Year: 1895

page_text: ALLAN STIRLING 97 Queen Victoria Street London E.C. Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in machines for cleaning metal
tubes such as boiler tubes made of wrought iron or steel.
In carrying out the present invention according to one modification, a scraper
is inserted in one end of the tube; this end of the tube is then closed up either
with a hollow plug or cap, a pipe is connected to this hollow plug or cap, a fluid,
such as water or steam under pressure, is conducted through this pipe and through
the hollow plug or cap into the tube and the pressure of the fluid forces the
scraper through the tube. The hollow plug may be used as an expander to expand
a ring into the part of the tube where it is expanded into the tube sheet and this
ring may be made in one piece or in sections.
According to a second modification a scraper with chain or rope attached is
used. This chain or rope is passed over a wheel and into and through the tube
and the scraper is then attached to it, the wheel is caused to revolve by hand or
other power and pulls the scraper through the tube.
According to a third modification a scraper with chain or rope attached is used.
This chain or rope is passed over a wheel and over suitable guides or pulleys
through the mandoor, or other opening, of the boiler, and into and through the
tube, and the scraper is then attached to it. The wheel is caused to revolve by
hand or other power and pulls the scraper through the tube.
According to a fourth modification a scraper with chain or rope attached is used.
This chain or rope is secured to a piston or cylinder and is led over suitable guides
or pulleys through the mandoor, or other opening, of the boiler and into and
through the tube and the scraper is then attached to it; the piston or cylinder is
caused to move by hand or other power and pulls the scraper through the tube.
In the second, third and fourth modifications of the invention two scrapers with
chains or ropes may be used; one chain or rope with scraper is cleaning a tube
while the other chain or rope is backing through another tube.
My invention also consists in making one or more of the tubes larger internally
so that the scrapers may be readily returned through these larger tubes to the
part from which they came.
Dated this First day of July 1895.

page_text: improve DEVICEs for facilitating the Cleaning of lubes.
:
ALLAN STIRLING, 97 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C. Engineer, 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 improved devices for facilitating the cleaning
of tubes. The improvements which constitute the invention are pointed out in
the following Specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing
in which,
Figures 1 and 3 represent plans or views showing the parts in position.
Figure 2 is a section through a. a. on Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section through b. b. on Figure 3.
In this drawing the letter A represents the frames or plates in which the
tubes B. are fixed. Care the scrapers which may be made of any convenient
form and in two or more pieces. H is the foreign matter which is to be cleaned
out of the tubes.
The first modification of my invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2, in which
D. represents a hollow plug or cap and E is a pipe connected to this hollow plug
or cap. The scraper C is inserted in one end of the tube to be cleaned, this end
of the tube is then closed with the hollow plug or cap D. A fluid such as water
or steam under pressure is conducted through the hollow pipe E, and the hollow
plug or cap D. into the tube and the pressure of the fluid forces the scraper C,
through the tube carrying with it the foreign matter and cleaning the tube.
hollow plug may be used as an expander to expand a ring into the tube, and this
ring may be made in one piece or in sections.
The
The second modification of my invention is shown in Figures 3 and 4, in which
K. represents a chain or rope attached to the scraper C. M is a wheel over which
the chain is passed. Power is applied to the wheel M and the scraper C. is
pulled through the tube, carrying with it the foreign matter and cleaning the
tube. In the example represented by the drawing I have shown a crank to which
motion may be imparted by hand, and through the shaft O. to the wheel M. but
this wheel may be moved by steam or other power.
Instead of the chain K. passing from the scraper C. to the wheel M. the chain
may first be passed over guides or pulleys and then over the wheel M.
The third modification of my invention is to secure one end of the chain K. to
the scraper C, and the other end to a piston or cylinder. The piston or cylinder
is caused to move by hand or other power and the scraper C. is pulled through
the tube carrying with it the foreign matter and cleaning the tube. The chain
may be passed over guides and pulleys and then attached to the piston or
cylinder.
In the second modification of my invention the chain K. may have both ends
prepared for attaching scrapers. When the wheel M revolves in one direction,
one end of the chain with scraper attached is being pulled through one tube while
the other end of the chain is passing through another tube without a scraper.
When the motion of the wheel M is reversed the other end of the chain has the
scraper attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In apparatus for facilitating the cleaning of metal tubes, the combination

page_text: with the tube B. and scraper C. of the hollow plug D. and pipe E. and means for
imparting motion to the scraper C. by fluid pressure, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for facilitating the cleaning of metal tubes, the combination
with the tube B. and scraper C. of the chain K. the wheel M. and means for
imparting to the wheel M, a rotary motion, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for facilitating the cleaning of metal tubes, the combination of
the tube B. scraper C. and chain K. with a piston or cylinder, and means for
imparting motion to the piston or cylinder, substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for facilitating the cleaning of metal tubes, the combination of
the tube B. and scraper C, with the wheel M. the chain K. having both ends
arranged for attaching scrapers, and means for imparting to the wheel M. a rotary
motion substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of March 1896
ALLAN STIRLING.