Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
We, FAWCETT, PRESTON & COMPANY LIMITED, of 17 York Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a device for cleaning tubes of adhering inatters,
as scale, which become coated or deposited upon the surface of the tubes in boilers
or heaters where a liquid is heated or evaporated; as for instance it has reference
particularly to tabulous evaporating apparatus, or concentrating apparatus, and
other apparatus working under similar conditions, where the liquid being
concentrated or evaporated passes through tubes, and the heating fluid surrounds, or
is externally applied to, said tubes.
According to this invention, a cleaner for ridding tubes of adhering scale, is
constructed and adapted to crack, prick, or break off the scale, and to do so in such
a manner that the tubes themselves are not in any way damaged or detrimentally
affected by the action thereof. To this end, the cleaner comprises a roller or rollers
mounted on a suitable support, and having teeth, points, or edges which will prick,
cut, or break up the scale so that it will fall off of itself, or be so loosened as
to be simply removed. In one form of a device, rollers of the kind described
acting as tools are made of a form to suit the curve or diameter of the tubes to
be cleaned, and are mounted on arms of spring. construction, or provided with
springs, so that an outward tension exists in the device when in a tube. The device
would be provided with a rod or handle by which the rollers will be caused to be
moved over the surface of the tubes to and fro in the direction of their length.
By moving it to and fro, and by the pressure of the rollers on the surface, the
whole surface may be acted upon by the roller tools, and the scale completely
worked upon and removed.
By the use of such a tool or device in connection with a device having tubes of
more valuable metal, as copper or soft metals, liability of damage to them by
cleaning tools, as frequently happens when using ordinary scaling tools, is obviated,
and the life of the tubes prolonged and the cost of repairs and renewal is saved.
Dated this 15th day of December 1894.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.
We, FAWCETT, PRESTON & COMPANY LIMITED, of 17 York Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, 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 has reference to a device for cleaning tubes of adhering matters,

page_text: as scale, which become coated or deposited upon the surface of the tubes in boilers
or heaters where a liquid is heated or evaporated; as for instance it has reference
particularly to tubulous evaporating apparatus, or concentrating apparatus, and
other apparatus working under similar conditions, where the liquid being
concentrated or evaporated passes through tubes, and the heating fluid surrounds, or
is externally applied to, said tubes.
According to this invention, a cleaner for ridding tubes of adhering scales, is
constructed and adapted to crack, prick, or break off the scale, and to do so in such
a manner that the tubes themselves are not in any way damaged or detrimentally
affected by the action thereof. To this end, the cleaner comprises a roller or
rollers mounted on a suitable support, and having teeth, points, or edges which will
prick, cut, or break up the scales so that it will fall off of itself, or be so loosened
as to be simply removed. In one form of a device, rollers of the kind described
acting as tools are made of a form to suit the curve or diameter of the tubes to be
cleaned, and are mounted on arms of spring construction, or provided with springs,
so that an outward tension exists in the device when in a tube. The device would
be provided with a rod or handle by which the rollers will be caused to be moved
over the surface of the tubes to and fro in the direction of their length. By moving
it to and fro, and by the pressure of the roller on the surface, the whole surface
may he acted upon by the roller tools, and the scale completely worked upon and
removed.
By the use of such a tool or device in connection with a device having tubes of
more valuable metal, as copper or soft metals, liability of damage to them by
cleaning tools, as frequently happens when using ordinary scaling tools, is obviated,
and the life of the tubes prolonged, and the cost of repairs and renewal is saved.
The form of device just referred to is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation.
Referring to these drawings, a are the roller tools, each of which is mounted
and carried on a spring bar b, the ends of which are bifurcated and carry a spindle c
on which the rollers are carried and revolve. The spring bars bare fixed on a rod d,
which is used as the handle of the instrument.
*
The rollers a are curved on their surfaces, being larger in the middle than at the
end, the curvature being such as to correspond with or suit the curvature of the
interior of the tubes which the cleaner is designed to be used in connection with ;
and the rollers are so spaced apart laterally that in their normal position, the
distance between their outer edges would be greater than the diameter of the tube
to be cleaned by it. As will be seen by the drawings, the particular form of the
surface of the roller tools a given in the illustration, consists of series of points,
in rows, extending longitudinally across the surface of thein.
The tools a are arranged one beyond the other as shewn, in order to enable the
cleaner to be introduced into the tube mouth easily; that is, by this arrangement,
if in the action of introducing the instrument, it is held at an inclination, the tools a
can be both inserted into the mouth of the tube without bringing any pressure to
bear; and then, by moving the handle so as to bring it in line with the axis of the
tube, the spring bars are pressed together, and thereby create a reactive
outward pressure of the tools through the spring bars, upon the matter on the
interior of the tube.
In action, the tool is inserted in the end of the tube, as describel, and then by
moving the instrument to and fro, or up and down, the scale is so worked upon and
broken, that it is all loosened or removed without in any way scraping or damaging
the interior of the tube.
The arrangement and particular construction of parts of the instrument shewn
in the drawings is useful and convenient, and offers material practical advantages ¿
nevertheless the invention is not restricted to the particular form, arrangement, and
specific construction of parts shewn, as these may be varied or modified without
departing from the main characteristics of the invention: and

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what is
claimed in respect of the herein described invention is :-
1. The herein described improved tube cleaner, namely, a cleaner having roller
tools with teeth, points, or equivalent formations, such teeth, points, or the like,
being adapted to be pressed upon the surface of the matters to be worked upon,
broken, or removed; operating substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. A tube cleaner, comprising roller tools with teeth, points, or the like, upon
their surfaces, and arranged one in front of the other, and adapted when inserted
in the tube, to be pressed outwards onto the surface thereof by a spring or springs,
the distance apart of the outer surfaces of the tools being greater than the
diameter of the tube to be cleaned; substantially as set forth.
3. The tube cleaner, constructed, and having its parts arranged, particularly as
herein described with reference to and as shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 16th day of September 1895.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.