IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE SCRAPERS OR CLEANERS AND BRUSH
Year: 1884

page_text: I, SAMUEL CLAYTON, of 32 Houghton Place, Bradford in the West Riding
of the County of Yorkshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE SCRAPERS OR CLEANERS AND BRUSH" to
be as follows:-
A Scraper and Brush for the purpose of clearing out of Water mains or services,
accumalations of soil or other matter adhering to the inside of pipes and checking
the free flow of water.
out.
The Pipe Scraper consists of eight (or more) Steel Springs, twisted and arranged
in such a form that where one ceases scraping the pipe the next one commences a
little in advance in the circumference, and so, on, all Scrapers acting alike through
The Scrapers are secured by one end to a plate keyed on to a shaft, and the
other ends are bent down to work in grooves and are covered with another plate
to prevent them getting deranged. The Scrapers obtain their spring by having the
ends resting on shaft, so that in case Scrapers come in contact with any obstruction
in the pipe, they will give way by passing over or twisting off the obstruction.
The Scraper is carried on two sets of three carriers or rollers which always work
loose on shaft and centrally with the pipe as it is travelling along through a
straight pipe or round a bend; also on front carriers is fixed a coned end or nose
to prevent the Scraper twisting or doubling up should it come in contact with a
branch pipe or other opening.
The piston is secured to a boss on which is formed a knuckle joint .which is
secured to shaft end, attached to the knuckle joint is secured a shaft carrying the
body of a brush, which is made of Wood, Gutta Percha, or other suitable material,
which will float when immersed in water. The brush is of cain or any other
suitable brush-making material secured with pitch into strips of wood or iron.
These are fixed into brush body with spindles having a spiral spring at bottom of
each, which continually forces the brush outwards.
My claims are The combination of the Nose working loose on Scraper shaft;
the form or manner of working Scrapers or springs; back carrier also working
loose on shaft, with suitable couical or spiral springs, to keep the machine central';
combination of shaft Boss, Piston Plate, and Knuckle Joint with Brush.

page_text: Improvements in Pipe Scraper or Cleaner and Brush.
I SAMUEL CLAYTON of 32 Houghton Place, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PIPE SCRAPER OR CLEANER AND BRUSH, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a combined water pipe scraper and
brush which being carried, or propelled through the water mains or service pipes,
by the water flowing therein, more thoroughly and effectually scrapes and clears
out the incrustations and accumulations of sediment, from the inside of such water
mains or service pipes than those heretofore used.
To carry out my invention I employ a central shaft or axis which in use is
supported at or near the centre of the pipe by bearers or carriers, preferably three
at each end. The front carriers are formed of strips of steel jointed to a loose
collar on the front end of the central shaft, and are curved outwards and backwards
therefrom, thus spreading out to the size of the pipe for which it is intended to be
used and forming a conical nose which guides the scraper and brush past joints and
irregularities in the pipe. The expanded ends of the front carriers are jointed to
studs resting on spiral springs fitted in radial holes formed in a loose collar on the
central shaft. The back carriers consist of three radial studs fitted at their
outward extremities with friction rollers, and held in holes formed in a loose collar
near the back of the central shaft, and rest upon spiral springs.
Eight scrapers are preferably employed to remove the incrustations and sediment
from the inside of the pipes... They are fitted between the two sets of carriers and
consist of strips of steel twisted spirally with the central shaft so that the front
end of each scraper.is in a line with the back end of the one next to it, thus the
whole inner surface of the pipe is acted upon by the scrapers as they pass through
the pipe. The ends of the scrapers are bent towards the central shaft and are
fitted in guides formed in two flanges keyed to such shaft and rest upon springs.
A piston is fitted to the central shaft, behind the back carriers which fits the
pipes and propels the scraper through the pipes by the pressure of the water
behind it. To keep the piston water tight the back of it is covered with a circular
piece of leather divided radially into, four sections, or more, each section having a
plate riveted to it for stiffening purposes.
+
A circular brush of cane or other suitable material is made in segments and
fixed between two discs or flanges on a spindle secured by a ball joint to the back
;of the central shaft. The brush segments rest upon spiral springs fitted in collars
on the spindle and are adjustable radially.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the combined pipe scraper and brush
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the back carriers. Figure 3 is a similar view of
the scrapers with the front guide plate cut away; Figure 4 is a side elevation of
the scrapers and guide plates, and Figure 5 is a transverse section of the brush,

page_text: The central shaft A is fitted at the front end with a loose collar B to which is
jointed the carriers C, forming the conical nose, they are supported at their hinder
ends by the radial studs D fitted in the holes in the arms of a loose collar E, and
resting on the springs F. The studs D are capable of a certain amount of radial
motion as a slot is formed in them through which the pins G pass. The back
carriers D¹ are similar in construction to the studs D and are fitted with a friction
roller H; they are held in holes in the arms of a loose collar E¹ and rest on
springs F and are secured therein by the pins G¹.
-
The scrapers J are fitted in the guides K formed in the flanges L keyed to the
shaft A and their bent in ends rest upon the spiral springs M. The pins N in the
scrapers J prevent them coming out too far and thus deranging the parts.
The springs F, F and M keep the carriers and scrapers against the side of the
pipe but allow them to be pressed inwards when they come against an obstruction
in the pipe and thereby enables the combined scraper and brush to pass on.
°
The piston O screwed to the central shaft A, and forms the cap of the ball
joint P securing the brush spindle R to the back of the central shaft, is covered
with a circular piece of leather S, to make it water tight, such leather is divided
radially into sections, each section having a plate T riveted to it to stiffen it. In
the event of the piston coming in contact with an obstruction in the pipe the
particular segment opposite the obstruction is bent back and thereby allows the
combined scraper and brush to pass on. The brush U is divided into four or more
segments V which are fixed between the discs W on the brush spindle R by the
bolts Z and they rest upon the spiral springs X in the collars Y on the spindle R.
The brush segments are not cut in a line with the central shaft but inclined
thereto so that the space between the segments, which allows such segments to be
adjusted radially, is overlapped by the front and back ends of the segments at
each side of the space.
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.) The combination of the spirally twisted scrapers with the central shaft, and
the method of attaching such scrapers to the shaft, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
(2.) The combination of the spirally twisted scrapers with the front and back
carriers, and the method of attaching such carriers to the central shaft, substantially
as herein described and for the purpose set forth.
(3.) The combination of the spirally twisted scrapers and the circular brush, and
the method of attaching the brush to the central shaft, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.