US3531813A - Tube cleaning pellet gun - Google Patents

Tube cleaning pellet gun Download PDF

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US3531813A
US3531813A US760334A US3531813DA US3531813A US 3531813 A US3531813 A US 3531813A US 760334 A US760334 A US 760334A US 3531813D A US3531813D A US 3531813DA US 3531813 A US3531813 A US 3531813A
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tube
pellet
ram
bore
tubes
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US760334A
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Kenneth Hurst
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Combustion Engineering Inc
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Combustion Engineering Inc
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L55/00—Devices or appurtenances for use in, or in connection with, pipes or pipe systems
    • F16L55/26—Pigs or moles, i.e. devices movable in a pipe or conduit with or without self-contained propulsion means
    • F16L55/46—Launching or retrieval of pigs or moles
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28G—CLEANING OF INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL SURFACES OF HEAT-EXCHANGE OR HEAT-TRANSFER CONDUITS, e.g. WATER TUBES OR BOILERS
    • F28G1/00—Non-rotary, e.g. reciprocated, appliances
    • F28G1/12—Fluid-propelled scrapers, bullets, or like solid bodies

Definitions

  • the tubes are subjected to acid pickling and thereafter it is necessary to clean the tubes to insure that no acid residue remains in the tubes upon completion of the pickling step since the presence of such acid would ultimately result in contamination of the fluid passed through the tubes during operation of the heat exchanger.
  • the present invention is directed to apparatus that is operative to expeditiously reduce the time, effort and expense required to clean the interior of tubes mounted in the tube sheets of heat exchangers.
  • apparatus operable to propel a cleaning pellet by means of compressed air or other motive fluid through the interior of the tubes assembled in the tube sheet of a heat exchanger or other similar apparatus.
  • the inventive device comprises a manually manipulatable body forming a barrel into which pellets of absorbent material such as felt or the like are individually fed from a magazine.
  • An axially slideable ram is manually operable within the barrel for passing the pellet from the barrel to the end of the tube selected to be cleaned when the body is held in registry with a tube opening in the tube sheet.
  • the ram contains a through-bore which communicates with the barrel and which is connected at its opposite end to a source of compressed air that, when triggered, is effective to impart a motiveforce to the pellet for propelling it through the tube to wipe the interior of the tube clean of any foreign particles or other residue.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a heat exchanger, partly in section, with a cleaning pellet propelling device according to the invention applied thereto;
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the cleaning pellet propelling device shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are partial sectional views of the body of the propelling device illustrating diflerent positions of the ram that is operable therein during the principal phase of operation of the apparatus.
  • FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown a device 10 constructed according to the present invention and illustrated in operative relation to the end of one of a number of tubes 12 assembled in a tube sheet 14, the device being operative for propelling a cleaning pellet 16 through the interior of the tube in order to wipe the tube clean of any residue or sediment that may remain therein after assembly of the tube to the tube sheet.
  • the device 10 comprises a body 18, rectangular in section, and having an axially disposed through-bore 20 provided therein.
  • the rear end of the bore 20 is closed by a bushing 22 which is preferably formed of brass or nylon and which has a central opening for reception of a slideable ram 24 that is operative in the bore 20 as explained hereinafter.
  • the leading end of the bore 20 is provided with an enlarged diameter section 26 that is internally threaded for reception of a body extension member 28, the rear end of which is provided with a complementary external thread for connection with the thread in section 26 of the bore.
  • the extension member 28 is generally cylindrical in section with a chamfered leading end 30 that is employed to facilitate positioning the device in registry with the end of a selected tube 12 to be cleaned.
  • a central bore 32 extends through the member 28 in axial alignment with the bore 20 in the body 18.
  • the forward end of the bore 32 contains an internal, converging and conically formed tapered portion 34 whose function it is to compress the pellets 16 to a diameter less than the internal diameter of the tube in order to facilitate entrance of the pellet into the ends of the tubes 12.
  • the smallest diameter of the portion 34 is less than that of the internal diameter of the tube. In being forced through the tapered portion the pellet will be compressed to a diameter to permit its ready insertion into the tube. After entering the tube end the pellet is caused to expand into engagement with the internal tube surface due to the memory characteristic of the material of which it is made.
  • the ram 24 is manually operated and axially slideable within the body bore 20 to advance the pellets from a load position in the bore (FIG. 3) to the tapered end 34 of the extension member 28 (FIG. 4) and thence into the interior of the tube 12 to be cleaned.
  • the ram 24 comprises an axially elongated, generally cylindrical member having a through-opening or bore 38.
  • the rear end of the ram is threaded as at for reception of a pair of axially adjustable stop nuts 42 and also to connect the number to a tubular elbow 44 which, in turn, attaches the ram to a source of compressed air 46.
  • valve 48 This connection is made through a quick opening and closing actuation valve 48 that is connected between the elbow 44- and the compressed air source 46 by means of threaded nipples and a length of flexible hosing 52.
  • the valve 48 is a normally closed valve having a spring loaded manually operated trigger 49 which is depressed to open the valve and to place the body bore 20 in fluid communication with the compressed air source 46.
  • the ram 24 is provided with an enlarged diameter shoulder portion 54.
  • the shoulder portion 54 is of limited axial extent and is cylindrically formed of a diameter having a sliding fit within the body bore 20 to guide the reciprocating movement of the ram within the body and thus prevent jamming thereof.
  • the rear side of the shoulder portion 54 also cooperates with the bushing 22 to limit the retracted movement of the ram, its forward movement being limited by the abutment of the stop nuts 42 against the bushing 22.
  • the seals include an O-ring 58 disposed in an internal annular groove 60 adjacent the enlarged diameter section 26 of the body bore 20. This O-ring 58 is arranged to cooperate with the shoulder portion 54 of the ram 24 when the latter is advanced to the position shown in FIG. 4 with the cleaning pellet disposed in the tapered portion 34 of the body bore 20.
  • Another O-ring 62 is provided adjacent the leading end of the ram 24 disposed in an annular groove 62 about the external surface of the ram. This seal is arranged to cooperate with the internal diameter of the tube to be cleaned when the ram is in its fully advanced position, as shown in FIG. 5, to prevent the reverse flow of motive fluid from the tube end.
  • the top side of the body 18 adjacent its forward end mounts a pellet magazine 66 formed of rectangularly arranged plate members 68 forming an elongated chamber 70 adapted to contain a plurality of cleaning pellets 16.
  • the mounting may be effected by means of securing bracket members 71 attached to the magazine '66 and the body 18 on opposite sides thereof by suitable means such as threaded fasteners.
  • One of the plate members 70 is hingedly attached to the surface of the body 18 by means of a pivot hinge 72 to enable the plate to be pivotally retracted for loading the magazine chamber 70 with cleaning pellets 16.
  • the magazine chamber 70 communicates with the bore 20 of body 18 by means of an opening 74 provided in the wall of the top side of the body, the latter being of such size as to permit the pellets to be individually fed under the force of a compression spring 76 operating on plate 78 into the bore 20 when the ram 24 is retracted to its rearward position.
  • the pellets 16 employed for cleaning heat exchange tubes 12 may be formed of felt or other absorbent material.
  • the pellets are provided with a frusto-conical configuration and are arranged in the magazine chamber 70 with their small diameter end facing forward toward the leading end of the device.
  • the large diameter end of the pellet should be of a diameter that is slightly over-sized with respect to the internal diameter of the tubes to be cleaned. A diameter difference of about A; inch has been found to be adequate for most applications.
  • the operation of the herein-disclosed apparatus is as follows.
  • the device is manually manipulated by grasping the body 18 with one hand and the body of the valve 48 with the other to bring the leading end of the body extension member 28 into registry with the end of a tube 12 selected to be cleaned.
  • the chamfer 30 provided on the end of the extension member 28 assists in positioning the device.
  • the ram 24 is withdrawn to its retracted position as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, thereby permitting one of the pellets 16 contained in the magazine chamber 70 to drop by gravity into body bore 20 immediately forward of the leading end of the ram 24.
  • the ram is moved to its intermediate position shown in FIG. 4 to locate the pellet 16 in the internally tapered portion 34 of the body extension member 28.
  • the dimensions of the tapered portion 34 are under-sized with respect to the pellet 16 such that the force generated by axial movement of the ram 24 causes the pellet to be compressed by the tapered surface to an extent sufiicient to reduce the diameter of the forward end of the pellet to 4 a dimension somewhat less than the internal diameter of the tube thereby facilitating entry of the pellet into the tube.
  • the shoulder portion 54 is in registry with the O-ring 58 to provide an internal seal Within the bore.
  • the trigger 49 of valve 48 may be actuated to admit motive fluid from the source 46 to the rear side of the pellet 16 in order to assist movement of the pellet from the end of the extension member 28 into the interior of the tube 12.
  • the ram Simultaneously therewith or immediately thereafter the ram is moved forward such that its leading end together with the O-ring 62 is extended into the interior of the tube 12. In this position the O-ring will seal the end of the tube against reverse flow of motive fluid.
  • stop nuts 42 should be positioned on the threaded portion 40 of the ram 24 to prevent engagement of the surface 34 by the shoulder portion 54 when the ram is placed in its fully extended position. Depression of the trigger 49 is continued to supply motive fluid to the tube interior behind the pellet for propelling it through the tube where it wipes the interior. Fluid flow is continued until such time as the pellet 16 emerges from the other end of the tube 12.
  • a device for propelling compressible cleaning pellets through a tube comprising:
  • a ram reciprocable in said bore from a position placing its leading end rearwardly of said pellet-receiving opening to a position beyond the leading end of said body means, the leading end of said ram being operative to engage the rear end of a pellet received in said bore for passing it through said bore and being sized to be insertable into said tube interior for inserting said pellet therein,
  • annular seal means externally mounted on the leading end of said ram and being sized to seal the end of said tube when said ram is in its fully extended position
  • a device as recited in claim 1 including:
  • a device as recited in claim 2 including seal means for engaging the peripheral surface of said shoulder portion when said ram is positioned to locate said pellet in registry wtih said tapered surface means.
  • said motive fluid passing means includes:
  • trigger means associated with said valve means for selectively opening the same for passing motive fluid through said longitudinal opening to propel said pellet through the tapered surface in said bore.
  • said motive fluid passing means includes:
  • trigger means associated with said valve means for selectively opening the same for passing motive fluid through said longitudinal opening to propel said pellet through said tube.
  • a device as recited in claim 1 including means forming a magazine for containing a plurality of cleaning pellets, said magazine having an open lower end communicating with said pellet receiving opening for passing individual pellets to said bore.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Cleaning In General (AREA)

Description

Oct. 6, 1970 K. HURST 3,531,813
TUBE CLEANING PELLET GUN Filed Sent. 17, 1968 5 SheetsSheet 1 I NVENTOR. KENNE TH H0257 A TTOENE Y Oct. 6, 1970 K. HURST 3,531,813
TUBE CLEANING PELLET GUN Filed Sent. 17, 1968 I .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG'Z I NVENTOR. KEN/V6734 HUZS 7 AT TOENE Y Oct. 6, 1970 K. HURST TUBE CLEANING PELLET GUN 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sent. 17, 1968 INVENTOR. KENNETH HUEST BY Z A TTOENE Y United States atent Patented Oct. 6, 1970 US. Cl. l5104.06 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A manually manipulatable, magazine fed, pneumatically operated device for propelling a pellet through a tube of a heat exchanger for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the tube. The device incorporates a manually operated pellet positioning ram operable within the barrel to assist in passing the pellet from the barrel to the tube and also operative to seal the tube against reverse flow of motive fluid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the manufacture of heat exchangers, especially those of the shell and tube type wherein the interior of the shell houses a plurality of tubes whose ends are mounted to a tube sheet that closes the end of the shell, it is necessary that one of the final stages of the fabrication process include that of cleaning the interior of the assembled tubes. This need arises from the fact that during the various steps of the fabrication process the deposition of dirt, metal chips and other sediment in the tubes is inescapable. Moreover, prior to completion of the assembly, it must be heat treated which results in the generation of metal oxides within the tubes. To remove these oxides, the tubes are subjected to acid pickling and thereafter it is necessary to clean the tubes to insure that no acid residue remains in the tubes upon completion of the pickling step since the presence of such acid would ultimately result in contamination of the fluid passed through the tubes during operation of the heat exchanger.
In the past, it has been the practice to clean the tubes of such heat exchangers by manually drawing a swab attached to a wire or the like through the tube. This is both a laborious and time consuming procedure especially when it is considered that it is not uncommon for heat exchangers of this type to include thousands of tubes. The present invention, therefore, is directed to apparatus that is operative to expeditiously reduce the time, effort and expense required to clean the interior of tubes mounted in the tube sheets of heat exchangers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided apparatus operable to propel a cleaning pellet by means of compressed air or other motive fluid through the interior of the tubes assembled in the tube sheet of a heat exchanger or other similar apparatus. The inventive device comprises a manually manipulatable body forming a barrel into which pellets of absorbent material such as felt or the like are individually fed from a magazine. An axially slideable ram is manually operable within the barrel for passing the pellet from the barrel to the end of the tube selected to be cleaned when the body is held in registry with a tube opening in the tube sheet. The ram contains a through-bore which communicates with the barrel and which is connected at its opposite end to a source of compressed air that, when triggered, is effective to impart a motiveforce to the pellet for propelling it through the tube to wipe the interior of the tube clean of any foreign particles or other residue.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a heat exchanger, partly in section, with a cleaning pellet propelling device according to the invention applied thereto;
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the cleaning pellet propelling device shown in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are partial sectional views of the body of the propelling device illustrating diflerent positions of the ram that is operable therein during the principal phase of operation of the apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a device 10 constructed according to the present invention and illustrated in operative relation to the end of one of a number of tubes 12 assembled in a tube sheet 14, the device being operative for propelling a cleaning pellet 16 through the interior of the tube in order to wipe the tube clean of any residue or sediment that may remain therein after assembly of the tube to the tube sheet. The device 10 comprises a body 18, rectangular in section, and having an axially disposed through-bore 20 provided therein. The rear end of the bore 20 is closed by a bushing 22 which is preferably formed of brass or nylon and which has a central opening for reception of a slideable ram 24 that is operative in the bore 20 as explained hereinafter.
The leading end of the bore 20 is provided with an enlarged diameter section 26 that is internally threaded for reception of a body extension member 28, the rear end of which is provided with a complementary external thread for connection with the thread in section 26 of the bore. As shown, the extension member 28 is generally cylindrical in section with a chamfered leading end 30 that is employed to facilitate positioning the device in registry with the end of a selected tube 12 to be cleaned. A central bore 32 extends through the member 28 in axial alignment with the bore 20 in the body 18. The forward end of the bore 32 contains an internal, converging and conically formed tapered portion 34 whose function it is to compress the pellets 16 to a diameter less than the internal diameter of the tube in order to facilitate entrance of the pellet into the ends of the tubes 12. The smallest diameter of the portion 34 is less than that of the internal diameter of the tube. In being forced through the tapered portion the pellet will be compressed to a diameter to permit its ready insertion into the tube. After entering the tube end the pellet is caused to expand into engagement with the internal tube surface due to the memory characteristic of the material of which it is made.
The ram 24 is manually operated and axially slideable within the body bore 20 to advance the pellets from a load position in the bore (FIG. 3) to the tapered end 34 of the extension member 28 (FIG. 4) and thence into the interior of the tube 12 to be cleaned. The ram 24 comprises an axially elongated, generally cylindrical member having a through-opening or bore 38. The rear end of the ram is threaded as at for reception of a pair of axially adjustable stop nuts 42 and also to connect the number to a tubular elbow 44 which, in turn, attaches the ram to a source of compressed air 46. This connection is made through a quick opening and closing actuation valve 48 that is connected between the elbow 44- and the compressed air source 46 by means of threaded nipples and a length of flexible hosing 52. The valve 48 is a normally closed valve having a spring loaded manually operated trigger 49 which is depressed to open the valve and to place the body bore 20 in fluid communication with the compressed air source 46.
Intermediate its ends the ram 24 is provided with an enlarged diameter shoulder portion 54. The shoulder portion 54 is of limited axial extent and is cylindrically formed of a diameter having a sliding fit within the body bore 20 to guide the reciprocating movement of the ram within the body and thus prevent jamming thereof. The rear side of the shoulder portion 54 also cooperates with the bushing 22 to limit the retracted movement of the ram, its forward movement being limited by the abutment of the stop nuts 42 against the bushing 22.
Various seals are provided to render the device fluid tight and also to prevent rearward flow of motive fluid during the various stages of its operation. The seals include an O-ring 58 disposed in an internal annular groove 60 adjacent the enlarged diameter section 26 of the body bore 20. This O-ring 58 is arranged to cooperate with the shoulder portion 54 of the ram 24 when the latter is advanced to the position shown in FIG. 4 with the cleaning pellet disposed in the tapered portion 34 of the body bore 20. Another O-ring 62 is provided adjacent the leading end of the ram 24 disposed in an annular groove 62 about the external surface of the ram. This seal is arranged to cooperate with the internal diameter of the tube to be cleaned when the ram is in its fully advanced position, as shown in FIG. 5, to prevent the reverse flow of motive fluid from the tube end.
The top side of the body 18 adjacent its forward end mounts a pellet magazine 66 formed of rectangularly arranged plate members 68 forming an elongated chamber 70 adapted to contain a plurality of cleaning pellets 16. The mounting may be effected by means of securing bracket members 71 attached to the magazine '66 and the body 18 on opposite sides thereof by suitable means such as threaded fasteners.
One of the plate members 70 is hingedly attached to the surface of the body 18 by means of a pivot hinge 72 to enable the plate to be pivotally retracted for loading the magazine chamber 70 with cleaning pellets 16. The magazine chamber 70 communicates with the bore 20 of body 18 by means of an opening 74 provided in the wall of the top side of the body, the latter being of such size as to permit the pellets to be individually fed under the force of a compression spring 76 operating on plate 78 into the bore 20 when the ram 24 is retracted to its rearward position.
For most applications the pellets 16 employed for cleaning heat exchange tubes 12 may be formed of felt or other absorbent material. The pellets are provided with a frusto-conical configuration and are arranged in the magazine chamber 70 with their small diameter end facing forward toward the leading end of the device. The large diameter end of the pellet should be of a diameter that is slightly over-sized with respect to the internal diameter of the tubes to be cleaned. A diameter difference of about A; inch has been found to be adequate for most applications.
The operation of the herein-disclosed apparatus is as follows. The device is manually manipulated by grasping the body 18 with one hand and the body of the valve 48 with the other to bring the leading end of the body extension member 28 into registry with the end of a tube 12 selected to be cleaned. The chamfer 30 provided on the end of the extension member 28 assists in positioning the device. Thereafter, the ram 24 is withdrawn to its retracted position as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, thereby permitting one of the pellets 16 contained in the magazine chamber 70 to drop by gravity into body bore 20 immediately forward of the leading end of the ram 24. Thereafter, the ram is moved to its intermediate position shown in FIG. 4 to locate the pellet 16 in the internally tapered portion 34 of the body extension member 28. The dimensions of the tapered portion 34 are under-sized with respect to the pellet 16 such that the force generated by axial movement of the ram 24 causes the pellet to be compressed by the tapered surface to an extent sufiicient to reduce the diameter of the forward end of the pellet to 4 a dimension somewhat less than the internal diameter of the tube thereby facilitating entry of the pellet into the tube. It should be noted that with the ram in this position, the shoulder portion 54 is in registry with the O-ring 58 to provide an internal seal Within the bore. At this point, the trigger 49 of valve 48 may be actuated to admit motive fluid from the source 46 to the rear side of the pellet 16 in order to assist movement of the pellet from the end of the extension member 28 into the interior of the tube 12. Simultaneously therewith or immediately thereafter the ram is moved forward such that its leading end together with the O-ring 62 is extended into the interior of the tube 12. In this position the O-ring will seal the end of the tube against reverse flow of motive fluid. In order to prevent damage of the tapered surface, stop nuts 42 should be positioned on the threaded portion 40 of the ram 24 to prevent engagement of the surface 34 by the shoulder portion 54 when the ram is placed in its fully extended position. Depression of the trigger 49 is continued to supply motive fluid to the tube interior behind the pellet for propelling it through the tube where it wipes the interior. Fluid flow is continued until such time as the pellet 16 emerges from the other end of the tube 12.
By passing the pellet through the tube in this fashion the internal surface thereof is cleaned of any sediment or liquid residue that may be disposed therein as a result of the various steps of the fabricating process. In tubes that are especially dirty, additional pellets can be propelled through their interior by merely retracting the ram 24 to its rearwardmost position to permit another pellet to drop into the bore 20 whereupon the procedure is repeated.
It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
What is claimed is:
1. A device for propelling compressible cleaning pellets through a tube comprising:
(a) elongated body means having a leading end adapted for registry with the end of a tube to be cleaned,
(b) means forming a longitudinal bore through said body means and opening to the interior of said tube when said body means is in registry with the end thereof, said bore including tapered surface means adjacent the leading end of said body sized to compress a pellet passed through said bore to a diameter less than that of said tube to facilitate entry of said pellet into said tube,
(c) a transverse pellet-receiving opening in said body means communicating with said bore,
(d) a ram reciprocable in said bore from a position placing its leading end rearwardly of said pellet-receiving opening to a position beyond the leading end of said body means, the leading end of said ram being operative to engage the rear end of a pellet received in said bore for passing it through said bore and being sized to be insertable into said tube interior for inserting said pellet therein,
(e) annular seal means externally mounted on the leading end of said ram and being sized to seal the end of said tube when said ram is in its fully extended position,
(f) a longitudinal opening through said ram, and
(g) means for passing pellet-propelling motive fluid through said longitudinal opening.
2. A device as recited in claim 1 including:
(a) a bushing closing the rear end of said bore,
(b) a central opening through said bushing to guidingly receive said ram,
(0) an enlarged shoulder portion on said ram adapted to cooperate with said bushing to limit the rearward movement of said ram, said shoulder portion having a peripheral surface to slidingly engage the surface of said bore,
((1) means on said ram forming adjustable stops longitudinally spaced from said shoulder portion, said stops being adapted to engage said bushing to limit the advance movement of said ram.
3. A device as recited in claim 2 including seal means for engaging the peripheral surface of said shoulder portion when said ram is positioned to locate said pellet in registry wtih said tapered surface means.
4. A device as recited in claim 3 wherein said motive fluid passing means includes:
(a) a source of motive fluid,
(b) a line connecting said source and the rear end of said ram in communication with said longitudinal opening,
(c) normally closed valve means in said line, and
(d) trigger means associated with said valve means for selectively opening the same for passing motive fluid through said longitudinal opening to propel said pellet through the tapered surface in said bore.
5. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said motive fluid passing means includes:
(a) a source of motive fluid,
(b) a flexible line connecting said source and the rear end of said ram in communication with said longitudinal opening,
(c) normally closed valve means in said line, and
(d) trigger means associated with said valve means for selectively opening the same for passing motive fluid through said longitudinal opening to propel said pellet through said tube.
6. A device as recited in claim 1 including means forming a magazine for containing a plurality of cleaning pellets, said magazine having an open lower end communicating with said pellet receiving opening for passing individual pellets to said bore.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1,715,442 6/1929 Weis 15-3.5 1,808,870 6/1931 Strasburg 153.5 1,814,766 7/1931 Oberhuber 15-35 3,011,196 12/1961 Glover 15104.06 3,147,808 9/1964 McCarvell et al. 15--104.06
EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner
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Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3631555A (en) * 1970-03-09 1972-01-04 Combustion Eng Tube-cleaning pellet gun
US4252255A (en) * 1979-03-13 1981-02-24 David Henderson Mechanism for purging a plural component mixing and dispensing gun
EP0104520A2 (en) * 1982-09-28 1984-04-04 Nukem GmbH Method and device for cleaning and checking the inner surfaces of tubes
WO1985000997A1 (en) * 1983-08-19 1985-03-14 Lacress Nominees Pty. Ltd. Method and apparatus for cleaning pipes, tubes, etc.
WO1987005992A1 (en) * 1986-04-05 1987-10-08 Taprogge Gmbh Device for selective insertion of cleaning elements into heat exchanger tubes
US4716611A (en) * 1983-03-11 1988-01-05 Lacress Nominees Pty., Ltd. Apparatus for cleaning pipes, tubes, and the like by launching pigs
US4898197A (en) * 1983-03-11 1990-02-06 Lacress Nominees Pty. Ltd. Cleaning of tubes using projectiles
US4917176A (en) * 1987-11-20 1990-04-17 Hitachi, Ltd. Device for cleaning inner surfaces of heat exchanger tubes
WO1990009556A1 (en) * 1989-02-08 1990-08-23 Barry Bros. Specialised Services Pty. Ltd. Apparatus for cleaning the inner surfaces of tubes in operating multi-tube heat transfer devices
US5208937A (en) * 1990-12-27 1993-05-11 Cooper Clarence G Apparatus for launching pigs into pipelines
US5213623A (en) * 1991-04-05 1993-05-25 Burtner Gerald G Process for cleaning nitric acid absorption column coils
EP0828132A3 (en) * 1996-09-10 1999-07-07 Kyokuto Rubber Co., Ltd. Heat exchanger washing apparatus and heat exchanger washing method
WO2004073897A2 (en) * 2003-02-20 2004-09-02 The Boeing Company Device and method to load pellets in a pellet launcher, pellets launcher and device and method to catch and retrieve used pellets
US20050066455A1 (en) * 2003-09-25 2005-03-31 Kafka Carl Ron Rolling pig pipeline cleaning apparatus
US8246751B2 (en) 2010-10-01 2012-08-21 General Electric Company Pulsed detonation cleaning systems and methods
US11236958B2 (en) 2018-02-28 2022-02-01 Projectile Tube Cleaning, Inc. Tube cleaning gun with self-sealing nozzle

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US1715442A (en) * 1925-11-21 1929-06-04 Henry T Weis Air gun for tube cleaning
US1808870A (en) * 1930-04-19 1931-06-09 Samuel S Strasburg Flue cleaner
US1814766A (en) * 1929-02-06 1931-07-14 Franklin Dev Company Gun for driving slugs
US3011196A (en) * 1955-05-31 1961-12-05 Donald F Glover Apparatus for injecting clean-out members into flow lines
US3147808A (en) * 1961-02-17 1964-09-08 John H Mccarvell Apparatus and arrangement for intermittently producing a well and simultaneously scraping the well pipe

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US1715442A (en) * 1925-11-21 1929-06-04 Henry T Weis Air gun for tube cleaning
US1814766A (en) * 1929-02-06 1931-07-14 Franklin Dev Company Gun for driving slugs
US1808870A (en) * 1930-04-19 1931-06-09 Samuel S Strasburg Flue cleaner
US3011196A (en) * 1955-05-31 1961-12-05 Donald F Glover Apparatus for injecting clean-out members into flow lines
US3147808A (en) * 1961-02-17 1964-09-08 John H Mccarvell Apparatus and arrangement for intermittently producing a well and simultaneously scraping the well pipe

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3631555A (en) * 1970-03-09 1972-01-04 Combustion Eng Tube-cleaning pellet gun
US4252255A (en) * 1979-03-13 1981-02-24 David Henderson Mechanism for purging a plural component mixing and dispensing gun
EP0104520A2 (en) * 1982-09-28 1984-04-04 Nukem GmbH Method and device for cleaning and checking the inner surfaces of tubes
EP0104520A3 (en) * 1982-09-28 1988-01-13 Nukem GmbH Method and device for cleaning and checking the inner surfaces of tubes
US4716611A (en) * 1983-03-11 1988-01-05 Lacress Nominees Pty., Ltd. Apparatus for cleaning pipes, tubes, and the like by launching pigs
US4898197A (en) * 1983-03-11 1990-02-06 Lacress Nominees Pty. Ltd. Cleaning of tubes using projectiles
WO1985000997A1 (en) * 1983-08-19 1985-03-14 Lacress Nominees Pty. Ltd. Method and apparatus for cleaning pipes, tubes, etc.
US4724007A (en) * 1983-08-19 1988-02-09 Lacress Nominees Pty. Ltd. Method of cleaning pipes and tubes by pigging using water hammer shock waves
WO1987005992A1 (en) * 1986-04-05 1987-10-08 Taprogge Gmbh Device for selective insertion of cleaning elements into heat exchanger tubes
US4917176A (en) * 1987-11-20 1990-04-17 Hitachi, Ltd. Device for cleaning inner surfaces of heat exchanger tubes
WO1990009556A1 (en) * 1989-02-08 1990-08-23 Barry Bros. Specialised Services Pty. Ltd. Apparatus for cleaning the inner surfaces of tubes in operating multi-tube heat transfer devices
US5103524A (en) * 1989-02-08 1992-04-14 Barry Bros. Specialised Services Pty. Ltd. Apparatus for cleaning the inner surfaces of tubes in operating multi-tube heat transfer devices
US5208937A (en) * 1990-12-27 1993-05-11 Cooper Clarence G Apparatus for launching pigs into pipelines
US5213623A (en) * 1991-04-05 1993-05-25 Burtner Gerald G Process for cleaning nitric acid absorption column coils
US5300153A (en) * 1991-04-05 1994-04-05 Burtner Gerald G Process for cleaning a nitric acid absorption column
EP0828132A3 (en) * 1996-09-10 1999-07-07 Kyokuto Rubber Co., Ltd. Heat exchanger washing apparatus and heat exchanger washing method
WO2004073897A2 (en) * 2003-02-20 2004-09-02 The Boeing Company Device and method to load pellets in a pellet launcher, pellets launcher and device and method to catch and retrieve used pellets
WO2004073897A3 (en) * 2003-02-20 2005-03-10 Boeing Co Device and method to load pellets in a pellet launcher, pellets launcher and device and method to catch and retrieve used pellets
US20050066455A1 (en) * 2003-09-25 2005-03-31 Kafka Carl Ron Rolling pig pipeline cleaning apparatus
US8246751B2 (en) 2010-10-01 2012-08-21 General Electric Company Pulsed detonation cleaning systems and methods
US11236958B2 (en) 2018-02-28 2022-02-01 Projectile Tube Cleaning, Inc. Tube cleaning gun with self-sealing nozzle

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