US1185686A - Sewer-cleaning apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

1. F. KUHLMAN SEWIZR CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAIL I2, I915- Patentd June 6, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I 1. F. KUHLMAN. SEWER CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2, I915.

1,185,686. Pfitented June 6,1916."

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- during the scraping operation, and as a.

v vide an improved scraper which can be STATES PATENT-1 JOHN F. xunnmniv, or worn, failure1H1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. KUHLMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewer- Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to the type in which a scraper is dragged to and fro between two successive manholes and withdrawn as often as 3 the scraper bucket has been filled.

The principal objects of my present invention are to provide means whereby the end of the scraper proper acts as a scraper bucket" closing member during the reverse movement of the scraper; to provide means whereby the material removed from .the sewer may be discharged from the scraper with a. maximum of ease; to provide a scraper which will operate when lying on its top as well as on its bottom side; to proput into operation without previous adjustment, together .with certain further objects which will hereinafter appear.

In attaining-the desired objects and certain additional advantages to be below pointed out, I have provided a construction,

a preferred embodiment of which employing the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure l is a vertical section through a manhole and portion of a sewer showing the apparatus in operative position, the discharging position of the bucket being shown in dotted lines; Fig, 2 is a medial longitudinal vertical section ofthe bucket when in the scraping position; Fig.3 is a top plan view of the bucket in the position shown in Fig. 2; andFig. 4 is a section through the bucket on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 represents the manhole over which is arranged a-truck 2 which carries the hoisting drum 3,- whereby the scraper is hauled along the sewer to the bottom of the manhole and subsequently raised through the latter. This hoisting drum 3 .is rotated by a crank 4. The ropeorcable leadingffrom the haulsnwmcwmme Arrmrus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

invention relates to sewer ing'drum passesover the pulley or sheave 6, and from thence into the manhole.

One of the features of my co-pending appllcatlon is the manner in which the cable 5 is prevented from becoming frayed by rubbmg against the end ofthe sewer where the latter makes junction with the manhole 7 keeps thearm 9 in its lowermost position.

When, however, the scraper comes into contact with the sheave 7, or with the'arm 9 carrying it, the latter is swung into themiddle of the manhole thereby carrying the brought into the positionshown in the dot- Patented J rule 6, 1916.; Application filed March 12,1915. Serial No. 14,040. o

" scraper proper clear of, themanhole walls.

Eventually, as the arm is raised,1 it, is

ted lines in Fig. 1, when a latch 11 engages a projection 12 on the arm 9, anddholds the arm in its elevated position.

The cable 5 is free to as soon asthe tensionon the cable tends to draw the cable away from the sheave. Ac-

cordingly, as soon as the arm 9 is brought to its elevated position shown inFig. 1, they scraper 8 is free to rise unobstructed for the purpose of discharging :its accumulated contents- The, scraper is drawn. upward by the cable 5 untilit contacts withthe" pulley 6 leave the sheave when thefchain 41 is swung across andthe" hook attached thereto brought into engagement with the part-40. Thereupon the cable 5 is released allowing the scraper to swing across to thepositi'on shown in dotted lines. The weight of the scraperthen causes the ends of the jscraperf to open, "as will be described later. After'the scraper has been discharged and is returned :to the-manhole again for a further scraping operation, is necessary," pictur 's; toflbrin the; sheave 7 once more into engagement w th the cable -1 rs p irp'l' e. ths atmpfiiit Pr v de t t o ter and.Wi h"' w l ir i{ gP1701 ftinfslthtlrope 14:, these fbrked projections 13 will engage the cable 5 and guide the same into the groove of the sheave -7, whereupon the apparatus will resume a position for further scraping.

While the sheave 7 provides for the passage of the cable 5 around the corner of the sewer during the scraping and hauling operations, it is also desirable to provide antifriction rollers 15 suitably arranged on the frame which carries the pivoted pulley jack 9 for the cable 5 to pass over after the arm 9 has been raised to its elevated position.

The construction adopted for supporting the arm 9 and its associated parts in the manhole l of the sewer isfully described in my co-pending application, Serial Number 855,656, and as it forfns no part of the invention claimed in this application, its de-. scription will beomitted here.

The scraper, as shown, is ponstructed so that one of the portions at one end acts as a scraper when the scraper is moved as a whole in scraping direction, and both end portions act as closing members when the scraper is moved in the opposite direction. To accomplish this function the scraper is formed with two hemi-spherical shells, or bucket portions 25 and 26 which are pivoted to each other on each side at the point 27.

These shells 25 and 26 are provided with runners or strengthening ribs 28 on their outsides. These ribs have hooked ends 29 which pass through holes in the end members 30 and 31, which end members are pivotally attached to side'member's 32 by the pins 33. The side members 32 have attached to each end .the yokes 34 and 35, respectively to which the hauling cables are fastened.

It will be observed that the hemi- spherical bucket portions 25 and 26 are not connected to the cables used for drawing the scraper to and fro along the sewer except indirectly by the hooked ends 29 of the ribs 28. Accordingly when theyoke 34 is pulled in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the frictiori of the shell 25 against the bottom of the sewer causes the shell, by means of its hook 29, to pull the end portion 30 into its open or scraping position and simultaneously raise the upper portion 31, as shown in Fig. 2.

The extent to which the end portions 30 and 31 can open is limited by the projections 42 on the upper shell 26,-which projections act as stops for the pins orprojections 38 at the ends of the yoke 35, and which pass through the side bars 32. When the scraper has been filled it is ulled in the opposite direct on by means of the yoke 35. The first. action of such movement is to move the 'side plates 32 so as to close the end of the scraper by brin ng the parts 30 and 31 together.

The ucket portions of the scraper are messes prevented from swinging transversely with respect to the side bars 32 during this relative motion of the bucket portions and .the side bars 32 by shaping the adjacent edges 36 and 37 of the bucket shells so as to form bucket members pivoted to the upper and lower parts of the corresponding end members and movable longitudinally relatively to said side members, said side members being pivotally attached to the lower and upper portions of said upper, and lower end members respectively, and means for connecting said side members to the hauling .means whereby one of the end members acts as a scraper when the bucket is hauled in one direction and both end members act as closing members when the bucket is hauled in theopposite direction.

2. A sewer scraper comprising in combination, a bucket member, ribs on, the under side of said bucket member, an end member pivotally attached at its lower portion to the bucket member by hooked ends on said ribs, hauling means connected to its upper portion whereby the end member acts as a scraper when the bucket is hauled in one direction and as a closing member when hauled in the opposite direction, and means for suspending the scraper attached to the bucket member to allow the end member to fall in order to discharge the contents of the scraper therefrom.

'3. A. sewer scraper comprising in combination, side members, upper and lower end members pivotally attached thereto at their under and upper portions respectively, upper and lower bucket members, ribs on said ucket members, hooked ends on said ribs adapted to engage the upper and lower parts of the corresponding upper and lower end members, and means for connecting said side members to' the hauling means whereby one of the end members acts as a scraper when the bucket is hauled in one direction and both end members act as closing mem-- bers when the bucket is hauled in the oppoon the bucket member adapted to ege the the said hauling means and limit the opening of the end members.

5. A sewer scraper comprising, in combination, a bucket member, upper and lower 5 end members pivotally attached at their uper and lower portions respectively to the bucket member, a member connected to the lower -portion of said upper end member, and to the upper portion of said lower end 10 member, and hauling means connected to said member whereby the lower end member acts as a scraper when hauled in one direction, and both upper and lower end members act as closing members when hauled in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my subscribed witnesses.

JOHN F. KUHLMAN. Witnesses:

' PAUL CARPENTER,

RmsD'ALn ELLIs.

name in the presence of the two

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