Tennant Company

Karl R Hansen

Michael Thomas Basham

Robert A Geyer

Joseph F D'Costa

Richard William Wellens

Kurt Clarence Adelman

Craig Daniel Block

An external filter box for a surface maintenance machine having a hopper with selective communication being provided between the filter box and the hopper to permit dusty air to flow from the hopper to the filter box and to permit dust and debris captured by the filter box to flow into the hopper. In one example, the hopper includes a prefilter assembly which is coupled to an inlet of the filter box during a sweeping operation and which is removed away from the filter box during a hopper dump procedure.

External filter chamber

A filter system for a surface maintenance machine having a hopper assembly for receiving brush-thrown debris including a cyclonic separator for separating dust and debris from air drawn through the hopper via vacuum action. The cyclonic separator may include multiple cyclone and may be in fluid communication with the hopper assembly so as to periodically receive dust and debris exiting the filter system.

Cyclonic filter for surface maintenance machine

Disclosed herein is a street sweeper having a vertical chain driven conveyor apparatus. The vertical chain driven conveyor apparatus is provided with a jointed shaft to compensate for chain wear over the life of the chains. The vertical chain driven conveyor apparatus is provided with an automatically adjusting chain tension adjustment system. The vertical chain driven conveyor apparatus is provided with locking adjustment mechanism to prevent the chains from losing tension when the sweeper is turned off. An initialization program is operable to restore chain tension when the street sweeper is started and prevent sweeping operations until a desired chain tension has been indicated.

Chain driven conveyor having automatic tensioning street sweeping method and system

The present invention provides an improved mechanical coupling for rapidly adjusting the elevation of a working edge portion of a tool which working edge portion is subject to wear that decreases the effective length of the working edge portion. In one embodiment, the bristles of a drum-type brush comprise the working edge portion. Once the working edge is properly adjusted with respect to a work surface, the amount of downforce imparted by the working edge and the pattern of the working edge on a work surface are maximized. In use an operator compares the length of the working edge to a first indicia set displayed adjacent the working edge and adjusts the elevation of the working edge with reference to a second indicia set which corresponds to the first indicia set. Surface maintenance vehicles which support an adjustable height tool with a working edge that wears down may utilize the present invention. The work surface may comprise any finished or unfinished interior or exterior surface such as without limitation such surfaces covered with fabric, carpet, tile, wood, stone resin-based and plastic materials and the like.

Rotating brush optimizing method

Brush optimizer

An air barrier or skirt apparatus for a surface treating machine having a brush chamber and a rotatable brush substantially disposed within the brush chamber. The air barrier or skirt apparatus is disposed adjacent either end of the rotatable brush and extend from the brush chamber to a surface to be cleaned. The air barrier or skirt apparatus comprises an inner flexible member and an outer flexible member. The inner flexible member and the outer flexible member are coupled to each other at predetermined attachment regions, with the predetermined attachment regions defining first and second dimensions on the inner and outer flexible members, respectively. The first dimension of the inner flexible member is less than the second dimension of the outer flexible member, so that when the inner and outer flexible members are coupled to each other at the predetermined attachment regions the inner flexible member is formed into a non-planar configuration. A method of fabricating such a skirt apparatus is also disclosed.

Side skirt for a surface treating apparatus

A surface cleaning machine includes a frame, wheels for supporting the frame and a debris hopper positioned on the forward part of the frame. There is a cylindrical sweeping brush mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis transverse to machine movement. There is a drive on the frame for the sweeping brush with the sweeping brush being mounted behind the debris hopper and rotating in a direction to throw debris from a surface being cleaned forwardly toward the debris hopper. A cylindrical conveying brush, parallel to the sweeping brush, is mounted on the frame for rotation in the same direction as the sweeping brush. The same drive rotates both brushes. The conveying brush is positioned above the sweeping brush and located relative thereto to convey debris moved upwardly by the sweeping brush in an upward and forward direction toward the debris hopper. A scroll is mounted on the frame forward of both brushes and between the brushes and the debris hopper to direct the flow of debris from the brushes to the debris hopper.

Stacked tools for overthrow sweeping

An operator controlled scrubbing machine includes a body, wheels for supporting the body, a scrub brush on the body and a mechanism for raising and lowering the scrub brush. There is a squeegee on the body and a mechanism for raising and lowering the squeegee. The body includes a drive for moving the machine in forward and reverse directions and an operator controlled foot pedal for controlling the drive. There is a connection between the foot pedal and the drive providing for limited foot pedal movement prior to translating foot pedal movement into machine movement. There is a first sensor to sense machine forward movement of the foot pedal, which sensor is connected to the mechanism for raising and lowering the scrub brush. There is a second sensor to sense machine reverse movement, with the second sensor being connected to the mechanism for raising and lowering the squeegee. The first and second sensors are positioned to sense foot pedal machine forward and foot pedal machine reverse movements prior to such movements being translated into machine forward and machine reverse movements so that the scrub brush will be lowered prior to the machine moving forward and the squeegee will be raised prior to the machine moving in a reverse direction.

Growing community of inventors

Cottage Grove, MN, United States of America

Karl R Hansen