GB2276927A

GB2276927A - Pipe cleaning device

Info

Publication number: GB2276927A
Application number: GB9406319A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Takeshi Shirato
Original assignee: Mitsui Deutz Diesel Engine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsui Deutz Diesel Engine Co Ltd
Priority date: 1993-04-08
Filing date: 1994-03-30
Publication date: 1994-10-12
Also published as: GB9406319D0; JPH06339669A; TW242580B; JP2686910B2; DE4411039A1

Description

2276927 PIPE CLEANING DEVICE The present invention relates to a pipe

cleaning device for drainpipes or other pipes in the piping in buildings, apartment houses, hotels, factories and so forth, utilizing a high pressure water.

Drainpipes or other pipes through which waste water or liquid containing pollutants flows are prone to undergo deposit and attachment of polluting matters on their inner wall surfaces gradually increasingly as their service time lapses, and the flow channels through the pipes become gradually increasingly narrowed, giving rise to the problem that their water flowing capacity becomes gradually lowered.

It is also likely that roots of trees and/or plants grow in pipes through gaps possibly formed in joints in a piping and/or damaged portions of the pipes to form obstacles against flow of water and that the flow channels through the piping become squeezed or the flow resistance through piping becomes increased by the roots of trees and plants paper, cloth and/or small in the waste water and tanglingly or otherwise captured by the plant roots, resulting in the problem of a gradual lowering of the water flowing capacity of the piping.

themselves and/or fractions of driftwood fragments contained the 2 Therefore, in order to prevent clogging through the piping, it is necessary to carry out cleaning of the inside of pipes from time to time. Known methods for the pipe cleaning are broadly classified into a method according to which deposits or attachments on the pipe surfaces are chemically dissolved or removed, and a method according to which attached matters are removed by injection of a high pressure water through cleaning nozzles. The latter of the above methods is sub-classified broadly into three methods:

A first method makes use of a device in which simply openings of nozzles for injecting high pressure water are arranged along for example a drainpipe and the nozzles are moved to and fro in the pipe, utilizing the reaction of the high pressure injection of water; a second method is carried out by a device of which a nozzle-provided front end is rotated; and a third method utilizes a device of which nozzles are turned or revolved along the inner surface of the drainpipe.

The above known cleaning devices are of a type which is supplied with a high pressure water having a pressure of several hundred times the atmospheric pressure to carry out the pipe cleaning and by which the high pressure water is injected through nozzles, whereby the nozzles are rotated 100 to 400 turns per minute along the inner surface of the pipe to carry out the pipe cleaning. While the high pressure water is injected, the pipe wall surface is scrubbed by a guide member laterally extending from a head part of the nozzles and, with jet streams of water injected at positions very close to the inner wall surface of the pipe, the pipe inside is cleaned.

The known cleaning devices have a guide arm projected laterally from a head part, and adapted to turn at a high velocity inside the pipe with the inner wall surface of the pipe scrubbed by a front end of the guide arm. The guide arm is a member for orienting the head part in the prescribed direction relative to the inner wall surface of the pipe and is made of a relatively thin metal rod and is relatively limited in the strength.

After the cleaning device entered into a main pipe has completed cleaning of a branch pipe from the main pipe, the device is taken out of the main pipe by pulling a hose connected to the device, when it occasionally takes place that the guide arm catches at a starting end portion of the brach pipe. Then, if the hose is forcibly pulled, the guide arm tends to undergo a breakage, when it is likely that a broken fragment is left inside the pipe, or the guide arm tends to underge a large extent of deformation. Therefore, with the known cleaning devices, it has been replace the guide arm relatively frequently.

necessary to That the guide arm is of a relatively limited strength as above means in an aspect that it comes under a kind of a safety device. If the guide arm is made having a high strength, then it becomes difficult to withdraw the cleaning device out of the pipe when it has undergone a catching at a branch pipe as mentioned above. When the above trouble that the cleaning device cannot be taken out of the pipe should occur, it is necessary to unearth the pipe and 5 subject it to a cutting to take out the cleaning device. Thus, it was occasionally required in the prior art to carry out a large scale engineering work.

A further problem in the prior art resides in that while a ball bearing is utilized so that the head part can be smoothly rotated, the ball bearing used is relatively small in size and, in addition, it is always immersed in water used for the cleaning operation, so that its durability is considerably limited. Also, in the known cleaning devices, a rotating part is disposed in a front end part of the device and is supported in a cantilever arrangement, so that the durability of the rotating part is relatively low.

Summary of the Invention:

The present invention has been made in order to obviate the above indicated problems and difficulties with the known pipe cleaning devices, and an object of the invention is to provide a pipe cleaning device which can be relatively limited in size, can easily come into or out of even a branch pipe or a curved portion in a piping, and can exhibit a high durability in that it does not make use of a member which will relatively easily undergo a damage or breakage such as a ball bearing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe cleaning device with which even roots of trees and/or plants projecting into the interior of pipes and various possible matters which are strongly adhering on inner wall surfaces of pipes can be easily cut or peeled and removed away.

A particularly important point about the present invention consists in that the cleaning device provided according to the invention is devoid of such a machine member which projects laterally from a head part or a body part such as the guide rod provided in the known devices, has a head part which is supported at its both sides and is located in a central or middle part of the device so that the head part can exhibit a high durability and which has remarkably desirable operation characteristics for turning or revolving and for coming into or out of a pipe, whereby the cleaning device can exhibit a high pipe cleaning performance.

The pipe cleaning device for attaining the above objects according to the present invention has the following structural features in a pipe cleaning device of the type in which a head part is rotatably supported by a tubular or cylindrical body part having a hose connected to its one end and which undergoes turning or revolution in a pipe and carries out cleaning of the pipe by injection of a high pressure fluid:

- 6 (1) For a first feature, the head part is made having a flattened or relatively flat configuration, and an arrangement is made such that by an impinging action and/or a striking action of the head part itself, deposited or attached matters can be detached or peeled, and roots of trees and plants can be cut, and removed away.

(2) For a second feature, on the rear or trailing end side of the flat head part in the direction of rotation thereof, the head part is formed with an injection pore through which to inject a high pressure fluid to impart a turning force to the head part.

(3) For a third feature, on the rear or trailing end side in the direction of rotation, the flattend head part is formed with an injection pore through which to inject a high pressure fluid to impart a turning force to the head part, and in addition thereto, the thickness of the head part is increasingly reduced toward its front or leading end side in the direction of its rotation so that it is preferably in the form of an ax, whereby the head part itself is imparted with a cutting function.

(4) For a fourth feature, on the front or leading end side of the head part in the direction of rotation thereof, a separate cutting blade is provided.

(5) For a fifth feature, on the front or leading end side of 25 the head part in the direction of its rotation, the head part is formed with a groove or a stepped portion, and a cutting blade is removably provided in the groove or at the stepped portion.

(6) For a sixth feature, on the front or leading end side of the head part in the direction of its rotation, a groove is formed in the head part and a cutting blade is removably secured in the groove in a manner such that it can be projected beyond or retracted inside the front side edge of the head part.

(7) For a seventh feature, on the front or leading end side of the head part in the direction of its rotation, a groove is formed-in the head part and a cutting blade is fixed in the groove and, in addition, a protective portion projecting beyond a front end edge of the cutting blade is provided to the head part so that the cutting blade has a protective means.

(8) For an eighth feature, the head part is formed with a protruding portion, which is projected beyond a front end edge of a cutting blade and forms a protective means for the cutting blade.

(9) For a ninth feature, at least the front or leading end of the head part in the direction of its rotation is diametrally reduced in the form of a bullethead. It is possible to make the head part having a diametrally reduced front or leading end as above and make the opposite end of - 8 the head part, too, diametrally reduced within such a range in which an injection pore can be formed in this head part end.

(10) For a tenth feature, on the front or leading end side of 5 the head part in the direction of its rotation, the head part is formed with a number of protuberances.

Practical examples of the pipe cleaning device according to the present invention may be classified into four types as follows:

In the device of a first type which is illustrated in Fig. I to Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings, the head part rotatably supported by the tubular body part is formed in the configuration of a flat plate having a relatively large thickness, and on a side, namely a rear or trailing end side of this flat head part in the direction of its rotation, there are opened in the head part a first injection pore through which to inject a high pressure fluid for turning the cleaning device and second injection pores through which to inject the high pressure fluid in the direction towards the hose coupled side of the head part or the body part for advancing the device.

The device of this first type essentially differs from the knwon devices in that the head part is in the form of a flat block and is devoid of a guide member for controlling the position of the head part in the known devices. Thus, when the head part is revolved or turned at a high speed in a pipe, it is possible to rub the inner wall surface of the pipe with the front or leading end portions of the head part in the direction of its rotation and thereby remove or peel attached matters on the pipe wall surface.

As stated above, the head part of a block configuration can rub and peel or detach attached matters on the pipe wall surface, but it is not possessed of a function to cut a root of a tree or any other plant grown into the pipe's hollow, so that as shown in Fig. 6 by way of a modified example of this first type device, the thickness of the head part may be reduced in its front or leading end portion in the direction of its revolution to make the head part to be in the form of an ax, whereby the head part can be imparted with the function of detaching a strongly adhering attached matter and the function of cutting a tree or plant root, rags or the like.

Possibly there may be such cases in which pollutants or other matters are attached on a pipe wall surface with such a strong force of adhesion that a suffi- cient detaching or peeling effect cannot be brought about by revolving the pipe cleaning device having a flat head part as above at a high speed. Then, as shown in Fig. 7 as a further modified example of the first type device, the head part may be made a hammer like member provided with a number of protuberances, which can exhibit a sufficient striking and peeling effect.

- 10 A second type device includes a cutting blade provided to a front or leading end portion of the head part in the direction of revolution or turning of the head part as shown in Fig. 10 to Fig. 15. If a cutting blade is removably provided to the cleaning device as in this device, the head part can be imparted with a remarkable cutting function so that it is possible to efficiently cut a root of a tree or any other plant projecting inside a pipe or rags or the like caught by or tangled with the tree's or plant's root and efficiently clean the interior of the pipe.

As shown as a modified design of the second type device in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, a protective member may be provided or a protective part may be formed to the head part, which projects beyond the front end edge of the cutting blade and by which the front end edge of the cutting blade can be prevented from directly rubbing the pipe wall surface, whereby the pipe can be prevented from undergoing an accidental damage. The pipe cleaning device of this type is advantageously useful for relatively soft pipes such as pipes made of vinyl chloride.

A third type pipe cleaning device comprises such head part of which the length in the turning direction reduced and which is in the form of a hammer which relatively short and thick as shown in Fig. 16 to Fig. 1 By relatively suppressing the length of the head part above, the head part can be made suitable for turning at a is i S 8.

as a high speed with a relatively limited resistance in a pipe of a relatively small diameter, so that the device of this type can provide a cleaning device particularly suitable for small diametral pipes.

A fourth type cleaning device is characterized in that as shown in Fig. 19 to Fig. 21, the head part has unbalanced weights between its front half portion and its rear half portion. That is to say, the head part is made having a greater weight in its front half portion than in its rear half portion in the direction of its revolutioin, whereby when it is turned at a high speed, the head part can run securely along the inner wall surface of a pipe. According to this design, the ease of the cleaning device for entering a branch pipe can be enhanced, and the device of this type is most suitable for the cleaning of small-diametral pipes among others.

The pipe cleaning devices of the above respective types do not have a particular guide member for attaining a stabilization of the position of the devices in service, and compise a highly simple structure. They are imparted with a peeling or detaching function, a cutting function, striking impinging function and a turning function according to their particular usages.

According to the present invention, it is possible to make a pipe cleaning device essentially compact, so that the coming into or out of a pipe and a branch pipe, of the - 12 cleaning device, can take place with an advanced ease. Also, the pipe cleaning device according to the invention is possessed of a function which the conventional devices are not possessed of, namely the function that the pipe cleaning device can by itself remove such as roots of trees and plants which have grown inside a pipe and possible various matters strongly attached onto or caught on the inner wall surface of the pipe.

For a device for use for a piping in which a matter to 10 be cut such as a plant's root is not projected inside a pipe and for an applied example of the present invention, it may be devised to removably provide to the pipe cleaning device a brush comprising steel or stainless steel bristles, whereby it is possible to provide a cleaning device having an improved cleaning performance.

The configuration of the head part which may be any of an ax-like one, a knife-like one, a hammer-like one and a bullet-like one and the blade or cutting blade to be provided to the head part can be selectively determined suitably depending on the sizes of pipes, but it is advantageous that the sides of the head part are formed in an are shape so that the cleaning device can be easily turned or -revolved. By relatively limiting the cross-sectional area of a portion of the head part on the rear or trailing end side thereof or on the side in which an injection pore is formed in the head part so that the head part is as a whole in the form of a teardrop or in an asymetrical configuration and the center of gravity is offset on the front or leading end side of the head part, the turning performance and the ease of the entry into a branch pipe, of the cleaning device, can be improved.

According to the present invention, the head part is made having a relatively flat configuration for example an ax-like shape, bullet-like shape or a hammer-like shape, and the diametral size of such head part is reduced toward the front or leading end of the head part in the direction of turning of the head part, whereby the head part can be imparted with the function of peeling or detaching, or cutting, attached matters on a pipe inner wall surface, by itself.

According to the invention, a basic configuration which is relatively flat is adopted for the head part and a guide member is dispensed with, whereby the pipe cleaning device can be made compact and, in addition, the device can be free of the possibility of undergoing a catching inside a pipe in that it is devoid of a laterally projecting member, so that it can undergo rotation smoothly, and roots of plants projecting inside the pipe and strongly attached matters on the pipe wall surface can be cut with ease.

Also, by removably attaching a cutting blade to the head part according to the invention, it is possible to carry - 14 out a further efficient detaching operation and/or cutting operation by suitably selecting for use the material for and the shape of the cutting blade.

Brief Description of the Drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a pipe cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the pipe cleaning device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the above pipe cleaning device; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pipe cleaning device similar to the above one but having a different hose coupling structure; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing an operation condition in which cleaning of a pipe is carried out, using a pipe cleaning device according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a front view of a pipe cleaning device having a knife-shaped head part according to a second embodi- ment of the invention, shown relative to a pipe; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a pipe cleaning device having a head part formed with protuberances, according to a third embodiment of the invention; Fig. 8 a longitudinal sectional view of a pipe cleaning device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention in which a screw pump is formed by a bearing part; - is - Fig. 9 is a perspective view, showing the device of Fig. 8 with a portion thereof broken away; Fig. 10 is a plan view in section, showing a pipe cleaning device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention in which a cutting blade is provided on a side of the head part; Fig. 11 is a partly sectional front view of the device of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 in which is a sectional view, showing an operation inside of a pipe is cleaned using the cond! tion device of Fig. 10; Fig. 13 is a plan view in section, showing a pipe cleaning device according to a sixth embodiment of the invention in which a cutting blade and its protective part is provided on a side of the head part; Fig. 14 is a front view, sowing the device of Fig. 13 with a portion thereof broken away; Fig. 15 is a sectional view, taken for illustration of an operation condition in which cleaning of a pipe is carried out using the device of Fig. 13; a pipe of the in the 16 wi th a Fig. 16 shows a plan view in section of cleaning device according to a seventh embodiment invention which has a head part the ends of which is form of a bullethead; Fig. 17 is a front view, showing the device of Fig. portion thereof broken away; Fig. 18 is a sectional view, taken for illustration of an operation condition in which a pipe cleaning is carried out using the device of Fig. 16; Fig. 19 is a plan view in section of a pipe cleaning device for small-size pipes according to an eighth embodiment of the invention which has a relatively limited size and of which the center of gravity is offset to the front or leading end side, showing the device with a portion thereof broken away; Fig. 20 is a side elevational view, showing the device of Fig. 19 with a portion thereof broken away; Fig. 21 is a sectional view, showing an operation condition in which pipe cleaning is under way, using the device of Fig. 19; and Fig. 22 is a partly sectional perspective view, showing an operation condition in which pipe cleaning is carried out, using the device of Fig. 19.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments:

Now the present invention will be described in further detail in connection with specific embodiments thereof, and initially, Figs. 1 to 4 show a pipe cleaning device according to a first embodiment, of which Fig. 1 shows a side elevational view, Fig. 2 shows a front view and Figs. 3 and 4 show longitudinal sectional views.

The pipe cleaning device shown at 1 comprises a cylindrical or tubular body part 2 having a main bore 17 formed through a center thereof, a head part 3 fitted to the body part 2 rotatably in the circumferential direction of a candidate pipe for cleaning, and a hose 4 coupled to a rear end of the body part 2. The body part 2 is formed with a tubular portion 5 in a front half part thereof and a hose coupling portion 6 having a tapering screw portion in a rear half part thereof. In a central part of the tubular portion 5, there is formed a plurality of radial supply holes 7, and in a rear end portion of the head part 3, there is opened a plurality of third injection pores or holes 8.

The head part 3 is formed in its longitudinally central portion with a support bore 9 into which the tubular part 5 is fitted, and in a middle part of the support bore 9, circumferentially there is formed a distribution groove 10 surrounding the supply holes 7, a plurality of second in jection pores or holes 11 extending slantly rearwardly being arranged in communication with the distribution groove 10.

The front end of the tubular or cylindrical portion is openably closed by a plug 13 screwed into a threaded portion 12 formed in the front end part of the cylindrical portion 5. While it openably closes the front end of the tubular portion 5, the plug 13 at the same time supports a front end of the head part 3 in position. With the hose - 18 coupling portion 6 having a tapering screw part, formed in a rear end portion of the body part 2, a hose coupling 14 having a tapering screw portion is threadably engaged, and a leading end portion of the hose 4 is fitted into an annular 5 groove formed in the hose coupling 14.

As shown in Fig. 2, the head part 3 is formed in a side portion thereof with a first injection pore 16, of which one end is communicated to the distribution groove 10 and the other end is opened in a rear side end wall of the head part 3. This first injection pore 16 is for injecting a high pressure cleaning water for imparting thrust to revolve the cleaning device 1 at a high speed inside the candidate pipe for cleaning and, at the same time, for detaching or peeling attached matters on the inner wall surface of the pipe.

The second injection pores 11 which extend rearwardly at an inclination are for injecting the cleaning water rearwardly at an inclination and advancing.or forwardly moving the pipe cleaning device 1. Further, the third injection pores 8 (Figs. 3 and 4) are for injecting the high pressure water for cleaning the pipe wall surface behind the advancing head part 3. On the top wall of the head part 3, a fourth injection pore or hole 18 is further opened.

Between the tubular portion 5 of the body part 2 and the support bore 9 opened through the head part 3, there is formed an appreciable gap S as shown in Fig. 3, which provides a kind of liquid bearings, and by the cleaning water 0 - 19 entering this gap S, the function of a plain bearing is provided. The head part 5 is supported by a supporting structure at its each end, formed by the "plain bearing" having the gap S formed at each of a front and a rear positions of the tubular portion 5, so that the head part 5 can turn or rotate at stability.

The distribution groove 10 annularly formed in a central inner wall portion of the head part 3 provides a pressure regulating part in which the high pressure water supplied from the hose 4 through the main bore 17 and the diametrally arranged supply holes 7 is temporarily reserved so that relatively uniform pressures can be applied over a whole of the annularly formed gaps S and, at the same time, the high pressure cleaning water can be continuously distributed to the second injection pores 11 for imparting thrust or advancing force to the cleaning device 1.

Into the gaps S, a small amount of the cleaning water is leaked, and thereby a "Plain bearing" arrangement is provided, but the gaps S generates a pressure loss of the cleaning water, so that preferably it should be limited in size as much as possible.

To suppress the leak amount of the cleaning water, it may be devised as shown as a fourth embodiment of the invention in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 to form spiral grooves 10a of a small depth which can exhibit the function of a screw pump, in the portion corresponding to the bearing part, so that a 20 when the head part 3 undergoes rotation about the body part 2 as a shaft, the leaked water portion can be forced backward by the function of the spiral grooves 10a. Further, the sprial grooves 10a may be provided on the side of the shaft or alternatively on the side of the bearing.

In order to set the direction of revolution of the cleaning device 1 inside a pipe to be constant, the first injection pore 16 may be formed in an inclined position at a suitable angle 8 as shown by broken lines in Fig. 2. Also, for the same purpose as above, the first injection pore 16 is opened in a lateral direction and the fourth injection pore 18 formed in the flat top surface of the head part 3 is opened at a right angle to the flat top surface, so that as shown in Fig. 5, the device 1 can be revolved at a high speed along the inner wall surface of a pipe 25 by a composite vector produced by a jet M injected from the fourth injection pore 18 and a jet Ja injected from the first injection pore 16. Further, the respective injection pores are designed individually independently depending on the size of of the head part 3, that of the pipe 25 for cleaning and the pressure'of the pressurized water to be supplied.

Preferably, the gap S formed between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical or tubular portion 5 and the support bore 9 is of a size on the order of 0.05 to 0.1 mm when the tubular portion 5 is of a diameter on the order of 10 mm. The width and the depth of the annular - 21 distribution groove 10 are on the order of 4 to 10 mm and on the order of 2 to 4 mm, respectively. Same as in the cases of conventional devices, the high pressure water to be supplied to the pipe cleaning device I according to the present invention should have a pressure on the order of 50 to 500 atmospheric, the flow rate of the water being on the order of 20 to 200 liters/minute. Further, for the tubular portion 5, a diameter is selectively set within a range on the order of 10 to 50 mm depending on the specific flow rate of the high pressure cleaning water.

Fig. 6 illustrates a pipe cleaning device 1A according a second embodiment of the invention, which has a modified example of the head part 3, ofwhich the end portion shown at 3a on the front end side in the direction of revolution of the head part 3 is in the form of a knife or an ax so that the peeling and removal of an attached matter 26 (Fig. 5) on the inner wall surface of the pipe 25 can take place efficiently.

Fig. 7 shows a third embodiment, in which the front end portion of the head part 3 is formed with protuberances 3b, by which the attached matters 26 on the wall surface of the pipe 25 are positively destructed and efficiently removed.

Fig. 5 shows the way in which the pipe cleaning device 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention - 22 is put to use, and as shown, the cleaning device 1 is moved into the pipe 25, and when a cleaning water is then supplied through the hose 4 under the prescribed high pressure, a first jet Ja, second jets Jb, a third jet Jc and a fourth jet Jd are injected out of the first injection pore 16, second injection pore 8 and fourth injection pores 11, third injection pore 18, respectively.

By the first jet Ja injected from the first injection pore 16, the pipe cleaning device a is imparted with a turning power as shown by an arrow R in Fig. 5, and while the device 1 is advanced inside the pipe 25 by the thrust imparted by the second jet Jb, peeling and removal of attached matters are effected by the head part 3 and the jets Ja and Jb.

Together with the first jet Ja, the third and fourth jets Jc and Jd are injected against the attached matter 26 to detach and remove the latter. Further, the cleaning device 1 is advanced in the direction shown by an arrow A while the attached matter 26 is peeled off the pipe wall surface by the jet Jb injected rearwardly. Thus, with the cleaning device 1 advanced while it is revolved at a speed along the inner wall surface of the pipe 25, attached matter 26 is detached and caused to flow out of pipe 25 by the cleaning water injected in the form of out of a plurality of injection pores.

high the the jets When the head part 3 has a contour like a knife an ax as in the second embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6, attached matter 26 on the wall surface of the pipe 25 can be efficiently detached or cut. Also, when the front side end portion of the head part 3 in the direction of revolution is provided with protuberances 3b as in the third embodiment shown in Fig. 7, even such attached matters which adhere strongly on the inner wall surface of the pipe 25 can be removed with ease.

Figs. 10 to 12 show a pipe cleaning device IC according to a fifth embodiment of the invention, which comes under a cutter type device provided with a cutter or a cutting blade, and Fig. 10 shows a central sectional plan view of the device, Fig. 11 being a partly sectional front view, showing the device with a part thereof broken away, and Fig. 12 being a view taken for illustration of the manner in which the device is put to use.

A head part 30 is fitted to a tubular or cylindrical portion 5A of a body part 2A, and a closure 31 is fixed by bolts 32 to the front end of the tubular portion 5A. The head part 30 has a groove 33 opened on its front end side in the direction of its turning, and a cutting blade 34 is inserted in the groove 33 and fixed in position by botlts 35. In a longitudinal central part of a support bore 9A formed through the head part 30, a distribution groove 10A is formed, and a first injection pore 16A is formed, having its or the - 24 one end connected to the distribution groove 10A and its other end opened rearwardly. In a stepped portion formed with a hose coupling portion 6A, the body part 2A is formed with second injection pores 11 A (Fig. 10) opened rearwardly.

The first and second injection pores 16A and 11A are fitted with pieces in the form of a short pipe or tube made of a stainless steel or ceramics in order to secure accurate size and shape of jets to be injected through the injection pores.

The cutting blade 34 is formed to have a relatively thin front end edge in an are shape, and is stably fitted with its rear end portion in the groove 33.

As shown in Fig. 12, the pipe cleaning device 1C structured as described above carries out the cleaning while it is revolved as shown by an arrow by a first jet Ja injected from the first injection pore 16A, and carries out the cutting of for example a root T of a plant projecting inside the pipe 25 by the cutting blade 34 provided on the front side of the device.

Figs. 13 to 15 show a sixth embodiment of the invention, of which Fig. 13 is a central sectional plan view, Fig. 14 is a front view, showing the device with a portion thereof broken away, and Fig. 15 is a view, illustrating the way in which the device is put to use. This embodiment represents a modified example of the pipe cleaning device JC shown in Figs. 10 to 12, and identical or similar parts and elements are shown by same reference characters.

The pipe cleaning device of the present embodiment, shown at 1D, has a head part 30A which is formed, at its front end portion in the direction of revolution, with a plurality of projecting portions 36, and a cutting blade 34A is received in a groove 33A, so that the front end edge of the cutting blade 34A is protected so as not to directly contact a starting end portion 25B of a branch pipe 25A connected to the pipe 25. Other structural details of this device 1D are similar to those already described with reference to Figs. 10 to 12, and are not described here.

The pipe cleaning device 1D passes the area of the branch pipe 25 during a cleaning operation. Then, while the projecting portions 36 formed in the head part 30A undergoes a contact with the branch pipe 25A, the cutting blade 34A is prevented from directly contacting the branch pipe 25A, and an arrangement is made such that even if it may undergo contact with the branch pipe 25A, the cutting blade 34A does not undergo the application of a great impact force, so that the cutting blade 34A can exhibit an improved durability.

Figs. 16 to 18 show a seventh embodiment of the invention, of which Fig. 16 is a sectional plan view, Fig.17 is a front view, showing the device with a portion thereof broken away, and Fig. 18 is a view, showing the way in which the device is put to use.

The pipe cleaning device of this embodiment, shown at 1E, is for the cleaning of pipes of a relatively small size, and a front end portion of its head part 2C is reduced i - 26 in size to form a tubular portion 5C. On its front end, the head part 2C is provided with a screw portion 5D. A head part 40 is rotatably fitted and assembled to the tubular portion 5C by means of a nut 41 screwed onto the screw portion 5D. As best seen in Figs. 16 and 17, the side ends of the head part 40 are in the form of an arc corresponding to the inner diameter of a pipe 25A of a small size, and the head part 40 is as a whole in the form of a hammer, a bullet or a Rugby ball. The head part 40 of such a particular configuration is centrally formed with an annular distribution groove 10B, and in its rear end surface, a first injection pore 16B is opened.

BY forming the sides of the head part 40 in an are form and the head part 40, as a whole, in the form of a hammer, a bullet or a Rugby ball as above, it is possible to suppress the generation of friction when the head part 40 is revolved at a high speed inside the small size pipe 25A and, in addition, the straight running performance of the head part 40 inside the pipe 25A when the head part 40 is revolved by injected jets can be improved. In addition, the ease of the withdrawing removal of the pipe cleaning device is increased.

Figs. 19 to 22 show an eighth embodiment of the invention, of which Fig. 19 shows a sectional plan view, Fig.

20 is a front view, showing the device with a portion thereof broken away, and Figs. 21 and 22 are views, taken for illustration of the way in which the device is put to use.

j In the present embodiment, the head part of the seventh embodiment described above with reference to Figs. 16 to 18 is modified, and the head part 40A of this embodiment is reduced in size or shortened on its side in which an injection pore 16C is formed so that it is as a whole in an asymmetrical configuration with its center of gravity offset towards the front end side in the direction of revolution, whereby the ease is improved of the entry of the head part 40A into a branch pipe at the times of revolving cleaning of a pipe.

Fig. 21 illustrates an operation condition in which the pipe cleaning device of this eighth embodiment, indicated at IF, is put to use. Now that while the head part 40A has a relatively long front half portion and a relatively short rear half portion in the direction of revolution and the center of gravity of the head part 40A is located in the front end side of the head part 40A, even in the small size pipe 25A the head part 40A can be revolved at a high speed with its front end edge contacted against the inner wall surface of the pipe 25A, whereby the ease of the entry of the head part 40A into a branch pipe 25D can be enhanced.

In this eighth embodiment of the invention, the head part 40A has a total length which is relatively limited and the center of gravity of the head part 40A is located relatively close to the front end in the direction of revolution, so that the pipe cleaning device IF can be as a whole - 28 reduced in size and, in addition, the front end side edge of the head part 40A can run relatively easily along the inner wall surface of the pipe 25A, so that with the head part 40A revolved possibly at a high speed, the attached matters on the wall surface can be peeled or otherwise detached and removed highly efficiently.

It being structured as described above, the pipe cleaning device according to the invention can bring about the following advantageous results.

The head part itself being a relatively flat configuration, the pipe cleaning device can be smoothly revolved along the inner wall surface of a candidate pipe for cleaning, so that jet streams of a high pressure water to be injected from respective injection pores can be oriented in the prescribed directions and pipe cleaning can be carried out stably and efficiently.

Particularly, the head part is formed in a flat configuration according to the present invention and it is guided along the inner wall surface of the pipe, whereby the need of a particular guide member is obviated, so that if a piping includes a curved part or a branch pipe, the head part can be advanced easily passing the region of such curved part or branch pipe and, in addition, it can be smoothly retracted.

Also, according to the invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the head part itself, so that even in the cases of small size pipes or complex pipings, it is possible to carry out cleaning of their inner wall surfaces efficiently and without a trouble such as the head part becoming hooked or other wise caught inside the pipe or piping.

Further, according to the present invention, configuration or contour of the head part can be modified an ax-like one or a knife-shaped one and/or a groove may provided in the front end side portion of the head part mount in the groove a cutting blade selectively for particular use of the pipe cleaning device. According this feature of the invention, it is possible to detach remove attached matters on inner wall surfaces and/or cut and remove roots of plants projecting pipes, so that the efficiency of the pipe cleaning can be further enhanced.

be t o the t o and of pipes inside the operation

Claims

- 30 CLAIMS

1. A pipe cleaning device which comprises a tubular body part having a hose connected to one end thereof and a head part rotatably supported by the body part and which is revolved inside a pipe by jets of a high pressure fluid, wherein the head part is in a relatively flat configuration.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thehead part is provided on a rear end side thereof in the direction of revolution with an injection pore for injecting the high pressure fluid for imparting a revolving power to the head part.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thehead part is provided on a rear end side thereof in the direction of revolution with an injection pore for injecting the high pressure fluid for imparting a revolving power to thehead part, and it has an end portion which is reduced in thickness on the front end side thereof in the direction of revolution.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head part has a front side portion which is in the form of a cutting blade, in the direction of revolution.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head part is provided with a cutting blade on a front end side thereof in the direction of revolution.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head 25 part is formed with a groove on a front end side thereof in the direction of revolution, and a cutting blade is removably mounted in the groove.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head part is formed with a groove on a front end side thereof in the direction of revolution, and a cutting blade is removably mounted in the groove, the cutting blade being capable of retractably projecting beyond the edge of said front end side of the head part.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head part is formed with a groove on a front end side thereof in the direction of revolution, and a cutting blade is fixed in the groove, the head part being formed with a protective portion projecting beyond the front end edge of the cutting blade.

9. A pipe cleaning device which comprises a tubular body part having a hose connected to one end thereof and a head part rotatably supported by the body part and which is revolved inside a pipe by jets of a high pressure fluid, wherein at least a front end side of the head part in the direction of revolution is diametrally reduced into the form of a bullet.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the head part is diametrally reduced at its both ends.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 9, wherein the head part is formed with a number of projecting portions on a front end side thereof in the direction of revolution.

12. A pipe cleaning device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in figures 1 to 5, or 6, or 7, or 8 and 9, or 10 to 12, or 13 to 15, or 16 to 18, or 19 to 22 of the accompanying drawings.