US501744A - Device for thawing out frozen pipes - Google Patents

Description

(Nb Model.) D. HA. STREEPER. A Y DEVICE -I'OEA THAWING OUT FROZEN PIPES 6m.' Patented July 18, 1893.

W/ TNE SSE S.'

ATTGHNE YS.

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL H. STREEPER, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR THAwlNe ouT FROZEN PIPEs', sac.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 501,744., dated July 18, 1893.

Application tiled March 11, 1893. Serial No. 465,559. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. STREEPEE, of Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Device for Th'awing Out Frozen Pipes, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. t

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved device for conveniently and rapidly thawing out frozen pipes, drains and the like.

The invention consists of a boiler connected with a pump for supplying the Water to be heated in the said Vessel, and an outlet pipe for the said vessel and through which hot water or steam from the said boiler is forced by the action of the said pump.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details, and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter described and then poin ted out in the claims. E

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the vWater -heating vessel. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the drum carrying the coil of pipe, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the outer end of the lead pipe with pilot attached for insertion into the frozen pipe. Fig. 5 is a like view of a pilot and rod for forwarding hose in frozen pipe. Fig. 6 is a similar View of a exible pilot to pass around curves in frozen pipes. Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section of a lead pipe strengthened by a rod.

The improved device for thawing frozen pipes as illustrated in Figs. l to 7, inclusive, is arranged in a suitably-constructed box A containing a plumbers heating'furnace B of any approved construction, and in which is held a'boiler or vessel C containing the Water to be heated by the heat from the furnace B. Into the boiler C leads a water supply pipe D, reaching with its lower end close to the bottom of the said boiler, as plainly illustrated in Fig. 2. The outer end of the pipe D is connected by a hose D Withahand pump E of any approved construction` and having its suction pipe E reaching into a vessel F containing a supply of Water. for actuating the pump is pivoted on the cover of the box A and extends with its free end outside of the box to be within convenient reach of the operator, to actuate the pump E so as to draw the Water from the vesselFinto the pump, and to force it out of the latter through thev hoseD into the supply pipe D, which finally discharges into the boiler C near the bottom thereof.

From the upper closed end of the boiler C leads an outlet pipe H supported on suitable legs H attached to or resting on the bottom of the box A, the said legs also conveniently supporting the boiler C within the pot of the The handle G l furnace B. The outer end of the outlet pipe H is connected by a hose H2 with one end of a pipe I which extends centrally through the hollowaxle or hub J of a drum J, the said pipe l being held on suitable legs l arranged on opposite sides of the drum J and secured to or resting on the bottom of the boxA so as to hold the reel J in the proper position for turning it, the pipel being the axle. The drum J is made hollow and is filled with Water passed through a filling tube J2 into the I drum from one side thereof, the outer end of the filling tube being closed by a suitable cap J3. An air vent J5 is also arranged in the drum J to permit the escape of air while lilling the drum with water through tube J2. In

case the Water in the drum gets cold it can readily be reheated by forcing steam through tube J 2 into the cold water. The ends of the hub J are closed by suitable stufling boxes J4 to render the joint between the pipe I and..

the hub J Water-tight. That part of the pipe I extending between the stuffing boxes Within Athe hub J is perforated to permit vthe water to pass into the said hollow hub and from the latter into a pipe K leadingfrom one end of Y the hub J alongside one face of the drum J to the rim thereof on which the pipe K is formed into a coil K adapted to be unwouud from the drum to be passed through an opening A in oneV end of the box A. The outer end K2 of this pipe carries a pilot L-for conveniently guiding the end of the pipe K into and through the frozen pipe to be thawed out.

I prefer to use a lead pipe K2butl may employ a hose instead of the lead pipe,\t'he end of ,the hose being attached by wire or other suitable means to the pilot as will be readily understoodby reference to Fig.v 5. In this case I attach to the pilot L a rod L2 for forcing the pilot forward in the frozen pipe, the pilot then leading a iiexible hose.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, I may mount the pilot L3 iiexlbly on the end of the pipe. For

this purpose, I solder or otherwise fasten to the end of theI pipe K2, a; spring K5 fastened'- with its forward end to the pilot L2, the connection between the pipe K3 and pilot L3 being by means of a short piece of rubber t'uvb'-V ing K6. l v

A- rod L4 is screwed into or otherwise removably attached to the pilot for inoyingth'e pilot forward in the pipe. This arrangement is speciallynof great service in oase the pipe is to pass around curves. The pilot L3 withl the rod L4 is first inserted into the straight as far as it will go and then the' rod L4 is unscrewed and the pipe K2 is pushed so'that the flexible hose K6 readily passes around the curye 'with thefpilotpin front.

pipe K1 preferl to solder1 a ywire K2 to the outer surface thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 7. This nis necessary if extreme-ly long lengths of pipe: are required, as the small pipe could not readily be forwarded onac'count of kinks or vlinalni's forming in it. l o

'I lre operation is as follows: p The coil K is partly unreeled` `from-the" drum J, so that the pilot Loan be run into they frozen pipe, and then the operator startsl the furnaceB and aotuates the pumpv E,so that water from the supply vesselh` is forced into the boiler C in which' the water is heated and steam gener-3l atedand forced out through the'pipe'H on' the further action-,of the pump E'. The wate'r 1 in a heated condition or the steam generated tates, a pipeK leading fro'n said central vtube passes from the pipe II through the hose H2 to the pipe I and discharges through the perforations `therein into the; hollow huloV J', which thu'sbecomes heated and heats the water contained in the drum J, so that the coil of pipe;` K is heat-ed.l At thesam'e time hot water yor steam entering the hub J can pass from the latter through the pipe K in'to thecoil of pipe K and through th eend thereof o intoA the pilot L and into the frozen pipe into the' liot vwater or steam is' thus d ischarged, the' hot water or steam melting the ice and thus thawing the pipe. As the thawing proceedsin the frozen pipe the coil K 1 canbefurther unreeled from the'druin J and further pushed into" the frozen pipe until the' latter is completely thawed out, it being uning the pump E. In case the pipe worked on is lling with water the latter can be readily pumped out by connecting the pipe H2 with the suction pipe E and then working the pump E. By the removal of the water from thel pipe to be thawed the hot water or steam injected on the ice will be more effective thereon. When the pipe has been thawed out, the operationceases. The operator reels ,up the coil on the drum J and extinguishes I claim as new anddesire to' secure by Letters the fire in the furnace B.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Pat-ent;-

1. In au' apparatus of tirec'haracter, de-

scribed7 ajfurnace, a spherical boiler within `said furnace,- a pump having its discharge l pipe Vextending down through the said boiler f and discharging near the bottom thereof and ,an outlet pipe leading from the top of the j boiler and through vvhicl'lv thewater' is forced E by said pump and a supply pipe for the pump,

Subst-antially as set forth. part' of the frozen pipe and pushed forward i its operating lever extending to the exterior,

f' a'lpl'umbers furnace and' boile'rin the casing, i V, l v p A the discharge pipe leading from th'e pump' to .In order to strengthen the end of the l'ea'd 1 the boiler, a supply pipe and lreserx'foir for f the pur'npan outlet pipe'leadin'g from the upper end of the b'oiler and a reel inthev casing having a tubular axis with which the said outlet pipe is connected, and a iiexible pipe 'i woujnd on the reel and connected with itsaxis `to conduct the" water therefrom; the'casing having an aperture th'rou'gh which the iiexiprovided with stuffing boxes at its endsa perforated pipe extending through said tub'e and stuffing boxesand ,upon which the drum ro'- and piping K wound on the reel and connected witho'uter'end of pipe K, substantially as set forth. Y

4. The combination with the hot wa'terpipe K2 to enter thel pipe to be treated and having a suitable pilot on its forward end', of anexib'l'e stiffening wire K4 secured longitudinally along th'eexterior of the pipe, substantially asset forth. o

5. The combination with tliehot waterp'ipe K2 having a 'section of heise K'iat its :forward eni p provided with' a pilot Lana mi internal spring 'connecting the pilot and tube, substantially as' set forth. y

u 6. The combination with the" flexible hot water pipe K2 provid-eu with 'a `ion-g"immun-ily extending flexible stiffening wire K5 and a IOO IIO

pilot L3, of the iiexible pu'sh rodfdetachabiy a exible-push rodfremovablyconnected with connected at its forward endwith thepilot, the said pilot, substantially as shownand dexo substntiaily as set fcrth. scribed. l

7. device of the c ass described, provided 5 with a, flexible pipe adapted to to be passed DANIEL H' STREEPER into the frozen pipe,' a, pilot arranged on `the AWitnesses: outer end of the said iiexible pipe to pass J. WATSON PRINTZ, over obstruct-ions in the said frozen pipe, and WM. H. AHN.

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