Improvements in Flue Cleaners.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 188.-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flue Cleaners.
I. JOHANNES EHRLIOH of Marion, in the County of Marion, and State of Kansas,
United States of America, Gentleman, 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 relates to certain improvements in flue cleaners for boilers and it
consists of the novel combination of parts and their construction as will fully appear
from the following description and accompanying illustrations in which :
Fig. 1 is a partly side elevation and partly sectional view showing the application
of one construction of my flue cleaner for use.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of said flue cleaner and
Fig. 3 is a partly side elevation and partly sectional view of the saine.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of another construction of my flue cleaner and
Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the sectional piston.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, c indicates a suitable support preferably a rod
having at its outer end a hand hole d; is offset as at d. and has at its opposite end
a steam chamber D. The latter is preferably in the form of a pipe section and has
a nozzle connection 9 with the support c, and a like connection o, with a. valve
chamber having a pipe nozzle connection with a hose pipe i leading to the steam
chamber of the boiler. In chamber f is a valve (not shown) which is normally held
closed under the action of a spring and opened by the.manipulation of a hand lever.
A rubber packing K¹ is applied to a circular shoulder K upon the chamber D, which
thus fits steam tight against the boiler around the edge of the flue, a portion of
the chamber or pipe D extending beyond said flange or shoulder and entering the
Alue.
C is a disk or piston which normally stands at one end of the chamber D and is
connected to a wire B which acts in the capacity of a piston rod. Said wire has a
portion of its length cuiled around a drum A hung in the recess at the offset d¹, by
means of a shaft a, journalled in and between two plates bb, secured to said.support.
The drum A is loose upon shaft a, but revolves independently of it and within a
chamber of said drum is a coiled or tension spring A', one end of which is connected
to shaft A, while its other end is connected to the drum.
The wire B as it is unwound from the drum, coils the spring and puts it under
tension. Consequently upon the forward stroke of the piston which unwinds the wire
turning the drum therewith, the wire will be strained. The. piston () does not fit the
flues of the boiler steam tight thereby permitting exhaust to take place past said
piston when the back stroke is being made.
The steam chamber has applied to its outer end around the wire B a stuffing box e,
to prevent leakage of steam thereat. A brush m may be attached to the piston for
cleaning purposes.
The cleaner having been applied to a flue, as in Fig. 1, the valve in chamber F is
opened when the incoming steam pressure will drive the piston C forward carrying
with it the brush, which will more or less clean the interior of the flue during such
movement. When the piston has completed its forward stroke the valve is closed
when the spring A' will impart to the piston its return stroke and again subject the
flue to the cleaning action of the brush, the steam being exhausted by leakage past
said piston. This operation is repeated until the flue has received the required
cleaning, after which the device may be applied to another flue in a similar
manner.
In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown another construction of my flue cleaner which is
adapted more especially for use in short flues. In this instance the piston is retracted
by means of a coiled spring A² contained within the steam chamber or pipe "A"

page_text: provided with the coupling A' for the valves steam supply connection and the necessary
Facking ring, as shown. The rod B which carries the piston passes into the steam
chamber A within the spring and is provided at its rear end with a shoulder B³,
against which bears one end of the spring, the forward end of said spring bearing
against the flange or shoulder B³ upon the inside of the steam chamber. The piston C
(which may readily be used with the construction of flue cleaner shown in Figs. 1, 2
and 3) I make in sections (which are attached to spring arms carried by the
cone shaped supporting piece B' on the forward end of the rod B, whereby when
steam admitted through the steam chamber it will cause the sections to expand and
thus fit more closely against the interior of the flue being cleaned. The steam
chamber A is adapted to be carried by a suitable supporting rod or handle though
said chamber or pipe may serve as a handle itself.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be. performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:
•
1. The flue cleaner combining the steam chamber having the valved steam supply
connection, a stuffing box, a piston carrying a brush or cleaner, the support or handle
connected to said steam chamber, a spring retracted drum carried by said handle,
and located at a distance and separate from said steam chambor and a flexible piston
rod having one end connected to said drum, and the other passing through the
stuffing box on said steam chamber and being connected to said piston, substantially
as set forth.
2. The flue cleaner consisting of the rod or handle having at one end a hand hold
and an offset at about the middle of its length, a steam chamber mounted upon the
end opposite said hand hold and having a valved steam supply connection, a stuffing
box, a piston carrying a brush or cleaner, the drum having coiled therein a spring
engaging said drum, and a shaft upon which said drum independently revolves, said
drum being located in the said offset, plates connected to said rod forming bearings
for said shaft and the wire piston rod passed through said stuffing box on the steam
chamber and connected to said piston, substantially as set forth.
8. In a flue cleaner, the piston C constructed in sections as described and adapted
to be expanded by means of steam admitted thereto, for the purpose set forth, in the
manner described.
T
JENSEN & SON;
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.