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US 4,378,611 AGranted
Multifunction cleaning and drying device
OwnerJames Ninehouserinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerJames Ninehouserinventor
Estimating the term…
This device is an apparatus that may be used for many different functions or purposes. It includes vacuum cleaning; it can absorb dry or wet material and accumulate it. In the case of dry material, such may be accumulated dry in a container of any desired size for later disposal. In the case of wet material that is free flowing, it may be discharged through an outlet, connectable to a hose or pipe by having standard hose connections thereon. It is provided with a container for receiving and accumulating the collected material, and, if the material is liquid, it may be discharged from the container as desired. The container is provided adjacent its bottom with a normally open switch operable when the liquid level is below it to operate the suction pump to refill the container automatically, unless a manually operable switch in the circuit thereto has been operated to electrically disconnect the suction pump. A high pressure fluid pump is connected to the discharge pipe for operation when desired to discharge the liquid contents at high pressure, rather than letting it discharge at normal pressure when valves in the discharge pipe are suitably opened.
A multi-function cleaning and drying apparatus 10 comprising a liquid container 12 having a closed cover 14 thereon, an air suction pump 22 and motor 24 mounted on and through said cover, said pump 22 having an air exhaust vent 26 therein extending externally of said container, a suction inlet pipe 16 having a vacuum hose connection 18 thereon, a drain pipe 20 connected to the bottom of said container 12, said bottom drain pipe 20 having a standard hose 46 connection thereon providing a liquid inlet, a pair of spaced-apart valves 48 and 50 in said bottom pipe 20, an outlet T-pipe 42 connected to said liquid inlet between its said spaced-apart valves, said outlet connecting T-pipe having a strainer 44 in its T-stem, a standard hose connection 54 at the end of said outlet T-pipe 42, a liquid high pressure pump and motor connected to said outlet by a pipe, a power circuit 30 connecting to both said pump motor 24 on its said cover 14 and to said high pressure pump motor 40, said circuit having a normally closed upper fluid level switch 28 extending into said container 14 at its normally high fluid level, said circuit having normally open low fluid level switch 32, adjacent the bottom of said container closed when in use but open when the fluid level is below it and connected to shut off said high pressure pump motor 40 when the liquid level is therebelow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.