Scrubbing machine with liquid recirculation

A scrubbing machine comprising a frame, wheel means for supporting said frame on the ground, a scrubbing brush carried by said frame, liquid collecting means carried by said frame behind said brush, a recovery tank supported by said frame, a supply tank supported by said frame, a liquid pick-up line communicating with said liquid collecting means and with said recovery tank, exhaust means communicating with said recovery tank to exhaust air therefrom, and means for supplying liquid from said supply tank toward said scrubbing brush, the improvement comprising:

• a lid on said recovery tank forming an inlet passage for supplying air and liquid from said pick-up line to one end portion of said recovery tank, a baffle in said recovery tank, means forming a chamber in said lid for supplying air and liquid out of said recovery tank, over said baffle, and back into said tank, means forming an air outlet at another end portion of said recovery tank spaced from said one end portion, said outlet means communicating with said exhaust means to direct air from said recovery tank through said exhaust means, and means for supplying cleaned solution from said recovery tank to said supply tank.

A scrubbing machine comprising a frame, wheel means for supporting said frame on the ground, a scrubbing brush carried by said frame, liquid collecting means carried by said frame behind said brush, a recovery tank supported by said frame, a supply tank supported by said frame, a pick-up hose communicating with said liquid collecting means and with said recovery tank, exhaust means communicating with said recovery tank to exhaust air therefrom, and means for supplying liquid from said supply tank toward said scrubbing brush, the improvement comprising a separating wall in said recovery tank and forming first and second chambers in said recovery tank, means in said recovery tank forming a tortuous path for air and dirty liquid drawn into said tank by said exhaust means through said pick-up hose with dirty liquid being separated from the air and collected mostly in said first chamber, with dirt therein settling to the bottom and with cleaner liquid flowing over the upper edge of said separating wall into said second chamber, pump means for supplying liquid from said second chamber to said supply tank, a centrifugal extracting device located in said first chamber, and said pump means supplies the liquid from said second chamber through said extracting device to said supply tank.

A scrubbing machine comprising a frame, wheel means for supporting said frame on the ground, a scrubbing brush carried by said frame, liquid collecting means carried by said frame behind said brush, a recovery tank supported by said frame, a supply tank supported by said frame, a pick-up hose communicating with said liquid collecting means and with said recovery tank, exhaust means communicating with said recovery tank to exhaust air therefrom, and means for supplying liquid from said supply tank toward said scrubbing brush, the improvement comprising a separating wall in said recovery tank and forming first and second chambers in said recovery tank, means in said recovery tank forming a tortuous path for air and dirty liquid drawn into said tank by said exhaust means through said pick-up hose with dirty liquid being separated from the air and collected mostly in said first chamber, with dirt therein settling to the bottom and with cleaner liquid flowing over the upper edge of said separating wall into said second chamber, pump means for supplying liquid from said second chamber to said supply tank, said supply tank having a separate detergent tank therein, and a metering pump for supplying predetermined quantities of detergent to the liquid supplied from said supply tank toward said scrubbing brush.

In a scrubbing machine comprising a frame, wheel means for supporting said frame on the ground, a plurality of disc-type scrubbing brushes carried by said frame, a squeegee assembly carried by said frame behind said brushes, a recovery tank supported by said frame and having an inlet opening at one portion thereof, a liquid pick-up line communicating with said squeegee assembly and with said inlet opening of said recovery tank, exhaust means communicating with said recovery tank to draw air, liquid, and dirt from said squeegee assembly thrugh said pick-up line, said inlet, and into said recovery tank and for exhausting air from said recovery tank, a liquid supply tank supported by said frame, means for supplying liquid from said supply tank toward said disc-type scrubbing brushes, the improvement comprising a centrifugal extracting device in said recovery tank at the one portion thereof, line means connecting another portion of said recovery tank spaced from the one portion to said centrifugal extracting device and for connecting said centrifugal extracting device to said supply tank, and a pump separate from said extracting device for supplying liquid and dirt through said line means from said another portion of said tank to said centrifugal device and for supplying cleaned liquid through said line means from said extracting device to said supply tank.