US3456279A - Liquid containers for a floor scrubber and polisher - Google Patents

Description

y 1959 D. G. KOLAND ET AL 3,456,279

' LIQUID CONTAINERS FOR A FLQOR SCRUBBER AND POLISHER Filed Bay 3, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 88 FIGI Jury 22, 1969 KOLAND ET AL LIQUID CONTAINERS FOR A FLOOR SCRUBBER AND POLISHER 2 Shegts-Sheet 2:

Filed May FIGZ II 3. 1 r 5 w 2 o .11 v vil n 1 r l T I f A M 4 U m. I l I ll 1 H m 2 0 B v 3 N; H r i 3 m 41/..kli p I H 4.| H H 7/ 5 3L 5 l w United States Patent Oifice Patented July 22, 1969 3,456,279 LIQUID CONTAINERS FOR A FLOOR SCRUBBER AND POLISHER David G. Koland, St. Paul, and James M. Robinson, White Bear Lake, Minn., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation,

a corporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1967, Ser. No. 637,174 Int. Cl. A471 11/16, 11/283 US. Cl. -320 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined floor scrubber and polisher apparatus including a casing adapted to contain liquid and including at least one rigid wall and having within the casing a plurality of containers each adapted to contain a floor treating liquid and each having a filling conduit extending through the casing wall and attached thereto to provide filling access to the container and simultaneously secure the container to the casing and each container having also a dispensing conduit extending through and attached to the casing wall also for securing the container to the easing and simultaneously providing dispensing access to the container, the preferred apparatus in addition having means for drawing liquid such as soiled cleaning liquid from the floor into the casing to surround the plurality of containers and with the containers preferably being collapsible when not filled with a liquid.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED DISCLOSURES Schmitz et al. application Ser. No. 637,178, filed May 9, 1967 which discloses and claims the scrubber and polisher disclosed herein per se.

David K. Koland application Ser. No. 637,177, filed May 9, 1967 which discloses and claims liquid dispensing controls including control valves for selectively dispensing each of a plurality of liquids from the scrubber and polisher, and

Pauler et a1. application Ser. No. 504,546, filed Oct. 24, 1965 (now Patent No. 3,344,455) which relates to the motor drive for the brushes, with these applications being assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above Schmitz et a1. application and the Koland application there are disclosed and claimed, as indicated, the apparatus itself and the controls for dispensing the liquid. The present invention relates to the fluid containing portions of the apparatus With the plurality of liquids being dispensed from individual containers, preferably flexible and collapsible, held within a liquid proof casing which can itself contain liquid such as soiled washing solution drawn up as by suction from the floor after cleaning. In addition, the separate fluid filling and fluid dispensing conduits are used to anchor firmly each contairier to the casing and means are provided for venting the liquid in the casing that surrounds the containers as desired.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a shortened front elevational view partially in section of a combination floor scrubber and polisher apparatus containing the invention as disclosed in connection with one embodiment thereof in the other figures.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 3.

The combination floor scrubber and polisher apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a housing 10 having an open bottom defined by a peripheral edge 11 around which is extended a bumper strip 12. Rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the housing 10 are the two sides of a maneuvering bail 13 with each side rotatable about a pin 14. The pins 14 are held in the upper part of the housing 10 which constitutes a machinery enclosing hood 15.

Located within the bottom enlarged part 16 of the housing 10 are a pair of rotatable brushes 17 that are circular and arranged side-by-side. The brush bases 18 are each releasably held in a circular mounting 19 each of which is provided on its outer periphery with gear teeth 20 and on its inner periphery with gear teeth 21.

The brushes 17 are driven by an electric motor 22 located within the hood 15. The motor 22 rotates a motor shaft 23 which has an outer helical gear area 24. The gear 24 drives a circular helical gear 25 that is mounted on a pinion shaft 26 for rotation therewith. Keyed to the pinion shaft 26 is a spur gear 26a which engages the inner teeth 21 of one brush mounting 19. The outer gear teeth 20 of each brush mounting are inter-engaged so the brushes 17 are driven in opposite directions as is explained in greater detail in the above-mentioned Pauler et al. copending application. Each brush 17 is rotatably mounted about a shaft 27 whose bottom is enclosed by a shaft shield 28.

The motor 22 is mounted on a cover 29 for a fan chamber 30 with the cover 29 being supported on a base 31. The top of the fan chamber 30 is defined by the cover 29 and the bottom of the chamber is defined by a wall 32. The wall 32 is provided with a fan inlet opening (not shown) to the fan 34 that is within the chamber 30. The fan 34 is mounted on the motor shaft 23 for rotation therewith.

As is disclosed in the above Schmitz et a1. application the apparatus provides for vacuum means drawing liquid from the surface being cleaned and emptying it into the casing 51. This fluid moving suction means includes the fan 34 and has an outlet 46 that connects to a corrugated tube 47 which is arranged vertically within the hood 15. The upper end of the tube 47 is connected to the lower end of a hollow tube bracket 48 that has a vertical passage 49 therein that receives fluid from the tube 47. The bracket 48 and thus the upper end of the inlet tube 47 are held by the top of the bail 13.

' The tube bracket 48 is located within a base 50 for a casing means 51 that comprises an enclosing casing body '52 closed on its upper end by a top 53.

Located at the upper end of the tube bracket 48 is a valve cover 54. This valve cover 54 is provided with a sealing gasket 55 that extends over a trough 56 formed as a part of the tube bracket 48. The trough 56 is adapted to receive liquid in a manner to be described hereinafter by way of an overlying trough 57 that forms a part of the valve cover 54.

Communicating with the passage 49 in the bracket 48 to receive fluids therefrom is a vertically arranged inlet tube 58 located within the casing body 52 and having its lower end sealed to the base 50 by a gasket 101. The upper end of this tube 58 is sealingly held by a ledge 59 located at the top of the casing body 52. The ledge 59 which has a sealing gasket 60 that supports and seals the upper end of the tube 58 also carries a short vertical tube'61 that is aligned with tube 58 and extends thereabove to receive fluid therefrom.

Extending downwardly from the inner surface of the 3 casing top 53 is a barrier wall 62 that has its bottom below the top of the short top tube 61. Wall 62 changes the direction of air-water flow and thereby aids in separating the water from the air.

At the top of the casing 51 and at the front thereof opposite the short upper tube 61 there are provided fluid outlet means in the form of a plurality of openings 65 that are above the inclined baflie 63.

The casing body 52 is liquid proof and houses the container 110 for waxing solution and a second container 111 for detergent or other cleaning solution. Although only two containers 110 and 111 are shown, it is of course obvious that as many may be provided as desired with each containing a separate floor treating liquid. The containers 110 and 111 are preferably made of a flexible plastic material and are preferably collapsible when partially or completely empty. Any plastic material that has sutficient strength to hold the liquid and that is not attacked by the liquid or its ingredients may be used.

The container 110 is provided with a generally cylindrical filling conduit 112 that has its inner end attached to the container bag 110 in a peripheral area 113 around a filling opening 114. This peripheral area 113 may be attached by any means desired, such as heat scaling, to the conduit 112.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the conduit 112 extends through and is sealed to the base 50 of the casing body 52. This conduit 112 has an annular shoulder 115 retained on top of the base 50 and sealed thereto and is drawn tightly thereagainst by a threaded collar 116 threaded to the outer surface of the conduit 112 and bearing against the other or bottom side of the base 50. In order to provide filling access to the container 110 a threaded cap 117 is provided on the lower end thereof or the end beneath the base 50.

The container 110 is also provided with a dispensing conduit 118 attached to the bag 110 in the same manner as is the conduit 112 and also extending downwardly through the base 50. Flow through this dispensing conduit 118 is controlled by a valve 119 disclosed in greater detail and claimed in the above-identified Koland application.

With this arrangement the two conduits 112 and 118 not only provide liquid flow access into and out of the container 110 but also provide means for anchoring the container to the base 50 which constitutes one wall of the casing 52. It should be noted that because the conduits 112 and 118 are laterally spaced they provide firm anchoring of the bag 110 to the base.

The second container 111 which can be used for detergent or other cleaning solution is similarly provided with a filling conduit 120 having an access cap 121 and a dispensing conduit 122 spaced from the conduit 120. the conduits 120 and 122 are constructed and mounted similarly to the conduits 112 and 118 for the bag 110. Dispensing conduit 122 is also provided with a valve 123 similar to the valve 119.

The valves 119 and 123 are operated by a control rod 78 positioned within an upwardly extending hollow handle 72 that is provided at its upper end with a hand grip 73.

The outer end of the rod 78 is provided with a knob 83 which may be grasped to move the rod into engagement with either a first notch 84 or a second notch 85 that are laterally spaced apart and formed in the opening 79 in the hinged operating lever 80. When the rod 78 is in one notch 84 the rod is in position to open one valve. When the projecting end of the control rod 78 is moved laterally from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to the other notch 85 the rod 78 is in position to open the other valve. These details are shown more fully in the above Koland application and are claimed therein.

At the rear of the upper end of the handle 72 there is located a speed control switch (not shown) operated by a control knob 88 at the front of the handle 72 so that the motor 22 and thus the fan 34 and brushes 17 can be rotated at any of a plurality of preselected speeds desired.

Each of the valves 119 and 123 when opened provides for liquid flow therethrough into the trough 57. From this trough the liquid flows down into a lower trough 56 through passage 57a and from there into a liquid dispenser tube 92 through opening 56a. This tube 92 comprises a common liquid conduit from both the above-mentioned sources of liquid and directs liquid through a pair of outlets 98 (only one of which is shown here) which cooperate with brushes 17, as described in the aboveidentified Schmitz et al. application. Each outlet 98 is adapted to direct the liquid flowing therethrough within the peripheral confines of a brush 17.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. The motor 22 is energized at the desired speed by the control knob 88 and rotation of the motor rotates the pair of brushes 17 in opposite directions.

Valve 123 is opened by control rod 78 so that cleaning liquid flows from its collapsible container 111 through outlets 98 into the rotating brushes 17. The combination of the cleaning liquid and the rotating brush serves to clean the floor.

At the conclusion of the cleaning operation the fan 34 rotated by the rotating motor 22 draws cleaning liquid from the floor into the fan chamber 30 by way of a nozzle structure (not shown) which is disclosed in detail in the above Schmitz et a1. application. The fan forces the liquid up the outlet tube 47 by way of the outlet 46 to which the buttom end of this tube is connected. From the upper end of the outlet tube 47 the rotating fan 34 forces the fixture of soiled cleaning liquid and air up through the tube passage 49, through the container inlet tube 58 and out the top of the short upper tube 61. From the top of this tube 61 the cleaning liquid overflows to fall onto the top surface of the inclined bafile 63. In the meantime the air is separated from the overflowing liquid and escapes into the atmosphere by way of the fluid openings 65.

The casing 51 which now contains the used cleaning liquid forced into the casing by the suction fan, as described, may be removed by way of a bottom sump drain means 124 extending downwardly from the casing base 50 and normally closed by a removable closure cap 125 at the rear of the casing, or by dumping it out of the fluid openings 65.

After the cleaning liquid has been removed from the floor to the desired degree, in the manner just described the control rod 78 is arcuately moved about its longitudinal axis by grasping the knob 83 and moving it from the notch to the notch 84, as shown in FIGURE 1. The lever 80 is again rotated to lift the rod 78 and open valve 119 to dispense polish liquid from its bag 110.

Liquid polish is fed through the open valve 119 into the peripheral confines of the rotating brushes 17 in the same manner as the previously described cleaning liquid. Thus the polish liquid flows from its collapsible container into the rotating brushes which spread the polish on the floor in the customary manner.

As can be seen from the above description, the combined floor scrubber and polisher is a self-contained unit that performs four operations. Thus, it functions as a floor scrubber where the rotating brushes scrub the floor while the cleaning liquid is being dispensed. It also functions to dry the floor as it is used for picking up excess liquid from the floor. Then it functions as a waxer or polish applicator when the rotating brushes spread the liquid polish or wax over the floor. Then, as a fourth operation, the rotating brushes with both liquid valves closed can be used to apply a high gloss to the polish covered floor.

Actual tests have shown that the apparatus of this invention effects a considerable saving in time and energy. Thus in one test the apparatus of this invention required only one and a half hours to scrub and wax a floor 13 feet by 18 feet while to scrub and wax the same floor with conventional equipment required three and a half hours or over twice as long.

Furthermore, tests have proven that there is substantially less interruption of normal floor traflic because with this apparatus the floor can be cleaned and the floor dried immediately by the picking up of the excess liquid. Furthermore, the apparatus is very efiicient as the two liquid dispensers including the collapsible bags can be filled at the start of the operation and the floor can be scrubbed, dried, waxed and polished without further delay. In addition, because the liquid is directed into the peripheral confines of the rotating brushes the liquid goes directly to the desired floor areas and there is substantially no spattering. A considerable saving in time and effort is accomplished by using the same brushes for scrubbing, applying polish and buifing. Thus the selfcontained apparatus of this invention is total floor cleaning tool.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. A combination floor scrubber and polisher apparatus adapted to be moved over a floor during use, comprising: a casing having at least one rigid wall; a plurality of containers within said casing separable from and thus independent of said casing, each container being adapted to contain a floor treating liquid; 21 filling conduit for each container extending through said casing wall; means for attaching said filling conduit to said wall for providing filling access to said container and simultaneously securing the container to the casing; a dispensing conduit for each container extending through said casing wall; and means for attaching said dispensing conduit to said wall for providing dispensing access to said container and simultaneously securing the container to the casing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are provided gravity flow drain means from the bottom of the casing exteriorly of said containers and a releasable closure for said drain means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are provided means for conveying liquid from said floor into the casing exteriorly of said containers between the containers and said casing, said casing comprises rigid walls and each container comprises flexible and collapsible walls, flow control valve means for each dispensing conduit having operating portions exteriorly of said casing, and gravity flow drain means from the bottom of the casing exteriorly of said containers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,060,484 10/1962 Krammes 15-320 3,101,505 8/1963 Belicka et al. 15320 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15-5O

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