Abstract: A floor scrubbing machine for tile and other hard surface floors has a low enough profile height that it can be operated bodily under furniture or equipment such as, for example, seats in fast food stores. This floor scrubber has three principle functioning components, comprising a tank for cleaning solution and means to apply that solution to the floor, a powered scrub brush to agitate the solution on the floor, and a vacuum pickup squeegee system which dries the floor after scrubbing by removing spent solution from the floor to an on board tank. Floor scrubbers are known which comprise the three above elements, but are too tall to operate under the seats of fast food stores, except with a remote wand attachment which is cumbersome and slow. Other floor scrubbers are known which are low enough to operate bodily in such places but lack a vacuum pickup squeegee system for drying the floor, and leave a hard surface floor unacceptably wet, or require following operations to dry it.

Abstract: This is an improvement for a powered floor scrubber which in use is moved forward and backward across a floor to be scrubbed. A scrub brush is rotated within a housing which is open at the bottom and water is supplied within the housing. The improvement consists of attaching double lipped suction squeegees at both the front and rear of the housing and connecting them both to a source of vacuum to suck up soiled water from the floor. The flexible squeegee lips are mounted in such a way that as the machine is moved forward the lips of the front squeegee fold together and shut off the airflow to it while the rear squeegee remains functional. When the machine is moved backward a reverse action of the squeegees occurs, so that there is always a functional squeegee sucking up soiled water behind the scrub brush while airflow to the opposite squeegee is shut off whether the machine is moving forward or backward.

Abstract: A method of control and a control circuit for use in connecting all or sub-parts of a battery supply to a battery driven motor includes relays connected between a motor and each sub-part of a battery supply; a timer having a predetermined time period and which changes its output condition at the end of each time period; a motor speed selector for selecting either full motor speed or a portion thereof; and a switch arrangement which interconnects the relays, timer and motor speed selector. The switch arrangement provides for a first sub-part of the battery supply to be connected to the motor when the selector is in a less than full speed position and when the timer has one output condition. A second sub-part of the battery supply is connected to the motor when the selector is in a less than full speed position and the timer has a second output condition. The relays connect the full battery supply to the motor when the selector is in a full speed position.

Abstract: A mechanism for controlling the speed and direction of a self-propelled machine, such as, for example, a floor cleaning machine, or the like. A rotatable control handle is provided and includes a speed control cam which moves a variable resistor slide member by means of a speed control arm connected to the cam follower. The variable resistor is connected between a battery power source and a propulsion motor to control the voltage to a speed control. The handle has a neutral position at which the machine is stationary, and rotation of the handle about its own axis in either direction will cause the motor to move the machine, the direction of rotation determining the direction of movement. The control handle carries a series of direction control cams which operate switches to control the direction of flow of current to the motor and thereby the direction in which the machine moves.

Abstract: A floor cleaning machine having drive wheels, scrub brushes, and cleaning liquid applying and pick-up means. The machine has a drive train including a drive motor, a drive axle assembly and the drive wheels. The drive train is mounted on a removable carriage which is slidable laterally of the machine while the latter is in operating position, to provide access to the drive train for maintenance and repair.

Abstract: A squeegee support assembly for automatic floor cleaning machines of the type having a housing, drive wheels, spaced holders for floor cleaning members mounted for powered rotation about a vertically disposed axis and a substantially crescent-shaped vacuum housing and squeegee blade carrying assembly mounted to the housing for articulated movement about a vertical axis which is located at the midpoint between a diametral line passing through the axis of the holding members.

Abstract: A scrubbing machine that includes an articulated vehicle having a power unit and a trailer unit coupled thereto, said trailer unit having cleaning and dirty solution tanks thereon, a squeegee assembly on the power unit having a central liquid take-up tube and a second take-up tube at one end portion thereof, controls operated by turning the vehicle in the appropriate direction for switching the application of vacuum from the central tube to the second tube, a scrubber head unit and an assembly for mounting and carrying the scrubber unit on the vehicle and raising and lowering the scrubber unit including an articulated joint to permit limited pivotal movement of the scrubber head about a generally vertical axis and an axis perpendicular thereto.

Abstract: A scrubbing machine that includes an articulated vehicle having a power unit and a trailer unit coupled thereto, said trailer unit having cleaning and dirty solution tanks thereon, a squeegee assembly on the power unit having a central liquid take-up tube and a second take-up tube at one end portion thereof, controls operated by turning the vehicle in the appropriate direction for switching the application of vacuum from the central tube to the second tube, a scrubber head unit and an assembly for mounting and carrying the scrubber unit on the vehicle and raising and lowering the scrubber unit including an articulated joint to permit limited pivotal movement of the scrubber head about a generally vertical axis and an axis perpendicular thereto.

Abstract: This is an improvement for a powered floor scrubber which in use is moved forward and backward across a floor to be scrubbed. A scrub brush is rotated within a housing which is open at the bottom and water is supplied within the housing. The improvement consists of attaching double lipped suction squeegees at both the front and rear of the housing and connecting them both to a source of vacuum to suck up soiled water from the floor. The flexible squeegee lips are mounted in such a way that as the machine is moved forward the lips of the front squeegee fold together and shut off the airflow to it while the rear squeegee remains functional. When the machine is moved backward a reverse action of the squeegees occurs, so that there is always a functional squeegee sucking up soiled water behind the scrub brush while airflow to the opposite squeegee is shut off whether the machine is moving forward or backward.

Abstract: This is an improvement for a powered floor scrubber which in use is moved forward and backward across a floor to be scrubbed. A scrub brush is rotated within a housing which is open at the bottom and water is supplied within the housing. The improvement consists of attaching double lipped suction squeegees at both the front and rear of the housing and connecting them both to a source of vacuum to suck up soiled water from the floor. The flexible squeegee lips are mounted in such a way that as the machine is moved forward the lips of the front squeegee fold together and shut off the airflow to it while the rear squeegee remains functional. When the machine is moved backward a reverse action of the squeegees occurs, so that there is always a functional squeegee sucking up soiled water behind the scrub brush while airflow to the opposite squeegee is shut off whether the machine is moving forward or backward.