US2672983A - Anticlogging device for roof drains - Google Patents

Description

March 23, 1954 J. B. BLAU ANTICLOGGING DEVICE FOR ROOF DRAINS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11 1950 INVENTOR. JAMES B. BLAU ATTORNEY March 23, 1954 J. B. BLAU ANTICLOGGING DEVICE FOR ROOF DRAINS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11. 1950 INVENTOR.

JAMES B. BLAU ATTORNEY bearing-and as viewed on line 6-6 Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES f PATEN OFF 2,672,983 q ANTICLOGGING- DEVIOE FOR ROOF DRAIN S JamesB. Blau, Bridgeport, Conn. Application July 11, 1950, Serial No. 173,054

1 Claim. (Cl. 210-.-88)

This invention relates vice for roof drains.

It isan object of the present invention to provide an anti-clogging device wherein its rotating head or vane structure can be effected with great speed by the water entering the device and with sufficient speed to maintain the device clean and clear of floating debris such as leaves and to an anti-clogging desticks and thereby keep the roof drain pipe from becoming clogged therewith.

Itis another object of the present invention to provide a turbine wheel for anti-clogging deabout a vertical axis vices adapted to be turned p from a counterclockthat will receive the water wise direction and from above in order that the rotating head or anti-clogging vane structure may, be. rotated in a counterclockwise direction which is the normal direction of rotation of water entering a down spout or drain and wherein the rotor or turbine wheel is supported with the vane shaft and on a pin or in the bottom of the structure on a common spindle bearing disposed unit. 7

It is another object of thepresent invention to providean anti-clogging device for roof drains whichcanbe converted for use either to be driven by an electric motor, that is when power is available, or can have the turbine wheel applied and driven from the water power of the water entering the roof drain.

Other objects of, the present invention are to provide a down spout turbine or anti-c1ogging device for roof drains which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, hasa minimum number of parts, easy or downspout, compact, a unitary structure,.durable and sturdy, requires little maintenance, and eificient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference maybe had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of. one anti-clogging device of the present invention installed in a roof drain.

' Fig. 2 isa collective view of the device with the rotating head separated from the driving shaft.

Fig. 3 is. an enlarged fragmentary view of the driving shaft and of the turbine wheel.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the turbine hub.

Fig. 5 is an elevational' view of the device with portionsbroken away and shown in section. 7

Fig- Bisv an enlarged view of the adjustable pin of Fig. 5. Fig, 7 isan elevational vi w of to install in the roof 'drain a convertible -55 to retain the water upon electric motor and turbine rotor device: constructed according to another form of. they invention.

Fig. 8 is av fragmentary and vertical sectional View taken generally on line 8-3 of Fig; .7.

Fig. S! is a bottom plan view taken on line-8..9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary and collective: perspective view of the form of the invention shown in Fig- 7 1 Fig. 11 is an enlarged elevational view of the turbine rotor used with the device shown in :Fig. '7.

Referring now particularly to Figs. .1 to 6, 15 represents a sleeve casing which is adantfidlto lit the upper end of a down spout, or roof drain. leading'from the top of a roof l1 havinga raised top wall it. This casing is enlarged On, its upper end to provide a strainerportion 19 having perfora'tions 20. In the lower end of the casing I5 shaft 23 is supported above the turbinewheel structure 25 and within the upper end; of "the sleeve casing l5 by a bearing bracket 38 fixed therewithin, This bearing bracket has a central hub structure 29 and. arms extending outwardly therefrom for attachment to the inner wall of the sleeve casing l5 whereby to provide spaces through which the-water may flow without interference. V

The turbine wheel structure is includes: a

square hub 353 having saw slits 3i cutdiagonally in each of the four sides of the hub and blades 32 disposed in each of the slits of the hub; It has been determined that water, on entering a d n p in tends t rotate in a ounter l ckwise direetion and accordingly theblades 33=.-have been arranged to receive the water from that direction so that the ur e'w ee and theshait will be rotated ina countercloclgwisedirectionas V ewed from mo or Of the v ce and ill lli the vane structure 27 will be similarly rotated-to push away the debrisasthe water enters the drain or perforated portion 19 of the sleeve 4.: Each. blade has a peripheral flange 35; in order t mpinged surface will cause air extends into the tubular leaves, sticks and the like that may about the drain opening and floating thereof in order that the weight of the water, upon passing downwardly over the surface, will give added movement to the turbine wheel and the parts connected thereto. This flange 33 extends along the lower edge of the blade to hold some of the water upon the surface hub 30 is of the shape of a cube and the slits 3| extend diagonally from one corner corner .of a face. The slits can penetrate the structure to a substantial distance to bring the blades in close proximity to one another. The hub 30 has a hole 34 that tightly receives shaft 23. A set screw 35 is adjustable in the hub to finally secure the hub to the shaft 23.

The shaft 23 has a squared portion 36 for receiving a depending central projection or hub 31 having a squared opening 38. A driving connection of the shaft with the vane structure 21 is accordingly effected. When the vane structure is at rest, the lower end of the depending portion 3'! may come to rest upon a set collar 38'. The water, upon entering the perforated portion H) to be collected in the top of the vane structure 21 and the vane structure to be lifted. The vane structure, accordingly, will float while water is being passed downwardly through the drain.. In order to prevent the escape of the air, a tubular portion 3%] is provided on the top of the vane structure and is closed at its upper end by a cap M. The shaft 23 has a portion 52 that portion 39 and a washer 46 is fixed to the upper end thereof by a bolt 4?.

- This washer will be engaged by a flange it as the floatis elevated whereby to limit the upward movement of the vane structure and the disengagement thereof.

The vane structure has a cylinder wall portion 51 to which a plurality of vanes are connected. These vanes 52 are circumferentially spaced from one another and are curved and bent to give a sweeping action to the floating debris, such as be harboring in the water. automatically brush aside this that access of the debris is not These vanes will floating debris so had to the perforations Ed in the portion 1%.

In the upper end of the shaft 23 is an oil passage 54 which leads to the squared portion 35 of the shaft so that oil or grease deposited in the upper end in any suitable manner can pass downwardly through the shaft and outwardly to lubricate the squared surfaces on the squared. portion 36 and the-surfaces in the squared opening 38 whereby to prevent any tendency for the main structure 21 to resist the upward floating or downward movement. A. set collar 55 is secured to the shaft 23 above the turbine wheel structure 26.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 7 to 11, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the rotating vane structure can be operated either by an electric motor turned on and off by a float switch or by a turbine wheel structure. According to this form of the invention there is a sleeve casing 6i] adapted to be inserted in a drain pipe el of a building structure 52. Upon the upper end of the sleeve casing St is a flange 63 adapted to rest upon the roof surface about the drain pipe Bl. This flange has a plurality of lightening holes 64 and radially extending projections 65 bent up at their ends, as indicated at GE.

Carried on these projections 65 is a perforated bottom ring 61 serving as a strainer and elevated thereabout is a solid ring H. The bottom ring 61 is fixed to the upstanding portions 56 of the in order that the ,the vane structure 99 rivets 69 and the upper ring is made the portions 66 by screws 10 that enter inwardly extending angle brackets H. These brackets 'I I have a motor supporting plate 52 thereon. An electric motor 13 having reduction gearing I4 and an output shaft '15 is secured to the top of the plate 12 by screws 16.

Over the top of the electric motor and its reduction gearing is a hood l1 that is also secured to the supporting plate '72 and by means of screws 18. A cable '19 extends through the cover if and the wires thereof. connect with the electric motor 13 to supply the same with electric current. Other wires 8% connect with a float switch 8| secured to the cover within the same and having a float arm 82 extending outwardly therefrom and having a float 83. This float 83 lies near the top of the roof surface so that any body of water building up can engage the float to start the electric motor for the purpose to be presently described.

In the lower end of the sleeve casing 60, there is secured a bearing bracket 86 having an internally threaded hub portion 85 for receiving an adjustable bearing pin 86. This pin is held in its adjusted position by a lock nut 81. The pin 86 supports a vertically extending shaft 88 which has a square portion 89 on its upper end for drivingly receiving a rotary vane structure 98. In the upper end of the shaft, the output shaft 15 is made secure by a set screw 9!. An oil or grease passage extends into the squared portion 89 of the shaft as indicated at 92 and through which oil or grease can be projected by any suitable means faces of the squared portion and of a central structure 93 can be lubricated to permit the free floating of the rotating vane structure 9t upon the shaft. The vane structure 96 is so shaped that air may be collected in the top of the same to effect a lifting of the vane structure as may be required to allow more water to pass beneath the same. The vane structure is driven at a predetermined speed and vanes 94 thereon will tend to keep the debris washed away from the drain and from an expanded metal strainer 95 extending upwardly from the flange 63 and held by projections 96.

This same unit can be run by a turbine wheel structure 91 secured to the shaft 88 and upon the removal of the combined electric motor and gear reduction unit. The turbine wheel structure 91 comprises a hub 98 of cubical shape in which diagonally extending slots have been cut and semicircular vanes 99 disposed in the slots whereby to provide a cluster of such vanes against which water descending through the drain may impinge. As mentioned above, it has been found that the water tends to rotate in a counterclockwise direction and accordingly these blades 98 are arranged to receive the force of the water coming from that direction and so as to rotate the shaft 88 with thereof in a counterclockwise direction. Each blade 99 has a flange Hill extending upwardly from the water receiving face thereof so as to prevent the outward spread of the water upon striking the face and to require the water to move downwardly over the face of the blade in order that its weight will give motion to the shaft. The upper end of the flange is flared slightly, as indicated at H) I.

It will be apparent that with this form of the invention the device can be operated either by the electric motor or by the turbine wheel structure 91. It should now be apparent that there has been provided an anti-clogging device for roof projection by drains which is of simple construction and easy to install in the drain pipe and which will re move and keep the drain open at all times, free of any debris that may have accumulated about the opening.

I claim:

In an anti-clogging device for roof drains, a sleeve casing adapted to fit the upper end of the drain pipe on the roof, a strainer portion connected to the upper end of the sleeve casing, a vertically extending shaft in the sleeve casing and strainer portion, pin bearing means in the lower end of the sleeve casing for supporting said shaft for rotation, an upper shaft bearing, a hub of cubical formation secured to said shaft within the sleeve casing, said hub having four faces and diagonally extending slots out in said faces, turbine blades secured in said slots to the hub, said blades having peripheral upwardly extending flanges on their water receiving surfaces, said shaft having a squared portion, a rotating vane structure comprising a cylindrical wall and a top wall sealed thereto to form an air tight floatable structure and having a hub portion with a squared opening slidably connected to the squared portion of the shaft, said vane structure extending over the strainer portion and about the side thereof and having vanes, said top wall having an opening therein and a tubular formation extending upwardly from the top portion and about the opening, said shaft having a portion extending upwardly beyond the squared portion and through the opening vanes on the outer side of said cylindrical wall in the top portion of the vane structure, said shaft extension having a threaded openmg therein and an oil passage extending therefrom to the squared portion of the shaft to lubricate the surface thereof to permit free floating the shaft.

JAMES B. BLAU.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Alexander Mar. 29, 1881 Wanless Oct. 18, 1898 Collins Jan. 1, 1901 Sutton Apr. 28, 1903 Peterson Aug. 17, 1937 Heinrich Dec. 5, 1939 Ducommun et al. Oct. 26, 1943 Vutz May 27, 1947 Frye May 11, 1948 Blau Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Norway Aug. 16, 1920

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