Debris shredding pick up head for a mobile sweeper

Abstract

A debris shredding pick-up head system for a mobile sweeper comprises a housing defining a substantially hollow interior, and a suctioning bottom opening for suctioning dust and small debris into the substantially hollow interior of the housing. A debris receiving opening is disposed in the front of the housing for receiving debris into the substantially hollow interior of the housing, in debris receiving relation with respect to a surface being cleaned. A debris shredder is operatively mounted on the housing adjacent the debris receiving opening such that debris passing through the debris receiving opening is received by the debris shredder. The debris shredder shreds the received debris and thereby produces shredded debris. There is also a dust and debris outlet in the housing for permitting dust and debris, including the shredded debris to be suctioned from the substantially hollow interior of the housing into a hopper.

1 . A debris shredding pick-up head system for a mobile sweeper, said debris shredding pick-head comprising:
 a housing extending between a first end and a second end, and having a suctioning bottom opening;   a debris receiving opening disposed in the front of said housing for receiving debris into said housing;   a debris shredder operatively mounted in said housing adjacent said debris receiving opening such that debris passing through said debris receiving opening is received by said debris shredder, and wherein said debris shredder shreds the received debris and thereby produces shredded debris; and,   a dust and debris outlet in said housing for permitting dust and debris, including said shredded debris to be suctioned from said housing into a hopper.   
     
     
         2 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said debris shredder is disposed adjacent said debris receiving opening. 
     
     
         3 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said debris shredder is disposed adjacent said dust and debris outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said debris shredder is disposed between said debris receiving opening and said dust and debris outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of said debris shredder extends forwardly from said debris receiving opening to thereby engage large debris before it enters said debris receiving opening. 
     
     
         6 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said debris shredder is disposed adjacent said suctioning bottom opening of said housing, to thereby permit said debris shredder to directly engage large debris on a surface being cleaned. 
     
     
         7 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said debris shredder has a first rotating shredder blade mechanism rotatable about a first shredder axis, wherein said first shredder axis is oriented substantially vertically. 
     
     
         8 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 7 , wherein said first shredder axis is oriented substantially transversely to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 7 , wherein said debris shredder has a second rotating shredder blade mechanism rotatable about a second shredder axis, wherein said second shredder axis is oriented substantially horizontally. 
     
     
         10 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 9 , wherein said second shredder axis is oriented substantially transversely to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         11 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said pick-up head has a width measured generally transversely to said longitudinal axis and said debris receiving opening has a width measured generally transversely to said longitudinal axis, and wherein the width of said pick-up head is between five and ten times the width of said debris receiving opening. 
     
     
         12 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 11 , wherein said debris shredder has a width measured generally transversely to said longitudinal axis, and wherein the width of said debris shredder is less than about twice the width of said debris receiving opening. 
     
     
         13 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 12 , wherein the width of said debris shredder is about equal to the width of said debris receiving opening. 
     
     
         14 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 7 , wherein said first rotating shredder blade mechanism and said second rotating shredder blade mechanism are counter-rotating with respect to each other. 
     
     
         15 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said debris shredder is actuated by means of a hydraulic motor. 
     
     
         16 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , further comprising a selectively openable and closable door means operatively mounted on said housing for selectively opening and closing said debris receiving opening. 
     
     
         17 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 16 , wherein said openable and closeable door means comprises at least one door member mounted in vertically sliding relation on said housing. 
     
     
         18 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said debris receiving opening is disposed generally centrally in the front of said housing. 
     
     
         19 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 1 , wherein said dust and debris outlet is disposed in the back of said housing. 
     
     
         20 . The debris shredding pick-up head system of  claim 19 , wherein said dust and debris outlet is generally centrally disposed in said back of said housing. 
     
     
         21 . A debris shredding mobile sweeper comprising:
 a powered vehicle;   a debris receiving hopper;   a pick-up head operatively mounted on said vehicle and having a housing defining a longitudinal axis extending from front to back, wherein said housing has a substantially hollow interior and a suctioning bottom opening for suctioning dust and small debris into said substantially hollow interior of said housing;   a debris receiving opening disposed in said housing for receiving debris into said substantially hollow interior of said housing, in debris receiving relation with respect to a surface being cleaned;   a debris shredder operatively mounted on said housing adjacent said debris receiving opening such that debris passing through said debris receiving opening is received by said debris shredder, and wherein said debris shredder shreds the received debris and thereby produces shredded debris; and,   a dust and debris outlet in said housing for permitting dust and debris, including said shredded debris to be suctioned from said substantially hollow interior of said housing into a hopper.