Self-supported water sweeper

Abstract

A water sweeper for coupling to a hose connected to a water supply under pressure has a handle member including a manually operated valve. The handle member has a handle passage therethrough and the valve selectively blocks and passes water from the supply to the handle passage. The handle is held by an operator at the valve end and is connected to a cross member at the other end. The cross member extends to either side of the handle member having a cross passage therein which is sealed at each end of the cross member by end caps. Support means, such as casters, are mounted on the cross member toward each end thereof for supporting the cross member for substantially friction-free movement in any direction on an underlying surface. A plurality of spray nozzles communicating with the cross passage are mounted in the wall of the cross member with each emitting a flat spray pattern toward the underlying surface. The flat spray patterns overlap at the underlying surface for a predetermined elevation of the handle. Ones of the spray nozzle are located sufficiently close to each end of the cross member to reach a point on the underlying surface laterally beneath the extreme ends of the end caps so that the underlying surface may be entirely swept even when there are obstructions at the edges thereof. Another spray nozzle is located at the junction of the handle and cross passage which extends into the cross passage and serves to deflect flow from the handle passage laterally toward each end of the cross passage to thereby reduce head loss at the junction.