Racine Industries, Inc.

Von Schrader Company

Stephen Jacobs

Geoffrey B Rench

Frank Jolly

Quentin H Rench

The disclosure involves a method for guiding a machine within an area. Such method includes the steps of triggering an acoustic locating signal from a stationary 'beacon-type' base module to a receiver on the machine. The method is applicable for one-beacon, two-receiver and two-beacon, one-receiver applications. A related apparatus also includes a device for emitting a trigger signal and a device for determining the time elapsed between transmission and reception of the locating signal. An operating principle involves computing the module-to-machine distance by determining the 'time of flight' of such signal. The machine is steered along a path, the locus of which is defined by an equation.

Method and apparatus for guiding a machine

An improved carpet cleaning machine convertible for brush-aided cleaning or vacuuming includes a pair of powered brushes counter-revolving for stroking solvent-dampened carpet cleaning particles through the carpet and along carpet fibers during initial cleaning. A separately-powered pod is detachable from the machine during brush-aided carpet cleaning and attached to a machine-mounted vacuum nozzle for carpet vacuuming to pick up the dirt-laden particles. The pod has first and second media selected to remove particles of differing sizes from air flowing through the pod. During initial carpet cleaning when vacuum is not needed, the pod may be detached and used in another area for hand-vacuuming carpeted stairs and other 'small-area' places.

Carpet cleaning machine with convertible-use feature

The improved carpet cleaning machine, intended for use with 'dry' carpet cleaning systems using dampened granules or particles, can be used in either of two modes. One involves carpet 'brushing' for dirt removal by urging particles into the carpet and along the fibers. The other involves later vacuuming for particle removal. To facilitate the latter, one embodiment of the machine has first and second particle-removing media such as a concentrically-mounted cyclone separator and conical screen filter, respectively. The separator has air flowing through it downwardly along a vortical path and then upward, such air flow often carrying along a few particles. Such high-velocity particles impinge on the outer surface of the screen filter and many particles adhering to such filter are dislodged. The filter is said to thereby be 'purged' or cleaned. There may also be a third medium and even a fourth medium to remove very fine particles before the air is expelled back into the room. Other embodiments use an automotive, resilient foam or flat-element filter medium in place of or in addition to the conical screen filter.

Carpet cleaning machine for particulate removal

An improved machine convertible for brush-aided cleaning or vacuuming includes a pair of powered brushes counter-revolving for stroking solvent-dampened carpet cleaning particles through the carpet and along carpet fibers during initial cleaning. A separately-powered pod is detachable from the machine during brush-aided carpet cleaning and attached to a machine-mounted vacuum nozzle for carpet vacuuming to pick up the dirt-laden particles. The pod has first and second media selected to remove particles of differing sizes from air flowing through the pod. During initial carpet cleaning when vacuum is not needed, the pod may be detached and used in another area for hand-vacuuming carpeted stairs and other 'small-area' places.

Improved automatic surface-treating apparatus of the type supported by and traversing a horizontal surface unattended. The apparatus includes mobility members for movement in a principal direction and side-step members having rotational axes a given distance above the surface. Each side-step member has a first sector with a far periphery spaced from its axis by more than the given distance, and a second sector with a near periphery spaced from its axis by less than the given distance. This arrangement allows a single rotation of the side-step members to accurately lift and move the apparatus laterally through a predetermined distance, to a new surface-treatment path.

Growing community of inventors

Eureka, CA, United States of America

Stephen Jacobs