Hako Minuteman, Inc.

Rick McLeod

Gary E Palmer

Ronald J Smith

Jerome E Rau

Margaret Karadimas

Alexander Buziuk

Thomas J Lerch

Apparatus for adjusting the height above the floor of a plate to which is attached a pad in a rotary floor machine to accommodate pads having a range of thicknesses includes a yoke disposed about the generally vertical support shaft of a caster positioned within a centrally-located aperture in the pad in contact with the floor. The yoke is also disposed about and supports a rotational drive arrangement coupled to the plate and includes a ring bearing to facilitate rotational displacement of the drive arrangement within the yoke. One end of the yoke is pivotally coupled to the machine's housing, while a manually adjustable coupler attaches a second, opposed end of the yoke to the housing to permit raising and lowering of the yoke in a pivoting manner. Disposed within the yoke and engaging the rotational drive arrangement is a gimbal-like suspension arrangement which maintains the drive arrangement vertical (perpendicular to the floor) and the pad plate horizontal as the yoke is pivotally raised and lowered to accommodate pads having a range of thicknesses. By maintaining the pad plate horizontal regardless of its height above the floor, uniform contact with the floor over the entire lower surface of the pad is ensured.

Adjustable suspension for high speed pad driver

A vacuum motor and fan are mounted within a housing, the lower end of which receives a high efficiency particle filter. The bottom of the housing includes a series of projections adapted to be received in corresponding apertures on an upper flange of the filter to prevent replacing the filter with an improper one. The projection/apertures also promote proper seating of the seal between the filter canister and the housing. A separate projection on the filter engages and actuates a lock-out switch carried by the housing to permit the machine to operate only when the filter is of proper size and capacity and it is properly seated on the housing.

Vacuum suction machine with high efficiency filter and operating

A structure is disclosed for receiving and securing one or more vacuum motors in the motor housing of a vacuum suction machine. The structure acts as an adapter to permit vacuum motors of different circumferential, as well as axial dimensions to fit into, and be secured in a housing of one shape and design. The same housing can be used with many different motor configurations and thus provide a wider range of static lift pressures and air volumes at reduced manufacturing cost.

Adapter for mounting vacuum motor

Apparatus for mounting a pad to a rotary floor machine includes an internally threaded drive collar mounted in coaxial relation with a drive shaft. The teeth of the thread on the collar have a sawtooth profile with an inclined lead-in surface and a holding surface. A retainer member in the form of a flanged collar has a cylindrical insert with a plurality of tabs capable of flexing inwardly. The flex tabs are spaced about the insert and have external thread segments, the teeth of which also have a sawtooth profile, for matching engagement with the internal threads of the drive collar. The retainer insert is assembled by pushing it into the drive collar. The lead-in surfaces of the matching threads cam the flex tabs inwardly during assembly so that the sawtooth threads ride over one another. The radial holding surfaces engage to provide substantial holding force for the center of the pad which is clamped between the flanges of the drive collar and the retainer member.

Holder for rotary pad

A high speed floor burnisher has a pad assembly rotating at high speed in a vacuum shroud which is evacuated by forced air without a separate vacuum motor. The evacuated air and entrained dust and debris are routed to a filter assembly with a replaceable filter and a removeable receptacle provided with a trap for larger particles so that they do not plug the filter, and thereby prolong its useful life.

Growing community of inventors

Lake in the Hills, IL, United States of America

Rick McLeod