Tennant Company

Other

Larry David Wydra

Richard William Wellens

Daniel G Giddings

Frederick A Hekman

Michael Thomas Basham

Ralph M Hoffmann

Daniel Lawrence Joynt

Ronald W Lehman

Kurt Clarence Adelman

Michael H Lenzmeier

David E Bros

Jeffrey D Fystrom

Certain embodiments include a fluid recovery system. The fluid recovery system includes a vacuum system that applies a suction force on fluids on the floor surface to draw fluids to a fluid recovery tank. A reservoir is operably coupled to a recovery hose. The reservoir includes an inlet passage, an outlet passage leading to the recovery hose, and a fluid trap portion positioned between the inlet and outlet passages. The reservoir permits passage therethrough of fluids suctioned by the vacuum system from the floor to the recovery hose, and traps a backflow of fluids from the recovery hose in the fluid trap portion when the vacuum system stops suctioning fluids from the floor to the recovery hose. The reservoir is shaped to be generally self-cleaning and clears most fluids trapped in the fluid trap portion when the vacuum system starts suctioning fluids from the floor to the recovery hose.

Surface maintenance vehicle with self-cleaning reservoir that captures hose runoff

A filter box for a surface maintenance machine incorporating aspects of a fan housing. In one example, a filter box for a sweeping machine is provided with an impeller fan housing beneath a cylindrical filter. Operation of the impeller fan draws air from a debris hopper, through the cylindrical filter, and through an expansion chamber defined by a scroll conduit prior to outlet to atmosphere.

Integral vacuum fan housing

An apparatus and method for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces utilizing a soil transfer cleaning medium is disclosed. A method of mechanically removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned includes the steps of successively and repeatedly: wetting a portion of a cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid; extracting any soil and at least some of the cleaning liquid from the previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium; and wiping the surface intended to be cleaned with the portion of the cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface intended to be cleaned to the cleaning medium. Portable and vehicle-based devices may be utilized to practice the method of cleaning.

Method and apparatus for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces utilizing a soil transfer medium

A structure and method of removing semi-rigid debris and demisting gas for use primarily in surface maintenance or conditioning machines, Demisting is accomplished by, a combination techniques including rapid pressure reduction and removal of semi rigid debris is accomplished by forcing the debris through a path with curvatures to great for the debris to follow.

Demisting chamber with elbow strainer

An apparatus and method for extracting soiled cleaning solution from carpets and other surfaces utilizing a low-profile pick-up head is disclosed. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber or enclosed space positioned in a fluid recovery device to provide a uniform vacuum along the entire width of the device. Also disclosed is a low-profile push-pull fluid recovery device which includes a positive pressure chamber and a vacuum chamber in the push-pull head to distribute positive and vacuum pressures, respectively, along the width of the push-pull head. Methods for using such pick-up heads are also disclosed.

Fluid recovery device

A gutter broom assembly for a street sweeper and method of use are disclosed. The invention relates to street sweeper having a vacuum system for moving air through a portion thereof and having a gutter broom assembly. The gutter broom assembly includes housing, a gutter broom being movable between an operational orientation and a transport orientation relative to the housing, and a skirt assembly attached to the housing. A sweeping chamber is defined within the housing and the skirt assembly which substantially encloses the gutter broom. A vacuum connection between the sweeping chamber and the vacuum system is provided for removing dust within the sweeping chamber when the gutter broom frame is in its operational orientation.

Retractable broom and dust skirt

An air sweeping apparatus having a head assembly, a debris conveyer and a receptacle. The head assembly includes a front skirt which is selectively positionable away from a surface to be cleaned to enable debris of different densities and sizes to be collected. After the front skirting of the head assembly is moved past debris, the debris becomes entrained within a flow of air formed by a line of pressurized air as it traverses the surface and the interior surface of the main chamber of the head assembly. Preferably the air flow in the head assembly is skewed with respect to the direction of travel to urge the entrained debris towards an output end of the main chamber. When debris reaches the output end of the main chamber it is transported to a debris receptacle by a low pressure conduit which discharges entrained debris into a first hopper or bin. As the debris enters the first hopper, the heavier material settles and lighter, entrained material is directed through a filter element and onto a second hopper or bin. The second hopper includes a separator which is used to remove light particulate matter. After emerging from the separator, the air stream enters an air handling device (typically a motorized fan surrounded by a shroud) where it is pressurized and directed to the input portion of the head assembly. A portion of this high pressure air flow is directed back towards a third hopper or bin in the receptacle where it is passed through a filter to remove fine particulate matter and exhausted.

Air sweeping apparatus

An apparatus performing multiple different cleaning operations for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces is disclosed. A device according to the present invention selectively utilizes soil transfer and solution extraction technology. In one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed having a cleaning implement in selective wiping contact with a surface to be cleaned, a cleaning solution dispenser which selectively wets with a cleaning solution a portion of the cleaning implement or a portion of the surface or both, a first selectively controllable vacuum extractor tool which when operating removes some of the dispensed cleaning solution and soil from the cleaning implement, and a second selectively controllable vacuum extractor tool which when operating removes soil and some of the cleaning solution directly from the surface intended to be cleaned. A method of use of such an apparatus is also disclosed. Portable and vehicle-based devices may be utilized to practice the different methods of cleaning.

Dual mode carpet cleaning apparatus utilizing an extraction device and a soil transfer cleaning medium

Apparatus for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces utilizing a soil transfer cleaning medium

A seal assembly for an outer envelope trochoidal rotary device having a rotor that planetates around a housing is provided. The seal arrangement comprises a series of side seals disposed in side walls in the housing, the side seals being interconnected by button seals disposed in the side walls of the housing between side seals. The side seals and button seals are spring biased outwardly against the rotor. Each side seal includes a pair of identical oppositely disposed seal strips having an elongated body member and a triangular portion. The elongated body member includes a triangularly shaped relieved portion that has a shape corresponding to a side of the triangular portion. The seal strips are interconnected between two button seals so that the triangular portion of a first seal strip abuts a first button seal and the triangular portion of a second seal strip abuts a second button seal. The button seal includes a relieved area.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Larry David Wydra