RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is a non-provisional application claiming priority from United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/303,037 filed on February 10, 2010, which is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001 ] The present invention relates to gutter brooms and gutter broom systems for use with surface cleaning vehicles such as street cleaning vehicles, sidewalk cleaning vehicles, and factory floor cleaning vehicles, and more particularly to such gutter brooms and gutter broom systems that are dustless and that are efficient in terms of air flow use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Various types of surface cleaning vehicles, such as street cleaning vehicles, sidewalk cleaning vehicles and factory floor cleaning vehicles, typically use gutter brooms to sweep along curbs, against the sides of building walls, and the like.

[0003] The surface cleaning vehicles typically has left and right counter-rotating gutter brooms each mounted on a laterally movable arm assembly directly in front of the surface cleaning vehicle. Typically, the gutter brooms range from about two feet in diameter to about four feet in diameter. Together, the two gutter brooms sweep an extended path that is wider than the surface cleaning vehicle.

[0004] There are a number of significant problems associated with conventional prior art surface cleaning vehicles that have gutter brooms. The most significant problem is that a substantial amount of airborne dust is created by the gutter brooms during the sweeping process. [0005] It is widely accepted in the industry that the containment of dust generated during the sweeping operation of the gutter brooms is extremely difficult, especially the containment of dust having a particle size under ten microns, without using water.

[0006] Recently, it has become increasingly important for environmental reasons to not just fully remove dirt and debris during a street cleaning operation, but to remove dust and other particulate matter, especially particles less than about ten microns. In many jurisdictions, there are strict environmental laws pertaining to the removal and containment, during a street cleaning operation, of particulate matter having a size of less than ten microns, which is essentially breathable particulate, with well known associated adverse health effects.

[0007] Indeed, surface cleaning vehicles with gutter brooms cannot contain fine particulate matter that has become airborne, without the use of water for dust suppression. The use of water for dust suppression is highly undesirable as it creates at least two problems. A covering of wet dirt, or essentially muck, remains on the surface behind the surface cleaning vehicle. During the warm months, when the water in this wet dirt evaporates, significant amounts of dried small particulate matter from the wet dirt become airborne, as caused by vehicles driving over it. Also, water cannot be used in cold winter months because the water tends to freeze on the surface being swept, thus creating unsafe conditions, and tends to freeze in tank, lines and water pipes, thus causing damage to the sweeping unit.

[0008] During the sweeping operation, gutter brooms create a considerable amount of dust. This dust travels freely in the ambient air. It is known in the prior to separately shroud the gutter brooms in order to contain this dust. The dust is suctioned away from the gutter broom by an air suctioning dust control system that is used to capture dust and debris.

[0009] Unfortunately, such shrouding creates two significant problems. The first problem relates directly to the purpose ofthe cleaning vehicle. The shroud generally precludes all but very small debris from reaching the gutter broom, resulting in the ploughing of debris, such as cans and bottles, leaves, and so on. Accordingly, it is known to leave open a portion of the shroud around the gutter broom in order to permit debris to be received by the gutter broom. While this sounds like a simple solution, it actually creates the second significant problem. The creation of an opening in the shroud around the gutter brooms causes a significant reduction in airflow pressure in the gutter broom shroud, thereby permitting the escape of fugitive dust and other fine particulate matter. Accordingly, the effectiveness of the dust suctioning system is significantly decreased, typically to a generally unacceptable level.

[00010] The second overall problem is also related to dust-laden air flow. It is of course necessary to filter the dust-laden air; however, it is common for dust filters to become readily clogged. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to minimize the amount of air flow through the filters, instead of merely presetting a level to a predetermined maximum amount.

[00011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle.

[00012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, wherein there is virtually no air borne dust that escapes into the ambient surroundings during use by the gutter brooms of the surface cleaning vehicle.

[00013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, wherein there is virtually no dust and fine particulate matter that escapes into the ambient surroundings during use by the gutter brooms of the surface cleaning vehicle.

[00014] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, that minimizes the amount of airflow required to control the dust and fine particulate matter in the gutter broom shroud.

[00015] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, that eliminates fugitive amounts of dust and fine particulate matter in the gutter broom shroud.

[00016] It is another object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, wherein there is virtually no air borne dust and particulate matter that escapes into the ambient surroundings during use by the gutter brooms of the surface cleaning vehicle, and wherein small debris is readily received by the gutter brooms. [00017] It is another object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, wherein there is virtually no air borne dust and particulate matter that escapes into the ambient surroundings during use by the gutter brooms of the surface cleaning vehicle, while still permitting the air suctioning or air recirculating system to function at its required capacity.

[00018] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, wherein the surface cleaning vehicle does not have to use water for dust suppression.

[00019] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, which dust-capturing gutter broom assembly is adjustable in order to effectively sweep various materials encountered on a surface during the sweeping process.

[00020] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust-capturing gutter broom assembly for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, which dust-capturing gutter broom assembly is adjustable by an operator during the sweeping process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[00021] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a novel dust- capturing gutter broom assembly for use on a surface cleaning vehicle having a longitudinal axis and drivable forwardly along the longitudinal axis when in use. The dust-capturing gutter broom assembly comprises mounting means for mounting the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly on a surface cleaning vehicle. A gutter broom is operatively mounted in depending relation from the mounting means for rotation about a generally vertically extending gutter broom axis. There is a motor for rotating the gutter broom. A gutter broom shroud is mounted in supported relation on the mounting means in surrounding relation to the gutter broom and defining a substantially hollow interior that houses the gutter broom. An air outlet in the gutter broom shroud permits the egress of dust laden air from the gutter broom shroud. In use, the gutter broom is rotated in contact with a surface being cleaned to thereby urge debris towards a central path with respect to the surface cleaning vehicle, thereby creating an ancillary volume of dust-laden air. A fan is connected in air flow relation with the air outlet of the gutter broom shroud, for causing the ancillary volume of dust- laden air to egress from the gutter broom shroud via the air outlet. A gutter broom filter filters the ancillary volume of dust-laden air. The gutter broom shroud defines a broom-presenting side opening for permitting said gutter broom to sweep against a lateral surface and a debris-receiving front opening for permitting ingress of debris into the substantially hollow interior of the gutter broom shroud. A movable member is operatively mounted on the gutter broom shroud for selectively altering the size of the debris-receiving front opening.

[00022] Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described herein below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00023] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly according to the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[00024] Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the first preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly according to the present invention, in use on a mobile surface cleaning vehicle, with the movable member in a lowered position;

[00025] Figure 2 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 1, but with the movable member in a raised position; [00026] Figure 3 is a top plan view of the first preferred embodiment dust-capturing gutter broom assembly of Figure 1; and,

[00027] Figure 4 is a top plan view of the second preferred embodiment dust-capturing gutter broom assembly according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[00028] Referring to Figures 1 through 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that Figures 1 through 3 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly of the present invention, and Figure 4 illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly of the present invention.

[00029] Reference will now be made to Figures 1 through 2, which show a first preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 20 for use on a surface cleaning vehicle 20 having a longitudinal axis and drivable forwardly along the longitudinal axis "L" when in use, and having a debris loading means 22 that produces a main volume of dust-laden air. The dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 30 comprises a mounting means for mounting the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 30 on a surface cleaning vehicle 20. The mounting means comprises a mounting arm assembly 34 that permits the dust- capturing gutter broom assembly 20 to track the profile of the surface being cleaned.

[00030] A gutter broom 40 is operatively mounted in depending relation from the mounting arm assembly 34 for rotation about a generally vertically extending gutter broom axis "G" that is close to vertical but is upwardly and forwardly tilted, as is well known in the industry.

[00031] A gutter broom shroud 50 is mounted in supported relation on the mounting arm assembly

34 in surrounding relation to the gutter broom 40 and defining a substantially hollow interior 51 that houses the gutter broom 40. The gutter broom shroud 50 comprises a roof portion 52 overlying the gutter broom 40 and a skirt portion 54 depending from the roof portion 52. The skirt portion 54 is flexible and is mounted in height-adjustable relation on the roof portion 52 by means of threaded fasteners. The gutter broom shroud 50 also has a rear portion 56 that extends downwardly to the level of the bottom of the gutter broom 40 so as to, in use, contact the surface being cleaned.

[00032] The gutter broom shroud 50 defines a broom-presenting side opening 68 for permitting the gutter broom 40 to sweep against a lateral surface and a debris-receiving front opening 60 for permitting ingress of debris into the substantially hollow interior 51 of gutter broom shroud 50. The debris-receiving front opening 60 and the broom-presenting side opening 68 are contiguous one with the other.

[00033] The dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 20 further comprises a movable member 70 operatively mounted on the gutter broom shroud 50 for selectively altering the size of the debris-receiving front opening 60. The movable member is movable for selectively altering the height of the debris-receiving front opening 60, and is generally vertically movable. In the preferred embodiment, the movable member 70 comprises a movable panel made from a material such as polyurethane and is mounted on left and right rails 71,72 for vertical movement to any selected vertical position between, and including, a lowered position as best seen in Figure 1, and a raised position as best seen in Figure 2. In the lowered position as shown in Figure 1, small debris may pass under the movable member 70; however, large debris, such a cans and bottles, and leases, and so on, is blocked from entry into the substantially hollow interior 51 of the gutter broom shroud 0, and debris is generally precluded from being swept out of the gutter broom shroud 50 by the gutter broom 40. Instead, the large debris is ploughed by the pick-up head. If there is a significant enough accumulation of large debris, it could actually travel over a pick-up head or a gutter broom shroud. The reasons for the movable member 70 to be in the lowered position are that only a minimum amount of air is suctioned through the debris-receiving front opening 60, thus maximizing the efficiency of the effectiveness of the dust suctioning system, which is not possible with a gutter broom system having a debris- receiving front opening with no control of the effective size of the debris-receiving front opening.

[00034] In the raised position as shown in Figure 2, large debris may pass under themovable member

70 for entry into the substantially hollow interior 51 of the gutter broom shroud 50, to be swept by the gutter broom 40, which is not possible with a gutter broom system having no debris-receiving front opening.

[00035] It should be understood that the operatively mounted includes being mounted on the gutter broom shroud 50 and alternatively elsewhere. The movable member 70 could be operatively mounted on a separate arm connected to the pick-up head for instance, and still interface with the gutter broom shroud 50 in the same effective manner as described herein, and still be considered as operatively mounted on the gutter broom shroud 50.

[00036] The dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 20 further comprises an actuation system as indicated by the general reference numeral 75 for actuating the movable member. The actuation system 75 comprises a hydraulic actuator 76 operatively connected to the movable member. The actuation system further comprises a manually operable controller 74 accessible by an operator of the surface cleaning vehicle 20. The manually operable controller 74 coupled to a hydraulic cylinder 76 mounted on the gutter broom shroud 50. The hydraulic cylinder 76 is coupled to the movable member 70 for vertically moving the movable member 70 to a desired height. The manually operable controller 74 is preferably mounted in the cab (not specifically shown) of the surface cleaning vehicle 20.

[00037] There is also a motor 41 for rotating the gutter broom 40. The motor for rotating the gutter broom 30 comprises a hydraulic motor 41, or alternatively an electric motor, mounted on top of the gutter broom shroud 50.

[00038] As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, there is an air outlet 58 in the gutter broom shroud 50 for permitting the egress of dust laden air from the gutter broom shroud 50. Preferably, the air outlet 58 is disposed in the top of the gutter broom shroud 50, but may be disposed elsewhere.

[00039] In use, the gutter broom 40 is rotated when in contact with a surface being cleaned to thereby urge debris towards a central path with respect to the surface cleaning vehicle 20, thereby creating an ancillary volume of dust-laden air. It is highly undesirable to have this dust-laden air escape from the gutter broom shroud 50, without being filtered.

[00040] A fan 80 is connected in air flow relation with the air outlet 58, for causing the ancillary volume of dust-laden air to egress from the gutter broom shroud 50 via the air outlet 58. The fan 80 is mountable on a surface cleaning vehicle 20 and is connected in fluid communication with the gutter broom shroud 50 by a conduit means 82. [00041] A gutter broom filter 84 is mountable on a surface cleaning vehicle 20 for filtering the ancillary volume of dust-laden air. The gutter broom filter 84 is connected in fluid communication with the fan 82 via the conduit means 84. The fan 82 and the gutter broom filter 84 are in series one with the other.

[00042] The dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 30 further comprises a leaf filter 86 connected in fluid communication between the air outlet 58 in the gutter broom shroud 50 and the filter 84. The leaf filter 86 may be cleaned out manually or may be suctioned to the main hopper (not shown) of the surface cleaning vehicle 20.

[00043] The first preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 30 further comprises an air pressure sensor 90 for sensing the air pressure in the substantially hollow interior of the gutter broom shroud 50, and control means 92 operatively connected to the fan 80 and the air pressure sensor 90 for controlling the flow of air through the fan 80. The air pressure sensor 90 comprises a helic gauge.

[00044] Also, the first preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 30 further comprises means 94 for sensing dust in the air within the substantially hollow interior of the gutter broom shroud 50, and control means 96 operatively connected to the fan 80 and the means 94 for sensing dust for controlling the flow of air through the fan 80. The means 94 for sensing dust comprises a fine particulate sensor.

[00045] It is also contemplated that the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 20 further comprises an air speed sensor mounted on the gutter broom shroud adjacent the movable member.

[00046] Reference will now be made to Figure 3, which shows a second preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing gutter broom assembly according to the present invention, as indicated by reference numeral 220. The second preferred embodiment dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 220 is similar to the first preferred embodiment dust-capturing gutter broom assembly 20, except that the gutter broom assembly 220 comprises two of the first preferred embodiment dust-capturing gutter broom assemblies 20 as discussed above. Additionally, there is also a main body 222 interconnecting the left and right gutter broom shrouds 224a,224b of the second preferred embodiment dust-capturing gutter broom assembly. Also, the air outlet 258 is disposed in one of the gutter broom shroud and the main body 222 for permitting the egress of dust laden air from the gutter broom shroud via hose 282. [00047] An alternative embodiment (not shown) is similar to the first preferred embodiment dust- capturing gutter broom assembly 20, except that the skirt portion is segmented. The various segments can be moved to adjust the width of the movable member.

[00048] An alternative embodiment (not shown) is similar to the first preferred embodiment dust- capturing gutter broom assembly 20, except that it further comprises a supplemental air inlet disposed in the gutter broom shroud, and duct means connecting the air outlet, the fan and the supplemental air inlet in fluid communication with one another, such that air from the supplemental air inlet is returned to the substantially hollow interior of the gutter broom shroud through the supplemental air inlet. The fourth preferred embodiment further comprises an air release outlet disposed in fluid communication between the filter and the fan, and a secondary fan mounted at the air release outlet for controlling the flow of air released from the air release outlet.

[00049] An alternative embodiment (not shown) is similar to the first preferred embodiment dust- capturing gutter broom assembly 20, except that the movable member is generally horizontally movable for altering the width of the debris-receiving front opening.

[00050] As can be understood from the above description and from the accompanying drawings, the present invention provides a pick-up head for use with a surface cleaning vehicle, wherein there is virtually no air borne dust created in use by the gutter brooms of the surface cleaning vehicle, wherein there is virtually no particulate matter created in use by the gutter brooms of the surface cleaning vehicle, that minimizes the amount of airflow required to control the dust and fine particulate matter in the gutter broom shroud, that eliminates fugitive amounts of dust and fine particulate matter in the gutter broom shroud, wherein small debris is readily received by the gutter brooms, wherein there is virtually no air borne dust and particulate matter that escapes into the ambient surroundings during use by the gutter brooms of the surface cleaning vehicle while still permitting the air suctioning or air recirculating system to function at its required capacity, wherein the surface cleaning vehicle does not use water for dust suppression, wherein the path of dust and debris that is created by the gutter brooms is always picked up by the pick up head, which dust- capturing gutter broom assembly is adjustable in order to effectively sweep various materials encountered on a surface during the sweeping process, and which dust-capturing gutter broom assembly is adjustable by an operator during the sweeping process, all of which features are unknown in the prior art. [00051] Other variations of the above principles will be apparent to those who are knowledgeable in the field of the invention, and such variations are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Further, other modifications and alterations may be used in the design and manufacture of the pick-up head for a mobile surface cleaning vehicle of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.