US2415844A - Attritive cleaning and finishing device - Google Patents

Description

Feb, 18, 1947.

G. C. H. PERKINS ATTRITIVE CLEANiNG AND FINISHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1945 INVENTOR GEORGE C.H. PERKINS ATTORNEY Feb. 18, 1947. e. c. H. PERKINS ATTRI'I'IVE CLEANING AND FINISHING DEVICE Filed June 30, 1945 ZSheetS-Sheet 2 FIG ' INVENTOR GEORGE C .H. PERKINS ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 18, 1947 'v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,415,844 a r'rn'fr'lvia CLEANING 'Fmi'sfimo DEVICE George G. *H. Perkins, South Hamilton, Mass.

Application June 30, 1945, Serial No. 602,633

(Granted under the act of ll/larch 3, 1883, as amended-April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) -9 Claims.

invention relates to a finishing device. It has todo, more particularly, with a device for finishing the exterior surface of an elongated membe'nsuch as a tube, rod'or similar member b'y'cleanin'g and smoothing it. It Will be described with particular reference to the cleaning and smoothing of the exteriors of tube joints preparatory to tinning or a similar operation, but it is to'be understood that my device is capable of many o'ther rises.

Iii-"installing refrigerating equipment, tincoateditubes are employed for sanitary reasons as is wellknown. In joining the tubes, it is common practice to solder the joints. Soldering the joint results in removal of someof the tin at the joint, in corrosion and pitting due to the use of the flukjand the solder itself presents a rough and pittedsu'rface. The net result is an unsightly and unsanitary surface which must be tinned. To tin the surface it is first necessary to smooth, clean and'polish it sot'hat the tin will adhere. This is commonly done by a slow tedious process of hand filing which is especially diiiicult in the limited space usually present in refrigerator installations. I 7

One 'of the objects of my invention is to provide a device which is of simple structure but which is very effectivefor cleaning and smoothing thefexterior surface of an elongated member.

Another object of myinvention .is to provide a finishing "device which is quickl and easily adaptable for use on members having various sizes'a'nd shapes of cross-section.

,A further object of my invention is to provide a'device of the type indicated which may be applied to and removed from the object to be operated upon quickly and with ease.

Still another object of my invention is to providea'device of this type which is so constructed that it may be used even where the space around the object to be operated upon is very limited.

In its preferred form, my invention comprises a finishing device formed of a plurality of cooperating housing'sections whichare secured tometal grit. Air jets are provided in association With the chamber for creatingturbulence within 2 the chamber to cause the abrasive substance to contact or impinge upon the object and thereby clean' and polish it. Venting'means is provided in associa'ti'on with the chamber for permitting continuous circulation of air.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate 2- orresponding parts and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my cleaning and s'moothing'device.

Fig. 2 is an-end view of-my device.

Fig. '3 isapla'nview of my device, showing it "open but in association with a tube to be treated.

maybe part of refrigerating equipment and may have the joint 4 which needs to be thoroughly cleaned and smoothed sothat it can be tinned. This tube may be 50' mounted in the refrigeration installation that it is relatively inaccessible and there is limited space around it. However, my

device may be easily and quickly fastened around the tube even in limited space. I

Each of the sections I and 2 is mainly" of cylin'izlrical form but has one of its longitudinal side's open-and flattened, (Fig. 4). 'The sections I and 2 are hinged together at these open "sides by means of the longitudinally disposed hinge 5. Opposite the hinge 5 is a clamp 6 for holding the two sections in cooperative relationship when they are s'wung together. "This clamp comprises a wire loop 1, (Figs. 1, 2, and 4), which is pivoted to an upstanding lug 8 on the section 2. This loop has on its free end a wedge member 9'which is mounted for rocking movement thereon "and which may be rocked by means of a'handle it carried thereby. "The wedge member 9 cooperates with a pair of upstanding pins H which are The wedge member 9 will fit upon proper manipulation of loop I and handle it).

"The end walls of each of the sections land 2 of the sections I and 2 are provided with semicircular notches I4 and I5 (Fig. 2) which, when sections I and 2 are swung together, provide a circular opening in each end of the device. In association with the notches I4 and I5 are semicircular washer retainers I6 and I! (Figs. -1, 2, 3, and 5) which are secured removably in position by a series of nuts and bolts I8 carried by the ends of sections in a manner which will be explained hereinafter. These nuts and bolts are adapted to retain in position around the notches, flexible segmental sealing washers I9 and 29. The washers extend inwardly beyond the edges of the notches. Thus, they serve as a flexible ring for gripping the tube 3 or other objects to be treated. To fit different sizes of tubes, it is merely necessary to remove the washers and replace them with others of appropriate size. Or if the object is not of circular cross-section but is of different cross-sectional shape, washers of corresponding size and shape are to be used.

Each of the housing sections I and 2 is provided with a venting means comprising a tube 2| which constitutes an inner wall. The tubular wall 2| extends from one end of the housing section to the other and is concentric with and parallel to the outer wall of the housing section. The

ends of the tubular wall 2| are disposed in circular openings 22.formed in the fiat end walls of .the housing sections.

Each of the tubes 2| is formed of an inner semicylindrical imperforate .wall' section 23 (Fig, 2) and an outer semi-cylindrical foraminated wall section 24. The wallsection 24 is composed of an inner coarse screen member 25 (Fig. 5) and an outer fine screen member 26. These screens are disposed in overlapping relationship and their long edges are slipped into slots 21 (Fig, 2) formed in the edges of section 23. When the tubes 2| are disposed in openings 22 in the end walls of sections I and 2, the wall section 23 will merely extend thereinto while the ends of the foraminated wall section 24 will be bent into overlap.-

ping relationship with the edges of theopenings I5, as indicated at 28 (Fig. 5).

One of the bolts of the bolt and nut units I8 (Fig. 5) is carried on each end. of the imperforate inner wall section 23 and the inner end of the bolt may be welded in a receiving notch 29 formed therein for this purpose. Thetubes 2| will be positioned in the housing sections I and 2 before the washers I9 and 20 and retainers I6 and I! are positioned on the device. The remaining bolts of the unit I8 are carried by the flat end wallsof the housing sections land 2. It will be apparentthat the tubes 2| may be easily and quickly removed and replaced. It is merely necessary to remove thenuts of units I8 and then the retainers IE and I1 and washers I9 and 20. If one of the bent ends 28 of each Wall section 24 is now bent back to its original position, the tubes can be slipped out of the housing sections. Then, if necessary, the screens 26 can be replaced with new screens.

It will be apparent from Fig. 4 that when the two housing sections I and 2 are swung together around the tube 3, there is produced a continuous chamber 30 in the form of a figure eight. This chamber is adapted to receive the attritive or abrasive substance, such as metal grit, shot, sand, etc. To create turbulence and cause this abrasive to impinge upon the tube 3, I provide a series of air jets.

One series of air jets is provided on the clamp side of the housing section 2.. This series com- 4 prises individual jets 32 (Fig. 4) extending through the outer wall of section 2 and directed tangentially of the tube 2|, disposed therein, towards the tube 3. A second series of oppositely directed jets is provided in the hinge side of section I. This second series comprises individual jets 34 which extend through the wall of section I and are directed tangentially of the tube 2|, disposed therein, towards the tube 3. The jets of each series are disposed at longitudinally spaced intervals (Fig. 1) and are connected to a manifold 35. Each manifold 35 may be suitably connected by a hose 36 to a source of air under pressure.

When my device is positioned on an object to be treated, such as the tub 3, and compressed air is supplied through the series of jets into chamber 30, as shown in Fig. 4, great turbulence will be created in the chamber and the attritive or abrasive substance will be picked up by the currents of air. This substance will travel in the manner indicated by th full-line arrows and the air in the manner indicated by the dotted-line arrows. The air from the jets 32 will cause the substance to strike or impinge upon the top surface of tube 3 and some of it to continue to travel around the tube 2| in housing section I. This stream of air and substance will travel downwardly until picked up by the air from the jets 34 which will cause the substance to impinge upon the bottom of the tube 3. Some of the air and substance will continue to travel beneath the tube 2| in housing section 2 and upwardly until it is again picked up by the jets 32. This course of travel will be repeated over and over. By rotating the device on the tube 3, from time to time, the entire circumference of the tube will be subjected to the cleaning and smoothing action. Excess air will escape from chamber 30 through the foraminated wall section 24, and then will travel lengthwise of the tubes 2| in both directions out of their ends. After the operation is completed, the device may be removed from the tube by releasing clamp 6 and swinging sections I and 2 apart.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided a device which is very effective for cleaning and smoothing various objects for any purpose. It is of such a nature that it can be easily and quickly applied to or removed from the object. It can be readily adapted to articles of various shapes and sizes. It can be used with ease on an object even where the space around the object is very limited, and will produce a smooth, clean, and polished surface on the object.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

What I claim is:

1. A finishing device comprising a unit for embracing the object to be operated upon, said unit embodying a plurality of cooperating sections adapted to form a chamber around the object when disposed in association therewith, meansfor holding said sections together, said chamber being adapted to contain an attritive substance, oppositely directedv jets for supplying fluid under pressure within said chamber for creating turbulence to cause said ubstance to travel around in said chamber and to contact the object, and venting means for said chamber for permitting escape of excess air.

2. A finishing device comprising a unit for embracing an elongated object to be operated upon, said unit embodying a plurality of cooperating sections adapted to form a chamber around the object when disposed in association therewith, means for holding such section together, said chamber being adapted to contain an attritive substance, jets for supplying fluid under pressure within said chamber for creating turbulence to cause said substance to travel around in said chamber and to contact the object, and venting means for said chamber.

3. A finishing device comprising a, unit for embracing an elongated object to be operated upon, said unit embodying a pair of hollow sections adapted to extend longitudinally of the object, each of said sections being of substantially cylindrical form but having one of its longitudinal sides open, said sections having their open sides disposed adjacent each other and being hinged together for swinging movement into and out of embracing relationship with said elongated object, the end walls of said sections having cooperating notches for embracing the object, fastening means for holding said sections together, each of said section having a tubular inner wall spaced from its outer wall and extending the full length thereof and adapted to be disposed parallel to the object when the device is associated therewith, said cooperating section-s having a continuous chamber around the object and around the tubular inner walls thereof which is adapted to contain an attritive substance, an inwardly directed air jet in the outer wall of one of said sections, an inwardly directed air jet in the opposite outer wall of the other of said sections, said tubular inner walls of said sections being provided with perforations to permit escape of excess air.

4. A device according to claim 3 including mean for removably mounting sealing washers in association with said notches for contacting said object.

5. A device according to claim 3 wherein a series of each of said air jet is provided at longitudinally spaced intervals of the sections.

. 6. A device according to claim 3 wherein said tubular inner walls are removably mounted in said sections.

7. A device according to claim 3 wherein said tubular inner wall are removably mounted in said sections, and each of said walls comprises a semi-cylindrical inner imperforate section having slots in its edges which receive the edges of a semi-cylindrical perforate section.

. 8. A device according to claim 3 wherein said air jet is directed substantially tangentially of the tubular inner wall of said section with which it is associated.

9. A device according to claim 2 including sealing means removably mounted at each end of the chamber for embracing the object.

GEORGE C. H. PERKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 332,849 British July 31, 1930

Images