Abstract: Chuck for use with manual or powered driver having rotatable shaft, the chuck including a bearing thrust ring fixed on the body and a self-contained anti-friction bearing assembly disposed adjacent the thrust ring. The chuck further includes a nut rotatably mounted on the bearing assembly in engagement with the threads on the jaws, and a generally cylindrical front sleeve in driving engagement with the nut and overlying the nose section of the body so that when the front sleeve member is rotated with respect to the body, the jaws will be moved thereby.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner main cleaning chassis has a pair of suction air channels leading from a principal suction area thereof. Suction force is provided in common in the air channels with a single suction motor. One of the suction air channels is adapted to receive an auxiliary cleaning hose which diverts the suction force in such air channel into the auxiliary hose. During such auxiliary cleaning, increased suction force may be created in the auxiliary hose by closing off air flow in the other suction air channel, which relieves part of the load on the common suction motor. Such relief results in increased rotational speed of the motor, which in turn correspondingly increases the suction air flow in the air channel associated with the auxiliary hose.

Abstract: A floating cleaner head used with a self-propelled front wheel drive floor cleaning apparatus, such as a vacuum cleaner. Both the forwardly located drive wheels and the drive transmission therefor are pivotably mounted on a bracket beneath the cleaner head. A skid plate attached to the bracket extends rearwardly from the bracket pivot to sense the carpet pile height of a floor to be cleaned. As the pile height increases, the bracket is pivoted so as to force the drive wheels deeper into the carpet pile which increases the propelling force. Additionally, since the drive wheels and transmission are located intermediate freely-rotatable rear wheels and a forwardly located rotary brush and nozzle area, operation of the skid plate also cause the entire cleaner head to float or pivot about the axis of the rear wheels so as to automatically adjust the elevation of the rotary bar and nozzle area.