US1096559A - Flue-cleaner. - Google Patents

Description

E. NORBO.

FLUE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1913.

1,096,559, Patented May 12, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANDORAFN C0-. WASHINGTON D C E. NORBO.

FLUE CLEANER.

APPLIOATION IILBI) MAY 3, 1913.

1,096,559, Patented May12,1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPN Co.,WAsmNOTON. u. C

ELV'EN NORBO, OF CASHTON, WISCONSIN.

FLUE-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12,1914.

Application filed May 3, 1913. Serial No. 765,373.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELvnN NORBO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cashton, in the county of Vernon and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flue-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawm s.

'lihis invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in flue cleaners and has for its primary object to provide an automatic chimney flue cleaner which may be readily adjusted for the various sized flues.

A further object is to provide a flue cleaner of this character which will be of extremely simple construction and which will be constructed in such manner that the free ends of the spring arms with the removable and adjustable brushes secured thereto may be automatically forced outwardly as the cleaner reaches the bottom of the flue, thereby causing the brushes to en gage and clean the walls of the flue upon upward movement of the cleaner.

A further object is to provide a flue cleaner of this character which may be readily and quickly adjusted and which may be secured to the end of a rope and let down a flue while the brushes are in their innermost positions and spaced from the walls of the flue, said cleaner being provided with a bumper which will automatically force the brushes outwardly as the cleaner reaches the bottom of the flue, thereby causing the brushes to engage and clean the walls of the flue as the cleaner is drawn upwardly.

A still further object is to provide a spreader plate through the center of which is slidably mounted a central slide bar and latch bar while the brush carrying spring arms are slidably engaged through the corners of said plate and adapted for adjustment transversely of the plate to vary the -width of the cleaner at its brush carrying or lower end of the cleaner for flues of various widths, as will be readily understood.

A further object is to provide a cleaner of this character having the brush carrying spring arms provided with coiled upper ends and engaged around the upper end of the slidable center rod.

Another object is to generally improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character and increase the efficiency and durability of the same.

WVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of my device with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of the latch member, sleeve and lower end of the central slide bar, with parts of the sleeve and slide bar broken away; Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the spreader plate; Fig. 4: is a detail view of the upper end of one of the brush carrying spring arms; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the complete device; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the complete device with the U-shaped spreader plate carrying member in section; Fig. 7 is a detail cross-sectional view through one of the brush members to show the construction of the same; Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the clamping members for clamping the brush member upon its spring arm; and Fig. 9 is a detail view, showing the preferred manner of forming the lower end of the central slide bar. Fig. 10 is a detail view, showing the construction of the upper end of the U-shaped rod upon which is mounted, the spreader plate.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 designates the spreader plate which is of substantially rectangular form and which is mounted upon the opposite ends of the U-shaped rod 2 which has its central or bight portion coiled, as shown at 3, nuts 4: or the like being secured upon the threaded ends of the rod 2 to retain the plate in position, it being understood that the threaded ends of the U-shapcd rod 2 extend through the spreader plate 1 adjacent the longitudinal edges of the latter and about midway the length of said plate. The plate 1 has a central opening ,5 to accommodate the central slide bar (5 which has a flange 7 near its upper end and a nut 8 on the upper threaded extremity thereof. A guide plate 9 is mounted centrally upon the upper end of the central slide bar 6, inwardly of the nut 8 and has its opposite ends perforated, as shown at 10, to accommodate the legs of the U-shaped rod, upon which the guide plate is adapted to slide to guide the central slide bar 6 in its move ment through the spreader plate 1.

Engaged around the lower end of the central slide bar 6 is the sleeve 11 provided with the longitudinal slot 12 in one face through which the stop lug 13 is engaged, said stop lug projecting laterally from the central slide bar 6, adjacent the forward extremity of the same. The stop lug 13 limits the slid-- ing movement of the central slide bar 6 through the spreader plate 1, by engagement against the opposite end walls of the longitudinal slot 12, as will be clearly understood. The sleeve 11 has a longitudinal pocket 14.- in one side through which extends the adjustable rod 15, said rod fitting snugly in the longitudinal pocket 14. thereby causing the sleeve 11 to move with the rod when the latter is adjusted. The rod is extended for some distance downwardly from the lower end of the sleeve 11 and has the bumper 16 clamped upon its lower extremity, as shown at 17, said lower extremity being preferably turned upon itself to form the loop 18. Adjacent the upper end of the sleeve 11, the adjustable rod 15 is looped, as shown at 19, and then extended through an elongated slot 20 near the center of the spreader plate 1, said upwardly extended portion of the rod being flattened and provided upon one edge with the spaced notches 21. It will be seen that owing to the looped portion 19 of the upwardly extended end of the rod 15, said upwardly extended portion will be resiliently retained at one end of the elongated slot 20, thereby causing the teeth 22 to engage the opposite faces of the spreader plate 1 when a notch 21 registers with the elongated slot 20, thereby locking the adjustable rod 15 in adjusted position. It will be seen that when the adjustable rod 15 is moved in either direction, the sleeve 11 and central slide bar 6 will be caused to move with said rod 15, the guide plate 9 sliding upon the legs of the U-shaped rod 2 and guiding the central slide bar and sleeve. It will be understood that the central slide bar is prefer ably of rectangular form in cross-section and the central opening 5 in the spreader plate 1 is of a corresponding form, thereby making it impossible for the spreader plate to rotate around the slide bar 6.

I have provided aplurality of brush carrying spring arms 23 which are preferably of circular form in crosssection and formed of suitable resilient metal and while any number of these arms may be provided, I prefer to employ six arranged as shown in the drawing. The spreader plate 1 has a central longitudinally extending slot 24 in each end of the same and a triangular slot 25 in each corner with a plurality of notches 25 in the outer wall thereof, the purpose of which will presently appear. Each arm 23 has a brush 26 clamped upon its outer looped end 27 by a U-shaped clamping member 28 upon the central portion of which the brush 26 is pivoted, as shown at 29, thereby making it possible to turn the brush 26 upon the clamping member or swing the clamping member upon the outer looped end .27 of the brush carrying spring arm 23, as desired, it simply being necessary to tighten the nuts 30 to secure the brush in the desired position. arms 23 extend through the slots 24: and 25 and have their upper ends coiled, as shown at 31 and then extended at right angles and wrapped around the upper end of the central slide bar 6 between the flange 7 and the nut 8, as shown at 32, it being understood the ends of the spring arms engaged around the slide bar 6 are separated and spaced by suitable washers 33.

It will be understood that three of the spring arms 23 extend through the slots in each end of the spreader plate 1 and when the corner spring arms are in the outer corners of the triangular slots 25, the corner brushes 26 carried by the arms are in their outermost positions. When the corner spring arms 23 are in the inner corners of the triangular slots 25, the corner brushes 26 are in their innermost positions.

be employed, I prefer to employ straight brushes for the central spring arms 23 while the corner brushes are right angled brushes. It will also be understood that each brush in any preferred manner but I prefer to form the bristles 34 thereof, of steel wire and secure the same to the body 35 of the brush by means of the brass wire members 36. I also prefer to make the body 35 of each brush of metal and bend backthe lower edge thereof, as shown at 35 for engagement upon the U-shaped clamping member 28.

In use, the adjustable rod 15 is properly adjusted in the spreader plate 1, according to the size of the fine to be cleaned, it being understood that as the rod 15 is forced downwardly through the spreader plate 1, the brush carrying spring arms 23 will spread or move outwardly while movement of said adjustable rod in the opposite direction will allow the brush carrying spring arms 23 to be drawn closer together. After the rod 15 has been properly adjusted, the coiled upper ends 31 of the spring arms 23 are grasped and the rod 6 is drawn back, thereby causing the guide plate 9 to move upon the legs of the U-shaped rod toward the coiled central or bight portion of said rod until the stop lug 13 within the longislot. This movement of the spring arms 23 draws the brushes 26 and lower ends of said rods inwardly to inoperative position. The device is then lowered in the flue by means The spring lWhile any suitable form of brushes may may be formed of any suitable material and tudinal slot 12 reaches the upper end of said ieo of a rope 37 or the like having one end secured in the coiled central or bight portion 3 of the U-shaped rod 2, until the bumper 16 strikes the bottom of the flue and stops :turther downward movement of the adjustable rod 15, the sleeve 11, spreader plate 1, and U-shaped rod 2. The central slide bar 6, brush carrying spring arms 23, and brushes 23 continue to move downwardly, however, until the stop lug 13 reaches the lower end of the slot 12. This allows the tree ends of the rods 23 and the brushes 26 upon the lower free ends of said rods to move outwardly to operative position, engaging the bristles 3d of the brushes 26 with the walls of the flue. It will be seen that as the device is drawn upwardly, the brushes 26 will scrape and thoroughly clean the walls of the flue. It will also be seen that owing to the notches 25 in the outer or end walls of the triangular slots 25 and the spaced notches 21 in the longitudinal edge of the adjustable rod 15, the spring arms 23 may be readily adjusted to properly space the brushes 26 for various sizes of flues from an extremely small flue to a very large flue. It will be understood, however, that when the device is to be used, for cleaning the larger sized flues, the brushes 26 shown in the drawing may be removed and larger brushes substituted for the same. This, however, will not necessitate the alteration in the construction or arrangement in any of the parts 01 the device.

While I have shown the preferred form of my flue cleaner, it will be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangements of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of the advantages (it the same.

\Yhat I claim is:-

1. A flue cleaner comprising a spreader plate, means for supporting the spreader plate, a central slide bar engaged through the spreader plate, a plurality of brush carrying spring arms carried by the slide bar and engaged through the spreader plate, and brushes carried by the spring arms.

2. A flue cleaner comprising a spreader plate having a central opening and a series of spring arm accommodating openings out wardly ot the central opening, a slide bar engaged through the central opening, means for limiting movement of the slide bar, a plurality of spring arms carried by the slide bar and engaged through the spring arm accommodating openings in the spreader plate, said spring arms being connected to the slide bar in such manner that movement of the latter in one direction through the spreader plate will cause spreading of the free ends of the spring arms, and cleaning members carried by the free ends of the spring arms.

3. A flue cleaner comprising a spreader plate, a spring arm carrying member movably engaged through the spreader plate, spring arms carried by the last mentioned member, means for limiting movement of the movable member, and cleaning members carried by the spring arms.

l. A flue cleaner comprising a spreader plate, a slide bar engaged through the spreader plate, means mounted upon the slide bar and engaged with the spreader plate for limiting movement of the slide bar, means for retaining the spreader plate in position, spring arms connected with the slide bar and extended at an angle through the spreader plate, and cleaning members carried by the spring arms.

A flue cleaner comprising a spreader plate, a slide bar slidably engaged through the center of the spreader plate, said spreader plate being provided in its opposite ends with spring arm accommodating openings, certain of said openings being provided with notches in one wall, spring arms carried by the slide bar and engaged through the spring arm accommodating openings in the spreader plate and adapted for engagement with the notches provided in one wall of certain of said openings, a Ushaped member connected with the spreader plate, means for limiting move ment of the slide bar through the spreader plate and adjusting said slide bar, cleaning members, and means for clamping the cleaning members upon the spring arms.

In testimony whereot I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELVEN NORBO.

\V i tnesses James TIIoMrsoN, CARRIE JonNs'roN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. G.

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