FLOOR-CLEANING MACHINE WITH MANUAL ADJUSTMENT FOR TWO DISTINCT AND REPEATABLE FLUID FLOW RATES

摘要

A floor-cleaning machine (10) has a chassis (12) that is mobile on a surface and carries an agitating mechanism (14) to engage the surface. A fluid delivery system (18) conveys fluid from a reservoir (16) to the surface proximate the agitating mechanism (14). The fluid delivery system (18) includes a flow control valve (20) having a body (24) and a flow control member in the form of a ball (22) constrained within the body (24) and rotatable about an axis. A first passage (30) and a second passage (32) are defined in the ball (22), with the second passage (32) having a cross sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of the first passage (30). The ball (22) is pivotable between a high flow position and a low flow position. In the high flow position, the ball (22) is positioned to allow fluid flow from a upstream duct (26) to a downstream duct (28) through the first passage (30). In the low flow position, the ball L(22) is positioned to allow fluid flow from the upstream duct (26) to the downstream duct (28) through the second passage (32). The fluid flow rates in the high and the low flow positions are each distinct and repeatable with adjustment of the ball (22), with the low flow position allowing a lesser fluid flow rate than the high flow position.