US4366594A — Leaf master

Claim 1

Independent Claim 281 words

A vacuum-operated debris collector comprising: a wheel-supported vehicle frame, a collection receptacle and impeller unit assembly mounted on said frame including a collection receptacle supported over said frame adjacent one end of the frame, and a motor-driven impeller unit supported over said frame adjacent the opposite end of the frame, said impeller unit having an outlet for pressurized air and an inlet for air at sub-atmospheric pressure and said inlet and outlet being located below the level of the top of said assembly, conduit means connecting said outlet and said collection receptacle, a rigid upright conduit assembly connected at its lower end to said inlet and having an upper extremity located above the top of said collection receptacle and impeller unit assembly, a rigid outwardly extending conduit section connected at its inner end to said upper extremity of the upright conduit assembly, said upright conduit assembly including swivel means accommodating swiveling of the outwardly extending conduit section about the axis of the upright conduit assembly over 360° to place the outwardly extending conduit section at any desired laterally extending direction, a suction head, a hose connected at one end to the suction head, and detachable coupling means connecting the opposite end of the hose to said outwardly extending conduit section, said coupling means including stiff inner and outer sleeves constructed and arranged with the inner sleeve snugly nested within the outer sleeve, said coupling means further including manually operated means detachably locking the sleeves from relative axial displacement, one sleeve being joined in fluid-tight relation to said opposite end of the hose and the other sleeve being joined in fluid-tight relation to the outer end of the outwardly extending conduit section.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 281 words

A vacuum-operated debris collector comprising: a wheel-supported vehicle frame, a collection receptacle and impeller unit assembly mounted on said frame including a collection receptacle supported over said frame adjacent one end of the frame, and a motor-driven impeller unit supported over said frame adjacent the opposite end of the frame, said impeller unit having an outlet for pressurized air and an inlet for air at sub-atmospheric pressure and said inlet and outlet being located below the level of the top of said assembly, conduit means connecting said outlet and said collection receptacle, a rigid upright conduit assembly connected at its lower end to said inlet and having an upper extremity located above the top of said collection receptacle and impeller unit assembly, a rigid outwardly extending conduit section connected at its inner end to said upper extremity of the upright conduit assembly, said upright conduit assembly including swivel means accommodating swiveling of the outwardly extending conduit section about the axis of the upright conduit assembly over 360° to place the outwardly extending conduit section at any desired laterally extending direction, a suction head, a hose connected at one end to the suction head, and detachable coupling means connecting the opposite end of the hose to said outwardly extending conduit section, said coupling means including stiff inner and outer sleeves constructed and arranged with the inner sleeve snugly nested within the outer sleeve, said coupling means further including manually operated means detachably locking the sleeves from relative axial displacement, one sleeve being joined in fluid-tight relation to said opposite end of the hose and the other sleeve being joined in fluid-tight relation to the outer end of the outwardly extending conduit section.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 42 words

The collector of claim 1, which further includes an elongate rigid hose carrier mounted on said outwardly extending conduit section and deriving its support from said conduit section, and wherein said hose intermediate its end is dependently supported from said hose carrier.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 211 words

A vacuum-operated debris collector comprising: a wheel-supported vehicle frame, a collection receptacle mounted on said frame adjacent one end of the frame, a motor-driven impeller unit mounted on said frame adjacent the opposite end of the frame, said impeller unit having a centrifugally operating rotatable impeller device, a suction inlet extending axially of the impeller device with the axis of aid inlet disposed horizontally and extending transversely of the frame, and a tangentially extending outlet extending upwardly from the impeller unit, a duct connecting the outlet of the impeller unit and an upper portion of said receptacle, an elongate rigid outer stack stationarily mounted in the collector and a housing connecting the base of the outer stack to said inlet, an inner stack nested within the outer stack having an upper end extending above the upper end of the outer stack, an annular flange extending about and joined to the upper end of said outer stack, means including a bearing interposed between the inner stack and said flange, rotatably supporting the inner stack on the outer stack, a horizontally extending conduit section connected at one end to the upper end of said inner stack and a suction head operatively connected to the other end of the said horizontally extending conduit section.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 211 words

A vacuum-operated debris collector comprising: a wheel-supported vehicle frame, a collection receptacle mounted on said frame adjacent one end of the frame, a motor-driven impeller unit mounted on said frame adjacent the opposite end of the frame, said impeller unit having a centrifugally operating rotatable impeller device, a suction inlet extending axially of the impeller device with the axis of aid inlet disposed horizontally and extending transversely of the frame, and a tangentially extending outlet extending upwardly from the impeller unit, a duct connecting the outlet of the impeller unit and an upper portion of said receptacle, an elongate rigid outer stack stationarily mounted in the collector and a housing connecting the base of the outer stack to said inlet, an inner stack nested within the outer stack having an upper end extending above the upper end of the outer stack, an annular flange extending about and joined to the upper end of said outer stack, means including a bearing interposed between the inner stack and said flange, rotatably supporting the inner stack on the outer stack, a horizontally extending conduit section connected at one end to the upper end of said inner stack and a suction head operatively connected to the other end of the said horizontally extending conduit section.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 48 words

The collector of claim 3, which further includes an elongate substantially horizontal and rigid hose carrier mounted on said horizontally extending conduit section, a flexible hose connects said suction head to said horizontally extending conduit section, said hose intermediate its end being dependently supported from said hose carrier.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

The collector of claim 4, wherein the horizontally extending conduit section is located at an elevation disposed above the top of said collecting receptacle.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 88 words

The collector of claim 4, wherein said flexible hose is connected to said horizontally extending conduit section through a coupling means including stiff inner and outer annular sleeves constructed and arranged with the inner sleeves snugly nested within the outer sleeve, said coupling means further including manually operated means locking the sleeves from relative axial displacement, one sleeve being joined in fluid-tight relation to the end of the flexible hose and the other sleeve being joined in fluid-tight relation to the end of the outwardly extending conduit section.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 179 words

A vacuum-operated debris collector comprising: a wheel supported vehicle frame, a motor driven impeller unit supported on said frame, said impeller unit having a centrifugally operating rotatable impeller device, a suction inlet extending axially of the impeller unit with the axis of said inlet horizontally disposed, and a tangentially extending outlet, an elongate outer rigid stack stationarily mounted in an upright position on said frame and a housing connecting the base of the stack to said inlet, an inner stack telescopically received within the outer stack having an upper end extending above the upper end of the outer stack, an annular flange extending about and joined to the upper end of said outer stack, means including a bearing rotatably interposed between the inner stack and said flange rotatably supporting the inner stack on the outer stack, an elbow including a pair of legs having one leg connected to the upper end of said inner stack and the other leg extending horizontally from said one leg, and a suction head operatively connected to the horizontally extending leg of said elbow.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 179 words

A vacuum-operated debris collector comprising: a wheel supported vehicle frame, a motor driven impeller unit supported on said frame, said impeller unit having a centrifugally operating rotatable impeller device, a suction inlet extending axially of the impeller unit with the axis of said inlet horizontally disposed, and a tangentially extending outlet, an elongate outer rigid stack stationarily mounted in an upright position on said frame and a housing connecting the base of the stack to said inlet, an inner stack telescopically received within the outer stack having an upper end extending above the upper end of the outer stack, an annular flange extending about and joined to the upper end of said outer stack, means including a bearing rotatably interposed between the inner stack and said flange rotatably supporting the inner stack on the outer stack, an elbow including a pair of legs having one leg connected to the upper end of said inner stack and the other leg extending horizontally from said one leg, and a suction head operatively connected to the horizontally extending leg of said elbow.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 46 words

The collector of claim 7, wherein such suction head is connected to said horizontally extending leg of said elbow through a flexible hose, said hose having one end connected to said suction head and its opposite end connected to an end of said horizontally extending leg.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 73 words

The collector of claim 8, wherein said opposite end of said hose is connected to said end of said leg through a coupling means including stiff inner and outer annular sleeves constructed and arranged with the inner sleeve snugly nested within the outer sleeve, said coupling means further including manually operated means locking the sleeves from relative axial displacement, one sleeve being joined in fluid tight relation to the end of the leg.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 57 words

The collector of claim 6, wherein the means for rotatably supporting the inner stack on the outer stack further includes an annular retainer secured to the upper end of the inner stack disposed about said flange, and said bearing has a lower portion thereof resting on said flange and the upper portion thereof nested within said retainer.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1986-01-03	1986-07-05	1987-01-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1990-01-03	1990-07-05	1991-01-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1994-01-03	1994-07-05	1995-01-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Leaf master

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