Modular Street Sweeper
OwnerMirek Byczynskiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular street sweeper includes a pair of side brooms to sweep debris laterally inwardly from opposing sides of the sweeper and a pickup mechanism to convey the swept debris from the ground to a collection hopper. The pickup mechanism includes a conveyor module in which a main broom at a rear of the sweeper sweeps the debris forwardly onto a rotating conveyor and a vacuum module in which a vacuum head spans laterally across the sweeper in proximity to the ground and communicates with a fan to direct the swept debris into the hopper. The vacuum pick up module is interchangeable with the conveyor pickup module so that a single sweeper investment can perform both a spring function of sand collection with the conveyor and a fall function of leaf collection with the vacuum head.
Claims20
A vacuum pickup module arranged for use with a modular street sweeper comprising:
- a frame supported on wheels for rolling movement in a forward working direction along the ground in a longitudinal direction of the frame;
- a hopper supported on the frame;
- a main broom supported for rotation about a horizontal axis extending laterally across the frame spaced rearwardly from the hopper and arranged for engaging the ground at a bottom side thereof;
- the main broom being arranged to rotate forwardly at the bottom side;
- at least one side broom supported on the frame for rotation about a respective upright axis, said at least one side broom being offset laterally to one side of the frame;
- said at least one side broom being arranged to rotate laterally inwardly at a forward side thereof;
- and
- a conveyor pickup module comprising a chute and a conveyor rotatable within the chute and being arranged to be supported between the main broom and the hopper so as to convey debris from the main broom to the hopper;
- the vacuum pickup module being arranged to be interchangeable with the conveyor pickup module so as to be arranged to be supported on the frame, the vacuum pickup module comprising:
- a vacuum head having an opening arranged to span laterally across the frame in proximity to the ground;
- a fan having an inlet and an outlet;
- an inlet duct arranged to communicate between the vacuum head and the inlet of the fan, and
- an outlet duct arranged to communicate between the outlet of the fan and the hopper.
A modular street sweeper comprising;
- a frame supported on wheels for rolling movement in a forward working direction along the ground in a longitudinal direction of the frame;
- a hopper supported on the frame;
- at least one side broom supported on the frame for rotation about a respective upright axis, said at least one side broom being offset laterally to one side of the frame;
- said at least one side broom being arranged to rotate laterally inwardly at a forward side thereof;
- and
- a pickup mechanism arranged to convey debris from the ground to the hopper;
- the pickup mechanism being operable in a conveyor mode wherein there is provided:
- a main broom supported for rotation about a horizontal axis extending laterally across the frame spaced rearwardly from the hopper and arranged for engaging the ground at a bottom side thereof;
- the main broom being arranged to rotate forwardly at the bottom side;
- and
- a conveyor pickup module comprising a chute and a conveyor rotatable within the chute and being arranged to be supported between the main broom and the hopper so as to convey debris from the main broom to the hopper;
- and
- the pickup mechanism being operable in a vacuum mode wherein there is provided a vacuum pickup module comprising:
- a vacuum head having an opening arranged to span laterally across the frame in proximity to the ground;
- a fan having an inlet and an outlet;
- an inlet duct arranged to communicate between the vacuum head and the inlet of the fan;
- and
- an outlet duct arranged to communicate between the outlet of the fan and the hopper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.