Steam cleaning machine

Claim 1

A cleaning machine comprising a frame forming a hollow enclosure, a transverse brush rotatably journaled on said frame for contact with a surface to be cleaned, a closed tank mounted on the frame and having a sloping bottom wall for receiving a cleaning mixture, an air inlet pipe extending downwardly into said tank, said pipe having a plurality of notches at the lower end thereof with the lower end engaging the bottom wall of the tank adjacent the lowest point thereof, said tank having a discharge opening in the top thereof, an air blower having a discharge connected solely to the pipe for forcing air into the tank through the notches in the pipe for agitating the cleaning mixture contained in the tank and mixing air therewith for forming suds whereby the suds will be discharged through the discharge opening, means guiding the suds discharged through the discharge opening onto a surface to be cleaned forwardly of the brush, supporting wheels mounted on said frame, power means on said frame for driving said brush, a steam nozzle located between said means guiding the suds and said brush, means for generating steam, and means for directing the steam from said means for generating steam to said steam nozzle, a transverse vacuum manifold disposed rearwardly of the brush for collecting dirt and suds from the surface to be cleaned after the dirt has been loosened by the brush, said air blower being mounted on said frame, means interconnecting said manifold and the intake of the air blower for providing a suction in said vacuum manifold, said means interconnecting the vacuum manifold and the intake of the air blower including a separation chamber for removing dirt entrained in the air, and a removable container in said chamber for receiving the dirt thereby permitting disposal of the dirt removed from the surface being cleaned.