Advanced floor machine

Abstract

Disclosed is an invention that offers improvements to machines used for power floor buffing, grinding, and polishing including: a dust containment system which utilizes a single shroud with an attached lower brush to fully enclose the top and sides of a rotating implement whereas said shroud is spring loaded and allowed to move vertically and tilt in order to maintain firm contact with the floor at all times and prevent escaping air and dust; a dust extraction and collection system that expands upon said dust containment system by integrating a scroll shaped channel into the shroud and an outlet chute to extract and collect dust in a filtered dust bag and in which performance is increased by fins on the rotating implement driver and air inlet holes; a quick-release tool-less mechanism for attaching a rotating implement to the driveshaft with a hex shaped male/female interaction and push button release ball pin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dust containment system for a machine used for floor buffing, grinding, and polishing wherein said machine includes a chassis, a motor mounted to said chassis, rotating implement such as a pad or disk to buff, grind, or polish the floor which depends from said chassis and makes contact with the floor and is powered by said motor to rotate in contact with the floor; said dust containment system comprises of:
 a shroud with an outer circular vertical wall which transitions to a horizontal ceiling surface which both encircles and covers the rotating implement, said shroud includes a primary central hole in its ceiling surface, said shroud includes 2 or more smaller satellite holes in its ceiling surface;   two or more guide shafts are affixed to the bottom of said chassis; each guide shaft is cylindrical in shape with the primary cylinder being of smaller diameter than the satellite holes in the shroud; at the bottom of each guide shaft is a shoulder with a larger diameter than the satellite holes in said shroud;   said shroud is positioned with said guide shafts being inserted through the satellite holes of said shroud, such that the shroud is vertically constrained by the chassis toward its top and the shoulders of the guide pins toward its bottom;   a washer encircles each guide shaft and is positioned on the upper side of said shroud;   a compression spring encircles each guide shaft and is positioned on the upper side of said washer; each compression spring is constrained on its top by the lower surface of said chassis.   
     
     
         2 . The guide shaft according to  claim 1  is itself an assembly comprised of a flat head socket cap screw, a relatively long and narrow spacer with the outer diameter that is smaller than the shroud satellite hole, a relatively short and wide spacer with a countersunk hole which has a diameter that is larger than the shroud satellite hole; said guide shaft is affixed to said chassis by threading said cap screw into a threaded hole or nut in the bottom of said chassis and compressing the two spacers. 
     
     
         3 . The satellite holes in the shroud according to  claim 1  are slotted holes such that the slot direction is parallel with the radial lines of said shroud. 
     
     
         4 . A brush is affixed to the bottom of the sidewall of the shroud according to  claim 1  by an intermediary brush housing comprised of an upper and lower channel. 
     
     
         5 . The guide shafts according to  claim 1  are the only means of attachment of the shroud to the chassis such that removing said guide shafts allows for removal of the entire shroud. 
     
     
         6 . The shroud according to  claim 1  shall be available in multiple sizes with each size including a common hole pattern of the central and satellite holes and thus different sizes of shrouds shall be interchangeable on the same chassis. 
     
     
         7 . A dust extraction and collection system for a machine used for floor buffing, grinding, and polishing wherein said machine includes a chassis, a motor mounted to said chassis, rotating implement such as a pad or disk to buff, grind, or polish the floor which depends from said chassis and makes contact with the floor and is powered by said motor to rotate in contact with the floor;
 said dust extraction and collection system comprises of:   a shroud with an outer circular vertical wall which transitions to a horizontal ceiling surface which both encircles and covers the rotating implement, said shroud includes a primary central hole in its ceiling surface, said shroud includes 2 or more smaller satellite holes in its ceiling surface;   said shroud includes smaller perforation holes in the centermost portion of its ceiling surface;   said shroud includes a scroll shaped rising channel that eventually curves outward and leads to an outlet hole in the sidewall of said shroud; said hole extends entirely through the sidewall to the bottom surface of said shroud;   an outlet chute is affixed to the outside of said shroud; the shape of said chute transitions from a curved rectangular opening which fits over the outlet hole of said shroud to a round shaped outlet;   a dust collection bag is affixed to the round shaped outlet of said chute;   two or more guide shafts are affixed to the bottom of said chassis; each guide shaft is cylindrical in shape with the primary cylinder being of smaller diameter than the satellite holes in the shroud; at the bottom of each guide shaft is a shoulder with a larger diameter than the satellite holes in said shroud;   said shroud is positioned with said guide shafts being inserted through the satellite holes of said shroud, such that the shroud is vertically constrained by the chassis toward its top and the shoulders of the guide pins toward its bottom;   a washer encircles each guide shaft and is positioned on the upper side of said shroud;   a compression spring encircles each guide shaft and is positioned on the upper side of said washer; each compression spring is constrained on its top by the lower surface of said chassis.   
     
     
         8 . The guide shaft according to  claim 7  is itself an assembly comprised of a flat head socket cap screw, a relatively long and narrow spacer with the outer diameter that is smaller than the shroud satellite hole, a relatively short and wide spacer with a countersunk hole which has a diameter that is larger than the shroud satellite hole; said guide shaft is affixed to said chassis by threading said cap screw into a threaded hole or nut in the bottom of said chassis and compressing the two spacers. 
     
     
         9 . The satellite holes in the shroud according to  claim 7  are slotted holes such that the slot direction is parallel with the radial lines of said shroud. 
     
     
         10 . A brush is affixed to the bottom of the sidewall of the shroud according to  claim 7  by an intermediary brush housing comprised of an upper and lower channel. 
     
     
         11 . The guide shafts according to  claim 7  are the only means of attachment of the shroud to the chassis such that removing said guide shafts allows for removal of the entire shroud. 
     
     
         12 . The shroud according to  claim 7  shall be available in multiple sizes with each size including a common hole pattern of the central and satellite holes and thus different sizes of shrouds shall be interchangeable on the same chassis. 
     
     
         13 . The circular surface that drives the rotating implement according to  claim 7  has integrated fins that are located on the upper side of said surface and angled relative to radial lines of said surface. 
     
     
         14 . A quick-release, tool-less installation and removal mechanism of the rotating implement holder of a machine used for floor buffing, grinding, and polishing wherein said machine includes a chassis, a motor mounted to said chassis, rotating implement such as a pad or disk to buff, grind, or polish the floor which depends from said chassis and makes contact with the floor and is powered by said motor to rotate in contact with the floor; mechanism comprises of:
 a cylindrical driveshaft which rotated by the motor either directly or through the transmitting of rotational power by a belt, chain, gear, or other type of transmission; perpendicular to bottom surface of said driveshaft is a hole that is concentric with the driveshaft; inside said hole is an internal groove in the sidewall of the driveshaft; the bottom outer portion of said driveshaft is a six-plane hex shape;   a female hub that mates with said driveshaft; the lower portion of said hub is a relatively flat body which is bolted to the rotating implement holder; a hole is located in the center of the lower flat body of the hub; the upper portion of said hub is comprised of a rounded column; perpendicular to the top surface of said rounded column is a six-plane hex hole that is concentric with said rounded column;   a common ball lock pin with a quick release spring-loaded push button that allows the locking ball or balls to retract into the pin body; said pin has a shoulder that is a larger diameter than the primary pin diameter.   
     
     
         15 . The hole in the lower body of the hub according to  claim 14  is threaded, with a larger thread size than the bottom hole in said driveshaft. 
     
     
         16 . The lower leading edge of the driveshaft according to  claim 14  is chamfered such that the six-plane hex shape transitions to a bottom round shape. 
     
     
         17 . The upper leading edge of the six-plane hex hole in the hub according to  claim 14  is chamfered such that the six-plane hex hole transitions to an upper round hole.