US2057842A

US2057842A - Boiler tube cleaner

Info

Publication number: US2057842A
Application number: US1297A
Authority: US
Inventors: Niels E Nielsen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-01-11
Filing date: 1935-01-11
Publication date: 1936-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 1953-10-20

Description

Oct. 20, 1936. N. E. NIEL'SEN BOILER TUBE CLEANER Filed Jan. 11, 1935 \NVENTOR Mala 1?. Melsen/ ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATE ATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a cleaning device of the type used for cleaning tubes which have a deposit on their inner surface, such as boiler tubes which have become incrusted with scale. Tube cleaners which have a body adapted to be rotated and attached to which are cleaning members, which are urged outwardly to contact and cut away the deposit in the tube as the body is rotated, have also been known for some time. My invention relates to this general type of cutter and is an improvement on any heretofore known in that it is cheaper and easier to construct, due to the small number of parts and to the fact that the movable members are all the same and therefore interchangeable. In addition, my cleaning device is more effective in its operation inremoving the deposit from the tubes.

An object of my invention is to provide a device which maybe easily moved through curved tubes to more effectively remove the deposit at the curved portion of the tubes.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device, the cleaning elements of which are the same ateach end, so that a cleaning action will take place when the device is moved through the tube in either direction, for example, bypushing or pulling.

Another object ofmy invention is the construction of a device in which the cleaning members per so are all alike. This permits the same cleaning members to be used in all positions of the rotatable body and facilitates assembly and repair. The cleaning members are also symmetrical in that they are the same at each end, so that they may be inserted in the device without reference to a particular end, and turned end for end should one end become worn to a greater extent than the other.

My invention has for a further object to provide a cleaning device in which the cleaning members are attached to the rotatable body for both pivotal and slidable movement relative thereto, whereby the cleaning members may always contactthe deposit and thus insure the complete removal of the deposit from the tube.

Still another feature of my invention is the arrangement of the pivotal mounting so that the cleaning members have a large expansion; this permits the cleaning device to be used in tubes of varying sizes and in tubes in which the deposit is of varying thickness.

My new cleaning device has other advantages and includes other features of novelty in addition to those above mentioned, as will be apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, and in which;

Figure 1 is a part section and part elevation showing the cleaning device inserted in a. section of a tube being cleaned, together with the driving 5 means for rotating the device;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the cleaning device;

Figure 3 is a side elevation with part of one side broken away to show the interior structure; 10

Figure 4 is a section taken on line IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line V-V of Figure 4. This figure shows the device rotated through as compared with Figure 3. 15

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I designates a tube, the interior of which is to be cleaned. The cleaning device is indicated generally at 2 and is attached at 3 to a flexible cable 4 in order that the cleaning device may be rotated by any suitable means, such as a motor 5.

The device itself consists of a body member having a central portion 6 and a threaded end portion 1 by means of which the device may be attached to the flexible cable. The body is pref- 25 erably provided with four slots 8 extending radially along the four sides of the body and at 90 to each other. Each slot is formed by two outwardly extending side portions 9 which are an integral part of the body. Any number of slots may be employed, such as two or six, butI find fourrepresents a most expedient design.

Each of the slots 8 has a cleaning member l0 mounted therein. These members are adapted to be moved with the body as the latter rotates, and in rotating scrape against the inside of the tube and remove the deposit. They are the same at each end and all of the same size and shape, and, therefore, may be interchanged or'turnedend for end should one endbecome worn more than the 4 other.

Centrally of each cleaning member ID is an elongated opening H. The cleaningmember is fastened for movement in the slot "8, by a pin;l2 which extends through the elongated opening ll 45 and through an opening in each of the adjacent side members 9.

Through the central portion of the body 6 are formed two holes [3 at 90 to each other, one above and one below the plane of the pivot pins 50 I2. In each of these holes is mounted a compression spring l4 which acts against the insid of a pair of diametrically opposite cleaning mem bers ill to pivot them about the pins I2 and project one end of each of them outwardly and the 55 other end inwardly. The two diametrically opposite cleaning members which are acted upon by the spring on one side of the center of the body have their ends which are near this end of the body projected outwardly. The two diametrically opposite cleaning members acted upon by the spring on the other side of the center of the body have their ends that are located near this other end of the body projected outwardly. It will thus be seen that the cleaning portion of each end of the device is the same and therefore the cleaning action will be identical whether the device is being pushed or pulled through the tube.

When the device is used in a tube of a relatively large size, the cleaning members at first contact the deposit at one point l5. When the cleaning members become worn on this one end they may be turned end for end, replaced, orsharpened by grinding the face l6.

If the interior of the tube is relatively small or the amount of deposit large, the end IE will be moved in against the spring as the other end I8 is movedoutwardly until the straight surface of the cleaning member is parallel and contacts the inner surface of the tube. A cleaning device is generally employed of a size such that the flat face of the cleaning member is in engagement with the interior of the tube, as it is in this position that the most effective cleaning operation is obtained. In addition to the pivoting movement, the cleaning member may move bodily further inwardly to the extent permitted by the elongated opening II. The cleaning member can thus assume a variety of positions to accommodate various sizes, shapes and curves in the tube and irregularities in the deposit, and yet always have a cleaning portion in contact with the deposit.

The pivot I2 is so arranged that the cleaning member may recede substantially entirely within the slot 8. A large amount of expansion is thus possible, so the cleaning device may be used on tubes of varying sizes and in tubes with a large or small amount of deposit.

My invention consists in the construction. and novel combination and arrangement of the parts above described and illustrated, it being obvious that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tube cleaning device comprising a body adapted to be rotated, elongated axially extending cleaning members mounted on said body by means of transverse pivotal connections intermediate the ends of said members, whereby they may pivot in radial axial planes relative to said body, said cleaning members having their cleaning portions extending to both ends thereof, resilient means acting on certain of the cleaning members urging only the ends thereof near one end of the body outwardly, and resilient means acting on other cleaning members urging only the ends thereof near the other end of said body outwardly.

2. A tube cleaning device comprising a body adapted to be rotated, elongated axially extending cleaning members mounted on said body by means of transverse pivotal sliding connections intermediate the ends of said members, whereby they may pivot and slide in radial axial planes relative to said body, said cleaning members having their cleaning portions extending to both ends thereof, resilient means acting on certain of the cleaning members urging only the ends thereof near one end of the body outwardly, and resilient means acting on other cleaning members urging only the ends thereof near the other end of said body outwardly.

..ing cleaning members having similar ends, said cleaning members being secured in the slots transversely thereof by sliding pivotal connections intermediate the ends of the cleaning members and the slots, and a plurality of springs within the body, one for each pair of opposite slots, and engaging the cleaning members in the slots only at a point between the pivotal connection and one end to force the adjacent end of each element in one pair of slots outwardly, and to force the opposite adjacent end of each element in another pair of slots outwardly.

4. A rotary tube cleaner comprising a body adapted to be rotated and having two pairs of oppositely disposed radially opening longitudinal slots therein, elongated axially extending cleaning members having similar ends disposed in the slots, radially elongated pivot openings in the cleaning members between their ends, pivot pins extending transversely of the slots and through the pivot openings, and two springs disposed within the body and extending into the slots, one of said springs engaging each of one pair of cleaning members at a point on each between one end and the pivot opening and the other of said springs engaging each of the other of said pairs of cleaning members at a point on each between the pivot opening and the end opposite the said one end of the first-mentioned pair of elements.

5. A rotary tube cleaner adapted for cleaning tubes having relatively sharp curves, comprising a relatively short and compact body having oppositely disposed radially opening longitudinal slots therein, elongated cleaning members substantially equal to the. length of said body and recessed in said slots throughout their length, said cleaning NIELS E. NIELSEN.