Improved Apparatus for Cleaning, Painting, and Repairing the Interior of Drain and other Pipes or Conduits.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov.,
1899
Improved Apparatus for Cleaning, Painting, and Repairing the
Interior of Drain and other Pipes or Conduits.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK RESTALL, of 57, Park Road, Regents Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning, painting, and repairing drain
and other pipes or conduits of that description in which the apparatus is drawn
or pushed through the interior of the pipe, thus cleaning it. In apparatus of
this description a circular brush or brushes are commonly employed, the radially
disposed fibres of which press against the interior surface of the drain, and
either clean it, or deposit paint or the like thereon. Now in this invention
I cause the brushes which are preferably of circular shape to rotate by any con-
venient and suitable means simultaneously with their longitudinal movement
in the drain or other pipe or conduit.
of
This rotation can be produced in any suitable manner such as by means of a
spring or springs disposed inside or outside the apparatus; by a flexible shaft
through which motion is conveyed to the brush or brushes; by mechanism
operated by a cord or cords; or by the use of an axially disposed screw
extremely coarse pitch, upon which the brush is mounted, its bore having a
female screw cut in it which engages with the male thread of the screw in
such manner that when the brush or brushes are drawn or pulled through the
Or a central disc may
pipe or conduit, they are caused to rotate as they move.
be fitted in the same manner which is incapable of rotation; in this case the
male screw rotates, and has rigidly fixed to it a brush or brushes.
By the employment of this device a much more thorough cleansing of the
pipes can be effected; or a coat of paint or other preservative or disinfectant
deposited upon the interior in a manner which is at once efficient
economical.
and
1000
Improved Apparatus for Cleaning, Painting, and Repairing the
Interior of Drain and other Pipes or Conduits.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK RESTALL, of 57, Park Road, Regents Park, in the County
f Middlesex, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-

page_text: tion 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 apparatus ior cleaning, painting, and repairing drain
and other pipes or conduits on that description in which une apparatus is drawn
or pushed through the interior of the pipe, thus cleaning it. in apparatus of
this description a circular brush or brushes are commonly employed, the radially
disposed fibres of which press against the interior surface of the drain, and
either clean it, or deposit paint or the like thereon. Now in this invention
1 cause the brushes which are preferably of circular shape to rotate by any con-
venient and suitable means simultaneously with their longitudinal movement
in the drain or other pipe or conduit.
In the two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 show two forms of my improved rotating brushes when
actuated by a nut and screw.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of my rotating cleaner actuated by means
of roilers and gearing, and
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of my cleaning brushes when driven by
means of skew rollers.
!
In carrying my invention into effect when arranging for the rotation of my
cleaning apparatus in one convenient manner I employ a screw as the axis upon
which the brush is mounted making the screw A, as shown in Figure 1; of
coarse pitch, the central bush B being threaded thereon or formed as a nut
so that when the rod C is drawn backwards and forwards the brushes are caused
to rotate in their passage through the pipe or conduit.
Instead of mounting the screw as the driving axis I sometimes construct the
bush or nut B¹ as shown at Figure 2, with side arms or straps D to which the
actuating rod C is connected, the spindle A' being formed with a coarse thread
to suit the nut, the end a of the spindle being rigidly secured into the body
of the brush E; by pushing and pulling the actuating rod with its strap D
backwards and forwards a rotary motion is given to the screw spindle A¹ and
its connecting brush E.
When arranging for outside chain or cord connection to the cleaning apparatus,
I provide an eye or loop F' and give motion to one or both ends of the apparatus
by pulling the cord, chain or the like. I employ a driving roller or rollers G
having gearing H, H' H2 driven from the spindle 7 so that when the roller
moves against the surface of the pipe or conduit it rotates and through the
gearing H, H, H2 causes the brushes with their spindle A2 to rotate as they
travel through the conduit or pipe. I may make my driving roller G with a
yielding surface of india-rubber or the like so that it may accommodate itself
to the varying surface of the pipe through which it is passing or I may mount
the bearing for the spindle 9 on a spring frame so as to cause it to adapt itself
to the surface of the pipe and thus to give a constant rotation to the brushes as
they travel through.
Instead of employing gearing in connection with my rollers sometimes
arrange skewed or inclined wheels or drivers K, as shown in Figure 5, so that
as the brush apparatus is drawn or pushed through the pipe the rollers rotate
and give motion to the spindle A3 on which the brushes are secured. I find
it convenient to mount my rollers K on spring actuated arms L, the springs
tending to keep the rollers in contact with the varying surface of the pipe.
I may employ my driving apparatus to give motion to one single rotating
brush only on the spindle or to two or more arranged in series upon the one
spindle, and instead of mounting the brushes upon each block which is to
rotate I may form one or more of the blocks with cutters, scrapers, or plain
discs for removing the material from the pipe.
When providing for pipes which have bends or curves thereon I mount
flexible shafts or flexible actuated rods to the socket of the brushing apparatus,
+

page_text: and I sometimes give the necessary rotation to the brushes by means of a handle
placed at the outside or end of the driving shaft.
I do not limit the application of my invention to any particular type of brush
or cleaning or painting apparatus, as 1 modify the form of brush to suit the
purpose for which the apparatus is intended, sometimes making the brushes to
be fed with disinfectant, paint, or other coating or cleaning material by means
of a hollow spindle upon which they are mounted connecting the tube or pipe
to the end of the spindle so that it can be charged from the outside.
Having now particularly 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:
-
1. In apparatus for cleaning, painting, and repairing the interior of drain
or other pipes or conduits, the combination and arrangement of a screw and
nut for giving rotary motion to the apparatus upon its being drawn or pulled
through the pipe, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
!
2. In apparatus for cleaning, painting and repairing the interior of drain
or other pipes or conduits, producing rotary motion upon the passage of the
apparatus through the pipe or the conduit by means of surface driven roller
or rollers substantially as herein before described and as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of September 1899.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents.