Abstract:
The invention provides a rotary impingement cleaning apparatus including a gear train contained within a cartridge for easy installation and removal as a unit. The cleaning apparatus has an internal support platform to hold the cartridge and gear train. The platform is mounted within a fixed body housing. An output shaft from the cartridge gear train drives a rotary housing that drives a nozzle housing to rotate the nozzles around the horizontal axis.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of rotary impingement cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a rotary impingement cleaning apparatus having a gear train contained in a cartridge that is replaceable as a unit. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A rotary impingement cleaning apparatus generally operates by discharging a high pressure flow of a cleaning liquid through rotating nozzles to impinge and clean the inner wall of a container or vessel. The body of the cleaning apparatus is rotated around a first axis while the nozzles rotate around a second axis, the second axis being oriented angularly to the first axis, often in perpendicular relation. Depending on the particular container or vessel and the stored materials therein, the cleaning liquid will be drained or recycled through filtration apparatus. 
     With high pressure liquid flowing through the cleaning apparatus, the liquid also strongly impacts internal parts of the apparatus causing the initial parts impacted by the liquid to be driven at a high speed. To reduce the speed to a degree that allows the cleaning apparatus to perform a thorough cleaning of the interior vessel walls, the speed is reduced, typically by internal gearing. The gears are therefore subjected to substantial stress and will, over time, wear and malfunction. Ultimately, replacement of gears and related parts, e.g. bearings, is required. 
     The process of replacing gears and related parts in this fairly intricate apparatus involves time and skill. Often, the user of the rotary impingement cleaning apparatus will entrust the part replacement function to the apparatus manufacturer, placing the apparatus out of service for an extended period of time. It is therefore understood that there is a need for a rotary impingement cleaning apparatus having parts that are subject to wear, e.g. a gear train, that may be readily replaced on site to allow the apparatus to be quickly returned to service. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A rotary impingement cleaning apparatus having a unitary and readily replaceable gear train enclosed in a cartridge is provided by the present invention. The gear train includes multiple stages of planetary gear clusters with input and output shafts connected thereto. The gear clusters are each formed with identical spur gears, each cluster being equal to the others. In the described embodiment, three gear clusters are employed. The cartridge is surrounded by a channel for a flow of pressurized cleaning liquid to travel from an inlet port to a set of rotating nozzles. The cartridge has an array of holes near the input end and a second array of holes near the output end to enable a portion of the pressurized cleaning liquid to enter the cartridge and provide lubrication to the gears. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is best understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which like elements are identified by similar reference numerals and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic front elevation view of a rotary impingement cleaning apparatus of the invention mounted for cleaning the interior wall of a storage vessel. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the rotary impingement cleaning apparatus of the invention shown in partial cross section. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a cartridge gear train of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge gear train of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a storage vessel  10  is shown in schematic front elevation view with a rotary impingement cleaning apparatus  20  suspended therein. An inlet pipe  14  passes into vessel  10  through access port  12  and suspends cleaning apparatus  20  in the approximate center of vessel  10 . Inlet pipe  14  also serves to supply a flow of pressurized cleaning liquid F to cleaning apparatus  20 . Flow F of pressurized cleaning liquid travels through a stationery body housing  26  of cleaning apparatus  20 , while driving rotary housing  28  to rotate around the Y axis in the direction indicated by arrow A. Internal gearing in rotary housing  28  causes nozzles  22  to simultaneously rotate about the X axis (not shown) in the direction indicated by arrow B, discharging opposed outlet flows F′ of cleaning liquid to impinge the interior wall of vessel  10 , effectively cleaning the interior vessel wall. The residual cleaning liquid at the bottom of vessel  10  may be removed by gravity drain or by suction depending on the situation. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the rotary impingement cleaning apparatus  20  of the invention is shown in side elevation view with external parts depicted in cross section. Connective components and sealing components are not shown for reasons of clarity. An inlet cap  16  is mounted to a body housing  26 , neither inlet cap  16  nor body housing  26  rotate during operation of the rotary impingement cleaning apparatus. Inlet cap  16  is shown with internal pipe threads as an efficient means for connecting an inlet pipe (see part  14  in  FIG. 1 ) for supplying cleaning liquid F. Adjacent to the lower end of the pipe thread, a stator  40  is fixedly mounted. Stator  40  is formed as a round block with a series of angularly disposed slots passing from top to bottom. The angular slots serve to divert cleaning liquid F passing through stator  40  from vertical orientation in line with axis Y to an orientation angular thereto. Adjacent to the bottom of stator  40  is a rotor  42  having a radial array of vanes formed therein, the vanes being angled to be impinged by pressurized liquid exiting from stator  40 , thereby causing rotor  42  to rotate around the Y axis. Rotor  42  is removably connected to drive an input shaft  44  that is connected to drive a set of gears within an enclosed cylindrical container designated cartridge  30 . Cartridge  30  is formed with an array of inlet holes  32  around the periphery of and adjacent to the upper extremity of cartridge  30 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are four holes  32  positioned at uniform angular dispersal around cartridge  30 . A flow channel C remains open in the area between the exterior of cartridge  30  and the interior of body housing  26 . As pressurized cleaning liquid F flows through inlet cap  16 , through stator  40  and past rotor  42 , the major volume of liquid passes through channel C. Due to the pressure, a small portion of the cleaning liquid enters and passes through holes  32  into the interior of cartridge  30  for the purpose of lubricating the gears therewithin. Further detail of the structure within cartridge  30  will be described below. Cartridge  30  is supported on a platform  27  that is fixedly mounted within body housing  26  in a manner to readily install and subsequently remove cartridge  30  as a single unit with ordinary tools in an efficient time. Platform  27  is formed with a central hole to receive output shaft  46  in a bearing (not shown). Platform  27  has an array of openings formed therethrough to enable the cleaning liquid passing through channel C to enter rotary housing  28  and flow through stem  50 , as well as to provide passage for the minor portion of the liquid flow exiting from cartridge  30 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 2 , an output shaft  46  extends from the lower end of cartridge  30 . Output shaft  46  removably interlocks with a drive shaft  48  that functions to drive rotary housing  28  by means of a set of gears  55 , causing rotary housing  28  to rotate around axis Y. A drive bevel gear  52  is affixed within rotary housing  28  to rotate therewith, drive bevel gear  52  being engaged with a driven bevel gear  54  causing driven bevel gear  54  to rotate around axis X. Driven bevel gear  54  is fixedly mounted to a nozzle housing  24  that is caused to rotate around axis X. A plurality of nozzles  22   a ,  22   b  are mounted to nozzle housing  24  to rotate therewith. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two nozzles  22   a ,  22   b , although different numbers of nozzles are similarly appropriate to the purpose of the present invention. The number of teeth formed on drive bevel gear  52  differs by a small amount from the number of teeth formed on driven bevel gear  54 , e.g. by 1-3 teeth, to cause the full rotational cycle of rotary housing  28  to be different from the rotational cycle of nozzle housing  24 , thereby ensuring that the streams of pressurized cleaning liquid discharged from nozzles  22   a ,  22   b  will impinge all areas of the vessel being cleaned. The cleaning liquid continues through channel C to pass into a fixedly mounted stem  50 . Stem  50  is formed as a cylindrical grid with an open top end and passages through the walls that are peripherally dispersed to enable liquid to flow to nozzle housing  24  as rotary housing  28  and nozzle housing  24  rotate around axis Y. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the gear train and cartridge housing of the invention are shown in side elevation view with external parts shown in cross section. Cartridge  30  is formed as a round cylinder with open top and bottom ends. The top end of cartridge  30  is provided with a top closure  34 , and the bottom end of cartridge  30  is provided with a bottom closure  36 , top closure  34  and bottom closure  36  being affixed in cartridge  30  with internal snap rings (not shown). A plurality of inlet holes  32  are formed through an upper portion of the wall of cartridge  30 . Bottom closure  36  is formed with a plurality of outlet holes  38 . In operation, a portion of the pressurized cleaning liquid entering through inlet cap  16  (see  FIG. 2 ) flows into cartridge  30  through inlet holes  32  and flows out through outlet holes  38  in bottom closure  36  to provide lubrication to the internal gears. Input shaft  44  is engaged to drive a first planetary gear stage  56 . In the gear train being disclosed, each of the three planetary gear stages is formed with three spur gears that are separated by 120° when viewed from above, with each spur gear being equal to the other two spur gears. The three spur gears of first stage  56  are rotatably mounted on a set of pins attached to a first stage platform  58 . A central pin extends downward from first stage platform  58  to engage and drive a second planetary gear stage  60 . Second planetary gear stage  60  is mounted on a second stage platform  62  and is formed substantially identically with first gear stage  56  and first stage platform  58 . Second stage platform  62  similarly has a downwardly extending pin to engage and drive a third planetary gear stage  64  and third stage platform  66 . Input shaft  44 , first stage platform  58  and second stage platform  62  each terminate at their respective lower ends in a spur gear configuration. Third stage platform  66  has a pin  46  extending downward therefrom and formed with a terminal configuration, e.g. a hexagonal tip, for engaging downstream components to be driven thereby. 
     As described above, the cartridge and gear train of the invention is readily removable from the body of the rotary impingement cleaning apparatus, to be replaced with a new similar unit. Furthermore, configuring the gear train with spur gears that are all equal and interchangeable enables simple spare parts inventory and efficient unit rebuilding. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the cartridge and gear train of the invention are illustrated in exploded perspective view. For assembly, first planetary gear stage  56  is mounted on three uniformly dispersed pins extending upward from first stage platform  58 . A pin extending downward from first stage platform  58  is formed as a further spur gear for engaging each of the three gears of second planetary gear stage  60  as they are assembled on pins extending upward from second stage platform  62 . A pin extending downward from second platform  62  is formed as a further spur gear for engaging each of the three gears of third planetary gear stage  64  as they are assembled on pins extending upward from third stage platform  66 . The pin extending downward from third stage platform  66  is formed with a non-round end, e.g. a hexagonal end, for engaging output shaft  46  that passes through the center opening in bottom closure  36 . Bottom closure  36  is formed with a plurality of drain holes  38 . The upper end of output shaft  46  is formed with a matching cavity, e.g. hexagonal, to receive the pin extending downward from third stage platform  66 . At this point, the assembly of three planetary gear stages  56 ,  60 ,  64  and intermediate platforms  58 ,  62 ,  66  with bottom closure  36  and output shaft  46  are positioned in cartridge  30 . Top closure  34  with input shaft  44  are then assembled with the bottom end of input shaft  44 , formed with an integral spur gear engaging first planetary gear stage  56 . As noted above, fasteners, seals, bearings, etc. are not illustrated to retain focus on the unique design features of the invention. 
     While the description above discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is contemplated that numerous variations and modifications of the invention are possible and are considered to be within the scope of the claims that follow.