Floor treating machines

In a floor treating machine comprising a pair of driving wheels with independent speed control, a control tube mounted in a swivel joint to move differentially, a pair of independently movable manually operable control members mounted to move on parallel axes side by side on the machine, a cross member on the control tube and links connecting the said cross member to the control members with each of such control members being operably connected to an individual electrical component forming part of the speed control for one of the driving wheels, guide means to restrict the said control elements to fore and aft movement in relation to the machine, whereby synchronized movement of the control members provides equal adjustment of the wheel speeds, whereas differential movement of the control members provides a steering effect:

• the improvement of at least one damping device associated with each of the electrical control components to reduce the sensitivity thereof to fluctuating forces applied by an operator and a switch operating means mounted on at least one control member.