Floor sweeping apparatus

Claim 1

A sweeping machine for automatically picking up sweepings from a floor, having a rotating sweeping roll positioned adjacent the floor, means for rotating the sweeping roll counter to the direction of travel of the sweeping machine, and a collecting container positioned on the machine to form a collecting receptacle for the picked-up sweepings, the improvement comprising a housing assembly having a first housing including an outlet directed toward the collecting container for projecting the sweepings rearwardly toward the container and in which the roll is mounted for rotation, blower means mounted in fluid communication with the interior of the first housing of producing a stream of air directed generally toward the collecting container from the floor through the housing assembly, said first housing having a front and rear portion positioned closely adjacent the floor for forming constricted air flow passages for said stream of air, a second roll mounted contiguous with, above and generally rearwardly of said first roll and contained within said housing assembly, said second roll rotating in the direction of travel counter to the direction of travel for collecting the sweepings from the first roll and directing the sweepings toward the collecting container, said housing assembly including a second housing having an inlet supported adjacent said outlet for enclosing said second roll, said stream of air being directed from said first housing through said second housing to a second housing outlet, said first and second housings closely fitting the outer edge of said rolls and being of a lesser diameter than said rolls for a substantial portion of the circumference thereof, said rolls being mounted at the center point of the respective housing for the said roll, and filter means positioned above the container and interposed between the blower means and the floor for collecting sweepings entrained in the stream and dropping the entrained sweepings.