Improvements in Boiler Flue and Water Tube Cleaners, applicable also as Tube Expanders.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boiler Flue and Water Tube Cleaners, applicable
also as Tube Expanders.
I, WILLIAM LEWIS CASADAY, South Bend, County of St. Joseph, State of Indiana.
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 relates to an improvement in boiler flue and water tube cleaners,
the object being to provide a device for effectually cutting and removing the
hard incrustation which accumulates on the inside of boiler flues and water tubes
and for removing any indentations and irregularities which may from time to time
be formed in the tubes. In short it is an object to provide a tube expander as well.
as a flue or tube cleaner.
A further object is to provide means for expanding certain of the cutters to
adjust them to the bore of the flues or tubes to be operated upon and to compensate
for wear of the cutters.
A further object is to provide a flue cleaner of such construction that it will
tend to feed itself forward and at the same time force the scale removed from the
tubes rearward.
With these ends in view the invention consists in certain novel features of con-
struction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described aud
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of my improved flue cleaner.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section. Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections, and
Figures 5 and 6 are views showing slightly modified forms of cutters.
A represents a casting which constitutes the main portion or body of the flue
cleaner. This casting has a general tapering formation which terminates at its
extreme forward end in a drill point 1, the end and edges of which are sharpened
to cut their way through the scale which not frequently nearly fills the tubes.
Rearward of this drill end the body portion is recessed or slotted as at 2 and in
this slot or recess a pair of cutters 3, 3, are located, a little more than half of each
cutter protruding preferably beyond the surface of the casting as shown.
As these cutters constitute one of the features of my present invention they will
now be described in detail. In the preferred form as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2
of the drawings they are cast in a solid tapering piece with a spiral thread on the
It is
exterior surface of comparatively deep cut and sharp at the periphery.
essential to the successful operation of these cutters that the threads be hard as
well as sharp. This portion of the cutter is therefore given what is termed a
mold-board chill" so that it will resist the hardest scale formation in the tubes.
which not infrequently is nearly, if not quite, as hard as iron. The bores 4 are
left unchilled to form an easy bearing upon the journals on which they turn.
These journals 5, 5, are conveniently formed of short rods which pass through
the bores. of the cutters into the stock at 6, at one end, their opposite ends 7,

page_text: being secured by a short bolt 8 passing through both. Departure might of course
be easily made from these details as they have only been described as desirable.
Two things will be observed in this connection, first that the journals or
axles 5, 5, of these cutters are set upon an incline so as to insure a gradual entrance
of the cutters all the time into the scale. Secondly the threads of the cutters
always run opposite to the cutting edges of the drill point 1. In other words for
a flue cleaner rotating to the right the cutter threads would be left hand and
vice versa. The object of this is two-fold. The cutters being idly mounted,
they are turned by their frictional contact upon the scale in the tubes. This
engagement causes the cutters to turn in the direction of their threads and such
rotation makes them constantly feed forward so that little or no forward thrust
upon the cleaner is required especially when it is driven by power at a speed of
from 1000 to 1500 revolutions a minute. This then is one function of the arrange-
ment of the screw-threads. The other is to pull the scale off backward out of the
way. Both are effectually accomplished by the present arrangement. While
I have shown two of these cutters, it is obvious that three might be used and
although they are on fixed bearings that too is optional as they might be adjustable
somewhat as in the other set of cutters now to be described."
In the preferred form there are three cutters 12, 12, in this secondary set,
the casting A being recessed as at 10, 10, to receive them. These cutters are
similar to those just described but instead of being on fixed bearings as in the
other instance they are mounted on radially adjustable bearings 13, 13, their
ends resting in elongated slots 14, 14. To prevent their turning one end of the
bearings is made angular. As a means of imparting an outward thrust to these
bearings simultaneously they are provided with the outwardly beveled ends 16, 16.
Operating in connection with these inclines are the wedges 17, 17, which slide
endwise in longitudinal grooves 18, 18, in the threaded shank 19 of the cleaner.
A threaded ring 20 on this shank is provided with an internal annular groove 21
which receives the hook-shaped rear end 22 of the wedge so that in turning,
the ring is fed forward thrusting the wedges positively forward beneath the
beveled ends 16, 16, of the bearings and forcing them outward. The forward
ends of this second set cut within the cut of the forward set and the rear ends
are set to cut say within a sixteenth of an inch of the bore of the tube to be
reamed. When these cutters are set at the required position the jamb nut 25 is
screwed up tight against the ring 20.
Different plans might be adopted for adjusting these cutters, also they might
be fixed, or vary in number and arrangement or be dispensed with altogether,
the cutters 3, 3, in that event being relied upon to do all the work.
In lieu of the construction of cutters described, the journals might be integral
as shown in Figure 5 or the spiral might be divided into a series of independent
spiral disks as in Figure 6.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the secondary or rear cutters may be
adjusted to a nicety, as the cutters wear down they can be set out, and in conse-
quence of the set of the threads every portion of the internal surface of the tube
or flue is reached and thoroughly scraped. The two front cutters cut the way
for the rear or secondary cutters. In some instances the tubes become entirely
clogged but this tool is so constructed, by virtue of its drill point that it will
bore its way through and prepare the way for the cutters which follow and by
running water or steam in, the cutters work free and the cuttings are constantly
washed from the cutters. This cleaner may be operated by hand, by simply
attaching a gas pipe or shaft to it and providing it with a crank on its outer end
or it may be run by power in any approved way. The cutters will bore through
the worst scale at the rate of 15 feet per minute when rotated at a high speed and
the cutters when set opposite each other and at a triangle, or three cutters in a
head, fit themselves to collapsed flues or tubes and correct any unevenness that
may he found to exist. The tubes are never injured because of the shape and
rotation of the flue cleaner which is always kept centered by the inner wall of

page_text: the tubes notwithstanding any resistance which may take place in consequence of
excessive accumulation in the bottom of the tubes or at any other place. The tool
is cheaply made, most effectual in its operation and it is very durable because its
cutters may be adjusted at any time, or be easily and quickly renewed.
It is evident that other slight changes, in addition to those mentioned, might
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence
I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herewith set forth, but;
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A flue or tube cleaner having rotatable spiral cutters.
2. A rotary flue or tube cleaner having idle rotatable spiral cutters.
3. A flue or tube cleaner having tapering rotatable spiral cutters.
4. A flue or tube cleaner rotatable in one direction and having spiral cutters
which rotate in the opposite direction tending to thrust the cleaner forward and
pulling the scale in the opposite direction.
5. A flue or tube cleaner having rotary cutters chilled on their exterior.
6. A flue or tube cleaner having a drill point and rotatable spiral cutters
arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the cleaner in rear of the drill
point.
7. A flue or tube cleaner having a drill point at one end and tapering, rotatable
spiral cutters in rear of the drill point.
8. A flue or tube cleaner comprising a main body portion, rotatable spiral
cutters, and means for setting certain of the cutters outward.
9. A flue or tube cleaner comprising a main body portion, and two sets of
spiral cutters, one set in advance of the other set..
10. A flue or tube cleaner comprising a main body portion and two sets of
rotary spiral cutters, one in advance of the other set, one set having two cutters
and the other three in triangular arrangement.
11. A flue or tube cleaner comprising a main body portion, and a set of radially
adjustable spiral cutters.
12. The combination with a main body portion having recessed sides, of cutters,
removable bearings having beveled ends, and wedges adapted to engage said
beveled ends to set them outward.
13. The combination with the main body portion having recessed sides, and
cutters therein, of removable bearings or axles located in radial slots, the outer
end of each bearing or axle beveled, wedges for engaging said beveled ends and
a ring for simultaneously thrusting forward the several wedges.
14. The combination with the main body portion having recessed sides, a
threaded shank and longitudinal grooves in said shank, of cutters, removable
bearings or axles having beveled ends, wedges located in the grooves and engaging
the beveled ends of the bearings, a screw ring having an annular groove which
receives the rear ends of the wedges whereby to force the wedges forward againat
the bearings to set the cutters outward.
15. The combination with the main body portion having a drill point at one
end, and adjustable and fixed rotary cutters, of bearings or axles for the fixed
cutters, said bearings held at one end in openings in the stock of the device and
a common bolt passed through the other ends for securing them at the rear end
of the drill point.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.