Mobile suction floor cleaner with adjustable nozzle closure means

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A MOBILE POWER ACTUATED FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE, INCLUDING A FRAME, HANDLING MEANS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE SIDE OF THE FRAME, A PAIR OF WHEELS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION AT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRAME, A WASTE RECEPTACLE MOUNTED AT THE UPPER SIDE OF THE FRAME, A MOTOR DRIVEN FAN UNIT INCLUDING A CASING SECURED TO THE FRAME AND HAVING A WASTE CONDUIT CONNECTING THE FAN CASING WITH THE WASTE RECEPTACLE, A RELATIVELY WIDE TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING NOZZLE POSITIONED CENTRALLY AT THE FRONT OF THE CLEANING MACHINE, SAID NOZZLE HAVING AN UPPER RESTRICTED PORTION CONNECTED WITH A TUBULAR DUCT COMMUNICATING WITH AND FIXED TO THE FAN CASING, SAID NOZZLE INCLUDING A FRONT WALL PORTION, SAID FRONT WALL PORTION BEING FORMED WITH A RELATIVELY WIDE BOTTOM RECESS DEFINED BY A CENTRAL THICKENED HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION AND MARGINAL RECESSED PORTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM EACH SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL THICKENED HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION, SAID MARGINAL RECESSED PORTIONS TERMINATING AT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL, A GRAVITY ACTUATED LITTER DOOR FOR CLOSING THE RELATIVELY WIDE BOTTOM RECESS IN THE FRONT WALL OF SAID NOZZLE, SAID LITTER DOOR COMPRISING A PLATE HAVING A FLAT HORIZONTAL THICKENED UPPER CENTRAL PORTION FOR ABUTTING ASSOCIATION WITH THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID CENTRAL THICKENED HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION OF SAID FRONT WALL PORTION AND LATERALLY PROJECTING MARGINAL EDGES AT EACH SIDE OF THE HORIZONTAL THICKENED UPPER CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID PLATE FOR ASSOCIATION WITH THE MARGINAL RECESSED PORTIONS OF THE FRONT WALL PORTION, A HINGE PORTION INCLUDING A FRONT VERTICALLY EXTENDING PLATE FIXED TO THE FRONT THICKENED WALL PORTION DEFINING THE RECESS AND A SECOND HING PORTION PIVOTED TO THE FIRST HINGE PORTION AND INCLUDING A PLATE OVERLYING THE THICKENED UPPEN CENTRAL PORTION OF THE LITTER DOOR AND PROJECTING TO THE INNER FACE OF THE DOOR, MEANS FOR FIXING THE HINGE PORTIONS TO THE FRONT WALL OF THE NOZZLE AND TO THE INNER FACE OF THE LITTLE DOOR, A LUG PROJECTING FROM THE OUTER FACE OF THE LITTLE DOOR CENTRALLY THEREOF, AN OPERATING MEMBER FOR PENING SAID DOOR PIVOTED TO THE OUTER END PORTION OF SAID LUG AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY OF SAID NOZZLE STRUCTURE AND TERMINATING AT THE REAR PORTION OF SAID FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE FOR OPERATION OF SAID DOOR, BRACKET MEANS FIXED TO THE UPPER RESTRICTED PORTION OF SAID NOZZLE, AND A HINGED GUARD PIVOTED TO SAID BRACKET MEANS, SAID HINGED GUARD BEING U-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION AND SWINGING DOWNWARDLY TO ENCLOSE THE OPERATING MEMBER THEREBELOW TO PROVIDE A BUFFER FOR THE NOZZLE.