Rotary broom with vacuum dust control

Abstract

A vacuum assembly module mountable to a work machine attachment for providing dust-reducing capabilities is provided. The vacuum assembly module is a self-supported unit and can be mountable to work machine attachments such as rotary brooms, cold planers, and the like to retrofit the attachment with dust-reducing capabilities. The vacuum assembly module includes a central frame that provides an air flow passage. The central frame supports a filter and a fan within the air flow passage. A fan motor operably drives the fan to draw air through the air flow passage and filter. The fan motor is operably connected to an auxiliary power source, such as a work machine. An optional vibrator may be included for operably shaking and dislodging debris from the filter. The vacuum assembly module may be attached to a debris collecting bin to form a vacuum having a hose.

1 . A vacuum assembly module attachment for a work machine attachment for a work machine, the work machine attachment having a housing, the module comprising:
 a frame structure including an air flow passage extending between an inlet and an outlet;   a filter supported by the frame structure and arranged relative to the air flow passage to remove dust particulate from air passing therethrough;   a fan supported by the frame structure mounted within a portion of the air flow passage arranged to move the air through the air flow passage between the inlet and the outlet;   a motor supported by the frame structure and operably coupled to the fan; and   wherein the frame structure, the fan, the filter and the motor, together, form a self-supported module apart from the work machine and apart from the work machine attachment, mountable to the housing of the work machine attachment.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure includes a central frame and a filter basket, the filter basket is flexibly mounted to the central frame and carries the filter. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is mounted in a flexible membrane connected to the frame structure. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 2 , further comprising a vibrator supported by the filter basket and operably acting on the filter to shake the filter, and wherein a pliable gasket member flexibly mounts the filter basket to the central frame and insulates at least a portion of the vibrations created by the vibrator from the rest of the vacuum assembly module. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , further comprising a vibrator supported by the frame structure and acting on the filter to operably shake the filter. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure further includes a top cover and a door, the door hingedly mounted to the top cover providing access to the filter, the top cover and door forming a portion of the air flow passage. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , further including at least one power transmission line having a quick connect connector to releasably connect the motor to a power source provided by the work machine. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 4 , further including at least one power transmission line having a quick connect connector to releasably connect the vibrator to an auxiliary power source. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 2 , further comprising filter clips for releasably securing the filter to the filter basket, the filter clips providing tool free removal of the filter. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is washable and the filter media includes polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , further comprising a debris collection tub, the debris collection tub for collecting debris being mountable to the frame structure upstream of the filter, the debris collection tub forming at least a portion of the air flow passage and including a hose connector defining the inlet. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 11 , further comprising a work machine mount adapted to releasably connect the vacuum assembly module attachment to a work machine. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum assembly module attachment of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one support leg mountable to the frame structure to support the frame structure when it is free from any work machine or work machine attachment. 
     
     
         14 . A rotary broom attachment selectively attachable to a work machine and at least one auxiliary power source, the rotary broom attachment comprising:
 a broom assembly releasably attachable to the work machine, the broom assembly having a housing and a brush rotatably mounted and positioned within the housing, the brush protruding through an open bottom of the housing for sweeping debris into a collection bin as the work machine moves across a surface with the broom attachment in a lowered position;   a first motor operably coupled to the brush for driving thereof;   the housing including mounts arranged to pivotally and releasably attach the broom attachment to the work machine;   the housing having a cover portion adapted to cover the collection bin, the cover portion being open at the bottom; and   a vacuum assembly having a frame structure mounted to the housing having an air flow passage extending between an inlet and an outlet, the inlet in fluid communication with the interior of the housing, a filter interposed between the inlet and the outlet, a fan arranged to move air through the air flow passage from the inlet to the outlet and the filter, a second motor operably coupled to the fan, a vibrator acting on the filter to operably shake the filter to dislodge collected debris therefrom.   
     
     
         15 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 14 , wherein the broom assembly includes a dedicated collection bin mounted to the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 14 , wherein the work machine includes a bucket, the mounts pivotally and releasably attach the broom attachment to the bucket such that the broom assembly is proximate the bucket, the cover portion being matable with and forming the collection bin in combination with the bucket. 
     
     
         17 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 14 , wherein the vacuum assembly is mounted to the cover portion of the housing having the inlet and the filter positioned at least partially above the collection bin, such that when the vibrator operably shakes the filter, debris dislodged from the filter falls into the collection bin. 
     
     
         18 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 14 , wherein the filter is flexibly connected to the frame structure by a pliable gasket to partially insulate vibrations from the vibrator from the rest of the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 14 , wherein the first motor, second motor and vibrator are connectable to at least one power source of the work machine by power transmission lines having quick connect connectors. 
     
     
         20 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second motors are hydraulically driven by a hydraulic auxiliary power source of the work machine and the vibrator is electrically powered by an electrical auxiliary power source of the work machine, when the rotary broom attachment is connected to the work machine. 
     
     
         21 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 20 , further including a power source splitting device connecting the first and second motors to a single output of the hydraulic auxiliary power source, when the rotary broom attachment is connected to the work machine. 
     
     
         22 . The rotary broom attachment of  claim 20 , wherein the vacuum assembly is a self-supported module that can be removed from the housing and operated independently of the broom assembly. 
     
     
         23 . A work attachment for a work machine, the work machine having an engine and providing a hydraulic and electric auxiliary power source for powering the work attachment, the work attachment comprising:
 a housing having a release coupling to releasably couple the work attachment to the work machine;   a work implement operably carried by the housing, the work implement having a first motor powered by the hydraulic auxiliary power source, at least one power transmission line having quick connect connectors to connect the first motor to the hydraulic auxiliary power source;   a vacuum assembly comprising:   (a) a frame structure   (b) an air flow passage passing through the frame structure and extending between an inlet and an outlet, the inlet in fluid communication with an interior of the housing;   (c) a filter releasably secured within the air flow passage to filter dust particulate from air passing through the filter.   (d) a fan for moving air from the interior of the housing through the filter and the air flow passage; and   (e) a second motor operably coupled to the fan, the second motor being connected to the hydraulic auxiliary power source via the at least one power transmission line having a quick connect connector.   
     
     
         24 . The work attachment of  claim 23 , wherein the work implement is at least one of a rotary broom, a cold planer, a rotary saw and a hydraulic hammer. 
     
     
         25 . The work attachment of  claim 23 , further comprising a vibration device mounted to the frame structure and operably coupled to the filter to vibrate the filter to remove and dislodge at least a portion of the particulate filtered by the filter, the vibration device operably couplable to one of the electric auxiliary power source or the hydraulic auxiliary power source.