US3127706A

US3127706A - Pipe cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3127706A
Application number: US83093A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harvey D Giffen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-01-16
Filing date: 1961-01-16
Publication date: 1964-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 1981-04-07

Description

April 7, 1964 H. D. GIFFEN PIPE CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1961 INVENTOR. HARVEY D. GIF F EN H. D. GIFFEN PIPE CLEANING APPARATUS April 7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1961 INVENTOR. HARVEY D GIFFEN United States Patent 3,127,706 PIPE CLEANING APPARATUS Harvey D. Giifen, New Orleans, La. (Rte. 1, Box 80, Pearl River, La.) Filed Jan. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 83,093 9 Claims. (Cl. 51-9) This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning the exterior surface of pipe.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method of cleaning large diameter pipe lines with hurled abrasives.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means of cleaning all the exterior surface of a pipe without rotating the pipe.

Another object is to provide means of feeding abrasive materials to the centrifugal elements which hurl the abrasive upon the surface of the pipe.

Another object is to provide means of collecting and cleaning the spent abrasive materials and elevating the material to the feeding system.

Another object is to provide means of adjusting the hurled abrasive pattern to secure maximum impingement on the surface of different sized pipe.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are sectional views embodying the preferred form of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a composite view showing the relation of the feed conduits and the throwing wheels. At the left of the center line the throwing wheels are shown set for the large size pipe and at the right of the center line the throwing wheels are shown in the position for small pipe. Preferably, the conduits 7 would be of a type available on the market and known as fully convoluted ducts fabricated of rubber-impregnated fiber glass cloth. These ducts are extremely flexible and can be compressed and elongated.

FIGURES 4, and 6 are detail views illustrating the means of adjusting the abrasive pattern in relation to the size of the pipe to be cleaned. FIGURES 4 and 5 show the throwing wheel set at a position for large pipe and FIGURE 6 shows the throwing wheel set at a position for small pipe.

FIGURE 7 ilustrates one method of forming a connection between the feed part of the throwing wheel and the flexible conduits.

While the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, we have shown in the drawings and shall herein describe in detail a preferred form, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the forms shown.

In the form selected for purposes of disclosure in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the invention comprises as essential elements a supporting frame 2, centrifugal elements to hurl the abrasive 8, abrasive conveying elements 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12, abrasive cleaning system 13, 14, 15 and 16, and in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, means of adjusting the abrasive pattern in relation to the axis of the

pipe

9, 17, 18 and 19.

The relationship of the different axes as recited in the claims is illustrated in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, wherein line 29 is the axis of the pipe, line 30 the axis of rotation of

plate

9 and 28 is the axis of the throwing wheel.

Conveyor ring 3, rotating on rollers 4, and driven by belt 12 and motor 11, elevates the abrasive 22 to the top of the apparatus. The abrasive falls from the conveyor through trash screen 6 into hopper 5 and through conduits 7, to the centrifugal elements 8. A number of centrifugal elements 8 are arranged in a manner to hurl the abrasive against the entire circumference of the pipe. The centrifugal elements 8 are mounted on rotating plates 9, containing apertures 17 which can be locked on cleaning chamber 25, in various positions by means of clamps 18. The plate 9 is rotated to a point indicated on the index 19, which will correspond to the diameter of the pipe being cleaned, thus substantially all of the shot being hurled through the aperture 17, would strike the surface of the pipe 10. This is an important feature of this invention since hurled abrasive not striking the pipe surface will strike some point on the interior of the cleaning chamber 25, which, in a few days of operation, could seriously damage the apparatus, by erosion.

The cleaning chamber 25 confines the abrasive action by means of side walls 26 and end walls 27. Rubber curtains would be attached to the end walls to fit each size of pipe being cleaned. Spent abrasive will fall through the bottom of the cleaning chamber 25, onto screen 13 and will flow to conveyor 3. Unwanted dust and fines will fall through screen 13. The heavy refuse drops into chamber 14 and the fine light particles are drawn through conduit 15 by blower 16 and are discharged to atmosphere.

A number of wheels and rollers 24 are provided to center the pipe in the apparatus. Position of these elements can be changed to fit various size pipes by jacks 23 or other means. One or more drive wheels 20, energized by variable speed motor 21, are provided to move the apparatus along the pipe. In field operation the weight of the apparatus would be supported by I-bolt 1, from a mobile crane or by other means.

It is contemplated that standard type of centrifugal blast units would be incorporated in this apparatus and the size and shape of the aperture 17, would be made to correspond with the abrasive pattern of the unit used.

I claim:

1. A cleaning apparatus for non-rotatable pipe comprising, in combination, power driven centrifugal blast wheels, means of rotating the axes of said blast wheels between parallel and right angle positions with respect to the axis of the pipe, means of locking the blast wheels axes in any position of said rotation, means for advancing the apparatus along the pipe.

2. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of nonrotatable pipe comprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugal elements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can be rotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means of moving the apparatus along the pipe at adjustable speeds.

3. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of non-rotatable pipe comprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugal elements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can be rotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means of moving the apparatus along the pipe at adjustable speeds, means of feeding the abrasive to the centrifugal elements, means of collecting the spent abrasive material and means of cleaning the abrasive material.

4. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of nonrotatable pipe comprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugal elements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can be rotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means of moving the apparatus along the pipe, at adjustable speeds,

means of feeding the abrasive to the centrifugal elements,

means of collecting the spent abrasive material and means of cleaning the abrasive material, and an elevator to convey the abrasive material to the top of the apparatus.

5. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of nonrotatable pipe comprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugal elements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can be rotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means of moving the apparatus along the pipe at adjustable speeds, means of feeding the abrasive to the centrifugal elements, means of collecting the spent abrasive material and means of cleaning the abrasive material, and an elevator to convey the abrasive material to the top of the apparatus, all combined in one portable unit.

6. In a pipe cleaning apparatus using power driven abrasive hurling centrifugal elements, in combination, means of rotating the abrasive patterns about axes at right angles to the axis of the pipe to cause substantially all of the hurled abrasive to strike the surface of different sizes of pipe and means of securing the rotated elements.

7. In a pipe cleaning apparatus using power driven abrasive hurling centrifugal elements, in combination, means of rotating the abrasive patterns about axes at right angles to the axis of the pipe to cause substantially all of the hurled abrasive to strike the surface of different sizes of pipe and means of securing the rotated elements, means of moving the apparatus along the pipe, means of feeding abrasive to the said centrifugal elements and means of collecting spent abrasive.

8. In a pipe cleaning apparatus using power driven abrasive hurling centrifugal elements, in combination, means of rotating the abrasive patterns about axes at right angles to the axis of the pipe to cause substantially all of the hurled abrasive to strike the surface of dilferent sizes. of pipe and means of securing the rotated elements, means; of moving the apparatus along the pipe, means of feeding: abrasive t0 the said centrifugal elements and means of collecting spent abrasive, i neans of cleaning spent abrasive and means of confining the cleaning action within a chamber.

9. In a pipe cleaning apparatus having centrifugal blast units carried by a non-rotating housing surrounding the pipe, means of mounting each blast unit on a rotating plate on said housing, said plate to rotate about an axis at right angles to both the face of the plate and the axis of the pipe, said plate having an aperture adapted to pass the grit discharge from the blast Wheel, means of locking said plate at any point of its rotation and means of indexing said plate in referenceto the size of pipe to be clean. V

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,770 Turnbllll Oct. Fl, 1938 ,4 9,989 Kr F b- 8, 9 9 2,742,739 Smith Apr. 24, 1956