US3739415A

US3739415A - Portable cleaning tool for electrical conductors

Info

Publication number: US3739415A
Application number: US00250722A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Larson
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1972-05-05
Filing date: 1972-05-05
Publication date: 1973-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-19

Abstract

A portable cleaning tool for stripping an electrical conductor includes a pair of pivotably interconnected support members each having a drive shaft projecting therefrom and each having independent drive means for driving its drive shaft. The support members and the drive shafts are relatively oriented such that relative pivotal movement of the support members in a first direction moves the drive shafts, and cleaning elements such as wire brushes mounted thereon, toward each other and such that relative pivotal movement of the support members in a second direction moves the drive shafts, and cleaning elements mounted thereon, away from each other.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Larson June 19, W73

[54] PORTABLE CLEANING TOOL FOR 3,621,505 11/1971 Vocker m1. 15/23 ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS [75] Inventor: Raymond Lee Larson, Erie, Pa.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company, New

York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: May 5, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 250,722

[52] US. Cl. 15/23, 15/88 [51] Int. Cl A46b 13/02 [58] Field of Search 15/23, 24, 39, 88,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,887,702 5/1959 Freitag 15/23 3,447,177 6/1969 Williams et al. l5/23 3,534,422 l0/l970 Carpenter 15/88 Primary ExaminerEdward L. Roberts Attorney Harold H. Green Jr.., George R. Powers, Frank L. Neuhauser et al.

[ ABSTRACT A portable cleaning tool for stripping an electrical conductor includes a pair of pivotably interconnected sup port members each having a drive shaft projecting therefrom and each having independent drive means for driving its drive shaft. The support members and the drive shafts are relatively oriented such that relative pivotal movement of the support members in a first direction moves the drive shafts, and cleaning elements such as wire brushes mounted thereon, toward each other and such that relative pivotal movement of the support members in a second direction moves the drive shafts, and cleaning elements mounted thereon, away from each other.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a portable cleaning tool for removing chemical insulation, oxidation and the like from electrical conductors and, more particularly, to a portable cleaning tool utilizing a pair of rotatably driven cleaning elements such as wire brushes in which the relative positions of the cleaning elements may be readily adjusted throughout a relatively wide range during operation of the cleaning tool.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the manufacture and maintenance of electrical equipment such as motors and transformers, it is desirable and often essential that foreign matter or other non-conductive materials be effectively removed from electrical leads. The electrical conductors from which chemical insulation, oxidation, and foreign materials such as dirt, paint and the like must be removed vary greatly in cross-sectional area and shape, and the electrical components with which the leads are associated may also vary significantly in size and weight. For example, the electrical conductors encountered in a manufacturing environment typically have round, square and rectangular cross sections and cross-sectional dimensions ranging from as little as a few thousands of an inch to as much as /4 inch by 1 inch or even larger. The electrical components having the smaller conductors are usually relatively lightweight and easy to handle while the components having the larger conductors are heavy and awkward to handle and move.

The common practice in electrical manufacturing is to use a pair of rotating wire brushes or similar abrading elements to clean electrical conductors. Due to the weight and size of many electrical components, it is not always convenient or even possible to move the components to stationary cleaning equipment. For this reason, various portable cleaning tools have been used in the past for taking the rotating cleaning elements to the conductors. The portable cleaning tools used heretofore have been characterized by relatively complex drive systems for rotatably driving the cleaning elements while permitting a limited range of movement of the cleaning elements toward and away from each other. It has been found in practice that the drive systems of these prior art cleaning tools are often difficult to adjust and subject to excessive wear. Furthermore, many of the prior art drive systems unduly limit the range of adjustment of the brushes or other cleaning elements, the result being that a typically wide range of conductors can not be cleaned by a single portable tool or can be cleaned only with the making of adjustments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved portable cleaning tool for stripping chemical insulation, oxidation and the like from a broad range of electrical conductors.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable cleaning tool that has a simple drive system neither limiting nor complicating movement of the rotating cleaning elements toward or away from each other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable cleaning tool for electrical conductors that is capable of cleaning without adjustment a broad range of conductor sizes and shapes.

Briefly stated, in carrying out the invention in one form, a portable cleaning tool for removing chemical insulation, oxidation and the like from electrical conductors includes a pair of support members pivotally interconnected for movement in a common plane, each of the support members having a drive shaft projecting therefrom for rotatably driving a cleaning element such as a wire brush. The drive shafts :are equidistant from the pivotal axis and are oriented such that the cleaning elements are moved toward one another for cleaning contact with a conductor when the support members are relatively pivoted in a first direction and away from each other when the support members are relatively pivoted in a second direction. In accordance with the invention, a first drive means is carried by a first one of the support members and is directly coupled to the respective drive shaft for driving it and a cleaning element mounted thereon in a selected direction of rotation. In second drive means is carried by the other support members, the second drive means being directly coupled to the respective drive shaft for rotatably driving it and its cleaning element in a selected direction of rotation. The invention thus permits the cleaning elements to be driven independently of each other and in dependently of the relative pivotal positions of the support members. I

By a further aspect of the invention, the support members are relatively thin elongated members having dimensions in conjunction with their interconnecting means sufficiently small to permit an operator to grasp the tool by a single hand to pivot the support members about the pivotal axis and thereby control the cleaning action of the rotating cleaning elements. By a still further aspect of the invention, the first and second drive means are preferably air motors disposed within the re spective support members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the novel features of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims, the invention, both as to organization and content, will be better understood and appreciated, along with other objects and features thereof, from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaning tool;

FIG. 2 is a view in which the cleaning of a relatively small electrical conductor is illustrated;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 in which the cleaning tool is shown in an open position; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken along viewing line 44 of FIG. 3 of the support collars of the cleaning tool.

Referring now to the figures, a cleaning tool 10 is illustrated, the cleaning tool 10 including a pair of elongated,

cylindrical support members

12 and 14. The support member 12 has a first end 16 and a second end 18, and the support member "14 has

similar ends

20 and 22. The mid section of the support member 12 has a support collar 24 secured thereto, and the mid section of the support member 14 has a support collar 26 secured thereto. The

support collars

24 and 26 have interdigitated

tongue portions

28 and 30, respectively, which are bored out to receive a pin 32.

As illustrated by FIG. 4, the

tongue portions

28 and 30 are oriented such that the longitudinal axes 34 and from the support the support member 14 on an axis parallel to the axes of the drive shaft 46 and the pin 32. As best illustraed by FIG. 2, the

collars

24 and 26 are positioned on the

cylindrical support member

12 and 14 so that the drive shafts 42 and 46 are spaced from the axis of the pin 32 by an equal distance d.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the pin 32 and the mating bores in the

tongue

28 and 30 are dimensioned such that the

support members

12 and 14 can be pivotted about the axis 40 to move the drive shafts 42 and 46 toward and away from each other. In this respect, the pin 32 may be snugly engaged by all

tongue portions

28 and 30 with the pivoting action attained by overcoming friction, the pin 32 may be loosely received by one of the collars while snugly engaged by the other collar, or the pin 32 may be loosely engaged by both collars and held in position by cotter pins or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the pin 32 is snugly engaged by both collars, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other arrangements could be used for providing the desired relative pivotal movement of the two

support members

12 and 14.

As shown by FIGS. 1-3, the drive shaft 42 has a cylindrical wire brush 50 mounted thereon, and the drive shaft 46 has a similar wire brush 52 mounted thereon.

In accordance with the present invention, suitable drive means are carried by the

support members

12 and 14 for rotatably driving the respective drive shafts 42 and their

wire brushes

50 and 52 in selected directions of rotation. By having the drive means carried by the support member, it is possible to drive the associated wire brush independently of the relative positions of the support members and independently of the other brush. In the practice of the invention, it has been found conve' nient to drive the brushes by air motors powered by compressed air supplied by

conduits

56 and 58 leading to the

support members

12 and 14, respectively,

manual switches

80 and 82 being provided for controlling the flow of compressed air to the air motors. Furthermore, it has been found convenient to utilize commercially available air motors in which the outer casing of the air motor comprises the support member, the operative parts of the air motor being encased within the cylindrical support member.

In one embodiment of the invention in which the wire brushes 50 and 52 have a diameter of 1.250 inches and a thickness of 1.250 inches, a pair of air motors obtained from Ingersall-Rand Company were used, one air motor being a Model SLAlOlNJ and the other being a Model SLAlOlRJ. Air motor Model SLAlOlNJ is a non-reversing drive, and air motor Model SLAlOlRJ is a reversing drive. The significance of reversible and non-reversible drives will become apparent as this description proceeds.

An important feature of this invention resides in the fact that the

support members

12 and 14 and the interconnecting structure including the

tongue portions

28 and 30 are sufficiently thin to permit an operator to grasp the cleaning tool with a single hand to pivot the

support members

12 and 14 about the pivotal axis 40. When grasped by an operator, the

support members

12 and 14 can be pivoted.to an open position as illustrated by FIG. 3. In this position, the space D between the brushes and 52 is sufficiently large to permit the insertion therebetween of the largest conductor 60 which can reasonably be expected to be encountered in practice. This maximum spacing D can, of course, be adjusted by moving the

collars

24 and 26 along the

support members

12 and 14, the spacing D being larger the nearer the collars are to the

ends

18 and 22.

Once a conductor such as the conductor 60 is inserted between the

wire brushes

50 and 52, the operator depresses the

switches

80 and 82 to drive the brushes and pivots the support members 12 and 13 to move the rotating brushes into contact with the conductor to remove chemical insulation and the like therefrom. Alternatively, the

switches

80 and 82 may be locked in the on position, the operation being controlled by the operator from a foot pedal or a similar valve arrangement. When cleaning a large conductor, the

brushes

50 and 52 may not contact each other even when in cleaning contact with the conductor. In this case, it is relatively immaterial as to the relative directions in which the brushes rotate. However, when the tool is used to clean small conductors such as the conductor 62 illustrated by FIG. 2, the

brushes

50 and 52 invariably come into mutual engagement. It is ex tremely desirable in such a situation that the peripheral surfaces of the brushes have about the same velocity and travel in the same direction. It is for this reason that it is desirable that the drive means be capable of rotating the

brushes

50 and 52 in counter-rotational directions.

As illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3, a tension spring is provided between the

support members

12 and 14 for biasing the two

wire wheels

50 and 52 toward each other and into contact with a conductor located therebetween. An adjustable stop screw 72 is provided for limiting the depth of engagement of the two

wheels

50 and 52. This feature is particularly useful if the cleaning tool is ever used with the two wheels rotating in the same rotational direction. While the same direction of rotation would not normally be desired, it may be used where it is desired to avoid the imposition of longitudinal tension on the conductor by the cleaning tool.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention provides an improved, portable cleaning tool for stripping chemical insulation, oxidation and the like from electrical conductors. The cleaning tool is capable of cleaning electrical conductors of an extremely wide range of sizes and shapes without introducing drive system complexities or requiring adjustments.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form, details, and application may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while air motors have been found to be particularly effective for driving the wire brushes, air motors are not essential to the invention. Other drive means may be used so long as they are directly coupled to the cleaning elements, are carried by the support members, and operate indepen dently of each other and the relative positioning of the support members. Similarly, cleaning elements other than wire brushes may be secured to the drive shafts; for example, small grinding or polishing disks may be used. Accordingly, it is intended that all such modifications and changes be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A portable cleaning tool for stripping an electrical conductor of chemical insulation, oxidation and the like, said cleaning tool comprising:

first and second support members,

a first drive shaft projecting from said first support member and a second drive shaft projecting from said second support member,

means interconnecting said first and second support members for relative pivotal movement therebetween in a common plane about an axis equidistant from said first and second drive shafts, said first and second support members relatively oriented by said interconnecting means such that cylindrical cleaning elements such as wire brushes mounted on said drive shafts are moved toward each other for cleaning contact with a conductor when said support members are relatively pivoted in a first direction and away from each other when said support members are relatively pivoted in a second direction,

first drive means carried by said first support member and directly coupled to said first drive shaft for rotatably driving said first drive shaft and a cleaning element mounted thereon in a selected direction of rotation,

and second drive means carried by said second support member and directly coupled to said second drive shaft for rotatably driving said second drive shaft and a cleaning element, mounted thereon in a selected direction of rotation,

- whereby said first and second drive shafts, and cleaning elements mounted thereon, are driven independently of each other and independently of the rela tive positions of said first and second support members.

2. A portablecleaning tool as defined by claim 1 in which said first and second support members are relatively thin elongated members, the dimensions of said first and second support members and said interconnecting means being sufficiently small to permit an operator to grasp the tool by a single hand to pivot said first and second support members about the pivotal axis.

3. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 1 in which said first drive means comprises a first air motor disposed within said first support member and said second drive means comprises a second air motor disposed within said second support member, said first and second air motors driving the respective first and second drive shafts in counterrotating directions.

4. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 1 in which said first and second support members are relatively thin elongated members having longitudinal axes extending between first and second ends thereon, said first and second drive shafts project from first ends of the respective support members in a direction normal to the respective longitudinal axes, and said interconnecting means is secured to the respective support members intermediate the first and second ends thereof.

, 5. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 4 in which said first drive means comprises a first air motor disposed within said first support member and said second drive means comprises a second air motor disposed within said second support member, said first and second air motors driving the respective first and second drive shafts in counter-rotating directions.

6. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 5 in which the dimensions of said first and second support members and said interconnecting means are sufficiently small to permit an operator to grasp the tool by a single hand to pivot said first and second support members about the pivotal axis.

7. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 4 further comprising means interconnecting said first and second support members for biasing said first and second support members in the first pivotal direction so as to bias cleaning elements into contact with an electrical conductor placed therebetween.

8. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 7 further comprising stop means for engaging said first and second support members for limiting relative movement of said first and second support members in said first pivotal direction so as to maintain a predetermined 'minimum spacing between cleaning elements.

9. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 8 in which said first drive means comprises a first air motor disposed within said first support member and said second drive means comprises a second air motor disposed within said second support member, said first and second air motors driving the respective first and second drive shafts in counter-rotating directions.

10. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 9 in which the dimensions of said first and second support members and said interconnecting means are sufficiently small to permit an operator to grasp the tool by a single hand to pivot said first and second support members about the pivotal axis.

Claims

1. A portable cleaning tool for stripping an electrical conductor of chemical insulation, oxidation and the like, said cleaning tool comprising: first and second support members, a first drive shaft projecting from said first support member and a second drive shaft projecting from said second support member, means interconnecting said first and second support members for relative pivotal movement therebetween in a common plane about an axis equi-distant from said first and second drive shafts, said first and second support members relatively oriented by said interconnecting means such that cylindrical cleaning elements such as wire brushes mounted on said drive shafts are moved toward each other for cleaning contact with a conductor when said support members are relatively pivoted in a first direction and away from each other when said support members are relatively pIvoted in a second direction, first drive means carried by said first support member and directly coupled to said first drive shaft for rotatably driving said first drive shaft and a cleaning element mounted thereon in a selected direction of rotation, and second drive means carried by said second support member and directly coupled to said second drive shaft for rotatably driving said second drive shaft and a cleaning element, mounted thereon in a selected direction of rotation, whereby said first and second drive shafts, and cleaning elements mounted thereon, are driven independently of each other and independently of the relative positions of said first and second support members.

2. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 1 in which said first and second support members are relatively thin elongated members, the dimensions of said first and second support members and said interconnecting means being sufficiently small to permit an operator to grasp the tool by a single hand to pivot said first and second support members about the pivotal axis.

5. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 4 in which said first drive means comprises a first air motor disposed within said first support member and said second drive means comprises a second air motor disposed within said second support member, said first and second air motors driving the respective first and second drive shafts in counter-rotating directions.

8. A portable cleaning tool as defined by claim 7 further comprising stop means for engaging said first and second support members for limiting relative movement of said first and second support members in said first pivotal direction so as to maintain a predetermined minimum spacing between cleaning elements.