1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a sweeper drag shoe used in a sweeping operation, and more particularly, pertains to a sweeper drag shoe with a deflection plate and a contact skid utilized for accomplishing substantially complete dirt and debris collection by a street sweeper.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art sweeper drag shoes have uniformly been designed as a shaped linear piece of metal. A sweeper drag shoe performs a critical containment function in street sweeping machines. A rotary broom is mounted on a supporting axle and the bottom regions of the rotary broom align in close proximity to the inner surfaces of opposing sweeper drag shoes. Sweeper drag shoes define the boundary of the sweeping area, and can serve to mount skirted panels surrounding the lower edges of the rotary broom and sealingly contact the road surface as the mobile street sweeper accomplishes its sweep. One drawback of this configuration is that a wedge of dirt and debris rapidly builds up in front of the rotary broom during its sweeping action, and this wedge, like a wedge of water, builds and drifts to the ends of the rotary broom. The typical sweeper drag shoe is intended to form a seal on either end of the lower edges of the rotary sweeper broom to contain the dirt wedge. The current art sweeper drag shoe design allows dirt and debris to escape beneath the sweeper drag shoe, particularly on uneven surfaces, resulting in an incomplete collection of dirt and debris at the edges of the sweeping path.
What is needed is a sweeper drag shoe that will provide for an improved seal along the forward portion of the sweeper drag shoe and which will allow the broom to collect and redirect the escaping wedge of dirt and debris which exits from beneath the sweeper drag shoe.
The present invention provides an improved forward portion seal and provides means to contain and redirect the escaping wedge portion of dirt and debris.