Dual mode floor scrubbing machine

Claim 1

Floor scrubbing apparatus for use either as a walk-behind scrubber or as a manually-operated scrubber comprising: a chassis having support wheels; a rotary brush carried by said chassis in a position to scrub a floor; a first motor for driving said rotary brush; first dispensing means for dispensing cleaning solution on said floor to be worked by said rotary brush; vacuum recovery means including a recovery reservoir, vacuum motor means for generating a vacuum in said reservoir, and pick-up means behind said rotary brush for recovering spent solution worked by said rotary brush in cleaning said floor and for delivering said spent solution to said recovery reservoir; and a manually-operated scrub and recovery device adapted for selective connection to said apparatus and comprising a hand-held wand adapted for maneuvering by an operator and including an elongated rigid vacuum tube having one end connectable to said recovery reservoir thereby to draw in air and solution through the other end thereof, second dispensing means for dispensing cleaning solution under pressure on said floor under manual control of said operator at a location adjacent said other end of said rigid vacuum tube, and convertible means coupled to said other end of said rigid vacuum tube for movement between first and second use positions, said convertible means including a second brush and a second vacuum recovery means communicating with said rigid vacuum tube, whereby said operator may use said apparatus without said scrub and recovery device as a walk behind floor scrubbing machine or said operator may attach said scrub and recovery device to said apparatus, dispense cleaning solution under pressure on the floor adjacent said convertible means and use said second brush in said first use position to work said solution onto said floor and then move said second vacuum recovery means to recover the spent solution and store the same in said recovery reservoir.