Flexible Pilot Wire for Tube Cleaners.
Year: 1898

page_text: Flexible Pilot Wire for Tube Cleaners.
JOHN RENTON, 71, Hylton Street, Sunderland, County Durham, Brass Finisher,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
My invention is a method of obtaining a connection for the wires attached to
steel brushes used for cleaning out the inside of tubes in "water tube steam
boilers" where bent tubes of small diameter are employed.
The invention, illustrated by accompanying drawings, consists of a flexible
wire rope of such a size as will allow of passage through the smallest diameter
of the tubes, tapering gradually from a specified distance towards the end or
ends of the wire.
At the end of this wire is an approved hook or shackle for connection with
the wires attached to the wire cleaning brushes.
The tapered end or ends of the wire being very flexible by being reduced pilot
their way round the sharp bends in the tubos; the main body or largest portion
of the wire being very little smaller in diameter than the inside of tubes and
therefore well supported, admits of a great pressure being put upon it which
forces it through the tube.
The wire may be made of any suitable length and can be tapered at both ends
to enable one end to be passed down one tube while the other end is being drawn
from another.
The accompanying drawings shews the brush B and brush wire B W attached
to the "flexible pilot wire."
FlexIDIO For Wire for Tube Cleaners.
I, JOHN RENTON, of 71, Hylton Street, Sunderland, in the County of Durham,
Brass Finisher, 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 refers to a new or improved method of obtaining a connection
for the wires attached to steel brushes used for cleaning out the inside of tubes
in water tube steam boilers where bent tubes of small diameter are employed.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood it must be stated that
there has always hitherto been a difficulty in obtaining the connection above

page_text: referred to, when the tubes desired to be cleansed were bent, as in that case a
straight rod was of no use as it would not bend at all, and a piece of wire of
equal thickness throughout its length would be equally useless as it could not
be forced round the corners of the tube because it would bend if much pressure
were put upon it.
My invention however enables a connection to be made whether the tubes are
bent or not.
My invention according to the drawing filed with the Provisional Specifica-
tion consists of a flexible wire rope of any length according to the length of the
tube required to be cleaned. The greater portion of the wire rope is of such a
thickness as will allow of its just passing through the smallest diameter of the
tubes required to be cleaned, and it is tapered off gradually at either or both
ends. The greater portion of the wire rope is of a diameter very little smaller
than the tubes of the boiler so that sufficient pressure can be put upon it to
force it along the tubes without its bending.
The extremities or ends of the wire rope which are tapered off are very
flexible and have steel eyes at each end. When therefore I require to cleanse
a tube I put the end of the wire ropo, which, as I have stated, is tapered off, into
the tube and push the wire into the tube. When the wire rope reaches the
tube as far as a bend the flexible tapered end pilots its way round the bend
being forced along by the pressure put upon the rope from behind.
The body of the rope although flexible, itself, is, as before mentioned, nearly
of the same thickness as the tube through which it is passing, so that great
pressure can be put upon it and it will not bend, as of course there is no room
for it to do so and consequently it must follow the tapered end round the bend.
When the flexible end comes out at the other end of the tube a smaller wire
with a hook attached to it is hooked on the steel eye at the end of the pilot wire.
This smaller wire B W has a brush B attached to it and the pilot wire is then
pulled back through the tube and draws with it the small wire B. W. to which
the brush B is attached.
The pilot wire is made by me as follows:-I take a piece of steel wire rope
composed of six strands of wire with twelve wires in each strand and having,
as is usually the case, a core made of rope in the centre of the wire rope
and also in the centre of each strand. This wire rope is of any length which is
required for the particular tube to be cleansed. (Twenty four inches from each
end, I bind the steel wire rope tightly round with wire I then open out the
wire rope from each end to where I have bound it round with wire about twenty
four inches from each end). Having done this I cut away three of the strands
forming the rope for the twenty four inches and remove the rope core in the
centre of the rope for the whole twenty four inches, and also the rope core in
the ends of each of the three strands from which I have cut away twenty four
inches for a distance of three quarters of an inch upwards. I then lap the ends
of the three strands of wire out of which I have taken the rope core and also the
three remaining strands, tightly round with wire. I then remove the wire
lapping which I had previously made just above.
My reason for taking the rope core out of the ends of the three strands,
twenty four inches of which have been out away, is that the rope when lapped
round must not be of any greater thickness than the other part of the rope. I
then retwist the three remaining strands again into the form of a rope for six
and a half inches out of the twenty four and again lap it round with wire as
before. I then remove the rope core from the remaining three strands and also
four wires from each of the three strands and make the three strands into rope
again for another six inches. I then lap it round with wire as before. I then
take away another four wires from each strand and make the strands into rope
again for another five and a half inches. I then again lap it round with wire
as before. I then take another two wires from each strand and make the three
remaining strands into rope to the end of the wire rope about five and a half

page_text: inches. I then solder the steel eye on to the end and I also solder each place
where I have lapped the wire rope so that there is no chance of its opening out.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I claim is:-
The general arrangement, construction and combination of the various parts
forming my pilot wire for obtaining a connection for the wires attached to steel
brushes used for cleaning out the inside of the tubes in water tube steam boilers
where bent tubes of small diameter are employed. substantially as above
described.
Dated this 21st day of March One thousand night hundend and i
JOHN RENTON,
c/o J. P. Bayly,
18, Fulham Place, London, W.,
Applicant.