US 4,356,583 AGranted

Liquid-operated reciprocating prime mover assembly and body washing apparatus incorporating same

OwnerLutz Wallasch, Helmut K. Grundlerinventors

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Abstract

A liquid-operated reciprocating prime mover assembly includes upper and lower reservoirs formed of interlocking cylinders enabling relative expansion and contraction of the interior volumes thereof, and a shuttle valve disposed intermediately and connectingly between the upper and lower reservoirs for receiving a stream of operating liquid and directing the same alternatingly between the reservoirs. As the liquid is directed to each reservoir that reservoir is caused to expand, carrying the shuttle valve in a first direction along a rectilinear path, while when fed to the other reservoir the liquid causes the valve to be correspondingly carried in the opposite direction along the path. A body washing apparatus incorporating the prime mover assembly further includes an operatively rotatable brush assembly carried along the rectilinear path and supporting a brush rotatable as the shuttle valve traverses the path for cleansing contact with a user's body.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A liquid-operated reciprocating prime mover assembly, comprising:

upper reservoir means for alternatingly receiving and discharging an operating liquid and being axially expandable in one direction as liquid is received therein and axially contractable in the opposite direction as liquid is discharged therefrom;
lower reservoir means for alternatingly receiving and discharging an operating liquid and being axially contractable in said one direction and axially expandable in said opposite direction as liquid is respectively discharged therefrom and received therein;
said one and opposite directions defining a rectilinear axis for reciprocation of said prime mover assembly;
valve means disposed intermediately and connectingly between said upper and lower reservoir means and including passage means communicating with the interiors of each said reservoir means for directing operating liquid from a supply source thereof alternatingly into said upper and said lower means to effect reciprocating movement of said valve means along said rectilinear axis;
and
cleaning brush means carried on said valve means for reciprocation along said rectilinear axis;
said valve means including discharge means for directing operating liquid alternately discharged from said upper and from said lower reservoir means through said valve means and onto said cleaning brush means for facilitating cleaning action of said brush means.

4 more elements

In an apparatus for facilitating cleansing of a user's body and including operatively rotatable brush means for reciprocation along a rectilinear axis, and rack means defining the rectilinear axis, the improvement comprising a liquid-operated prime mover assembly for carrying the brush means reciprocatingly along said rectilinear axis of the rack means, said prime mover assembly comprising:

upper reservoir means for alternatingly receiving and discharging an operating liquid and being axially expandable in one direction along said rectilinear axis as liquid is received therein and axially contractable in the opposite direction along said axis as liquid is discharged therefrom;
lower reservoir means for alternatingly receiving and discharging an operating liquid and being axially contractable in said one direction and axially expandable in said opposite direction as liquid is respectively discharged therefrom and received therein;
and
valve means disposed intermediately and connectingly between said upper and lower reservoir means and including passage means communicating with the interiors of each said reservoir means for directing operating liquid from a supply source thereof alternatingly into said upper and said lower means to effect reciprocating movement of said valve means and the brush means carried thereon along said rectilinear axis.

1 more element

In an apparatus for facilitating liquid cleansing of a user's body,

operatively rotatable brush means for reciprocation along a rectilinear axis,
rack means defining said rectilinear axis, and
liquid-operated prime mover means for carrying said brush means along said rectilinear axis and for reversing its direction of rectilinear movement at limit positions oppositely disposed along said axis, said prime mover means including upper reservoir means for alternatingly receiving and discharging an operating liquid and being axially expandable in one direction as liquid is received therein and axially contractable in the opposite direction as liquid is discharged therefrom, lower reservoir means for alternatingly receiving and discharging an operating liquid and being axially contractable in said one direction and axially expandable in said opposite direction as liquid is respectively discharged therefrom and received therein, and valve means disposed intermediately and connectingly between said upper and lower reservoir means and including passage means communicating with the interiors of each said reservoir means for directing operating liquid from a supply source thereof alternatingly into said upper and said lower means to effect reciprocating movement of said valve means along said rectilinear axis.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.