Abstract:
An apparatus for cleaning the interior of tanks or the like, the apparatus has high pressure rotary fluid distribution nozzles on rotating arms that adjustably extend from a movable platform to follow the varying dimensions of a tapered interior surface of a tank to be cleaned. The apparatus is self-centering within the enclosure with 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 tanks and pipe cleaning devices that travel through the interior of a tank cleaning the interior surface as they go. These types of devices use mechanical and/or fluid under high pressure to shower the interior surface of debris and are usually pulled through the interior by an 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. 2,017,042, 3,449,783, 3,071,107, 3,994,310, 3,106,491, 4,206,313, 4,559,960, 4,690,159, 5,113,885 and 5,444,887. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,042 a pipe painting machine is disclosed having a support frame with a pair of spring actuated brushes and extension arms with adjustable guide legs having rollers thereon. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,107 is directed towards a pipe coating apparatus having power paint rollers on a rotating support assembly that is self-propelled through a pipe. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,491 claims a pipe cleaning and coating apparatus having multiple guide rails and an annular discharge nozzle spray pattern as it is pulled through the pipe by an ancillary transportation source. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,783 a hydraulic waste disposal line cleaner is disclosed having a high pressure source of fluid 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 carriage is pulled through the sewer line with a scrapping disk mechanically engaging the interior walls as it goes. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,159 is directed towards a rotary cleaning device having rotary spray heads with a pair of outlet nozzles on arms extending therefrom. 
     Applicant&#39;s own U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,885 discloses a pipe cleaning apparatus wherein a support platform carries and positions a rotating centrally positioned spray nozzles as the assembly is pulled through the pipe. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,887 discloses an under water pipe cleaning device having scrapper blades carried by a support frame that is pulled through the pipe. 
     Applicant&#39;s earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,461 discloses the basic interior cleaning apparatus from which the present improvement evolved. Its primary elements, such as spray arm support hub assembly and leg assembly structure provide for a pipe and tank cleaning device for use in fixed interior pipes and tank dimensions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A cleaning device for tanks to remove deposits and worn coatings from the interior surface thereof. The cleaning device uses ultra high pressured water dispensed from multiple nozzle heads on rotating extension arms that are adjustably positioned for engagement on diverging interior surface of a tapered tank interior configuration to be cleaned. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the adjustable spray arms support assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an adjustable spray arm support assembly and spray head tank engagement assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a illustration of a tapered tank portion to be cleaned with the adjustable interior tank cleaning apparatus of the invention positioned within and engaged therewith; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the improved cleaning device of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the cleaning nozzle support head assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the cleaning device nozzle support head assembly portion illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings; 
     FIG. 7 is an end plan view of the cleaning device nozzle support head assembly portion illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the support and centering portion of the improved cleaning device of the invention with portions broken away for illustration purposes; 
     FIG. 8A is an elevational view of the interior cleaning device of the invention within a tank portion to be cleaned; 
     FIG. 9 is a partial top plan view of the support and centering portion of the cleaning device with parts broken away in folded transportable position; 
     FIG. 9A is a partial top plan view of the support and centering portion of the cleaning device in folded transportable position; 
     FIG. 10 is a top plan view of an alternate form of the cleaning device of the invention adapted for large fixed dimensional interior tank surfaces; and 
     FIG. 11 is an illustrated view of a tank portion to be cleaned by the alternate form of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3,  8  and  8 A of the drawings, an improved tank cleaning device  10  can be seen having a main support body member  11  with multiple annularly disposed guide leg assemblies  12 - 14  extending therefrom. A spacing tube  15  extends from said body member  11  to a support hub  16  which has a second set of multiple annularly disposed leg assemblies  17 ,  18  and  19  extending therefrom. 
     Each of the leg assemblies  12 - 14  and  17 - 19  has an adjustable leg bar  20  with a self-centering spring loaded wheel assemblies  21  secured to their respective free ends by multiple fasteners as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The leg assemblies  12 - 14  and  17 - 19  self-center within a tank  22  having a cylindrical interior surface  23  and a conical transition surface  24  with a dome enclosure surface  25  as shown in FIGS. 3 and 10 of the drawings. It will be apparent that as the spring loaded leg assemblies  12 - 14  and  17 - 19  correspondingly engage the interior cylindrical surface  23  of the tank  22 , the main support body member  11  is thus “centered” within as best seen in FIG. 8A of the drawings. 
     A pair of oppositely disposed mounting brackets  26  and  27  extend from a rotating spray arm hub assembly  28  on the main support body member  11  which will be described in greater detail hereinafter. Each of the mounting brackets  26  and  27  are secured to the arm hub  28  by respective apertured lugs  29  and  30  thereon. Spray arm extension bar assemblies  31  are pivotally secured inwardly from the respective free ends of the mounting brackets  26  and  27 . 
     Each of the spray arm extension assemblies  31  has a pair of interconnected tubular arm elements  32  and  33  with a pair of longitudinally spaced guide limit bars  34  and  35  extending therebetween. The guide limit bars  34  and  35  are slotted at  34 A and  35 A inwardly from their respective free ends for registration with restriction pins  34 B and  35 B. 
     A pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly  36  is pivotally secured to said respective arm extension assemblies  31  between said guide limit bar  34  and the mounting brackets  26  and  27 . Accordingly, upon activation of the pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly  36  the respective arm extensions  31  will pivot away from one another until the limits of the respective guide limit bars  34  and  35  are engaged as is generally illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a cleaning arm assembly  37  can be seen that extends at right angles from the distal ends of the respective spray arm extension  33  with an angle brace  38  extending therebetween. Each of the cleaning arm assemblies  37  have first and second support bars  39  and  40  hinged together by a hinge assembly  41 . A spray arm tensioning assembly  42  extends longitudinally between the support bars  39  and  40  adjacent the hinge  41 . The tension assembly  42  has a spring housing fitting  43  on the support bar  40  from which a spring urged cable  44  extends therefrom, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art, to an engagement fitting  45  on the first support bar  39  opposite said hinge side of the bars maintaining the respective support bars  39  and  40  in an extended open relationship. A nozzle mounting assembly  46  is adjustably positioned on the free ends of the respective cleaning arm assemblies  37  as best seen in FIGS. 5,  6 , and  7  of the drawings. Each of the nozzle mounting assemblies  46  has an apertured mounting plate  47  with oppositely disposed engagement swivel mounted wheels  48  thereon. A high pressure spray head  49  extends from an aperture between the wheels  48  and is connected with high pressure fluid swivel  50  and a source of fluid under pressure. A sealed gear reduction box  51  driven by an air motor  52  rotates the nozzle assembly  49  which has a main spray head  53  with a plurality of aligned spaced nozzles  54  in pairs thereon, as best seen in FIG. 7 of the drawings. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be evident from the above description that the respective nozzle assemblies  46  will track on the inside surface  24  of a tank  22  to be cleaned as the cleaning device  10  of the invention is advanced through the tank  22  by a pull cable C as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the main support body member  11  can be seen having a cylindrical housing  55  with a front bushing  56  at oppositely disposed apertured end cap  57  with an apertured center support fitting  58  therebetween. An air swivel fitting assembly  59  is positioned within the central fitting  58  having an annular air passage  60  with multiple air inlet ports  61  therein. An air supply fitting  62  with associated interconnected piping  63  extends from the apertured end cap  57  to the air inlet ports  61 . An apertured central shaft  64  is registerably positioned through the respective end cap  57  and the air swivel fitting assembly  59  hereinbefore described. A pair of bearing assemblies  65  are positioned on the central shaft  64  by a bearing retainer  66  and a shaft nut  67  threadably disposed thereon. The bearing assembly  65  rotatably position the spray arm support hub assembly  28  having a bearing engagement portion  68  within the cylinder housing  55 . 
     The spray arm&#39;s support hub assembly  28  has longitudinally extending air channels  69  and  70  and the arm hub assembly  28  extending from the cylindrical housing  55 . The arm hub assembly  28  has longitudinally extending air channels  71  and  72  therein that are in communication with the air channels  69  and  70  respectively; with outlet ports and connector fittings  73  and  74  respectively. 
     The central support fitting  58  forms the lower half of a head gear drive box enclosure  75  with an upper half  76  defining the gear box enclosure  75  which has a main drive gear head  77  within. An idler gear  78  on a shaft  79  engages the main drive gear  77  and is accessible by an opening at  80  in the main support body member  11  as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter. 
     The arm hub assembly  28  having a central bore  81  therethrough is aligned for engagement and secured to the bearing engagement portion by interconnecting pins  82  and fasteners extending through registering openings therein. A high pressure fluid feed pipe  83  is rotatably positioned through the central bore of the center shaft  64  and has a T-shaped outlet ends at  84 A and  84 B with respective high pressure fluid couplings  85 A and  85 B thereon. A pipe support bearing assembly  86  is positioned in a pipe and rear leg support fitting  87  extending from the end of the central shaft  64 . The free end of the fluid feed pipe  83  is externally threaded at  88  to registerably receive a fluid swivel assembly  89  best seen in FIG. 8 of the drawings. Fluid couplings  90  and flexible fluid supply lines  91  interconnect the fluid&#39;s swivels  89  with the hereinbefore described high pressure spray heads  53 . 
     Air fittings  92  and flexible air supply lines  93  interconnect the air couplings  73  and  74  with the air motors  52  on the respective cleaning arm assemblies  33 . 
     The fluid swivel assembly  89  was illustrated and described in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,461 and is incorporated by reference hereto. The fluid swivel assemblies  50  and  89  provides a high pressure fluid swivel for the improved cleaning device of the invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 8 of the drawings, the fluid swivel  89  is interconnected to the inlet end of the fluid feed pipe  83  by a coupling and is positioned in a support bracket  95  extending from a rear leg mounting assembly that extends from the hub extension  16  hereinbefore described. 
     The tank cleaning device  10  of the invention is shown having a main air drive motor  96  and a drive gear assembly housing  97  mounted on the cylindrical housing  55  so as to be registerable within the idler gear  78  through the opening  80  in the main support body so as to rotate the spray arm hub assembly  28  and spray arm extension assemblies  81  interconnected thereto as hereinbefore described. Each of the self-centering spring loaded wheel assemblies  21  has a bifurcated mounting bracket  98  holding a wheel W extending from a support rod  99  engaged against a spring insert  100  within a mounting bracket  101  and are secured to the respective ends of the wheel leg assemblies on each of the adjustable leg bars  20 . 
     Retaining clamps  102  are provided to effectively retract the wheel W into the end of the respective leg assemblies  101  as set forth in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,461 incorporated by reference. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3,  9  and  9 A of the drawings, it will be evident that to deploy the tank cleaning device of the invention within the tank  22  the respective support leg assemblies  12 - 14  and  17 - 19  can be removed and/or are pivoted downwardly as illustrated parallel along the main body member  11  with the respective assembly fluid supply lines being disconnected if required for insertion into the tank. 
     Once inserted within the tank  22 , the respective leg assemblies  12 - 14  and  17 - 19  are deployed and the spring loaded wheel fittings  21  are on the respective ends are released by opening of the retraction clamps  102  so as to engage the interior surface  23  of the tank  22  thus stabilizing and centering the cleaning device  10  of the invention within the tank to be cleaned. 
     It will be evident that the cleaning head assemblies  46  on the rotating arm extension  31  will engage the interior surface  24  on the transition portion of the tank  22  and track upwardly being advanced outwardly by the pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly  36  which pivotally extends incrementally the respective arm assemblies  31  outwardly maintaining the contact of the cleaning head assemblies  46  with the tank&#39;s inner surface. 
     A source of cleaning fluid (water) under high pressure for cleaning purposes (not shown) is connected to an inlet  103  of the high pressure fluid swivel  89  providing fluid through a fluid feed pipe  104  and the fluid supply pipe  83  with respective oppositely disposed high pressure couplings  85 A and  85 B which are in turn interconnected by the respective high pressure fluid lines  91  and couplings to the fluid swivels  50  on the respective spray nozzle assemblies  46  on the respective support arm assemblies  31 . 
     A source of air pressure (not shown) is connected to the inlet port (P) of the high pressure air fitting  61  and thus supplies the air swivel with air pressure within the annular air passage apertures at  60  and to the respective air channels  71  and  72  which in turn supply the outlet port  73  and  74  and respective quick release couplings of the invention. 
     The interconnecting air lines  93  extend from the respective couplings  74  and  75  to air motors  52  at the respective cleaning arm assemblies  46 . 
     The cleaning device  10  of the invention is manually pulled through the tank  22  by the central cable C by an outside conveyance (not shown) connected to an engagement lug  105  on the front hub  14  thereof. 
     Referring now to FIG. 10 of the drawings, an alternate form of the tank cleaning device  106  can be seen having a main support body member  107  with a pair of oppositely disposed leg assemblies  108  and  109  extending therefrom. Each of the leg assemblies has a support hub  110  secured to the main support body member  107 . A pair of spray arms  111  extend outwardly from a central support spray arm hub  112  each of which has a nozzle assembly  113  adjustably positioned on its end. 
     The leg assemblies have wheel fittings  114  on each respective end thereof which are identical to that illustrated and shown in the preferred form of the embodiment at  21  hereinbefore described. 
     In essence, the alternate form is a modified version of the preferred embodiment in which the spray head assemblies  113  are positioned between the respective support leg assemblies  108  and  109  and are in fact quite similar to applicant&#39;s earlier tank cleaning apparatus illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,461 incorporated by reference herein. 
     It is respectfully submitted that this modified form of the invention is appropriate to clean fixed portions of large tanks before reaching the tapered areas in which the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention and the improvement to the device is applicable as seen in FIG. 11 of the drawings. 
     Thus it will be seen that a new and novel improvement in a tank cleaning device has been illustrated and described that will provide effective cleaning for transitional surfaces of tanks and that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.