Floor surface cleaning and dressing apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for cleaning and applying dressing to a floor surface which comprises a power driven vehicle adapted to be handled by a driver and having at least two pairs of wheels rotatable on the floor surface while supporting the body of said vehicle, a floor maintenance unit comprising a frame structure, means connectively supporting said floor maintenance unit from the front of said vehicle comprising a bracket attached to the front end of said vehicle, a pivot joint having a horizontal axis and permitting rotary motion in a perpendicular plane in the direction of said vehicle, a plate supported by and capable of limited rotary motion about said pivot, means controlling the rotary position of said plate, a rail integral with said plate and extending forward of said vehicle and in a direction coaxial therewith, a carriage member riding on said rail and supporting said floor maintenance unit, means for selectively controlling the position of said floor maintenance unit along said rail, whereby said means for controlling the rotary position of said plate controls the elevation of the floor maintenance unit with respect to the floor and the means for controlling the position of said floor maintenance unit along said rail determines the forward position of said floor maintenance unit with respect to the front of said vehicle, said floor maintenance unit including a rotatable brush, a web of sheet material intermittently transferrable for wiping the floor surface over which the vehicle is moved, said web of sheet material being removable from said frame structure, a rotatable polisher, a common drive means for said brush and said polisher and means for intermittently transferring said web of sheet material.

Claim 2

An apparatus for cleaning and applying dressing to a floor surface which comprises a power driven vehicle adapted to be handled by a driver and having at least two pairs of wheels rotatable on the floor surface while supporting the body of said vehicle, a floor maintenance unit comprising a frame structure, means connectively supporting said floor maintenance unit from the front of said vehicle comprising a bracket attached to the front end of said vehicle, a pivot joint having a horizontal axis and permitting rotary motion in a perpendicular plane in the direction of said vehicle, a plate supported by and capable of limited rotary motion about said pivot, means controlling the rotary position of said plate, a rail integral with said plate and extending forward of said vehicle and in a direction coaxial therewith, a carriage member riding on said rail and supporting said floor maintenance unit, means for selectively controlling the position of said floor maintenance unit along said rail, whereby said means for controlling the rotary position of said plate controls the elevation of the floor maintenance unit with respect to the floor and the means for controlling the position of said floor maintenance unit along said rail determines the forward position of said floor maintenance unit with respect to the front of said vehicle, said floor maintenance unit including a rotatable brush, a web of sheet material intermittently transferrable for wiping the floor surface over which the vehicle is moved, said web of sheet material being removable from said frame structure, a rotatable polisher, a common drive means for said brush and said polisher and means for intermittently transferring said web of sheet material.

Claim 5

An apparatus for cleaning and applying dressing to a floor surface which comprises in combination: a power driven vehicle adapted to be driven by a driver and having at least two pairs of wheels rotatable on the surface while supporting the body of said vehicle; a support structure frontwardly extending from and pivotally carried by the body of the vehicle, said support structure being capable of pivoting between first and second angular positions, said support structure when in said first angular position being in substantially parallel relation to the floor surface; means for shifting said support structure selectively between said first and second angular positions; a fRame structure carried by said support structure for telescopical movement between extended and retracted positions in parallel relation to said support structure; means for selectively driving said frame structure between said extended and retracted positions; and a floor maintenance unit operatively carried by said frame structure at a position between said support structure and said floor surface and including a rotatable brush, a web of sheet material intermittently transferable for wiping the floor surface over which the vehicle is moved, a rotatable polisher, a common drive means for said brush and said polisher and means for intermittently transferring said web of sheet material, said floor maintenance unit being in position to treat said floor surface when said support structure is in said first angular position irrespective of the position of said frame structure and in position away from the floor surface when said support structure is in said second angular position irrespective of the position of said frame structure.

Claim 6

An apparatus for cleaning and applying dressing to a floor surface which comprises in combination: a power driven vehicle adapted to be driven by a driver and having at least two pairs of wheels rotatable on the surface while supporting the body of said vehicle; a support structure frontwardly extending from and pivotally carried by the body of the vehicle, said support structure being capable of pivoting between first and second angular positions, said support structure when in said first angular position being in substantially parallel relation to the floor surface; means for shifting said support structure selectively between said first and second angular positions; a fRame structure carried by said support structure for telescopical movement between extended and retracted positions in parallel relation to said support structure; means for selectively driving said frame structure between said extended and retracted positions; and a floor maintenance unit operatively carried by said frame structure at a position between said support structure and said floor surface and including a rotatable brush, a web of sheet material intermittently transferable for wiping the floor surface over which the vehicle is moved, a rotatable polisher, a common drive means for said brush and said polisher and means for intermittently transferring said web of sheet material, said floor maintenance unit being in position to treat said floor surface when said support structure is in said first angular position irrespective of the position of said frame structure and in position away from the floor surface when said support structure is in said second angular position irrespective of the position of said frame structure.

Claim 13

An apparatus for cleaning and applying dressing to a floor surface which comprises in combination: a power driven vehicle adapted to be driven by a driver and havinG at least two pairs of wheels rotatable on the surface while supporting the body of said vehicle; a support structure frontwardly extending from and pivotally carried by the body of the vehicle, said support structure being capable of pivoting between first and second angular positions, said support structure when in said first angular position being in substantially parallel relation to the floor surface; means for shifting said support structure selectively between said first and second angular positions; a frame structure carried by said support structure for telescopical movement between extended and retracted positions in parallel relation to said support structure; cylinder means for selectively driving said frame structure between said extended and retracted positions; a floor maintenance unit operatively carried by said frame structure at a position between said support structure and said floor surface and including a rotatable brush, a web of sheet material intermittently transferrable for wiping the floor surface over which the vehicle is moved, said web of sheet material being removable from said frame structure, a rotatable polisher, a common drive means for said brush and said polisher, means for intermittently transferring said web of sheet material, said rotatable brush, said web of sheet material and said rotatable polisher being arranged in the prescribed order with respect to the direction of forward movement of said vehicle so that the floor surface can be first brushed, then wiped and finally polished as the vehicle is advanced, means for bringing said rotatable brush to an inoperative position clear of the floor surface irrespective of the position of said support structure, said floor maintenance unit being in position to treat said floor surface when said support structure is in said first angular position and in position away from the floor surface when said support structure is in said second angular position irrespective of the position of said frame structure and irrespective of operation of said bringing means; a liguid tank rigidly carried by the support structure without interferring the telescopical movement of the frame structure, said tank being for containing therein a suitable amount of liquid dressing to be applied on the floor surface; and at least one sprayer nozzle through which liquid dressing fed from said tank under pressure can be applied on the floor surface over which said vehicle is moved, said sprayer nozzle being carried by the frame structure and positioned between said web of sheet material and said polisher.

Claim 14

An apparatus for cleaning and applying dressing to a floor surface which comprises in combination: a power driven vehicle adapted to be driven by a driver and havinG at least two pairs of wheels rotatable on the surface while supporting the body of said vehicle; a support structure frontwardly extending from and pivotally carried by the body of the vehicle, said support structure being capable of pivoting between first and second angular positions, said support structure when in said first angular position being in substantially parallel relation to the floor surface; means for shifting said support structure selectively between said first and second angular positions; a frame structure carried by said support structure for telescopical movement between extended and retracted positions in parallel relation to said support structure; cylinder means for selectively driving said frame structure between said extended and retracted positions; a floor maintenance unit operatively carried by said frame structure at a position between said support structure and said floor surface and including a rotatable brush, a web of sheet material intermittently transferrable for wiping the floor surface over which the vehicle is moved, said web of sheet material being removable from said frame structure, a rotatable polisher, a common drive means for said brush and said polisher, means for intermittently transferring said web of sheet material, said rotatable brush, said web of sheet material and said rotatable polisher being arranged in the prescribed order with respect to the direction of forward movement of said vehicle so that the floor surface can be first brushed, then wiped and finally polished as the vehicle is advanced, means for bringing said rotatable brush to an inoperative position clear of the floor surface irrespective of the position of said support structure, said floor maintenance unit being in position to treat said floor surface when said support structure is in said first angular position and in position away from the floor surface when said support structure is in said second angular position irrespective of the position of said frame structure and irrespective of operation of said bringing means; a liguid tank rigidly carried by the support structure without interferring the telescopical movement of the frame structure, said tank being for containing therein a suitable amount of liquid dressing to be applied on the floor surface; and at least one sprayer nozzle through which liquid dressing fed from said tank under pressure can be applied on the floor surface over which said vehicle is moved, said sprayer nozzle being carried by the frame structure and positioned between said web of sheet material and said polisher.