US788700A - Mop-holder. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

H. BITNER.

MOP HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.1903.

UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY BITNER, OF BERWYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ARCADE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,700, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed June 29, 1903. Serial No. 163,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Brrnun, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Berwyn, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mop-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mop-holders; and its object is to produce a device of this class which shall be efficient in operation while being simple and cheap in construction.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features of construction which are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in the specification.

In the aforesaid drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved mop-head. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section in line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a plan of the cross-head. Fig. 5 is a section in the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of the ferrule of the cross-head.

Referring to the drawings, A is the mopstick.

B indicates generally the cross-head, which extends across the mop-stick at right angles thereto and is provided with the usual groove. The particular construction of this cross-head is novel and will be described in detail hereinafter.

O is the bail, which extends across the crosshead B upward therefrom a short distance and thence in lines converging toward the mop-stick.

D indicates the operating-lever. This lever is provided with two outwardly-projecting ears (Z, and to these cars the ends of the bail C are secured. The lever, it will be noted, is curved, so that when thrown against ;the stick it partially surrounds the same, bringing the ears (Z, to which the bail is secured, past the dead-center of the lever, so that the lever is locked in place. A handle (2 extends upward from the ears (Z, and this handle is given a slight curve away from the stick, so that it maybe readily grasped. A perforation (Z is provided in the center of the lever, and preferably between the ears (Z, the lower end of this perforation being closed by a bridge (2. The lever is guided upon the mop-stick A by a staple E, which crosses the bridge (.Z', heretofore mentioned. This staple is of such size and shape as to permit the lever to turn readily upon the bridge as a center and also to permit the bridge to shift longitudinally a certain distance.

Beyond the bridge d" are two thickened arms d. provided at their lower ends with curved faces d. These faces are adapted to bear against the upper end of a spring F, which surrounds the mop-stick and the lower end of which bears against the cross-head B. The spring F is under continual compression, means for limiting the expansion thereof being provided. It will be obvious that various devices for this purpose can be adopted; but the device which I prefer for this purpose is that wherein one of the legs of the staple E serves the double purpose of supporting the staple and limiting the expansion of the spring.

The operation of the mop head will now be explained. The jaws of the mop are opened by throwing the handle of the lever D down toward the cross-head, which causes the parts to assume the position shown in Fig. 3. The mop or swab is then inserted between the jaws and the handle is forcibly drawn up. This forces the bridge d" against the lower leg of the staple E, (shown in-Fig. 3,) and said leg becomes a fulcrum upon which the lever rotates about the bridge and draws the bail upward. In the meantime the arms cl, which project downward beyond the bridge, have come into contact with the upper end of the spring F and forced the same down, thereby compressing the spring. After the arms (Z of the lever engage the spring the lever will either continue to rotate about the bridge or the latter will leave the lower end of the staple because of the upward pressure of the spring. The position which is eventually reached is shown in Fig. 2, and the longitudinal position of the lever upon the stick is determined by the relative compressibility of the spring and the material forming the mop or swab. After the bridge leaves the lower end of the staple E the latter guides the lever along the stick and prevents it from falling out of place.

In a mop-holder which is to receive a wide range of thick and thin swabs it is desirable when a thin swab is inserted and clamped in place by means of a toggle-lever that there shall be some sort of yielding deviceas, for instance, a springinterposed at some point in the various elements, which cooperate to draw the jaws togetherthat is to say, for

instance, in the bail, the lever, or between formed of a single strip of metal bent along the bail and the cross-head. If all of these parts are unyielding, the variation required by different thicknesses of comparatively thin swabs as well as by the movement of the toggle-lever itself across the center cannot be obtained. On the other hand, with comparatively thick swabs a much greater force must be applied to the jaws to hold these large swabs than can advantageously be obtained from a spring which is suitable for the thin swabs. Furthermore, in the case of the thick swabs their own elasticity as well as capacity for compression makes it possible and even best to handle them by means of unyielding connecting parts which will transmit the entire force applied to the toggle-lever directly to the swab without the interposition of any spring or yielding device. In the preferred form of the mop-stick herein described it should be noticed that while the jaws are most widely separated and thereafter during a considerable portion of their movement toward each other the lever fulorums itself upon the lower leg of the staple which is rigidly fixed in the stick, so that there is no spring action whatever, and if the swab is thick enough the full movement of the lever compresses the swab without the bridge of the lever leaving the leg of the staple, so that with very thick swabs the operation is substantially the same as if there were no spring and the staple were only wide enough to pivot the lever to the stick, This enables great force to be exerted upon the thicker swabs in order that the same may be held securely from withdrawal or displacement. In the case of the thinner swabs, however, where a spring-pressure is desirable at some point in the connecting devices, the operation of the lever during the latter part of its movement in clamping the swab is very different. After its extended ends strike the spring and compress the latter to an extent determined by the thickness of the swab the free movement of the lever causes the bridge to slide upward in the staple and the lower end of the lever to wedge itself between the line of attachment to the bail ends and the spring, and it is the spring and not the leg of the staple which holds the jaws together.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the particular construction of the cross-head B will be set forth.

I) b are two similar halves of a ferrule stamped from sheet metal. Each half consists of a semicylindrical portion 6', a Hat top I2 and two laterally-projecting lugs 6 Each half is also provided with a lug 6*, which engages with a notch Z2 in the other half, so that the two halves when placed together are prevented from relative longitudinal movement. A channeled member 5 is provided, which is secured between. the upper ends of the halves b b and held in place by rivets 6 which pass through the projecting lugs 5 The channeled member 6, it will be seen, is

its center line to form the U-shaped portion, the two jaws being flared out to form the semicylindrical channel and the two ends being also flared out to receive the .bail in the ordinary way. The two halves I) b of the ferrule after being riveted upon the channel member 6 are also secured together and to the stick by a rivet 6 This form of crosshead is extremely simple and cheap. Great strength is imparted to it by the lower U- shaped portion of the channeled member 6, which, it will be seen, forms a strengtheningrib which will resist any ordinary pressure.

I realize that considerable variations are possible in the details of this construction without, departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore donot intend to limit myself to the specific form herein shown and described, except as pointed out in the claims.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a handle, a cross-head secured tl1ereto,and a bail passing over the crosshead and converging toward the handle, of a spring surrounding the handle, a lever pivoted to the bail, means situated farther from the end of the lever than the point of attachment of the bail, for guiding the lever longitudinally of the handle, and arms on the lever projecting beyond said guiding means and adapted to engage the spring.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a handle, a cross-head secured thereto, a bail passing over the crosshead and converging toward the handle, of a spring surrounding the handle, a lever pivoted to the bail, means situated farther from the end of the lever than the points of attachment of the. bail, for guiding the lever longitudinally of the handle, arms on the lever projecting beyond said guiding means and adapted to engage with the spring, and means for A limiting the expansion of the spring.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a handle, a cross-head se cured thereto and a bail passing over the crosshead and converging toward the handle, of a spring surrounding the handle, a lever, pivoted to the bail and having a transverse bridge, a staple secured to the handle outside said bridge and adapted to guide said lever longidown upon the stick, it must wedge itself betudinally of the handle, and projecting arms tween the bail and the spring. on the lever adapted to engage with the spring. In witness whereof I have signed the above 4. In a mop, the combination of a stick or application for Letters Patent, at Chicago, in 5 5 handle, a cross-head on the lower end thereof, the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this a bail embracing the cross-head, a spring en- 18th day of June, A. D. 1903.

circling the stick and a lever pivoted to the r bail adjacent to one end adapted to bear upon HARRY BHNER' the spring at the other end and guided be- Witnesses:

Io tween these two points longitudinally of the RUSSELL WILES,

stick, whereby, as the upper end is thrown l CHAS. O. SHERVEY.

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