Vacuum cleaning apparatus

Claim 2

Vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising a. a hollow body having an inlet for air and an outlet for discharging air therefrom, b. means within said body providing a path of flow for air between the inlet and outlet, c. an agitator at the vicinity of the inlet, d. driving means for rotating said agitator, e. structure within said hollow body for mounting said agitator for rotation thereon about a substantially horizontal axis, f. said mounting structure including journaling means at opposing ends of said agitator, g. members vertically movable on said hollow body for supporting said journaling means, h. means for biasing said members vertically downward to urge said agitator against a surface being cleaned, i. said agitator including stub shafts extending from opposite ends thereof, said journaling means comprising bearings for said shafts, said members having cavities to receive and hold said bearings, j. said hollow body including wall structure defining pockets, said members being disposed in said pockets and vertically movable therein, k. said members having front and rear faces, the cavities in said members being at the front faces thereof, the rear faces of said members being substantially flat and movable over said wall structure defining said pockets, and means which is fixed to said agitator and rotatable therewith and cooperates with said members to retain and hold said members in said pockets, l. said members being provided with vertically extending flanges at opposing vertical sides thereof, said retaining and holding means functioning to hold said flanges at said wall structure defining said pockets, m. the front faces of said members being formed with circular rims about the cavities, and said retaining and holding means comprising parts of annular form which are U-shaped in section and have outer and inner arms, said U-shaped parts receiving said rims and in rotatable contact therewith.

Claim 3

Vacuum cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the ends of said agitator include components which are notched at their ends, the heels of the inner arms of said parts of annular form being fixed to the notched ends of said components.

Claim 4

Vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising a. a hollow body having an inlet for air and an outlet for discharging air therefrom, b. means within said body providing a path of flow for air between the inlet and outlet, c. an agitator at the vicinity of the inlet, d. driving means for rotating said agitator, e. structure within said hollow body for mounting said agitator for rotation thereon about a substantially horizontal axis, f. said mounting structure including journaling means at opposing ends of said agitator, g. members vertically movable on said hollow body for supporting said journaling means; h. means for biasing said members vertically downward to urge said agitator against a surface being cleaned, i. said agitator including stub shafts extending from opposite ends thereof, said journaling means comprising bearings for said shafts, said members having cavities to receive and hold said bearings, j. said hollow body including wall structure defining pockets, said members being disposed in said pockets and vertically movable therein, k. said members having front and rear faces, the cavities in said members being at the front faces thereof, the rear faces of said members being substantially flat and movable over said wall structure defining said pockets, and means which is fixed to said agitator and rotatable therewith and cooperates with said members to retain and hold said members in said pockets, l. said means for biasing said members vertically downward comprising resilient elements disposed between the tops of said members and parts of said wall structure defining the ceilings of said pockets, m. said resilient elements comprising vertically disposed helical springs and the tops of said members being recessed to receive the lower ends of said springs, n. said driving means for rotating said agitator comprising an electric motor having a shaft and an endless belt connecting said shaft and said agitator, said members also being horizontally movable in said pockets, and additional means for biasing said members horizontally in a direction to keep said belt taut.

Claim 5

Vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising a. a hollow body having an inlet for air and an outlet for discharging air therefrom, b. means within said body providing a path of flow for air between the inlet and outlet, c. an agitator at the vicinity of the inlet, d. driving means for rotating said agitator, e. structure within said hollow body for mounting said agitator for rotation thereon about a substantially horizontal axis, f. said mounting structure including journaling means at opposing ends of said agitator, g. members vertically movable on said hollow body for supporting said journaling means; h. means for biasing said members vertically downward to urge said agitator against a surface being cleaned, i. said agitator including stub shafts extending from opposite ends thereof, said journaling means comprising bearings for said shafts, said members having cavities to receive and hold said bearings, j. said hollow body including wall structure defining pockets, said members being disposed in said pockets and vertically movable therein, k. said members having front and rear faces, the cavities in said members being at the front faces thereof, the rear faces of said members being substantially flat and movable over said wall structure defining said pockets, and means which is fixed to said agitator and rotatable therewith and cooperates with said members to retain and hold said members in said pockets, l. said means for biasing said members vertically downward comprising resilient elements disposed between the tops of said members and parts of said wall structure defining the ceilings of said pockets, m. said resilient elements comprising vertically disposed helical springs and the tops of said members being recessed to receive the lower ends of said springs, n. said driving means for rotating said agitator comprising an electric motor having a shaft and an endless belt connecting said shaft and said agitator, said members also being horizontally movable in said pockets, and additional means for biasing said members horizontally in a direction to keep said belt taut.

Claim 6

Vacuum cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which said additional biasing means includes horizontally disposed helical springs disposed between the sides of said members and parts of said wall structure defining vertical walls of said pockets, and said vertically disposed helical springs being movable horizontally at the ceilings of said pockets when horizontal movement is imparted to said members.

Claim 7

Vacuum cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which the recesses in said members are formed by chambers which are open at the rear faces thereof, the top surfaces of said members being apertured to provide vertical passageways therefrom to said chambers.

Claim 8

Vacuum cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including ferrules in said chambers formed of material which is resilient in character and within which the lower ends of said springs are retained.

Claim 9

Vacuum cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which each of said members is provided with at least two springs at opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the axis about which said agitator rotates.

Claim 10

Vacuum cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which said springs associated with each of said members are disposed between vertical planes tangent to diametrically opposing surfaces of said agitator.

Claim 11

Vacuum cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which said springs are so constructed and arranged that said members are resiliently biased vertically downward by a predominantly vertical force.