White Consolidated Industries, Inc.

National Union Electric Corporation

William E Hanold

Gregory W Luebbering

Kevin Genge

Richard Karr

William Phelan

David Erickson

Joseph E Palmer

A method for operating an upright wet extractor having a base and a handle. The base includes a floor cleaning tool and has a hand held cleaning tool permanently attached thereto. A motor fan unit is operated to generate a suction force and this suction force is selectively communicated to a suction inlet of one of the hand held cleaning tool and the floor cleaning tool. When the suction force is communicated to the hand held cleaning tool suction inlet, pressurized cleaning fluid is also supplied to that tool, and when the suction force is supplied to the suction inlet of the floor cleaning tool, a brush unit is rotated in the floor cleaning tool.

Method of operating a wet extractor

An upright wet extractor includes a base assembly, a manipulative handle pivotally attached to the base assembly, and a motor driven agitator brush. A cleaning solution dispensing tank is removably attached to the handle assembly by a pivotable latch member. In a floor cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by gravity from the dispensing tank to a floor cleaning spray nozzle through a supply tube which is controlled by a pinch valve. In an attachment hose cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by a motor driven pump from the dispensing tank to an attachment hose spray nozzle which is controlled by a trigger valve. A suction motor/fan assembly is carried by the base assembly which is selectively in fluid communication with a floor suction nozzle in the floor cleaning mode and an attachment hose suction nozzle when in the attachment hose cleaning mode. Conversion between the floor cleaning mode and the attachment hose cleaning mode is conveniently carried out by manual operation of a knob of multi-functional valve/switch assembly. The valve/switch assembly includes a valve member which diverts the flow of working air and a micro-switch which appropriately activates and deactivates the agitator brush motor and the pump motor. A recovery tank assembly which both separates liquid from air and stores the recovered liquid is removably secured within the base assembly below the suction pump and can be removed through the rear end of the base assembly. The suction motor/fan assembly includes a cooling fan which draws cooling air over both the pump motor and the motor of the suction motor/fan assembly.

Wet extractor system

An upright wet extractor includes a base assembly, a manipulative handle pivotally attached to the base assembly, and a motor driven agitator brush. A cleaning solution dispensing tank is removably attached to the handle assembly by a pivotable latch member. In a floor cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by gravity from an outlet of the dispensing tank to a floor cleaning spray nozzle through a supply tube which is controlled by a pinch valve. In an attachment hose cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by a motor driven pump from the dispensing tank to an attachment hose spray nozzle which is controlled by a trigger valve. A valve is provided in the outlet of said dispensing tank. The valve has a stem moveable between a closed position sealing the outlet and an open position providing fluid communication between the dispensing tank and the nozzle. A pin is mounted on the handle assembly and is adapted to open and close the valve by engaging the valve stem to move the stem to an open position when the dispensing tank is mounted on the handle assembly. A boot seal is preassembled with the pin and is mounted as a unit with the pin on the handle assembly to prevent leakage.

Reservoir assembly for wet extractor system

An upright wet extractor includes a base assembly, a manipulative handle pivotally attached to the base assembly, and a motor driven agitator brush. A cleaning solution dispensing tank is removably attached to the handle assembly by a pivotable latch member. In a floor cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by gravity from the dispensing tank to a spray nozzle through a supply tube controlled by a pinch valve. In an attachment hose cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by a motor driven pump from the dispensing tank to an attachment hose spray nozzle controlled by a trigger valve. A suction motor/fan assembly is carried by the base assembly which is selectively in fluid communication with a floor nozzle in the floor mode and a hose nozzle in the attachment mode. Conversion between floor mode and attachment mode is carried out by manual operation of a knob of a multi-functional valve/switch assembly. The valve switch assembly includes a valve member which diverts the flow of working air and a micro-switch which appropriately activates and deactivates the agitator brush motor and the pump motor. A recovery tank assembly which both separates liquid from air and stores the recovered liquid is removably secured below the suction pump and can be removed through the rear end of the base assembly. The suction motor/fan assembly includes a cooling fan which draws cooling air over both the pump motor and the motor of the suction motor/fan assembly.

An upright wet extractor includes a base assembly, a manipulative handle pivotally attached to the base assembly, and a motor driven agitator brush. A cleaning solution dispensing tank is removably attached to the handle assembly by a pivotable latch member. In a floor cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by gravity from the dispensing tank to a spray nozzle through a supply tube controlled by a pinch valve. In an attachment hose cleaning mode, cleaning solution is selectively supplied by a motor driven pump from the dispensing tank to an attachment hose spray nozzle controlled by a trigger valve. A suction motor/fan assembly is carried by the base assembly which is selectively in fluid communication with a floor nozzle in the floor mode and hose nozzle in the attachment mode. Conversion between floor mode and attachment mode is carried out by manual operation of a knob of a multi-functional valve/switch assembly. The valve/switch assembly includes a valve member which diverts the flow of working air and a micro-switch which appropriately activates and deactivates the agitator brush motor and the pump motor. A recovery tank assembly which both separates liquid from air and stores the recovered liquid is removably secured below the suction pump and can be removed through the rear end of the base assembly. The suction motor/fan assembly includes a cooling fan which draws cooling air over both the pump motor and the motor of the suction motor/fan assembly.

A hose coupling for detachably connecting one end of a cleaning tool hose to the suction inlet of a suction cleaner. The coupling includes a female coupling portion comprising a pair of circumferentially spaced, diametrically arranged flange portions on the margin of the suction inlet, and a male coupling portion comprising diametrically-spaced lug means on the end of the hose. The lug means are axially shiftable through recesses in the flange portions when the end of the hose is positioned for initial insertion into the inlet. After initial insertion, the end of the hose is rotated through a predetermined number of degrees to a locked, operative position in the inlet. A spring biased detent holds the end of the hose in its locked operative position, and a manually actuated push-button permits a user to disengage the detent from a receiving notch in one of the flange portions so that the end of the hose can be rotated to its initial insertion position and then withdrawn axially from the suction inlet.

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Bloomington, IL, United States of America

William E Hanold