Pickup truck mounted sweeper

A sweeper for roads, parking lots or like surfaces which is particularly adapted to be mounted upon a bed of a mobile vehicle comprising means for defining a hopper into which debris is adapted to be discharged, said hopper having a fore-aft axis to coincide to the direction of travel of said associated mobile vehicle, a pick-up head, means for supporting said pick-up head from said associated mobile vehicle in transverse relationship to the fore-aft axis of said hopper, said hopper and pick-up head each including an inlet and an outlet, first conduit means between said pick-up head outlet and said hopper inlet for conducting air-entrained debris from said pick-up head into said hopper, second conduit means between said hopper outlet and said pick-up head inlet for conducting air from said hopper to said pick-up head, means for generating a continuous recirculating stream of air along a closed path of travel including successively said pick-up head, said pick-up head outlet, said first conduit means, said hopper inlet, said hopper, said hopper outlet, said second conduit means, and said pick-up head inlet, means for centrifugally removing debris from the air stream during the travel thereof between said hopper inlet and said hopper outlet about an axis disposed generally parallel to said hopper fore-aft axis, said hopper being defined at least in part by a pair of side walls having upper and lower side wall portions, said lower side wall portions being in generally upstanding relationship, one of said upper side wall portions being of a curved configuration and projecting laterally beyond its associated lower side wall portion, and said centrifugal removing means being at least in part defined by said curved upper side wall portion.

A sweeper for roads, parking lots or like surfaces which is particularly adapted to be mounted upon a bed of a mobile vehicle comprising means for defining a hopper into which debris is adapted to be discharged, said hopper having a fore-aft axis to coincide to the direction of travel of said associated mobile vehicle, a pick-up head, means for supporting said pick-up head from said associated mobile vehicle in transverse relationship to the fore-aft axis of said hopper, said hopper and pick-up head each including an inlet and an outlet, first conduit means between said pick-up head outlet and said hopper inlet for conducting air-entrained debris from said pick-up head into said hopper, second conduit means between said hopper outlet and said pick-up head inlet for conducting air from said hopper to said pick-up head, means for generating a continuous recirculating stream of air along a closed path of travel including successively said pick-up head, said pick-up head outlet, said first conduit means, said hopper inlet, said hopper, said hopper outlet, said second conduit means, and said pick-up head inlet, means for centrifugally removing debris from the air stream during the travel thereof between said hopper inlet and said hopper outlet about an axis disposed generally parallel to said hopper fore-aft axis, means between said hopper inlet and said centrifugal removing means for separating debris from the air stream, said hopper being defined at least in part by a pair of side walls having upper and lower side wall portions, said lower side wall portions being in generally upstanding relationship, one of said upper side wall portions being of a curved configuration and projecting laterally beyond its associated lower side wall portion, and said centrifugal removing means being at least in part defined by said curved upper side wall portion.

A sweeper for roads, parking lots or like surfaces which is particularly adapted to be mounted upon a bed of a mobile vehicle comprising means for defining a hopper into which debris is adapted to be discharged, said hopper having a fore-aft axis to coincide to the direction of travel of said associated mobile vehicle, a pick-up head, means for supporting said pick-up head from said associated mobile vehicle in transverse relationship to the fore-aft axis of said hopper, said hopper and pick-up head each including an inlet and an outlet, first conduit means between said pick-up head outlet and said hopper inlet for conducting air-entrained debris from said pick-up head into said hopper, second conduit means between said hopper outlet and said pick-up head inlet for conducting air from said hopper to said pick-up head, means for generating a continuous recirculating stream of air along a closed path of travel including successively said pick-up head, said pick-up head outlet, said first conduit means, said hopper inlet, said hopper, said hopper outlet, said second conduit means, and said pick-up head inlet, means for centrifugally removing debris from the air stream during the travel thereof between said hopper inlet and said hopper outlet about an axis disposed generally parallel to said hopper fore-aft axis, said air stream generating means being at least in part defined by a rotary blade, said hopper being defined at least in part by a pair of side walls having upper and lower side wall portions, said lower side wall portions being in generally upstanding relationship, one of said upper side wall portions being of a curved configuration and projecting laterally beyond its associated lower side wall portion, and said centrifugal removing means being at least in part defined by said curved upper side wall portion.

A sweeper for roads, parking lots or like surfaces which is particularly adapted to be mounted upon a bed of a mobile vehicle comprising means for defining a hopper into which debris is adapted to be discharged, said hopper having a fore-aft axis to coincide to the direction of travel of said associated mobile vehicle, a pick-up head, means for supporting said pick-up head from said associated mobile vehicle in transverse relationship to the fore-aft axis of said hopper, said hopper and pick-up head each including an inlet and an outlet, first conduit means between said pick-up head outlet and said hopper inlet for conducting air-entrained debris from said pick-up head into said hopper, second conduit means between said hopper outlet and said pick-up head inlet for conducting air from said hopper to said pick-up head, means for generating a continuous recirculating stream of air along a closed path of travel including successively said pick-up head, said pick-up head outlet, said first conduit means, said hopper inlet, said hopper, said hopper outlet, said second conduit means, and said pick-up head inlet, means for centrifugally removing debris from the air stream during the travel thereof between said hopper inlet and said hopper outlet about an axis disposed generally parallel to said hopper fore-aft axis, said air stream generating means includes a rotary blade, said rotating blade having an axis which is generally coincident to said axis of said centrifugal removing means, said hopper being defined at least in part by a pair of side walls having upper and lower side wall portions, said lower side wall portions being in generally upstanding relationship, one of said upper side wall portions being of a curved configuration and projecting laterally beyond its associated lower side wall portion, and said centrifugal removing means being at least in part defined by said curved upper side wall portion.

A sweeper for roads, parking lots or like surfaces which is particularly adapted to be mounted upon a bed of a mobile vehicle comprising means for defining a hopper into which debris is adapted to be discharged, said hopper having a fore-aft axis to coincide to the direction of travel of said associated mobile vehicle, a pick-up head, means for supporting said pick-up head from said associated mobile vehicle in transverse relationship to the fore-aft axis of said hopper, said hopper and pick-up head each including an inlet and an outlet, first conduit means between said pick-up head outlet and said hopper inlet for conducting air-entrained debris from said pick-up head into said hopper, second conduit means between said hopper outlet and said pick-up head inlet for conducting air from said hopper to said pick-up head, means for generating a continuous recirculating stream of air along a closed path of travel including successively said pick-up head, said pick-up head outlet, said first conduit means, said hopper inlet, said hopper, said hopper outlet, said second conduit means, and said pick-up head inlet, means for centrifugally removing debris from the air stream during the travel thereof between said hopper inlet and said hopper outlet about an axis disposed generally parallel to said hopper fore-aft axis, said hopper being defined at least in part by a pair of side walls having upper and lower side wall portions, said lower side wall portions being in generally upstanding relationship, at least one of said upper side wall portions being of a curved configuration, and said centrifugal removing means being at least in part defined by said curved upper side wall portion.

A sweeper for roads, parking lots or like surfaces which is particularly adapted to be mounted upon a bed of a mobile vehicle comprising means for defining a hopper into which debris is adapted to be discharged, said hopper having a fore-aft axis to coincide to the direction of travel of said associated mobile vehicle, a pick-up head, means for supporting said pick-up head from said associated mobile vehicle in transverse relationship to the fore-aft axis of said hopper, said hopper and pick-up head each including an inlet and an outlet, first conduit means between said pick-up head outlet and said hopper inlet for conducting air-entrained debris from said pick-up head into said hopper, second conduit means between said hopper outlet and said pick-up head inlet for conducting air from said hopper to said pick-up head, means for generating a continuous recirculating stream of air along a closed path of travel including successively said pick-up head, said pick-up head outlet, said first conduit means, said hopper inlet, said hopper, said hopper outlet, said second conduit means, and said pick-up head inlet, means for centrifugally removing debris from the air stream during the travel thereof between said hopper inlet and said hopper outlet about an axis disposed generally parallel to said hopper fore-aft axis, means between said hopper inlet and said centrifugal removing means for separating debris from the air stream, said hopper being defined at least in part by a pair of side walls having upper and lower side wall portions, said lower side wall portions being in generally upstanding relationship, at least one of said upper side wall portions being of a curved configuration, and said centrifugal removing means being at least in part defined by said curved upper side wall portion.