Floor treatment machine

Abstract

A floor cleaning machine has one or more work heads, one or more motors for driving one or more work heads via a transmission unit for each work head, wherein each transmission unit has a drive shaft with a co-axial chuck for releasably engaging with the associated work head to rotate the work head. The machine has a liquid reservoir, and at least one liquid conduit extending from the reservoir towards a transmission unit of one of the work heads. The drive shaft has a co-axially extending through-bore receiving a liquid feed tube, the feed tube providing a liquid path for treatment liquid through the transmission unit and through the work head, the feed tube having an upper region for receiving liquid from the conduit and a lower region which feeds through the work head to serve as an outlet for delivering liquid to the underside of the work head.

1 . A floor cleaning or polishing machine comprising one or more generally disc-shaped, floor-facing work heads for treating the floor surface, one or more motors for driving the one or more work heads via a transmission unit for each work head, wherein each transmission unit provides a generally vertical drive shaft which is provided at a lower end region thereof with a co-axial chuck for releasably engaging with the associated work head so as to rotate the work head in use, wherein the machine is provided with a treatment liquid reservoir, and at least one liquid conduit extending from the reservoir towards a transmission unit of one of the work heads, and wherein the drive shaft is provided with a co-axially extending through-bore in which is received a generally vertically oriented liquid feed tube, the feed tube providing a liquid path for treatment liquid through the transmission unit and through the associated work head, the feed tube having an upper region for receiving treatment liquid from the liquid conduit and a lower region which feeds through the work head so as to serve as a treatment liquid outlet for delivering treatment liquid to the underside of the work head. 
     
     
         2 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the motor has a rotor which engages with and drives the transmission, the rotor being generally vertically oriented and offset with respect to the transmission drive shaft axis. 
     
     
         3 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the feed tube comprises a rigid member. 
     
     
         4 . A machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the feed tube is tapered so as to narrow towards the work head end thereof. 
     
     
         5 . A machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the feed tube has an outer surface which is spaced apart from the through bore inner surface. 
     
     
         6 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein an upper region of the feed tube projects above the transmission unit. 
     
     
         7 . A machine as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the feed tube upper region is provided with a manifold for containing treatment liquid which is to be fed into the feed tube. 
     
     
         8 . A machine as claimed in  claim 7  wherein an externally projecting stub tube is provided which feeds into the manifold. 
     
     
         9 . A machine as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the upper region is provided with a pump and/or valve for controlling liquid feed into the tube. 
     
     
         10 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each work head is driven by an assembly comprising one transmission unit including a drive shaft carrying the chuck, a motor offset from the drive shaft axis and including a rotor which engages with the transmission, and a liquid feed tube accommodated in the drive shaft through bore. 
     
     
         11 . A machine as claimed in  claim 10  wherein an upper region of the feed tube projects above the transmission unit. 
     
     
         12 . A machine as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the feed tube upper region is provided with a manifold for containing treatment liquid which is to be fed into the feed tube.