Automatic floor cleaning machine

An automatic, self contained and self propelled floor cleaning machine comprising a unitary, power driven body means having mounted thereon a propulsion means for supporting said body means and for dry tracking on the floor surface to be cleaned, scrubber means for wetting and cleaning the surface, said scrubber means including vertically movable brush means carried in cantilever fashion on said body means behind said propulsion means, and vacuum means for drying of the cleaned surface, said vacuum means including articulated squeegee means carried in cantilever fashion on said body means behind said brush means for proper tracking, said squeegee means being capable of vertical movement independently of said brush means;

• and control means operatively associated with said propulsion means, said scrubber means and said vacuum means for controlling actuation of said mechanism;
• wherein said body means include compartment means and rearwardly extending control housing means;
• said propulsion means include motor driven wheel means mounted below said compartment means;
• said scrubber means include detergent tank means in said compartment means, the brush means being motor driven and mounted below said compartment means behind said wheel means, and detergent dispensing means operatively associated with said detergent tank means and brush means;
• said vacuum means include dirty liquid tank means in said compartment means, motor driven fan means operatively associated with said dirty liquid tank means, articulated arm means carrying said squeegee means and mounted below said compartment means behind said brush means, and conduit means operatively associated with said squeegee means and fan means;
• and said control means include power source means in said compartment means and control circuit means operatively associated with said power source means, control housing means, wheel means, brush means and fan means.

An automatic, self contained and self propelled floor cleaning machine comprising a unitary, power driven body means having mounted thereon from front to rear in the normal cleaning direction of travel:

• a propulsion means for dry tracking on the floor surface to be cleaned, scrubber means for wetting and cleaning the surface, independently articulated vacuum means for drying of and proper tracking on the cleaned surface, and control means operatively associated with said propulsion means, said scrubber means and said vacuum means for controlling actuation of said machine wherein said propulsion means include wheel means mounted on each side of a generally horizontal longitudinal axis of said body means, and brake means normally biased out of operative engagement with said wheel means;
• and said control means include manually operated service lever means, transverse control handle means, and cable means operatively associated with said lever means, handle means and each of said brake means;
• said handle means being pivotable about said axis between a generally horizontal brake disengaging position relaxing tension on both of said cable means and oppositely inclined turning positions, each applying tension to the appropriate one of said cable means to overcome said bias and engage one of said brake means;
• said lever means being movable between a brake engaging position applying tension on both of said cable means to overcome said bias and a brake disengaging position relaxing tension on both of said cable means;
• said lever means and handle means being operable jointly whereupon movement of said lever means to said brake engaging position applies tension on both of said cable means to control speed of machine travel, while pivoting of said handle means to either one of said turning positions simultaneously increases tension on the appropriate one of said cable means to control direction of machine travel, as when necessary to both descend and turn on a steep inclined surface.