Street sweeper with vacuumized dust control

Abstract

A street sweeper with vacuumized dust control where a rotary broom chamber surrounds a rotary broom. The rotary broom chamber connects by a conveyor housing containing a conveyor mechanism to a hopper having a powered fan and a filter. A vacuum or low pressure is created within the hopper which communicates through the conveyor housing to the rotary broom chamber which creates an airflow therebetween which carries dust or other light debris to a filter which filters out the dust particles or other light debris. The conveyor housing and other components are positionable to accommodate various modes of operation.

1 . Vacuumized dust control, comprising: 
 a. a transportable machine chassis having a front axle and at least one rear axle;    b. a main road surface cleaning head in fluid communication with the vacuum source, and having an opening adapted to be adjacent a surface intended to be cleaned, the main road surface cleaning head suspended from the transportable machine chassis and adapted to be located rearward of the at least one rear axle;    c. a hopper coupled to the transportable machine chassis for collecting dust, dirt, and debris;    d. a conveying mechanism having a housing in fluid communication with the vacuum source, and the housing having a first open end in communication with the road surface cleaning head, and a second end in communication with the hopper, the conveying mechanism adapted for transporting to the hopper any dust, dirt, and debris from the main road surface cleaning head; and    e. an air filtration mechanism for substantially removing any airborne dust in air drawn from the main road surface cleaning head before being exhausted to the outside environment.    
   
   
       2 . The road sweeper of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum source includes a vacuum fan in communication with the outside environment for establishing an airflow from the main road surface cleaning head, through the conveying mechanism housing, entering the hopper, and exhausting from the hopper out to the outside environment, thereby vacuumizing, at least in part, the main road surface cleaning head, the conveying mechanism housing, and the hopper.  
   
   
       3 . The road sweeper of  claim 1 , wherein the main road surface cleaning head includes an elongated rotary broom have a rotational axis generally aligned with the surface intended to be cleaned.  
   
   
       4 . The road sweeper of  claim 3 , further including at least a first gutter cleaning head in fluid communication with the vacuum source, and having an opening adjacent a gutter area intended to be cleaned.  
   
   
       5 . The road sweeper of  claim 2 , wherein the air filtration mechanism includes a dust filter assembly in the path of air entering the hopper and exhausting out to the outside environment so that any airborne dust within the hopper is substantially blocked from exhausting out to the outside environment.  
   
   
       6 . The road sweeper of  claim 3 , wherein the main road surface cleaning head is suspended from the transportable machine chassis and controllably positioned so that the elongated rotary broom is capable of making contact with the road surface intended to be cleaned.  
   
   
       7 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . A street sweeper with vacuumized dust control, comprising: 
 a. a rotary broom suspended from a transportable machine chassis and controllably positioned so as to be capable of making contact with a road surface intended to be swept;    b. a rotary broom shroud forming a rotary broom chamber capable of being vacuumized, the rotary broom shroud being located around and about the rotary broom and in proximity to the road surface, at least in part;    c. a hopper capable of storing dust and debris;    d. a conveyor mechanism for transporting dust and debris thrown from said rotary broom to the hopper;    e. a conveyor housing capable of being vacuumized, the conveyor housing having a first open end in communication with and coupled to the rotary broom chamber, and a second end in communication with and coupled to the hopper;    f. a vacuum source assembly including a vacuum fan in communication with the outside environment for establishing an airflow from the rotary broom chamber, through the conveyor housing, and entering the hopper, and exhausting from the hopper out to the outside environment, thereby vacuumizing, at least in part, said rotary broom chamber, said conveyor housing, and said hopper; and,    g. a dust filter assembly in the path of the airflow entering said hopper and exhausting out to the outside environment so that any airborne dust within said hopper is substantially blocked from exhausting out to the outside environment.    
   
   
       10 . The street sweeper of  claim 9 , wherein the street sweeper is capable of achieving and maintaining road speed while the rotary broom, fan and conveyor operate.  
   
   
       11 . The street sweeper of  claim 9 , wherein the rotary broom has an elevation above the road surface and wherein the elevation may be adjusted by multiple actuating cylinders, the actuating cylinders being attached to multiple cables and the cables being located between the pivotal broom support arms and the superstructure framework.  
   
   
       12 - 25 . (canceled)  
   
   
       26 . A method of cleaning a road surface, comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a rotary broom on a truck, the truck carrying a hopper and including vacuum induced airflow from the rotary broom to the hopper and a debris conveyor from the rotary broom to the hopper;    b. rotating the rotary broom against the road surface while moving the truck in a forward direction such that the action of the rotary broom is counter to the forward direction;    c. conveying dislodged debris on the conveyor from the rotary broom to the hopper; and,    d. entraining airborne dust in the induced airflow from the rotary broom to the hopper.    
   
   
       27 - 32 . (canceled)