Debris-plowing pick-up head for a mobile sweeper

Abstract

A debris-plowing pick-up head for a mobile sweeper comprises a housing defining a substantially hollow interior and having a front, a back, a left end and a right end, a top and a bottom, and a suctioning bottom opening for suctioning dust and small debris into the substantially hollow interior of the housing. A suctioning front opening is disposed in the front of the housing for receiving debris into the substantially hollow interior of the housing. A selectively openable and closable door means operatively mounted on the debris plowing pick-up head for selectively opening and closing the suctioning front opening. There is a dust and debris outlet in the housing for permitting dust and debris to be suctioned from the substantially hollow interior of the housing into a hopper. A barrier is disposed on the top of the housing for substantially precluding the passage of large debris over the housing.

1 . A debris-plowing pick-up head for a mobile sweeper, said debris plowing pick-up head comprising:
 a housing defining a substantially hollow interior and having a front, a back, a left end and a right end, a top and a bottom, and a suctioning bottom opening for suctioning dust and small debris into said substantially hollow interior of said housing;   a dust and debris outlet in said housing for permitting dust and debris to be suctioned from said substantially hollow interior of said housing into a hopper; and,   a barrier disposed on the top of said housing for substantially precluding the passage of large debris over said housing.   
   
   
       2 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier comprises at least one substantially vertically disposed plate. 
   
   
       3 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one substantially vertically disposed plate comprises a left substantially vertically disposed plate and a right substantially vertically disposed plate. 
   
   
       4 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier is elongate. 
   
   
       5 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier comprises a pliable material to thereby permit physical flexibilty of said barrier. 
   
   
       6 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier is removably and replaceably mounted on said housing. 
   
   
       7 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said housing is tapered from a higher central portion to a lower outer left portion and a lower outer right portion. 
   
   
       8 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , further comprising a suctioning front opening disposed in the front of said housing for receiving debris into said substantially hollow interior of said housing, in debris receiving relation with respect to a surface being cleaned. 
   
   
       9 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , further comprising a selectively openable and closable door means operatively mounted on said debris plowing pick-up head for selectively opening and closing said suctioning front opening. 
   
   
       10 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , further comprising means for urging large debris towards said suctioning front opening. 
   
   
       11 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 10 , wherein said means for urging large debris towards said suctioning front opening comprises a front wall comprising left and right sloped portions that are each sloped rearwardly and inwardly, and wherein said debris inlet is disposed at said front portion between said left and right sloped portions, in debris receiving relation with respect to a surface being cleaned. 
   
   
       12 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 11 , wherein said left and right sloped portions comprise a “V”-shaped front wall portion of said housing, wherein said suctioning front opening is disposed at the vertex of said “V”-shaped front wall portion. 
   
   
       13 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said suctioning front opening is disposed generally centrally in the front of said housing. 
   
   
       14 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said dust and debris outlet is disposed in the back of said housing. 
   
   
       15 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said dust and debris outlet is generally centrally disposed in said back of said housing. 
   
   
       16 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said openable and closeable door means comprises at least one door member mounted in hinged relation on said housing. 
   
   
       17 . The debris plowing pick-up head of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one door member is mounted so as to open inwardly into the substantially hollow interior of said housing.