AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE TUBES OF MULTITUBULAR BOILERS AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES ALLEN of Allerton Road Woolton in the County of Lancaster
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE TUBES OF MULTITUBULAR BOILERS
AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES 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 the more effectual removal of dirt or incrustations
from the interior of tubes such as the tubes of multitubular boilers and consists in
constructing the apparatus to be used for cleaning the tubes in such a manner that
the incrustation or other substance shall be scraped or similarly separated and
withdrawn from the interior of the tube by the act of pulling or drawing the
apparatus through the tube.
And in order that this my Invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practical effect I have hereunto appended a Sheet of Drawings marked with
letters of reference similar letters denoting similar parts in the various Figures.
Fig. 1 represents a plan, Fig. 2 a transverse section, Fig. 3 a longitudinal section
and Fig. 4 a side view of the apparatus constructed according to my Invention.
The apparatus consists of a spring fork 6 b upon the ends of the limbs or tines of
which are borne the parts forming the cutting head or scraper a a¹. A suitable rod,
a portion of which is shown at c, is attached to the butt of the fork for the purpose
of passing the apparatus into, and of withdrawing it from the tube in the operation
of cleaning. The scraper consists of the hollowed frustrum of a cone divided
longitudinally into two or more parts a a', each portion being cast upon or otherwise
attached to the free end of one of the limbs b of the spring fork. The connection
between each part of the scraper and its corresponding limb of the fork is made
within the base of the cone in order to leave the cutting edge free. This cutting
The
edge is formed by bevelling the hollow portion of the cone as shown at d.
whole apparatus should be constructed of steel and in such a manner that the tines
or limbs of the fork b b should have a strong tendency to open outwards so as to
keep the parts a a¹ of the scraper apart and thus to bring their base or largest
diameter in close contact with the inside of the tube. To the different portions of
the scraper there may be attached guides e e to ensure the concentric closing of the
merte a l

page_text: In using the apparatus it is thrust through the tube by means of the rod and
then withdrawn. The scraper comes into action during the withdrawal of the rod
and hence since the greatest strain employed in the operation is a tensile strain
there is no risk of the rod bending and a comparatively light one may be used.
In the Drawings I have shown the scraper divided into two portions a a¹ but it
may be divided into three or more the number being to a great extent determined
by the dimensions of the tubes to be cleaned. In this case the fork must have a
corresponding number of limbs or tines arranged symmetrically around the axis of
the apparatus. The scraper also may be of any other convenient form than that
of the frustrum of a cone provided that the cutting edge is formed at d its largest
diameter and in such a manner that the scraping or cleaning is effected in pulling
the apparatus through the tube.
Having now described the nature of this my Invention and the best means
known to me for carrying the same into practical effect I desire it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise details hereinbefore specified but that
what I claim is the combination of the divided head or scraper a a¹ with the spring
fork substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth and described
and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.