JPS6218311Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a pipe cleaner for polishing the inner surfaces of pipes manufactured in steel pipe factories and the like.

Conventionally, this type of pipe cleaner has a driving shaft and a polishing shaft connected by a flexible shaft.
Since the flexible shaft is covered with a protective tube and the polishing shaft is supported by a bearing at the tip of the protective tube, when the flexible shaft is bent during rotation, it touches the protective tube, making noise and being likely to be damaged.
In order to prevent this, if a large tension is applied to the flexible shaft in its longitudinal direction to prevent it from deflecting, a large thrust is generated on the bearing of the polishing shaft, significantly shortening its life.

The inventor of this invention previously devised and provided a pipe cleaner that improved the above-mentioned drawbacks.
(Utility Model Publication No. 41-11664) The idea is as shown in Figures 1 and 2. To explain this with respect to both figures, a is the drive shaft, 2 is the polishing shaft, 3 is the flexible shaft,
4 is a protection tube, and 5 is a bearing. A steady rest tube 6 is provided within the protective tube 4, and a coil spring is provided between the steady rest tubes 6 as a spacing member 7. Note that b is a sliding body holding the protection tube 4;
c is an adjustment handle, d is a screw shaft screwed into sliding body b, 11 is a motor, 12 is a running frame, 1
3 is a wheel, 14 is a rail, 15 is a pipe to be polished, and 16 is a polishing tool.

With this configuration, even if the tension of the flexible shaft 3 is not increased, the deflection is reduced, there is no risk of hindering rotation, and the life of the bearing 5 can be extended.

In order to adjust the tension of the flexible shaft 3, the adjustment handle c is turned to move the sliding body b and thus the protective tube 4 in the direction of the arrow A4, thereby moving the position of the bearing 5 relative to the traveling frame.

However, this pipe cleaner also had the following drawbacks. That is, if used for a long period of time, the inside of the steady rest tube 6 will wear out. In this case, if the flexible shaft 3 is bent even slightly, it will rotate in an arched manner, causing vibration and heat generation.

In order to prevent this, the deflection is adjusted by turning the adjustment handle c, but in this case, there is a risk that the amount of adjustment will be too much or too little, making it difficult to make proper adjustment. Furthermore, when the tension of the flexible shaft 3 fluctuates, it is difficult to adjust it in real time, that is, immediately in response to the fluctuation. Also, adjustments must be made frequently, which is cumbersome because it is done manually.

This invention was made in view of the above situation, and its purpose is to be able to adjust the tension of the flexible shaft 3 immediately in response to fluctuations in the tension of the flexible shaft 3, with a nearly appropriate force at all times during operation of the device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe cleaner which eliminates the trouble of the above-mentioned adjustment which often has to be made manually.

Describing this invention with reference to the drawings, in Figs. 2 to 4, a drive shaft 1 connected to a motor 1,
A polishing shaft 2 is connected to the polishing shaft 2 by a flexible shaft 3, the flexible shaft 3 is covered with a protective tube 4, a bearing 5 is provided at the tip of the protective tube 4, and the polishing shaft 2 is fitted into the bearing 5, In a pipe cleaner in which a plurality of steady rest rings 6 are provided in the protection pipe 4 and a spacing member 7 is provided between the steady rest rings 6, the drive shaft 1 is connected to the motor 11 of the flexible shaft 3. This pipe cleaner is characterized by being provided with a biasing device 8 that biases in the direction.

The biasing device 8 shown in the drawing is composed of, for example, a spring 18, a flange 19 provided on the drive shaft 1, a nut 19' screwed onto the drive shaft 1, and a rotating member 20. This is just an example, and the present invention is not limited to this, and various other known urging devices may be used. Further, the drive shaft 1 may be biased indirectly instead of directly.

Note that in FIGS. 2 to 4, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 1 indicate the same members. In the figure, 21 is a planar bearing, 22 is a bearing, 23 is an axially movable engagement portion such as a spline, and 24 is a transmission member.
Further, the motor 11 is provided on the traveling frame 12. The one shown in FIG. 4 has a screw groove 25 on the drive shaft 1.
A nut 19' is screwed onto the spring 19, and the elasticity of the spring 18 can be adjusted by rotating the nut 19'. In the figure, 26 indicates a washer, and 27 indicates a spring seat.

With this device configured as described above, the biasing device 8 can constantly respond to changes in the tension of the flexible shaft 3 and automatically apply appropriate tension to the flexible shaft 3 through the drive shaft 1 while the device is in operation. can. Therefore, even if the inside of the steady rest tube 6 is worn out, vibrations and heat generation caused by the flexible shaft 3 can be reduced. Therefore, it is also possible to eliminate the trouble of having to frequently make manual adjustments as shown in the prior art example.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional pipe cleaner, and Figures 2 and 3 show examples of this invention.
Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the pipe cleaner, Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view schematically showing the main parts of the pipe cleaner, and Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of this invention, showing the main parts of the pipe cleaner. FIG. 1... Drive shaft, 2... Polishing shaft, 3... Flexible shaft, 4... Protection tube, 5... Bearing, 6...
... Steady rest pipe, 7... Spacing member, 8... Biasing device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A drive shaft 1 connected to a motor 11 and a polishing shaft 2 are coupled by a flexible shaft 3, the flexible shaft 3 is covered with a protection tube 4, a bearing 5 is provided at the tip of the protection tube 4, and the bearing 5 The polishing shaft 2 is fitted into the protective tube 4, and the steady rest ring 6 is inserted into the protective tube 4.
In a pipe cleaner in which a plurality of steady rest rings 6 are provided and a spacing member 7 is provided between the steady rest rings 6,
A pipe cleaner characterized in that a biasing device 8 is provided that biases the drive shaft 1 in the direction of the motor 11 in the flexible shaft 3.