US638225A - Boiler-tube-cleaning apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 638,225. Patented Dec. 5, I399. w. m; FABER, m. BOILER TUBE CLEANINGAPPABATUS.

(Application filed Mar. 31, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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PATENT W tries.

BOILER-TUBE-CLEANI NG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,225, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed March 31, 1898. Serial No. 675,874. (No model-l To all whom/ it nutty concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. FABER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Boiler-Tube- Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a cross-section taken through the u pper drum of a water-tube boiler, showing my apparatus in position for operation with the cleaning-tool inserted part way into one of the tubes. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the apparatus in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view indicated by the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. lis a sectional detail View of the housing and driving-Wheel. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one section of the flexible shafting.

My invention relates to mechanism for manipulating and driving boiler-tube-cleaners, and is designed more especially for that type of boilers in which the tubes spring from main drums at varying angles, requiring frequent change in the position of the driving mechanism. 1

In the present case I have shown my apparatus adapted to impart rotary motion to a tool A, which may be of any preferred design adapted to remove the scale from the interior of the tube while being rotated at a high speed as it is advanced through the tube. Owing to the frequent bends in the tubes it is desirable that the tool shall be connected with the driving mechanism by flexible shat-ting, and I have therefore used a series of shortsections of pipe 2 and 3, connected at 4: by a universal joint. These sections are provided at their ends with male and female coupling members 5 6, respectively, the male member being provided with a spring-controlled button 7, adapted to enter a corresponding recess 8 in the female member, thus securing the parts together. Each of the pipe-sections 2 is provided with an encircling shield or fender 9, by which the various sections are maintained in an approximately central position in the tube, these fenders being held against longitudinal movement by cotter-pins 10.

Referring to the driving mechanism,ll II are the lateral legs of a tripod, sharpened at their ends, each leg being formed in two parts and connected by a turnbuckle 12, engaging right and left hand threads. At their bases these members are connected by the crossbrace l3, and at the upper portion they are hinged to the cross-head 14, bearing against the upper shell of the drum. In practice two of such tripods are employed, firmly braced at each end of the drum, and passing through the heads 14, extending from end to end of the drum, is the rod 15, preferably composed of a heavy pipe-section held in position by set-screws 16. Suspended from such cross-shaft are the bars 17, pivotally connected at 13 to a housing 19, having a lower cap 20, within which housing is rotatively mounted the grooved sheave wheel or pulley 21, having an upward extension 22 journaled within the housing. This hub extension is bored out to receive the shaft 23', having a longitudinal keyway 24 in engagement with a key 25, mountedin the hub extension and retained in position by a plate 26, secured to the hub. It will be seen that when the grooved sheave-wheel 21 is rotated the motion will be transmitted to the shaft 23 and from it through the flexible shafting to the cutting-tool A. Such rotation is imparted to the pulley by an endless cable 27,driven from any source of pow er,such as the wheel 28.

Inthe operation of the machine the housing is set so as to aline with the centers of a longitudinal row of tubes, such position beiug controlled and regulated by the adjusting-links 29, pivoted to the housing at 30 and capable of adjustment by bolts 31, passing through the slots 32 and the main arm 17.

Itwill be seen that in the progress of the machine to successive positions throughout the length ofthe drum provision must be made for the extension of the cable, and this I have done in thefollowing manner: 33 isa bracket adapted to be clamped to the flange of the manhole of the boiler-head by setscrews 34, its outer end being supported by a yoke 35, attached from any convenient point. Within this bracket 33 are mounted the sheave- wheels 36 and 37 side by side and similar wheel 38 in line with wheel 36. The

cable is passed from the driving-wheel 28, over wheel 37, around the pulley 21, back to wheel 38, when it is looped downwardly around wheel 39, and up and over wheel 36 to the driving-wheel. The wheel 39 is mounted within a pulley-block 40, to the lower end of which is suspended a weight 41 sufficiently heavy to exert a constant tension on the cable. The pulley-block and weight will rise and fall according to the varying position of the pulley 21.

The shaft 23 is of sufficient length to permit of a downward travel approximately equal to or slightly greater than the length of one of the sections of the flexible shafting, so that it may be raised from the lowest position to the highest and a new section inserted. The raising operation is facilitated by means of a swivel 42, secured to the top of the shaft, through which a rope may-be passed and led up over the pipe 15. Downward travel may be assisted by pressure on the top of the shaft.

By myimproved construction it will be seen that provision is made whereby the housing and its contained shafting may be located at any desired position in the drum either by means of the arms 17 and links 29 or by position may be quickly andeasilymade, while the space occupied leaves plenty of room for the workman.

'WVh-ile I have shown my apparatusas used in the drum of awater-tubeboiler, it is'-obvious that it may be as readily adapted to other constructions, and such and other changes thatwill suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic I 'desire to include within the scope of my invention.

Having described my inventionywhat' I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. Mechanism for operating a tube-cleaning tool consisting of a shaft having a flexible connection for a tool, a cable-driven pulley connected with the shaft, a housing for the pulleyand a bar and arms connected therewvith for supporting the housing in varying positions,- substantiallyas set forth.

- 2. Mechanism for operating a tube-clean- ,ing tool consisting of a shaft having a'fiexible pulley, supporting-arms depending from a longitudinal bar'and adjusting-links secured to the housing and to the arms, substantially as set forth.

'lnmechanism for operatinga tubec1eaning tool: a longitudinal bar mounted in supportmg-heads having upper bearing-faces,ex-

t ensiblediverging legs attached to lateral lugs in theheads, adapted to bear against the boiler-drum and to clamp the heads in position,and supporting-arms slidingly mounted on the bar and attached to a housing support in g the driving mechanism adapted to operate the tool, substantially as set forth.

4. In mechanism for operatinga tube-cleaning tool: a longitudinal bar mounted in supporting-heads, extensible diverging legs attached to the heads adapted to bear against the boiler-drum and to clamp the heads in position, supporting-arms slidingly mounted on the bar and attached to a housing supporting a cable-driven pulley connected with the tool-driving shaft, with supplemental links adjustably connected to the arms and housing, substantiallyas set-forth.

5. In tube-cleaning apparatus, a two-part housing adapted to be-adjustably mounted inside aboiler-drum: a grooved pulley mounted in thehousing and adapted to be rotated therein by-a driving-cable, a tool-shaft passingthrough the pulley and havingakey connection' therewith, sustaining-arms attached to the housing and slidingly mounted on a longitudinal bar, and supporting-framework for thebar, substantially-as set forth.

6. A tube-cleaning apparatus: having the flexible shafting adapted to enter the tubes and consistingof sections of pipe having an intervening universal joint, an alining fender embracing one of the sections,and means for securing the sections of shaftin g together, substantiallyas set forth.

' 7. --A tube-cleaningapparatus having the flexible sha-fting adapted toenter the tubes and consisting of sectionsof-pipe having an intervening universal joint,- an-aliningfender embracing one of the sections, and a projecting stud provided withaspring-controlled buttonat one end anda receiving-socket at the opposite end of such sections; substam tially-as set forth.

"8. Incom'bination with=a grooved'spulley mounted in a housing, said pulley being op eratively connected wi'tha flue-cleaning: device adapted to be located insideiasiboiler drum and driven bya cable::.-a:bracket secured to the drum adjacent to the manhole and sheave-Wheels mounted therein adapted to support the cable, s'ubstantia'llyas set forth.

9. In combination with agrooved pulley mounted in a housing, said pulley being op eratively'connectedwv-ith aflue-cleaning *de- "viceadapted to be located inside a boiler ed therein and a third sheave-wheel inalinement with one'of the wheels with a-dependin g pulley-block and weight having a sheavewvheel' engaging the cableto take up the slack,

substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto-set my hand.

WILLIAM M. FABER, JR.

' Witnesses PETER J. EDWARDS, O. M. CLARKE.

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