Abstract: A surface working apparatus includes a surface working head arrangement having a frame member and a plurality of surface working members arranged to depend therefrom in the direction of the surface to be worked, each of the plurality of surface working members being mounted resiliently relative to the frame member by one of a plurality of respective resilient mounting arrangements having a resilient member; and a surface working device with a support plate from which a surface working element is to depend from a lower surface thereof, the support plate includes an upper surface which has a central region with a recess provided for the receipt of a drive member for rotating the device, the recess including a formation for receiving a resilient member for engagement by the drive member.

Abstract: A combined floor scrubbing/floor burnishing apparatus comprises a machine frame (16) supporting a motor-driven surface-working head arrangement (27), a device (10) for selectively varying the pressure exerted by the head arrangement on the surface, and a unit means (40) for selectively varying the speed at which the head arrangement is driven by the motor so that the higher operational speeds required of the surface-working head arrangement can be readily achieved at the reburied lower application pressures and vice versa.

Abstract: A brush pressure control system for a cleaning, sweeping or scrubbing machine includes a machine frame (30) supporting a brush head arrangement (8, 27), an actuator arrangement (1, 10) for raising and lowering the brush head (27) mounted between the frame (30) and the brush head (27), and a resilient member operatively connected to the brush head and arranged to at least partially counterbalance the force exerted on the brush head (27) by the actuator (1, 10) when lowering the brush head (27).

Abstract: Cleaning or sweeping apparatus for example of the pedestrian type, has a suspension and preferably means for biasing the brush or brushes against the surface to be cleaned or swept, at a desired value and preferably at a controllably variable value. Long springs mounted in spring tubes which are compressed by an electrical actuator are the preferred option. Working pressures are measured and displayed on an operator's console and may be kept fairly constant despite uneven floors by a feedback control circuit. An operator may input a desired pressure and feedback can be used to tailor the working pressure to the chosen pressure input. An electronic control circuit included a microprocessor is described. With a controllable brush pressure the cleaning or sweeping machine is more adaptable, can be used for both heavy duty cleaning or scrubbing tasks and light sweeping tasks without the need to for resetting the machine in the factory and without wearing out the expensive brushes or damaging the floor surface.