Debris vacuum selectively usable as a hand-held and wheeled unit

In combination:

• (a) a portable vacuum unit usable independently in a portable vacuum mode, said portable vacuum unit comprising:
• a housing defining an intake opening into which debris to be picked up is drawn and an outlet opening in communication with the intake opening;
• means for developing suction at the intake opening and for directing debris drawn through the intake opening to the outlet opening for expulsion thereat;
• and
• (b) a mobile support for the portable vacuum unit, said mobile support comprising;
• a frame;
• and
• wheeled means on the frame for facilitating rolling movement of the mobile support relative to a subjacent surface carrying the mobile support,
• there being cooperating means on the mobile support and portable vacuum unit for releasably holding the portable vacuum unit in an operative position on the mobile support wherein the portable vacuum unit intake opening can be used to develop a suction force to continuously draw debris toward said intake opening as said frame is moved over a subjacent surface on which the mobile support is carried,
• said portable vacuum unit being selectively releasable from the mobile support to allow the portable vacuum unit to be used in the portable vacuum mode independently of the mobile support.

A vacuuming apparatus comprising:

• a mobile support;
• a hood/shroud having an inlet opening, an internal chamber in communication with the inlet opening, and an outlet opening;
• means for mounting the hood/shroud to the mobile support so that the hood/shroud inlet opening is in close proximity to a subjacent surface on which the mobile support is carried;
• means for developing suction at the inlet opening of the hood/shroud to cause debris picked up at the hood/shroud inlet opening to be communicated through the hood/shroud chamber to the hood/shroud outlet opening;
• means for connecting a tube to the hood/shroud and for establishing communication between the tube connected to the hood/shroud and internal hood/shroud chamber;
• and
• means for selectively blocking the hood/shroud inlet opening to maximize suction developed in a tube connected to the hood/shroud in communication with the hood/shroud internal chamber.