Sweeping machine dust separator apparatus

Claim 1

IN A FLOOR MAINTENANCE MACHINE HAVING A FRAME, WHEELS FOR SUPPORTING THE FRAME, POWER MEANS ON THE FRAME DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WHEELS A HANDLE CONNECTED TO THE FRAME TO PROJECT REARWARDLY THEREFROM FOR GRIPPING BY AN OPERATOR FOR GUIDING THE MACHINE, THE FRAME HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM ENCLOSURE THEREON, A CYLINDRICAL WORK IMPLEMENT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID ENCLOSURE ON AN AXIS GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY OF THE FRAME, A SUCTION BLOWER ON THE FRAME CONNECTED TO SAID ENCLOSURE FOR INDUCING A NEGATIVE PRESSURE THEREIN AND HAVING AN OUTLET, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A SOLIDAIR SEPARATOR ATTACHED TO SAID HANDLE TO AT LEAST IN PART DEPEND THEREFROM AND REARWARDLY DISPOSED FROM THE FRAME, SAID SEPARATOR INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING AN INLET CONNECTED TO THE OUTLET OF SAID SUCTION BLOWER FOR RECEIVING DUST LADEN AIR FROM THE BLOWER, SAID HOUSING COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT SLEEVE HAVING A CLOSURE PAN DETACHABLY SECURED AT THE BOTTOM, AND AN APERTURE COVER DETACHABLY SECURED AT THE TOP, SUPPORT MEANS WITHIN THE HOUSING ADJACENT THE TOP, AND A PLURALITY OF OPEN-TOPPED FILTER POCKETS HAVING THEIR UPPER EDGES HELD ON THE SUPPORT MEANS SO AS TO BE SUSPENDED DOWNWARDLY IN POCKET CONFIGURATION FROM THE SUPPORT MEANS, THE TOPS OF SAID POCKETS BEING ATTACHED TOGETHER SO AS TOGETHER TO FORM A SHEET THROUGH WHICH THE POCKETS OPEN UPWARDLY, SAID SHEET EXTENDING ENTIRELY ACROSS THE HOUSING, SAID SHEET BEING CONNECTED TO THE HOUSING AT THE LEVEL OF THE COVER, MEANS WITHIN EACH OF THE POCKETS TO HOLD THE WALLS THEREOF IN SPACED RELATION, AND BAFFLE MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING FOR DIRECTING THE FLOW OF DUST LADEN AIR IN THE HOUSING SO THAT THE FLOW IS DISTRIBUTED AND REACHES THE EXTERIOR SURFACES OF THE POCKETS FOR PASSAGE THROUGH SAID POCKETS AND THENCE UPWARDLY IN THE POCKET AND OUT THROUGH THE APERTURED COVER.