US2892203A - Sectional handle for electric floor machine - Google Patents

Description

June 30, 1959 D. H. BRENNAN ET AL 2,892,203

SECTIONAL HANDLE FOR ELECTRIC FLOOR MACHINE Filed OCT.. 25, 1957 ma m? z oww n n 3 P DUH/w WWP. mb/ A 4 m .W z J ,n 5 T @L o@ United States Patent O SECTIONAL HANDLE FOR ELECTRIC FLOGR MACHINE Daniel H. Brennan, Cleveland Heights, yand James I. Hunter, Lyndhurst, Ohio, assgnors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1957, Serial No. 692,369

5 Claims. (Cl. 15-143) The invention relates to electric oor machines, and particularly to an improvement in the handle thereof.

Electric oor machines, such as upright vacuum cleaners and floor polishers, are normally provided with an elongated, rigid, unitary handle which is utilized to maneuver them about. In such machines, a manually operable, electric switch is frequently mounted in the handle adjacent to the handle grip for convenient operation by the user, and an electric wire extends from the switch through the handle to the electric motor of the machine, which is normally located in a body that rests on the oor. Electric floor machines of this type possess a serious deciency in that they require a large packing cartn to'accommodatethem; in practice it has been found that a typical electric oor polisher having an elongated, rigid, unitary handle of conventional length requires a packing carton approximately 47 inches high. lIt will be apparent that the cost of the carton and the cost of shipping the carton are higher than they would be if the handle were split into two or more sections, thereby allowing the use of a smaller carton. Another serious fault incident to the use of large cartons is that the packaged door machine is not normally likely to be carried out of a store by a customer, and therefore, the additional cost of home delivery is required.

In view of the highly competitive nature of the electric appliance industry, the presence of unnecessary costs in lmanufacture or marketing is odious. The art has recognized the desirability of reducing the size of packing cartons, and to effect this end has devised an electric oor machine having a sectional handle; however, this prior art arrangement utilizes a switch that is mounted in the body of a oor machine, which is, therefore, not convenient to the user, and has lan electric wire clamped to the outside of the handle, which is unsightly.

vIt is an object of this invention to provide an improved electric oor machine having an elongated handle, which *isv capable of being. packed in small packing cartons, because its elongated handle is built of sections, wherein the electric switch is located in the handle adjacent to the' handle grip, wherein the electric wire that connects the electric switch to the electric motor is located within the" handle, and wherein means is provided to prevent subjecting the electric wire connections to strain or damaging the electric wire prior to final assemblage of the sections into the elongated handle or thereafter in the event of inadvertent separation of the sections.

The object of this invention is achieved in one form by providing in an electric floor machine, a handle which is made of two tubular sections, providing a handle grip atone end of one of the sections, connecting the other section at one of its ends to the body of the electric oor machine, disposing an electric wire in both of the sections, connecting one end of the electric wire to the electric motor in the loor machine and the other end of the electric wire to a manually operable switch that s disposed adjacent to the handle grip, and providing a ice strain relief between adjacent ends of the sections which is shorter in length than the portion of electric wire that extends between the two sections when they are disconnected.

Other objects and further details of that which we believe to be novel and our invention will be clear from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a fully assembled, electric oor polisher embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a prior art, electric oor polisher having an elongated, rigid, unitary handle schematically illustrated in a packing carton;

Fig. 3 shows an electric oor polisher which incorporates the instant invention schematically illustrated in a packing carton; Fig. 3 is drawn on the same scale as Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the sectional handle contemplated by the instant invention, illustrated in disconnected condition prior to being assembled into an elongated handle;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken centrally through the disconnected adjacent ends of the tubular sections comprising the sectional handle, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken centrally through the connected adjacent ends of the tubular sections after they have been assembled to form an elongated handle.

Fig. l illustrates a fully assembled, electric oor polisher that incorporates the instant invention. It will be understood that the instant invention may be incorporated in other types of electric oor machines, such as vacuum cleaners of the upright type, and that it is illustrated and will be disclosed with reference to an electric oor polisher solely for the purpose of exempliiication.

The electric floor polisher illustrated generally comprises a body 10 and an elongated handle 12. The upper end of the handle is free and supports a grip 14, and an electric switch 16 and electric cord 18 are secured to the handle adjacent to the handle grip. If desired, a pair of hooks 20 may be mounted on the handle to serve as a means for supporting coiled electric cord when the floor polisher is stored. The lower end of the handle 12 is rigidly secured to a socket 22, which in turn may be pivotally secured to a rear portion of the floor polisher body 10. The floor polisher body houses a conventional electric motor within it (not shown), and appropriate mechanism for driving a pair of oor contacting members 24, which may be in the form of rotary brushes or the like.

The electric oor polisher described thus far with reference to Fig. l may be considered to be of a predetermined xed height, that is, when it is fully assembled and its elongated handle is located so as to extend upwardly, it is of a determinable iixed height. In marketing electric oor polishers, it is customary that they be packaged in a packing carton and shipped to a distributor or dealer, who in turn resells them', ultimately to a consumer. Throughout the process of marketing, the original factory packing carton is normally the sole container utilized. Prior art, electric floor polishers of substantially the same size as that of the Fig. 1 electric floor polisher customarily require a packing carton which is approximately 47 inches high. This is illustrated schematically in Fig. 2, wherein the prior art, electric door polisher PA is illustrated packaged in a rather tall, prior alt carton PAC, which is necessitated by the length of the unitary, elongated, prior art handle PAH.

In order to reduce the size of the packing carton, the instant invention contemplates making the elongated handle 12 intov two separate tubular sections 26 and 28.

When fully assembled, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the electric floor polisher incorporating the instant invention operates in substantially the same manner as the prior art, electric oor polisher illustrated in Fig. 2. The fully assembled handle 12 is the operationally equivalent of the unitary prior art handle PAH. In use, the Aelectric 4cord 18, which has a conventional electric plug 30 secured at its free end, is located relative to the handle 12 so as to cause minimum interference with the operation of the oor polisher,` and the electric switch 16 is located adjacent to the handle grip 14 in a very convenient position for manual operation by the user.

In order to allow for the utilization of a substantially smaller packing carton than .the prior art, packing cartontPAC, the handle 12 is formed into the referred-to tubular sections 26 and 28, and packaged andshipped in a broken down condition, illustrated in Fig. 3. When packaged as illustrated in Fig. 3, it has been found in practice that a packing carton only approximately 28 inches high is required. In order to allow for the electric floor polisher to be packaged in the Fig. 3 condition and still provide for the switch 16 to be located adjacent to the handle grip 14, and further, to house the electric wire 32 that extends from the electric motor in the floor polisher body to the electric switch 16 completely within the handle, it is necessary to provide some means for preventing strain on the electric wire convvnections and damage to the electric wire prior to finally asembling the floor polisher into its Fig. 1 condition.

By reference particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the electric wire 32 extends through both ofthe tubular sections 26 and 28, and that prior to assembling the handle into its elongated Fig. 1 condition,.

a portion 34 of the electric wire extends outside of the tubularsections between the adjacent ends 36 and 38 of the sections 26 and 28, respectively. One end of the electric wire 32 is formed into a pair of leads 40 which are adapted to be electrically connected to the electric motor that is housed in the licor polisher body 10. The

vother end of the electric wire 32 is split into a pair of grip, while obtaining the benets of a sectional handle.

With a sectional handle as described thus far, there is the distinct possibility, in fact likelihood, that the portion 34 of the electric wire 32 or the electrical connections Vmade bythe leads 40, 42 and 46 will be damaged prior to the time when the tubular sections 26 `and 28 are assembled into the elongated handle 12 illustrated in Fig. 1. In order to prevent such damage prior to assembly ofthe tubular sections, or thereafter in the event of their Y inadvertent separation, a strain relief is provided benovel in and of itself, but that it is the purpose of this invention to retain the desirable prior art wiring, wherein lthe electric wire is located within the handle and the elec- Vtric switchis located at a point adjacent to the handle 4 Y. are disconnected, and which is in excess of the length of strain relief chain 52.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be observed that the portion 34 of the electric wire 32 is in excess of the length of the strain relief chain 52, and therefore, that there will never be occasion for the electric wire to rub up against the free edges of the ends 36 and 38 and thereby be damaged or for the electrical connections made by the electric wire leads 40, 42 and 46 to be subjected to strain, either prior to the tubular sections 26 and 28 being assembled, or in the event that after assembly the elongated handle should inadvertently separate into its separate sections. As can best be seen in Fig. 3, the strain relief chain 52 functions in such a manner .as to allow the disconnected tubular section 26 to hang freely and be supported by the strain relief chain without damaging the electric wire 32 or subjecting the electric wire connections to strain when the Hoor polisher is broken down and packaged. It should be understood that the strain relief chain also functions to prevent subjecting the electric wire connections to strain when the handle Vis separated and the entire floor machine is lifted olf the threaded bolt 60 may be disposed in aligned openings 62 and `64, respectively, which are formed in the end 38 of Vthe tubular section 28, and the threaded bolt may be threadedly secured to the headed nut. On am'valat the point of assembly, the carton is opened and the oor polisher is removed. In order to assemble the oor polisher for operation, it is simply necessary to rernove the threaded bolt 60 and the headed nut 58 from the end 38 of the tubular section 28, and connect the tubular sections 26 and 28 by inserting the end 38 into the end 36. It has been found in practice that during such insertion, the strain relief chain 52 4and the portion 34 of electric wire 32 slide into the tubular sections without impeding com nections of the tubular sections. When the ends 36r and 38 are connected, the openings 62 and 64 are aligned with the aligned openings 66 and 68 formed in the end 36 of the tubular section 26. The headed nut 58 is inserted from the exterior into the aligned openings 66 and 62, the threaded bolt 60 is inserted from the exterior throughV the aligned openings 68 and ,64, and the threaded bolt is thre-adedly secured within the headed nut. The finally assembled condition of the handle 12 is illustrated in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 6, the finally assembled condition of-the connected ends 36 and 38 ofthe tubular `sectionsand their associated parts, including the chain strainrelief 52, the portion 34 of the electric wire 32, the headed nut 58 and the threaded bolt 60, is illustrated.

In ,View of the foregoing, it-will be observed that a sectional handle has been provided for an electric oor machine, wherein an electric wire is completely housed within the handle, and extends between and is yconnected to an electric motor in the oor machine body. and van tween the adjacent ends 36 and 38 of the tubular sections Y 26 and 28, respectively.

The strain relief may take various forms, a particular Vone which has been found to be successful in practice is that of the flexible metal chain 52. The chain 52 is secured 'at one of its ends to the inner side of the end 38 is secured to the inner side of the end 36 of the tubular section 26 by theV riveted constructon 56 or equivalent securing means. The electric wire 32 is selected so as to provide a portion 34 which projects out of the adjacent .,ends. 36 and 38 when .the tubular sections 26 and 28 electric switch located adjacent vto a grip formed on the free end of the handle, wherein-the construction is such asto allowA for a sized, packing carton when packaging the oor machine, andwhereinvthe possibility of damage to the electric wire connections or the electric wire during shipment when the handle is disconnected in to two tubularsections, or afterfinal assembly of the handle in Vthe eventithe latter-'should become inadvertently disassembled, is eliminated. It

will be observed that the desired advantage of allowing for reducing the size of the packing carton is achieved without sacrificing the convenience or appearance of the nal assembled lQOI machine, as .by having the switch assegna located on the lioor machine body itself or by having electric wire disposed on the outside of the handle and clamped thereto, as is the case in certain prior art devices of this type.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of our invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated, and we contemplate that various and other modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, our intention that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electric machine comprising: a body, an electrically operated device in said body, -an elongated hollow handle supported at one of its ends by said body, a manually operable electric switch mounted in said handle near its other end; an elongated electric wire disposed within said handle and connected at one of its ends to said device and at the other of its ends to said switch; said handle being formed by two separate tubular sections; means for rigidly connecting said sections together to form said handle; and an elongated collapsible member secured to the adjacent ends of said tubular sections; said member having a portion that extends outside of said adjacent ends when said tubular sections are disconnected, said electric wire having a portion that extends outside of said adjacent ends when said tubular sections are disconnected, and the portion of said electric wire being longer than the portion of said member, whereby said member functions as a strain relief for said electric wire when said tubular sections are disconnected.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises cooperating coupling means formed on said adjacent ends; each of said adjacent ends is provided with a pair of aligned openings; and securing means is located in said pairs of openings when said adjacent ends are coupled to each other with said pairs of openings aligned to thereby connect said tubular portions.

3. A machine as dened in claim 1 wherein said device comprises an electric motor; and said body supports movable oor treating means which is operatively connected to said motor; whereby said machine may be utilized to treat a floor, and said switch may be utilized to control said motor.

4. A device as defined in claim l wherein said member comprises a collapsible chain that is secured at one of its ends to the interior of one of said adjacent ends, and which is secured at the other of its ends to the interior of the other of said adjacent ends.

5. An electric licor machine comprising: a body; an electric motor in said body; movable oor treating means supported by said body and operatively connected to said motor; an elongated hollow handle supported at one of its ends by said body; a manually operable electric switch mounted in said handle near its other end; an elongated electric wire disposed within said handle and connected at one of its ends to said motor and at the other of its ends to said switch; an elongated electrical cord being principally disposed on the exterior of said handle, being connected to said switch at one of its ends and supporting an electrical plug at its other end; said handle being formed by two separate tubular sections that are adapted to be rigidly connected to form said handle; said tubular sections having cooperating coupling means formed on their adjacent ends; and a collapsible chain that is secured at one of its ends to the interior of one of said adjacent ends, and which is secured at the other of its ends to other of said adjacent ends; a portion of said chain and a portion of said electric wire extending outside of said adjacent ends when said tubular sections are disconnected, and the portion of said electric wire being longer than the portion of said chain, whereby said chain functions as a strain relief for said electric wire when said tubular sections are disconnected.

Naul June 24, 1930 McNamee Nov. 6, 1934

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