Floor polishing machines

Claim 1

A floor polishing machine comprising a housing having an upper substantially horizontal surface and a substantially vertical wall extending around the periphery of the upper surface, a ground engaging skirt depending from the vertical wall and being provided with air inlet means for admitting air to the interior of the housing, a rotary polishing means located within the housing, drive means arranged to rotate the polishing means in a horizontal plane, a fan located within the housing and arranged to be rotated in a horizontal plane when the polishing means is rotated, means forming a channel in a major portion of the periphery of the housing and open to the upper interior of the housing, the formed channel being of gradually increasing thickness to provide a gradually larger zone in cross-sectional area, and a particulate matter collection means in communication with the channel at its point of greatest cross-sectional area, whereby, when the polishing means is rotated the simultaneous rotation of the fan produces an updraught around the entire periphery of the polishing means so as to direct particulate matter into the channel in the periphery of the housing for removal through the particulate matter collection means.