[GENERAL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION]

The Schwarze air sweeper utilizes a ‘closed loop’ airflow system via a sweeping head to accomplish debris pickup. A portion of the system’s air may be vented-off to increase the sweeper’s vacuum power. The remaining air is recirculated, producing the blast force under the sweeping head.

The sweeper unit is powered by an auxiliary engine mounted on the sweeper frame to the rear of the truck cab. It is fueled from the truck’s main fuel tank. To provide power to the sweeper, the engine propels a fan by use of a drive belt connected to a bearing-mounted drive shaft. The balanced, abrasion-resistant fan draws air from inside the hopper and forces it out of the fan housing. To protect the fan housing from excessive wear, all Schwarze sweepers are equipped with a replaceable rubber liner.

The fan forces air drawn from the hopper down the pressure hose, through an opening in the top of the sweeper head, to a baffle at the pressure inlet.

The sheer force of this air loosens debris, lifts it up, and pushes it across the chamber of the sweeping head in a spiraling motion, then transports it towards the suction inlet on the vacuum side of the sweeping head. A series of flexible rubber flaps, called ‘curtains,’ are bolted on the front and back of the sweeping head. These curtains, along with the metal skid plates on each end, contain the high velocity air within the sweeping head. Due to the vacuum inside the hopper caused by the fan's draw of air, the debris is pulled up through the suction hose and into the hopper.

Once inside the hopper, a number of strategically placed water nozzles may be used to decrease the amount of airborne dust. As the dust comes into contact with the water spray, it becomes heavier. The dust and debris-laden air loses speed upon entering the hopper, and so heavier objects fall to the hopper bottom. The air is then drawn through a screen in the top of the hopper, which removes any remaining lighter objects. Only fine particles of dust remain to be pulled through the screen and into the dust separator in the front of the hopper. As air is pulled from the dust separator by the fan, it develops a spiraling action, and the resulting centrifugal force throws the remaining fine dust against the walls of the separator. The fan then draws the cleaned air from the dust separator back into the fan housing and the cycle begins again.

For your convenience and safety, each Schwarze sweeper is controlled from a console in the truck cab. The console allows for remote operation of the hydraulic, dust suppression, and lighting systems, as well as the sweeper's auxiliary engine. Your new Schwarze sweeper may also be factory equipped with a number of options. In addition, some options may be added to the sweeper after leaving the factory. For more details about the many available options, contact a Schwarze Industries sales representative at 1-800-879-7933.


[HOPPER]

The hopper is designed to contain the debris picked up by the sweeping head. It is constructed of heavy gauge steel for years of trouble-free service. The hopper is mounted to a heavy duty frame which is fastened to the truck’s chassis. This provides a stable base to mount the hydraulic cylinders used to raise the hopper into the dump position. A door on each side of the hopper, often called an inspection door, provides easy access to clean the hopper after dumping. These doors can also be used to directly place objects into the hopper that are too large to be picked up by the sweeping head. A door has been installed on top of the hopper to provide easy access for cleaning the hopper’s intake screen. The screen may also be removed for cleaning by removing (8) fasteners.

[HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS]

Hydraulic fluid is pulled from the reservoir into the mechanically driven hydraulic pump mounted on the auxiliary engine. The pump passes the pressurized hydraulic fluid into the manifold, mounted above the left-hand-side water reservoir. A directional valve attached to the side of the manifold is operated electrically from the sweeper's in-cab console. This directional valve is used to channel fluid flow to the gutter broom for broom operations. A auxiliary pump, which is powered by the truck engine’s 12-volt battery, is used to dump the hopper and raise the sweeping head without running the sweeper engine.

[SWEEPING HEAD]

The sweeping head is the actual ‘sweeping component’ of the air sweeper. It is attached to the underside of the frame by a set of drag arms, tension springs, and hydraulic cylinders mounted on both sides of the sweeping head. The hydraulic cylinders and tension springs control the vertical movement of the head. A switch mounted on the control console in the truck cab operates the lift cylinders.

The sweeping head is connected to the fan housing and hopper inlet tube by two hoses: one on the pressure side and one on the vacuum side. On the pressure side, the hose is connected from the fan housing to the pressure inlet tube on the head. One end of the vacuum hose is connected to the suction inlet tube on the head, and the other end to the transition ring which seals against the hopper inlet tube when the hopper is in the lowered position. Both hoses are held in place by metal band clamps located at the top and bottom of each hose.

The sweeping head is designed so that air pressure from the fan will produce the maximum cleaning performance. The fan forces air from the hopper down the pressure hose. A baffle inside the sweeping head directs air across the head, forcing debris beneath the sweeping head to the left side. A series of flexible rubber flaps, called "curtains," are on the front and back of the sweeping head. These curtains, along with the metal skid plates on each end, contain the airborne debris while maintaining a seal with the sweeping surface. Due to the vacuum inside the hopper caused by the fan's draw of air, the debris is pulled up through the suction hose and into the hopper.


[WATER SYSTEM]

To avoid unnecessary wear of the fan, fan housing, sweeping head and hopper, it is necessary to control the amount of airborne dust within the sweeper. This is accomplished by introducing water spray at various locations on both the inside and outside of the sweeper. The dust suppression system should be used whenever operating the sweeper, except when sweeping during wet conditions.

Water is gravity fed from the bottom of the sweeper's durable, polyethylene water tank, to the left side of the sweeping head near the vacuum intake tube. As water enters the sweeping head, it is drawn into the suction hose where it mixes with the airborne dust. Upon entering the hopper, these water-ladened dust particles settle to the hopper floor. The decreased amount of this abrasive airborne dust results in longer fan life and extends the time between maintenance replacements of the fan housing liner.

Also reduced is the amount of dust vented from the fan housing's exhaust stack. A small ball valve, mounted just below the water tank, must be turned on to supply the water to the sweeping head. When not sweeping, turn the ball valve off to prevent the water from continuing to drain from the water reservoir. In addition to the gravity feed system, an electric water pump is installed to force water out of spray nozzles located inside the hopper and ahead of the gutter broom. Each spray nozzle produces a fine mist that mixes with dust and reduces the amount of abrasive airborne particles coming in contact with the various sweeper components. A single pump operates from a switch mounted on the console inside the truck cab and is wired to the truck's 12-volt battery.

[GUTTER BROOM]

The Schwarze sweeper’s rotating hydraulic gutter broom has been designed to dig debris loose from the gutter or similar areas and direct it across, and in front of, the sweeping head where it can be picked up. The gutter broom is mounted under the chassis to the rear of the truck cab on the left side of the sweeper. It is suspended from the frame on a hydraulically-controlled arm which is operated from the control console inside the truck cab. The hydraulic motor which turns the broom’s bristles is mounted inside the disc that spins on the end of the arm. When not in use, the gutter broom is hydraulically held and locked into position under the truck, up and off the pavement. This unique design enables the sweeper to have a minimum width and, at the same time, provides maximum ground clearance when the gutter broom is in the travel position.

[HAND HOSE]

The hand hose is a valuable add-on that’s designed to clean areas where hard-to-get-to, light debris collects, for example shallow catch basins, parking islands and fence edges. These are otherwise inaccessible to the sweeping head. It is mounted at the rear of the hopper, at the upper right side. The hand hose operates on fan-produced vacuum from within the hopper. The hose measures 8 feet long and 5 inches in diameter, and is fitted with a 40-inch aluminum nozzle and is attached to a hinged transition plate. This transition plate pivots across a hole in the hopper and is latched into position. A handle attached to the nozzle provides greater control.

To increase hand hose suction, a block-off plate is provided. Normally stored inside the toolbox, the plate is inserted between the hopper and transition tube to prevent air from entering the hopper via the sweeping head. With the block-off plate in place, the hand hose becomes the single air source for the fan's suction.


[LIGHTS, FLASHERS, ALARMS]

To increase operational safety, the sweeper may be equipped with a number of optional electric lights and flashers. To enable the driver/ operator to see well when operating at night, spotlights are available for the broom and hopper. A flashing barlight, strobe or beacon may be positioned on the top of the cab. These are used to alert motorists and pedestrians of the presence of the relatively slow moving sweeping machine. An additional rear stop light is positioned in the center of the hopper back panel for added safety. All lights are controlled by rocker switches mounted on the console inside the truck cab. Always keep all lights operating properly.

In addition to other safety features, a backup warning alarm is standard. The high pitched backup alarm warns bystanders that the sweeper is moving backwards so that they know to stand clear.

[MAGNETIC PICKUP BAR]

To remove metal objects which could damage truck tires, an optional magnetic pickup bar may be mounted to the front of the sweeper. It is controlled by a switch mounted on the control console. This switch operates an electric actuator to raise and lower the pickup bar. Use of the magnetic pickup bar has been shown to increase tire life while at the same time decreasing downtime caused by tire failure.

[SPRAY BAR]

An optional spray bar, mounted to the front of the sweeper, provides additional dust suppression when sweeping in extremely dusty conditions. An electric water pump, powered by the truck's 12- volt system, supplies water to several nozzles positioned along a pipe attached beneath the truck's front bumper.