US2007536A - Cleaning implement - Google Patents

Description

July 9, 1935'. J KNQTT I 2,@U7,536

CLEANING IMPLEMENT Filed Feb. 27, 1954 INVENTQR yww I ATTORNEY Patented July 9,. 1935 PATENT OFFICE CLEANING IMPLEMENT Arthur J. Knott, Natick, Mass.

Application February 27, 1934, Serial No. 713,108

4 Claims.

My inventionrelates to :a. cleaning implement and more-especially to an arrangement for at- :taching a handle, or the like, to a, frame associated-with the pad of an applicator, polisher,

[The-usual wax applicator, polisher or mop consists, generally speaking, of ahead and a handle, theiheadcomprising a frame to which a pad .or the like isattached and the handle which is usually .anelongated wooden rod, having a connector on one of its ends, the connector being ,securedin; some manner-on the frame. In order that theangle of the handle, with respect to the "head, may bevaried to suitdifferent operating conditions, :it' has been proposed, insome instances, toprovide a connector having a pivotal engagement with the frame, some form of clamping-vdeviceserving .to hold the handle in the desired position,usua1ly. by friction. I

I have found that, with certain types of work, it is desirable to have the applicatorv or mop, head sf-rec to swing on the handle while, with other types of :work, it is better to have the head rigid with respect to the'handle the latter being-at an angle with respectto the head. .Thaprincipal object of the present invention is vto bring about a form of. applicator, polisher' or mop which may be adapted more readily; than heretofore possibleyto thenvarious working conditions under which'these devices are used.

In a more specific aspect it'isan objectof the invention :to bring about:a form of wax applioatonpolisheror mop which'may be adjusted so that the head mayhave'either a more or .less

free swinging movement,with respect to the han- 'dle, or so -that 'the handle is rigidly secured "againstx movement with respect to the head, the handle being preferably at an angleto the head.

A feature of the invention resides in a form 'of -cleaning' implement head and handle conmay be adjusted so as to be rignector which idly held or locked against movement with respect to one another and in which the useof ffrictional contacts, for this purpose, is entirely eliminated. I g

'Afurther feature of the invention resides in aform of cleaning implement frame, and handle connector associated therewith, which may be formed entirely out of sheetmaterial.

' In carrying-out the invention I propose to make use of a cylindrical pivot member, asso- "ciated with the cleaning implement frame and forming 'a' seat for are dfthe cylindrical pivot member being at right angles to the handle axis.

the handle connector, the

A still further feature-of the invention resides in a pivot memthe applicator handle in a different position;

Fig. 4 is a. sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. l, but on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in which I have illustrated my invention by showing a preferred embodiment of the same, the reference numeral ID indicates, in general, the frame of a Wax applicator head, or thelike, the frame, in this instance, taking the form of a pair of co-operating sheet metal plates II and I2, between which a pad I3, of sheep-skin or other suitable material, is clamped. The plates I I and I 2 are pressed into channel form, theupper plate I I being somewhat narrower than the lower plate I2 and having downwardly directed flanges I4 and I5, on,

two of its opposite side edges, the flanges I4 and I5 being received between the upwardly directed ,fianges I6 and IT, on the side edges of plate I2 plicato-r frame.

Two longitudinally directed slits are formed in plate I I, the slits being spaced from one another and parallel to the side edges of the plate. The material of the plate II, between the slits, is

pressed upwardly to form an elongated arched rib I9, the rib being midway between the side edges of plate II and midway between the ends thereof. The rib I9 is folded around a cylindrical rod 20, to form a cylindrical handle connector seat, the axis of the seat being spaced from the upper face of plate II and parallel to the side edges thereof. The ends 2I and 22, of rib I9,. are substantially flat, where the rib merges into the plate II, but are of arcuate cross-sectional shape towards the handle seat, the radius of simple.

curvature decreasing towards the seat until, adjacent the seat, the radius of curvature is the same as that of the seat. The folding of the material of the rib l9, around rod 20, leaves openings 23 and 24, in plate II, on the opposite sides of rib IS, the opening 23 being relatively narrow while the opening 24 is relatively wider. The additional width, given to opening 24, may be obtained by removing the necessary part of the plate either during or after the formation of rib IS. The edges 25 and 26, of openings 23 and 24, are parallel to the side edges of plate H, as shown in Fig. 1.

On the inner end of handle 21, which may be of any desired length, is a handle connector 28, made out of two somewhat similar sheet metal stampings 29 and 30, each of which has a hollow semi-cylindrical end, as at 3| and 32, the inner end of handle 21 being received within the ends 3| and 32. Near their opposite ends the connector parts 29 and 30 are arched, as at 33 and 34, to form co-operating transverse grooves 35 and 36, within which the cylindrical seat of rib I9 is received.

The arched portions 33 and 34, of the connector parts 29 and 30, are joined to the semicylindrical parts 3| and 32 by webs 31, 38, 39 and 40 and conical extensions 4| and 42, the webs being fiat and in planes parallel to the plane defined by the axes of the handle and handle connector seat. Beyond the arched portions 33 and 34 the connector parts 29 and 30 terminate in jaws 43 and 44, jaw 43 being bent outwardly while jaw 44 is bent inwardly, the jaws co-operating in a manner to be hereinafter described. A bolt 45 passes through the connector parts 29 and 30 and serves to clamp the same on the handle 21 and rib [9. A winged nut 46 forms a convenient means for adjusting the pressure exerted on the handle and rib.

The operation of the applicator is relatively If the conditions, under which it is being used, are such that it is desirable to have the head capable of swinging on the handle, the handle connector is assembled on its seat in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this position the cylindrical portion of the rib I9 is received in grooves 35 and 36, the jaws 43 and 44 extending into opening 24. The width of opening 24 is such as to provide clearance for the laws 43 and 44, the handle connector, and thus the handle, swinging on the cylindrical portion of the rib l9, subject to the frictional resistance of the rib IS in the grooves which may be varied by tightening or loosening the winged nut 46 on bolt 45.

If the conditions, under which the applicator is being used, are such that it is desirable to have the handle rigidly connected to the head, the nut 46 is loosened sufficiently for the connector to be withdrawn from the rib l9, whereuponthe connector is reversed on the frame into the position shown in Fig. 3, the connector being reassembled on the frame with the rib I9 in grooves 35 and 36, the plate ll passing between the jaws 43 and 44. The opening 23 provides clearance for the jaw 44 to pass under the plate I I, the edge 25 of opening 23 being at such a distance from the rib l9 that the jaws may grip the plate ll over a substantial area. The nut 46 is now tightened sufficiently for the jaws 43 and 44 to grip the plate I I, and the arched portions 33 and 34 to grip the ribl 9, whereupon the handle connector and handle are rigidly connected to the head at an angle depending on the angle of the jaws 43 and 44 with respect to the handle axis. An angle of 45 will be found highly desirable for most working conditions although this angle may be varied if desired. It will be noted, especially from-Figs. 2, 3 and 5, that sufficient clearance is provided between the connector parts 23 and 30 so that they will not come in contact as the nut 46 is tightened.

It will be readily understood, from the above description of the invention, that the construction of the applicator is such that the manufacturing operations are almost entirely limited to press work, the amount of assembly work being reduced to a minimum. The usual bolts, screws or rivets, forming the seat for the handle connector, have been eliminated, the sea-t provided, not only being more rigid than the usual seat, but being an integral and permanent part of the head frame and not subject to becoming loosened or lost.

While the head may be assembled on the handle so as to swing thereon and the swinging movement may be controlled by varying thefrictional resistance of the handle connector on its seat,

no dependance is placed on such frictional contact for holding the handle when it is desired to hold the head in a fixed position with respect to the handle, the relation of the handle connector to the frame being such that these parts may be locked rigidly together when desired.

While I have shown and described my invention in connection with a wax applicator, it will be readily understood that it is not limited in its application thereto, accordingly while I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limitedto the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I' claim is:

1. In a cleaning implement, a head including a relatively .flat frame normally parallel to the surface to be cleaned, a handle, a handle connector, a pivot element on theframe having an axis substantially parallel to the-frame, said connector being received in either of two positions on the pivot element, gripping means on the end of the connector, means on the frame at one side of the pivot element adapted to be engaged and gripped by said gripping means when the connector is received on the pivot element in one of the positions and an opening in the frame on the other side of the pivot element providing clearance for said gripping means when the connector is received on the pivot element in the other of the positions, the connector being swingable on the pivot elementin the secondof the positions.

2. In a cleaning implement, a head including a sheet metal frame having a part thereof normally parallel to the surface to be cleaned, a pivot element on the frame having an axis substantially parallel to the part of the frame, there being openings in the frame at either side of the pivot element, one of the openings being of greater width than the other transversely of the pivot axis, a handle, a handle connector on the handle, said handle connector being adapted to be assembled on the pivot element in either of two positions, and means on the connectoradapted to engage the frame at the edge of the opening of least width to hold the connector against pivotal movement on the pivot element when the connector is receivedthereon in one of the positions, the opening of greater width providing clearance for said means when the connector is received on the seat in the other position.

3. In a cleaning implement, a frame, a pivot element on the frame having an axis normally parallel to the surface to be cleaned, a handle, a. handle connector, said handle connector having transverse opposing grooves near its ends in which the pivot element maybe received, and cooperating jaws beyond the grooves, said connector being adapted to be received on the pivot element in either of two positions, and means on the frame which is received and gripped between the jaws in one of the positions to hold the connector against, pivotal movement on the I pivot element, saidframe having an opening therein providing clearance for the jaws when the connector is received on the pivot element in the other of the positions, the connector being free to swing on the pivot element in the last named position.

4. In a cleaning implement, a frame, a pivot element on the frame having an axis normally parallel to the surface to be cleaned, a handle,

a handle connector, means on the end of the connector forming a groove which opens towards the connector end, said connector being received in either of two positions on the pivot element, and means on the frame at one side of the pivot element which extends into the groove to hold the connector against movement on the pivot element when the connector is received thereon in one of the positions, the frame being shaped to provide clearance for the end of the connector when the connector is received on the pivot element in the other position, the connector being free to swing on the pivot when received thereon in the latter position.

ARTHUR J. KNOTT.

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