Motorized floor stripper machine

Abstract

A motorized floor stripper machine includes a motor, a frame, and a blade carrier. The blade carrier is capable of holding blades of different sizes, which can be installed on the blade carrier. The blade carrier is mounted to the frame on shock absorbers. A cam on the frame is connected to the blade carrier by a linkage that includes a bearing block, a pivot plate, a pivot pin, and a support plate. The blade carrier includes ball bearings that fit within linear channels mounted to the frame, so that when the cam is driven in an orbital motion, the blade carrier moves in a generally linear forward-backward motion. The blade carrier is relieved and includes multiple sets of holes for securing blades of different sizes.

Claims

1. A motorized floor stripper machine comprising: a frame having a bottom surface; a motor attached to the frame; a cam coupled to the motor to produce an orbital motion that defines a plane of orbital motion; one or more blade carrier guides enclosing a vertical opening in a vertical direction orthogonal to the plane of orbital motion, the blade carrier guides mounted to the bottom surface of the frame; a blade carrier having one or more blade carrier guide inserts fastenable to the blade carrier and extending from the blade carrier in the vertical direction, the blade carrier guide inserts insertable within the one or more blade carrier guides in the vertical direction within the vertical opening of the blade carrier guides to constrain the blade carrier to move in a linear motion in a cutting direction, where the one or more blade carrier guide inserts are moveable in the vertical direction within the vertical opening of the one or more blade carrier guides; and a linkage coupling the cam to the blade carrier to impart a motion from the cam to the blade carrier.

2. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 1, wherein the linkage comprises: a pivot plate connected to the cam; and a pivot pin connecting the pivot plate to the blade carrier.

3. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 1, further comprising: one or more shock absorbers coupling the blade carrier to the bottom surface of the frame.

4. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 1, wherein the blade carrier has a top surface that includes an interface for releasably mounting a blade, the top surface including relieved portions.

5. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 4, wherein the interface for releasably mounting a blade comprises a plurality of pairs of blade fastener holes set apart by different widths to accommodate a plurality of differently sized blades.

6. A motorized floor stripper machine comprising: a frame having a bottom surface; a motor attached to the frame; a cam coupled to the motor to produce an orbital motion that defines a plane of orbital motion; one or more blade carrier guides mounted to the bottom surface of the frame; and a blade carrier linearly coupled to the cam by a linkage and constrained to move in a linear motion in a cutting direction by one or more blade carrier guide inserts fastenable to the blade carrier and extending from the blade carrier in a vertical direction orthogonal to the plane of orbital motion, the blade carrier guide inserts insertable within the one or more blade carrier guides in the vertical direction within a vertical opening of the blade carrier guides, where the blade carrier is moveable in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the orbital motion; wherein when the motor drives the cam to produce an orbital motion, the blade carrier is moved by the linkage in a linear motion.

7. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 6, wherein the blade carrier is coupled to the cam by a pivot plate connected to the cam and a pivot pin connecting the pivot plate to the blade carrier.

8. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 6, further comprising: one or more shock absorbers coupling the blade carrier to the bottom surface of the frame.

9. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 6, wherein the blade carrier has a top surface that includes an interface for releasably mounting a blade, the top surface including relieved portions.

10. The motorized floor stripper machine of claim 9, wherein the interface for releasably mounting a blade comprises a plurality of pairs of blade fastener holes set apart by different widths to accommodate a plurality of differently sized blades.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a prior art stripper machine.

(2) FIG. 2 is a partial bottom view of the prior art stripper machine of FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a motorized floor stripper machine in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a partially exploded bottom view of the motorized floor stripper machine of FIG. 3, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of a blade carrier assembly and blades for a motorized floor stripper machine, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a stripper machine stripping a ceramic tile floor, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

(7) The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) As shown in FIG. 3, stripper machine 1000 includes a motor 1010, a frame 1100, and a blade carrier 1200. Blade carrier 1200 is capable of holding blades of different sizes, and FIG. 3 shows a blade 1300 that is narrower than most conventional blades is installed on blade carrier 1200. Blade 1300 is installed on blade carrier 1200 using blade clamp 1400 and blade clamp screws 1410.

(9) As shown in FIG. 4, blade carrier 1200 is mounted to frame 1100 at frame bottom surface 1110 on four shock absorbers 1120. Shock absorbers 1120 are made with a rubber core, and each has a threaded fastener vulcanized to the top and bottom faces of their core. Blade carrier 1200 is fastened down on four shock absorbers 1120 by four nuts 1130. Also fastened to frame bottom surface 1110 are two channels 1040 and motor 1010. Motor 1010 has a spindle 1020 and a key 1030. Key 1030 inserts into cam 1050 and turns cam 1050.

(10) Cam 1050 is connected to blade carrier 1200 by a linkage including bearing block 1210, pivot plate 1220, pivot pin 1230, and support plate 1240. When cam 1050 is turned by key 1030, pivot plate 1220 develops an orbital motion. In turn, blade carrier 1200 would also be moved in a corresponding orbital motion by pivot pin 1230.

(11) Fastened to blade carrier 1200 at blade carrier top surface 1250 are two ball bearings 1260. Ball bearings 1260 are fastened to blade carrier top surface 1250 by nuts 1270 and bolts 1280. Ball bearings 1260 are positioned at a height above blade carrier top surface 1250 by spacers 1290 mounted on bolts 1280. FIG. 5 shows the finished assembly of ball bearings 1260 onto blade carrier top surface 1250.

(12) As shown in FIG. 4, ball bearings 1260 attached to blade carrier 1200 are insertable into channels 1040 mounted on frame bottom surface 1110. Channels 1040 operate as a blade carrier guide to guide the motion of ball bearings 1260 and blade carrier 1200 so that the orbital motion imparted by pivot pin 1230 is converted to a generally forward and backward motion, and generally without undesirable left to right motion. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, stripper machine 1000 produces a cutting motion in a blade such as blade 1300 that is generally forward only (as indicated by arrow A), and generally not transverse. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, due to the guidance provided by channels 1040 and ball bearings 1260, embodiments of the stripper machine 1000 avoid or reduce the recoiling of the blade carrier 1200 on shock absorbers 1120 when stripping a tough or hard material, such as wood or ceramic tile.

(13) Embodiments of the stripper machine 1000 produces motion that is forward and backward only (or substantially only forward and backward), and additionally includes shock absorbers 1120 to absorb the impact of blade carrier 1200 against the floor if the front of the machine is dropped. If the front of the machine is dropped, causing blade carrier 1200 to impact a floor surface, shock absorbers 1120 absorb the impact to reduce or prevent damage to blade carrier 1200 and connected parts.

(14) As shown in FIG. 5, blade carrier 1200 provides a number of mounting locations for blades of various widths. Blade 1300 is narrower than conventional blades and is mountable at blade carrier inner holes 1201. To mount blade 1300 to the blade carrier 1200, blade 1300 is placed on top of blade carrier 1200 at blade carrier top surface 1254, with the blade slots 1301 aligned with blade carrier inner holes 1201. Blade carrier 1200 has a front edge 1255. A blade clamp 1400 having a blade clamp front edge 1455 is placed on top of blade 1300 with blade clamp inner holes 1401 also aligned with blade slots 1301. Blade clamp screws 1410 are passed through blade clamp inner holes 1401 and blade slots 1301, and threaded and tightened into blade carrier inner holes 1201.

(15) Blade carrier 1200 and blade clamp 1400 have relieved edges 1202 and 1402 respectively, both relieved at the same angle. These relieved edges allow the blade carrier 1200 and blade clamp 1400 to enter a row where material has already been stripped by a narrow blade, such as blade 1300, without having these edges contact the edges of unstripped materials to either side.

(16) As used herein, a blade carrier assembly includes a blade carrier having a top surface for mounting a blade, a blade clamp, and fasteners fastening the blade clamp to the blade carrier. As one example, as shown in FIG. 5, blade carrier assembly 1600 includes a blade carrier 1200 with a blade carrier top surface 1254 for mounting a blade, a blade clamp 1400, with blade clamp screws 1410 being the fasteners.

(17) FIG. 6 shows stripper machine 1000 stripping a ceramic tile floor, which is a hard material that tends to strip from the floor in a narrow row 1500. Edges 1501, 1502 are the edges of unstripped areas of the ceramic tile floor to the left and right of row 1500. Blade carrier relieved edges 1202 and blade clamp relieved edges 1402 enter at row 1500 without impacting edges 1501, 1502, which would create unnecessary resistance and would hold blade 1300 at a height that would prevent it from effectively getting beneath the ceramic tile to effectively strip it from the subfloor.

(18) As shown in FIG. 5, if a medium width blade such as blade 1330 is to be mounted on blade carrier 1200, it can be mounted using blade carrier middle holes 1203, blade slots 1333, and blade clamp middle holes 1403. The portion of blade carrier relieved edges 1202 and blade clamp relieved edges 1402 to the left or right of blade 1330 will also enter a row where material has already been stripped by blade 1330 without these edges impacting the edges of unstripped materials to either side.

(19) Wider blades such as blade 1350 can be mounted at blade carrier outer holes 1205, blade slots 1351, and blade clamp outer holes 1405. Blades as wide as blade 1350 or wider can be mounted with these outer holes.

(20) As shown in FIG. 3, Stripper machine 1000 addresses many problems of conventional stripper machines. As shown in FIG. 4, channels 1040 provide guidance for blade carrier 1200 such that its motion is limited to forward and backward motion only. Channels 1040 prevent blade carrier 1200 from recoiling against shock absorbers 1120 if a tough or hard material is encountered by blade 1300. Channels 1040 are compact in comparison to those formed in the heavy cutting arm housings of some conventional stripper machines. Yet channels 1040 provide the same benefits, and are mountable to bottom surface 1110 of frame 1100, which can be formed as a conventional sheet metal part. Ball bearings 1260 are durable and well-suited for insertion into a channel shape for guiding the motion of blade carrier 1200. These features enable stripper machine 1000 to be economically manufactured and maintained because channels 1040 can be mass-produced to great precision from raw steel stock, and ball bearings 1260 are highly durable off-the-shelf components.

(21) Blade carrier 1200 is mounted on shock absorbers 1120, which absorb impact if the front of the stripper machine is dropped on its front end, causing blade carrier 1200 to impact a floor surface. As shown in FIG. 5, blade carrier 1200 and blade clamp 1400 provide holes for mounting blades of varying widths, while the relieved edges 1202, 1402 allow the blade carrier 1200 and blade clamp 1400 to enter a row where flooring material has already been stripped, without contacting the edges of unstripped materials to either side. Blade change is simple with a blade being mounted on top of blade carrier 1200, with the blade clamp 1400 fastened down on top of a blade using conventional fasteners.

(22) The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. The language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.