US1997754A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1935. c, SHARP 1,997,754

VACUUM CLEANER Filed July 18, 1952 Patented Apr. 16, 1935 VACUUDI CLEANER Robert C. Sharp, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Air-Way Electric Appliance Corporation,

Toledo, Ohio, a corporationof Delaware Application July 18, 1932, Serial No. 623,132

14 Claims.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and has for its primary object to provide a simple arrangement for embodying a fan casing and floor tool unit of the type wherein the floor tool suc- 5 tion neck is positioned in alignment with the axis of the fan, in a domestic, wheel supported cleaner of the type having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined handle rigidly attached to the fan casefloor tool unit and supporting beneath it an upwardly and rearwardly inclined dust collector.

The invention, to this end, contemplates the provision of a fan casing, positioned with its v axis inclined upwardly and rearwardly, a rearwardly and upwardly projecting motor, a discharge neck extending from the fan case alongside the motor and beyond the upper end thereof, and plural connections formed on the upper end of the discharge neck, one for attachment of the handle, and the other for attachment of the dust collector.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel horizontal type vacuum cleaner, embodying an arch-shaped supporting frame, a motor fan assembly hung at one end of the frame, and a dust collector detachably hung below the frame and protected thereby against injury from contact with obstacles.

A furtherobje'ct is to provide a novel arrangement in a suction cleaner which may be employed, not onlyfo'r suction cleaning, but for blowing streams of pure or disinfectant laden air, whereby the discharge from the fan may be directed either through the handle or through the dust collector connection, as determined by the position of a controlvalve embodied in thedis charge neck of the fan case.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination and construction and, arrangement of the various parts thereof, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as more fully set forth in the accompanying specification, pointed out in my claims, and illus trated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig."1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the same.

Fig.3 is a side elevation of a modified form of the-invention.

' Fig.4 is a View, partly insection, of a modification-of the invention embodied in a horizontal typecleaner.

Fig. 51s a viewepartly in section and partly broken away, of a modification of the invention embodied in a, cleaner convertible into a blower. iiReferring first ,to,Fig s...1 and 2,3 invention in its; primary aspect embodies a fan case and floor tool or body unit A, a handle and switch assembly B, and a dust collector C.

The body unit A comprises the fan casein, motor ll'secured thereto, suction neck socket or collar. l2 on the opposite side of the fan case and axially aligned with the motor, floor tool l4, suction tube or neck 15 connected, preferably by a, swivel joint I6, to the floor tool 14, and secured in the collar i2 at its other end, floor 10 wheels ll supporting the tool I4, floor wheels 18 supporting the fan case In, and fan case discharge neck 19 extending rearwardly alongside the motor I I and terminating in dual connections 2!! and 2| respectively.

The connection 20 secures the lower end of the shaft 22 of the handle assembly B, and is preferably in the form of a socket in which the shaft 22 is secured rigidly.

The connection 2| may embody any suitable 20 means for attachment to the dust collector C, and as illustrated, comprises a socket to'receive one end of the bag coupler 23, designed to securely engage the neck 24 of a porous paper dust collecting bag 25, received within the openable outer retaining bag 26 of cloth or the like, which has ;a mouth defined between rigidifiedupper edges Z'L the ends of which are socketed respectively in the discharge neck l9 and latch means 28 embodied in the switch mechanism 29 mounted on the shaft 22, whereby the outer bag may be removed to allow access to the inner bag.

It may now be noted that the motor' and tool neck l5 are mounted on opposite sides of the fan case, on a common axis, and that the discharge neck l9 and motor ll extend upwardly and rearwardly in side by side relation, the upper end of the discharge neck extending beyond the motor and curved inwardly toward the motor axis to form the dual bag andhandle connections. This feature is found also in the form showninF-ig. 3, the discharge neck extending under instead of over the motor, as it does in the preferred'form.

p In the preferred form, the discharge neck'is preferably aligned with the handle, giving greater'strength, better appearance, and providing the proper space forthe collector C.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the invention modified to form a horizontal type cleanerfth'e shaft 22a, .correspondingto-the handle shaft 22 in Fig. 1, forming, in the modification of Fig. 4, the upper horizontal member of an arch shaped frame 3', and being bent downwardly as at to form one side of the frame. The other side of theframe is formed by the body unit A, which is the same as the body unit A with the exception that the floor wheels l8 of Fig. 1 may be substituted for by wheels iS-a journalled on a pivoted frame 3| to allow castor movement. A wheel 32 is mounted on the end of the frame member 30.

The dust collector C is the same as the collector C" already described. It depends within the arch of the frame 3' and is protected thereby from contact with obstacles. A suitable suction tool 33 may be attached to the fan case collar l2 by means of a flexible tube 34. g V

The frame member 38 may be formed as a continuation of the shaft 22a, may be hinged thereto as at 35, and may be brought into a position of alignment or tangency with respect to the shaft 22a, and employed as a handle, the attachment of the tool l4 and neck. i5 thence serving to convert the arrangement into the form shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a further modification in which the closed socket of 2 is substituted for by an open passage 20a, connecting the neck E9 to the hollow handle 22b, and a twoway valve is so arranged in the Y chamber thus formed, as to provide a closed passage from the neck t5 either to the handle 22b or to the bag connection 2!.

A suitable discharge nozzle 31 may be connected to the handle tube 222) as by a flexible tube 38, and air may be blown therethrough while the dust collector remains suspended, it being necessary only to shift the valve 36 to change the device from a suction cleaner to a blower.

By removing th' device may be err, comminuted disinfectant ......e.terial, fed from a suitable feeding device 38, through the fan 40 (see Fig. 2) for breaking up into finer particles, and thence through the nozzle 31 in a stream of disinfectant laden air.

The connection 2!, instead of communicating with the end of the dust collector C, may approach the dust collector from the side, as at Zla in Fig. 4.

The discharge neck l9 may be cast integrally with the motor dome Ila, as shown in Fig. 3.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge neck extending upwardly and rearwardly alongside the motor, respective handle and dust collector connections integrally formed on the upper end of the neck, a handle rigidly attached to the handle connection, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with the dust collector connection.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below,and the motor above, the fan casing having rigidly associated discharge neck extending upwardly and rearwardly to a point beyond the rear end of the motor, respective handle and dust collector connections integrally formed on the upper end of the neck, a handle attached to the handle connection, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with the dust collector connection, the handle and discharge neck being axially aligned whereby the handle forms a continuation of the discharge neck.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, 8. wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge neck extending upwardly and rearwardly to a point beyond the rear end of the motor, a handle rigidly secured to the discharge neck at its upper end and coaxial therewith, a dust collector connection forming 2. laterally offset integral continuation of the discharge neck, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with said connection.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan case including a discharge pipe terminating in respective handie and dust collector connections, a hollow handle communicating with the handle connection, a dust collector communicating with the other connection, and a two way valve for providing selectively, a closed passage from the neck to the handle, or a closed passage from the neck to the dust collector connection.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, 3. fan casing having a discharge neck terminating in a Y shaped chamber, a hollow handle attached to and communicating with one branch of the Y, a dust collector communicating with the other branch of the Y, and a two way valve rotatable in said chamber at the fork of the Y, adapted to close off one of the branches thereof while allowing free passage of air through the alternate branch.

0. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and tool neck attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis, the tool neck having a removable connection to allow attachment of an insecticide feeding device, a discharge neck on the fan case, extending alongside the motor, respective handle and dust collector connections formed on the end of said neck, a hollow handle attached to and communicating with one of said connections, a dust collector communicating with the other connection, and a two way valve in the neck adapted to provide a closed passage from the neck to either the handle or dust collector, selectively.

7, In a suction cleaner, a fan casing and motor assembly, floor engaging means supporting said assembly with the axis thereof upwardly and rearwardly inclined, at rigidly associated discharge duct on the fan casing, extending upwardly and rearwardly to a point beyond the rear end of the motor, said discharge duct terminating in a downwardly extending discharge neck and an upwardly and rearwardly opening socket, a handle secured in said socket and extending upwardly and rearwardly, and a, dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with said discharge neck.

8. In a vacuum cleaner, 9. wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge duct extending upwardly and rearwardly to a point beyond the rear end of the motor, respective handle and dust collector connections integrally formed on the upper end of the duct, a handle rigidly attached to the handle connection, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with the dust collector connection.

9. In a suction cleaner, motor and fan casings separably attached, on a common axis downwardly and forwardly inclined, the motor projecting upwardly and rearwardly above the fan case, a discharge duct formed integrally with the motor casing and communicating with the fan casing, said duct projecting beyond the rear end of the motor casing and formed with a handle connection and a handle attached to said connection.

10. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and a toolneck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof ona common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge duct extending upwardly and rearwardly above the motor and forked at its upper end to provide, respectively, a discharge neck projecting downwardly behind the motor and a handle connection above said neck, a handle attached to said connection and extending upwardly and rearwardly, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with said neck. 7

11. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and a tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge duct extending upwardly and rearwardly alongside the motor and forked at its upper end to provide integral dust collector and handle connections, a handle rigidly attached to said handle connection and extending upwardly and rearwardly, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with said dust collector connection.

12. In a vacuum cleaner, 9. wheel supported body unit comprising a. fan case, a motor and a tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge duct extending upwardly and rearwardly above the motor, and terminating in a discharge neck extended downwardly behind the motor, a handle rigidly attached to said duct in a position forming an axially aligned extension thereof, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with the discharge neck.

13.'In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and. a tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge duct extending upwardly and rearwardly above the motor, and terminating in a discharge neck extended downwardly behind the motor, a handle attached to said duct above said neck, and a dust collector suspended below the handle and communicating with the discharge neck.

14. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel supported body unit comprising a fan case, a motor and a tool neck rigidly attached to opposite sides thereof on a common axis extending upwardly and rearwardly, the tool neck below, and the motor above, the fan casing having a rigidly associated discharge duct extending upwardly and rearwardly alongside the motor, and terminating in an integral handle connection, a discharge neck branching laterally from said duct near said handle connection, a handle attached to said handle connection, and a dust collector suspended from the handle and communicating with said neck.

ROBERT C. SHARP.

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