US1829582A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

J. F. CARSON Oct. 27, 1931.

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Irv/enter. Je: 5s a? Carson, KW 97 H is AttOTh 6y.

J. F. CARSON VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 51, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 444/ H i Attorney Patented UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE I. C ARS ON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER COMPANY, IN 0., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VACUUM CLEANER Application filed December 31, 1928. Serial No. 329,576.

At the present time the standard type of vacuum cleaner is bag which is connected at its, inlet end to the discharge conduit of the fan casingwhile the outer end is supported from the handle employed to move the cleaner over the surface to be cleaned. These dust bags, while efiective for the purpose, are objectionable to clean and are too expensive to be thrown away.

My invention has for its object an improved portable vacuum cleaner which does not require any external bag or other dust separator, but on the other hand has a removable dust separator located wholly within the walls of the cleaner and which is of such a construction and type that it can be thrown away after use and a new separator substituted at a cost which is so small as to be negligible.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of my invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaner, Fig. 2 is a similar view with some of the parts removed to show the internal construction, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the dust separator and its supporting frame, Fig. 4 is a longitudinalnsectipn of the cleaner on line 4-4 Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cleaner with certain of the parts broken away to show the internal mechanism, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dust box and separator, and Fig. 7 is a pers ective view of a slight modification of the ox and dust separator. The casing for the cleaner comprises a bottom wall 8, a top wall or cover, 9, and side walls 10 and 11. The bottom wall stops short of the front end of the cleaner to form the rear wall of the nozzle opening 12. Extending across the front end of the nozzle is a rod 13 which forms a for the cover 9. The cover is made of thin sheet material, and when in the closed position rests on the top surfaces of the side walls 11 and 12 and also forms the front wall one having a fabric dust" supporter hinge pin of the nozzle. The front ends of the side walls define the ends of the nozzle opening. The cover is held in position by a pair of clamps 14 of any suitable construction located at the rear of the cleaner. These clamps are best shown in Fig. 4. Each clamp comprises a hook 15 which on ages a bead on the rear end of the cover, a racket 16, and a handle 17 whereby the clamp may be released or secured in operative position. The pivots 18 and 19 of the clamp are so arranged that when in the cover engaging position the pivot 19 passes over the dead center and thus firmly holds the cover in place. The front of the cleaner is supported y a pair of floor wheels 20 which are carried by cranks 21, which form a part of the transverse rod 22. The clearance between the surface to be cleaned and the nozzle can be adjusted by the screw 23. The cleaner is supported at the rear by a single caster 24 supported by a'suitable bracket.

Located in the rear of the cleaner is a horizontal cylindrical casing 25 which, in addition to enclosing the motor and suction fans, forms the rear wall of the casing of the cleaner. Located within the casin is a horizontal shaft electric motor 26 of any suitable or well known construction. On the shaft 27 of the motor is a fan 28, which is arranged to receive air at its center and discharge it outwardly. 29 indicates a partition or diaphragm the periphery of which engages the inner wall of the casing. 30 indicates a second fan, also mounted on the shaft of the motor, which receives the air from the first fan and discharges it through the openings 31 Fig. 2 in one side wall of the casing. One end of the casing 25 is provided with numerous openings 32, through which air from the nozzle is received after the dust has been separated therefrom. This air passes through an opening 33 in the diaphragm 34. One advantage in mounting the fans and motor in the manner described is that after the air has been freed of dust it flows over the motor parts to cool them. By mounting the motor and fans crosswise of the cleaner I am able to reduce the over-all dimensions of the cleaner measured in the direction of its length. The same arrangement of parts allows the cleaner to be made so low that it can freely pass under furniture and other objects. By using two fans operating in series I am able to reduce the speed of the motor, at the same time obtaining a high degree of suction in the nozzle opening. By reducing the speed of the fans I am also able to decrease the noise incident to their use.

I may of course use a higher speed motor in which case the suction Wlll be greater due to the use of two fans in series.

In the front of the cleaner and just above the nozzle opening is located a revolving brush 38, Figs. 2 and 4, which may be of any suitable construction and which is supported at its ends in suitable bearings 39. The brush is driven by means of a pulley 40 located at one end of the brush spindle. The shaft of the motor is also provided with a pulley 41, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. The two pulleys are connected by a sultable belt 42, which belt may with advantage be made of rubber. The belt and the pulleys are enclosed by a housing 43.

The cleaner is moved about by means of a suitable bail 44, which has a socket to receive the handle 46. The wires connecting the motor to the supply mains are not shown, but the ordinary arrangements may be employed.

Located wholly within the cleaner is a dust or dirt collecting box 50, which is best shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The box is provlded with bottom wall 51, side walls, 52, and a vertical front wall 53. The latter is provlded with a lip 54, which extends downwardly as shown in Fig. 4, and which engages the bottom wall of the cleaner at the nozzle opening. The purpose of this is to prevent the dust-laden air from passing directly into the box instead of upwardly over the top of the wall 53, as best shown in Fig. 4. The rear wall of the box is made in the form of a screen 55 through way to the fans. S1tuated 1n the rear of this wall is a frame 56 which is also made in the form of a screen, and 56 is located a dust separator 57. This separator comprises numerous layers of'thm porous paper assembled to form a pad through which the air passes on its way to the suction fans, and which separate the dust and dirt therefrom. The larger part cles of the dirt and litter of different sorts w1ll drop into the box 50, whereas the finer particles of dust'will be screened or separated out by the separator 57 The separator is of such a s1ze and shape as to form a partition and is situated between the floor nozzle and the suction side of the first fan. To accomplish its purpose the relatively soft edges of the pad are in contact with the side walls of the casing and also with the cover. The bottom edge of pad rests on which the air passes on its and between the parts 55' edge is prevented. Without intending to limit my invention, but by way of illustrat1on, I have found that a pad composed of approximately fourteen thicknesses of the kind of paper called Cotex will give satisfactory results in a cleaner of the character illustrated and described herein. The dust box is designed to fit into the cleaner in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and is provided with a handle 58 by means of which it can be readily inserted or removed from place. After the cleaner has been used some time and it is desired to clean it, it is necessary only to open the cover 9 by releasing the clamps at the rear, swing the cover forward upon its pivot, and remove the dust box, after which the frame 56 can be swung downward and the separator removed and a fresh one substituted. Any dirt which may have been collected in the box can be removed by inverting the box and gently rapping it.

Since the separator is made of numerous thin and rather delicate layers of paper, assembled to form a pad it is desirable to support the same by means of a suitable frame.

This can be done as shown in Fig. 3, wherein 57 indicates the various layers of paper and 59 indicates a frame made of cardboard or some other cheap material. The frame and the separator are united by means of staples 60 such as are commonly used in fastening papers together.

In Fig. 7 is shown a slight modification of the invention wherein the surface area of the separator is substantially double that shown in Fig. 6. In this construction the box has a .top portion 61 made in the form of a screen, as well as a back portion 55, as best shown in Fig. 6. The screen for holding the separator in place is made in two parts 62 and 63. The part 63 is hinged at 64 to the bottom of the box, and the parts 62 and 63 are united by a hinge 65. In this case the separator 66,instead of being made in one flat piece, is in the form of a right-angle piece, one portion of which is vertical at the rear, the other portion horizontal and flat at the top. The front of the box is provided with a hinged member 67, and small pivoted devices 68 by means of which it may be fastened in the upright position, the said devices engagin the lugs 69. When in operation the part 6% is disposed vertically and forms a trap to retain dirt and litter within the box.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United. States, is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a casing having a bottom and side walls, the bottom and side walls defining part of a nozzle, a cover for the casing which is pivotally supported by the side walls at its front end and which also forms the front wall of the nozzle, a suction fan, a motor for driving the fan both located at the rear end of the casing, and a separator for the dust-laden air which is located within the casing between the nozzle and fan and extends transversely of the casing and engages the walls and cover thereof and forms a partition.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a casing having a bottom and side walls, the bottom and side walls defining part of a nozzle, a cover which is pivoted to the side walls at its front end and whlch forms also the front wall of the nozzle, a suction fan, a motor for driving the fan, and a dust separator which also forms a partition located within the casing between the nozzle and fan, the edges of said pad engaging the cover, and side walls of the casing.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a main casing comprising bottom and side walls, one of said walls having an air-discharging opening, a suction nozzle at the front end of the casing, a suction fan, a motor for driving the fan, the shaft of said motor extending cross-wise of the casing, a cylindrical casing for the fan and motor which also forms the back wall of the main casing and through which air passes to said opening, a cover for the caslng, and a separator located within the casing between the suction nozzle andthe fan for separating the dust from the air after it leaves the nozzle and before it enters the fan casing.

4. A vacuum cleaner comprising a casing having bottom and side Walls, a second casing which forms the rear of the casing, a thin metal cover which is hinged at its front end to the side Walls and cooperates therewith and with the bottom to form a floor nozzle and also with the second casing to form a chamber, means carried by the second casing for clamping the cover in place, a suction fan and its driving motor located within the second casing, and a transverse partition within the casing for separating the dirt from the dustladen air received from the nozzle and before it enters the fan.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26 day of December, 1928.

JESSE F. CARSON.

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