Surface cleaning apparatus

Claim 2

Surface-cleaning apparatus comprising a. a source of supply of air under pressure comprising a movable tank-type suction cleaner having an inlet and outlet for air, the outlet serving as the blowing end of said cleaner, b. structure providing a housing adapted to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, c. surface coNtacting means which is carried by said housing structure and movable over a surface for distributing foam thereon, d. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said housing and an air outlet within said housing at the bottom thereof, e. means including a bypass valve for conducting air under pressure from the outlet of said cleaner to the inlet of said air line, f. means at the outlet of said air line for subdividing the air under pressure to form air bubbles which rise through the body of liquid to generate foam, g. vertically extending conduit means defining a passageway having its upper end in communication with the upper part of said housing and its opposite lower end communicating with said surface contacting means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said housing, h. the inlet of said air line being connected to said bypass valve, i. said bypass valve having one passageway which receives a major portion of the air discharged from the suction cleaner outlet and diverts such air to the atmosphere and another passageway which receives the lesser remaining portion of the air discharged from the suction cleaner outlet and conducts such air to said air line, j. a valve in said air line, k. said valve including means defining a seat and a valve movable between a closed position at said seat and an open position removed therefrom, and l. said valve being in its open position when air under pressure is delivered to the inlet of said air line from the outlet of said suction cleaner, and, when the inlet of said suction cleaner inadvertently is connected to the inlet of said air supply line, said valve moving to its closed position responsive to flow of air in said air line toward the inlet end thereof.

Claim 3

Surface-cleaning apparatus comprising a. structure providing a housing adapted to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, b. surface contacting means which carried by said housing structure and movable over a surface for distributing foam thereon, c. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said housing and an air outlet within said housing at the bottom thereof, d. means connected to the inlet of said air line for delivering thereto air under pressure from a source of supply, e. means at the outlet of said air line for subdividing the air under pressure to form air bubbles which rise through the body of liquid to generate foam, f. vertically extending conduit means defining a passageway having a region at its upper end in communication with the upper part of said housing and its opposite lower end communicating with said surface contacting means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said housing, g. means associated with said air line for diverting and bleeding therefrom a portion of the air adapted to be supplied thereto under pressure from the source of supply, h. said vertically extending conduit means including an enlarged portion at its upper end which defines a vessel having a top cover and a sidewall which is apertured and constitutes said region in communication with the upper part of said housing, and i. a member of annular form within said vessel which is adjacent to said sidewall thereof, said member being vertically movable within said vessel between first and second positions, said member being in said first position removed from said apertured region of said sidewall when the apparatus is in a normal upright position and in said second position at said apertured region to cover the latter when the apparatus is in an inverted position.

Claim 4

Surface-cleaning apparatus comprising a. structure providing a housing adapted to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, b. surface contacting means which carried by said housing structure and movable over a surface for distributing foam thereon, c. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said housing and an air outlet within said housing at the bottom thereof, d. means connected to the inlet of said air line for delivering thereto air under pressure from a source of supply, e. means at the outlet of said air line for subdividing the air under pressure to form air bubbles which rise through the body of liquid to generate foam, f. vertically extending conduit means defining a passageway having a region at its upper end in communication with the upper part of said housing and its opposite lower end communicating with said surface contacting means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said housing, g. means associated with said air line for diverting and bleeding therefrom a portion of the air adapted to be supplied thereto under pressure from the source of supply, h. said vertically extending conduit means including an enlarged portion at its upper end which defines a vessel having a top cover and a sidewall which is apertured and constitutes said region in communication with the upper part of said housing, and i. a member of annular form within said vessel which is adjacent to said sidewall thereof, said member being vertically movable within said vessel between first and second positions, said member being in said first position removed from said apertured region of said sidewall when the apparatus is in a normal upright position and in said second position at said apertured region to cover the latter when the apparatus is in an inverted position.

Claim 5

The combination of a. a source of supply of air under pressure comprising a movable tank-type suction cleaner having an inlet and outlet for air, the outlet serving as the blowing end of said cleaner, b. structure providing a housing adapted to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical proPerties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, c. surface contacting means which is carried by said housing structure and movable over a surface for distributing foam thereon, d. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said housing and an air outlet within said housing at the bottom thereof, e. means including a coupling for conducting air under pressure from the outlet of said cleaner to the inlet of said air line, such air being substantially free of dust removed therefrom in said suction cleaner, f. means at the outlet of said air line for subdividing the substantially dust-free air under pressure to form air bubbles which rise through the body of liquid to generate foam, g. vertically extending conduit means defining a passageway having its upper end in communication with the upper part of said housing and its opposite lower end communicating with said surface contacting means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said housing, h. means forming a unitary part of said coupling for mounting the latter on said cleaner at the air outlet end thereof, i. said coupling constituting an independently movable component of the combination and being hollow and having an outer wall, j. said coupling having partition means including an axially extending partition to form first and second passageways at opposite sides thereof, each of said passageways being defined by the outer wall of said coupling and said partition means and having an inlet at the end of said coupling connected to the air outlet of said cleaner, k. the cross-sectional area of said first passageway being greater than that of said second passageway and receiving a major portion of the air discharged from the outlet of said cleaner, l. said first passageway in said coupling having an outlet for discharging said major portion of the air therefrom directly to the body of atmospheric air enveloping said coupling, and m. said second passageway in said coupling having an outlet, the inlet of said air line being connected to the outlet of said second passageway to receive the lesser remaining portion of the air discharged from the outlet of said cleaner.

Claim 6

The combination of a. a source of supply of air under pressure comprising a movable tank-type suction cleaner having an inlet and outlet for air, the outlet serving as the blowing end of said cleaner, b. structure providing a housing adapted to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical proPerties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, c. surface contacting means which is carried by said housing structure and movable over a surface for distributing foam thereon, d. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said housing and an air outlet within said housing at the bottom thereof, e. means including a coupling for conducting air under pressure from the outlet of said cleaner to the inlet of said air line, such air being substantially free of dust removed therefrom in said suction cleaner, f. means at the outlet of said air line for subdividing the substantially dust-free air under pressure to form air bubbles which rise through the body of liquid to generate foam, g. vertically extending conduit means defining a passageway having its upper end in communication with the upper part of said housing and its opposite lower end communicating with said surface contacting means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said housing, h. means forming a unitary part of said coupling for mounting the latter on said cleaner at the air outlet end thereof, i. said coupling constituting an independently movable component of the combination and being hollow and having an outer wall, j. said coupling having partition means including an axially extending partition to form first and second passageways at opposite sides thereof, each of said passageways being defined by the outer wall of said coupling and said partition means and having an inlet at the end of said coupling connected to the air outlet of said cleaner, k. the cross-sectional area of said first passageway being greater than that of said second passageway and receiving a major portion of the air discharged from the outlet of said cleaner, l. said first passageway in said coupling having an outlet for discharging said major portion of the air therefrom directly to the body of atmospheric air enveloping said coupling, and m. said second passageway in said coupling having an outlet, the inlet of said air line being connected to the outlet of said second passageway to receive the lesser remaining portion of the air discharged from the outlet of said cleaner.