US2633590A - Cleaning and scrubbing device - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1953 B. A. MITCHELL CLEANING AND SCRUBBING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 8. 1948 April 7, 1953 B. A. MITCHELL CLEANING AND SCRUBBING nsvxcs 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed 000. 8, 1948 6.9 Jnvenior 3 Bernard J9? 77Z6ZceZZ m/,1, 6W fizz? Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES 2,6335% filjEANING -AND SCRUBBINQDEVI-CE Hessian: Mitchell; diiieaofiil.

1 Applicationflctober s, 1948, serial Nos53409 .7 V 3 Claims.

This invention relatesto an improveinmt in a cleaning and scrubbing-device; and more'particularly to sucha device which is fountain operated.

and scrubbingdevice'which may be easily handled V by the housewife oroperator i'na s'tanding position for effectively cleaning rugs carpetsandtthe likegdirectly on-thefioor'surface of the home. I

Another object" of this "invention is to: provide 'asimple, inexpens'ive andcompact device for I cleaning rugs, carpets, floors and other surfaces, which is so 'constructed and arranged thata cleaning fluid is fed tothe brush and the amount of'cleaning fluid.- to be dispensed is underthe control of the operatonsaid cleaning fluid pass- "ing through the'brushbody and on to the surface to becleaned.

Incleaning rugs, carpets and the like, it is the presentpr-actice to either send them to cleaning establishments operating for that purpose; which is an" inconvenience and costly; or" to clean the i rug'directlyon the floor by a person gettin down on his hands and'knees and by means'of a hand 'held'brush laboriously scrubbing the'rug, which requires time and. physical exertion, or'else to bring intothe homespeci'ally foriflthat purpose heavy and cumbersome electrically q'operated cleaning-devices'which are expensive and require expert handling.

Thegp'urpose of this invention is to provide: a

compact device .whichis lightl'in weight," inexpensive. to manufacture, which may be readily and easily handled and manipulated with minimumr'eifort by the housewife to effectively clean the rugor carpet directly on the floor of the home ywhile irr-a' standing position, and which maybe c'kept injthe: home and conveniently used. This handle portion ni'smr;

device may likewise. be used for'cleaning floorror other. surfaces as well.

Other objects will become 'ap'pa'rent'as this description progresses.

Ei'g: 3 is altperspective view of theibrush minher and showing the flare of the brush bristles,-

: Fig. 4' isaperspectiveview' showing the' lower container portion of-ithe; device, as well asythe brush, :with some oithe bristles-eliminated for "purposes of clarity. v

: 'Figss isja rear viewshowing the container and vbru'sh m'ember. W V

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional viewtaken -ondine E-zfifnf-Fig. showing-particularly=the;mecha- *nisrn for controlling-thefiowof -the liquid, 7

Fig.7 7 is pajcr'oss; sectional ""ViQW- showingthe .upperjfunnel shaped portion of the tanlg, -and i Fig. 8' is a cross sectional view; of" a modified form of constructionshowing-another method of "securingthe brush to the container. U I

The 'device comprises a container generally indicated-at lil for containing the'fliquid cleaning fluid, a handle genera llyindicated at [2, which u 9 1 g r. a uatin m ch n s f-* sa l n i ated. at. M f r she t n valve; e

0 rel id a e i 5.. iqj nt o l i eb f f li ui s-v. :Thebru h .m mb en e iiidiceied at .18, is supported and carried by thecontainer. dril ers feeesifieal s t efiqh. Q hei h i l B is shaped to providea depressed orfunnel shaped section 20 -having a depending n'ck"'22' which te ms he; nt an e. is. the qo 'ta' i ierei e ri Qable closureifi fitsinto the neck and biases the o enin he to ih s nt i l 'n T Jaen assh wn at is E 1; tbgiher with the funnel entrance enables the container to be -filled without spilling when the toplof "the container is, positioned substantially "I parallel to ,the floor, as shown in Fig.'7. 'lhe' bottorn i fof V the container is welded or otherwise permanently secured asat 25 to the containerwalls. The bot- ;tom 24iis at an inclined angle--with respect to the vertical aigisjof the containeryso; that thet -bottom on which the brush issupported will be substantially parallel with-the fioor when: the device is o -used. The bottom'isshaped-to provide a rectanf ular shaped raised or recessed section" 2 S 1 which j-has an s ngularly-inclined bottom supporting wall 21 provided'with an opening 28. Secured at right angles/to said inclinednbottom wall 2 1 is a'hollow extended: tubular; handle 25 which has an internally" threaded portion 30 at the lower end thereof ;--into' which is" screwed the threaded plug 3 I hav- [111g an internal bore 32 and-aflangedhead 33.

v he top:entr ce of e'rbo e sst e i 'a d to form a seat for the valve to be described. 'A

gasket 34 is interposed between the flanged head and the underside of the inclined wall 21. The tubular handle 29 extends through an opening 35 in the to of the container and is firmly supported by the sleeve 3'5 formed in the top of the container. In operatin the device the handle is positioned at an angle as shown, and the brush bristles are substantially paralle1 to the floor.

Slidably supported within the hollow handle is the trigger actuating mechanism, generally indicated at 14, adjacent the upper part of the handle for convenient use by the operator while in a standing position. Same comprises a substantially inverted L-shaped member 31 which is supported by a pair of transverse pins 38 fastened thereto and riding in slotted sections 39 formed on the opposite sides of the hollow handle. The leg 40 of the L-shaped member extends through a cutout 41 in the tubular handle. Said cutout is covered by a cover plate 42 which is fastened to the handle as at 43, and which has a slotted opening 44. The slotted sections 39 serve to limit the movement of the trigger mechanism.

The inverted L-shaped member 31 is secured as at 45 to a rod 46 which is supported inside the hollow handle. The rod passes through a guide 41 secured inside the handle. The valve member, generally indicated at It, comprises an inverted truncated cone shaped valve 43 which is secured to the end of the rod 46 and seats on the tapered portion 32a of the plug 3| to close the bore 32.

An opening 49 is provided in the hollow handle stem adjacent the valve 43 to permit the liquid cleaning fluid 50 in the container to flow by gravity and pass from the container into the lower portion of the handle and the bore 32 if said valve 48 is unseated or raised.

The upper portion of the handle stem supports a transverse pin on which is secured a coiled spring 52. The opposite end of the spring is coiled around an extension 53 on the end of the L-shaped actuating member 31, and the spring normally urges the actuating member downwardly so that the rod 46 is likewise urged downwardly, seating the valve 48 and closing the outlet bore 32. When the actuating member 31 is elevated or raised by the finger or hand engaging the portion 40 against the tension of the spring 52, the rod 46 will move upwardly unseating the valve 48 and allowing the cleaning fluid to flow by gravity and pass from the container through the handle opening 49 into the bore 32 and downwardly through the brush bristles, to be presently described. I

Permanently secured to the lower end of the container is a skirt portion 54 which forms a holder for the brush. The skirt portion comprises a pair of side walls 55 and 56 and an end wall 51, all of which have an inverted bead 58. The skirt has a hinged end wall 59 having a latching end 60 which engages the rolled edge 51a of the side wall 56 to lock therewith.

The brush, generally indicated at !8, has bristles 6| supported throughout by the brush head 32, and has a plurality of openings 63 in the brush head. The bristles forming the outside sides and ends of the brush are flared outwardly and extend beyond the limits of the brush head and holder to permit the bristles to reach the corners and sides of the floor or rug surfaces to be cleaned. Secured on the top surface of the head is a rubber gasket 64. The

brush head has a continuously formed groove 65 on the side and end wall by which it is slid into the bead 58 of the skirt and where same removably supports the brush. After the brush is positioned within the skirt, the end wall 59 is locked in place and. the brush will be retained in position until it is desired to have same removed and replaced, which may be done quickly and easily.

Around the lower end of the container 10 there is secured a rubber bumper member 65 and a similar bumper member 69 may be supported in the channel 61 of the skirt portion.

After the cleaning fluid passes through the valve bore 32, it enters the apertures 63 in the brush head and flows therethrough among the bristles saturating same and then onto the rug or floor surface. The gravity flow of the liquid cleaner may be easily controlled by the trigger actuating mechanism. The unit is light in weight and very compact and may be readily moved over and about a carpet or floor surface in the same manner that a hand brush is moved when applied by a person on his hands and knees. However, with this invention the cleaning is done by the operator standing upright, with less efiort and without soiling the hands or clothes. The flow of the fluid to the brush and floor is readily controlled. I have found that rugs, carpets, floors and the like may be eiiectively cleaned in less time and with less effort than is now possible by the conventional methods. The device has few parts, is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and yet very eflicient.

In Fig. 8 I show a modified form of supporting the brush. In all other respects the device is similar to that previously described. Extending through the brush head 70 are a plurality of threaded screws H which engage the bottom Wall 12 of the container. To remove the brush the screws 1| are unthreaded. The brush head It has a continuous groove 13 which supports a rubber molding 14 which acts as a bumper.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a tubular handle having an open lower end and a port opening thereat, a container adapted to contain fluid surrounding the lower portion of said handle and communicating with said port opening, said container having a bottom wall with an opening therein, the said handle being connected to said bottom wall at said opening, a brush having a head with a plurality of openings therein and secured in abutting relation to the underside of said bottom wall, and valve means within said handle for controlling the flow of fluid through said port opening.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a tubular handle having an open lower end and a port opening thereat, a container adapted to contain fluid surrounding the lower portion of said handle and communicating with said port opening, said container having a bottom wall with an opening therein, said handle being connected to said bottom wall at said opening, said container having a skirt portion depending from the bottom wall of the container, a brush having a head with a plurality of openings therein and in abutting relation to the underside of said bottom wall and received within said skirt portion, and valve means within said handle for controlling the flow of fluid through said port opening.

A device of the character described comprising a tubular handle having an open lower end and a port opening thereat, a container adapted to contain fluid surrounding the lower portion of said handle, said container having a bottom wall with an opening therein and formed with an inwardly recessed section, said handle being conneoted to said recessed section at said opening, said container having a skirt portion depending from the bottom wall of the container, a brush having a head with a plurality of openings therein and received within said skirt portion with said head abutting the underside of said bottom wall.

BERNARD A. MITCHELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 470,461 Banta et a1 Mar. 8, 1892 513,071 Baldwin Jan. 23, 1894 639,348 Broderick Dec. 29, 1899 1,918,440 White July 18, 1933 2,130,223 Beaurline Sept. 13,1938 2,224,644 Ellis Dec. 10, 1940 2,5 8,599 Loether Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 97,856 Sweden Jan. 23, 1940

Images