US1847447A - Boiler cleaner - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1932. N. L. SNOW ET AL,

BOILER CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 5 10014 60101 Norma/7 L Jflow (Tamas/f 00X March 1, 1932. N. 1.. sNow ET AL 7,

BOILER CLEANER Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 s Sheets$heet 2 I lllll 8 muamiom Norma/7L. flow Jamue/f' 60Xv m W M 6 attorney? March 1, 1932,

N. L. SNOW ET AL BOILER CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 1, 1932. N. SNOW ET AL BOILER CLEANER Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 1, 1932.

N. L. SNOW ET AL BOILER CLEANER Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 amvehtou 0/ma/7L. Jnow Jamar/F 60%.

l 9? 1 7 m m i fllr IIIIIII L N I I] Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT} OFFICE NORMAN L. SNOW, OF NEW CAN .AAN, CONNECTICUT,AND-SAMUEL I. COX, OF HIGHLAND PAR-K, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO DIAMOND POWERzSPECIALTY CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, ,MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN BOILER CLEANER Application filed February 9,. 1925,'Seria1 No. 8,082. I Renewed April 9, 1981.

The invention relates to boiler cleaners and has among its objects to provide blower means for discharging jets of cleaning fluid adjacent parts of the boiler to be cleaned. A further feature of the invention resides in novel means for controlling and operating a boiler cleaner in connection with a locomotive or other power plant.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a locomotive showing attached thereto feed water controlled meansfor actuating a boiler cleaner;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic fragmentary horizontal sectional'view through one of the 15 side water legs of the locomotive showing the boiler cleaner in projected operative position; U

Figure 3 is a detail view of themeter dial showing "the control 1neans for the boller 2 cleaner;

, Figure 4 is an elevation partly in section showing'tlie means for actuating the boiler cleaner;

Figure is a section --through 55 ofFi-g- '25 lire-4;

Figure 6 is a horizontalfragmentary section showing-the retracting means for the blower; V

Figure r'is a view of a locomotive show- 30 ing diagrammatic-ally a modified form for operating a blower froma moving part of the locomotive. 7 1

Figure "8 is an elevation of the reduction gearing and valve control mechanism;

Figure '9 isa plan thereof; T

Figure 10 is a plan viewof a detail of a modified construction for actuating a plurality of blowers, and

Figure 11 is an elevation of-thesame show ing the cleaningfluid supply pipesand valves therefor. o I I T In the drawings reference character Aind icates il'l'OCOTflOlSlVG of'suitable construction, having the usual feed water line "10 including the usual injector or pump (not shown) for injecting the water into the boiler of the locomotive. The meter B may be 0f standard or other suitableconstruction fitted with the dials 11 as illustrated in Figure 3." One of toward further revolution thetension of the the spring contact will continue its engagement with post 16 until it snaps past this post boiler cleaner unit or blower element housed the :meter B, the feed water line 10 leading to the dials'is provided with a spring contactf12 rotatably mounted upon pin 13 and connected electrically: with a lead 14. Mounted upon the meter in the path of the contact 12 are the posts 15, 16 and 17, the post 15 being neutral and theposts 16 and 17 each estabmounted on'post 13,-which is a moving part of the water meter, and is supplied with electrical energy thru the lead wire 14. The water in passing through the meter actuates the dial indicators and when'a predetermined amount of water has passed through the meter the spring contact 12 bears against neutral'post 15. As the meter contact is urged spring contact will beincreased until it is caused to snap past the neutral post 15 and engage the post 16 to establish an electrical circuit through leads 14 and'18. Likewise and engages post 17 whereby an electrical circuit is established throughleads '14 and 19. The purpose of the electric'circuits will be presently apparent.

The locomotive A, as shown in Figure 2, is

provided withthe tube-sheet 20, boilertubes 21, and the side walls or water legs 22 one of which is shown in Figure 2. r C indicates a in a sleeve 23 extending through the water leg 22. ,Cleaning fluid from any suitable source may be supplied tothe blower as by a pipe 26 fed by the main-supply pipe 24, the supply of cleaning fluid to blower C being regulated by a solenoid valve 25. 27 is a branch supply "pipe communicating with the main sup ly pipe-.24 through a solenoid valve 28.

he pipe 27 extends across the locomotive and communicates with the blower housed within the water leg on the opposite side. Solenoid valve 25 is connected with lead 19' and :the valve 28 is connected with lead 18. The lead 14 extends to one-terminalof a source of .en-

.ergy such as a dynamo or battery 29,:the "flo iae 26 has a branch 32 terminatin in a nozzle 33 for directing a jet of cleaning fluid against the blades of a turbine rotor 34 keyed to shaft 35, the latter being mounted in the. reduction gear housing D. 36 is a shaft upon which is mounted agear 37driven by the turbine rotor 34 through suitable reduction gearing E. The shaft 36 carries a worm 38 meshing with worm wheel 39 which is provided with a sleeved portion 40 having a splined connection with a shaft 41 by reason of the pin 42' engaging the slot 43 of the shaft. 3

The cleaning fluid supply pipe 26 commu- ,nicates with a chamber 44 of a fixed blower housing 45 mounted within the sleeve 23. This sleeve 23 may. be expanded into the water leg of a locomotive boiler. V The blower C comprisesa slidable part 46 and a slidab le and rotatable blower head 47, the part 46 having a pin 48 slidable in a slot 49 of the fixed housing. The. part 46 also has a port 50 adapted to'successively register, as the blower head 47 is rotated by shaft 41,'with a plurality of passages 51 each of which terminates in a nozzle 52. The nozzles are directed at different angles so that as they are successively brought to register with the port- 50, cleaning fluid will be directed in successively advancing jets of cleaning fluid across the tube sheet of the locomotive for substantially half the width of the tube sheet, it being understood that where two blowers are used the blower on the opposite side will clean the other half of the tube sheet.

Projecting from housing 45 are a plurality of guide pins 53 upon which is slidably mounted a plate 54 normally urged rearwardly by springs 55. The rear of shaft 41 is provided with a c-ollar;56 pinned at 57 with the shaft 41. A thrust bearing 53. is provided for taking up the thrust produced by the cleaning fluid acting to project the blower C.

' In operation of the parts, thus far described, the blowers C are normally housed. within the respective sleeves 23 and thus protected from the heat of the fire chamber. The feed-water in its passage through the feed water line 10 also passes through the meter B to indicate in the customary manner the feed water consumption. The spring contact 12 is thus caused to periodically actuate :the blowers successively, the period between operations being dependent upon the feed water consumption which affords a highly registration with port desirable and eflicient method of blowing. Thus as the contact 12 snaps off the neutral post 15, during the course of its revolution, it first contacts with the post 16 to establish a circuit through leads 14, 18 to actuate the: solenoid valve 28 whereby cleaning fluid from the main supply pipe 24 is conducted through the pipe 27 to the blower on the side opposite that shown in Figure 1. The period of automatic operation of the blowers is dependent upon the steam consumption or rate of flow of the feed water and also the ratio between the movement of the contact 12 and the feed water flow. In a meter'of usual construction the various indicators of the dials 11 move at relatively differing speeds in proportion to a given flow of fluid through the meter and thusby selecting a suitable dial 11 for litting the electric posts for the blower circuits, a cycle of any desired frequency of blowing is afljorded as well as a wide range of time intervals of actual blowing, the latter corresponding to the time of contact of the contact 12 with one ofthe posts 16 or 1?. Thus after the contact, 12 has actuated the blower on the far side of the locomotive, as viewed inFigure 1, the contact 12 snaps past the post 16 to engage post 17 to establish a circuit through the leads 14, 19 so as to actuate the solenoid valve 25 to admit cleaning fluid from the main supply pipe 24 to the pipe 26 leading to the blower shown in Figure 1. Simultaneously the circuit through leads 14, 1 8 is broken whereby the solenoid valve 28 closes to cut off the supply of steam to the blower connected with the pipe 27. de'rstood that thesequence of operation of the blowers is immaterial and that if desirable a single blower might be provided of such capacity as to clean the entire tube sheet and other parts to be cleaned.

Upon actuation of the solenoid valve 25 ,to

admit cleaning fluid from the main supply pipe 24 to the pipe 26, the blower is automatically projected forwardly under the influ-..

ence of the cleaning fluid and against the action of the springs 55, into the position shown in Figure 5. Thus the blower head 47 and part 46 are projected forwardly the latter part guided by the engagement of the pin 48 with 'theslot 49. The rod 41 carrying the blower head is also projected forwardly toward the fire box, carrying also the plate 54 and compressing springs 55, the thrust hearing 58 absorbing the force of the thrust. The shaft 41 has splined engagement at 42, 43

with the 'worm wheel 39 whereby the, worm wheel can actuate the shaft 41 in-its projected position. Cleaning fluid supplied through pipe '26 passes through the chamber 44 and thence to thestationary port 50 for successively supplying cleaning fluid to the passsages 51' as they are successively brought into 50 as will be presently apparent. 1 Y 7 It should be un- Simultaneously with the projecting of the blower, cleaning fluid passinglthrough pipe '26 and branch pipe 32 is ejectedfrom'nozzlc 33 to act'upon the turbine 34 to cause rotation of shaft 35. The latter shaft, through the re duction gearing E, serves torotate the shaft 36 carrying the worm 38 which in turn ace tuates shaft ll to rotate the blower'head 47 relatively'to the part 4:6. Thus cleaning fluid is successively supplied to the nozzles 52 which, by reason of their varying angularity, cause'jets of cleaning fluid to sweep thetube sheet so as to trace lines across the tube sheet advancing to substantially midway of the tube sheet, where two blowers areemployed. By proportioning the'relative circumferential'length of the port 50 and passages 51 the cleaning fluid may be admitted-and cut oii at the desired points so as to restrict the jets of cleaning fluid to the parts of the boiler to be cleaned. Upon breaking of the circuit through leads 14, 19, the solenoid valve actsjto cut ofl the supply ofqcleaning fluid to the pipe 26, thesprings 55 acting on plate 54: and shaft 41 to return the sleeve 23. a p

The blowers'will then remain inoperative until a predetermined amount of waterhas the blower within 7 been supplied. to the boiler so as to cause an other'revolution, of the spring contact 12 to :againrepeat the cycle described above.

Instead oicausing the blowers to be automatically actuated after passage of a predetermined/amount of feed water to the boiler.

by a movable member 12 responsive to'the flow of feed water, such automatic'control of the blowers might be effected from other. moving partsof the power plant. As a further illustration, of ourrinvent-ion the following mechanism may bejprovided; V s Referring to Figure 'Z'the locomotive A may-be equipped with a blower C, reduction I ear housin' D, which includes the turbine e g "and reduction mechanism for actuating the blower, cleaning fluid supply pipe 26'", and branch 32,,a ll-of -Wh1'Cl1 parts may be similarly constructed as the corresponding-parts described above.

Suitably supported. or suspended as by brackets from-a convenient part of the locomotiveas' the running board 59 is a-gear box F, which contains a gear 6l'mounted on a shaft .62. 63 indicates a sh'aflft carrying a disc 64:, the shaft 63 being'actua-ted from the gear-61 through a suitable train of reduction gears G. Upon thediscfia isa cam 65 in the path of: which is a valve stem 66 carrying a valve disc 67. The valve disc 67' controls the passage of cleaning fluid from a main supply )i )e .68 connected with 'a suitable source of l. v

. cleaning fluid such as the steam dome 69, to the supply pipe 26. H indicates the fitting which encloses the valve 67 and connects the . pipes 68 and 26.

I A spring 0 normally holds the valve 67 upon its seat 71 to prevent the passage of cleaning fluid 'fromthemain supply pipe 68 to the pipe-26. :721is a rocker arm which maybe rockingly'supportedzat 73 from a convenient part of the locomotive.

Connected at 74with the rocker arm 72 isia dog 75 which engagesxthe teeth on gear 61 to actuate the same. The rocker armimaybe rocked by connecting it with any suitable movable part of thelocomotive as, for example, the rocker arm may be connected at 63 with the main locomotive valve actuating mechanism J. J

I'fpreferred, 'a blower C may be located on either side of the locomotive, the mechanism shown in Figure 7 being duplicated on I the other side; or if preferred, a single blower may be employed ofsuitable capacity for cleaning all of the parts desired; or a blower may be located in each of the side wall water legs of the locomotive, both blowers being controlled by mechanism on only one side of the locomotive. .To the latterend the mechanism as described above may be modified as shownin Figures 10 and 11. In these views the disc 64: is formed with a pair of cams 65 and 65 which rotate in separate planes and are adapted to successively engage the valvestems .66? and 66 ofthe fittingsH and H respectively to unseat the valves 67 and 67 The valve 67*, upon being unseated by contact ofthe cam 65*- w'ith the valve stem 66, admits cleaning fluid from the supply pipe 68 to the pipe 26 which supplies cleaning fluid to one ofthe blowers on .one side of the locomotive. The disc 64 may be actuated in a manner corresponding to the mechanism .described for operating the disc 64 and the posite to that communicating with the pipe 3 1 By arranging suitable gearing at G, one revolution of'the disc6l or 64' may be made to correspond to any'nuniber of miles of travel of the locomotive so that the tube sheet,-

tubes and other parts of the boiler can be cleaned every time the-locomotive travels a predetermined distance. The cams 65, or 65' and 65 may be suitablyshaped to give the performance of the blowers as desired. For x example by increasing or decreasing the circumferential face of the cams, the period of blowing may be increased or decreased. The

valve stems66, or 66 and 66*, will be actuated slowly or quickly depending on how steep. the" radial faces of the respective cams are, as will be readily understood.

In operation, after a predetermined distance has been travelled by the locomotive, the rocker arm 72 will have actuated the dog 7 5 and gear 61 so that the disc 64 will have been rotated sufliciently to cause the cam 65 to act upon the valve stem 66 to unseat the valve 67 as shown in-Figure 8, thus supplying cleaning fluid from the main supply pipe 68 to the pipe 26 and thence to the blower such as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. As the disc 64% continue-s to slowly rotate, the cam 65 will be carried beyond the point of engagement of the cam and valve stem 66, whereupon the spring 70 will return the valve 67 to its seat and-cause the blower to be retracted to its inoperative position. Likewise, the blower on the opposite side of the locomotive will function in any predetermined time relation every time the locomotive has travelled a predetermined distance.

In the modification shown in Figures 10 and 11, in which the actuating mechanism for the blowers is entirely located on one side of the locomotive, the disc 6e first actuates one of the valve stems, as 66 by contact with the cam ers used in connection with stationary power plants may be llkewise caused-to automaticah ly function after a predetermined consumption of feed water whlch corresponds to a predetermmed generation of steam or after a predetermined movement of any convenient movingpart associated with the'power plant. Furthermore, instead of employing lower units of the construction shown in Figures l, 5 and 6, it is obvious that any, other suitable construction of blower unit might be sub stituted therefor. For example, instead of employing a blowerhaving a rotatable blower head as shown in Figure 5,- a blower oscillated by suitable mechanlsm might be employed, or

' a non-rotating, non-retracting or non-oscillatmg blower might also be employed in which latter instance the mechanisms provided by our invention might serve to automatically admit cleaning fluid to such blowers at predetermined intervals. Also, if desired, both of the blowers described, or any number of blowers could be operated simultaneously or in any sequence preferred.

'lVh'at we claim as our invention'is 1. In combination wlth a boiler including i a feed water sn 1 therefor, a boiler cleaner unit, asupply of cleaning fluid, and means controlled by the feed water supply for admitting cleaningfiuid from said cleaning fluid supply to said unit.

2. The combination with a boiler, of a cleaner unit therefor, and means controlled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler for periodically operating the cleaner unit.

4. The combination with a locomotive provided with a feed water supply pipe, of a blower unit for cleaning parts of the locomotive boiler, means for actuating said blower unit, and means actuated by the flow of feed water in said supply pipe for periodically and automatically setting the first mentioned means into operation.

5. The combination with a locomotive provided with a feed water supply pipe, of a blower unit for cleaning parts of the locomotive boiler, means for actuating said blower unit, and means controlled by the flow of feed water in said supply pipe for setting said first mentioned means into operation.

6. The combination with a boiler providedwith a feed water supplypipe, of a projectable and retractable blower unit for cleaning parts of the boiler and feed water controlled means for controlling the projection of said blower into cleaning position.

7. The combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe, of a proprojectable and retractable blower unit for cleaning parts. of the boiler and feed water controlled means for effecting projection of said blower into cleaning position, and a spring associated with the blower for thereafter retracting the blower.

8. The combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe, of aproj ectable blower unit normally housed within a wall 7 of the boiler, a supply of cleaning fluid, and

feed water controlled means for controlling the admission of cleaning fluid to said blower and for thereby controlling the projection of the blower.

'9. In combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe, a boiler cleaner unit therefor, a supply of cleaning fluid forsaid unit, a valve controlling the passage of cleaning fluid from said supply to said unit, and feed water controlled means for periodically operating the valve, dependent upon the passage of a predetermined amount of feed water through said feed water supply pipe.

10. In combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe, a boiler cleaner unit, a supply of cleaning fluid for said unit, a solenoid valve controlling the passage of cleaning fluid from said supply to said" unit, means operable tatable and projectable blower unit, a valve controlled source of cleaning fluid for said blower unit, and means controlled by said feed water for opening the valve for admitting cleaning fluid to the blower and for thereby effecting the projection and rotation of said blower.

18. In combination with a boiler provided with a water supply pipe, a boiler cleaner unit, a supply of cleaning fluid, a prime mover for moving the said unit, and feed water controlled means for admitting cleaning fluid to said unit for cleaning parts of the boiler and for efl'ecting the operation of the prime mover.

14. In combination with a boiler provided with a feed water supply pipe, a movable boiler cleaner unit, a supply of cleaning fluid, a fluid operated prime mover geared with the cleaner unit for moving the same, and feed water controlled means for conducting cleaning fluid to said unit for cleaning parts of the boiler and to said prime mover where by the prime mover is actuated to move the boiler cleaner unit. p

15. In combination with-a locomotive boiler having a tube sheet, side wall water legs and a feed water supply pipe, a source of cleaning fluid, a projectable and rotatable blower unit normally housed within each water leg for directing a jet of cleaning fluidagain the locomotive tube sheet, means operated by the cleaning fluid for projecting each blower, means operated by the cleaning fluid for rotating each blower, and feed water controlled means periodically and automatically acting upon passage of a predetermined amount of feed water through said supply pipe for successively supplying cleaning fluid to the blowers from said source of cleaning fluid and for thereby successively effecting the rotation and projection of said blowers.

16. In combination with aboiler including a feed water supply therefor, a plurality of boiler cleaner units forcleaning parts of the boiler, a source of cleaning fluid, and feed water controlled means for supplying cleaning fluid to said blowers.

17. In combination with a boiler including a feed water supply pipe therefor, a plurality of boiler cleaner units for cleaning parts of the boiler, a valve controlled source unit-r:

of-cleaningafluidfor:the units, meansfor actuatingl'said valve, and means oontrdlfedl by the I passage of feed water through said supply. pipe for setting? said first: mentioned quantity of .feed water has been supplied?" to 'the boiler-n. 1 20:. The combination with alocomotive! having a boiler, or: a fluid. conduit commune eating with the boiler, 4 the amount" of fluid'r passing through. said conduit being? de-r pen-dence upon th'emate of boiler: operation; a member-.movable in timedrelation the;

passage of'fluid throughsaidEconduit, a boi'lw' 7 cleaner: unit", and :means actuated by thei'said' movable member for automatically control lingKtheg operation of the saidaboilercleaner 211:. The combination with a locomotive boiler having a tube sheet, afeed? waten sup; ply pipe, anda plurality of blower units for discharging cleaning fluid toward said tube: sheet, of; means operable in dependence upon' the flow oat;feedawatenthrough said supply pipefor periodicallyand successively ating-the-saidblower unitsi. r l

. 2-2.1? [Eh'ei method of cle aningztliose surfaces: of a boiler which are exposed to the products of co nbustion which consists" in efleicfltinigt a removal of the deposits from: said; sin-hoes periodieallyoin, dependence upon the supply of predetermined} quantities of water to saidaboiler.

23.- The, combination with iaboilr fluid conduit.commnnicatingwith:the boiler;

the amount of'fluid passing through mid con-a duit beingfi-n dependence: on the? rate of boiler means'op'erable' in dependence-upon the of fluid through said conduit for controlling? the operationfof said-cleanerunit:

24. The method of cleaning a boiler which consists in periodically discharging cleaning fluid adjacent thlportionsfi of the boiler to be cleaned in dependence upon the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler.

25. The combination with a boiler, of a plurality of cleaner units therefor, and means by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler for operating thecleaner unit, said meansincluding va contact arm movable into andiout of engagement with a stationary contact in dependence upon the quantity of feed Water supplied to the boiler.

27. .The combination with. a boiler, of a cleaner unit'therefor, and'means controlled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the i boiler foricontrolling the operation of the cleaner; unit, said means including a meter having a shaft movable in timed relation to the flow of feed water to the boiler, and a contact member movable by said shaft.

- 28. The combination with a boiler, of a cleaner unit therefor, and means controlled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler-for controlling the operation ofthe said cleaner unit, said means including a pin rotatable in timed relation to the flow of feed water to the boiler, a stationary contact, and a resilientcontact carried by said pin and movable-into and out of engagementwith said stationary contact, the resiliency of said second mentioned contact providing for engagement of said contact with the stationary contact during a portion of. the rotation of said pin. r V

:29. The combination with a boiler, of a casing having a cleaning fluid inlet anda supply port, a projectable blower journaled in said casing having a plurality of ports adapted to be successively'placed in communication with said supply port upon relative movement of the blower and casing, and means controlled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler. for effecting a relative movement of the blower and easing whereby said successive communication is effected."

30. The combination with a boiler, of a casing providedwith a cleaning fluid inlet and cleaning fluid supply passage, a blower member rotatably mounted in said casing and provided with a plurality of nozzles adapted to be placed in communication successively with thecleaning fluid supply passage in said casing upon rotation of the blower member, and means controlled by the quantity of feed water supplied to the boiler for eflecting a rotation of said blower member relative to said casing.v a

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

' NORMAN L. SNOW.

SAMUEL F. COX.

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