AU715302B2

AU715302B2 - A squeegee device

Info

Publication number: AU715302B2
Application number: AU50376/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John David Murphy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-03-31
Filing date: 1996-03-29
Publication date: 2000-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-29
Also published as: NZ270852A; AU5037696A

Description

46347 GEH:MG P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: JOHN DAVID MURPHY Actual Inventor: JOHN DAVID MURPHY Address for Service: COLLISON CO., 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: A SQUEEGEE DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: This invention relates to a squeegee.

Typically a squeegee is a strip of resilient material mounted transversely at the end of a handle and is typically used to sweep a surface clear of water. In the farming industry such a device is not uncommonly used in an animal holding yard, such as the yard of a milking parlour, so as to facilitate removal of not only water but also animal waste material.

By virtue of the size and construction known devices of this type tend to be somewhat cumbersome and lack manoeuvrability. This, together with an inability of the device to collect rather than push water and waste material can result in the device not being entirely effective in achieving the intended end result of clearing and cleaning. This is often reflected in the cleaning operation being time consuming and not resulting in a suitable clearing of the yard surface.

15 It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a squeegee device which can be used for removal of water and other material from a pavement surface such as an animal holding yard or the like, the squeegee being more manoeuvrable and effective in clearing water and other material from the surface than is the case with known squeegees for such purposes.

S a.

20 Broadly in one aspect of the invention there is provided a squeegee device including an elongate blade member having a resilient ground contacting edge, the blade member defining a forward surface and a rearward surface, a pair of spaced apart members projecting from the rearward surface and upwardly inclined, relative to the ground contacting edge, to distal ends thereof, a said member being located adjacent a respective end of the elongate blade member, a ground engaging motion facilitating means associated with each of the spaced apart members and positioned adjacent said blade member, and a handle which extends substantially parallel to the blade member between the distal ends of the spaced apart members.

The ground engaging means can be a plurality of wheels, skids or the like.

In one preferred form the blade member has forwardly inclined ends.

Also according to a preferred form the handle can be of substantially U shape with the ends of the legs thereof being coupled to the blade member.

To more fully describe the invention according to one preferred form thereof reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side perspective view of the squeegee according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the squeegee according to the present invention.

SAs is typical with a squeegee device the device comprises a blade element and a handle 11. The blade element according to the preferred form of the invention comprises an elongate mount in the form of a plate 12.

j *oo. 9* 4 In the illustrated form mount 12 has a longitudinal attachment plate 13 attached thereto. Between this plate 13 and mounting plate 12 one long side of an elongate resilient blade 14 is sandwiched. Suitable mechanical fasteners 15 passing through plates 12 and 13 and resilient blade 14 fixedly mount the blade 14 in place.

The resilient material from which blade 14 is constructed is of a type which is relatively stiff yet provides a degree of flexibility to enable the blade 14 to engage 1. 0 with and conform to the surface over which the squeegee device is passed yet is hard wearing so as to resist undue wear as a consequence of abrasion.

According to the present invention, blade element 10 has forwardly angled ends 16. As illustrated the resilient 15 blade 14 can extend beyond the terminal ends of the mounting plate 12. The forwardly angled ends 16 ensure that water and waste material is collected within the confines of the blade element 10 rather than spill out around the ends thereof as is the case with conventional straight bladed squeegee devices. Therefore, rather than simply "pushing water and waste material with consequential spillage around each end of the blade the novel angled ends 16 of the blade 10 of the present invention provides for a high degree of collection of water and waste material.

In the preferred form of the present invention the handle 11 is of generally U-shaped configuration with the ends 18 of the legs 19 thereof being fixedly or removably mounted to the blade 10. The cross piece 20 of the handle 11 forms that part of the handle which would normally be gripped by the hands of the user. To achieve the correct angle of the legs 19 relative to blade element 10 the end portions 18 thereof are slightly oO.* angled as can be seen in Figure 1.

S..o Land wheels or skids 21 are mounted via suitable mountings 22 to each of legs 19 adjacent the end portions 18. The axis of rotation of the wheels 21 or position of skids is spaced rearwardly from the blade element The wheels 21 thus not only support and facilitate movement of the squeegee over the ground surface but also provide a fulcrum about which pressure can be applied to :the handle 11 so as to either lift the blade 10 from contact with the ground surface or increase the pressure of contact between the resilient blade member and the ground surface.

Therefore, in use of the squeegee device the user can readily raise the blade element 10 from ground engagement as required without having to lift the entire weight of the squeegee. Also, the wheels/skids 21 provide steerage which enables the squeegee to be easily maneouvred.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, the contact pressure at blade 14 with the ground can be increased but without undue physical effort of the user due to the leverage obtained from the handle via the effective fulcrum of the wheels/skids.

The squeegee according to the invention can be used for purposes other than the animal related purposes referred to herein. For example, it can have application in clearing/cleaning surfaces in sports arenas, courts, etc; squeegeeing the floor of a swimming pool; paving areas in public places and a variety of other domestic and commercial situations. The squeegee also has application •o 10 for moving non-fluid or fluid-like material.

:...Therefore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the clearing/cleaning action can become a sweeping action which is not primarily for clearing liquid or fluid-like material by incorporating bristles in place of or in addition to the resilient blade. Thus the term "blade" as used herein encompasses "bristles" when the device according to the invention is intended for moving non-fluid or non-fluid-like material.

The invention is not limited to end purposes more particularly identified herein but is versatile and can be used 'Eor a wide variety of end purposes.

Claims

1. A squeegee device including an elongate blade member having a resilient ground contacting edge, the blade member defining a forward surface and a rearward surface, a pair of spaced apart members projecting from the rearward surface and upwardly inclined, relative to the ground contacting edge, to distal ends thereof, a said member being located adjacent a respective end of the elongate blade member, a ground engaging motion facilitating means associated with each of the spaced apart members and positioned adjacent said blade member, and a handle which extends substantially parallel to the blade member between the distal ends of the spaced apart member.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ground engaging means is a plurality of wheels, skids or the like.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the blade member has forwardly inclined ends.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the handle is of substantially U shape with the ends thereof forming said spaced apart members coupled to the blade member.

The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ground engaging means are a pair of wheels mounted by the handle.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the handle is of substantially U shape with the ends of the legs thereof forming said spaced apart members and being coupled to a mounting with which the blade member is attached.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein a wheel is 1. 0 carried by each leg of the handle such that each wheel is spaced away from the blade mounting. oeoo o

8. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to wherein the blade is removably attached to a blade mount to which the handle is coupled, said blade 15 extending beyond the terminal ends of the blade mounting.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the blade mounting comprises a first plate with which the handle is coupled and a second plate connected to the first plate and sandwiching therebetween an edge part of the blade.

The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein bristles are provided in place of the blade or in addition thereto.

11. A squeegee device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Dated this 1lt-day of January 1999 John David Murphy Patent Attorney for the Applicant/Nominated Person COLLISON CO S ee a eg *eoo