The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 27, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 15, 1999
Sherman B. Frederick, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Mark D. Kinter, Spring Park, MN (US);
Richard Mark Pierce, Coon Rapids, MN (US);
Tennant Company, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A wheel supported sweeping machine includes a hopper which is movable between operating and non-operating positions and a conveyor which is adjacent the hopper and is similarly movable between a lower operating position and a raised non-operating position. There is a cylindrical brush mounted on the frame which directs debris into the conveyor, with the conveyor raising the debris for deposit into an opening in the upper end of the hopper, which is aligned with a similar opening in the conveyor. At times, debris may fall into the space between the conveyor enclosure and hopper. A debris collecting ramp is located beneath the hopper and extends upwardly and rearwardly toward the hopper from the conveyor enclosure. There is a seal between the ramp and conveyor enclosure which prevents debris from falling downwardly until the conveyor enclosure has been raised, at which time, the debris will be deposited by the ramp through a lower opening in the conveyor enclosure to an area in the front of the brush.