Improvements in Apparatus for Travelling through Pipes or Conduits, more especially intended for use in Threading through Electric Conductors.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Travelling through Pipes or Conduits,
more especially intended for use in Threading through Electric
Conductors.
We, HENRY EDMUNDS, Electrical Engineer, and ALBERT HARRIS HOWARD,
Electrical Engineer, both of 39, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention has for its object to provide an apparatus by means of which
pipes or conduits can be rapidly traversed from end to end. It is more especially
intended for use in threading through electric conductors the said apparatus
carrying through, for example, a cord to which the conductor is attached for
drawing through. An apparatus constructed according to this invention consists
of two bodies which are capable of moving forward in the pipe or conduit but which
will not move backward therein and of a spring situated between the two bodies
and of cords or chains so connected to the said two bodies and extending out from
the rear of the conduit that when the said cords are pulled as the forward body
cannot move backward the rearward body moves forward and compresses the
spring and when pull on the cords or chains is relieved as the rearward body
cannot move backward the spring forces the forward body onward and then by
a further pull on the cord the rearward body is forced forward and by relief of
the pull on the cord the spring again forces forward the forward body and so on
alternately till eventually the apparatus traverses the whole length of the pipe
or conduit.
The bodies may be constructed in any suitable way to hold them in position
against backward movement when either of them is to move forward as aforesaid
for instance they may be provided on their exteriors with bristles or wires set
at an angle towards the rear, or the said bodies may be provided with hinged arms
or strut pieces which will yield to allow of forward movement but not to allow
of backward movement. The operating cords or chains may be led through
openings in the rearward body and be passed over pulleys on the forward body
and then be led back and attached to the rearward body. The bodies and the
spring may be mounted on a central rod provided with a groove in which projec-
tions or feathers on the said bodies run to prevent them from twisting in their
progress through the pipe or conduit.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise modes described of moving the bodies
in the tubes and securing them against back movement as these can be effected
by other devices of an equivalent character operated by mechanical means or by
electricity or compressed air or in other convenient manner.
Dated this 21th dox of 1900

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Travelling through Pipes or Conduits,
more especially intended for use in Threading through Electric
Conductors.
We, HENRY EDMUNDS, Electrical Engineer, and ALBERT HARRIS HOWARD,
Electrical Engineer, both of 39, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide an apparatus by means of which
pipes, or conduits, can be rapidly traversed from end to end. It is more especially
intended for use in threading-through electric conductors, the said apparatus
carrying through, for example, a cord to which the conductor is attached for
drawing through.
Apparatus constructed according to this invention is illustrated under three
modifications in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a longitudinal section
and Figure 2 a cross section of a tubular conduit having in it an apparatus con-
structed according to this invention. Figure 3 is a side view and Figure 4 an
end view of another form of apparatus constructed according to this invention.
In each case the apparatus consists of two bodies A and A2 which are capable of
moving forward in the conduit, but which will not move backward therein, and
of a spring B situated between the two bodies and of cords, or chains, C so
connected to the said two bodies and extending out from the rear of the conduit
that when the said cords, or chains, are pulled, as the forward body A2 cannot
move backward, the rearward body A moves forward, and compresses the spring B,
and when pull on the cords, or chains C is relieved, as the rearward body A cannot
move backward, the spring B forces the forward body A2 onward and then, by
a further pull on the cords, or chains, C, the rearward body A is forced forward
and, by relief of the pull on the cords, or chains C, the spring B again forces
forward the forward body A2 and so on alternately till eventually the apparatus
traverses the whole length of the conduit and draws through any cord, or the
like, attachment to it.
The bodies A A² may be constructed in any suitable way to hold them in position
against backward movement when either of them is to move forward as aforesaid
for instance they may be provided on their exteriors with bristles or wires as
shewn in Figures 3 and 4 set at an angle towards the rear or the said bodies may
be provided with hinged arms, or strut pieces a thrust outwards by springs a² as
shewn in Figures 1 and 2 which arms and springs will yield to allow of forward
movement but not to allow of backward movement. They are shewn with toothed
ends to give a grip on the conduit. The operating cords, or chains, C may con-
veniently be arranged as shewn being led through openings in, or eyes on, the
rearward body A, and passed over pulleys on the forward body A2 and then led
back and attached to the rearward body A at e. The bodies A and A2 and the
spring B are shewn as being mounted on a central rod F the forward body A²
being fixed to the forward end of the said rod F and the body A being capable
of sliding on the said rod which is provided with a groove f in which projections,
or feathers, on the body A engage to prevent the said body from twisting on the
said rod. The spring B presses at one end on the body A and its other end is
secured to the rod F which has a stop f2 at its end to prevent the parts from
becoming disengaged.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise modes described of moving the bodies

page_text: in the tubes and securing them against back movement as these can be effected
by other devices of an equivalent character operated by mechanical means, or by
electricity, or compressed air, or in other convenient manner.
In Figure 5 we have shewn in longitudinal section and in Figure 6 in cross
section a tubular conduit containing a device in accordance with this invention
to be operated by electricity.
The two bodies A and A2 are in the form of a solenoid coil and core respectively;
the coil A is in two sections a and either of which can be energised by means
of a switch in connection with the wires 1, 2 and 3. The coil A has, at one
end, a projecting stem carrying wheels g² at right angles to each other and
a hook g³ for the attachment of the cord, or the like, to be carried through the
conduit. The core A2 is of less length than the coil A and is provided with a
stem projecting through, and guided by the cover of the coil A the said stem h
carrying wheels 2 at right angles to each other. The wheels g² and h² are for
running forward against the interior of the conduit.
Their axles are carried in slotted bearings in the stems to. allow of pro-
jections on the stems engaging with, and being released from notches in
the wheels g2 and 2 to prevent the said wheels rotating backwards and to allow
them to rotate for forward movement.
The peripheries of the wheels are covered by rubber, or like material, which
will not readily slip on the interior surface of the conduit, so that the wheels
on the part which, for the time being, is to move forward, and which wheels are
not stopped by the projections i and notches j from rotating in a forward direction
can run forward whilst the other wheels remain stationary and act as abutments.
When the device is in operation a current of electricity is, by means of the switch
alternately put on to, and cut off from, the two sections of the coil. In the position
shewn in the drawing the current is switched off from the section a² and is
switched onto the section of the coil A.
When the current is first so switched on the core and coil mutually attract
cach other causing the wheels g² to be locked and the wheels 2 to be unlocked and
the core A moves forward the locked wheels g² offering sufficient resistance
to further backward movement of the coil A to allow the core A2 to move forward
whilst the coil A remains stationary. After the core A2 has moved forward
current is cut off from the section a and switched on to the section a² of the
coil A which causes the wheels h² to be locked and the wheels g to be unlocked by
the projections and notches j thereof respectively and the coil A moves forward,
and so on, the core and coil alternately moving forward so that by these inter-
mittent movements the device passes along through the conduit.
the nature of this
Having now particularly described and ascertained
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. Apparatus for travelling through pipes, or conduits, the said apparatus con-
sisting of, or comprising two bodies provided with means which will allow of
their moving forward, but prevent their moving backward in the pipe, or conduit
and means for propelling the said bodies forward alternately substantially as
herein before described.
2. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting apparatus for use
in threading electric conductors through pipes, or conduits, or for analogous pur-
poses substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2:
3 and 4 and 5 and 6 respectively of the accompanying drawings.
Doted this 13th day of December 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.