GB2546777A

GB2546777A - Duct obstruction removal device

Info

Publication number: GB2546777A
Application number: GB1601603.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Williams Geraint
Original assignee: DWR Cymru Cyfyngedig
Current assignee: DWR Cymru Cyfyngedig
Priority date: 2016-01-28
Filing date: 2016-01-28
Publication date: 2017-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2036-01-28
Also published as: GB2546777B; GB201601603D0

Abstract

A duct obstruction removal device is disclosed for removing obstructions within a duct or pipe. The device comprises a first strut 11, a second strut 12 and a blade 40 rigidly coupled to first strut 11. The first and second struts 11,12 are pivotally coupled together at a coupling point 13 located between a first 41 and second end 42 of the blade 40, such that the blade 40 is arranged to extend to either side of the coupling point 13. The device further comprises an actuator 50 for reconfiguring the first and second struts 11, 12 between a first configuration in which the blade 40 is orientated to extend substantially along the duct, and a second configuration in which the blade 40 is orientated to extend across the duct, such that a second end 42 of the blade 40 can contact an interior of the duct.

Description

DUCT OBSTRUCTION REMOVAL DEVICE

The present invention relates to a duct obstruction removal device for removing obstructions within a duct.

Domestic water supply pipes are connected to a central supply reservoir where the water undergoes water treatment works, and the waste pipes are connected to a sewer network, where the sewage is filtered and then disposed of by the water company. Both the water supply and waste pipes, can become fully or partially blocked over time. This blockage can be caused by many factors ranging from mineral deposits, waste food, grease, and hair, or other items which may have become lodged within the pipe during attempts to clear previous blockages, such as rods and the like. Moreover, it is found that plant and tree roots can enter ducts, by passing through joints between duct sections for example. These roots at act as nucleation sites for duct obstructions to develop and thus can lead to blockages within the duct.

In the case that a blockage occurs, the need to pass the waste or water through the orifice of reduced size can lead to excess pressures being exerted on the interior wall of the pipe and can lead to pipe breakages and consequential leakages. In respect of a water supply pipe, a fully blocked pipe can prevent water from flowing to a property and in the case of a fully blocked waste pipe, blockages can lead to issues with the removal of waste from a property and may result in the outpouring of excess water which can cause flooding, both internally and externally to the property.

Therefore, it is an important part of the maintenance process of the pipe to remove obstructions and blockages, to reduce any build-up of pressure. The ultimate aim is to maximise the throughput through the interior of the pipe, by removal of material deposited on the internal walls of the pipe.

We have now devised a duct obstruction removal device.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a duct obstruction removal device for removing obstructions within a duct, the device comprising a first strut, a second strut and a blade rigidly coupled to first strut, the first and second strut being pivotally coupled together at a coupling point located between a first and second end of the blade, such that the blade is arranged to extend to either side of the coupling point, the device further comprising an actuator for reconfiguring the first and second strut between a first configuration in which the blade is orientated to extend substantially along the duct, and a second configuration in which the blade is orientated to extend across the duct, such that a second end of the blade can contact an interior of the duct.

In an embodiment, the first strut is pivotally coupled at a proximal end thereof to the second strut and a distal end of the first strut preferably comprises means for facilitating the locating of the device along the duct. The means for facilitating the locating of the device may comprise a skid or a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly may comprise an axle for supporting a wheel thereon, the axle extending across the distal end of the first strut.

In an embodiment, the first strut may comprise a first strut portion and at least one second strut portion which is detachably couplable with the first strut portion, for varying the length of the first strut.

In an embodiment, the second strut is pivotally coupled at a proximal end thereof to the first strut and a distal end of the second strut preferably comprises means for detachably coupling the second strut with a handle. The means for detachably coupling a handle may comprise a coupling block having a recess formed therein for detachably coupling with a handle.

In an embodiment, the second end of the blade comprises a cutting edge.

In an embodiment, the actuator comprises a rein which is coupled at one end thereof to the first strut at a location between the proximal and distal end thereof. The first and second struts preferably comprise rein guiding elements, such as eyelets, for guiding the rein along the device.

In an embodiment, the device further comprises a handle detachably couplable at a proximal end thereof with the second strut, and having at least one guiding element for guiding the rein along the handle toward a distal end thereof. Accordingly, by puling the rein, the first and second strut are arranged to reconfigure to the second configuration in which the blade extends across the duct.

In an embodiment, the device further comprises biasing means for biasing the first and second strut to the first configuration. Preferably, the biasing means comprises a coil spring.

In an embodiment, the first strut, second strut and blade are formed of mild steel or a rigid plastics material.

Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination of features set out above or in the following description. Although illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments.

Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described either individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the other features and embodiments make no mention of the particular feature. Thus, the invention extends to such specific combinations not already described.

The invention may be performed in various ways, and, by way of example only, embodiments thereof will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a duct obstruction removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention with a handle secured thereto;

Figure 2a is a side view of the first strut, second strut and blade of the device illustrated in figure 1;

Figure 2b is an alternate side view of a first strut portion of the first strut;

Figure 3 is a side view of the device illustrated in figure 1 arranged in the first configuration and located within a duct; and

Figure 4 is a side view of the device illustrated in figure 1 arranged in the second configuration and located within a duct.

Referring to figure 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a duct obstruction removal device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device 10 is reconfigurable within a duct 100 so that a blade 20, and in particular a cutting or scraping edge of the blade 20 can pass in close proximity to an interior surface of the duct 100 and scrape and/or cut any debris or obstructions, such as plant roots 200, which may otherwise lead to a blockage forming within the duct 100.

Referring to figure 2a of the drawings, the device 10 comprises a first and second strut 11, 12, which may be formed of a metal, such as mild steel, or a rigid plastics material, such as poly vinyl chloride. The struts 11,12 comprise linear elongate members which are pivotally coupled together at their proximal ends via a pivot pin 13. The proximal end of a first portion 11a of the first strut 11 is arranged to pass within an elongate slot 14 formed at the proximal end of the second strut 12, and the pivot pin 13 is arranged to pass within the slot 14, between side walls of the first strut portion 11a, and within a transverse passage 15 formed within the proximal end of the first strut 11a. A distal end of the first strut portion 11 a is arranged to detachably couple with a proximal end of a second portion 11b of the first strut 11. The detachable coupling is provided by a first and second recess 16, 17 separately formed within an end face of the first and second portions 11a, 11b of the first strut 11. The first and second recesses 16, 17 comprise an internal thread (not shown) for detachably coupling with an external thread (not shown) formed on a threaded bar 18. The threaded bar 18 is arranged to screw into and out of the end face of the first and second portions 11a, 11b of the first strut 11, so that the relative separation between the first and second potions 11a, 11b can be suitably varied. Once the desired separation has been achieved, the rotation of the threaded bar 18 within the recesses 16, 17 can be locked by screwing a locking nut 19 disposed on the threaded bar 18, into contact with an end face of the first and second portions 11a, 11b of the first strut 11. A distal end of the second portion 11b of the first strut 11 comprises an elongate channel 20 within which a wheel 21 is arranged to rotate. The wheel 21 is supported within the channel 20 via an axle 22 which extends across the channel 20 between side walls of the channel.

The distal end of the second strut 12 comprises a recess 23 formed in an end face thereof, which is arranged to receive a proximal region of a handle 30, and comprises an internal thread (not shown) for detachably coupling with an external thread (not shown) formed at the proximal region of the handle 30. However, in order to prevent any undesirable rotation of the handle 30 relative to second strut 12, and thus any undesirable uncoupling thereof, the handle 30 is rotationally locked to the second strut 12 via a respective locking member (not shown), such as a pin. In this respect, the second strut 12 comprises a pair of apertures 24 which extend through side walls of the strut 12 at diametrically opposed locations, either side of the recess 23 formed therein. The proximal region of the handle 30 further comprises an aperture (not shown) which extends therethrough along a diameter thereof, such that the pin (not shown) is arranged to pass through aligned apertures 24 to rotationally lock the handle 30 to the second strut 12.

The device 10 further comprises a blade 40 having a substantially planar shape, although the skilled reader will recognise that other shaped blades may also be used. The blade 40 is arranged to extend at one side of the pivot point between the first and second strut 11, 12, which in use, is typically the upperside of the pivot point. The blade 40 is rigidly coupled to the first strut 11 and is arranged to extend over at least a portion of the first and second strut 11,12 and the pivot point.

The blade 40 comprises a first and second end 41,42 which are arranged to extend over the first and second strut 11, 12, respectively and the second end 42 of the blade 40 comprises a sharpened edge for cutting.

In an embodiment, the blade 40 may depart slightly from a planar shape and may comprise a curvature formed therein, whereby the blade 40 is arranged to curve around an axis which extends along the device 10. In addition, the second end 42 of the blade 40 may be curved to accommodate the curved interior surface of the duct 100.

Referring to figures 2b, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the device 10 further comprises an actuator for reconfiguring the device 10. The actuator comprises a rein 50 which is rigidly coupled to an eyelet 25 disposed upon the first strut 11 intermediate opposite ends thereof. The rein 50 extends from the eyelet 25 and is arranged to pass through an eyelet 26 disposed on the second strut 12 and a plurality of eyelets 27 disposed along the handle 30. A distal end of the rein 50 is arranged to extend to the user and may comprise a loop 51 or similar to facilitate a gripping of the rein 50. Upon pulling the rein 50, the first strut 11 is arranged to pivot relative to the second strut 12 so that a second end 42 of the blade 40 can extend in contact with an interior surface of the duct 100.

In use, the device 10 is introduced within a duct 100 by positioning the wheel 21 or skid (not shown) on a lower surface of the duct 100, with the blade 40 arranged uppermost. In this configuration, the first and second strut 11, 12 are arranged to adopt a substantially linear configuration, as illustrated in figure 3 of the drawings, owing to the weight of the struts 11, 12 acting downwards, but are prevented from pivoting beyond a substantially linear configuration by the blade 40 which abuts an upper surface of the second strut 12. The handle 30 is then coupled to a distal end of the second strut 12 and the device 10 can be passed along the duct 100 with the weight of the device 10 being supported upon the wheel 21 or skid (not shown).

However, before passing the device 10 fully into the duct 100, the rein 50 can be pulled relative to the handle 30 to cause the distal end of the first strut 11 to move toward the second strut 12 and thus the device 10 to reconfigure from the linear configuration to a second configuration in which the blade 40 extends across the duct 100. This may be performed to test whether a second end of the blade 40 can pass into contact with the interior surface of the duct 100. If distance between the second end 42 of the blade 40 and the wheel 21 is less than a diameter of the duct 100, then clearly, the blade 40 will not come into contact with the interior surface of the duct 100. It is desirable for the blade 40 to form an acute angle of approximately 45° to a longitudinal axis of the duct 100 to facilitate the removal of obstructions 200. Accordingly, the threaded bar 18 can be screwed relative to the first and second portions 11a, 11 a of the first strut 11 to vary the length of the first strut 11.

Once the first strut 11 has been suitable sized, the device 10 is then passed along the duct 100 to the site of an obstruction 200. If required, handle extension sections (not shown) may be coupled to the handle 30 to extend the length of the handle 30 so that the blade 40 can be moved along the duct 100 and suitably located at the site of the obstruction 200. In order to facilitate this location, it is envisaged that a proximal region of the handle 30 may comprise a camera (not shown) for communicating a view of the interior of the duct 100, and in particular a view forwardly of the handle 30, to a display unit (not shown) viewable by the tool operator (not shown).

When an obstruction 200 has been located, the operator is arranged to position the blade 40 forwardly of the obstruction 200 and then pull the rein 50 relative to the handle 30 to cause the device 10 to reconfigure to the second configuration as illustrated in figure 4 of the drawings, with the second end 42 of the blade 40 in contact with an interior of the duct 100. While in this configuration, the operator then pulls on the handle 30 to cause the second end 42 of the blade 40, namely the cutting edge to come into contact with the obstruction 200, such as a plant root, and to cut or otherwise dislodge the obstruction 200 from the duct 100.

Once the obstruction 200 has been removed, the operator then releases the rein 50 so that the rein 50 can move relative to the handle 30. This releases the first strut 11 and owing to the downward force of gravity, causes the first strut 11 to pivot relative to the second strut 20 so that the first and second struts 11,12 recover to the linear configuration. However, in an alternative embodiment, it is envisaged that the first and second struts 11,12 may be biased to the linear configuration by a coil spring (not shown) located around the pivot pin 13. Once in the linear configuration, the device 10 can then be pulled out from the duct by the operator.

Claims

1. A duct obstruction removal device for removing obstructions within a duct, the device comprising a first strut, a second strut and a blade rigidly coupled to first strut, the first and second strut being pivotally coupled together at a coupling point located between a first and second end of the blade, such that the blade is arranged to extend to either side of the coupling point, the device further comprising an actuator for reconfiguring the first and second strut between a first configuration in which the blade is orientated to extend substantially along the duct, and a second configuration in which the blade is orientated to extend across the duct, such that a second end of the blade can contact an interior of the duct.

2. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 1, wherein the first strut is pivotally coupled at a proximal end thereof to the second strut.

3. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 2, wherein a distal end of the first strut comprises means for facilitating the locating of the device along the duct.

4. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 3, wherein the means for facilitating the locating of the device comprises a skid or a wheel assembly.

5. A duct obstruction removal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first strut comprises a first strut portion and at least one second strut portion which is detachably couplable with the first strut portion, for varying the length of the first strut.

6. A duct obstruction removal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the second strut is pivotally coupled at a proximal end thereof to the first strut.

7. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 6, wherein a distal end of the second strut comprises means for detachably coupling the second strut with a handle.

8. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 7, wherein the means for detachably coupling a handle comprises a coupling block having a recess formed therein for detachably coupling with a handle.

9. A duct obstruction removal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the second end of the blade comprises a cutting edge.

10. A duct obstruction removal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the actuator comprises a rein which is coupled at one end thereof to the first strut at a location between the proximal and distal end thereof.

11. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 10, wherein the first and second struts comprise rein guiding elements for guiding the rein along the device.

12. A duct obstruction removal device according to any preceding claim, further comprising a handle detachably couplable at a proximal end thereof with the second strut.

13. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 12, wherein the handle comprises at least one guiding element for guiding the rein along the handle toward a distal end thereof.

14. A duct obstruction removal device according to any preceding claim further comprising biasing means for biasing the first and second strut to the first configuration.

15. A duct obstruction removal device according to claim 14, wherein the biasing means comprises a coil spring.

16. A duct obstruction removal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first strut, second strut and blade are formed of mild steel.

17. A duct obstruction removal device according to any of claims 1 to 15, wherein the first strut, second strut and blade are formed of a rigid plastics material.