Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Steam Generator Tubes and Flues.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1897--Accepted, 8th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Steam Generator Tubes
and Flues.
We, CYRUS SUMNER DEAN, of Fort Erie, in the Province of Ontario, and
Dominion of Canada, Engineer, and CHARLES ORLANDO RANO of Buffalo in the
County of Erie and State of New York, United States of America, Druggist, 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 is designed for cleaning the flues and tubes of boilers and steam
generators of the tubular type, by removing the soot from the fire tubes, and the
scale, incrustation and other deposits from the water tubes.
The improvement consists of a rotary head driven by steam, compressed air or
other means, radial arms attached to the rotary head, and cutters mounted loosely
upon the said arms so as to have both a rotary and a sliding movement thereon.
The improvement also consists of the novel instrumentalities and combinations
of parts for carrying into effect the intentions of this invention which hereinafter
will be more fully set forth, claimed and illustrated in the drawing hereto attached,
in which;
Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a cleaner especially designed for
obtaining the objects of this invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line X-X of Figure 1 looking to the
left as indicated by the arrow.
Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the plate or disc for retaining the
scrapers or cutters in place.
Figures 4 and 5 are end views of cutters or scrapers showing their active faces
provided with different forms of teeth, cutting edges or dressing.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing a modified form of a rotary head.
Figure is an end view thereof.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line Y-Y of Figure 1ª looking to the
right.
Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and
indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.
The cleaner comprises a shell or casing which is opened at its front end and
provided at its rear end with a fitting or head 2 which is internally threaded to
receive a pipe 3 by means of which steam, compressed air or other motive medium
is supplied to the tool for actuating the rotary head. A plate is located within
the casing and is provided with a series of openings for the passage therethrough
of the motive medium by means of which the propeller-wheel 5 is rotated. A
spindle 6 weighted at its inner end and provided about midway of its ends with
the ball 7 is mounted centrally in the plate 4, the latter being provided with a socket
to receive the said ball 7, therely admitting of the spindle having a limited movement
in any direction so as to centralize the rotary head within the flue or tube to be cleaned.
Price 811

page_text: The weight 8 at the inner end of the spindle is sufficient to counter-balance the
outer end of the spindle and the parts mounted thereon thereby admitting of
the rotary head readily adapting itself to the interior of the flue or tube under
treatment.
A sleeve 9 is rotatably mounted upon the outer end of the spindle 6 and is
provided at its inner end with a propeller-wheel 5 of desired pattern or make, and
has its outer end tapering and threaded. A hub or collar 10 is secured upon the
outer end of the sleeve 9 and is provided with the series of radial pins or arms 11
which receives the scrapers or cutters 12. A plate or disc 13 is secured upon the
outer end of the sleeve 9, so as to rotate therewith and is provided at intervals
in its circumferential length with pairs of laterally-extending projections 14 which
correspond in number and position with the pins or arms 11, and which are dis-
posed to come upon opposite sides thereof. The parts 10 and 13 are centrally
apertured, the openings being tapering to correspond with the tapering end of the
sleeve 9 upon which the said parts 10 and 13 are mounted and are secured by a
clamp nut 15 screwed upon the threaded extremity of the sleeve. The spindle
projects beyond the sleeve 9 and its projecting end is threaded and receives a
nut 16 which holds the sleeve 9 thereon.
1
The scrapers or cutters 12 are similarly formed and are weighty, their outer
ends being expanded, and their inner ends being contracted and reduced form-
ing a neck portion 17 which is received between a pair of projections 14 by means
of which the cutters are held in place and are adapted to have a limited sliding
movement upon the pins or arms 11. The active ends or outer surfaces of the
cutters are made couvex to conform in transverse section to the inner cir-
cumference of the tube or flue corresponding to the size for which the
cleaner is constructed, and this convex surface is toothed, ribbed or dressed
after the fashion of an ordinary burr as clearly indicated in Figures 4 and 5 so
as to provide a series of cutting or scraping edges which in the operation of the
tool remove the soot, scale and like deposits from the flue or tube to be cleaned.
The dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 represents the flue or tube to be cleaned,
and the tool being coupled by means of a hose pipe to a steam generator or com-
pressed air reservoir and the motive medium let into the shell or casing by means
of the pipe 3, the jets issuing through the openings in the plate 4 impinging
against the wings or blades of the propeller-wheel 5 cause it to rotate at a high
rate of speed, and the rotary head being secured to the outer end of the sleeve 9
carrying the propeller-wheel is correspondingly rotated and the scrapers or cutters
moving outward by centrifugal action engage with the inner side of the flue or tube
and remove the deposits therefrom. The tool is advanced through the flue or
tube as the cleaning thereof progresses, and the matter loosened from the sides
of the flue or tube is blown out by the motive medium. Should any one of the
scrapers or cutters meet with a hard substance when the tool is in action it will
be caused to rotate upon its arm or pin and the combined motion of the cutter
around the spindle 6 and upon its arm or pin will effectually remove the obstruct-
ing matter as the latter will be subjected to a more severe action of the cutters
than the portion of the flue or tube adjacent thereto.
The precise form of the cutters or scrapers is unimportant so long as their outer
surfaces or active ends are made convex and toothed or dressed and so long as they
are mounted to receive a radial sliding movement and an independent rotary
movement about radially disposed arms of the rotary head.
As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3* the sleeve has pairs of ears 18 between which
the inner ends of arms 19 are pivoted, and which arms curve outwardly and
forwardly and terminate in sockets which receive pins 20 held therein by binding
screws 21 so as to be readily removed. A plate 22 is secured upon the outer end
of the sleeve 9 and has radial arms 23 which are slotted to receive the outer
ends of the pins 20 and form guides therefor. Upon the pins 20 are mounted
burr cutters 24. These cutters move outward with the pins 20 and have an in-
dependent rotary movement thereon. Upon loosening the binding screws 21 the

page_text: pins 20 can be removed thereby enabling the burr cutters to be replaced when
worn or otherwise unfitted for further service.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a cleaner for steam boiler flues or tubes, a rotary head comprising cutters
which are adapted to move outward and receive an independent rotary movement
on their axes, substantially as described.
2. In a cleaner for steam boiler flues or tubes, a rotary head comprising a
cutter mounted to receive a radial sliding movement and an independent rotary
movement about a radial axis at any stage of its sliding movement, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a cleaner for the flues and tubes of steam boilers, a rotary head comprising
radially slidable scrapers or cutters, and means for limiting the movements of the
said cutters and retaining them in place, substantially as described.
4 In a cleaner for the tubes and flues of steam boilers, the combination of a
rotary support, radially disposed cutters, and a plate or disc secured in the rotary
support and having portions in engagement with the cutters to limit their radial
movements and retain them in place, substantially as specified.
5. In a cleaner for the flues and tubes of steam boilers, the combination of a
rotary support, radially disposed cutters, and a plate or disc secured to rotate with
the said support, and having lateral projections making loose and positive con-
nections with the cutters to limit their radial movements and retain them in
place, substantially as set forth.
8. In a cleaner for the flues and tubes of steam boilers, the combination with
rotary support, arms radiating from the support and cutters rotatably and slidably
mounted upon the said arms, substantially as described.
7. In a cleaner for the flues and tubes of steam boilers, the combination of a
rotary support, arms radiating from the support, cutters rotatably and slidably
mounted upon the said arms, and a plate secured to rotate with the support and
having lateral projections to engage with the cutters to limit their movements
and retain them in place, substantially as described.
4. In a cleaner for the tubes and flues of steam boilers, the combination of a
a rotary support, of a cutter having its outer end or active face made convex and
provided with teeth or dressing, substantially as set forth for the purpose specified.
9. In a flue for tube cleaner, the combination with a rotary support having
radially disposed arms, of cutters rotatably and slidably mounted upon the arms
and having their outer ends expanded and convex and toothed, and having their
inner ends reduced and formed with neck portions, and a plate secured to the
rotary support and having pairs of projections to embrace the neck portions of
the cutters, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of Navambor 1897
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.