Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A29/00—Cleaning or lubricating arrangements
  • F41A29/02—Scrapers or cleaning rods
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B08—CLEANING
  • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
  • B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto 
  • B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
  • B08B9/021—Cleaning pipe ends or pipe fittings, e.g. before soldering
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B08—CLEANING
  • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
  • B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto 
  • B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
  • B08B9/027—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
  • B08B9/04—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes
  • B08B9/043—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved by externally powered mechanical linkage, e.g. pushed or drawn through the pipes
  • B08B9/0436—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved by externally powered mechanical linkage, e.g. pushed or drawn through the pipes provided with mechanical cleaning tools, e.g. scrapers, with or without additional fluid jets
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B08—CLEANING
  • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
  • B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto 
  • B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
  • B08B9/027—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
  • B08B9/04—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes
  • B08B9/043—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved by externally powered mechanical linkage, e.g. pushed or drawn through the pipes
  • B08B9/045—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes moved by externally powered mechanical linkage, e.g. pushed or drawn through the pipes the cleaning devices being rotated while moved, e.g. flexible rotating shaft or "snake"

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device for cleaning a cylindrical or conical tube with a smooth wall, placed in a horizontal or inclined position.
• Artillery tubes also called firearms, have a core which can have helical grooves and a more or less conical and smooth part called a chamber with a diameter greater than that of the core and which can reach a length of 1 meter. .
• FR 2 802 451 relates to a device for cleaning the core of a tube whose internal periphery is striated.
• the present invention relates to a device for cleaning the chamber part of a tube.
• the chamber part is cleaned and protected against oxidation with special oils. More or less conical brushes are used, the bristles of which are generally implanted on wooden or plastic supports.
• the brush is introduced manually into the tube by means of a shaft screwed onto said brush.
• This pole has at its other end a transverse rod forming a lever and making it possible to push and pull the brush giving it a rotational movement.
• the tube is oriented in an inclined position relative to the horizontal and, preferably, with the end of the core inclined towards the ground, the orifice of the chamber to the other end then being higher.
• Brushing is carried out at the start by spreading a liquid product which permeates the residues fixed on the walls after the firing of the shells.
• the dose of product used is thus random and its distribution difficult to obtain. One can thus consume, depending on the skill of the person assigned to this task, more oil than necessary to achieve the desired objective.
• the object of the invention is to propose a cleaning device which makes it possible to control the consumption of the liquid product, to obtain in a simple and practical manner the distribution of the product over the entire length concerned and which facilitates the work of the affected man. to this task.
• the invention therefore relates to a device for cleaning a cylindrical or conical tube with a smooth wall, placed in a horizontal or " inclined position, comprising a cylindrical body of axis X, capable of being introduced axially into said tube, having at its periphery of the brushing means of the internal wall of said tube, a pole fixed to an end face of said body, and means for pivoting said pole and said body about the axis X.
• the cylindrical body comprises a chamber capable of receiving a cleaning liquid and, on one of its generatrices, a first orifice into which opens the first end of a radial duct disposed in said chamber and the second end of which is arranged in the vicinity of the wall of said chamber located opposite said first orifice, and at least one second orifice open to the outside and serving for the evacuation by gravity of a dose of liquid cleaning when it is located below the level of the liquid in the chamber during the rotation of said device, the first orifice being used for filling said chamber with cleaning liquid and for the entry of air into said chamber when the second end of the duct is arranged above the level of the liquid.
• the proposed device makes it possible to fill the chamber of the body with the quantity of liquid necessary for cleaning. As long as the orifices are positioned above the liquid level, there is no evacuation. On the other hand, when the second orifices are below the level of the liquid, there is a discharge of liquid, the duct then serving for the transfer of air to the chamber.
• the brush is introduced into the tube to be cleaned with the generator having the orifices, located in the upper zone.
• the brush is rotated about its axis, making it move forward and back axially on demand, as is currently the case.
• the second orifices will be below the liquid level during a fraction of the brush turn, which is all the more important as the liquid level is high, especially at the start of the cleaning operation.
• the chamber is constituted by a cylindrical cavity placed in the axis of the body and communicates with the outside by two second orifices arranged on either side of the first orifice and near the axial ends of said chamber. This arrangement allows certain evacuation of all the liquid after a certain time, when the tube is inclined.
• the second ports are equipped with interchangeable traps to adjust the liquid flow.
• the chamber can be filled using a syringe having an outlet which fits into the flared inlet of the duct.
• the brushing means comprise a plurality of axial spatulas articulated on the body at the end opposite to the shaft and the other end of which is urged radially outwards by elastic means. This arrangement ensures brushing of the conical walls.
• the pole is fixed to the body by means of a device which makes it possible to align a visual mark of the pole with the angular position of the generator of the body comprising the orifices. This arrangement allows the operator to know the position of the orifices.
• the means for fixing the pole include a threaded sleeve fixed to the corresponding end of the pole, said sleeve having a circular base accommodating in an axial cavity formed at the end of the body and a radial flange having circular slots for the passage of locking screws.
• the pole has at its end remote from the body two radially opposite rods serving as grips. These handles are also used by the operator to impart a rotational movement to the brush, and to move it axially.
• the gripping handles extend from a casing mounted at the end of the shaft 30, distant from the body, said housing housing a rotary oscillating pneumatic cylinder for pivoting the shaft and the body around the X axis, said cylinder being controlled by a push button provided on one of said handles.
• the push button preferably acts on a 5/2 distributor biased by a spring, the pushing of the push button causing the shaft and the body to rotate in one direction, and the release of said push button causing the direction to return reverse of the pole and the body to the initial position.
• the pole has two telescopic pole portions, fixed in rotation relative to one another, said two pole portions are fixed axially by means of at least one pneumatic cylinder.
• This second jack can be controlled by its own push button or by the push button controlling the rotary jack oscillating in one of the directions of rotation of the shaft.
• - Figure 1 is a section along a plane passing through the axis X of the brush of a cleaning device according to the invention disposed in a conical part of a tube to be cleaned;
• - Figure 2 shows the same device arranged in an inclined tube, the device having undergone a rotation of half a turn;
• FIG. 3 is a top view of the device alone
• - Figure 4 is a front view of the brush, taken on the shank side, which shows the means for fixing the shank to the brush;
• - Figure 5 shows an angular sector of liquid flow as a function of the level of the latter;
• - Figure 6 is similar to Figure 3 and shows a shaft made in two telescopic parts;
• FIG. 7 shows a pneumatic system to rotate the pole and to block the two telescopic parts of the latter.
• the reference 1 shows a substantially conical internal wall of a tube 2, and the reference 3 a brush for cleaning the internal wall 1.
• This brush 3 essentially comprises a cylindrical body 4 of axis X which has at its periphery a plurality of brushing elements 5, produced in the form of spatulas 6 regularly distributed around the axis and which extend in planes containing the X axis.
• the spatulas 6 are fitted with radial bristles 7.
• the spatulas 6 are shown pivoting at one end of the body 4, by means of pins 8 perpendicular to the plane of each spatula 6, and are mounted at the other end of the body 4 in such a way that they can move outwards under the action of a spring 9, the travel being limited by a pin 10 secured to the body disposed in a radial slot 11 provided at the end of the spatula 6.
• This arrangement allows the bristles 7 of each spatula 6 to be applied to the conical internal wall 1 to be cleaned.
• the diameter of the body 4 is calculated in such a way that the hairs
• spatulas 6 can clean the conical wall 1 over its entire length by axial displacement of the brush 3.
• the body 4 is hollow and has a cylindrical internal reservoir 12 of axis X which communicates with the outside, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 1, by three orifices, referenced respectively 13, 14 and 15, which are arranged on the same generator of the body 4.
• the extreme orifices 13 and 15 open into the reservoir 12 in the vicinity of the end walls perpendicular to the axis X of said reservoir 12, while the orifice 14 is disposed substantially halfway between the orifices 13 and 15.
• the extreme orifices 13 and 15 are preferably tapped to allow the fixing of traps 16a and 16b in the form of screws drilled in the center by holes. These traps 16a and 16b are easily replaceable by other traps having holes of diameter different in order to allow the adjustment of the flow rate of a liquid contained in the reservoir 12 according to its fluidity.
• the central orifice 14, which can also be tapped, is intended for fixing a conduit 17 which has a flared inlet 18 outside the body 4 and which extends radially through the reservoir 12 so that the the other end 19 of said conduit 17 is located in the vicinity of the zone 20 of the internal wall of said reservoir 12 situated opposite the central orifice 14.
• the conduit 17 allows the reservoir 12 to be filled with cleaning liquid by means of a syringe for example, this syringe comprising a liquid outlet member which fits into the flared inlet 18.
• the axis X of the brush 3 When filling the reservoir 12, the axis X of the brush 3 is arranged horizontally, and the three aligned orifices 13, 14, 15 are arranged in the upper zone of the brush 3.
• the air contained in the reservoir is evacuated by traps 16a and 16b as they are filled.
• the flared inlet 18 of the conduit 17 will also be present below the level 21 of the liquid, but conversely the end 19 of the conduit 17 rises and comes to be positioned above the level 21, and the zone 12a of the reservoir 12 located above the level 21 communicates with the outside via the conduit 17, which puts this zone 12a of tank at atmospheric pressure and promotes the flow of liquid through the traps 16a and 16b.
• Figure 5 shows the angular sector S in which must be disposed one of the traps 16a and 16b to allow an evacuation of cleaning liquid. This sector S is all the greater as the level
• Figure 2 shows the brush 3 arranged in an inclined tube 2, the reservoir 12 containing little liquid.
• the trap 16a is located in the example shown in this figure 8, still above the level 21, but the other trap 16b makes it possible to evacuate all of the liquid from the reservoir 12 when it is below the vertical of the axis X.
• the brush 3 is fixed to the end of a shaft 30.
• the angular position of the generator containing the orifices 13, 14 and 15 must be identified by the operator during cleaning, in order to let him know if liquid is likely to drain out.
• the pole 30 is provided with a reference numeral 31 in FIG. 3 which visually indicates the angular positioning of the orifices 13, 14 and 15.
• the pole 30, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 comprises a threaded end 32 which accommodates in the tapped cavity of a sleeve 33, one end 34 of which rotates in a cylindrical cavity 35 of axis X formed in a front face 4a of the body 4.
• This sleeve 33 also has a radial flange 36 which bears against the front face 4a of the body 4 and which has two opposite circular openings 37a and 37b traversed by the barrels of two locking screws 38a and 38b.
• the pole 30 further comprises, at the end remote from the brush 3, two rods 40a, 40b which serve as grips and which extend from the pole 30 in opposite directions. These grips can be used as levers to manually rotate the brush 3 around the X axis.
• the shaft 30, as shown in FIG. 6, can be made up of two portions of shaft 30a and 30b which slide one inside the other, the portion 30b being hollow and having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter. of the portion 30a which is fixed to the body 4.
• the portion 30b comprises a slot 41 parallel to the axis X which makes it possible to immobilize the portion 30b relative to the portion 30a, on the one hand, in mutual rotation by means of a screw 42 passing through the lumen 41 and fixed on the portion 30a, and, on the other hand, in axial translation by means of a nut 42 which cooperates with a thread of the screw 41.
• This telescopic shank makes it possible to introduce more easily the brush 3 in the tube 2, and to adjust the length of the shaft 30 as and as the brush 3 moves axially in the tube 2.
• the light 41 is preferably placed in alignment with the orifices 13, 14 and 15 and in this case replaces the reference 31 shown in FIG. 3.
• the gripping handles 40a and 40b extend radially from a casing 50 disposed at the end of the shaft 30, which contains an oscillating rotary actuator 51 supplied with a pressurized fluid, in particular compressed air, and which makes it possible to drive the shaft 30 in rotation about its axis by actuation of a push button 52 mounted on the grip handle 40b.
• the oscillating rotary actuator 51 shown in detail in FIG. 7, comprises a cylinder 53 in which a piston 54 is slidably mounted, the rod 55 of which constitutes a rack which rotates a pinion 56, mounted at the end of the shaft 30
• the push button 52 actuates a distributor 57 of the 5/2 type.
• One of the inlet channels is in permanent communication with a pressure source and the other inlet channel is exhausted.
• the distributor 57 is loaded by a spring 58 which tends to push the push button 52 outwards.
• a spring 58 which tends to push the push button 52 outwards.
• one side of the piston 54 is charged with compressed air and the other side is exhausted, which moves the piston 54 in one direction, the rack 55 then making rotate the pinion 56.
• the dimensions of the rack 55 and the pinion 56 are calculated in such a way that the shaft 30 rotates by an angle of at least 180 ° and preferably by an angle of 360 °.
• the spring 58 returns the distributor 57 to its original position, which reverses the pressures on the two faces of the piston 54, and the latter moves in the opposite direction and returns to its initial position in which the orifices 13, 14 and 15 of the reservoir 12 are positioned above the X axis.
• the nut 42 can be replaced by two jacks 60 and 61 shown in FIG. 7 and actuated by means of a push button similar to that described above.
• the jacks 60 and 61 are supported on a plate 62 integral with the screw 41 and come to exert pressure by means of the pads 63 and 64, on the outer surfaces of the stem portion 30b adjacent to the light 41. D ' other modes of installation of the jacks 60 and 61 are obviously possible.
• the two jacks 60 and 61 can be actuated using the push button 52 which controls the rotation of the pole 30.
• the two pole portions 30a and 30b are immobilized axially by means of the pads 63 and 64 and, in the opposite direction, the two stem portions 30a and 30b are axially movable relative to each other. This allows the operator to adjust the length of the shaft 30 before each treatment cycle.
• the shaft 30 and brush 3 assembly are placed horizontally, the orifices 13, 14 and 15 being arranged in the upper zone of the brush 3, and the reservoir 12 is filled with a dose of liquid. cleaning, by means of a syringe for example, through the filling orifice 18.
• the brush 3 After filling the reservoir 12, the brush 3 is introduced into the orifice of the tube 2, with the traps 16a and 16b in the upper or standby position in which the liquid cannot be evacuated.
• the brush 3 is then put into rotation using the grips 40a and 40b or by pressing the push button 52 if the shaft 30 is driven by an oscillating rotary actuator 51.
• Each turn of the brush 3 causes a cycle purging the reservoir 12 on a variable angular sector whose amplitude decreases in relation to the level 21 of liquid.
• the liquid flows regularly by gravity through the conduit 27 which, simultaneously by construction, puts the upper part 12a of the reservoir 12 in communication with the atmosphere.
• any excess liquid will flow along the slope of the tube and will be taken up by the spatulas 6. Indeed, at each cycle or simultaneously, the brush 3 is moved axially in the tube 2.
• the diameter of the orifices of the traps 16a and 16b is provided as a function of the length of the tube 2 to be treated in order to obtain a flow of the determined dose over this entire length. It is desirable to rotate the brush 3 by reversing the direction of rotation. This is done automatically if the shaft 30 is driven by an oscillating rotary cylinder 51.
• the spatulas 6 entrain the scraped liquid on the internal wall 1 of the tube 2 and drives it alternately in one direction then in the other.
• the operator can use the grips 40a, 40b to move the brush 3 axially in the tube 2.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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• 2003
  • 2003-02-10 FR FR0301526A patent/FR2850887B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-02-09 DE DE602004028216T patent/DE602004028216D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-02-09 AT AT04709257T patent/ATE474675T1/de active
  • 2004-02-09 EP EP04709257A patent/EP1594634B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-02-09 US US10/543,707 patent/US7694377B2/en active Active
  • 2004-02-09 ES ES04709257T patent/ES2349127T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-02-09 WO PCT/FR2004/000288 patent/WO2004071682A1/fr active Application Filing

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