US2980467A - Method of making bristles for street sweeping brooms - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1961 L. L. LECHENE METHOD OF MAKING BRISTLES FOR STREET SWEEPING BROOMS Filed March 14, 1958 INVENTOR. LECHENE WML/VMM M ATToRNEY NIETHOD OF MAKING BRISTLES FR STREET SWEEPING BROMS Leo Lechene, Hazel Park, Mich. (rvona, Pa.) lFiled Mar. 14, 195s, ser. No. 721,573

z claims. (cl. soo- 21) The invention pertains to the making or refilling of power-driven brooms of the kind used to sweep the pavement of roads and streets. A conventional broom of this type includes a cylindrical core made of wood or metal. The core is adapted to be mounted for rotation about its axis, and is provided with a spiral groove in its cylindrical surface, said groove extending from one end of the cylinder to the other. The core made in this manner serves as a means for support of bristles which are secured to said core and extend radially therefrom. lThe term bristles is used generally to identify thin, resilient, but hard and sti fibers, strips,'or Wires which may be made of plastic materials.

To be applied to the core, the bristles are placed over the groove orosswise thereto, whereupon a cable is drawn over the bristles, midway their respective ends, t force the midportion of the respective bristles into the groove. =In the process, under the pressure of the cable, each bristle is bent upon itself in a hairpin fashion, the looped portion of each bristle being wedged tight into the groove by the cable.

In this manner of operation bristles are applied to the core stful by Iistful, and the rotation of the core must be stopped prior to the application of each new stful of the bristles to the core. What is to be noted is that the bristles, prior to their being bound to the core, are not bound or bonded together in any manner. This applies also to the bristles which are applied to the core by means of a machine.

The present invention pertains to a method of making bristles out of plastic sheet stock, which stock has the form of long bands or ribbons. More specifically, the method includes, as a part thereof, intersecting the body of one band or a plurailty of bands in a stackedup condition by a plurality of cuts transversely to the length of the bands, but leaving a portion of the bands, midway the side edges thereof, in an uncut condition.

-The object of the invention is to provide a band including a multiplicity of bristles extending laterally from said midportion and integrally connected thereto. rlhe purpose of this operation is to provide an assembly of bristles in the form of a band which may be fed from a reel to the core of a broom in order that it may be bound to the core by a cable in a manner analogous to that described above.

lI shall now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a short length of a composite band consisting of a plurality of iiexible bands stacked upon each other;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of said composite band after portions of the bands have been fused to each other, the View including a transverse sectional view of said composite band;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a short length of the composite band, portions of which have been split by a multiplicity of transverse cuts;

Fig. 4 is a top elevational view of a part of a core 2,983,467 Patented Apr. 18", 1961 A2 of a broom and a short length of the composite band as it is applied to said core.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The method of making such an -assembly of bristles 'calls for a plurality of bands made of plastic material,

such as nylon in sheet form, the preferred thickness of individual sheetsl ranging from li to 1A: of an inch. The bands are to be stacked one upon'the other to form a composite band in which the respective side edges of shows a fused portion of the composite band, While the remaining portions of each band laterally extending from the solid portion are left detached from each other.

After the bands 10 have been so connected to each other to form a composite band, said band is cut laterally to its length by a multiplicity of parallel cuts limited to the areas from the fused portion to the respective side edges 13 of the band, the lines 14 of the respective cuts being spaced from each other to such distance as would amount to a satisfactory width of individual bristles to be used in the completed broom. The cutting operation of the composite bandmay be carried out by any suitable means.

As a result of the above operation the composite l band will be transformed into a solid ribbon, this being the fused portion 12, and a multiplicity of bristles 15 integrally connected thereto and extending laterally from the respective sides of said fused portion. Once the composite band has been so transformed, it may be wound upon a reel from which it may be fed to the core of a broom. Such a core, marked 16, is shown in fragment in Fig. 4. -The composite band which may be fed to the core is marked 17, while the cable by means of which the composite band is secured to the core is marked 18.

It will be understood that the fusing of the component bands i6 to each other is a preferred method of joining them to each other, but that this may be also effected by means of adhesives or by other suitable means.

After having described my improvement, what I Wish to claim is as follows:

1. The method of making an assembly of bristles for rotary brooms out of plastic sheet stock in the form of bands, the method consisting of stacking the bands upon each other lengthwise to form a composite band in which the side edges of the component bands are alined with each other, applying heat to the composite band along a relatively narrow portion midway the side edges of the composite band to fuse the individual bands along said midportion to each other from one end of the composite band to the other, but leaving unfused in each band the portions extending laterally from the fused portion, allowing the fused portion to cool ott and to solidify, splitting said unfused portions by a plurality of parallel cuts transversely tothe length of the band, the cuts being spaced from each other to the distance equal to the desired width of the bristles, applying said band lengthwise and tangentially to a broom core having a helical groove therein with its fused central portion in registry with said groove, and tightly winding a wire over the band lengthwise thereof into said groove forming said band transversely into U-shape bands, 'Ythermelthod consisting of stacking the bandsfupon radially ofthe corethro'ligheach otherlengthwise to "form a composite yband in Whichtthe sideV edges of the *component bands r"are falined 'with each other, bonding each band along its'midporf tion lengthwise to :adhere to thefcorresponding portion 'ofvthe adjoining band or bands, but leavinglportionsof each band extending laterally from saidglzuonded` portion the bands by a multiplicity of straight cuts ltransversely to the length of the llband, the'cutsV-being spaced iroml each other by a distance equal to thejdesired Width of individual bristles,applying said band lengthwise and tanunconnected, splitting said unconnected'portions of lallIk ''g"6nt'ia11y'to a broom "core A having a helical 'groove 'therein with its fused central Aportion in registry withrsaid groove, and tightly winding aA Wire over the band lengthwise thereof into said groove forming said band transversely into U-shape so that the bristles project radially of the core throughout its lengthfollowingV said' helical groove. Y

Y`References Cited-i411-V the Vileof this batent Y l 2,813,286 Strader Y; Nov. 19,

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