Patent Publication Number: US-3876961-A

Title: Mechanized reaming apparatus for pipes

Description:
Umted States Patent 11 1 1: 1 11 3,876,961 Kinney et a1. Apr. 8, 1975 1 1 MECHANIZEI) REAMING APPARATUS FOR 1669.525 5/1928 Kisscl 131/232 PIPES 2.252.175 8/1941 Gordon .1  
  3.361416 1/1968 Jackson 131/246 X 1 Inventors: g s-s rawv. 313 311 211 P 3.438.380 4/1969 Paper cl 111 131/232 ur 11m 1 2 (1 0 n I. P. pickmq 3323 pinuforc Dr. F()RE1GN PATENTS 01R APP1.1CAT1ONS Durham N.(. 277115 11119 11) 10/1952 France 131/246 [2,, Filed Iuly H I974 I 349.806 6/1931 United Kingdom 131/246 [21 App]. No; 493,452 Primary Hi&#39;mnirmr-JuSCph S. Reich |52| [1.8. CI. l3l/232 571 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl A24f 9/10; A241 19/11) 1581 Field of Search .1 131/232 246 A mcchm&#39;md lizcs a low speed. high torque drive means. intcr- 1W 312 1331113311? 21:11? 1 111 211111:1:1&#34;;  
  2. e c. &#34;1* 1 1 1 cc UNITED STAT E5 EN I 5 on the inner wall or h0w|&#34; 01&#39; hriar pipes and the like Q and collects the scrapings in 11 cup-tray. C C 1. 1 v 1 2 1.6511151 12/1927 Wurmzm 131/232 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures CARBON &#34;CAKE&#34; BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This device relates to apparatus for removal of carbon from the bowl of pipes and particularly to mechanically driven pipe reamers.  
 2. Description of the Prior Art When smoking pipes, repeated burning of tobacco causes carbon to build up on the walls of the pipe bowl.  
  When approximately one-sixteenth inch of carbon or cake builds up on the inner wall of the pipe bowl, the carbon cake should be removed to prevent cracking of the bowl and to provide more space for tobacco in the pipe bowl. Removal of collected carbon from the bowl of briar pipes has long been done manually with hand tools such as files, knife blades, scrapers and commercially available hand carbon-cut reamers. Pipe smokers desire some carbon cake on the inner wall of their pipes but a cake of more than one-sixteenth inch is not desirable. When removing the carbon cake from the pipe bowl, it is important not to use an instrument with a sharp point otherwise damage to the pipe may occur. A pipe reamer or carbon-cutter made to the shape of the pipe bowl is recommended for removing the carbon cake. Careful handling of the reamer or carbon-cutter is necessary otherwise wounding of the briar in the pipe may occur if the carbon cake is not properly removed. Ordinary hand reaming of the bowl cake often is unsatisfactory because of lack of uniformity in removal of the cake.  
  In addition to hand reamers, various types of mechanical reamers and apparatus have been developed and patented. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,438,380; 3,362,416; 2,252,175; 2,306,622; 2,189,942; 1,651,651; and 1,233,410 which give a background of existing reamer types.  
  Several of these patents employ mechanically driven cleaning or reaming devices. However, heretofore most of the commercially available, mechanically driven reamers have been driven at such high sepped that dust and scrapings have been scattered in the surrounding area. In order to overcome this undesirable condition, many of the mentioned devices have necessarily provided for the cleaning or reaming operation area to be enclosed with various housings or bellows arrangements. Also, many of the pipe cleaning or reaming devices have had to employ suction fans to remove and control the removal of the dust and scrapings from the reamer and pipe bowl area.  
  The prior art devices normally require, for mechanized reaming, a special reamer which is useful only with the driven apparatus and has no utility as a manual reamer. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a mechanized pipe bowl reamer on which a conventional type manual reamer could be removably mounted so that the same reamer could be either mechanically driven or used manually for final touch up reaming.  
  Another problem faced by pipe smokers is that bowls of different depth require different depth reamers. While the problem has been recognized in some of the mechanized bowl reamers of the prior art it has not been satisfactorily solved. More particularly, the prior art has not provided a mechanized pipe bowl reamer adapted to removably mount various sizes of manual reamers for various depths of bowls.  
  With the addition of the housings, bellows, fans, etc., a relatively large and expensive device exists. In this respect, the prior art has not taught an adequate, inexpensive, mechanically driven device for reaming of the carbon cake from a pipe bowl.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a mechanized pipe reamer which adapts to pipes having various bowl depths and which utilizes a drive means enclosed within a housing such that its drive shaft extends through the top of the housing and slidable receives a removable cup-tray. The exposed end of the drive shaft integrally mounts a shaft extension which interchangeably receives various sizes of manual type flanged carbon-cut reamers and mounts the selected reamer at either of two levels. In utilizing the mechanized pipe carbon reaming apparatus, a pipe bowl is turned upside down over the flanged carbon-cut reamer so that the pipe bowl and reamer are contacting each other. The drive means is energized for turning of the reamer and adequate pressure of the pipe is applied to the turning reamer for removal of the carbon. As the carbon is reamed from the bow] of the pipe, the removed carbon falls by gravity into the tray below the reamer. The tray may be removed and periodically emptied.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the mechanized reaming apparatus for pipes with a portion thereof cutaway and illustrating in section a pipe of relatively shallow bowl depth being reamed of its carbon cake.  
  FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 but showing in section a pipe of relatively deep bowl depth.  
  FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus as it appears with the cup-tray removed from the apparatus.  
  FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the extension shaft employed with this invention and with the shaft turned so that the uppermost reamer mounting slot is visible.  
  FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 but with the shaft turned so that the lowest reamer mounting position is shown.  
 FIG. 6 is a top view of the shaft of FIGS. 4 and 5.  
  FIG. 7 is a partial section view, enlarged, of the cuptray employed with this invention.  
  FIG. 8 is a side elevation view, on a reduced scale, of a manual flanged carbon-cut reamer of the type used in this invention.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRE EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the mechanized reamer 10 has a housing 11 which fixedly mounts a low-speed, high-torque drive motor 12. Bolts 13 extend through the top of housing 111 and into motor 12 so that, when tightened, motor 12 is fixedly secured to housing top 14. A metal plate 15 closes the bottom end of housing 11 and is secured thereto by screws 22. Suetion cups l6 aid in preventing the unit from sliding on the surface upon which it is resting. A power cord 17 extends from motor 12 through opening 18 in housing 11 and has a plug 19 for insertion into a suitable outlet. On/off switch 20 is mounted on an angled surface 21 of the front housing 11. I  
  A motor found suitable for purposes of the invention is made by E. C. M. Motor Company of Schaumsburg,  
 Illinois and is identified as A. C, type SDM I, 25 rpm,  
 direct drive. In operation, it provides thedesired reIa-- tively high torque and low speed which has been most effective for the reaming operation.  
  Housing top 14 has a square recessed area 23 cut therein. In the center of recessed area 23 is a hole 25 which extends through housing top 14. Drive shaft 26 of motor 12 extends upward through hole 25. A drive shaft extension 27 is secured on shaft 26 by set screw. 28 through threaded opening 24 in extension 27 so that as motor 12 drives shaft 26 it in turn causes extension 27 to rotate therewith. The upper exposed end of extension 27 is of hollow construction and has slots 29, 30, 3|, 32, which extend down the length of extension 27 a predetermined length. Slot 29 is diametrically op posite slot 30 and slots 29, 30 extend down extension 27 a predetermined portion of its length. Slot 3] is diametrically oppositc slot 32 and slots 31, 32 extend down extension 27 a predetermined portion of its length but less than the depth of slots 29, 30. The function of slots 29, 30, 31 and 32 will be described in greater detail later in the description.  
  Referring to FIG. 7 in detail, a one piece construction cup-tray 40 is square in outside dimensions but has a circular recess area 41 in the middle thereof. Ash receptacle or tray 40 has a downwardly extending exten- I sion 42 which is square in construction and which is adapted for placement in square recess 23. The mating of cup-tray extension 42 and recess 23 acts to prevent tray 40 from rotating with shaft 26 and extension 27 when they are being driven by motor 1 2,Tray 40 has I a raised portion 43 molded integral therewith in the center of tray 40. Ahole 44 extends through tray extension 42, through tray 40 and through raised-portion 43 of tray 40. Hole 44 is of a diameter such that drive shaft an integral neck portion 52 and a handle portion 53 which when used manually provides for easier grip and use. As previously stated, the upper exposed end of drive shaft extension 27 is of hollow construction and has slots 29, 30, 31, 32. The hollow, bored. portion of extension 27 is sufficiently large so as to allow the neck portion 52 of reamer&#39;50 to reside therein. Reamer 50 is placed on shaft extension 27 so that handle portion 53 can be aligned and inserted into either of diametrically opposed slot pair 29, 30 or pair 31, 32. Slots 29., 30 are positioned to be used when the pipe being reamed has a shallow bowl (See FIG. I). Slots 3], 32 are used for a pipe bowl which is relatively deep (See FIG. 2)-.&#39; Once handle portion 53 of reamer 50 is inserted into the desired slot pair and is allowed to seat in its position against the base of the slots, mechanized reamer I0 is ready for use. Handle portion 53 and neck portion 52 are both loosely mounted.  
  In utilizing the mechanized pipe carbon cutting apparatus, the cup-tray 40 is placed on extension 27 and allowed to seat in square recess 23. Depending on the bowl size of the pipe to be cleaned. a carbon-cut reamer 50 is selected and mounted on extension 27,&#39;as  
 previously described. The pipe to be cleaned isv then turned upside down so that the pipe bowl can be placed down over the carbon-cut reamer 50. Switch 20 is now turned on and energizes motor 12. The amount of pres sure necessary to provide the desired cut can be applied directly to the pipe as it is being reamed. .As the natives could be employed with this invention without changing the scope of the invention. It is anticipated that instead of requiring a power cord and power outlet;  
 that the apparatus might be battery powered. Another alternative is to utilize a pressure sensitiveswitch which would cut the&#39;motor on when pressure is applied to the pipe as it is held against the reamer. It is also contemplated to provide tobacco storage, pipe storage and reamer storage space in combination with the apparatus of. this invention.  
  Of particular advantage is the fact that the shank or neck portion of a conventional manual reamer can be loosely received in the bore of the driven member and the crossbar handle of the reamer loosely received .in one of the slotpairs. Thus, reamers may be quickly changed.  
 What is claimed is:  
 I. A pipe bowl cleaner comprising, in combination:  
 a. a housing including top. side and bottom walls;  
 b. an ash receptacle having a bottom wall portion adapted to be removably secured to said housing top wall in a nonrotatable manner and having a central aperture therein;  
 c. an electric drive motor mounted in said housing;  
 d. a vertical shaft member connected to be driven by said motor and extending through and above said aperture. said shaft member at its upper end having a hollow cylindrical bore and two pairs of slots, each slot in each pair being in opposed relation and of a common selected depth. with one slotpair being atjone&#39;dep&#39;th related to reaming&#39;shallow&#39;bowl pipes and the other pair being at another depth related to reaming deep bowl pipes; and  
 e. a reamer of the type having a flanged reamer at one end, a cylindrical shank and a crossbar handle extending through the shank at the opposite end, said reamer being adapted to bring received and driven by said shaft member with said crossbar loosely residing in a selected slot pair according to the depth bowl to be reamed and with said shank loosely residing in said bore.  
  2. A cleaner as claimed in claim I, wherein said receptacle is formed with four outer side walls, said housing is formed with four side walls and said receptacle side walls blend with and effectively continue said housing side walls when said receptacle is so secured.  
  3. A cleaner as claimed in claim 2 wherein said housing top wall includes a noncircular recess and said receptacle bottom wall portion is formed with a mating noncircular formation to reside in said recess and secure said receptacle in said non-rotatable manner.