Abstract

A pavement sweeping apparatus includes an angled, counter-rotating transverse roller broom followed by a high pressure/high velocity and full-width blast of air to remove particles too small for the broom to sweep up. The roller shaped broom has auger wound bristles causing dynamic propulsion of objects that come in contact with the surface of the rotating broom. The objects are forced by mechanical action, both by the windrow effect of the transverse angle of the broom and, additionally, by the augering action of the helical wound broom bristles to propel object toward an exhaust port of the powerhood for further transfer into a storage bin. A blast orifice, narrow and elongated in shape with its elongated length angled in a transverse position and parallel with and positioned behind the broom, entrains fine particles and small objects not propelled and windrowed by the broom will be blasted by the high-velocity air and forced back under the broom where they are forced back in front of the broom again to be transferred toward the exhaust port. Some of the extremely small particles or objects will be propelled entirely by the high velocity air stream as the broom will have limited effect on extremely fine particles of a size not visible by the human eye.

Other References

• Schwarze Industries Catalog, 1986, p. 5 entitled "Broom Assist