The present invention relates to a shoe sole cleaner which comprises at least two parts: the machinery section and the essentially planar brush section. The purpose is to replace conventional boot-scrapers, grates and doormats by the apparatus of the present invention. A typical feature of the operation of the new shoe sole cleaner is that it does the cleaning automatically so that the user does not have to actively scrape his shoes to the aforementioned devices.

In wintertime, as well as in the damp spring and autumn weather, the problem both in private homes and in offices and large public facilities is that snow, sand and other such impurities are carried into the interior along with shoes, irrespective- of the shoe cleaning devices placed at the doorstep. It has also been noticed that only a fraction of customers entering for instance shops bother to wipe their shoes to the doormat or the like.

In the prior art, the solving of this problem has been attempted for example by means of the shoe sole cleaning machine introduced in the Finnish patent 22604. This apparatus is formed of a box-like housing and several shoe brushes that are fitted therein and rotate around their axes. The brushes are connected to an electric motor, and they are switched to operation every time the housing is stepped on. In addition to this, the apparatus comprises a vacuum cleaner, which is switched to operation simultaneously with the brushes. The purpose of the vacuum cleaner is to remove the dirt which is gathered inside the apparatus, so that for instance the brushes would not unnecessarily whip dust into the air. Although this apparatus is versatile and relatively well planned, the planning is not carried out to the end. Thus the apparatus is practicable only in facilities which are originally planned for its use and application. It must ^* be fitted, together with the machinery, into the floor construction, and its outer dimensions are determined

according to the specific location where it is used. The dust container of the apparatus is an unnecessary auxiliary device, which unreasonably increases the cost of the whole apparatus - although it cannot suck the litter and sand collected into the box placed under the brushes, but only the finely powdered dust. The aforementioned drawback is caused by the air leakages through the brush intervals, which effectively prevent the creation of sufficient suction.

The Norwegian patent No. 96305 also introduces a shoe cleaning machine, where an electric motor rotates a brush belt. The belt cleans the shoes of anyone stepping on the apparatus. Under the apparatus there is arranged either a removable, drainable trough or a separate conveyor which carries the sand and litter away. It is apparent that this apparatus is, like the ones above, fitted into the floor construction and thus meant to be installed already at the building stage. Therefore this kind of apparatus is not suited for replacing an ordinary doormat as a later installation.

The shoe sole cleaner introduced in the US patent 3,228,052 is likewise meant to be installed at a recess arranged in the building already at the building stage. In this apparatus, too, the cleaning of shoe soles is carried out by aid of a rotating brush belt. Similar cleaning apparatuses are introduced for instance in the Swedish patent 48271 and in the US patent 4,014,060.

A corresponding shoe sole cleaner, but provided with a different brush arrangement, is introduced in the US patent 4,313,238. In this apparatus, separate brushes sweep to and fro by intermediation of a complicated leverage. This apparatus is likewise meant to be installed in a recess.

In the apparatus introduced in the German patent 482221, the brushes move back and forth for example by means of a crank lever mechanism coupled to an electric motor. In other respects, the apparatus is also designed for installation in a recess.

As is apparent from the above description of the

prior art, there does not exist a previously designed shoe sole cleaner which would be suited for almost all possible facilites as a later installation, but nearly all of the specified apparatuses need a relatively spacious recess which is arranged for instance in the hall floor, into which recess the apparatus can be fitted. However, there exists a noteworthy demand for increasing the general standard of housing and cosy comfort afterwards, which cannot be met by means of the above described arrangements. Thus the conditions set for the apparatus of the present invention were, among others, that it must be installable to already existing facilities, it must be convenient for users, it must be extendable according to specific needs (cf. private houses, libraries, warehouses etc.), it must be economical in purchase price and consequently simple in structure, so that the maintenance, cleaning and removal would be easily carried out.

The characteristic novel features of the shoe sole cleaner fulfilling the above conditions are apparent from the appended patent claims.

In the following the apparatus of the invention and its other advantages are described in detail with reference to the appended drawings, wherein figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a shoe sole cleaner of the invention; figures 2a and 2b are partial longitudinal and transversal cross-sections of the apparatus of figure 1; - figures 3a and 3b illustrate a preferred embodiment of the power transmission and gearing arrangements for the shoe sole cleaner of the invention, seen in partial cross-section from the side and the top; figure 4 illustrates a large-size shoe sole cleaner formed of several connected cleaners of the invention; figure 5 illustrates a shoe sole cleaner with a wide construction; figure 6 illustrates a detail of the connecting joint between separate cleaners; figure 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of

the mechanism for moving the brushes; figure 8 is a perspective illustration of another shoe sole cleaner; figure 9 is a schematical illustration of the structure and operation of the apparatus of figure 8; figures 10a and 10b illustrate a preferred embodiment of a certain piece of machinery which is used in the cleaner of figure 8, seen in partial longitudinal and transversal cross-section; figure 11 illustrates the point B in the brush section of the cleaner of figure 8; figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the brush section of the cleaner of figure 8, seen along the line C-C; figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the brush section of the cleaner of figure 1, seen along the line D-D;

The shoe sole cleaner 1 of figure 1 is mainly composed of the machinery section 2 and of the brush section 3. According to the drawing, the machinery section 2 is advantageously coupled to the electrical network by means of the wire 4. The dimensions of the apparatus are for instance as follows: length, in the longitudinal direction of the machinery section 2, about 800 mm, total width about 1000 mm, and the width of the brush section about 800 mm, so that the apparatus can be fitted into ordinary hallways. An cleaner designed particularly for use in private homes could respectively be of the size 500 x 600 x 800 mm.

The brush section of the apparatus of the invention is advantageously low; its height h is for instance roughly 25-30 mm, so that the apparatus fits into the recesses meant for ordinary doormats for instance in shops and other such places. Similarly, in private homes the apparatus is placeable immediately adjacent to the treshold, so that the formation of any inconvenient platform is avoided.

According to figure 2, the machinery section 2 of the cleaner 1 comprises for example a gearing whereby

the rotation speed of the electric motor is reduced to be suitable for the brushes 9. The electric motor rotates the axis 5, wherefrom the motion is transmitted to the axis 6 for instance by intermediation of a belt 7 or the like. The employed transmission members can also be ordinary cog-wheels, chains or a cogged belt. From the axis 6, the motion is further transmitted for example by aid of the belt 8 to the axes 10 of the brushes 9. These axes 10 can be interconnected either by intermediation of chains, belts or cog-wheels, but advantageously so that the rotation directions of adjacent brushes 9a, 9b (arrows in figure 2b) are opposite. According to figure 2, the brush section 3 is formed of the brushes 9 and of the grill plates 11 fitted in between them, the said grill plates being the members that carry the weight of the user. A switch for switching the cleaner on and off can also advantageously be coupled to the grill plates 11. By aid of the switch, the apparatus is started while the grill plates 11 are pressed down, and respectively the operation is stopped when the grill plates rise up, for instance by aid of springs.

Figures 3a and 3b illustrate an advantageous embodiment for the brush and machinery sections of the invention. The brushes of the brush section are rotatable and they are arranged to rotate to opposite directions. The reference number 12 refers to the axis of the electric motor, which axis rotates the gear wheel 14 by means of the belt 13, and on the axis 15 of the said gear wheel 14 there is attached the belt wheel 17 of the belt 16. Moreover, the machinery comprises the guiding wheel 18, which guides the belt 16 to move horizontally nearly at the same level as the brush rods 19. Furthermore the machinery comprises, at the other end of the machinery section 2, another guiding wheel (not illustrated in the drawings), which guides the belt 16 to pass via the axes 19a of the brush rods. The brushes are made to rotate to opposite directions by arranging the belt to pass in turn under, over and in between the axes 19a. Another solution is to provide each brush rod with a separate belt wheel.

in which case a thin belt, for instance a V-belt, can be employed. The first arrangement is, however, remarkably more economical as regards manufacturing costs.

The-machinery itself is encased within the box 20, the structure whereof is seen in more detail in figure 3b. The axes 19a of the brush rods are attached with bearings to the perforated fillets 21, 24 or the like located on both sides of the box, which fillets are advantageously made of plastic. The end plate 22 of the box 20 prevents the axes 19a from moving in the axial direction. On the other side of the box, the end plate 25 is provided with holes for the axes 19a, through which holes the axes are pushed out to the extent that the brush rods 19b proper can be fastened thereto by means of the coupling sleeves 23. The brush section 3 itself is advantageously connectable to the machinery section 2 by means of fast couplings attached to the end plates 24 and 25.

As is seen in figure 4, several cleaners of the present invention can be interconnected in order to create large units, for instance to the entrances of warehouses and other such places. Figure 4 also shows how the apparatuses can be attached to the floor by means of hinges 30. By using hinges, two advantages are gained: thereby the cleaners are kept in place, and the cleaning of the area underneath the cleaners is easily carried out by lifting the cleaners to an upright position supported with the hinges. According to the drawing, it is possible to compile a large cleaner for instance of the size 2400 x 2000 mm, which is sufficient for even a large crowd of users.

As for figure 5, there is illustrated another possibility for interconnecting the apparatuses of the invention to the same purpose as in figure 4. In this embodiment the brush sections 3a and 3b are coupled together without the machinery section of the second brush section, provided only with the machinery section 2a of the first brush section 3a, whereas in the application of figure 4 each brush section 3 was provided with a

respective machinery section 2.

Figure 6 illustrates how the brush ^' sections 3a, 3b of the cleaner are interconnected so that the power transmission from one brush section to another is successively carried out. It is apparent from the drawing that the left-hand side brush section 3 ends to a side bar 26a, which serves, either in accordance with figure 2 as the bearing point of the end axis 27, or as the second bearing point of the connecting axis 28. In both cases the brush rod 29a of the brushes 9 is connected to the axis 27 or 28 provided with bearings, by aid of a connecting sleeve 23; 23a, 23b, which allows for axial motion. The connecting sleeve 23 may be a spring coil, a metal, rubber or plastic sleeve or a similar member. At the edge of the second brush section 3b, there is in similar fashion provided a side bar 26b, whereto the connecting axis 28 is journalled. The coupling to the brush rod 29b is realized in similar fashion as in the left-hand side brush section, i.e. by aid of the connecting sleeve 23b.

Figure 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the machinery section 2 of the cleaner of the invention, wherein the brushes are moved axially. In this case there is created, by means of the power unit such as an electric or hydraulic motor, and by intermediation of for instance a crank lever mechanism, a longitudinal back and forth motion A for the cam bar 31. The brush rods 33 conforming to the cams 32 of the cam bar 31 thus assume an axial motion. The back and forth motion of the brush rods is provided for by the springs 34 arranged at the opposite ends of the said rods, which always return the rods, along the surface of the cam bar, back to the initial position.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the cam bar of the machinery section is replaced by a bar extending over the length of the whole machinery section 2, which bar is affected by the wobblers ^* located on the axis of the electric motor so that the wobblers set the brush rods to a corresponding axial

motion. The same springs which were introduced in the previous embodiment are also here suitable for returning both the brush rods and the shifting bar to the initial position.

In the above described embodiments of the invention, the motion of the brushes is particularly advantageous. The grooves provided in shoe soles are generally transversal, so that the motion in question cleans the grooves thoroughly and does not gather snow or the like only to the far end of the elongate groove. The length of the working impact required by this task, i.e. the height of the cams 32 of the cam bar 31, may be even below 10 mm. Even 7 mm is sufficient - it has proved to clean the sole to a satisfactory degree provided that the brushes are stiff enough, and that the bristles are short.

Instead of the aforementioned brush rods, it is possible to employ brush belts which wipe the shoe soles transversally. It is advantageous that the brush belt is formed of several narrow bands, in which ^' case the cleaning efficiency of the belt is remarkably better than with wide bands.

On the other hand, it is also possible to arrange the said brush rods to move in the vertical plane, in which case comparatively long bristles must be used in order to achieve a proper cleaning. A wide scale of variation is allowed for the brush rods themselves. The bristles may be arranged in between two flat irons which are riveted or otherwise fastened to each other. The bristles may also be installed in a perforated pipe, or a bristle cloth may be glued on top of the pipe. The bristles may be arranged in between angle irons, which irons are then riveted or otherwise fastened to each other. Furthermore, the bristles may be arranged in between twisted metal wires (cf. bottle brushes or the like) .

Figure 8 illustrates another different embodiment for the shoe sole cleaner 1 of the invention. This cleaner comprises the machinery section 2 and the brush section 3. In this case the machinery section 2 is

fastened to the wall. It contains an electric motor which is connected to the electric network by means of the wire 4. The electric motor runs the hydraulic power transmission machine, which in turn is coupled by pipes 35 to the brush section 3. The brush section 3 contains a piston and cylinder combination whereby the brush rods are made to move in a desired, circling back and forth motion, either in the axial direction or in a direction vertical to the axis.

The brush section 3 is installed to a suitable place near the entrance door. At a suitable height. In between the brush section 3 and the entrance door, there is placed the photocell 41, by means of which the electric motor and the connected brush section 3 are switched to operation when somebody steps in through the door.

The principle of operation for the shoe sole cleaner of figure 8 is apparent from figure 9. The wobbler 38 located on the axis 37 of the electric motor moves the piston or pistons 39 located on the opposite sides of the wobbler and belonging to the hydraulic power transmission machine 40, so that the liquid in the pipes 35 flows, owing to the effect of the two pistons, in turn in opposite directions to the time of the rotating motor. The cylinders 42, wherein the pistons 39 moved by the wobbler 38 are located, are fastened in a stationary fashion for instance to the housing of the machinery section and coupled, by intermediation of the pipes 35; 35a, 35b, to the third cylinder 43, one pipe 35a to one side of the piston 44, and the second pipe 35b to the other side of the same piston 44. The liquid moving back and forth to the time of the rotating motor makes the piston 44 of the third cylinder to move to the same rhythm. As the cylinder 43 is permanently attached to the housing of the brush section, the impetus for the brush rods is obtained from the back and forth vibrating piston 44 by intermediation of the piston rods 45. The liquid can be conducted into the cylinder 43 also through the piston rods 45, in which case the piston rods 45 are permanently fastened to the brush section, and the

cylinder 43 moves and the impetus for e rus ro s s obtained therefrom.

In order to avoid a liquid deficit in the hydraulic power transmission machine 40, to either of the liquid pipes 35 there is coupled a countervalve 46, which is connected to the tank 47, wherefrom fresh liquid is automatically fed into the machine via the countervalve 46 if a liquid deficit tends to arise in the pipes or in the cylinder. The piston 44 of the cylinder 43 serving as the vibrating member is not absolutely compact, in order to allow the liquid and the pressure to be balanced throughout the system. This minor leakage is not of essential importance in the operation or efficiency of the hydraulic power transmission machine, because the vibration frequency is so high - for instance 10 Hz - that the leakage has not time to affect the motion.

The hydraulic power transmission machine 40 of the above described type has the advantage that the power unit, i.e. the machinery section 2 (the motor and the pistons moved by the wobblers) can be placed apart from the vibrating members proper, i.e. from the third piston and cylinder combination, even to a distance of several meters, and the vibrating member itself fits into a small, essentially low space in connection with the brush section 3.

Figures 10a and 10b are detailed illustrations of a preferred embodiment of the machinery section 2 of the shoe sole cleaner of the invention, as represented in figure 8. The electric motor 36 is attached to the oil chamber 49 by aid of the flange 48. The axis 37 of the electric motor 36 is provided with the first cog-wheel 50, and the auxiliary axis 51, which is journalled in between the walls of the oil chamber 49 with bearings 52, 53, is provided with the second cog-wheel 54. By means of the cog-wheels 50, 54, the rotating speed of the motor is adapted to be suitable for the hydraulic power transmission machine. In this case the employed wobbler is a round disc 55, which is eccentrically fastened onto the auxiliary axis 51. It may also be elliptical in shape.

Within the oil chamber 49, there are attached, on the opposite sides of the disc 55, the first and second cylinder 42a and 42b, whereto the pistons 39a, 39b are respectively fastened. The piston ends are arranged to comform to the circumference of the disc 55. The cylinder chambers of the cylinders 42a, 42b are connected to the pipes 35a, 35b respectively, and the pipes are further connected to the brush section 3.

One of the pipes 35a, 35b is advantageously connected both to the feed valve 56 and to the bottom of the oil chamber 49. Through the feed valve 56 the oil pipes 35a, 35b and the hydraulic power transmission system are filled with oil. Through the bottom service link 57, any oil deficit in the system is rapidly made up for by the oil from the oil chamber.

The feed valve 56 and the bottom service link 57 comprise the first connecting T-piece 58, the first back¬ pressure valve 59, the second connecting T-piece 60, the second back-pressure valve 61 and the service pipe 62 connected the the bottom of the oil chamber 49. To one of the connecting T-pieces there is coupled the cylinder or sleeve 63 and further, by means of threadings, the manually pressed piston pump 64. The pump 64 can be removed by winding, and replaced, similarly by winding, by an oil feed pipe from a suitable external tank. On the other hand, the system may also be filled from the oil chamber 49 by aid of the piston pump 64, and the oil chamber in turn through a suitable inlet or valve.

In practice the feed valve 56 and the bottom service link 57 are operated as follows. Let us assume that the oil chamber 49 is filled with oil, and that the rest of the hydraulic power transmission system is completely without oil. The piston pump 64 is now in the internal position according to figure 10b. When the piston is drawn out to the external position, the pressure within the sleeve 64 and in the connecting T-piece 60 is reduced, so that the valve 61 is opened due to the pressure in the oil chamber 49, and the T-piece 60 and the

sleeve 63 are filled wi h oi . W en e p s on o e piston pump 64 is now pushed in, to the internal position, the pressure in the T-piece and in the sleeve grows and surpasses the pressure in the pipe 35a and in the whole system, so that the valve 59 is opened and the oil flows from the sleeve into the pipe 35a and further on. Simultaneously the second valve 61 is closed, and the oil has no access back to the oil chamber 49. By repeating the same procedure with the piston pump 64, the pipes 35a, 35b and the connected cylinder chambers are filled with oil, or any possible deficits owing to leakages are made up for by adding oil into the system.

The pipes 35; 35a, 35b are connected to the brush section 3 of the cleaner 1, as is apparent from figure 8. The brush section 3 is provided with the third cylinder 43 and the third piston 44 of the said cylinder, as is schematically illustrated in figure 9. Figure 11 illustrates the point B of the brush section 3 of figure 8. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the piston 44 and the connected piston rod 45 are in a stationary fashion attached to the housing of the brush section 3. The pipes 35a, 35b are connected to the channels 65a, 65b of the piston rod 45 respectively. The first channel 65a opens into the cylinder space located on the left-hand side of the piston 44, and the second channel 65b opens to the cylinder space located on the right-hand side of the piston 44. The moving cylinder 43 is permanently fastened to the transmission shaft 66, having the same width as the brush section 3, and the brush rods 10 and the brushes 9 fastened thereto are moved by aid of the said transmission shaft 66.

The transmission shaft 66 is connected to the brush rods 10 for instance in the following fashion. The brush rods 10 are connected, by aid of the connecting sleeves 23, to the adapter pieces 67. These are journalled to the transversal support bar 68 of the brush section 3. The end of each adapter piece 67 is advantageously provided with a flange or with an extension, where a pin 70 or similar bracket is placed

eccentrically. The pin 70 is advantageous y prov e w a sensitive rotating roller 71 or bearing, or it can be provided with a suitable sliding surface. The pin 70 with roller 71 is fitted to move along the vertical groove 72 or the like of the transmission shaft 66.

When the transmission shaft 66 vibrates, along with the cylinder 43, from one extreme position to the other, the rollers 71 move vertically along the grooves 72 and circle, due to the eccentric position of the pins 70, around the brush rods by intermediation of the adapter pieces 67, also between the two extreme positions. The vibrating back and forth motion of the .transmission shaft 66 may be roughly between 5-10 mm, whereby the brushes 9 and the brush rods 10 are wound 45-90° around their axes.

In the other end of the brush section 3, opposite to the transmission shaft 66 , the brush rods 10 are fitted within the sleeves 73, which are fastened to the end piece 74. Inside the sleeves 73 there are also provided springs 75, which press the brush rods 10 and the adapter pieces 67 against the transmission shaft 66 so that the pins 70 are kept in place in the grooves 72 of the transmission shaft 66. If it is desired that the brush section 3 should be extended by another brush section, then for instance the embodiment of figure 6 is applied instead of the sleeve 73.

As is apparent from the above specification, the apparatus of the invention has many preferred embodiments, and below we shall have a closer look at a few more of these. First, it is typical of the arrangement of the invention that the apparatuses form a kind of a model series, so that several similar or nearly similar apparatuses can be compiled into a unit larger than one on the basis of the module principle. In the embodiments of figures 4 and 8, all modules are similar except for- the fact that, only one module is provided with an electric wire, whereas the rest are connected to the net via module connectors. Consequently, in principle two different kinds of apparatuses are needed in this embodiment, but it does not by any means complicate the manufacturing of the

appliances. Electric couplings are in any case made completely manually by professionals.

On the other hand, the arrangement of figure 5 is formed of two different types of elements, but here the right-hand element, i.e. the brush section only, corresponds to the brush section of the left-hand element, so that the actual differences in the two elements are the side bars which are as such replaceable members. Thus the module principle in the embodiments of the present ivention is carried as far as possible without weakening the practicability of the product. There are indeed needed only a number of machinery sections and a number of brush sections, and the various connectors needed for the assembling of different variations can be covered with separate removable plugs, fillets or lids.

Another advantage of the apparatus of the present invention is that it is easily maintained and cleaned. The brush rods are easily removed and replaced by first removing the connecting sleeves 23 by drawing them aside with respect to the connecting joint. The joint itself is advantageously made for instance so that the end of one rod is provided with a slot, and the end of the other rod is provided with a corresponding bracket. The cleaning of the apparatus, i.e. the removal of the litter and sand gathered under the cleaner, is carried out either by lifting the apparatus to an upright position supported with hinges, or so that under the apparatus there is provided a separate low drawer, where the sand etc. is collected. Similarly, if the machinery part goes out of order it can advantageously be removed and replaced without having to replace the whole cleaner.

When the above introduced appartus of the present invention is compared to the prior art, it is easy to notice that the cleaner of the invention has all the advantages of the prior art devices, and in addition to this, there are provided a number of previously unknown improvements which considerably help in the installation and use of the apparatus, so that the apparatus compiled of similar elements can be used both in private homes and

in small and large public facilities. Moreover, the module construction of the invention allows for large production series and consequently a low purchase price, wherefore the cost of the apparatus is quickly redeemed in saved labour and reduced floor cleaning expenses.

It is, however, pointed out that the above specification contains the description of only a few preferred embodiments of the invention, and the purpose is by no means to limit the scope of the invention further than what is suggested in the appended patent claims. Thus for instance the machinery section 2 can be replaced by a low connecting member, having the same thickness as the brush section, and by a machinery section connected only to this connecting member. In structure the connecting member may be an elongate U-pipe provided with a removable lid. Therein there is fitted a cam or cog bar, wire rope or the like, whereby the power is transmitted from a suitable motor to the cleaning brushes. The employed actuator for the machinery section can, instead of the electric motor or in addition to it, be an actuator operated with hydraulic pressure, as is suggested above. Moreover, some other type of motor or hydraulic machine can also be employed.