The Singer Company

Don W Vermillion

Earl R Clowers

Fred E Pearman, Jr

Scott S Bair

John C Davis

Stanley J Gut, Deceased

Francis S Gromek

A connection assembly is particularly useful for positively connecting a flexible hose member with an inlet plug for a suction source while being adapted for subsequent disconnection without requiring any specialized tools. In connecting operation, an integral extension portion of a flexible hose member is telescopically inserted into an inlet plug to a predetermined longitudinal stopping point therein, and then rotated so as to cause engagement of projections formed on the extension portion and projection-receiving holes formed in the inlet plug. Such engagement rotatably and longitudinally secures the flexible hose relative the inlet plug. Slots are formed in the inlet plug for guiding the hose member projections during longitidinal movement of the hose member. The hose member may be selectively withdrawn by reverse rotation of the hose extension portion and longitudinal removal thereof from the inlet plug. During such reverse rotational movement, a camming surface is used to assist withdrawal of projections from their respective holes for disengaging same without requiring special tools.

Removable connection assembly

A self-aligning sleeve bearing assembly including a base member having a surface which includes a socket, a retaining member, and a bearing extending into and from the socket and being sandwiched between the base member and retaining member. The bearing includes two opposing halves which are mismatched along a parting line. The retaining member includes two pairs of independently yieldable opposed fingers which provide four independently operating spring retainers which bear against respective surfaces of the opposing bearing halves and operate together to retain the bearing in place yet allow self-alignment of the bearing.

Self-aligning bearing assembly

A resilient support sustaining the upper terminus of a dirt collecting bag on the handle of an upright vacuum cleaner in which an extensible strap on the bag is fastened within a downwardly open recess on the handle maintaining the upper terminus of the bag completely within the handle recess.

Vacuum cleaner bag suspension

Vacuum cleaner access plate

A suction cleaner having a chassis including a suction nozzle inlet at the bottom thereof and first and second sets of wheels supporting such chassis for movement on a floor surface is provided with a nozzle height adjusting mechanism comprising first axle means carried by said chassis for rotatably supporting said first set of wheels, second axle means including a central portion having a pintle shaft mounted therewith and with the chassis for enabling rocking movement of said axle means relative said chassis, an actuating portion on one side of said pintle shaft, and a pair of offset arms formed on an opposite side of said pintle shaft extending laterally outwardly thereof for journaling said second set of wheels, said offset arms being longitudinally spaced from said first axle means, an adjustment lever journaled on said chassis having one end portion angulated to engage said actuating portion so that rocking movement of said adjustment lever rocks said second axle means about said pintle shaft and thereby raises or lowers said second set of wheels relative said chassis and a second end portion extending through said chassis and being manually engageable by an operator to adjust the nozzle height as it is rocked back and forth thereby.

Vacuum cleaner with wheel and nozzle height adjusting mechanism

A brush or agitator roll of a suction cleaner for carpets or other floor coverings is provided with a plurality, for example, a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally extending spiral grooves and a bristle/agitator strip is spirally, slidably engaged in each spiral groove. Each strip has a section including a band forming part of a crowned pulley for a drive belt. On either side thereof a series of holes is provided for receiving bristle tufts. On each side, the strip is provided with a radial hole at a medial location with each succeeding bristle hole being elongated so that its inner wall is radial and the outer wall is inclined away from the center by an amount equal to the inclination of the adjacent hole plus a fixed incremental amount. Thus, although the inner edge of each hole is generally upright or radial, the outside edges are successively angled outwardly so that the holes can be molded utilizing a single core strip and the bristle tufts can be inserted and stapled radially and yet will have substantial bristles angled outwardly so as to provide a brush having a line of bristles effectively longer than the supporting strip. Grooves are also provided on the back and two sides of the strip to increase its flexibility, enabling it to be slid into the groove on the roll without the necessitating pre-heating of the strip to soften it.

Wide-sweep carpet cleaner bristle strip and brush roll

An override clutch device is disclosed for use in a vacuum cleaner having a powered rotary brush. The override clutch device is arranged such that should the torque require to rotate the brush exceeds a predetermined level, the drive mechanism is disengaged from the brush thereby allowing the drive belt to continue to operate without damage. An audible signal is emitted to alert the operator of the malfunction.

Rotary brush drive protector

A vacuum cleaner having a retractable sweeper strip brush positioned within the nozzle behind the rotating agitator brush. A pinion is mounted on one end of the brush housing axle and meshes with a rack slidable in a housing in the chassis behind the nozzle. One end of the rack is connected to a connecting link having the other end eccentrically connected to a lever pivotally mounted at the rear of the cleaner chassis. The lever includes a tab which protrudes through a slot in the chassis for turning the lever to thereby pivot the brush to extend the bristles downwardly from the nozzle when cleaning bare floors and to retract the brush when cleaning carpets or the like.

Vacuum cleaner with bare floor cleaning brush

Upright vacuum cleaner

An upright vacuum cleaner having a suction nozzle at the front of the bottom of the chassis is provided with a nozzle height adjusting mechanism for varying the elevation of the rear wheels relative to the chassis to provide a multiplicity of nozzle height positions. The rear axle is journaled on the chassis and includes a pair of off-set legs on which a respective rear wheel is mounted. A wheel bracket is journaled on one end of one off-set crank leg and supports a guide member and a helical end cam track. A follower member having a conjugate helical surface rides on the cam track and supports a locking member on its upper surface. The locking member is secured to the chassis and includes a plurality of detent teeth between each two of which at least one tooth on the follower member is received to lock the follower in a selected position. Turning of the knob allows the follower tooth to slide over the detent teeth to allow rotation of the follower which effects a vertical movement thereof on the cam track surface.

Growing community of inventors

Anderson, SC, United States of America

Don W Vermillion