US3086234A - Power driven snake canister - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1963 R. R. CRANE 3,086,234

POWER DRIVEN SNAKE CANISTER Filed Jan. 5, 1961 INVENTOR,

Arm/ 0 3,086,234 POWER DRIVEN SNAKE CANISTER Robert R. Crane, Los Angeles, Calif, assignor to Flexible Plumhertools Inc., Los Angeles, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Jan. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 80,681 8 Claims. (Cl. 15-1045) This invention relates to the cleaning of drain lines in the plumbing of homes and other buildings, leading from kitchen sinks, bathrooms, etc. to sewers. The tool commonly used by plumbers and home owners in cleaning such drain lines when they become clogged, is a highly flexible drive shaft comprising essentially a tight coil of spring wire (in some cases reinforced by a flexible core extending through an outer coil) commonly known as a snake. Snakes of the reinforced type provide sufficient driving torque, even over great length, to satisfactorily utilize power drive extending beyond the driving force which could be applied to snakes of the old hand-operated type, and portable power operated snake driving devices are now commonly used by plumbers. The general object of this invention is to provide an improved portable power operated apparatus for rotating and feeding a drain cleaning snake, of a type wherein the snake is stored, in coiled condition, within a canister or reel which is rotated in order to transmit rotation to the snake as it is fed from one end of the canister along the rotational axis thereof, means being also provided for applying a pull to the snake along said axis to draw it from the canister and feed it into a drain (and, in reverse, to draw it out of the drain and feed it back into the canister). Devices of this general type, both hand operated and motor driven, are disclosed in the patents to Rowland, No. 2,102,917, December 21, 1937, and Kerber, No. 2,223,005, November 26, 1940.

An object of the invention is to provide improvements in this type of snake driving device. A specific object is to provide an improved spring loaded axial-feed unit operating at the mouth of the canister for transmitting linear feed to the snake.

Another object is to provide an improved and simplified arrangement of parts within the canister for guiding the snake from its coiled, stored position to its axially projecting position where it issues from the canister. v

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specifications and appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of a snake driving and feeding apparatus embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same with a portion of the canister housing broken away to illustrate the internal construction;

FIG. 3 is a detail fragmentary front elevational view, as indicated by line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the linear feed unit;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view looking rearwardly at the guide mechanism within the reel as indicated by line 44 of FIG. 2;

, FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of a spring loading mechanism for the idler roller of the linear feed unit, taken as indicated by line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of a portion of the guide mechanism taken as indicated by ne 6 O G- 4,

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which my invention may be embodied, a motor driven portable snake driving and feeding apparatus comprising, in general, a supporting stand A; a snake storage reel or canister B rotatably nite rates atent mounted in stand A upon a driving and feeding axis indicated by the broken line a in FIG. 1; and a linear feed unit C disposed at the forward end of the canister 13 where the latter has a mouth through which a snake D is normally coiled within the canister B as indicated in FIG. 2. The apparatus further includes power means E for driving the canister B.

Referring to FIG. 2, it may be noted at this point that the snake D has a portion d thereof extending spirally from the circumferential coil d within canister B to the axially projecting portion d" issuing from the mouth of the canister. The linear feed unit C is positioned at the mouth of the canister, closely adjacent thereto, for acting upon the issuing portion 01' of the snake. The canister includes guide mechanism, visible in FIG. 2, for guiding this spiral transitional portion of the snake between its coiled and axially projecting positions. This guide mechanism is positioned within the housing of the canister B. a

The forward end of snake D is adapted for coupling to a drain cleaning tool (not shown).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Stand A comprises forward and rear yokes 10 and 11, each including a horizontal bridge bar 12 and pairs of legs 13 extending downwardly therefrom and capped by supporting shoes 14. Yokes 10 and 11 are joined by longitudinally extending rails 15 welded to the legs 13 near their lower ends. A carrying handle 16 is welded to the rear bridge bar 12. Pillow block bearings 17 and 1d are secured on top of the respective bridge bars 12 as indicated, on a common axis disposed somewhat to the left of the center of the stand A as viewed from the front. Motor E is thus accommodated in the space between yokes 10 and '11 at the rightward side of the stand as viewed in FIG. 2.

Canister B comprises a housing embodying a cylindrical rim 70, a conical cowl portion 71 joined integrally to the forward margin of rim and projecting forwardly, a nose 19 of collar form at the forward end of cowl 18, and a tubular trunnion 20 integrally joined to and project ing forwardly from nose 19 and functioning also as a nozzle providing the mouth through which the axial portion d of the snake D issues. Detachably secured to the rear margin of rim 70 is a rear end cap 21 of flat disc form having a cylindrical flange receiving the rear end of rim 70. A stub shaft 22 extends through the center of cap 21 and is secured thereto by an integral flange collar 23. Shaft 22 has a rearwardly projecting external portion which is journalled in bearing 18, and a forward portion, on which is rotatably mounted a guide support disc 24. A flat partition ring 25 is secured by suitable means such as angle brackets 26, to the inner wall of rim 70 at the forward margin thereof, and cooperates with rim 70, rear end cap 21 and guide support disc '24 to define a flat cylindrical reel chamber 26 in which the coiled portion d of snake D is stored, with its outer coils bearing against the inner wall of rim 70 and confined axially between the cap 21 and partition ring 25.. Guide support disc 24 is positioned in a plane immediately rearward of the plane of partition ring 25, and with its periphery slightly overlapping the inner margin of ring 25. Disc 24 is adjustably mounted upon a threaded forward end portion of shaft 22 between nuts 28 threaded thereon, and has an integral hub 29 mounting it on the shaft 22 for free rotation between nuts 28, in any position to which it is adjusted.

Trunnion-nozzle 20 extends through and is rotatably mounted in bearing 17. The canister B is embraced between hearings 17 and 18, with nose 19 and flange collar 23 in abutting relation to the respective hearings to confine the canister B against axial movement.

3 Guide Sleeve -A slightly flexible guide sleeve 30, consisting in a helical coil of spring wire of closed-coil formation, has a rear end portion extending through an aperture 31 in g uide support disc 24, and at its rear end has several coils thereof expanded to form a bell-mouth 32 which functions to guide the snake into and out of the sleeve 30 smoothly, avoiding catching of the snake against the rear end of the sleeve. Bell-mouth 32 also constitutes a head which prevents the rear end of the sleeve pulling through the aperture 31, in which it is free of any fixed attachment to the disc 24.

The forward end of guide sleeve 36 extends into and is secured to nose 19, as by welding at 33 (FIG. 2). The rearward end portion of nozzle 29 is extended into the forward portion of nose 19 and has a tip 20 threaded into sleeve and thus secured therein. The forward end of sleeve 30 is thus secured in axial alignment with nozzle 20 so that snake D may smoothly pass from one of these parts into the other. From the nose 19, sleeve 30 extends rearwardly, diverging from axis a at a gradually increasing angle which approaches 45 at the rear end of the sleeve. The sleeve 36 assumes a position lying in a plane of the axis a.

At this point it may be noted that, when the snake D is being coiled up within the canister B, or is being uncoiled and withdrawn from the canister, relative rotation must necessarily occur between the canister and the support disc 24. If the canister is stationary at the time the snake is being withdrawn therefrom, in the uncoiling action (which is attended by a separation of the snake from contact with the internal wall of rim 17 at a point which will orbit circumferentially around the chamber 27) the rear end of sleeve 30 will describe a circular path of revolution following the revolving movement of the point of separation of the snake from the rim 17, and the disc 24 will rotate on shaft 22 to follow this orbital movement of the rear end of sleeve 30. At the same time, the sleeve 30, With its forward end fixed to the nose 19 of the canister B, will remain fixed against rotation around its own longitudinal axis, and consequently, as its rear end describes the orbital path, the local portion of disc 24 around its opening 31, will rotate around the rear end portion of sleeve 30, i.e., relative rotation of the rear end portion of sleeve 30 and disc 24, within opening 31, will occur.

Feed'unit C comprises a mounting bracket in the form of a shelf 36 (metal plate) secured on top of bridge bar 12 of forward yoke 10 between the same and pillow block 17. Pillow block 17 and shelf 36 may both be secured by bolts 37 extending through them and through the bridge bar 12.

A vertical bearing boss 38 is welded to shelf 36 and projects upwardly therefrom, as shown in FIG. 3. R0- tatably mounted in boss 38 is the lower end of a crank 40 which has a handle 41 for rotating the same. Crank 40 extends through and is secured to a drive roll 42 having a concave periphery defined by a circumferential array of teeth 43 arranged in helical array, for meshing with the turns of snake D. On the lower end of shaft 40 is secured a head 44 which, through a washer, establishes end bearing support by the under face of shelf 36 to retain the lower end of crank 40 in bearing boss 38.

An idler roller 45 is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 46 which projects downwardly therethrouugh and is mounted at its lower end in the swinging end of a mount arm 47 extending parallel to projecting portion d" of the snake. The other end of mount arm 4'7 is attached to a pivot 48 which extends downwardly therethrough and is secured in shelf 36. The axes of stub shaft 46 and crank 40 are opposed to one another at right angles across the axis a, with the projecting portion d of the snake engaged between them. Roller 45 is spring loaded into engagement with snake portion at" by a mouse trap spring which comprises a coil 49, a tangential arm 50 projecting from the lower end thereof and yieldingly bearing against the outer side of swinging mount arm 47, and a tangential arm 51 extending from its upper end. Arm 51 has a tip 52 which is bent upwardly therefrom and extends upwardly through an aperture in a retainer head 53 of disc form. Head 53 is secured upon a trunnion consisting of the upper end of a post 54 which projects downwardly through coil 49 and is anchored in shelf 36. A spacer sleeve 55 (FIG. 5) is interposed between the shelf 36 and the head 53, the post 54 projecting upwardly through the sleeve 55, and a collar 56 encircles the sleeve 55, to provide an enlarged body portion of the post received within and positioning the coils 49. The head 53 is fixed against rotation by a cup nut 57 which is threaded onto the threaded upper end of post 54- and receives a plurality of collet jaws 58 integral with and projecting upwardly from a collet collar 59 secured to head 53. By loosening nut 57, head 53 is freed for rotational adjustment in order to adjust the spring loading of the spring unit 49-51. By tightening the nut 57, downward pressure is exerted through jaws 58 against head 53, seating it against the upper end of sleeve 55, and at the same time the jaws 58 are drawn tightly against the upper end of post 54, locking the collet and the head 53 to the post, against rotation.

'Drive E comprises an electric motor 60 which is mounted upon a bracket 61 carried by the rightward rail 15 of stand A. Motor 60 is provided with a toggle switch 62 for starting and stopping, and with a power lead 63 for connection to a power outlet. On its drive shaft is a drive pulley 64 which drives a belt 65 extending around the cylindrical periphery of canister rim 70, and frictionally driving the same. In the event of overloading (as where the driven tool becomes stuck in a tight area of a drain pipe) the belt 65 Will slip on the periphery of canister B to avoid overloading the motor E, or damaging the snake D.

OPERATION In the use of the apparatus, it may be carried from place to place by grasping the handle 16. In setting it up for use it is simply rested upon a floor or other supporting surface in a position where nozzle 20 faces an opening in a plumbing system into which the snake is to be inserted. By rotating the crank 40, the drive pulley 42 is rotated against the snake, with a geared action between its teeth 43 and the turns of the snake, thus driving the snake forwardly, withdrawing it from the canister B and feeding it into the drain that is to be cleaned. When the tool on the forward end of the snake encounters an obstruction, the motor 60 may be started, to rotate the canister B, from which rotation will be transmitted to the snake D. Simultaneously, the crank 40 may be slowly rotated to feed the snake forwardly into the drain. So long as the snake is not being fed into or out of the canister, there will be no relative orbital movement between the canister and the guide tube 30, and thus no relative rotation between the disc 24 and the canister. When the snake is being withdrawn from the canister and fed forwardly, the disc 24 will rotate ahead of the canister (the normal direction of rotation of the canister being clockwise as viewed by the operator standing behind the apparatus). Such direction of rotation is indicated by arrow 66 in FIG. 2. When the snake is being withdrawn from the drain and pushed back into the canister B, there will be relative rotation of disc 24 with respect to the canister in the opposite direction, i.e., counterclockwise as viewed by the operator looking forwardly from the rear side of the device.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for feeding and rotating a drain cleaning snake, in combination: a canister comprising a rim, a rear end cap and a fiat partition ring spaced forwardly of said rear end cap, cooperatively defining a rear chamber to contain a coiled snake, said canister having at its forward end a nozzle through which the snake may issue; a support having bearing means in which said canister is mounted for rotation on the axis of said nozzle, means for effecting rotation of said canister for rotating the snake in a cleaning operation; and guide means comprising a freely flexible guide tube having a forward end fixed in the forward end of said canister and communicating with said nozzle, said canister transmitting rotation to said forward end of the guide tube and a support disc mounted in said canister in a radial plane adjacent the plane of said partition ring, for free rotation on said axis, said support disc having, near its periphery, an opening through which the rear end of said guide tube is extended, free of fixed attachment to said disc, whereby the local area of said disc around said opening will rotate about said rear end of the guide tube to accommodate orbital flexing swinging movement of said guide tube in a generally conical path within the canister while its said forward end remains fixed with reference to the canister, the rear end of said guide tube following the circumferen tial movement of the point of separation of said snake from said canister rim during unc'oiling and coiling movements of the snake within said reel chamber.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said support disc is disposed within said reel chamber at the forward side thereof, and including a shaft projecting through the center of said rear end cap, carried by said support, and rotatably mounting said support disc at its forward end.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said shaft is fixed to said rear end cap and is journaled in said bearing means for rotatably supporting the rear end of said canister.

4. Apparatus for feeding and rotating a drain cleaning snake, comprising: a canister comprising a rim, a rear end cap and a fiat partition ring spaced forwardly of said rear end cap, cooperatively defining a reel chamber to contain a coiled snake and having'at its forward end a nozzle through which the snake may issue; a shaft extending through the center of said rear end cap and fixed thereto in alignment with said nozzle; a stand comprising spaced forward and rear frame members having respective aligned bearings, said shaft having a portion projecting rearwar-dly from said cap and journall ed in the rear hearing, and said nozzle projecting forwardly from said canister and journalled in the forward bearing, whereby said canister is mounted for rotation on a longitudinal aXis to which the plane of said ring is normal; means for effecting rotation of said canister for rotating the snake in a cleaning operation; and guide means comprising a flexible guide tube of coiled spring wire having a forward end fixed to and communicating with the rear end of said nozzle, and a support disc mounted upon the forward end of said shaft within said reel chamber in a plane adjacent to said ring plane, for free rotation with respect to the canister, said nozzle connecting said guide tube to said canister in fixed relation such that rotation will be transmitted from said canister to the forward end of said guide tube, said disc having an opening through which the rear end of said guide tube is extended, free of fixed attachment to said disc, whereby the local area of said disc aroundsaid opening may rotate about said rear end of the guide tube to accommodate flexing swinging movement of said guide tube within the canister in a generally conical path with its rear end moving orbitally so as to follow the circumferential movement of the point of separation of said snake from said canister rim during uncoiling and coiling movements of the snake within said reel chamber.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said guide tube has an expanded rear end portion defining a bellmouth for facilitating the movement of said snake smoothly into said rear end of the guide tube and also constituting a head retaining said rear end Within said opening in the support disc.

6. Apparatus for feeding and rotating a drain cleaning snake, comprising: a canister defining at its rear end a reel chamber to contain a coiled snake and having at its forward end a nozzle through which the snake may issue; a support having bearing means in which said canister is mounted for rotation on the axis of said nozzle, said support including a bracket projecting forwardly beneath said nozzle; and means carried by said bracket for feeding said snake longitudinally in said nozzle, comprising a drive roll having a toothed periphery for meshing engagement with said snake and having means for transmitting rotation thereto, said drive roll being mounted on said bracket for rotation on a vertical axis at one side of said nozzle axis in engagement with said snake, an idler roller engaging the side of said snake opposite said drive roller, a swinging mount on one end of which said idler roller is mounted for rotation, a vertical pivot connecting the other end of said swinging mount to said bracket for horizontal swinging movement transversely of said nozzle axis, and means spring loading said mount toward said snake, comprising a vertical post mounted on said bracket, a mouse-trap spring including a coil encircling said post, an arm at one end of said coil engaged against said roller mount, a second arm at the other end of said coil, a head rotatably mounted on said post, to which the end of said second arm is anchored, and means for securing said head to said post in selected positions of rotatable adjustment thereon for adjusting the intensity of the spring loading applied to said snake through said idler roller.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said post has an enlarged body portion encircled by said coil spring and defining an annular shoulder at its upper end, and a trunnion projecting upwardly from said shoulder, wherein said head is in the form of a disc having a hub rotatably mounted upon said trunnion and supported on said shoulder, and wherein said second arm has a tip bent therefrom and projecting parallel to said post, said head having an aperture in which said tip is engaged.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said hub is provided with a plurality of collet jaws projecting axially therefrom and wherein said securing means comprises a cup nut threaded onto the end of said post and receiving said collet jaws and cooperable therewithin to wedge them into locking engagement with said post when tightened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,223,005 Kerber Nov. 26, 1940 2,267,493 Clotz Dec. 23, 1941 2,319,828 Rohweder May 25, 1943 2,340,440 Swann Feb. 1, 1944- 2,730,740 OBrien Jan. '17, 1956 2,926,372 OBrien Mar. 1, 1960 3,025,547 Ciaccio Mar. 20, 1962

Claims (2)

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND ROTATING A DRAIN CLEANING SNAKE, IN COMBINATION: A CANISTER COMPRISING A RIM, A REAR END CAP AND A FLAT PARTITION RING SPACED FORWARDLY OF SAID REAR END CAP, COOPERATIVELY DEFINING A REAR CHAMBER TO CONTAIN A COILED SNAKE, SAID CANISTER HAVING AT ITS FORWARD END A NOZZLE THROUGH WHICH THE SNAKE MAY ISSUE; A SUPPORT HAVING BEARING MEANS IN WHICH SAID CANISTER IS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON THE AXIS OF SAID NOZZLE, MEANS FOR EFFECTING ROTATION OF SAID CANISTER FOR ROTATING THE SNAKE IN A CLEANING OPERATION; AND GUIDE MEANS COMPRISING A FREELY FLEXIBLE GUIDE TUBE HAVING A FORWARD END FIXED IN THE FORWARD END OF SAID CANISTER AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID NOZZLE, SAID CANISTER TRANSMITTING ROTATION TO SAID FORWARD END OF THE GUIDE TUBE AND A SUPPORT DISC MOUNTED IN SAID CANISTER IN A RADIAL PLANE ADJACENT THE PLANE OF SAID PARTITION RING, FOR FREE ROTATION ON SAID AXIS, SAID SUPPORT DISC HAVING, NEAR ITS PERIPHERY, AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE REAR END OF SAID GUIDE TUBE IS EXTENDED, FREE OF FIXED ATTACHMENT TO SAID DISC, WHEREBY THE LOCAL AREA OF SAID DISC AROUND SAID OPENING WILL ROTATE ABOUT SAID REAR END OF THE GUIDE TUBE TO ACCOMMODATE ORBITAL FLEXING SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID GUIDE TUBE IN A GENERALLY CONICAL PATH WITHIN THE CANISTER WHILE ITS SAID FORWARD END REMAINS FIXED WITH REFERENCE TO THE CANISTER, THE REAR END OF SAID GUIDE TUBE FOLLOWING THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL MOVEMENT OF THE POINT OF SEPARATION OF SAID SNAKE FROM SAID CANISTER RIM DURING UNCOILING AND COILING MOVEMENTS OF THE SNAKE WITHIN SAID REEL CHAMBER.

6. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND ROTATING A DRAIN CLEANING SNAKE, COMPRISING: A CANISTER DEFINING AT ITS REAR END A REEL CHAMBER TO CONTAIN A COILED SNAKE AND HAVING AT ITS FORWARD END A NOZZLE THROUGH WHICH THE SNAKE MAY ISSUE; A SUPPORT HAVING BEARING MEANS IN WHICH SAID CANISTER IS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON THE AXIS OF SAID NOZZLE, SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A BRACKET PROJECTING FORWARDLY BENEATH SAID NOZZLE; AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BRACKET FOR FEEDING SAID SNAKE LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID NOZZLE, COMPRISING A DRIVE ROLL HAVING A TOOTHED PERIPHERY FOR MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SNAKE AND HAVING MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION THERETO, SAID DRIVE ROLL BEING MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET FOR ROTATION ON A VERTICAL AXIS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID NOZZLE AXIS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SNAKE, AN IDLER ROLLER ENGAGING THE SIDE OF SAID SNAKE OPPOSITE SAID DRIVE ROLLER, A SWINGING MOUNT ON ONE END OF WHICH SAID IDLER ROLLER IS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION, A VERTICAL PIVOT CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID SWINGING MOUNT TO SAID BRACKET FOR HORIZONTAL SWINGING MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY OF SAID NOZZLE AXIS, AND MEANS SPRING LOADING SAID MOUNT TOWARD SAID SNAKE, COMPRISING A VERTICAL POST MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET, A MOUSE-TRAP SPRING INCLUDING A COIL ENCIRCLING SAID POST, AN ARM AT ONE END OF SAID COIL ENGAGED AGAINST SAID ROLLER MOUNT, A SECOND ARM AT THE OTHER END OF SAID COIL, A HEAD ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID POST, TO WHICH THE END OF SAID SECOND ARM IS ANCHORED, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID HEAD TO SAID POST IN SELECTED POSITIONS OF ROTATABLE ADJUSTMENT THEREON FOR ADJUSTING THE INTENSITY OF THE SPRING LOADING APPLIED TO SAID SNAKE THROUGH SAID IDLER ROLLER.

Images