Method and apparatus for stripping and cleaning floors

Abstract

Floor stripping and buffing methods and apparatus including a circular drive board, at least one pad operationally attached to the circular drive board, and at least one abrasive media embedded in the at least one pad, where the at least one pad has at least one raised pad portion. Other aspects include at least one foam layer between the circular drive board and the at least one pad, where the at least one pad is made of the at least one abrasive media, at least one foam layer between the circular drive board and the at least one pad, at least one mounting adapter formed through the at least one pad, a rotary stripping machine connected to the stripping apparatus via the mounting adapter, at least one heeling weight connected to the stripping machine, and where the at least one media is removable and rechargeable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A floor stripping apparatus, comprising:
 a circular drive board;   at least one pad operationally attached to the circular drive board; and   at least one abrasive media embedded in the at least one pad;   wherein the at least one pad has at least one raised pad portion.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one foam layer disposed between the circular drive board and the at least one pad.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pad is made of the at least one abrasive media. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one raised pad portion is elevated between one-eighth inch and one inch above the at least one pad. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one mounting adapter formed through the at least one pad.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a rotary stripping machine operationally connected to the circular drive board via the at least one mounting adapter.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 at least one heeling weight operationally connected to the rotary stripping machine.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abrasive media is removable and rechargeable. 
     
     
         9 . A method for refinishing floors, further comprising the steps of:
 performing at least one stripping pass over a flooring surface having wax deposited thereupon with a rotary stripping machine and a pad, wherein the pad has at least one raised portion thereupon to strip the wax from the flooring surface until there is a palpable decrease in thickness of the wax on the flooring surface; and   applying at least one layer of new wax to the flooring surface and buffing the new wax onto the flooring surface with the pad until the flooring surface is waxed again;   wherein the at least one raised portion of the pad contours over crests and into valleys of the flooring surface.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
 equipping the rotary stripping machine with the pad.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the rotary stripping machine is lightweight. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
 equipping the rotary stripping machine with at least one heeling weight.   
     
     
         13 . An improved flooring pad, comprising:
 at least one base layer; and   at least one raised pad portion layered on the at least one base layer;   wherein the at least one raised pad portion contours uneven surfaces.   
     
     
         14 . The pad of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 at least one foam layer operationally connected to the at least one base layer.   
     
     
         15 . The pad of  claim 14 , wherein at least one raised pad portion is a plurality of raised pad portions spaced equidistantly on the at least one base layer. 
     
     
         16 . The pad of  claim 13 , wherein at least one pad portion is temporarily attached to the at least one base layer and removable therefrom. 
     
     
         17 . The pad of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one raised pad portion profile is selected from the group consisting of at least one circle, at least one half circle, at least one stripe, at least one wedge, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The pad of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one at least one base layer is selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon, abrasive grains, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The pad of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one raised pad portion is selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon, abrasive grains, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The pad of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one raised pad portion is integral with the at least one pad.