Buffer deck assembly and surface maintenance apparatus

Abstract

A buffer deck assembly for floor scrubbing, cleaning and polishing machines includes a displaceable buffer deck housing mounted to the machine through a substantially U-shaped mounting frame having a pair of sleeves that each slidably receive a cantilever support arm. The opposite end of each cantilever support arm is pivotally mounted to the machine frame through a yoke and pivot pin. Coil springs received around each support arm engage the end of the sleeves of the deck mounting frame and bias the deck to an operative position where proper tension is provided to the drive belt for the buffer brush or pad. When the buffer deck housing is displaced rearwardly from the operative position, tension on the drive belt is released and power to the buffer brush or pad is interrupted. A mechanism is also provided for raising and lowering the buffer deck housing. The raising and lowering mechanism includes two connecting rods fixed to a rotatable shaft. The connecting rods are connected to the buffer deck mounting frame by means of a lost motion coupling including a chain link and a connecting loop.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.