Abstract:
A pipe thread cleaning device which cleans with pressurized water. The device contains a rigid outer shell and a cleaning assembly which is inserted into the outer shell to form an enclosure and includes a water input and rotatable spray nozzles to clean threaded pipe which is inserted into the device by rotatably applying a pressurized stream of water to the pipe threads.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is in the technical field of oil and gas pipe and casing thread cleaners. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of oil and gas pipe and casing thread cleaners using pressurized water. 
         [0002]    Conventional oil and gas pipe and casing thread cleaning procedures are performed with pressure washers or powered brushes and solvents. While these methods gave acceptable results, each system has the drawbacks of excessive cost, water waste and the presence of toxic solvents. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is a pipe thread cleaner which contains the threaded end of the pipe in an enclosed box whereby the threads are cleaned by a rotating nozzle which sprays the threads with a stream of heated and pressurized water. The rotating nozzle uses multiple valve jets which rotate in a circular manner and whose movement it powered by the water pressure. 
         [0004]    The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, that it is relatively simple in mechanical operation, it operates without the use of hazardous solvents, it uses substantially less water than conventional methods, is substantially safer that conventional methods, and requires less time than conventional methods. The use of heated, pressurized water in an enclosed box provides superior results to conventional methods while containing all water and material removed from the pipe threads, while cleaning the pipe threads faster that non contained methods and shielding the worker from the high pressure water stream. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view a first embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner with the outer shell removed from the device; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner of with the outer shell removed from the device; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4A  is a cutaway view of a first embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner showing the placement of an inserted pipe. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4B  is an end view of a first embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5A  is a cutaway view of a second embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner showing the placement of an inserted pipe. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5B  is an end view of a first embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a detailed view of the latches of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  depict a first embodiment of a pipe thread cleaner  100  having an outer shell  10  with an inner flange  11 , outer flange  12  drain port  13  latches  14 ; and a cleaning assembly  20  with a bulkhead  21 , support handle  22 , end plate  23 , support struts  24  pipe input port  25 , water port  26 , internal spray nozzle  27 , spray jets  29 , and guideposts  30 . 
         [0015]    The pipe thread cleaner  100  has an outer shell  10  which is open at both ends and has a polygonal or circular shape, preferable square. The shell may be constructed of any rigid material with preference to stainless steel. Further the outer shell  10  will preferably have its closed sides axially parallel to one another so that the cross section remains the same throughout the length of the shell. The shell  10  has an inner flange  11  on the second end which protrudes slightly inward. The shell  10  also has an outer flange  12  on the first end which protrudes slightly outward and may serve as a mating surface for a gasket  13 . Additionally the shell  10  may have a drain port  14 . Finally the shell  10  may have multiple attachment features  15 . The attachment features may be latches, screws, bolts, pins or other commonly used fasteners. 
         [0016]    The pipe thread cleaner  100  also has a cleaning assembly  20  which has a bulkhead  21  and an endplate  22  which are connected by a plurality of support rods  23  which are fastened to the bulkhead  21  and the endplate  22 . The endplate  22  shall be shaped the same as the outer shell  10  and shall be dimensioned such that it is very slightly smaller than the inside dimensions of the shell  10  such that it may be inserted into the shell and mate with the inner flange  11 . The bulkhead 21  shall be shaped the same as the outer shell  10  and shall be dimensioned such that it is very the same dimension as the outer flange  12 . The support rods shall be dimensioned such that, when the end plate  22  is mated with the internal flange  11 , the bulkhead mates with the outer flange  12  and may provide a mating surface for a gasket  13 . The bulkhead  21 , end plate  22 , and support rods  23  may be constructed of any rigid material with preference to stainless steel. The end plate may also feature a plurality of attached guideposts  30  which prevent shifting of an inserted pipe. The bulkhead may also have a support handle  24  affixed to a side of the bulkhead  21 , with the handle  24  preferably having a generally cylindrical shape and sized to be gripped by the average adult human hand. The end plate further has a pipe input port  25 , preferably circular, dimensioned between two and twenty inches for insertion of pipe to be cleaned into the pipe thread cleaner  100 . 
         [0017]    Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict the water input  26 , internal spray nozzle  27 , and spray jets  29 . The cleaning assembly also features a water input  26  which is attached to the bulkhead  21 . Attached to the water input is an internal spray nozzle  27 . The internal spray nozzle  27  is configured to provide a plurality of spray jets  29  which spray water in a direction radially outward from the axis of the internal spray nozzle  27 . The preferred configuration of the internal spray nozzle  27  is a T configuration with two spray jets  29  oriented 180 degrees from one another. The spray jets  29  are attached to the ends of the internal spray nozzle  27  and configured such that they are substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the internal spray nozzle  27  but are angled slightly with respect to the plane which is perpendicular to the plane of rotation such that a pressurized water stream flowing through the spray jets  29  will cause the internal spray nozzle  27  to rotate about the axis of the internal spray nozzle  27 . The spray jets  29  may be configured to spray in a flat fan pattern, conical pattern, or rotating pattern with a spread between fifteen and forty degrees or a directed stream pattern. The water input  26 , internal spray nozzle  27  and spray jets  29  may be constructed of any rigid material with preference to metal construction. The water input  26  and the internal spray nozzle  27  may have a circular, elliptical or polygonal cross section, but are preferably circular in cross section. 
         [0018]    Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  depicts the outer shell  10  and the cleaning assembly assembled as a complete unit which constitutes the pipe thread cleaner  100 . To assemble the pipe thread cleaner, the end plate  22  of the cleaning assembly  20  is inserted into the first end of the shell  10  and put into the shell until the end plate mates with the inner flange  11  of the shell  10  and the bulkhead  21  mates with the outer flange  12  of the shell  10 . There may be a gasket  13  situated between the bulkhead  21  and the outer flange  12  to provide additional sealing of the pipe thread cleaner. Once the cleaning assembly  20  is fully inserted into the shell  10 , the attachment features are secured such that the Cleaning assembly  20  and the shell  10  are firmly affixed together. 
         [0019]    Referring further to the drawings,  FIGS. 3, 5A, and 5B  depict a second embodiment of the pipe thread cleaner  200 . The second embodiment of the invention is identical to the first embodiment except that the second embodiment does not have an internal spray nozzle  27 . The second embodiment has an external spray nozzle  28  attached to the water input  26 . 
         [0020]    Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 5A and 5B  depict the water input  26 , external spray nozzle  28 , and spray jets  29 . Attached to the water input is an external spray nozzle  28 . The external spray nozzle  28  is configured to provide a plurality of spray jets  29  which spray water in a direction radially inward toward the axis of the external spray nozzle  28 . The preferred configuration of the external spray nozzle  28  is a squared U configuration with two spray jets  29  oriented 180 degrees from one another. The spray jets  29  are attached to the ends of the external spray nozzle  28  and configured such that they are substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the external spray nozzle  28  but are angled slightly with respect to the plane which is perpendicular to the plane of rotation such that a pressurized water stream flowing through the spray jets  29  will cause the external spray nozzle  28  to rotate about the axis of the external spray nozzle  28 . The spray jets  29  may be configured to spray in a flat fan pattern, conical pattern, or rotating pattern with a spread between fifteen and forty degrees or a directed stream pattern. The water input  26 , external spray nozzle  28  and spray jets  29  may be constructed of any rigid material with preference to metal construction. The water input  26  and the external spray nozzle  28  may have a circular, elliptical or polygonal cross section, but are preferably circular in cross section. 
         [0021]    To operate the first embodiment of the pipe thread cleaner  100  of the second embodiment of the pipe thread cleaner  200 , the outer shell  10  and cleaning assembly  20  should be assembled as described herein above. Once the pipe thread cleaner  100  is assembled, meaning the outer shell  10  and cleaning assembly  20  are attached to one another, a pressurized water source is attached to the water input  26  via commonly available plumbing components. The pressurized water source is defined as any water source or pressure booster which provides over 100 PSI of water pressure and may be a commonly available pressure washer which is powered by electricity or an internal combustion engine. The pressurized water source may further provide a valve by which the operator may control the input of water into the water input. 
         [0022]    Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 4A  depicts operation of the first embodiment of the invention  100 . A pipe with internal threads is inserted into the pipe input port  25  to such a depth that the internal spray nozzle  27  is proximate to the pipe threads to be cleaned. The pipe thread cleaner is then oriented such that the drain port  14  is on the low side of the shell  10  so that water will drain out by gravity. The operator may attach a hose or container to the drain port  11  to contain and used water from the operation of the pipe thread cleaner  100 . Once the pipe is inserted, the user applies the pressurized water to the water input  26  such that the water is expelled through the rotating internal spray  27  and the entirety of the inserted section of pipe is cleaned. When the operation of the first embodiment  100  is complete, the first embodiment of the pipe thread cleaner  100  may be disassembled for cleaning by releasing the attachment features  15  and removing the cleaning assembly  20  from the shell  10 . As the end plate  22  is dimensioned only slightly smaller than the internal dimensions of the shell  10 , the end plate  22 , as the cleaning assembly is removed, acts to scrape any built up matter from the inside of the shell  10 . Once disassembled, the shell  10  and cleaning assembly may be cleaned by conventional means. 
         [0023]    Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 5A  depicts operation of the second embodiment of the invention  200 . A pipe with external threads is inserted into the pipe input port  25  to such a depth that the external spray nozzle  28  is proximate to the pipe threads to be cleaned. The pipe thread cleaner is then oriented such that the drain port  14  is on the low side of the shell  10  so that water will drain out by gravity. The operator may attach a hose or container to the drain port  11  to contain and used water from the operation of the pipe thread cleaner  100 . Once the pipe is inserted, the user applies the pressurized water to the water input  26  such that the water is expelled through the rotating external spray  28  and the entirety of the inserted section of pipe is cleaned. When the operation of the second embodiment  200  is complete, the second embodiment of the pipe thread cleaner  200  may be disassembled for cleaning by releasing the attachment features  15  and removing the cleaning assembly  20  from the shell  10 . As the end plate  22  is dimensioned only slightly smaller than the internal dimensions of the shell  10 , the end plate  22 , as the cleaning assembly is removed, acts to scrape any built up matter from the inside of the shell  10 . Once disassembled, the shell  10  and cleaning assembly may be cleaned by conventional means. 
         [0024]    While this invention has been described with the specific embodiments outlines above, the preferred embodiments set forth are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The claims provide the scope of coverage of this invention and should not be limited to the specific examples cited above.