US1414943A - Flue cleaner - Google Patents

Description

H. D. GILL.

FLUE CLEANER. AFPLICATION FILED DEC.3. i920.

1 4, 943. Patented May 2, 1922.

NETE

HERBERT D. GILL, OF KME, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGfNORy OIF ONE-HALF 'IOv CHARLES J. BRAHLER, OF Eltlll, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 2, 1922.

Application filed December 3, 1920. Serial No. 428,063.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that HERBERT D; GILL, a citizen of the United States of Amer-ica, residing at Kane, in the county of McKean and State oi Pennsylvania, has invented new and useful. Improvements in Flue Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning boiler flues particularly of the fire tube variety wherein the inconvenience incident to the ordinary methods of blowing outthe tubes may be avoided and which consist mainly in the fact that the accumulations of dust and soot are blown forward into the lire box to the discomfort and annoyance of as well as injur to the reman of other attendants, and t erefore the particular object in view is to remove such accumulations in such a manner as to discharge the same into the smoke boX at the opposite end of the boiler from the lire box and to remove the accumulations successively from the tubes by suction rather than by a blast; and furthermore to provide an ap paratus for the purpose indicated which may be readily appliedand adapted to boilers of the ordinary construction, and to equip the same with a suction nozzle which may be successively applied to a number of tubes within a comparatively extensive range of operation without removing the discharge nozzle iromthe tube in which it is located; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus with the discharge nozzle fitted in a boiler tube.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

rllhe device consists essentially of a discharge tube 10 having a nozzle 11 adapted to lit into a selected boiler tube indicated at 12, an injector nozzle 13 in communication with a pressure supply pipe 14 adapted to convey fluids such as steam or air under pressure and arranged to discharge axially th-rough the discharge pipe and nozzle, and a suction pipe 15 communicating with the discharge pipe in a position to be aliected by the discharge from the injector nozzle 13 to induce a current of air therethrough by suction, said suction pipe terminating in a nozzle 16 adapted for insertion in either of a plurality of boiler tubes t0 be cleaned. The discharge and suction nozzles are provided with conical seating nipples 11a and 16a respectively, said nipples being detachably itted respectively upon the discharge and suction pipe vends to provide for interchangeability or substitution of nozzles to correspond with the diameters of the boiler tubes to be cleaned.

The supply pipe is fitted with a controlling transverse to the axis of the linjector nozzle and with its; outlet adjacent tothat of the inj ector nozzle and in alignment with the commu-nicatingportion of the suction pipe, so that in the event of' the suction pipe becoming obstructed or choked by. accumula tionsl or soot or dust drawn thereinto bythe action of the injector nozzle 13, the valve- 1.7 may be vclosed and the valve 18 opened to pro.

ject a jet of air or steam under pressure through. the nozzle 20 to remove such accumulation and restore the apparatus to an effective working condition. Under normal conditions the by-pass valve 19 is closed to permit the discharge oi the fluid under pressurev fromthe injector nozzle to induce areturn circulation oi? airvthrough the suction pipe to the end that the accumulations in the boiler tube inY which the suction nozzle 16 iS.

fitted to bel drawn through the suction pipe and ejected through the discharge pipe and the boiler tube in which the latter is fitted and thence to the smoke boX and stack at the remote end of the boiler.

In order to provide for the application of the suction nozzle successively to a plurality7 of boiler tubes to be cleaned, it is constructed oi a looped form having the substantially parallel arms 152L and 15b oi which the former is terminally attached to the casing or coupling 21 while the latter carries the suction nozzle, the opposite vends of said arms being connected for establishing communication between said arms, and the loop being provided with a plurality oi Swivel joints oi which the'joint 24 is axially arranged in a position perpendicular to the joints 22 and 23, so that the free or nozzle bearing end of the suction tube is capable of a swinging movement to the arm 15a as an axis and also to the v arm 15b as an axis, while the nozzle and the arm 15b are capable of a swinging movement in a plane parallel with the arm 15a by reason of the intermediate axially perpendicular joint 24C. The swivel joints referred to and illustrated constitute nothing more than loose threaded connections at the points desired. Also obviously the discharge tube 10 which is disposed in axial alignment with the boiler tube in which its terminal nozzle is fitted serves as the axis about which the entire apparatus may be rotated in extending the range of accessibility of the suction nozzle, so that it is possible with one adjustment of the apparatus or with its discharge nozzle seated in a boiler tube7 to arrange the suction nozzle in operative relation with any one or all of the boiler tubes within an area having` a radius equal to the combined lengths of the arms lL and 15b of the suction pipe.

As a further means of obtaining an effective suction in the boiler tube to be cleaned and in which the suction nozzle is fitted, there may be employed a supplemental injector 25 fitted in the outer end of the arm l5FL of the suction pipe in position to discharge longitudinally or axially thereof, said nozzle being connected by a flexible tube 26 with a nipple 27 which is in communication with the pressure supply pipe between the controlling valve 17 and the injector nozzle 13, to the end that fluid pressure is connected through said supplemental injector means when the valve 17 is opened to produce a local suction at the outer end of the arm 15b of the suction pipe, ln the construction illustrated the supplemental injector nozzle is suitably fitted in a coupling 28 which receives the end of the arm 15a of the suction pipe and the adjacent extremity of an elbow 29 by which the arm 15b is connected therewith. A

Moreover it will be seen that in the manipulation of the device the radially disposed arm 15a of the suction pipe serves as a convenient grip or handhold by which the apparatus may be grasped and maintained in proper relation with the boiler tubes which are under treatment7 the freely movable elements of the suction tube being readily moved in one dl ect-ion or another to fit the terminal nozzle thereof in the several boiler tube ends as the work of cleansing` the tubes progresses.

Having described the invention. what is claimed as new and useful is l. A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercoinmunication7 means for producing a forced blast in one of the pipes and a suction in the other, said pipes being provided with terminal nozzles for respective engagement with the ends of boiler tubes,

one of said pipes being of looped form and provided with a plurality of swivel joints.

2. A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercommunication, means for producing a forced blast through one of the pipes and a section in the other, said pipes being provided with terminal nozzles for respective engagement with the ends of boiler tubes, one of the pipes being of looped form and provided with a plurality of swivel joints arranged in axially perpendicular relations.

3. A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercommunication, means for producing a forced blast through one of the pipes and a section in the other, said pipes being provided with terminal nozzles for respective engagement with the ends of boiler tubes, one of the pipes being of looped form and having a plurality of axially parallel and axially perpendicular swivel joints.

4l. A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercommunication, means for producing a forced blast through one of the pipes and a section in the other, said pipes being provided .with terminal nozzles for respective engagement with the ends of .boiler tubes, one of the pipes being of looped form and having a vplurality of axially parallel swivel joints and an intermediate axially perpendicular swivel joints.

5. A flue cleaner having a blow pipe and a suction pipe in communication therewith, said pipes being in communication with their adjacent ends in angular relation and having their remote ends provided with nozzles for respective engagement with boiler tubes, and an injector nozzle disposed at the junction of said pipes in axial alignment with the blow pipe, the suction pipe having an oflset or looped intermediate portion provided with a plurality of swivel joints arranged axially in angular relation.

6. A flue cleaner having intersecting and communicating discharge and suction pipes provided at their free ends with flue engaging nozzles, a valve controlled injector' nozzle disposed'at the junction of said discharge and suction pipes in axial alignment with the former7 and a valved by-pass having an injector nozzle disposed in axial alignment with the adjacent portion of the suction pipe.

7. A flue cleaner having communicating discharge and suction pipes provided at their free ends with flue engaging nozzles. a valve controlled injector nozzle disposed at the junction of said pipes in axial alignnient with the discharge pipe, and a supplemental injector nozle in communication S. il flue cleaner having communicating discharge and suction pipes provided at their free ends with flue engaging nozzles, a valve controlled injector nozzle disposed at the junction of said pipes in axial alignment with the discharge pipe, and a supplemental injector nozzle in communication with the suction pipe and disposed in axial alignment with the suction pipe for discharge toward the junction thereof with the discharge pipe, said suction pipe being of looped form and having swivel joints arranged in axially parallel and perpendicular relations.

9. A flue cleaner having communicating discharge and suction pipes provided at their free ends with flue engaging nozzles, a valve controlled injector nozzle disposed at the junction of said pipes in axial alignment with the discharge pipe, and a supplemental` injector nozzle in communication with the suction pipe and disposed in aXial alignment with the suction pipe for discharge toward the junction thereof with the discharge pipe, said suction pipe being of looped form and having swivel joints arranged in axially parallel and perpendicular relations and said second named injector nozzle being in communication by a flexible tube with the valve control supply of the first named injector nozzle.

In testimony whereof he afxes his signature.

HERBERT D. GILL.

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