Patents by Inventor Alfred H. Stegens

Alfred H. Stegens has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6779231
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll including a spindle rotated by a drive belt having grooves in its inner drive surface extending lengthwise around the belt, and a pulley formed in one-piece with the spindle, the pulley having a flat, smooth belt surface parallel to the spindle axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventors: Alfred H. Stegens, Eric A. Stegens
  • Patent number: 6760952
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll characterized by a bristle tufted arrangement that forms multiple dwell positions around the brushroll. In each dwell position, the majority of bristle tufts along the length of the spindle are out of sweeping contact with the carpet which allows the carpet to drawn upwardly toward the mouth of the vacuum cleaner nozzle. The up and down carpet movement that occurs during brushroll rotation enhances its cleaning performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens
  • Patent number: 6591440
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll having skirted, one piece plastic ferrules inserted into the ends of a tufted, wood spindle so that the ferrule skirts embrace the spindle end portions to prevent the ferrules from loosening upon expansion of the spindle due to moisture. The skirts are drilled to permit angled tufting to be inserted very near the spindle ends with the tufting extending axially and radially outwardly beyond the spindle ends to provide improved edge cleaning and create a wider cleaning path compared to conventional brushroll designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventors: Alfred H. Stegens, Eric A. Stegens
  • Patent number: 6591441
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll including a spindle, bristle tufts carried by the spindle, and sleeves fitted on the ends of the spindle, the bristle tufts including angled end tufts that extend through the sleeve outwardly beyond the ends of the spindle to provide a wide cleaning path and improved edge cleaning capability upon rotation of the brushroll. The sleeve on one end of the brushroll has a pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventors: Alfred H. Stegens, Eric A. Stegens
  • Patent number: 6574823
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll having angled tuft patterns effective to increase cleanability performance of the vacuum. The brushroll comprises a spindle and at least two patterns of bristled tufts. The patterns may be helical shaped rows. The rows may define tuft pairs, wherein each tuft in a pair is equidistant from a spindle each and shares a common sweeping path. A majority of the pairs are formed by tufts that are alternatively positioned at acute and obtuse angles to the spindle axis of the brushroll. Two tufts within a pair may be positioned at supplementary angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens
  • Publication number: 20030066149
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll having skirted, one piece plastic ferrules inserted into the ends of a tufted, wood spindle so that the ferrule skirts embrace the spindle end portions to prevent the ferrules from loosening upon expansion of the spindle due to moisture. The skirts are drilled to permit angled tufting to be inserted very near the spindle ends with the tufting extending axially and radially outwardly beyond the spindle ends to provide improved edge cleaning and create a wider cleaning path compared to conventional brushroll designs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventors: Alfred H. Stegens, Eric A. Stegens
  • Publication number: 20030066150
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll including a spindle, bristle tufts carried by the spindle, and sleeves fitted on the ends of the spindle, the bristle tufts including angled end tufts that extend through the sleeve outwardly beyond the ends of the spindle to provide a wide cleaning path and improved edge cleaning capability upon rotation of the brushroll. The sleeve on one end of the brushroll has a pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventors: Alfred H. Stegens, Eric A. Stegens
  • Patent number: 6003198
    Abstract: A brushroll having a pulley driven spindle with an end assembly at each end rotatably mounting the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle. On the pulley end of the spindle, a projecting pin is knurled at one end and inserted into the end of the spindle. An outboard portion of the pin is threaded. The knurling on the pin forms an abutment shoulder outboard of the end of the spindle. The drive pulley is threaded onto the threaded end of the pin until it contacts a bearing and presses it against the abutment shoulder, so as to prevent the pin from being jacked out of the spindle when the pulley is threaded onto the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens
  • Patent number: 5598600
    Abstract: An improved vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies. The end assemblies have bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle. Rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris. The improvement comprises the spindle being a hollow tubular member. Each of the end assemblies includes a plug fitted into a respective axial end of the spindle. The plug or spindle has ribs in a cylindrical surface which engage the material of the other of the plug or spindle to resist rotation between the spindle and the plug. One of the bearings has a first portion operably connectable with the plug. A relatively rotatable second portion of the bearing is operably connectable with a brushroll mounting structure of the vacuum cleaner nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens
  • Patent number: 5465451
    Abstract: An improved vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies. The end assemblies have bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle. Rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris. The improvement comprises the spindle being a hollow tubular member. Each of the end assemblies includes a plug fitted into a respective axial end of the spindle. The plug or spindle has ribs in a cylindrical surface which engage the material of the other of the plug or spindle to resist rotation between the spindle and the plug. One of the bearings has a first portion operably connectable with the plug. A relatively rotatable second portion of the bearing is operably connectable with a brushroll mounting structure of the vacuum cleaner nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens
  • Patent number: 5373603
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in the vacuum cleaner nozzle. The brushroll includes a spindle and improved end assemblies for supporting the spindle comprising a first member fixed to an end of the spindle, a relatively rotatable second member having a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, a bearing which is supported by the second member and in turn supports the first member and stub shaft structure for coupling the first member with the bearing. Either the first or second member has a pair of annular walls that are radially spaced apart to define an annular channel, while the other member has an annular skirt that extends into the annular channel to form a labyrinth thread seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens
  • Patent number: 5272785
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount said spindle in the vacuum cleaner nozzle. The brushroll includes a spindle and improved end assemblies for supporting the spindle comprising a first member fixed to an end of said spindle, a relatively rotatable second member having a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, a bearing which is supported by the second member and in turn supports the first member and stub shaft structure for coupling the first member with the bearing. Either the first or second member has a pair of annular walls that are radially spaced apart to define an annular channel, while the other member has an annular skirt that extends into the annular channel to form a labyrinth thread seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens
  • Patent number: 5193243
    Abstract: A brushroll having a spindle and a pair of end assemblies each including a thread guard, a shouldered stub shaft, a bearing and an end cap. The thread guards each include a pair of radially spaced annular wall portions which define channels opening outward from the spindle. The end caps have peripheral walls which extend into the channels defined by the thread guards to prevent threads loosened by the brushroll from fouling the brushroll bearings. Spools formed in the end caps cvapture threads flowing outwardly along the brushroll to prevent the threads from working their way back to the bearing. In a preferred construction, the spindle carries tufts which are angled toward the ends of the spindle in order to encourage the flow of threads toward the ends of the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Alfred H. Stegens