1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cleaning appliances. More specifically, the invention is drawn to a brush for a conventional floor-cleaning machine, which brush allows a user to clean or polish a floor and baseboard simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
Separate procedures have been conventionally required to clean and/or polish floors and baseboards. Typically, a cleaning machine (buffer) is employed for the floor. The buffer utilizes a rotary driven brush and steel wool pads for efficient floor cleaning and polishing. Baseboards however, have been have been cleaned manually or with expensive and relatively complicated machines. Thus, cleaning both floors and baseboards has required a relatively large investment in man-hours or the acquisition of expensive machines. Both of these solutions are expensive. It is obvious that the art would welcome an inexpensive adjunct to the popular buffing machine, which adjunct would effectively clean and/or polish floors and baseboards simultaneously.
The related art is rife with alleged solutions to the above-discussed problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,120 (De Mercado), U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,139 (Lewis) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,912 (Hall) show machines for cleaning/polishing baseboards and floors simultaneously. All the machines employ plural rotary driven brushes that require complicated and expensive operating systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,772 (Downing et al.) discloses a buffing machine having an attachment that converts rotary motion to reciprocal motion. He attachment includes a rubbing surface that can clean baseboards. As in the above-cited patents, the instant attachment represents a relatively costly and complicated addition to the conventional buffer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,141 (Annis, Jr.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,872 (Barber) are drawn to machines for treating floors and baseboards. Both machines require specialized brushes that cannot be used with conventional buffers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,403 (Scharf) shows a floor brush having bristles around the periphery thereof for cleaning baseboards. The bristles are not continuous and are therefore less efficient than the arrangement contemplated in the present invention. Also there is no provision to include a buffing pad on the periphery.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to disclose a brush for simultaneous cleaning or polishing floors and baseboards as will be subsequently described and claimed the instant invention.
The present invention is a brush that simultaneously cleans and/or polishes floors and baseboards. The brush is adapted to be utilized with conventional buffing machines and will easily fit conventional water control rings. In its cleaning mode, the brush incorporates bristles on its planar undersurface and also entirely around its peripheral wall. When employed to polish, a polishing pad is positioned beneath the undersurface of the brush as is conventional in the art. A unique polishing pad is secured around the peripheral wall of the brush for contacting and polishing the baseboards.
Accordingly, the invention presents a novel brush for effective, efficient and simultaneous cleaning of floors and baseboards. The brush is designed for use with conventional floor machines. A unique pad permits the brush to also function to polish floors and baseboards simultaneously.
The present invention provides for improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which are inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing their intended purposes.
A clear understanding of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
Attention is first directed to
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1554622 | Chancellor | Sep 1925 | A |
3357141 | Annis | Dec 1967 | A |
3533120 | De Mercado | Oct 1970 | A |
3638264 | Walton | Feb 1972 | A |
3715772 | Downing et al. | Feb 1973 | A |
4391548 | Malish | Jul 1983 | A |
4691403 | Scharf | Sep 1987 | A |
4783872 | Burhoe | Nov 1988 | A |
5261139 | Lewis | Nov 1993 | A |
5371912 | Hall | Dec 1994 | A |
5533222 | Lelkes et al. | Jul 1996 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20060021174 A1 | Feb 2006 | US |