Title: Street sweeper and main broom suspension

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1. In a self-propelled street sweeper including a main frame, sweepings pick-up means underlying the main frame and a dirt box positioned on the frame for receiving the sweepings, the improvememt comprising:

a main broom structure including a main broom mounted at a rear end of said main frame adapted to sweep sweepings to the sweepings pick-up means so the sweepings can be deposited into the dirt box and having sweeping and road travel positions;

means for driving said main broom when in its sweeping position;

means for suspending the main broom from the rear end of said main frame including suspension arms located on opposite sides of said main broom;

bearing means between said suspension arms and said opposite side of said main broom; and

floating suspension means operatively connected between said main broom and said main frame providing a floating suspension for enabling said main broom to freely float on a ground supporting surface as the main broom is dragged behind said main frame in road engagement, said suspension means including adjustable broom snubber means for providing controlled friction to at least one of said suspension frames for minimizing any tendency of the broom to bounce when in its sweeping position, and a stop chain and an extension spring cooperable together and with said main broom to allow the main broom to follow the contour of a depression or dip in a road surface being swept.

2. The sweeper of claim 1 further characterized by including broom lift mechanism having a hydraulically operated ram for moving the broom through an arc between sweeping and road travel positions, and the suspension arms and said broom lift mechanism being so constructed and oriented relative to one another to permit said broom to be moved through its arc and positioned on said main frame in its road travel position in an at-rest position on the main frame for supporting the main broom and relieving the hydraulic ram from supporting the main broom while in a road travel position.

3. In a self-propelled street sweeper including a main frame, sweepings pick-up means underlying the main frame and a dirt box positioned on the frame for receiving the sweepings, the improvement comprising:

a main broom mounted at a rear end of said main frame adapted to sweep sweepings to the sweepings pick-up means so the sweepings can be deposited into the dirt box and having sweeping and road travel positions;

means for driving said main broom when in its sweeping position;

means for suspending the main broom from the rear end of said main frame including suspension arms located on opposite sides of said main broom;

bearing means between said suspension arms and said opposite sides of said main broom;

floating suspension means operatively connected between said main broom and said main frame providing a floating suspension for enabling said main broom to freely float on a ground supporting surface as the main broom is dragged behind said main frame in road engagement, the sweeper including the main frame and the main broom having a longer overall length when said main broom is in its sweeping position as compared to its road travel position;

and broom lift mechanism connected with said suspension arms which is operatively inactive when said main broom is in floating suspension in its sweeping position and which is operable to move said main broom forwardly through an arc out of road engagement over the main frame to its road travel position, thus then shortening the overall length of the sweeper for road travel, said suspension means including adjustable broom snubber means for providing controlled friction in said suspension arms for minimizing any tendency of the broom to bounce when in its sweeping position, and a stop chain and an extension spring cooperable together and with said main broom to allow the main broom to follow the contour of a depression or dip in a road surface being swept.

4. In a self-propelled street sweeper including a main frame, sweepings pick-up means underlying the main frame and a dirt box positioned on the frame for receiving the sweepings, the improvement comprising:

a main broom mounted at a rear end of said main frame adapted to sweep sweepings to the sweepings pick-up means so the sweepings can be deposited into the dirt box and having sweeping and road travel positions;

means for driving said main broom when in its sweeping position;

means for suspending the main broom from the rear end of said main frame including suspension arms located on opposite sides of said main broom;

bearing means between said suspension arms and said opposite sides of said main broom;

floating suspension means operatively connected between said main broom and said main frame providing a floating suspension for enabling said main broom to freely float on a ground supporting surface as the main broom is dragged behind said main frame in road engagement, the sweeper including the main frame and the main broom having a longer overall length when said main broom is in its sweeping position as compared to its road travel position;

and broom lift mechanism connected with said suspension arms which is operatively inactive when said main broom is in floating suspension in its sweeping position and which is operable to move said main broom forwardly through an arc out of road engagement over the main frame to its road travel position, thus then shortening the overall length of the sweeper for road travel, said broom lift mechanism including a hydraulically operated ram for moving the broom through its arc, and the suspension arms and said broom lift mechanism being so constructed and oriented relative to one another to permit said broom to be moved through its arc and positioned on said main frame in its road travel position in an at-rest position on the main frame for supporting the main broom and relieving the hydraulic ram from supporting the main broom while in said road travel position.

5. The sweeper of claim 4, further characterized by providing locking means cooperable between said suspension arms and said main broom positively locking said main broom in an upright position at the rear end of the main frame thus enabling hydraulic pressure in the hydraulically operated ram for moving the broom through its arm to be released when the main broom is in its locked road travel position.

6. In a self-propelled street sweeper including a main frame, sweepings pick-up means underlying the main frame and a dirt box positioned on the frame for receiving the sweepings, the improvement comprising:

a main broom mounted at a rear end of said main frame adapted to sweep sweepings to the sweepings pick-up means so the sweepings can be deposited into the dirt box and having sweeping and road travel positions;

means for driving said main broom when in its sweeping position;

means for suspending the main broom from the rear end of said main frame including suspension arms located on opposite sides of said main broom;

bearing means between said suspension arms and said opposite sides of said main broom;

floating suspension means operatively connected between said main broom and said main frame providing a floating suspension for enabling said main broom to freely float on a ground supporting surface as the main broom is dragged behind said main frame in road engagement, the sweeper including the main frame and the main broom having a longer overall length when said main broom is in its sweeping position as compared to its road travel position;

and broom lift mechanism connected with said suspension arms which is operatively inactive when said main broom is in floating suspension in its sweeping position and which is operable to move said main broom forwardly through an arc out of road engagement over the main frame to its road travel position, thus then shortening the overall length of the sweeper for road travel, the main broom being movable from its sweeping position through an arc of approximately 130 degrees to its road travel position and with said broom lift mechanism being actuatable through said 130 degree arc, and locking means for securing said main broom to said main frame in said road travel position.

7. In a self-propelled street sweeper including a main frame, sweepings pick-up means supported by the main frame and a dirt box positioned on the frame for receiving the sweepings, the improvement comprising:

a main broom structure including a main broom mounted at a rear end of said main frame adapted to sweep sweepings to the sweepings pick-up means so the sweepings can be deposited into the dirt box and having sweeping and road travel positions;

means for suspending the main broom from the rear end of said main frame including suspension arms located on opposite sides of said main broom;

bearing means between said suspension arms and said opposite sides of said main broom;

suspension means operatively connected between said suspension arms for said main broom and said main frame providing a suspension for enabling said main broom to engage a ground supporting surface as the main broom is dragged behind said main frame in road engagement;

and broom lift mechanism operatively connected with said main broom structure which is operatively inactive when said main broom is in road engagement in its sweeping position and which is operable to move said main broom forwardly through an arc out of road engagement over the main frame to its road travel position, thus then shortening the overall length of the sweeper for road travel, the sweeper including the main frame and the main broom having a longer overall length when said main broom is in its sweeping position as compared to its road travel position, said suspension means including adjustable broom snubber means for providing controlled friction in said suspension frames for minimizing any tendency of the broom to bounce when in its sweeping position, and a stop chain and an extension spring cooperable together and with said main broom to allow the main broom to follow the contour of a depression or dip in a road surface being swept.

8. The sweeper of claim 7 further characterized by the broom lift mechanism including ram means being hydraulically operable for moving the broom, and means cooperable with said broom lift mechanism for providing an independent support means for the main broom when in a road travel position for supporting the main broom independently of the hydraulically operated ram when said main broom is disposed in its road travel position.

9. The sweeper of claim 7 further characterized by said broom lift mechanism including a hydraulically operated ram for moving the broom through its arc, and the suspension arms and said broom lift mechanism being so constructed and oriented relative to one another to permit said main broom to be moved through its arc and positioned on said main frame in its road travel position in an at-rest position on the main frame for supporting the main broom and relieving the hydraulic ram from supporting the main broom while in a road travel position.

10. In a self-propelled street sweeper including a main frame, sweepings pick-up means underlying the main frame and a dirt box positioned on the frame for receiving the sweepings, the improvement comprising:

a main broom structure including a main broom mounted at a rear end of said main frame adapted to sweep sweepings to the sweepings pick-up means so the sweepings can be deposited into the dirt box and having sweeping and road travel positions;

means for driving said main broom when in its sweeping position;

means for suspending the main broom from the rear end of said main frame including suspension arms located on opposite sides of said main broom;

bearing means between said suspension arms and said opposite side of said main broom; and

floating suspension means operatively connected between said main broom and said main frame providing a floating suspension for enabling said main broom to freely float on a ground supporting surface as the main broom is dragged behind said main frame in road engagement, said suspension means including adjustable broom snubber means for providing controlled friction to at least one of said suspension frames for mininimizing any tendency of the broom to bounce when in its sweeping position.

11. In a self-propelled street sweeper including a main frame, sweepings pick-up means underlying the main frame and a dirt box positioned on the frame for receiving the sweepings, the improvement comprising:

a main broom mounted at a rear end of said main frame adapted to sweep sweepings to the sweepings pick-up means so the sweepings can be deposited into the dirt box and having sweeping and road travel positions;

means for driving said main broom when in its sweeping position;

means for suspending the main broom from the rear end of said main frame including suspension arms located on opposite sides of said main broom;

bearing means between said suspension arms and said opposite sides of said main broom;

floating suspension means operatively connected between said main broom and said main frame providing a floating suspension for enabling said main broom to freely float on a ground supporting surface as the main broom is dragged behind said main frame in road engagement, the sweeper including the main frame and the main broom having a longer overall length when said main broom is in its sweeping position as compared to its road travel position;

and broom lift mechanism connected with said suspension arms which is operatively inactive when said main broom is in floating suspension in its sweeping position, said broom lift mechanism being so operable with said main broom to move said main broom forwardly through an arc out of road engagement over the main frame to its road travel position thus then shortening the overall length of the sweeper for road travel, the broom lift mechanism including a first hydraulically actuated means for initiating the broom pick-up from the road surface by rotating said main broom and said suspension arms on said bearing means, means cooperable with said first hydraulically actuated means for assisting in elevating said main broom through a second stage of clockwise movement of said main broom and said broom lift mechanism including a third stage broom lift means including lifting links for further clockwise movement of said main broom causing said suspension arms to be moved into an upright position relative to said main frame.

12. The sweeper of claim 11 further characterized by self-operating cam acting lock means being provided for positively locking said suspension arms in the upright position relative to the main frame to secure the main broom in the road travel position on said main frame.

13. The sweeper of claim 12 further characterized by said lock means being releasable upon reactivation of said first hydraulically activated means which is operable in an opposite direction when rotating the main broom and the suspension arms on said bearing means in a counter-clockwise direction for releasing said lock means and ultimately for moving the main broom from the road travel position to its sweeping position.

Other info:

Inventors: Kieft, Gerald N. (St. Charles, IL, US)
Hildebrand, Donald L. (Union, IL, US)

Application Number: 036008
Filing Date: 1979-05-04
Publication_date: 1980-09-16
Assignee: Elgin Sweeper Company (Elgin, IL)
Primary Class(es): 15/84
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

793700	Jul, 1905	Whittemore	15/83.
897705	Sep, 1908	Beeman	15/84.
3071793	Jan, 1963	Lull	15/82.
3363274	Jan, 1968	Tamny	15/84.

Other Refs: 1251690

Oct, 1971	GB

Primary Examiner: Roberts, Edward L.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Hill, Van Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson