US1032193A - Tube-cleaning tool. - Google Patents

Description

W. S; ELLIOTT.

TUBE CLEANING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED mums, 1910.

Patented July 9, 1912.

INVENTOR bum M WITNESSES FFTQE.

WILLIAM S. ELLIOTT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TUBE-CLEANING TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July Q, 19-12.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. ELLIOTT, of Pittsburgh, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Tube- Cleaning Tool, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view partly broken away of a tube-cleaning tool embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of' the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the head and cap members shown in separated position; Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively plan' and end views showing a modification of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a detail view.

Inmy application Serial No. 544,165 of even date herewith, I have shown and described, and broadly claimed, a tube-cleaning tool having a plurality of freely swinging tool-carrying arms, the pivots for said.

arms being arranged obliquely to the longitudinal axis-of the tool, and said arms being arranged to swing freely outward under the centrifugal force of rotation to deliver a rapid succession of hammer-like blows upon the scale or other material to be removed from the pipes or tubes. of the freely swingingarms is provided with a cutter wheel having longitudinally extending teeth or corrugations, this form of wheel having been found to be very effective in service when used with a freely swinging arm. In practice I have found the oblique arrangement of the pivots for the arms to be of great importance, for the reason that by this arrangement, which causes the arms to move in oblique lines, the teeth of the cutting wheels, instead of being presented to the scale on the interior of the tubes in lines parallel to the axis of the tubes, are caused to attack the scale at :1 angle, thereby preventing any tendency of the cutters to track, and making their action much more effective. In the specific form of tool shown and described in said application, the freely swinging arms are mounted to swing in planes which are in general transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool, although somewhat oblique to such axis.

In the form of tool herein shown and de- Each pivot pins for the freely swinging arms and to obviate the use of rivets, olts, or other fastenings of a kind difiioult to remove or which might work out ,of place in use.

In the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the head of the tool, which is provided with a screw-threaded shank 3, or

other suitable means for'its attachment to.

the shaft of an actuating motor. The head is formed with a plurality (in this case, four) equally distant, oblique, slots 4, to receive the inner ends of the freely swinging cutter carrying arms 5. The slots 4, as will be clearly seen from the drawings, are oblique to the longitudinal axis of the head, so as to cause the freely swinging arms to vibrate in planes which are also oblique to the axis of the head and of the pipe or tube being cleaned. Each arm is secured in place.

by, and vibrates on, a pivot pin 6, which is inserted through an opening in the inner end of the arm, and is seated in perforations 7 inv the side walls of the slots 4, these side walls being formed by lugs. projecting from the central portion ofthe head. The pins are secured in place and held against displacement by means of a cap member 8, which is, arranged to he slipped loosely over the threaded shank 3, and has four triangular lugs orprojections 9 which are shaped to fit in the angles between the outer walls of the slot-forming lugs of the head. The cap is secured in place by means of 'a nut 10 onthe threaded shank 3, or by any other suitable means which will permit the cap to be readily removed when necessary.

Each of the freely swinging arms is pro: vided at its forward end with a longitudinally tapered toothedcutter wheel 11, which is preferably mounted so as to rotate freely.

These cutters are j ournaled on pins or shafts 12 extending longitudinally through the arms, with heads 12 at their forward ends. They are held in place by the pivot pins 6, which engage recesses 12 therein.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the slots 4 are so arranged as to bring the freely swinging arms into two converging pairs, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

In the form shown in Figs. Land 5, the cor responding slots 44 are so arranged as to cause each arm to diverge from the adjacent arms, so that their forward ends, together with the cutter wheels 11 will be gquzcillly spaced around the periphery of the In operation, the head with the freely swinging arms is rapidly rotated within enabling them to exert a cross-cutting action, which efl'ectively prevents tracking and insures the removal of all adhering scale.

As shown in the drawings, I prefer to make the arms of different lengths. In the particular forms shown, two of the arms are shorter than the other two. They may, however, all be made the same length, or each arm may be of a different length so as to cause the respective cutters to work in difl'erent circular paths. I do not limit myself to, the use of any particular number of arms; and if desired, each arm may be provided with a plurality of cutters instead of a single cutter. Byv means. of the cap member 8, the pivots for the arms are enabled to be loosely slipped into place, and then held against displacement, thereby obviating the use of rivets or bolts, and enabling any pivot to be quickly reached in case of breakage or injury to one or more of the arms. I do not, however, limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of the pivot retaining or cap member which I have herein shown and described, since obviQusly this will vary with the number and exact arrangement of the arms.

What I claim is l. A tube cleaner comprising a rotatable head having a pluralltyof recesses therein,

keeper for all of the pivot pins, said keeper having portions which engage the ends of said pins; substantially as described;

3. A tube cleaner comprising a rotatable head having a plurality of slots therein open at both ends, a plurality of cutter carrying arms pivoted in said recesses and having pivot pins seated in hearings in the walls of said recesses, said head having angular recesses intermediate of said slots, and a keeper member having a plurality of projections arranged to fit said recesses and engage the ends of the pins; substantially as described.

4. A tube cleaner comprising a rotatabl cu tercarrying arms pivoted; in said slots and having their pivot pins provided with bearings in the walls of the slots, the head having angular recesses intermediate the slots, a keeper arranged to fit over the threaded shank and having a plurality of projections fitting the said recesses and engaging the ends of the pins, together with means for normally securing the keeper against longitudinal movement; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof,.I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM S. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMING, GEo. H. PARMELEE.

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