Surface cleaning apparatus

Claim 2

Surface cleaning apparatus comprising a. a base defined by wall means which provide a housing horizontally movable over a surface and adapted to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, said base having a bottom of which a first portion forms the bottom of said housing, b. a handle, means connecting the lower end of said handle to said base for moving the latter over the surface, c. distributing means disposed at a second portion of the bottom of said base for distributing foam on the surface, d. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said housing and an air outlet within said housing at the bottom thereof, e. means adapted to be connected to the inlet of said air line for delivering thereto air under pressure from a source of supply, the air discharged from the outlet of said air line rising through the body of liquid to generate foam, f. means providing a passageway having one end in communication with the upper part of said housing and the other end thereof communicating with said distributing means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said housing, g. said base being movable back and forth by said handle and having front and rear walls transverse to the direction of such movement, h. said distributing means at the second portion of the bottom of said base being intermediate said front and rear walls, i. the wall means of said base defining a chamber exteriorly of said housing, j. means for supporting said base in a stationary inclined position on the surface when cleaning is terminated and the generation of foam in said housing by air under pressure is stopped, said chamber being at one level and said distributing means being at a higher level in the inclined position of said base, k. any foam present in said passageway and distributing means changing into liquid when cleaning is terminated and the generation of foam in said housing is stopped, such liquid being discharged exteriorly of said housing through said distributing means at the bottom of said base and directed to flow along the outer face of said housing, and l. the outer face of said housing providing a surface to which liquid tends to adhere and along which liquid tends to flow from said distributing means toward said chamber in the inclined position of said base.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the outer face of said housing, when said base is supported in the inclined position on the surface, includes a first portion depending downward from said distributing means at an acute angle to the horizontal which is of a first magnitude and a second portion extending between said first portion and said chamber at an acute angle to the horizontal which is of a second lesser magnitude.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which includes means in said chamber for retaining liquid flowing thereto along the outer face of said housing and from which liquid evaporates into the ambient air.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said supporting means comprises a bracket which is pivotally mounted on said base and angularly movable thereon between a first position enabling said base to move horizontally on the surface and a second position operable to support said base in its inclined position on the surface.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which said handle is so connected to said base that, in the inclined position of said base, said handle will extend substantially erect from said base with its axis passing through the vicinity of the center of gravity of said base.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which said bracket comprises a U-shaped stirrup having the outer ends of its spaced apart legs pivotally connected to said base intermediate its front and rear walls, said stirrup being movable between the first position which is at the underside of said base and the second position at an acute angle to the vertical, and stop means to hold said stirrup in the second position.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which the bottom of said base is recessed to receive said stirrup in the first position.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which said recess is defined by a U-shaped channel providing grooves open toward the bottom of said base, the chamber having an inlet to receive liquid from the outer face of said housing, and the closed end of said stirrup in the first position blocking said inlet.

Claim 10

In surface cleaning apparatus, the combination of a. a base comprising a hollow member which is movable over a surface and defines a housing to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, b. a handle having its lower end rigidly connected to said base and extending upward therefrom at an acute angle to the vertical, c. said base being movable back and forth by said handle and having a flat bottom and front and rear walls transverse to said handle, d. distributing means at the bottom of said base between the front and rear walls thereof, e. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said base and an air outlet within said base at the bottom thereof, f. means adapted to be connected to the inlet of said air line for delivering thereto air under pressure from a source of supply, the air discharged from the outlet of said air line rising through the liquid in said base to generate foam, g. means providing a passageway having one end in communication with the upper part of said base and the other end thereof communicating with said distributing means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said base, h. means for supporting said base in a stationary inclined position with the bottom thereof at an acute angle to the surface, said supporting means comprising a U-shaped bracket at the bottom of said base, said bracket having a pair of spaced apart legs connected at one end by a cross connection, said legs being transverse to the front and rear walls of said base and said cross connection being parallel to the walls, i. the bottom of said base being recessed to receive said legs and cross connection of said U-shaped bracket in a first retracted position thereof, said cross connection in the first retracted position of said bracket being at the vicinity of the front wall of said base, j. means in the recessed bottom of said base for pivotally connecting thereto the opposite outer free ends of said legs, k. means intermediate the opposing ends of said legs, when the U-shaped bracket is in its first retracted position, for supporting and guiding said base on the surface with back and forth movement of said handle, l. said U-shaped bracket being movable about said pivotal connecting means through an obtuse angle between its first retracted position and a second outer operative position to support said base in the stationary inclined position, m. said U-shaped bracket and the bottom of said base sloping upward toward one another from the surface when said base is supported thereon in its stationary inclined position, and n. said handle being in a substantially upright position when said U-shaped bracket is in its second outer operative position.

Claim 11

In surface cleaning apparatus, the combination of a. a base comprising a hollow member which is movable over a surface and defines a housing to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, b. a handle having its lower end rigidly connected to said base and extending upward therefrom at an acute angle to the vertical, c. said base being movable back and forth by said handle and having a flat bottom and front and rear walls transverse to said handle, d. distributing means at the bottom of said base between the front and rear walls thereof, e. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said base and an air outlet within said base at the bottom thereof, f. means adapted to be connected to the inlet of said air line for delivering thereto air under pressure from a source of supply, the air discharged from the outlet of said air line rising through the liquid in said base to generate foam, g. means providing a passageway having one end in communication with the upper part of said base and the other end thereof communicating with said distributing means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said base, h. means for supporting said base in a stationary inclined position with the bottom thereof at an acute angle to the surface, said supporting means comprising a U-shaped bracket at the bottom of said base, said bracket having a pair of spaced apart legs connected at one end by a cross connection, said legs being transverse to the front and rear walls of said base and said cross connection being parallel to the walls, i. the bottom of said base being recessed to receive said legs and cross connection of said U-shaped bracket in a first retracted position thereof, said cross connection in the first retracted position of said bracket being at the vicinity of the front wall of said base, j. means in the recessed bottom of said base for pivotally connecting thereto the opposite outer free ends of said legs, k. means intermediate the opposing ends of said legs, when the U-shaped bracket is in its first retracted position, for supporting and guiding said base on the surface with back and forth movement of said handle, l. said U-shaped bracket being movable about said pivotal connecting means through an obtuse angle between its first retracted position and a second outer operative position to support said base in the stationary inclined position, m. said U-shaped bracket and the bottom of said base sloping upward toward one another from the surface when said base is supported thereon in its stationary inclined position, and n. said handle being in a substantially upright position when said U-shaped bracket is in its second outer operative position.

Claim 12

The combination set forth in claim 9 in which said cross connection of said U-shaped bracket includes a brush having bristles, said brush extending lengthwise of said cross connection between said legs and serving as a tool to promote cleaning of the surface.

Claim 13

The combination set forth in claim 9 in which said legs have convex surfaces intermediate the opposing ends thereof, said means for supporting and guiding said hollow member on the surface comprising said convex surfaces.

Claim 14

The combination set forth in claim 9 in which the recessed bottom of said base is formed by channels which essentially are of inverted U-shape in section and open at the bottoms and accommodate said legs and cross connection of said U-shaped bracket in its first inner retracted position.

Claim 15

In surface cleaning apparatus, the combination of a. a base comprising a hollow member which is movable over a surface and defines a housing to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, b. a handle having its lower end connected to said base and extending upward and rearward therefrom, c. said base being movable back and forth by said handle and having a flat bottom and front and rear walls transverse to said handle, d. distributing means at the bottom of said base between the front and rear walls thereof, e. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said base and an air outlet within said base at the bottom thereof, f. means adapted to be connected to the inlet of said air line for delivering thereto air under pressure from a source of supply, the air discharged from the outlet of said air line rising through the liquid in said base to generate foam, g. means providing a passageway having one end in communication with the upper part of said base and the other end thereof communicating with said distributing means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said base, h. means for supporting said base in a stationAry inclined position with the bottom thereof at an acute angle to the surface, said supporting means comprising a U-shaped bracket at the bottom of said base, said bracket having a pair of spaced apart legs connected at one end by a cross connection, said legs being transverse to the front and rear walls of said base and said cross connection being parallel to the walls, i. the bottom of said base being recessed to receive said legs and cross connection of said U-shaped bracket in a first retracted position thereof, j. means in the recessed bottom of said base for pivotally connecting thereto the opposite outer free ends of said legs, k. said U-shaped bracket being movable about said pivotal connecting means through an obtuse angle between its first retracted position and a second outer operative position to support said base in the stationary inclined position, l. said U-shaped bracket and the bottom of said base sloping upward toward one another from the surface when said base is supported thereon in its stationary inclined position, m. any foam present in said passageway and distributing means changing into liquid when cleaning is terminated and the generation of foam in said housing is stopped, such liquid being discharged exteriorly of said base through said distributing means at the bottom thereof, and n. the downwardly directed outer face of said base, when it is in its inclined position, providing a surface to which liquid tends to adhere and along which liquid tends to flow from said distributing means.

Claim 16

In surface cleaning apparatus, the combination of a. a base comprising a hollow member which is movable over a surface and defines a housing to hold a body of cleaning liquid possessing such physical properties that it will generate foam responsive to air bubbling therethrough, b. a handle having its lower end connected to said base and extending upward and rearward therefrom, c. said base being movable back and forth by said handle and having a flat bottom and front and rear walls transverse to said handle, d. distributing means at the bottom of said base between the front and rear walls thereof, e. an air line having an air inlet exteriorly of said base and an air outlet within said base at the bottom thereof, f. means adapted to be connected to the inlet of said air line for delivering thereto air under pressure from a source of supply, the air discharged from the outlet of said air line rising through the liquid in said base to generate foam, g. means providing a passageway having one end in communication with the upper part of said base and the other end thereof communicating with said distributing means for flowing thereto foam from the upper part of said base, h. means for supporting said base in a stationAry inclined position with the bottom thereof at an acute angle to the surface, said supporting means comprising a U-shaped bracket at the bottom of said base, said bracket having a pair of spaced apart legs connected at one end by a cross connection, said legs being transverse to the front and rear walls of said base and said cross connection being parallel to the walls, i. the bottom of said base being recessed to receive said legs and cross connection of said U-shaped bracket in a first retracted position thereof, j. means in the recessed bottom of said base for pivotally connecting thereto the opposite outer free ends of said legs, k. said U-shaped bracket being movable about said pivotal connecting means through an obtuse angle between its first retracted position and a second outer operative position to support said base in the stationary inclined position, l. said U-shaped bracket and the bottom of said base sloping upward toward one another from the surface when said base is supported thereon in its stationary inclined position, m. any foam present in said passageway and distributing means changing into liquid when cleaning is terminated and the generation of foam in said housing is stopped, such liquid being discharged exteriorly of said base through said distributing means at the bottom thereof, and n. the downwardly directed outer face of said base, when it is in its inclined position, providing a surface to which liquid tends to adhere and along which liquid tends to flow from said distributing means.

Claim 17

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 in which said base includes means to receive and collect liquid flowing along said surface from said distributing means.