Carpet sweepers

Claim 2

A carpet sweeper having a body, a rotatable brush mounted in the body and adapted to sweep debris into trays pivotally attached to the body, supporting wheels mounted on the trays to be moved therewith during opening and closing of the trays, the wheels in the closed position of the trays adapted to frictionally engage driving surfaces on the brush to drive the same, characterized in that the wheels are pivoted by crank arms to the trays such that downward force on the body by an operating handle causes the wheels to move to the brush to drivingly engage the same with a force proportional to the downward force on the body.

Claim 3

A carpet sweeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the trays are pivoted along one edge to the body along the forward and rearward edges of the body, and the crank arms are pivoted to the trays adjacent the opposite edges thereof, the crank in operative position sloping upwards and away from the driving surface to a point such that downward force on the body causes the wheel and crank to pivot about the pivot point of the crank to the tray to bring the wheel into contact with the driving surface of the brush whereby the contact force is proportional to the downward force on the body.

Claim 4

A carpet sweeper comprising a body, wheels supporting the body and to drive a rotatable brush to sweep debris into trays pivotally aTtached to the body along the front and rear edges of the body, and means to open and close the trays about the pivotal attachment, characterized in that the means comprise a rotatable cam centrally located on the body and having two camming surfaces each adapted to engage a member, each of which is connected to a respective one of the trays adjacent the pivotal attachment of the tray to the body, whereby upon actuation of the cam the members are guided for translatory movement to move the trays to the open and closed position.

Claim 5

A carpet sweeper comprising a body, wheels supporting the body and to drive a rotatable brush to sweep debris into trays pivotally aTtached to the body along the front and rear edges of the body, and means to open and close the trays about the pivotal attachment, characterized in that the means comprise a rotatable cam centrally located on the body and having two camming surfaces each adapted to engage a member, each of which is connected to a respective one of the trays adjacent the pivotal attachment of the tray to the body, whereby upon actuation of the cam the members are guided for translatory movement to move the trays to the open and closed position.

Claim 6

A carpet sweeper according to claim 3 further characterized in that each of the members comprises a substantially U shaped metal member with the arms of the U intermediate of their length being bent out of the U, these outer ends of the arms being attached to the trays.

Claim 7

A carpet sweeper according to claim 3 characterized in that the cam is of elongated shape with a camming surface at each end thereof adapted to slidably engage a straight portion of one of the members, spring means being provided between each of the members and the cam to retain the members in contact therewith and return the members and the trays to their closed position on the desired movement of the cam.

Claim 8

A carpet sweeper having a body, a rotatable brush mounted in the body and adapted to sweep debris into trays pivotally attached to the body along the front and rear edges of the body, supporting wheels mounted on the trays to be moved therewith during opening and closing movement of the trays, the wheels in the closed position of the trays being adapted to frictionally engage driving surfaces on the brush to drive the same, and handle means on the body whereby the carpet sweeper may be actuated, characterized in that the wheels are pivoted by crank arms to the trays, the brush is supported in bearing blocks slidably mounted in axle support carriers fixed to the body, the handle means bearing on the bearing blocks such that downward pressure on the handle applies downward pressure on the brush, and also applies pressure on the body of the carpet sweeper such that the crank arms and wheels pivot about the pivotal connection of the crank arms to the tray to cause the wheels to move into frictional driving contact with the brush dependent upon the downward force applied to the handle.

Claim 9

A carpet sweeper having a body, a rotatable brush mounted in the body and adapted to sweep debris into trays pivotally attached to the body along the front and rear edges of the body, supporting wheels mounted on the trays to be moved therewith during opening and closing movement of the trays, the wheels in the closed position of the trays being adapted to frictionally engage driving surfaces on the brush to drive the same, and handle means on the body whereby the carpet sweeper may be actuated, characterized in that the wheels are pivoted by crank arms to the trays, the brush is supported in bearing blocks slidably mounted in axle support carriers fixed to the body, the handle means bearing on the bearing blocks such that downward pressure on the handle applies downward pressure on the brush, and also applies pressure on the body of the carpet sweeper such that the crank arms and wheels pivot about the pivotal connection of the crank arms to the tray to cause the wheels to move into frictional driving contact with the brush dependent upon the downward force applied to the handle.

Claim 10

A carpet sweeper having a body, supporting wheels to support the body, a brush rotatably mounted in the body and adapted to sweep debris into trays hingedly mounted on the body, characterized in that the body includes two fore and aft extending cavities formed by walls spaced inwardly of the sides of the body and in which a pair of supporting wheels operate, the means for driving the brush including a tire rotationally fixed to the brush inwardly of the ends thereof and adapted to engage a pair of the supporting wheels, bristles on the brush between the tires and on the ends of the brush outwardly of the tires, the bristles being so shaped and spaced on the brush that they sweep under the tires and beyond the ends of the brush, the trays being divided by partitions planar with the walls on the body forming the cavities to form dust compartments separated by recesses for the wheels so that the free ends of the bristles project to the areas being swept beneath the tires on the brush and by being constricted by the walls and partitions as the brush revolves effectively sweep the debris into the compartments of the trays.

Claim 11

A carpet sweeper having a body, supporting wheels to support the body, a brush rotatably mounted in the body and adapted to sweep debris into trays hingedly mounted on the body, characterized in that the body includes two fore and aft extending cavities formed by walls spaced inwardly of the sides of the body and in which a pair of supporting wheels operate, the means for driving the brush including a tire rotationally fixed to the brush inwardly of the ends thereof and adapted to engage a pair of the supporting wheels, bristles on the brush between the tires and on the ends of the brush outwardly of the tires, the bristles being so shaped and spaced on the brush that they sweep under the tires and beyond the ends of the brush, the trays being divided by partitions planar with the walls on the body forming the cavities to form dust compartments separated by recesses for the wheels so that the free ends of the bristles project to the areas being swept beneath the tires on the brush and by being constricted by the walls and partitions as the brush revolves effectively sweep the debris into the compartments of the trays.

Claim 12

A carpet sweeper having a body, supporting wheels to support the body and to drive a brush rotatably mounted in the body, the brush being adapted to sweep debris into dust trays pivotally attached to the body, the brush being mounted in at least two spaced axle carriers by means which are free to move vertically in the body whereby the vertical position of the brush is self adjusting depending on the surface being swept, each axle carrier being attached to the body and said means comprise a bearing block slidably mounted in each axle carrier to slide in a vErtical direction within limits, the bearing block being provided with a bearing surface at the base of a slot with a constricted opening, whereby the axle of the brush may be clipped through the constricted opening to engage the bearing surface.

Claim 13

A carpet sweeper having a body, supporting wheels to support the body and to drive a brush rotatably mounted in the body, the brush being adapted to sweep debris into dust trays pivotally attached to the body, the brush being mounted in at least two spaced axle carriers by means which are free to move vertically in the body whereby the vertical position of the brush is self adjusting depending on the surface being swept, each axle carrier being attached to the body and said means comprise a bearing block slidably mounted in each axle carrier to slide in a vErtical direction within limits, the bearing block being provided with a bearing surface at the base of a slot with a constricted opening, whereby the axle of the brush may be clipped through the constricted opening to engage the bearing surface.

Claim 14

A carpet sweeper according to claim 8 characterized in that the handle is formed to engage the bearing block and be pivotable thereon, the bearing block being formed with an arcuate upper surface and the lower end of the handle having formed thereon a co-operating arcuate surface to engage with the bearing block and a further co-operating surface on the axle carrier to be pivotable thereon, the handle having stop means to engage co-operating stop means on the axle carrier to locate the handle on the axle carrier.