Collector system in a vacuum sweeper circuit

Claim 1

In a vacuum cleaner circuit having a vacuum line extending from a pickup head at the intake of the line and an air pump at the exhaust of the line, a collector system to collect dust and rocks picked up at the intake of the line to remove the same from air flowing through the system before the air is discharged from the air pump, comprising in sequence: a. a first separate compartment connected to a first reach of the vacuum line formed as a closed chamber having a closable outlet for rocks collected therefrom, wherein the first reach of the vacuum line from the pickup head is so connected so as to drop the rocks and like particles thereinto and to discharge air and dust in a second reach of the vacuum line extending from the first compartment; b. a cyclone separator connected to the second reach of the line extending from the first compartment to separate dust particles from the airflow as it passes through the cyclone whereby to discharge substantially dust-free air through its clean air outlet into a third reach of the line connected to said clean air outlet of the cyclone; c. a second separate compartment having a closable discharge outlet connected with the discharge of the cyclone to receive dust separated by the cyclone; d. a filter connected to a third reach of the line extending from the cyclone and to the air pump whereby to remove any fine particles of dust which may pass through the cyclone separator; e. means associated with both the discharge outlets of the first compartment and the second compartment to periodically discharge the rocks and dust collected in the respective compartments, said first and second compartments are formed within a single, box-like container with a closed top having the aforesaid first reach of the line entering said first compartment through the top thereof, whereby to facilitate the dropping of rocks and heavy particles picked up by the system into this compartment, and the aforesaid discharge means comprises a single gate opening both compartments when the gate is opened, and the second-mentioned reach of the line extending from the first compartment to the cyclone separator extends from the aforesaid top of the container, and the cyclone is positioned at the top of the container over the aforesaid second compartment to facilitate dropping dust separated by the cyclone directly into the second compartment.