US1673780A - Street sweeper - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1928.

c. E. SARGENT STREET SWEEPER I N V EN TOR 62/291555 5174mm;

A TORNEY.

Patented June 12, 1928.

' UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SARGENT, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ELGIN STREET SWEEPER COMPANY, OF ELGrI'N, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.'

STREET SWEEIER.

Application filed March 9, 1925. Serial No. 14,058.

It is the object of my invention to produce a sweeper for removing dirt and refuse from streets. Wore specifically, my object is to produce a sweeper embodying a novel means for elevating into a dust-bin the refuse swept from the street, which elevating means will be capable of handling both small particles and large objects.

I accomplish the above objects by mounting a rotating broom between the rear wheels of a front-wheel drive sweeper, and I arrange an endless belt conveyor in position to receive the refuse swept up by such broom this endless belt conveyor being in engagement for part of its length with a second belt conveyor which carriesthe refuse to the dust-bin. The second belt conveyor is yieldably mounted, so as to permit the passage of relatively large objects between the two belt conveyors.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. lis a somewhat diagrammatic side-elevation of my sweeper with parts of such sweeper removed to show the arrangement of the broom and the belt conveyors above referred to; and Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view of my sweeper with the belt conveyors and their supporting parts removed to show the manner in which the broom is mounted and driven. Y

My sweeper consists of a frame supported on front wheels 11. and rear wheels 12. The frame 10 carries an engine 13 which is arranged to drive the front wheels 11 through any suitable variable speed mechanism 14, gears 15, and shaft 16. The pres ent invention is not concerned with the details of this drive.

Each of the rear wheels 12 is separately supported from the frame 10, there being no axle extending between these wheels. The broom 17 is rotatably mounted between and normally substantially coaxial with the rear wheels. The broom 17 is driven in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 1) by a chain 18 extending from the sprocket on the broom to a sprocket on a cross-shaft 19, which in turn is driven from the engine 13 by any suitable means such as the chain 20. The broom 17 is maintained at a. constant distance from the cross-shaft 19 by being rotatably mounted in the rear ends of two bars 22, the front ends of which are pivotally supported coaxial with the shaft 19.

By this method of mounting the broom, its weight tends to hold it securely in contact with the pavement, while it is still free to swing upward when it passes over irregularities in the surface being swept.

' A belt conveyor extends around a roller 26 located close to the ground and just ahead of .the broom 17; and from the roller 26, the conveyor 25 extends forwardly and upwardly and part way around ,a drum 27, from which it passes around a driving roller 28 and the idle roller 29 to the roller 26. The roller 28 is rigidly mounted on a transverse shaft 30, which shaft is driven from the engine 13 by a chain 31. If desired, the roller 26 may be yieldably supported as by being mounted in links 26 which extend forwardly from the roller 26 and are pivotally supported from the sweeper frame so that the roller 26 can swing upward to avoid damage from any objects which may lie in its path.

, The drum 27 is rotatably supported in a floating frame the forward end of which is supported by links 36. Mounted on the frame 35 are two guiding rollers 37 and 38 for a second belt conveyor 39 which passes around the drum 27 between such drum and the belt conveyor 25 and is driven by reason of itscontact with the conveyor 25. The upper stretch of the conveyor 39 extends rearwardly and upwardly from the upper part of the drum 27 to. the rear guiding roller 38 which is located over the dust-bin.

A tension spring 4-1 acts between the frame 10 and each of the links 36 and serves to force the two conveyors 25 and39 together where such two conveyors pass around the drum 27. The rear end of the floating frame 35 can be supported in any convenient manner such as by means of guides 4-2.

With the construction described, refuse swept up by the brush 17 falls upon the conveyor 25 and is carried upwardly and forwardly around the drum 27 and between the conveyor 25 and the conveyor 39. As the two conveyors separate near the top of the drum 27, the conveyor 39'is lowermost and hence receives the refuse and carries it over and across the brush 17 to the dust-bin 40. Should any large objects be thrown onto the conveyor 25 and be carried between it and the conveyor 39, the frame 35 is forced upwardly and rearWardly and carries the drum 27 With it to permit such large objects to pass between the tWo conveyors.

I claim as my invention 1 In a street sweeper having a broom and a dust-bin a belt conveyor arranged to receive refuse swept up by said broom, said conveyor extending obliquely upward and part way around a rotating drum and leaving said drum near the top thereof, a secohd belt conveyor extending around said drum HI i and lying hetsveen said drum and said first conveyor and rtending' from said drum to a point above said diist-bin at an angle to the horikkm tal s'llch that refuse carried. by it will not slide b'ac'kx'vard under the influence of gravity. V i

2'. In a street stveepe'r havinga rotating bro m 'z'irrai'i'ged to sweep refuse forwardly, a: dust-Bin ihounted in rear ott said br'oo'in, refuse-conveying Ineans arranged to receive refuse Wept up said broom and to coiivey s'iich refuse upwardly and across brooin to said dust-bin said conveying nieans incliiding pair er teas arral'iged to pinch said I refuse between them, and yielding l'neai'is deiiding to force said two belts to iitllel" v 3. In a "street sweeper lia'vii'ig a brooniand a dustbin, a. belt conveyor'arraiiged to receive retest swept up by said hroorn, a seeone belt conveyor adapted to receive retiise from saidfirst conveyor, said coiiveyor's beingcoiitact with each other throng-heat a portion of theirresp'ective lengths and ineviii'g iii a generally upward directio'n 1 they are in contact, and means ca'us said two conveyors to follow a curved path thrhugh'oiit those portions of their lengths ih which they are in contact, whereby the tension in that 'onefof said conveyors disposed o the outside of such curved path tends to to the conveyors together.

4. In a street sweeper having a brooin and a dust bin, means for elevating and convey ing refuse from said broom tosaid dust bin, said means including a rotatable drum, a belt conveyor partially encircling said drum, a second belt conveyor in contact With said first conveyor Where it encircles said drum, said second conveyor having a straight stretch approaching said drum at an angle to the horizontal such that refuse thereon Will not slide b'acliward under the influence oft gravity, said first coi'iveyor having a straight str tch lemmsai'd drun'i at an anglo to the horizontal siich that refuse thereon will not slide backward under-the influence of gravity, and y'iel'd g ii'icaltii's acting on said driifn-i and t'oi'iding force brawn- 1 aga t the tension in said second conveyor whereby the tension in said second conveyor tends to maintain the c(')-n'v'eyors in ingiy supported traihe, a dr'un'i and one or stretch leaving said (Ii-uni at angles to the horizontal such that refuse thereon will not slide backward under the influence of gravity;

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto my hand at Elgi'n, Illinois, this 4th day of March, A. D. one th'o'u'sa i'ld nine hundred and twenty live. CHARLE$ E. SARG'ENT.

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