IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE INTERIOR OF TUBES OR HOLLOW CYLINDERS, GAS CHIMNEYS, AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Hare at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th May
1865.
I, JAMES HARE, the younger, of the Lozells, near Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer,. do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE
INTERIOR OF TUBES OR HOLLOW CYLINDERS, GAS CHIMNEYS, AND OTHER HOLLOW
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after explained in the
said instruments or apparatus, whereby their rubbing or scraping surfaces are
made capable of adapting themselves more or less to the figure and size of
the articles to be cleaned, and thus enable the said rubbing or scraping
surfaces to clean with ease all parts of the said articles.
My Invention is applicable to the cleaning of the interior of articles of a
cylindrical, globular, bulbous, or other irregular figure.
In constructing an instrument or apparatus according to my Invention, I
take a stem or rod of any required length, having a handle at one end, by
which handle the instrument is held while being used. Upon the lower
end of the said stem, and near the handle thereof, is a metal tube capable of a
sliding motion on the said stem. To the top of the said sliding tube a series
of flat steel springs are secured, the other ends of the said springs being fixed
by a metal cap to the top of the said rod. When the springs are in their
normal position they lie nearly flat upon the said rod or stem. By sliding the
ctal tube upon the rod towards the top thereof, the said springs are expanded

page_text: outwards, and made to take the form of a series of, bows, the said bows being
more or less bulged or convex as the tube is raised more or less on the rod or
stem. The springs are maintained in their expanded state by the tube to
which their lower ends are connected being made into a rack, with the teeth
of which rack a tooth or stud on the central rod engages. The said tooth or
stud is fixed on the free end of a spring which works in a recess in the central
rod. The face of the tooth or stud nearest the handle of the instrument is
inclined so that the teeth of the rack can work over and depress the said tooth
on raising the tube on the rod, but the said tube cannot make the reverse
motion until the tooth or stud has been liberated from the rack by depressing
it into the recess in the rod. The springs when in their expanded state are
highly elastic, and are capable of temporarily assuming any irregular figure
which may be impressed upon them. I make the said springs into rubbing
or cleaning surfaces by covering the series with a bag or covering of wash
leather, linen, or other cleaning material. Or each spring may have a separate
covering.
When I use my Invention for cleaning the flues of steam boilers, and for
similar purposes, I connect to each of the springs a series of scrapers, the said
springs enabling the scrapers to follow the irregularities in and adapt themselves
to the figure of the flues with great facility.
Where the instrument is of large size and great pressure has to be given to
the springs, as in cleaning the flues of steam boilers, instead of maintaining.
the springs in their expanded state by means of a rack, as already described,
I effect the same object by making a portion of the stem of the instrument
into a screw, upon which a screw nut works, the lower end of the tube
carrying the springs bearing against the said nut. By rotating the nut upon
the screwed part of the stem, the said tube can be raised upon the stem or
allowed to descend thereon at pleasure.
In using the instrument the springs are first expanded to the extent required
by the article to be cleaned, and are fixed by the rack or screw nut described.
The instrument is introduced into the article and moved backwards and
forwards, and partly rotated therein. On introducing the instrument its
elastic arms, or rubbing or scraping surfaces are made to take the figure of
the said article, and thus every part can readily be cleaned or scraped.