US3680786A

US3680786A - Mobile cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3680786A
Application number: US157413A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward M Levy
Original assignee: Chemtrust Ind Corp
Current assignee: SYSTEMS GENERAL Inc; Chemtrust Ind Corp
Priority date: 1971-06-28
Filing date: 1971-06-28
Publication date: 1972-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-01

Abstract

Mobile cleaning apparatus including a roller supported frame carrying a container for holding a supply of cleaning liquid, a sprayer head connected to a length of flexible tubing for spraying a cleaning liquid entrained in a stream of water, a venturi unit having a main water flow passageway and a cleaning liquid inlet, a water flow control valve connected across the passageway of the venturi unit, and a pair of pressure regulating valves connected in parallel between the outlet of the pump and the inlet of the venturi unit and water flow control valve. The pressure regulating valves have water bypassing outlets which open at two widely different pressures. A water control valve is placed in the water bypass line of the pressure regulating valve which opens at the lower pressure.

Description

United States Patent Levy [451 Aug. 1,1972

MOBILE CLEANING APPARATUS Edward M. Levy, Evanston, Ill.

Chemtrust Industries Corporation, Maywood, 111.

June 28, 1971 Inventor:

Assignec:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

US. Cl ..239/ 146 Int. Cl. ..B05b 9/02 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/ l 962 Boehm ..239/ 147. X l/1963 Mason, Jr. et a1 ..239/l24 X 4/1966 Techler et al. ..239/1 24 X 3,380,658 5/1968 Stasz et a1. ..239/146 X 3,589,614 6/1971 Linville ..239/l46 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 295,544 8/1928 Great Britain ..239/ 146 Field of Search ..239/ 146, 147, 124

709,759 6/1954 Great Britain ..239/l46 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant ExaminerThomas C. Culp, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT Mobile cleaning apparatus including a roller supported frame carrying a container for holding a supply of cleaning liquid, a sprayer head connected to a length of flexible tubing for spraying a cleaning liquid entrained in a stream of water, a venturi unit having a main water flow passageway and a cleaning liquid inwidely different pressures. A water control valve is placed in the water bypass line of the pressure regulating valve which opens at the lower pressure.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAHB 1 m2 SHEET 1 OF 2 .[NMSN roR E awmea M Levy PATENTEDAus 1 I972 3,680,786

sum

2 or 2 WA TER SQURC E INVENTOR [aw/m0 M Lew ATM s.

MOBILE CLEANING APPARATUS This invention relates to mobile cleaning apparatus for use in heavyduty cleaning applications requiring theselective application of detergent or other cleaning compositions dissolved in water or the application of water alone for rinsing purposes.

The present invention provides a highly unique and advantageous mobile cleaning system which can be manually propelled to a desired cleaning location and by the operation of a minimum number of manually operable control members selectively provides for the spraying of a solution of a cleaning material or rinse water at either one of at least two spray rates. To this end, the mobile cleaning system includes a cart-forming frame on rollers or the like with spraying apparatus mounted thereon. The sprayingapparatus includes a water inlet coupling for connection to a flexible hose or tubing extending to a source of hot or cold water and outlet couplings for connection to one or more flexible hoses or tubing extending to one or more sprayer heads from which water or a solution of a cleaning material in water may be selectively sprayed. The water inlet coupling extends to a parallel connection of a venturi unit and an on-off valve having a manually operable control member for opening and closing the valve. The

cart-forming frame includes one or morecontainers carrying a concentrated liquid detergent or other cleaning material to be entrained in the water to be sprayed. The venturi unit includes an inlet connected by flexible tubing or the like to one of the containers of cleaning material. When the valve in parallel with the venturi unit is closed, the venturi unit receives water from the inlet coupling and the water passing through the venturi unit creates a suctionwhich draws the concentrated cleaning materials intothe stream of water flowing through the venturi unit. Opening of the valve in parallel with the venturi unit causes the water to bypass the venturi unit so only rinse water passes from the one or more sprayer heads involved.

The inlet ends of the venturi unit and the last mentioned valve extend to the main outlets of a pair of pressure regulating valves which include bypass outlets which are opened by bypass water from the main outlets thereof when the water pressure at the inlets thereto respectively reaches two widely spaced pressures. The inlets to the pressure regulating valves extend to the outlet of a motor driven pump whose inlet is coupled to the aforementioned water inlet coupling of the mobile cart. An on-off valve having a manually operable control member is positioned in the bypass line of the pressure regulating valve which opens at the lowest pressure, so that closure of this valve render the regulating valve involved inoperable to control pressure in the system, which will then be controlled by the pressure regulating valve set to open at the higher pressure. When the latter valve is open, the pressure regulating valve which opens at the lower pressure will be efiective in controlling pressure of the water at the sprayer head. In this manner, there will be a selection of flow rates of water flowing through the one or more sprayer heads involved. (The flow rate is also varied in accordance with the number of sprayer heads connected to the outlet coupling of the spraying apparatus). Each sprayer head is also provided with a manually operable control member which operates an associated valve to control the flow of water therethrough.

The above features of the invention will be more fully understood upon making reference to the exemplary embodiment of the invention described in the specification to follow and shown in the drawings wherein: 7

FIG. 1 is the perspective view of the mobile cleaning system of the invention constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the mobile cleaning system'shown in FIG. 1, taken along section line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly broken away, of the mobile cleaning system of FIG. 1;

I and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the paths for flow of water into and out of the mobile cleaning system of FIG. 1 and the various valves and other apparatus affecting the flow of water therethrough;

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, the mobile cleaning system thereshown generally indicated by reference numeral 2 includes a cart-forming frame 4 having front and rear vertical walls 6 and 6', bottom and

top walls

8 and 10, a side wall 12 extending between the side margins of the front and rear walls 6 and 6' and a narrow vertical side wall 14 extending a short distance forwardly from the rear wall 6'. The

cart-forming frame 4 is supported on suitable wheels or rollers 7 attached to the bottom wall 8 thereof. The rear wall 6 includes air circulating louvers 16 and the short side wall 14 includes similar louvers 18. A large opening 20 is provided in one side of the frame 4 through which most of the components of the mobile cleaning system mounted in the housing formed by the frame walls are exposed for servicing or the like. A handle 22 extends rearwardly from the frame4 at approximately the elevation of the top wall 10, so that the mobile cleaning system can be readily manually propelled to the. desired location. A sheet metal container support rack 25 extends upward from the top wall 10 of the frame 4 and includes side walls 2646' and a top wall 28 having three large circular'openings 30 into which extend cylindrical, concentrated cleaning liquid holding containers 32. Each of the containers 32 as shown includes a handle 34 and an initially capped opening 36. The cleaning liquid is removed from a selected container through a tube 35 extending into the opening 36 when the cap is removed there from, in a manner to be described.

There is preferably supported from the front wall 6 a water inlet coupling 40 to which may be connected a flexible hose 42 or the like extending to a suitable source of water, which is most advantageously a source of hot water. A pair of water outlet couplings 44-44 having a common inlet 46 are also shown mounted upon the front wall 6. An unused water outlet coupling 44' has a cap 47 thereon to close off the outlet coupling 44'. The water output coupling 44 has connected thereto a flexible outlet hose48 extending to a sprayer head 50 having a pistol grip-like handle 52 with a valve operating control member 53 resembling the trigger of a gun. The squeezing of the control member 53 will open a valve within the sprayer head to permit water to flow through the nozzle 55 of the sprayer head connected at the end of a long sprayer head tube 54. If desired, another sprayer head may be connected through a flexible hose to the other water output coupling 44' so two operators may simultaneously use the mobile cleaning system.

The front wall 6 of the mobile cleaning system also supports a pair of

control valves

56 and 57 having manually operable control handles 56 and 57' respectively movable between valve opening and valve closing positions. Control valve 56 is located in a conduit path in parallel with a conduit path including a venturi unit 58 mounted on the front wall 6. The outlets of the venturi unit 58 and the control valve 56 are connected to the common inlet of the outlet couplings 44 and 44'. The venturi unit 58 has a suction inlet 60 to which the aforementioned tube 35 is connected extending from a selected one of the containers 32 supported at the top of the frame 4. When the control handle 56' is operated to a valve opening position, water flows through the valve 56 and bypasses the conduit path including the venturi unit 58 so that only water passes into the water output couplings 44 and 44'. Operation of the valve control handle 56' to a valve closing position causes water to flow through the venturi unit 58 to create a suction at the inlet 60 thereof, thereby to effect the entrainment of the concentrated cleaning material in the container 32 into the moving stream of water passing through the venturi unit 58.

The control handle 57' of the other control valve 57 is operable between valve opening and valve closing positions to vary the pressure of the water at the inlet to the sprayer head 50. For example, in one application of the invention, the selection of pressure was 700 and 1,000 pounds per square inch. Although other mounting positions may be used, as illustrated, the front wall 6 also supports a pressure gauge which indicates the pressure of the water at the outlet couplings 44 and 44', and a switch 64 controlling the energization and deenergization of a motor 66 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The shaft of the motor is connected by a pulley and belt coupling generally indicated by reference numeral 68 to a pump 70 which together with the other apparatus to be described are located within the housing formed by the various walls of the frame 4. The pump 70 has a water inlet 72 connected through a surge arrestor 74, which minimizes sudden pressure changes in the water delivered to the pump 10, conduit means 76 and a one way valve 79 to the bottom portion of a tank 78. The valve 79 prevents water from bypass line 94 from entering the tank 78. The tank 78 contains a conventional float valve 80 which keeps the water in the tank 78 at a given elevation. A water inlet conduit 81 extends between the upper portion of the tank 78 to the water inlet coupling 40.

The pump 70 has an outlet 83 connected to another surge arrestor 82 whose outlet is connected in common to the

inlets

84 and 84 of pressure regulating valves 86 and 86' having main outlets 88 and 88' which are connected to conduit 62 extending to the inlet of the venturi unit 58 and the control valve 56. Bypass lines 92 and 92' as illustrated, extend from bypass outlets 90 and 90' of the pressure regulating valves 86 and 86' to a common conduit 94 extending to the surge arrestor 74 to recirculate water flowing in the bypass lines to the inlet side of the pump 70. The aforementioned control valve 57 controlled by the control handle 57' is located in the bypass line 92-associated with the pressure regulating valve 86 which established a low pressure at the outlet thereof. In the exemplary form of the invention, the bypass outlet 90 of pressure regulating valve 86 is normally closed and opens when the inlet pressure to the valve 86 reaches the pressure of 700 pounds per square inch. Similarly, the bypass outlet 90' of the pressure regulating valve 86 opens when the inlet pressure to the valve reaches 1,000 pounds per square inch. When the control valve 57 in the bypass line 92 of the pressure regulating valve 86' is closed, the high pressure regulating valve 86 is effective to establish the high pressure of 1,000 pounds per square inch. When the control valve 57 is opened, the low pressure regulating valve 86 is effective to establish the low pressure of 700 pounds per square inch.

It is apparent that the present invention provides an exceedingly convenient to use mobile cleaning system for selectively spraying a water solution of cleaning liquid or rinsing water. It should be understood, that numerous variations may be made in the most exemplary form of the invention described without deviating from the broader aspects of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. Mobile cleaning apparatus comprising a cartforming frame supported on wheels or rollers and having handle means to be manually grasped for propelling the cleaning apparatus to a desired location; and said cartforming frame having: an inlet coupling for connection to an external source of water to be sprayed, a container for holding a supply of a cleaning material to be entrained in the water, a sprayer head connected to flexible tubing through which sprayer head water or the cleaning material entrained in the water may be selectively sprayed, a first control valve for said sprayer head which valve has a manually operable control member movable between valve opening and closing positions where flow of water from the sprayer head is permitted or blocked, a pump and a motor connected to drive the pump, said pump having an inlet coupled with said inlet coupling and an outlet from which water is pumped under pressure, first and second parallel connected pressure regulating valves each having an inlet coupled to the outlet of said pump, a main outlet from which water is to be fed to the flexible tubing of said sprayer head and a pressure-responsive bypassing outlet coupled through a bypass line to the inlet of said pump and coupled to the inlet of the associated valve to bypass water from the main outlet of the regulating valves only when a given inlet water pressure is reached, the water pressures rendering said bypass lines of said first and second pressure regulating valves effective at pressures which are respectively substantially different, and second and third control valves each having a manually operable control member operable between valve opening and valve closing positions, said second control valve being positioned in the bypass line of the pressure regulating valve having a bypass outlet which opens at the lower pressure, so the closure thereof renders the other pressure regulating valve operative to control the pressure of the water to be sprayed and so the opening thereof makes the lower pressure regulating valve operable to control the water pressure, each of said second and third valves having a connected with the interior of said container, the flow of water through said main passageway of said liquid entraining unit drawing liquid from said container into said passageway, the operation of said manually operable control member of said third control valve to said valve closing position rendering said liquid entraining unit effective to receive water from the outlets of one of said pressure regulating valves and the operation thereof to a valve opening position causing the water to bypass said liquid entraining unit.

# r a: a a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,680,786 Dated August 1, 1972 Inven EDWARD M. LEVY It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4', lines 50 and 51, delete "coupled through a. .associated valve to"; line 52, before "water" delete "bypass" and insert for bypassing line 67 after "third", insert control Signed and sealed this 1st day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM F'O-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 i U. 57 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I969 0-356-334.

Claims

1. Mobile cleaning apparatus comprising a cart-forming frame supported on wheels or rollers and having handle means to be manually grasped for propelling the cleaning apparatus to a desired location; and said cart-forming frame having: an inlet coupling for connection to an external source of water to be sprayed, a container for holding a supply of a cleaning material to be entrained in the water, a sprayer head connected to flexible tubing through which sprayer head water or the cleaning material entrained in the water may be selectively sprayed, a first control valve for said sprayer head which valve has a manually operable control member movable between valve opening and closing positions where flow of water from the sprayer head is permitted or blocked, a pump and a motor connected to drive the pump, said pump having an inlet coupled with said inlet coupling and an outlet from which water is pumped under pressure, first and second parallel connected pressure regulating valves each having an inlet coupled to the outlet of said pump, a main outlet from which water is to be fed to the flexible tubing of said sprayer head and a pressure-responsive bypassing outlet coupled through a bypass line to the inlet of said pump and coupled to the inlet of the associated valve to bypass water from the main outlet of the regulating valves only when a given inlet water pressure is reached, the water pressures rendering said bypass lines of said first and second pressure regulating valves effective at pressures which are respectively substantially different, and second and third control valves each having a manually operable control member operable between valve opening and valve closing positions, said second control valve being positioned in the bypass line of the pressure regulating valve having a bypass outlet which opens at the lower pressure, so the closure thereof renders the other pressure regulating valve operative to control the pressure of the water to be sprayed and so the opening thereof makes the lower pressure regulating valve operable to control the water pressure, each of said second and third valves having a manually operable control member for opening and closing the valve, a liquid entraining unit, said liquid entraining unit and said third control valve being connected in parallel conduit paths between said main outlets of said pressure regulating valves and said flexible tubing connected to said sprayer head, said liquid entraining unit having a main passageway through which liquid flows from said main outlets of said pressure regulating valves and a cleaning liquid suction inlet connected with the interior of said container, the flow of water through said main passageway of said liquid entraining unit drawing liquid from said container into said passageway, the operation of said manually operable control member of said third control valve to said valve closing position rendering said liquid entraining unit effective to receive water from the outlets of one of said pressure regulating valves and the operation thereof to a valve opening position causing the water to bypass saId liquid entraining unit.