An Improved Boiler Tube Scraper.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1898-Accepted, 25th June, 1898
An Improved Boiler Tube Scraper.
I, ALFRED ERNEST BROMELL, of No. 7, Thomas Street, of the City of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancashire, England, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows, that is to say:
This invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction and
increase the efficiency of scrapers for cleaning the interior of boiler tubes.
In a scraper tool made with the improvements, the operating parts are three
arms, with portion of disc on end of each arm, one third the circumference of
inside of tube, the edges of such disc being either sharpened or toothed, the arms
being hinged to a boss a few inches from discs.
Between the boss and the discs the three arms are encompassed by a sleeve.to
which is attached a rod which passes through the boss, and between the arms and
is rivetted or screwed into the sleeve.
This rod is long enough for working the scraper from beyond the ends of the
tubes for which the tool is made.
From the discs to the arms a web is attached to give the scraper a lead back into
tube after having passed through.
When the sleeve is moved towards the discs, it draws them together, and when
moved the opposite way it expands them so as to effectually fill the tube.
Attached to the boss is a regulating screw, with a lock-nut, which screw being
turned inwards or outwards, contracts or expands the dises as may be required to
fill or fit the tubes being cleaned.
Dated this First day of July 1897
ALFRED ERNEST BROMELL,
No. 7, Thomas Street, Liverpool.
An Improved Boller Tube scraper.
I, ALFRED ERNEST BROMELL, of 7, Thomas Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancashire, Engineer, 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:-
My invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction and
increase the efficiency of scrapers for cleaning the interior of boiler tubes, and
consists of two half or three third discs carried on the ends of hinged arms.
The

page_text: discs are automatically expanded on drawing the scraper through the tube by the
sliding wedge sleeve to which the handle is attached.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I now proceed to
describe the accompanying drawing thereof, reference being had to letters and
figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1, is an elevation of the apparatus.
Fig. 2, is a section on line A, B, shewing the plan of the underside of the tripod
block or jaws on which the curved rods or bars are pivoted.
Fig. 3, is a section on line C, D, shewing the plan of the underside of the tripod
sleeve.
Fig. 4, is a plan of the base of the discs.
Fig. 5, is a view of a scraper with two arms.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, my invention is constructed with three curved rods or
flat bars g operating on centre pins e rivetted loosely to the jaws of a tripod block
or boss d. The aforesaid tripod block or boss d is tapped and screwed with a
female thread and in this female thread I pass a tube with a male screw f herein
termed the adjusting screw. The tube is secured to the tripod block d by a
nut and a lock nut c. The tripod sleeve is provided with a slot on each arm
through which are inserted the curved rods or bars g as in Fig. 3, before the ends
are rivetted up loosely in the jaws of the tripod block or boss d.
The tripod
sleeve his rivetted to the rod a which is long enough for working the scraper
from beyond the ends of the tubes for which the tool is made. At the base each
of the curved rods or bars is constructed with sharp flanged discs or scrapers i,
and these said sharp flanged discs or scrapers i are strengthened to the curved rods
or bars by a wing on each side.
When the tripod sleeve his moved towards the discs i it draws them together,
and when moved the opposite way, the slots make the curved rods or bars separate
so as to expand the discs against the sides of the boiler tube.
The adjusting screw in the tripod block or boss d through which the rod a
passes forms a stop for the sliding tripod sleeve h. By advancing this screw the
expansion of the discs is reduced. The apparatus with the three scrapers can thus
be made to fit the boiler tube as loosely or as tightly as is desired.
When inserting the instrument into the tube to be cleaned, this sleeve slides
down near the head, drawing the arms together, and permitting the whole of
the scraper to pass easily through the tube. On withdrawing the instrument the
sleeve slides towards the hinge, and the wedge already mentioned expands the
arms, as explained above, and the scraper edges, bearing hard against the interior
of the tubes, clean out in front of them all scale, rust, soot, or other dirt. It is
necessary to give the scraper a quarter or half a turn in bringing it back into the
tube. The size of scraper can be altered by bending the arms in a vice.
In Fig. 5, I construct the instrument with two half discs & forming the scraper
proper carried at the end of two hinged arms 7. A wedge of suitable thickness
slides between these arms l, and it will be seen that when the wedge is near the
hinge m the arms are expanded, and in this position the edges n of the scrapers bear
hard against the interior of the tube in which it is placed. In this case the end o
of the rod by which the scraper is operated forms the wedge, being turned over
and riveted to a sleeve q embracing the arms and sliding thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In boiler tube scrapers, the combination of three discs with flanged wings
on the ends of curved rods or bars jointed together in the jaws of a tripod block
or boss, with an encompassing tripod sleeve, having a handle rod rivetted thereto
and passing through the adjusting screw, arranged to close and open the curved
rods and dises by the longitudinal movements of a handle rod or equivalent,
substantially as herein described.

page_text: 2. In boiler tube scrapers, the combination of the various parts of mechanism to
form the apparatus, substantially as above described in this specification and
according to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying drawing.
3. In boiler tube scrapers, the combination of two half discs k two hinged arms
hinge m edges n end o rod p and sleeve q, substantially as herein described and
illustrated in Fig. 5, of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1898.
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicant.