US881353A

US881353A - Boiler-tube cleaner.

Info

Publication number: US881353A
Application number: US29888406A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrew Thompson Stewart
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-01-31
Filing date: 1906-01-31
Publication date: 1908-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 1925-03-10

Description

PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

A. T. STEWART.

BOIL

ARPLIUATION FILED JAN. a1, 1906 BR TUBE GLBANER.

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UNlE sTArEs PATENT are.

BOILER-TUBE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mare h 10,1908.

Application filed January 31, 1906. Serial No. 298,884.

To all ir/mm it may renown:

I Be it known that l, Axnnnw 'lnonrsox STEWART, a eitixen ot' the l' nited States, residing at Washington, in the District of (To-- hnnbia, have invented certain new and usel'ul improvements in Boiler-'lube Cleaners, ol' whieh the following is a specitieation.

My invention relates to devices l'or cleaning the inner sides of tubes of various kinds; and it has for one of its objects to provide a tube cleaner adapted to be readily placed in and removed from a tube andalso adapted to be expanded to a greater or less extent while in the tube with a view of increasing its olliciou c. when properly actuated.

.\uot hor object of the invention is the pro Vision of a tube eleaner embodving such a constriwtion that when it is covered with a rag or cloth and nia-i'iipulated in a tube it will thoroughly wipe and polish the-tube.

Another object is the provision of a. tube cleaner which, while possessed of llllt capabilities stated, is simple, eoinpat't and inexpensive in'eonstrln-tion and is well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which such devices are ordinarily subjected.

'lo illttilltlllll lltllt of the foregoingends, the invention consists in the construction, novel eoinbination and adaptation of parts hereinafter described and partioularl pointed out in tho elailns appended.

]n the. aeeoin mnying drawings, l'orniing partol' this specification: ligure l is a. view, partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation. of the present embodiment oi my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view illustrating as 'ghtly lnodiliod bod ol' the eleancr as properly positioned in a tube, and also illustrating by dotted lines the manner .in which the said bod) is expanded. Fig. Sis a wrspeetivo view of the. tubular end part. ol tho cl *anor body shown .in Fig. I, reinoved. his: 4 is a similar view of tho head oi -thocloaner. Fig. 5 is an enlarged, detail perspective view showing a inoditiod wa ol' sti'll'ening' tho him-springs oi" the body. Fig. (5 is an enlarged, detail dh'nnetrieal seetion illustrative of the manner in hich the end- \\isc-ino\'able rod ol the devieo is retained in the tubular casing. Fig. 7 is a perspoetive view of one of the serz'iping blades, removed. Fig. 8 is a similar view of a niodilied blade designed for use when a rag is to be placed about the body, and the device is to be employed' as a swab. Fig. 9 is a dian etrical section of the tuhular end part of the cleaner hotly; W

Referring by letter to tlresaid d rawings: A is the tubular easing which is preferably though not necessarily, provided at an intermediate point. with a lllllthgl'fl-SI) a, and B is the endwise n'iovable rod which extends through the casing A, and is retained therein by the diametrioal pin b, disposal in the slot 0 formed in said rod B. The rod B is providod with a threaded rear portion d, and. has athreaded socket c in its forward end to receive a headedserewf.

C is an interiorly threaded, adjusting handle mounted on the threaded portion (1 of. rod B and abutting against the rear end of easing A.

l.) is the tubular end part of the cleaner body which mounted on the forward portion of rod B and abuts against the forward end of easing A, and E is the head which is screw f. The tubular end. part D is exteri orly threaded at its inner end as indicated by g, to receive a correspoiulingly threaded brush F, and is provided at intermediate points 01'' its length with circumferential ribs or llanges it between which and the inain portion of the tubular end part are'l'orined forwardly and outwardly disposed grooves i for a purpose )resently set forth. '1. he head E is threaded at its outer end It to receive a. corres iondingly threaded hrush (i, and is provided at an internietliate point of its length with a eireunil'erential rib or [hinge 1 between whieh and the main portion of the. head is -l'or1ned a rearwardly and outwardly disposed groove 'I'H.

ll ill are bowed springs which in combination with the tubular end part i) and the head ll constitute the body ol tho deriee. These springs ll have their rear ends arranged in the rear groove i of part I) and their l'orward ends in the groove on of head i and hence it will be apparent that when the springs are in their normal state, as shown in Fig. 1, the part .1) and head will hold the same against casual displacement. It will also be apparent that when the head I) is drawn rearward, the springs II will be expanded alter the manner shown by dotted held on the forward end of the rod B by the l lines in Fig. 2, while, when the head is er-f strength to the springs H Iprpvide strips I which-have their rear ends arranged in the forward groove 11 of the part 1) and are cons nected at p to the springs. 1 also in some cases rivet or otherwise connect a reinforcing strip J to the inner side of each spring H, as shown in Fig. 5, this in order to render the intermediate portion of the spring straight and parallel to the wall of a tube. hen no stiffening strips I are employed, a part D Fi 2, which is formed integral with the tubu ar casing B may be employed in lieu of the art D.

I K are scraping blades arranged diagonally on the body of the device and having edged ribs 7' on their outer sides. Each of the said blades K is connected at its rear end to one spring H and at its forward end to the next spring H, with the result that it rests at an angle to the longitudinal center of the bodyyand is enabled to make a drawn out or scrape against the wall of a tube. 7 K, Fig. 8, is one of a series of blades that may be used, in lieu of the blades K. on the body of the device when it is desired to surround said body with a rag or cloth and use the device as a swab to wipe and polish a tube.

As will be apparent by reference to Fig. 1, the brushes F and G are readily removable from the head and slide, this provision being made so that the-brushes may be taken off when the body is surrounded by a rag; and, the device is used as swab.

In the practical use of the cleaner, the body is inserted in a tube or pipe to be cleaned While the springs H are in their normal state shown in Fig. 1 and by full lines in Fig. 2. The handle C is then turned up on the rod B until the springs H are expanded or pressed outward sufficient to hold the blades K under pressure against the wall of the tube, when the cleaner is turned on its axis and moved endwise. On such manipulation of the. cleaner, the blades will expeditiously scrape and. cut deposited substance from the wall of the tube, and the brushes F and (it will displace the loosened portions of such substance. At the completion of the cleaning operation, the cleaner is withdrawn from the tube while the body is expanded. or else the handle C is turned outwardly on the rod B to permit the body to contract as shown by full lines in Fig. 1.

in using the cleaner as a swab, a rag or rloth is wrapped around the blades K, or around plain blades K, Fig. 8, employed instead of the blades K. and the device is int roduced into and manipulated in the tube in the manner before described, when the tube will be thoroughly wiped and dried.

it will be gathered from the foregoing thatmy novel cleaner may be used to advantage in cleaning tubes, tubular molds and the like used in the various arts, as well as smoke llues, stove pipes and analogous devices. It will also be gathered that by virtue of the adaptal'iility of the body of the cleaner to be expanded and contracted in the manner described, the 'eiliciency of the cleaner is materially increased, and it may be placed in and removed from tubes of various sizes with great facility.

In virtue of the ends of the springs of the cleaner body being arranged in the grooves of the head and tubular end part, it willbe observed that while there is no liability of the springs being casually displaced and yet when desired one or more of the springs may be as readily removed and as readily replaced with a new spring or springs.

llaving described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A tube cleaner comprising a rod, a head arranged on the rod and having a circumferential, rearwardly and outwardly disposed groove, a tubular cnd part mounted on the rod and having circumferential forwardly and outwardly disposed grooves, bow springs extending between the head and tubular part and having their forward ends disposed in the groove of the head and their rear ends disposed in'the rear groove of the tubular end part, stiffening strips connected at their forward ends to the bow springs and having their rear ends disposed in the forward groove of the tubular end part, blades arranged diagonally and each connected at its rear end to one how spring and at its forward end to an guljoining bow spring, and means for adjusting the rod through the tubular end part.

.2. A tube cleaner comprising a rod, a head arranged on the rod and having a circumferential rearwardly and outwardly disposed groove and also having an exterior thread, an interiorl y threaded brush arranged on and engaging the thread of said head, a tubular end part mounted on the rod and having a circumferential, forwardly and outwardly disposed groove and also having an exterior thread, an intcriorly threaded brush arranged on and engaging the. thread of the tubular part, bow springs extending between the head and tubular part and having their ends disposed in the grooves thereof, blades arranged diagonally and each connected at its rear end to one how spring and at its forward end to an adjoining bow springand means for adjusting the rod through the tubular part.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW 'lllllilllSON S'lllWAll'l.

itnesses:

llnsivis J. ()"lnMin', .lnaonn ll. .llnnsnssr.