US3316578A

US3316578A - Sweeper gutter broom suspension

Info

Publication number: US3316578A
Application number: US516000A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tamny Simon
Original assignee: Wayne Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Wayne Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1965-12-23
Filing date: 1965-12-23
Publication date: 1967-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-02
Also published as: GB1104339A; NL6606277A; FR1479703A; DE1534189A1

Description

May 2, 1967 s. TAMNY l 3,316,578

SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION File'd Dec. 23, 1965 A. 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Arron/ 5549.-

May 2, 1967 s. TAMNY 3,316,578

SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION Filed neo. 2s, 1965 5 sheets-sheet a Iv VEN rol? .S7/VON 75m/Y @Tram/1519.r

May 2, 1967 s. TAMNY SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 25, 1965 INVENTOQ. .5mm/v 12mm/y I @Ya/M a @figa In um @blow fs wv @Trae/veus".

United States Patent O 3,316,578 SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION Simon Tarnny, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Wayne Manufacturing Company, Pomona, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 516,000 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-87) This invention has to do with improvements in street sweeper gutter broom mounting and control assemblies.

Street sweepers commonly employ single or oppositely positioned rotary driven gutter brooms which operate to sweep from gutter or like lateral areas, debris inwardly beneath the sweeper vehicle for displacement and elevation into a receptacle chamber, the brooms being mounted to be displaceable from lowered sweeping to elevated traveling positions.

The present invention has for its general object to provide an improved gutter broom and mounting assembly of the general type in which the motor driven broom is supported by a carrier mounted to the sweeper vehicle frame so that the carrier and broom are movable together downwardly and laterally from elevated to sweeping positions. Incorporated in the assembly may be means for maintaining the broom at variable tilt angles in sweeping position.

More particularly, the invention is directed to simplied means for ellecting and controlling the movement `and condition of the carrier-broom assembly between and at lowered sweeping and elevated non-functional traveling positions. In accordance with the invention, I provide a simplilied carrier-brush elevating mechanism characterized by its employment of a single power unit operating by way of a simple over-center device to maintain the assembly in elevated position from which the assembly is releasable for downward and outward gravity movement to sweeping position.

Also contemplated is the provision of adjustable means requiring only a single spring applying lifting force to the broom carrier to cause the broom to have variable ground pressure and flexibly restrained outer sweeping position.

The invention has vario-us additional features, objects and more speciiic details, all of which will be understood readily from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention shown by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a plan View, diagrammatcal in parts showing the -broom and mounting assembly in association with a sweeper frame structure;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l illustrating the carrier and broom relationship in elevated position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the carrier and broom dropped down to sweeping position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. l showing the interiors of the carrier and the mounting structures;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are transverse sections taken respectively on lines 6 6 and 7 7 of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views diagrammatically similar to FIG. 6 illustrative of variability of the broom tilt.

In reference rst to FIGS. 1 to 3, the broom 10 is shown to be supported by carrier 11 mounted at 12, and as will later appear in detail, to an appropriate frame member 13 of a conventional street sweeper. The broom and carrier are mounted for downward and outward movement relative to a second sweeper vehicle frame member 14, from the broken line elevated traveling positions lila and 11a to the lowered sweeping positions depicted by the solid lines 10b and 11b. FIG. 2 shows the elevated position wherein the carrier 11 may be substantially horizontal with the broom vertically axially positioned, and FIG. 3 illustrates the lowered positions 10b and 11b of the broom and carrier wherein the carrier is inclined but the broom retains its vertical axial orientation, except for possible tilt adjustment as will later appear.

Referring to FIG. 4, the sweeper vehicle frame member 13 rigidly mounts a channel 15 from which projects a bracket 16 which supports pivot pin 17. The latter extends through and hinges the lateral extension 18, see FIG. 6, of a rectangularly walled connector 19 to the right side of which as viewed in FIGURES 5 and 6, is secured a hinge bracket 20 which mounts pivot pin 21 extending through the top and bottom of a second rectangularly walled connector 22. The bra-cket 20, pin 21 and connector 22 constitute a hinge structure mounting the carrier and broom for lateral swinging movement, and the

members

16 and 18 and pin 17 hinge the entire assembly to permit variation of the broom tilt as will later appear.

The carrier 11 is shown to have the form of an open bottom housing having top and

side walls

24 and 25. As shown in FIG. 7, the housing is mounted to the connector Z2 for up and down swinging movement by shaft 26 extending through bearing sleeve 271. Within its opposite end the housing contains the broom motor assembly generally indicated at M and which is shown to comprise a diagrammatically indicated motor proper at 27 and gear box 28. The base of the assembly M has a pair of bracket arms 29 pivoted by pins 30 to the housing side walls 25 so that the motor and broom are movable relative to the carrier between the FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 positions. The motor assembly has a fixed top bracket 31 pivoted at 32 to rod or link 33, the opposite end of which is pivoted at 34 to and between arms 35 carried by the connector 22 as shown in FIG. 7. The rod 33, together with housing 11, constitute in essence a parallel link mechanism whereby, as the carrier is swung downwardly and outwardly from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 3 position, the motor and broom assembly pivots at Sil relative to the housing and maintains essentially constant vertical orientation.

Referring particularly to FIGS. l, 4 and 5, the sweeper frame member 14 mounts a channel 37 within which is accommodated a power cylinder 3S pivoted at 39 to the channel and having a piston rod 4t) pivoted at 41 to an arm 42 which in turn is pivoted at 43 to the channel. A ilexible connector, such as chain 44, has one end connected at 45 to the end of the carrier housing, tbe chain thence extending about the stationarily mounted guide 46 and thence about sheave 47 carried by the arm 42, :to xed anchorage at 48.

The arm 42 is thus mounted for a range of oscillatory movement between the solid and broken line positions of FIG. 1. At an intermediate point in its movement, the arm swings to move the line of force transmission of the chain 44 from one to the other side of pivot 43, and thus operates in over-center relation thereto. Assuming the broom to be in sweeping position, by pneumatically or hydraulically pressurizing the cylinder 38, using suitable-control means, not shown, the carriage and broom assembly is raised by the piston past the arm overcenter position and thereby becomes held in fully raised condition. Upon reverse actuation of the piston, the arm swings out past the over center position to release the carrier and broom assembly for gravity movement to lowered sweeping condition.

As best shown in FIG. 4, a chain 5t) anchored to the connector section 19 is terminally connected at 51 to chain 52 passed about sprocket or sheave 53 carried by bracket 54 mounted at 55 to the inside of the carrier housing. The opposite end of the chain 56 connects with coil spring S7 terminally joined to nut 58 into which screw 59 is threaded. By adjustment of the screw the spring tension may be increased or decreased. The effect of the spring and chain reversed about the sprocket or sheave 53 is to exert force tending to urge the carrier and broom assembly outward throughout the range of over-center travel of its lift mechanism. Thus the spring applied lifting force to the carrier and thereby causes the broom to have variable ground pressure and to be flexibly restrained in its outward sweeping position.

Variation of the working tilt angle of the broom is effected by a screw shaft `60, see FG. 6, having an accessible handle 61 and extending through support 62 between fixed stops 621 to be terminally threaded through a pin bearing 63 within the frame channel 15. Adjustment of the screw variably positions the connector section 19 relative to the fixed support 64, and in so doing, correspondingly limits and determines the tilt angle of the entire assembly including the connector section 22, housing 11, and ultimately axial orientation or tilt of the broom 10.

It is to be understood that the drawings are to be regarded merely as illustrative of the invention in a typical though preferred embodiment and that various changes and modifications may be made of the invention without departure from its intended spirit and scope.

I claim:

1. A street sweeper gutter broom and mounting assembly, comprising a vehicle frame structure, a broom carrier, a generally horizontally disposed rotary broom rotatable about an essentially vertical axis and supported by and movable relative to the carrier, means mounting said carrier to the frame structure for both downward and lateral outward movement from broom elevated traveling position to lowered sweeping position, a single power source mounted to the frame structure, means connecting said power source to the carrier and transmitting both lateral and vertical force components to raise the carrier and broom from lowered sweeping position to raised traveling position, and single spring means applying lifting and outward force to the carrier thereby to cause the broom to have variable ground pressure and flexibly restrained outward sweeping position.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, in which said spring means includes a exible element, a spring connected to one end of the element, means providing relatively adjustable terminal support for the spring and element, and guide means on the carrier over which passes an intermediate extent of said element.

3. A street sweeper gutter broom and mounting assembly, comprising a vehicle frame structure, a broom carrier, a generally horizontally disposed rotary broom rotatable about an essentially vertical axis and supported by and movable relative to the carrier, means mounting said carrier to the frame structure for both downward and lateral outward movement from broom elevated traveling position to lowered sweeping position, a single power source mounted to the frame structure, means connecting said power source to the carrier and transmitting both lateral and Vertical force components to raise the carrier and broom from lowered sweeping position to raised traveling position, said power source including over-center means acting to maintain the carrier and broom in said elevated position and to release the carrier and broom beyond an intermediate position thereof for downward and outward gravity movement.

4. An assembly according to claim 3, in which said over-center means comprises a flexible element interconnecting the frame structure and carrier, oscillatory guide means for an intermediate extent of said element, and a piston operable to oscillate said guide means to raise and lower the carrier and broom and so associated with the guide means that the latter oscillates in over-center relation to force application by the exible element.

5. An assembly according to claim 3, including also single spring means applying lifting and outward force to the carrier and thereby to cause the broom to have variable ground pressure and flexibly restrained outward sweeping position.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, in which said spring means includes a flexible element, a spring connected to one end of the element, means providing relatively adjustable terminal support for the spring and element and guide means on the carrier over which passes an intermediate extent of said element.

7. A street sweeper gutter broom and mounting assembly, comprising a vehicle frame structure, a broom carrier, a generally horizontally disposed rotary broom rotatable about an essentially vertical axis and supported by and movable relative to the carrier, means mounting said carrier to the frame structure for both downward and lateral outward movement from broom elevated traveling position to lowered sweeping position, a single power source mounted to the frame structure, means connecting said power source to the carrier and transmitting both lateral and vertical force components to raise the carrier and broom from lowered sweeping position to raised traveling position, said carrier comprising an elongated housing overlying the broom and containing a broom rotating motor, a pivotal mounting for the housing, and linkage means within the housing operable to maintain essentially vertical axial orientation of the broom at different inclinations of the housing, said linkage means comprising a pivoted link connected to the motor and means pivotally connecting the motor to the housing so that together said pivoted link and the housing function as a linkage system.

8. An assembly according to claim 7, including also a single adjustable spring means extending into the housing and applying lifting and outward force to said housing.

9. An assembly according to claim 8, in which said spring means comprises an adjustable coil spring anchored to the frame structure, a guide carried by the inside of said housing, and a flexible element extending from the spring about said guide means and thence reversely to terminal support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1965 Gehman et al. 15-87 X 8/1965 Brown et al. 15-320

Claims

3. A STREET SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A VEHICLE FRAME STRUCTURE, A BROOM CARRIER, A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ROTARY BROOM ROTATABLE ABOUT AN ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS AND SUPPORTED BY AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE CARRIER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CARRIER TO THE FRAME STRUCTURE FOR BOTH DOWNWARD AND LATERAL OUTWARD MOVEMENT FROM BROOM ELEVATED TRAVELING POSITION TO LOWERED SWEEPING POSITION, A SINGLE POWER SOURCE MOUNTED TO THE FRAME STRUCTURE, MEANS CONNECTING SAID POWER SOURCE TO THE CARRIER AND TRANSMITTING BOTH LATERAL AND VERTICAL FORCE COMPONENTS TO RAISE THE CARRIER AND BROOM FROM LOWERED SWEEPING