US3188674A - Rotary tube end cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Filed Oct. 18, 1963 "0111111454, l "'fi,

INVENTOR.

Ho 55 s,

P/LEY FIG.

FIG. 6.

Griflin, Ga. Filed Get. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,206 -6Clain1s. (Cl. 15-179) This invention relates toa novel rotary cleaner for the exteriors of ends of tubes, preparatory to soldering, brazing, and similar operations.

The primary Vobject .of the invention is the provision of a more eicient, faster-working, and longer life device of the kind indicated. Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and economical, electric drill operated device of the character indicated above, which involves the use of a circular resilient wire brush which is readily replaceable when worn, and adjusting means for contracting the brush, as wear thereof occurs and its bristles shorten, so that the brush does not require replacement until its bristles are substantially used up.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specic form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective View, showing a device ofthe present invention chucked in an electric drill, preparatory to application of the device to a tube end;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a front end elevation of the device;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the wire brush in uncoiled condition;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5 FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device, generally designated 10, comprises a hollow rigid cylindrical housing 12 closed, at its rear end, by a back wall 14, and having an open forward end 16. An axial shank 18 is xed to and extends rearwardly from the back wall 14, for engagement in the chuck 20 of an electric drill 22, or the equivalent.

The side wall 24 of the housing 12 is formed with opposed enlargements 26, midway between its ends, which are formed with radial threaded bores 28, which extend also through the side wall 24, and accept wire-brush adjusting screws 30, having rounded inner ends 32.

The inner ends 32 of the screws 30 seat in recesses 34 in a split resilient compressible sleeve 36, of substantially the same inside length as the housing 12, and which normally bears against the inner surface of the side wall 24 of the housing, with the free edges 38 of the sleeve separated at maximum distance from each other, as shown in FIGURE 4, while the sleeve is under minimal compression. The sleeve edges 38 have inwardly extending anges 39 thereon.

An elongated wire brush 40, which is originally in a fiat rectangular form, as shown in FIGURE 5, comprises a iiexible backing 42, as of cloth or other suitable material, from one side of which extend wire bristles 44. The brush 40 is substantially as wide as the length of the sleeve 36, and has free ends 46, which are separated from each other, when the brush is coiled and is inserted within the sleeve 36, under compression, so that its backing 42 makes frictional contact with the inner surface of the sleeve, which `United States Patent 0 3,188,674 Patented June 15, 1965 resists rotation of the brush relative to the sleeve. As shown in FIGURE 4, the ends 46 of the brush 40 are preferably arranged opposite to the edges 38 of the sleeve, so as to eliminate a gap at this location.

As shown in FIGURES 4 to 7, the bristles 44 are provided in units of two adjacent bristles, which are connected, at their inner ends, by cross members 41, the bristles being passed inwardly `through the backing 42, with the cross members engaged with the `outer surface of the backing, crosswise of the backing.

Each bristle 44 is composed of an inner portion 43, which, as shown in FIGURE 7, is angled away from the direction of rotation of the brush 40,and an outer portion 45 which is angled toward the direction of rotation of the brush, as indicated by arrows lin FIGURES 4 and 7. The engagement of the tips 47 lof the bristles 44, with the work, at a retreating angle, makes for more -consistent and uniform contact with the work and more eifective cleaning action.

The housing 12 is externally threaded, at its forward end, as indicated at 48, to receive the threaded ange 50 of a cap 52, which serves as a retainer for the sleeve 36 and the wire brush 40, and also as a centering guide for the end of a tube T to be cleaned. The cap has an annular web 54, formed with an axial opening 56 whose edge serves to center a tube T inserted into the brush 40.

In use and operation, the device 10 having been chucked in a drill 22, with either or both the drill and the tube held stationary, the drill is energized so that the device is is inserted, relative to the tube, and the brush 40 acts to clean the outer surface of the tube. The length of the housing 12, and of the brush 40 can, if desired, be predetermined, so that when the tube is inserted and its end engages the back wall 14 of the housing 12, the length of the cleaned are of the tube is predetermined.

As the brush bristles wear down, the screws 30 are adapted to be threaded inwardly, so as to compress and contract the sleeve 36, and hence the brush 40, to the degree necessary to reestablish full contact of the bristles 44 with the work.

The brush 40 is quickly and easily replaceable, when worn down, simply by screwing off the cap 52 and pulling the brush out of the sleeve 36, with the screw 30 backed out, and installing another brush.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as dened by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow cylindrical housing having a back wall, a side wall and an open forward end, a resilient split sleeve engaged in the housing, sleeve compressing screws threaded through said side wall and engaged with the sleeve, and a resilient tubular split brush engaged in the sleeve and having lfrictional contact therewith.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said back Wall is formed with an axial rearwardly extending shank for seeurement in the chuck of a rotary member.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing is eX- ternally threaded to its forward end, and a cap has a threaded flange threaded thereon, said cap having a web formed with an axial opening affording a circular guide edge for a tube inserted through the opening and into the brush.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said brush has a flexible backing having wire bristles on its inward side.

5. A device of the character described comprising a 3 1 tubular housing having an open and a closed end and a side wall having a cylindrical inner surface, a resilient split sleeve engaged `in the housing, a split tubular brush conformably engaged in the sleeve, said brush comprising a flexible backingfrorn whose inner surfacewire bristles project, said sleeve andsaid backing having free ends, and inwardly-extending anges on the lfree ends of thesleeve, the free ends of the backing lbeing engaged with the 6. A device of the character describedv comprising a ,tubular housing having anvopen anda closed end and a sidewall having a cylindrical;inner surface, a resilient ,splitmsleeve engaged in the-housing, a split tubular b rush conformably engaged in theY sleeve, said brush comprising flexible backing from whose inner 4surface Wire .bristlesv project, said sleeve and said backing having free ends, andY inwardly-extending flanges o n the ,free ends of 'the sleeve, the free ends of` thebacking being Vengaged Vwith the flanges, and opposed adjustingV screws threaded through Y .the side wall of the housing and engage the exterior of the lsleeve.

in which the inner ends `of the screws are engaged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,682 1/93 Roemer.v 602,193 4*/98 Neuert n--- 15-160 753,970V V3/04 l Foster; Y 981,417# 1/11 Halsey et al.` 1,600,368 9/26 skogiund 15-160 1,710,1271 4/29 Vaughny 15-160 X 1,717,554 v 6/29 Fraserf 51-73 `.1,791,603 2/31 Rennie f 15-21.1 X 2,179,465 11/39 Blazek 5173.1 X 2,202,215 n 5/40 Lutz 15-186 3,088,150 V5/,63V Sweeney 15-184 X Y FOREIGN PATENTS 1,044,356 6/53 France.

699,027 11/40 Germany. 87,803 7/ 96 Germany.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Prmry Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING A BACK WALL, A SIDE WALL AND AN OPEN FORWARD END, A RESILIENT SPLIT SLEEVE ENGAGED IN THE HOUSING, SLEEVE COMPRESSING SCREWS THREADED THROUGH SAID SIDE WALL AND ENGAGED WITH THE SLEEVE, AND A RESILIENT TUBULAR SPLIT BRUSH ENGAGED IN THE SLEEVE AND HAVING FRICTIONAL CONTACT THEREWITH.

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