Abstract: A vacuum cleaner and a method for constructing a vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner utilizes interchangeable detent bars having different numbers of detents thereon to selectively determine the number of height adjustment selections the vacuum cleaner will have. The vacuum cleaner includes a chassis, a detent bar attached to the chassis, a cam member slidably mounted to the chassis and a wheel retainer with laterally spaced wheels thereon. The wheel retainer is pivotally mounted to chassis such that the wheels may pivot toward and away from the chassis. The wheel retainer has a cam follower surface thereon which operatively cooperates with a cam surface on the cam member to raise and lower the wheels relative to the chassis as the cam member is moved. The cam member has a finger selectively engageable with individual detents on the detent bar to selectively laterally position the cam member relative to the chassis and thereby selectively establish the height of the chassis from a floor surface.

Abstract: A vacuum power head is provided which has a bare floor feature. A vacuum cleaner head assembly defines a vacuum chamber which contains a power driven rotary brush. Located outside of the vacuum chamber adjacent the rotary brush is a generally U-shaped trailing brush. The trailing brush cooperates with a height adjustment mechanism which is movable between a deep carpet position and a bare floor position. As the height adjustment mechanism of the head assembly is moved toward the bare floor position, the trailing brush is automatically moved to an extended position into engagement with the floor. When the height adjustment mechanism is moved from the bare floor position, a biasing means biases the trailing brush toward a retracted position within the head assembly. An actuator cooperates with the height adjustment mechanism to automatically move the trailing brush between the retracted position and the extended position in response to movement of the height adjustment mechanism.

Abstract: An electrical implement having a bypass mechanism for controlling a variable speed motor is disclosed. The implement includes a tool, a variable speed electrical motor activatable for driving the tool, a housing supporting the motor and tool, and a control knob for controlling the speed of the motor. The control mechanism includes an on/off switch and a variable speed control circuit. The variable speed control circuit includes a variable resistance rheostat and bypass switch. The control knob controls whether the bypass switch causes current to bypass the rheostat to operate the motor at a predetermined speed or else whether the resistance in the rheostat is variable to change the speed of the motor. The control mechanism includes a cantilevered beam engageable by the control knob to operate the bypass switch. The cantilevered beam is sufficiently flexible to allow for large deflections while placing only limited force across the bypass switch.

Abstract: A vacuum power head is provided which has a bare floor feature. A vacuum cleaner head assembly defines a vacuum chamber which contains a power driven rotary brush. Located outside of the vacuum chamber adjacent the rotary brush is a generally U-shaped trailing brush. The trailing brush cooperates with a height adjustment mechanism which is movable between a deep carpet position and a bare floor position. As the height adjustment mechanism of the head assembly is moved toward the bare floor position, the trailing brush is automatically moved to an extended position into engagement with the floor. When the height adjustment mechanism is moved from the bare floor position, a spring biases the trailing brush toward a retracted position within the head assembly. An actuator cooperates with the height adjustment mechanism to automatically move the trailing brush between the retracted position and the extended position in response to movement of the height adjustment mechanism.

Abstract: A noise reduction system is provided for use with an upright vacuum cleaner. The noise reduction system is intended to be used with a rigid filter bag body-type vacuum cleaner wherein a fixed housing and a removable cover cooperate to enclose a cavity. The cavity houses a dirty air inlet which is in communication with a head assembly of a vacuum cleaner. A filter bag is contained within the cavity and cooperates with the dirty air inlet so as to filter exhaust air and retain debris contained therein. A muffler is contained within the cavity and spaced from the dirty air inlet. The muffler cooperates with the housing to form a baffle chamber The muffler defines a plurality of air entrance apertures which allow air to flow from the cavity into the baffle chamber. Both the muffler and the housing have a series of baffles formed generally parallel aligned which are interleaved and juxtaposed when the housing and the muffler cooperate to form the baffle chamber.

Abstract: A rotary bearing is disclosed for pivotably connecting a journal to a similar cylindrical saddle formed in a chassis member. The rotary bearing is provided with an annular sleeve having inner surface sides to freely rotatably cooperate with the journal. The annular sleeve outer surface has affixed to it an arcuate flange extending radially outward and about a limited portion of the sleeve periphery. The flange includes a relatively thin web section and a thicker head portion spaced radially outward therefrom to enable the flange to interconnect with the arcuate slot formed in a semi-cylindrical saddle surface. The rotary bearing can be quickly installed and removed without the use of fasteners or installation tools and is particularly suitably adapted for use in mounting an upright vacuum motor/fan assembly to the cleaner head chassis.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner having an off-the-floor suction hose attachment port located in the passageway connected to the agitator chamber or front nozzle with a suction generating means, and having a sliding door for closing off the passageway intermediate the chamber and hose attachment port during off-the-floor operation, which door is automatically returned to its initial position opening the passageway when the operating handle position is altered to allow on-the-floor operation. The agitator or roller brush is lifted completely from contact with the floor or carpet when the vacuum cleaning apparatus is used for off-the-floor operation and is done so independently of the floor height adjustment setting for various on-the-floor cleaning operations by rotating the retainer axle member about the axis of the front casters and relative to the chassis.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner having a filter bag housing assembly comprised of a fabric or otherwise flexible and air permeable bag housing resiliently supported at its bottom end relative to the operator handle such that the bag housing is always in tension and is prevented from twisting about the axis of the operator handle. The bag housing assembly includes rigid upper and lower frame members thereby maintaining the assembly in a prescribed geometric shape. The lower frame member which defines the bottom of the bag housing includes a pair of laterally disposed elongated track members telescopically disposed within respective guide track members fixed to the handle and resiliently biased relative to the respective guide track member to thereby maintain the bag housing in tension and provide lateral stability to the bag housing at the same time.

Abstract: A floor care appliance having a main housing with a handle extending from an upper portion thereof, and having a motor blower assembly affixed thereto with an inlet tube extending from a lower portion thereof. The main housing is fashioned with a rearwardly open cavity portion for receiving a filter arrangement including a paper filter bag having connection to an outlet tube of the motor blower assembly, and a second stage of filtration implemented by an air permeable closure covering the rearwardly open cavity portion. A floor unit carries a brush actuated by a reversible motor, a dry chemical carpet cleaning powder receptacle and dispensing arrangement for selectively dispensing the powder adjacent the brush, and a plenum chamber extending from adjacent the brush to a swivel having an outlet tube connected and affixed to the inlet tube of the motor blower assembly. A switch assembly is carried by a cover for the main housing and provides for operator selection of one of several modes of operation.

Abstract: A power head device for use with an external source of vacuum, which device includes an outer housing defining therewithin, in one embodiment, a brush chamber, a vacuum chamber and a dry chemical carpet cleaning powder retaining chamber. The powder retaining chamber is situated adjacent the brush chamber and is further fashioned with a device for selectively dispensing the powder onto a carpet. A horizontally oriented brush is provided having bristles offset with respect to a centerline thereof so as to provide improved agitation of the powder into a carpet on rotation of the brush opposite the direction of the offset during a cleaning mode of operation. In a vacuum mode of operating, the brush rotates in the direction of the bristle offset and towards the vacuum chamber of the housing.

Abstract: A power head unit for use with an external source of vacuum, which unit includes an outer housing defining a brush chamber, a vacuum chamber and a dry chemical carpet cleaning powder retaining chamber. The powder retaining chamber is fashioned with at least one slot extending adjacent the brush chamber which slot is closed off by a covering device such as a sliding door. The sliding door is fashioned with apertures the size of the at least one slot so that correspondence thereof will permit the dry chemical carpet cleaning material to escape from the slot. A powder dispensing roll is provided internally of the powder retaining chamber to convey the dry chemical carpet cleaning material to the slot.