Why do street sweepers leave trails?

[Patriot]

Why do street sweepers leave trails?

They shouldn't, right?

[Duracutter]

Why do street sweepers leave trails?

They shouldn't, right?

The trails may be due to overabundance of material on street. Keep in mind they pick up a lot at once and it can't all make it on the conveyor system.

My parking lot sweeper, a Tennant 365 also will leave trails if the hopper has the forward portion filled as it's a throw in system. I have to stop, lift the bin and shake it to toss the stuff further down the hopper.

[Tom_in_CA]

What sweeper are you using? On our Athey Mobils, here are some reasons they may start leaving snail trails:

1) curtain that hangs down at the bottom of the elevators has gotten ripped off, or is too worn down and no longer touches the ground, etc...

2) Main broom is over-adjusted. Contrary to popular belief, more down-pressure is not better. If you have too much pressure, the bristles no longer "flick" the debri forward, since they are now smunching the ground, only able to push debri forward, instead of up and onto the elevators.

3) skids or sidewalls are bent outward.

4) If you use rubber spacers (or whatever you want to call them), they may need to be adjusted down. What this is, is we put a piece of rubber, with slots to allow it to be adjusted downwards, as needed. You put it between the carbide drag shoe and the side-plate, to where it angles in and down, to fill in any gap between the main broom and the skids.

5) Your elevator flights are not contacting the elevators floors. If too much debri keeps on slipshodding back down, instead of succesfully getting up and into the hopper, you are making the sweeper work extra hard. If too much debri keeps falling back down, then eventually it will try to find its way out through any weak spots it can. Contrarily, the faster the debri get up and into the hopper, is the less debri that will try to sneak past the main broom in the form of snail trails.

6) Your elevators are stalled or stuck. Or you have a full load and need to dump.

There are some reasons for snail trails. Good luck.

[Patriot]

What sweeper are you using? On our Athey Mobils, here are some reasons they may start leaving snail trails:

Well, at this point I'm not going to mention the company because I am still trying to get all this worked out. Needless to say I bought it new and since day 1 it's trailed. They replaced a lot of parts in the rear end and as soon as they did, it swept great. Then I had the chains adjusted a couple months later and it's back to square 1.

1) curtain that hangs down at the bottom of the elevators has gotten ripped off, or is too worn down and no longer touches the ground, etc...

2) Main broom is over-adjusted. Contrary to popular belief, more down-pressure is not better. If you have too much pressure, the bristles no longer "flick" the debri forward, since they are now smunching the ground, only able to push debri forward, instead of up and onto the elevators.

These aren't an issue.

3) skids or sidewalls are bent outward.

I think they're where they're supposed to be but the problem is that I don't actually know. The dealer/the place that services and has done the work says they're fine.

4) If you use rubber spacers (or whatever you want to call them), they may need to be adjusted down. What this is, is we put a piece of rubber, with slots to allow it to be adjusted downwards, as needed. You put it between the carbide drag shoe and the side-plate, to where it angles in and down, to fill in any gap between the main broom and the skids.

I'm not familiar with this.

5) Your elevator flights are not contacting the elevators floors. If too much debri keeps on slipshodding back down, instead of succesfully getting up and into the hopper, you are making the sweeper work extra hard. If too much debri keeps falling back down, then eventually it will try to find its way out through any weak spots it can. Contrarily, the faster the debri get up and into the hopper, is the less debri that will try to sneak past the main broom in the form of snail trails.

Since they last adjusted the chains this is what they contend is the problem. Maybe it is, I just don't know. It's been rather frustrating. It's back in for more adjustments.
My question to them is do you have this much trouble with all the other same type of sweeper and their answer is no. So why is mine different?
That just doesn't make sense.

6) Your elevators are stalled or stuck. Or you have a full load and need to dump.

Nope.

There are some reasons for snail trails. Good luck.

Thanks for your input. I was just curious as to whether or not there are other possibilities.

[Karl Stauty]

We could be more helpful if you stated the make of the unit.

While most all broom sweepers have the same problems as stated in great detail, there are tricks to each one to make them sweep like new.

Some units have wear items that have to changed as frequent as curb brooms.

[Tom_in_CA]

Patriot, how do you know your main broom is adjusted correctly? What test are you doing to know how much down-pressure you've got on there? Typically, this is how it's done: pick a flat spot on a street. Put some loose fine dusty dirt there. Now back up your sweeper so that your main broom is directly over that spot on the street. Now, while keeping your sweeper perfectly still, lower the broom onto the spot. Let it spin for about 15 seconds, and then raise the broom. Drive forward off the spot. The resultant "pattern" will tell you if you're over or under-adjusted. On our Mobils, for instance, we strive for a 7" to 9" wide mark left of the pavement.

Here's a test to see if your broom is successfully getting the debri on to the flights, and if you're flights/floors are successfully getting the debri into the hopper (without repeated attempts): Go through some thick debri, like a pile of chips or dirt or something. Then, continuing in a straight line through a CLEAN stretch of street, if you were to stop a half block down, and lift the broom, and drive forward, there should NOT be a pile of debri there where you lifted the broom. If there is, then that means you are merely pushing it down the street, and it's having difficulty either getting onto the flights/floor, or the rubber flights aren't contacting the floor, allowing the majority to keep slip-shodding down, etc... The more that is left on the street when you lift the broom, the worse this effect. The less left on the ground when you raise the broom, the better the ability of this effect is.

The reasons why you may be pushing debri rather than picking it up quickly (which results in trailing) would be an overadjusted broom or flights and chains that are letting stuff drop back down.

Hope that makes sense.

[Karl Stauty]

Tom,
Your showing how many hours you have spent in the seat of a broom truck! And under one.

All of "Toms" suggestions are on the money! The two most important parts of a broom sweeper is the elevator and the mian broom. If either of these two units are out of adjustment it will effect the other.

[Tom_in_CA]

Karl, it's the "school of hard knocks" haha Get yelled at enough times, replaced enough times by your competitor, and wonder if you'll pay for your equipment, and...... that becomes the mother of invention Also pestering the snot out of those who have been in it a long time before you, for tips.

I find that dealers to municipalities don't know as much as private contractors, and dealers to private contractors. The reason is, that cities just go down the curb line picking up leaves and easy stuff. If their sweeper picks up bad, no biggee. They can just repeat it, or tell the resident "tough luck!" I see our cities sweepers constantly out of adjustment, but they could care less. But private contractors frequently have LOTS of money, risk, and pride on the line. If you are holding up a tack-oil truck, with a crew of 20 paving guys, all looking at you to hurry up, you don't have any leeway for a sweeper that's not picking up.

[TheRoadCleaners]

Hey Patriot!!!
I totally agree with you. and i really like your reply.
____________________________
Mississauga Street Sweeping

[kenedy]

I have no idea about that.