Sweeper Hopper With Filter Assembly

This invention relates to a sweeper hopper with an improved filter assembly.

The filter assembly according to the invention is usually employed in a hopper of a riding-type sweeper. The hopper is of the type having a dirt and debris-receiving chamber with an inlet opening which receives the dirt and debris from a main rotary broom of the sweeper. The hopper also has an exhaust chamber which communicates with an exhaust blower to establish a flow of air through the inlet opening, the dirt and debris-receiving chamber, and the exhaust chamber. A filter assembly separates the two chambers with air-borne dirt carried with the air being trapped by the filter assembly as the air flows through. The filter assembly in accordance with the invention includes a holding frame which holds a filter in place against a supporting frame or flanges in the hopper. The holding frame has a shaker motor with an eccentric weight thereon which is periodically rotated to shake the holding frame and the filter, causing dirt collected therein to be separated therefrom and fall into the dirt and debris-receiving chamber. The holding frame is mounted in a manner so as to be readily separable from the filter to enable rapid replacement of the filter, when necessary.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a hopper for a riding-type sweeper with the hopper having an improved filter assembly therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filter assembly for a sweeper hopper, which assembly includes a holding frame for a filter which is readily separable from the filter.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a filter assembly for a sweeper hopper, which assembly includes a readily-removable holding frame for holding a filter against a supporting frame and a shaker motor mounted on said holding frame.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic side view in elevation of a riding sweeper with a hopper embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the hopper of FIG. 1 with a side wall deleted;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective, with parts broken away, of the hopper and a filter assembly therein;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in transverse cross section taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective, with parts broken away of a modified filter assembly in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of the filter assembly of FIG. 5 with the hopper side wall deleted, and showing certain components of the assembly in dotted lines in another position.

Referring to FIG. 1, a riding power sweeper embodying the invention is indicated at 10. The machine includes a frame or body 12 with intermediate wheels 14 and a central, rear wheel 16 which is steered by a steering wheel 18 located in front of an operator's seat 20. A curb or side broom (not shown) can be located in front of the wheel 14, as is known in the art, and a main, rotary drum broom 22 is located between and immediately to the rear of the wheels 14.

A dirt and debris-receiving hopper 24 is located at a forward portion of the machine to receive dirt and debris from the drum broom 22. The hopper has a bottom 26 (FIG. 2), a rear wall 28, side walls 30, and a front wall 32. The rear wall 28 is contoured to fit with a partition extending across the machine in front of the operator's location. The wall 28 has a lower opening 34 to receive dirt and debris from the drum broom 22 with the periphery of this opening sealing with rubber flaps on a wall forming a plenum chamber around the main broom. The rear wall 28 also has an upper opening 36 which communicates with a vacuum blower 38 which establishes a flow of air and air-borne dirt through the inlet 34, through a dirt and debris chamber 40, through a filter assembly indicated at 42, and through an exhaust chamber 44. The filter assembly 42 divides the interior of the hopper 24 into the dirt and debris chamber 40 and the exhaust chamber 44.

The hopper 24 has a top 46 with a front section 48 over the dirt and debris chamber 40 and a rear section 50 over the exhaust chamber 44. The sections are connected by a hinge 52 and the rear section 50 is held down by at least one resilient latch 54 (FIG. 1) cooperating with a catch 56 (FIG. 3) on each of the hopper side walls 30.

A strengthening strut 58 extends across the hopper at an intermediate portion thereof near the top and is affixed to the side walls 30. The strut 58 includes an upper flange 60 (see FIG. 4 particularly), a supporting flange 62, and a connecting web 64. Side flanges 66 also are affixed to and extend outwardly from the side walls 30 of the hopper and a supporting flange 68 extends outwardly and upwardly at an angle from the rear wall 28. The four flanges 62, 66, and 68, along with an intermediate flange or strap 70 extending between central portions of the upper and lower flanges 62 and 68 constitute a supporting frame of the filter assembly 42.

Filter means is supported against the flanges 62, 66, 68, and 70. In this instance, the filter means constitutes two separate filters 72 each including rectangular frames 74 and filter media 76. The filter media includes pleated standard filter material backed up on the downstream or clean side by perforate metal screens. The filter frames 74 are sealed on the supporting frame by gasket strips 78.

The filters 72 are held against the supporting flanges in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 by a holding frame 80 having side frame members 82, a lower longitudinal frame member 84, and an upper longitudinal frame member 86, all of square tubular construction, in this instance. The lower longitudinal frame member 84 has two spaced ears 88 affixed thereto and pivotally connected to brackets 90 by pins 92, the brackets being affixed, as by welding, to the rear hopper wall 28.

A combination holding and mounting plate 94 extends between intermediate portions of the longitudinal frame members 84 and 86 and aids in holding portions of the filter 72 in place, particularly against the intermediate strap 70. A mounting bracket 96 of generally semi-circular configuration is affixed to a central portion of the mounting plate 94 by fasteners 98. The bracket 96 securely holds an electric motor 100 against the mounting plate 94. An eccentric weight 102 is affixed to a drive shaft 104 of the motor 100 and shakes the motor 100, as well as the mounting plate 94 and the overall holding frame 80 when the drive shaft 104 is rotated. This causes dirt collected by the filter media 76 to fall out onto a collecting plate 106 in the hopper chamber 40.

When the hopper 24 is emptied from a low dumping position, it is turned in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 with dirt and debris in the chamber 40 emptying out the inlet opening 34 and with dirt collected on the plate 106 emptying out an elongate opening 108 in the rear wall 28 above the opening 34. When the hopper is designed to be emptied from a high dumping position, it is raised and turned in a clockwise direction with the chamber 40 emptied through the top with the top section 48 opening by gravity when the hopper is moved beyond an over-center position. At that time, the dirt collected on the plate 106 will also empty out through an upper opening 110 between the upper end of the plate 106 and the filter assembly 42, with the opening 108 in that instance being sealed off.

As dirt builds up in the filter media 76, the pressure differential across the filter 72 increases and a substantial amount of force is required on the holding frame 80 to maintain the filter 72 in sealing relationship with the supporting frame or flanges. At the same time, the holding frame 80 must be capable of being readily removable from the filters in order to replace them, as required from time to time.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4, connecting means for holding the holding frame 80 against the filters comprises a latch member 112 having a main portion 114 and an upper, angular end portion 116. The lower end of the main portion 114 of the latch member 112 has a hole through which an L-shaped handle 118 having a threaded end 120 is received. The end 120 is turned into a nut 122 affixed, as by welding, to the back of the mounting plate 94. An upper nut 124 is threaded on an upper portion of the threaded end 120 of the handle 118 and turns with the handle 118. When the handle 118 is turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, the nut 124 firmly contacts the portion 114 of the latch 112 and firmly holds it in place, with the upper end 116 under the flange 60 of the strip 58. This provides ample force to hold the holding frame 80 against the filter 72 with the latch 112 being somewhat resilient and under stress. When the handle 118 is turned in a counterclockwise direction, the nut 124 moves with it and away from the latch portion 114. This provides sufficient play in the latch 112 to enable it to be swung out to the side and to move the end portion 116 away from under the flange 60. From a functional standpoint, the nut 124 can simply be a flange on the handle or a washer welded thereto, by way of example.

Thus, it will be seen that the holding frame 80 is securely held against the filters 72 even when they become clogged with dirt and yet the frame can be readily removable by swinging the latch 112 to the side and swinging the frame 80 back on the pins 92 near the inside surface of the rear wall 28 of the hopper 24. The filters 72 are then readily accessible and can be quickly replaced.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 5 and 6, modified connecting means for holding a holding frame against the filter means is provided. In this instance, a holding frame 126 is substantially the same as the holding frame 80 but is somewhat smaller, having shorter end frame members 128, shorter upper and lower longitudinal frame members 130 and 132, and a shorter mounting plate 134. Intermediate portions of the end frame members 128 have outwardly-extending ears 136 which are pivotally connected by pins 138 to ends of pivot links 140. The other ends of the pivot links 140 are connected by an elongate rod 142 which also extends through the pivot links and has the ends supported by brackets 144. The brackets 144 are suitably affixed to the rear wall 28 of the hopper 24 as by fasteners 146.

Over-center, coil springs 148 are connected between the pivot links 140 and the brackets 144, as by projecting pins 150 and 152 which are positioned so that the springs are located below the rod 142 when the holding frame 126 is in contact with the filters 72. Tension on the springs 148 thus urges the holding frame 126 further in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, to urge the frame 126 tightly against the filters.

When the filters 72 are to be removed and replaced, the frame 126 is swung to an upper dotted line position near the rear wall 28, as viewed in FIG. 6, to provide ready accessibility to the filters 72. At this time, the coil spring 148 is located above the elongate rod 142 and thereby urges the holding frame in a counterclockwise direction away from the filters.

Thus, again, the connecting means of FIGS. 5 and 6 enables the filters to be tightly held against the supporting frame or flanges and yet to be readily moved to an out-of-the-way position for accessibility to the filters.

Various modifications of the above described embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.