means intermediate of the ends of said member pivotally securing it to the frame for a rocking movement about an axis disposed longitudinally'of the frame, resilient means surrounding said axis. and frictionally restraining said rocking movement, means limiting the extent of rocking movement, and supporting casters respec- Ytively located Abeneath and supporting theends of the transverse member. 1

4. A vacuum cleaner truck for supporting the end of a vacuum cleaner frame and comprising a transversely disposed arm, means intermediate of the ends of the arm pivotally securing it to the frame for rocking movement .about a substantially horizontally disposed axis, resilient means coaxial with said axis to frictionally restrain said rocking movement, means limiting the extent of the rocking movement, supporting casters respectively located beneath and supporting the ends of the arms. and means pivotally connecting each caster to said member for individually free, substantially vertical, pivotal movement.

5. A truck for supporting the rearward end of a vacuum cleaner frame comprising a transverseman.,

ly` disposed arm, pivotal means "intermediate of the ends of thearm and securing itto the frame for rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis disposed longitudinally of theirame,` means coaxial with said `axis for resiliently and frictionally restraining the rocking movementr y means limiting the extent of said rocking movei ment, a supporting wheel beneatheach of the opposed endsof said arm, a member supported by each of the wheels'at its lower end and Journalled at its upper end within the arm for substantially vertical pivotal movement whereby the truck may i'rame when it is moved` over an uneven surface. y

uniformly support the 6. A truck for supporting` an end of a vacuum cleaner `trarne' `comprising atransversely disposed equalizer arm at `the backof the frame, .a pivot `stud securing said arm` intermediate of its ends to the frame for a rocking movement, meansengageable between the frame and arm to limit the extent of said rocking movement, means resilient- 1y engaged between ma stud and arm friccisnally restraining the rocking movement. and casters respectively mounted beneath the kends o! said arms and secured thereto for pivotal movement about substantially vertical axes. t

'7. A truck for supporting an end o! a-vacuum 1 cleaner frame comprising `an equalizer arm transversely disposed tothe rearward portion of the frame, apivot stud longitudinally extendingr from the rearward end `of the trame and pivotally mounted in said arm intermediate of its ends to provide for rocking movement of tliearm,` a coiled spring compressively mounted between said stud and the` armto i'rictionally restrain the rocking

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