Patent GB-170369-A (GB)
Abstract: 170,369. Jackson, W. J. Mellersh-, (Diamond Power Specialty Co.). July 15, 1920. Cleaning, fluid-pressure processes for.-Boilercleaners comprising a steam jet blower unit which is reciprocated horizontally across the steamtubes are provided inter alia with a stop motion for arresting the cleaning-device when in alignment with the orifices of a row of tubes and for reversing the motion of the frame when it has reached the limit of its travel. In the form shown in Fig. 1, the blower unit with horizontal and vertical headers provided with discharging nozzles 6 is moved across the ends of the horizontal and vertical boiler tubes 2, 3 by rack-andpinion gearing 10 operated by a lever 11, a halfturn of which moves the unit to register from one to the adjacent row of tubes, the lever being dropped to the rounded part of the rod between each operation. Mechanism for automatically severing the unit when it has attained its limit of movement consists of an arm 17, Fig. 6, operating the rack-and-pinion gear for shifting the blower unit through the medium of a pawl 18, co-operating with notches 13, and also feeding forward a guided frame 14 mounted on a screw 16. The travel of the blower is reversed when a projection 23 on a nut member contacts with a stud 22 and carries a segmental guard 21 to rotate sufficiently to cover the notch 19 and uncover a notch 25, thereby bringing into action the oppositely-disposed ratchet 20. In another form, steam is supplied to the header by way of a three-way valve 42, Fig. 8, connected by pipes 40, 41 with opposite ends of a steam cylinder 34 in which works a piston 35 with a central partition 36, ports 37 communicating with the header 32. Reversal of the blower is attained by operating the valve 42, the movement of the piston being damped by the piston 44 working in an oil cylinder 43 and connected by a link 46 with the header 32. Further modifications deal with arrangements for cleaning smoke boxes &c. compartmented by vertical partitions 50, 51, Fig. 10, and having an overhead water-heater 58. Steam is supplied to the blower through a flexible pipe with swivelled connections and, the central compartment being of greater depth than the others, an automatically-rocked triangular frame 69 is mounted on the blower to clean the tubes adjacent to the central depression. The blowers are mounted on wheeled bases co-operating with angled guides on the boiler and horizontallyextending blower tubes are supported by suitable braces. In boilers of this type, according to one construction, the blower pipes for the central section are mounted independently of the main header, a lost-motion mechanism being employed to compensate for the difference in the width of the compartments. The same end may be achieved by using two or more vertically disposed spaced pipes in the other compartments and a single one in the central compartment. In place of the swivel jointed supply connection, a stationary header is connected by telescopic pipes with a movable header, the reciprocating. mechanism for a whole battery of boilers compris. ing a chain attached to the headers and connected after passing over guide pulleys to a centrallydisposed rack-and-pinion device.