Abstract:
An apparatus for cleaning the interior of small diameter pipes. The apparatus has high-pressure rotary fluid distribution nozzles on a rotating bracket carried on a movable platform. The apparatus is self-centering within the pipe with ultra high-pressure fluid swivels and quick disconnect air and fluid supply fittings associated therewith.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to pipe cleaning devices that travel through the interior of a pipeline and cleaning the interior surface as they go. These types of devices use a mechanical and/or fluid under high pressure to scour the interior surface of debris and are usually pulled through by auxiliary means. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of structures having multiple cleaning heads on guide and support structures that position the cleaning heads in contact with the surface to be cleaned. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,449,783, 3,994,310, 4,206,313, 4,559,960, 5,113,885, and 5,444,887. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,783 a hydraulic waste disposal line cleaner is disclosed having a high-pressure source of fluid 600 to 1,000 PSI with jet propulsion means that drives the tool forward into the waste disposal line utilizing cleaning pressure fluid. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,310 is directed to a duct cleaning apparatus having a pair of fluid nozzles rotatably positioned on a support and supply arm with guide strips extending therefrom. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,313 on a pipe cleaning nozzle having multiple skids to space a nozzle body within a pipe. High-pressure fluid is discharged propelling the nozzle through the pipe. 
     A sewer cleaning apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,960 wherein a wheeled cartridge is pulled through a sewer line with a scraping disk mechanically engaging the interior walls. 
     Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,885 discloses a pipe cleaning apparatus wherein a support platform carries and positioned a rotating spray nozzle as the assembly is pulled through the pipe. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,887 discloses an underwater pipe cleaning device having scraper blades carried by a support frame that is pulled through the pipe. 
     Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,461 discloses an interior tank cleaning apparatus for tanks and large pipes having multiple nozzle heads on a rotating arm assembly supported and positioned by a wheel support assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A cleaning device for small diameter pipes to remove deposits and build-up from the interior surface thereof. The cleaning device uses ultra high-pressure water dispensed from multiple nozzle heads on a rotating support bracket positioned on a positioning and rotation assembly that engages the interior pipe surface. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the cleaning device of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cleaning device of the invention in a pipe representation shown in broken lines; 
     FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of a central power hub of the invention with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the central power hub of the invention with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a cleaning head support bracket of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a high-pressure fluid swivel; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of an alternate form of the invention having modified wheel support assemblies with portions broken away; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the alternate form of the invention set forth in FIG. 6 showing modified wheel support assemblies and fluid couplings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, a small diameter cleaning device  10  can be seen having a main support body member  11  with a pair of oppositely disposed wheel support assemblies  12  and  13  extending therefrom. Each of the wheel support assemblies has a support hub  14  secured to the main support body member  11 . Each of the hubs  14  have multiple annularly spaced mounting surfaces  15 ,  16  and  17  from which extends respective self-centering spring-loaded wheel mounts  19 . The wheel support assemblies  12  and  13  are self-centering within a small diameter pipe  21  having an interior surface  22  shown in broken lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings. It will be apparent that as the spring-loaded wheel assemblies  12  and  13  correspondingly engage the inner interior surface  22  of the small diameter pipe  21 , the main support body member  11  is “centered” within. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3A of the drawings, the main support body member  11  has a cylinder housing  23  with a front bushing  24 , an oppositely disposed apertured end cap  25  with an apertured center support fitting  26  therebetween. An air swivel fitting assembly  27  is positioned within the central fitting  26  having an annular air passage  28  with multiple air inlet ports  29  therein. An air supply fitting  30  with associated interconnected piping  31  extends from the apertured end cap  25  to the air inlet ports  29 . An apertured central shaft  32  is registerably positioned through the respective end cap  25  and air swivel fitting assembly  27 . A pair of bearing assemblies  33  are positioned on the central shaft  32  by a bearing retainer  33 A and a shaft nut  33 B threadably disposed thereon. The bearing assemblies  33  rotatably position a spray bracket support hub assembly  34  having a bearing engagement portion  35  within the cylinder housing  23 . 
     The spray bracket support hub assembly  34  has longitudinally extending air channels  35 A and  35 B and a spray bracket engagement portion  36  extending outwardly from the cylindrical housing  23 . The spray bracket engagement portion  36  has longitudinally extending air channels  37 A and  37 B therein that are in communication with the air channels  36 A and  36 B respectively with outlet ports and connector fittings  38 A and  38 B and  39 A and  39 B respectively. 
     The central support fitting  26  forms the lower half of a headgear drive box enclosure  40  with an upper half  40 A defining the gearbox enclosure  40  having a main drive gear head  41  within the central support fitting  26 . An idler gear  42  on a shaft  43  engages the main gear  41  and is accessible by an opening at  44  in the main support body member  11  as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter. 
     The spray bracket engagement portion  36  has a central bore  36 ′ therethrough and is aligned for engagement and secured to the bearing engagement portion  35  by interconnecting pins  45  and fasteners F extending through registration openings F 1  therein. A high-pressure fluid feed pipe  46  is rotatably positioned through the central bore  36 ′ of the center shaft  32  and has a t-shaped outlet at  47 A and  47 B with respective high-pressure fluid couplings  48  within. 
     Referring back to FIG. 3A of the drawings, a pipe support bearing assembly  49  is positioned in a pipe and rear leg support fitting  49 A extending from the end of the central shaft  32 . The free end of the fluid feed pipe  46  is externally threaded at  50  to registerably receive a fluid swivel assembly  51 , best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6 of the drawings. 
     A spray head mounting bracket assembly  52  can be seen secured to and extending from the spray bracket engagement portion  36 . The mounting bracket assembly  52  has a pair of parallel spaced engagement bars  53 A and  53 B interconnected by respective base and top bars  54 A and  54 B. The base bar  54 B is secured to the spray bracket engagement portion  36  by fasteners F with the wheel assembly  12  secured to and extending from the top bar  54 A. The engagement bars  53 A and  53 B have mounting block pairs  55 A and  55 B on the respective outer surfaces  55 C and  55 D. A pair of spray head brackets  56 A and  56 B are adjustably secured to the engagement bars  53 A and  53 B between the hereinbefore described mounting block pairs  55 A and  55 B as best seen in FIGS. 4,  5 , and  6  of the drawings. The spray head brackets  56 A and  56 B have an elongated adjustment aperture at  57  therein with which a locking bolt  58  extends so as to selectively secure the bracket  56 A and  56 B. 
     Nozzle assemblies  59  are respectively secured to brackets  60  which extend from the engagement bars  53 A and  53 B. The nozzle assemblies  59  have multiple outlet rotatable spray heads  61  connected to a second high pressure fluid swivel  62  and a source of fluid under ultra high pressure as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     Air motors  63  are positioned on the respective support bracket  60  adjacent said respective high pressure fluid swivel  62  and are in geared connection with the respective nozzle assemblies  59  by a pair of inter-meshing gears (not shown) as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Fluid couplings  64  and flexible fluid supply lines  65  interconnect the fluid swivel  62  with the high-pressure spray heads  61 . 
     Air fittings  66  and flexible air supply lines  7  interconnect the air couplings  39 A and  39 B with the air motors  63  on the spray head mounting assemblies  52 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawings the fluid swivel assembly  51  can be seen having a main shaft  70  with an area of increased diameter at  71  and a reduced diameter at  72 . A pair of bearings  73 A and  73 B are positioned on the shaft  70  adjacent the are of increased diameter at  71  with a split bearing spacer  74  therebetween. A lock nut gear seal  75  and bearing lock nut  76  are positioned on the main shaft  70  abutting said bearing  73 A. A weep plate  77  with a weep plate seal  78  is positioned on the shaft&#39;s area of reduced diameter at  72  adjacent the bearing  73 B with a seal holder housing  79 . The shaft  70  and related assemblies are slideably positioned within a swivel housing  80  being threadably secured thereto by a lock nut  76  positioned thereon. A high-pressure seal assembly  81  is registerable within the seal holder housing  79  on the area of reduced diameter at  72 . The high pressure seal assembly  81  has a seal body  82  with a central bore  83  therethrough and a seal receiving bore area  84  with a seal bushing  85 , nylon seal element  86  and O-rings  87  therein. The seal holder housing  79  has an externally threaded portion  88  with a retaining nut  89  threadably disposed thereon. Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the fluid swivel  51  is interconnected to the inlet end of the fluid feed pipe  46  by a coupling  90  and is positioned in a support bracket  91  extending from a rear leg mounting assembly  92  on the hub  14 . 
     In operation, to remove and/or disconnect the identical high pressure fluid swivel assemblies  51  and  62  the retaining nut  89  (having left hand threads) is removed by hand, thus removing the sealing assembly  81  therefrom as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Referring now back to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the small diameter cleaning device  10  is shown having a main air drive motor  93  and a drive gear assembly housing  94  mounted on the cylindrical housing  23  so as to be registerable with the idler gear  42  through the opening  44  in the main support body  11  so as to rotate the spray bracket support assembly thereon. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the self-centering spring-loaded wheel assemblies  19  are shown each having a mounting base  95  that is secured to the hereinbefore-described support hub  14 &#39;s multiple surfaces  15 ,  16 , and  17  by fasteners F. The mounting base  95  has a central bore at  96  into which a wheel rod  97  is registerably positioned. Springs  98  within each of the central bores  96  provide resilient force thereto. A bifurcated mounting bracket  99  extends from the wheel rod  97  and has a wheel W rotatably positioned therein as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. Each of the bifurcated mounting brackets  99  is capable of interchanging a variety of different diameter wheels as indicated by broken lines W so as to accommodate different interior pipe dimensions illustrated by broken lines PD 1  and PD 2 . 
     For use a source of cleaning fluid (water) under ultra high pressure for cleaning purposes (not shown) is connected to an inlet  107  of the high pressure fluid swivel  51  providing fluid through the fluid supply pipe  46  and the respective oppositely disposed high pressure couplings  48  which are in turn interconnected by respective high pressure fluid lines  65  and couplings to the fluid swivel  51 ′ on the spray nozzle assemblies on the support bracket. 
     A source of air pressure (not shown) is connected to the inlet port (P) of the high pressure fittings  30  and thus applies air swivels  27  with air pressure within the annular air passages at  28  and to the respective air channels  35 A and  35 B to the respective outlet ports  37  and  38  which in turn supply the outlet ports  38 A and  38 B and respective quick release couplings  39 A and  39 B. 
     Interconnecting air lines  67  extend from the respective couplings  39 A and  39 B to the air motors  63  providing activation air thereto. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings, an alternate form of the small diameter pipe cleaning device  10 ′ can be seen wherein wheel support assembly and associated wheels have been removed so that only a pull hub  100  extends there beyond. The pull hub  100  extends from a top bar  55 A′ of a mounting bracket  53 ′ with an engagement eye hook  101  extending therefrom. 
     An ultra high-pressure swivel assembly  51 ′ is repositioned with a wheel assembly  13 ′ to a tail extension  102  which is secured in place thereof. The tail extension  102  has a first and second support and mounting tubes  103  and  104  with a wheel assembly  105  secured therebetween. An inner fluid transfer conduit  106  extends through the respective support tubes  103  and  104  so as to provide a source of fluid under ultra high pressure. 
     The respective wheel assemblies  13 ′ and interconnected high pressure swivel assembly  51 ′ are secured to the distal end of the second extension tube  104  with the fluid transfer conduit  106  communicating with the high pressure swivel assembly  51 ′. 
     The use of the alternate form of the invention  10 ′ is applicable in situations wherein the amount of internal build-up material to be removed from a pipe prevents initial proper wheel engagement. 
     The cleaning devices  10  and  10 ′ of the invention are manually pulled through a pipe to be cleaned by an outside conveyance (not shown) connected to the engagement lug  101  on the front hub  100  thereof. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel small diameter pipe cleaning device has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.