Patent ID: 6013138
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: B01D,B08B,E03F

Abstract:
A method for cleaning a pipe with a vehicle, said method comprising:providing a vehicle having a sludge tank, a water supply tank, a high pressure pump, a spraying hose, a vacuum hose, a vacuum pump, and first, second, and third filtration devices;transporting the vehicle to a site adjacent a pipe to be cleaned;extending the spraying hose and the vacuum hose into the pipe to be cleaned;activating the high pressure pump to spray water from the water supply tank through the spraying hose and into the pipe to be cleaned;activating the vacuum pump to create a vacuum in the sludge tank and to draw water and debris from the pipe to be cleaned through the vacuum hose and into the sludge tank;filtering water in the sludge tank by the first filtration device;conveying the water filtered by the first filtration device to the second filtration device;filtering water, previously filtered by the first filtration device, by the second filtration device to divide the water into a cleaner portion and a dirtier portion;conveying the cleaner portion of the water from the second filtration device to a third filtration device;filtering water, previously filtered by the first and second filtration devices, by a third filtration device to divide the water into a cleaner portion and a dirtier portion;conveying the cleaner portion of the water from the third filtration device to the water supply tank; andconveying water from the water supply tank that has been filtered by the first, second and third filtration devices back to the second filtration device.