Apparatus for Cleaning Tubes of Steam Boilers or other Machinery.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Cleaning Tubes of Steam Boilers or other Machinery.
SAMUEL BURDETTE ROBESON, of 4121 Coliseum St., Mechanic, and WALTER
THAYRE BOHNE, of 4121 Coliseum St., Mechanic, both in the City and County of
New Orleans and State of Louisiana, United States of America 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning tubes of steam
boilers; and other apparatus or machinery and will be fully understood from the
following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Fig. 1, is an elevation of the cleaning device of our apparatus with a portion
of the rod broken away.
Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view illustrating our improved apparatus and a
portion of a steam boiler with the cleaning device in its operative position in one
of the boiler tubes.
Fig. 3, is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner in which the toothed
plates or bars of the cleaning device operate to remove the scale from the water
tubes of a boiler, or from other tubes.
Fig. 4, is an enlarged transverse section taken through one of the water tubes
of a boiler with the cleaning device in position therein, to illustrate the relative
position of the several toothed plates or bars of the cleaning device.
Fig. 5, is a front elevation of the apparatus.
Fig. 6, is an enlarged detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line x, x,
of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7, is a similar section taken in the plane indicated by the line w, 10,
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 8, is a detail section partly in elevation, showing a modified construction of
cleaning device and a coupling for connecting the cleaning device and the threaded
rod.
Fig. 9, is a section taken in the plane indicated by the line y, y, of Fig. 8, and :
Fig. 10, is a detail perspective view of one of the screws or bolts.
Referring by numeral to said drawings:
1, indicates two brackets which constitute the main frame fastened upon the
front of the boiler. Upon these brackets is adjustably arranged the open frame 2,
of a rectangular form."
3, indicates the piston cylinder of a steam engine which is secured in the frame 2,
so that it may be adjusted both vertically and horizontally, 32, is a valve chest,
and 3b, a valve. Said cylinder 3, contains a piston 3°, and this piston is fixed on
a hollow rod 4, which extends through stuffing boxes 4*, at the ends of the cylinder
and is provided at its opposite ends with screw tapped apertures 4b, and is also
preferably provided with an arm 4°, attached to the valve rod or stem as shown.
In this hollow rod 4, is arranged a threaded rod 5, which forms a portion of the
rod of cleaning device. This rod 5, is connected at its forward end, preferably
in a swivelled manner, to the rear end of rod 7. This rod 7, is preferably of an

page_text: octagonal form in cross section as shown, and it carries the serrated or toothed
and transversely curved plates or bars 9, to scrape or cut the scale out of the
water tubes as better shown in Figure 3, of the drawings. The said plates or
bars 9, are toothed, and they are fixedly connected at their opposite ends to spring
or resilient strips 9, which are carried laterally and rearwardly from their point
of connection to the plates 9, and are in turn connected by bolts 9b, to the rod 7.
The plates 9, may be arranged upon the rod 7, in any suitable manner. We
prefer, however, to arrange them in one or more circular series as shown, and
when more than one series is employed we prefer to arrange the plates of one
series in alignment with the spaces between the plates of the next series so as
to thoroughly scrape the entire inner surface of a water or other tube. We also
prefer to have the resilient or spring strips 9", decreased in length toward the
forward end of the rod 7, that is to say to have the spring strips of the forward
series of plates 9, at a less length than those of the second and so on, so as to
enable the rear plates to remove the scale left by the preceding ones.
The threaded rod 5, of the cleaning device is provided with a longitudinal
groove 5, which receives a feather or spline 5b, of a hand wheel 6, through which
the rod 5, extends as shown. This wheel 6, is journaled in an arm 6ª, connected to
the cylinder 3, and when it is turned in one direction it will be seen that the rod 5,
and consequently the cleaning device is moved forwardly, and when it is turned
in the opposite direction the rod 5, and the cleaning device will be moved rear-
wardly. The horizontal movement of the cylinder 3, is preferably effected through
the medium of the turn-screw 10, which is journaled in the end bars of the
frame 2, and extends through the threaded aperture 11, in the cylinder casting 3,
as shown, so that when turned in one direction it will move the cylinder toward
the left and when turned in the opposite direction will move the cylinder toward
the right.
It will be seen that then steam is permitted to pass from a source of supply
(not illustrated) through the rubber tube 3, to the valve chest 3ª, that the piston 3º,
will be reciprocated in its cylinder and the cleaning device will be reciprocated
in the water tube to remove the scale therefrom. It will also be seen that the
power is applied direct to the cleaning device and that therefore it will be recipro-
cated with great force which will enable it to quickly cut, scrape or saw the scale
from the water tube. When the forward portion of a tube is cleared of scale, the
engine is stopped and the cleaning device is moved farther into the tube when :
the engine is again started, and so on until the tube is cleared of scale throughout
its length.
When the cleaning of a tube is completed, the cleaning device is withdrawn
from said tube by rotating the wheel 6; and the frame 2, is adjusted and adjustably
fixed on the brackets 1, and the cylinder 3, is adjusted in the frame 2, until the 4
cleaning device rests in alignment with another tube of the boiler or other
apparatus, when the operation before described is repeated.
The brackets 1, have apertured lugs 12, to receive pintles or bolts for securing
the same in position.
The end bars 15, of the frame 2, are connected to the horizontal bars 16, thereof 4
by screws, or bolts and said end bars 15, are also connected with the oblique bars
of the brackets 1, by bolts 19, which take through lugs 17, of the bars 15, and
through threaded apertures in straps 18, arranged at the inner sides of the oblique
bars of the brackets 1, as better shown in Figures 5 and 6, of the drawings.
The horizontal adjustment of the piston cylinder and its appurtenances in the 5
frame 2, may be readily accomplished by rotating the screw 10; the flexible con-
nection 3, between the said cylinder and the source of steam supply serving to
permit of such adjustment.
In Figures 8 and 9, we have shown a desirable construction of cleaning device,
and a desirable swivel coupling for connecting the rod 7º, of said cleaning device 5
with the threaded rod 5º.

page_text: The rod 7°, of the cleaning device has an end section 20, provided with peripheral
ribs 21, and also provided with a threaded inner end 22, and sections 23, for the
connection of the resilient strips 9, of the scraping plates 9. The section 23,
contiguous to the end section 20, is provided with a socket to receive the threaded
end 22, of said section 20; and the several sections 23, are connected by threaded
rode 24, which take into threaded sockets 25, in the contiguous ends thereof as
shown.
The resilient or spring strips 9, of the scraping plates 9, are connected to the
rod sections 23, by screws 26; and these screws occupy sockets 27, which com-
municate at their inner ends with the sockets 25. The screws 26, have threads
at their inner ends designed to be engaged by the threaded bolts 24, and con-
sequently it will be seen that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 8,
the screws 26, will be locked against casual turning and a casual disconnection
of the resilient strips of the scraping plates from the rod sections will be
effectually prevented.
.
The end of the threaded rod 5°, is provided with peripheral ribs 30, and is con-
nected to the end section 20, of the rod 7°, by the coupling 31. This coupling 31,
comprises two sections 32, which have interior annular grooves 33, to receive the
collar flanges or ribs 21, 30, of the rods 7º, 5º, and also have the reduced portions 34,
at their ends as shown. In these reduced portions 34, are formed slots which
when the sections 32, are together on the rods 5°, 7, form L or bayonet slots 35.
These slots 35, are designed to receive the studs 36, of the rings 37, which serve
to hold the coupling sections 32, together and when the studs 36, are in the position
shown at the right of Figure 8, it will be seen that the said rings 37, will be
secured against casual displacement from the reduced portions of the coupling
sections.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
-
1. In an apparatus for cleaning tubes, the combination of the piston cylinder
of an engine, a piston arranged therein and having a central hollow rod
provided with interior threads at its opposite ends and extending through the
opposite heads of the cylinder, a threaded rod extending through the hollow piston
rod and engaging the interior threads thereof and having a longitudinal groove,
a wheel receiving the threaded rod and having a feather taking into the groove
thereof and a cleaning device connected with the threaded rod, substantially as
specified.
2. In an apparatus for cleaning tubes, the combination of a main frame, a
vertically adjustable frame arranged on the main frame, the piston cylinder of
an engine carried by the vertically adjustable frame and having a threaded aper-
ture, a rotary screw journaled in the vertically movable frame and extending
through the threaded aperture of the piston cylinder whereby when the screw is
rotated the piston cylinder will be moved horizontally in the vertically adjustable
frame, a piston arranged in the cylinder and having a threaded aperture and a
threaded rod extending through the threaded aperture of the piston, substantially
as specified.
3. In an apparatus for cleaning tubes, the combination of the piston cylinder
of an engine, a valve chest carried by and connected with the piston cylinder, a
valve in said chest having a stem extending through one end thereof, a piston
arranged in the cylinder and having the hollow rod extending through opposite
heads of the cylinder and provided with interior threads, a threaded rod extending
through and engaging the threads of the hollow rod and means on said hollow
rod for moving the valve stem, substantially as specified.
4. In an apparatus for cleaning tubes, the combination of a main frame, the
piston cylinder of an engine adjustable vertically and horizontally on the main

page_text: frame, a piston arranged in said cylinder, and a cleaning device adjustably con-
nected with the piston, whereby it may be moved toward or from the same,
substantially as specified.
5. In an apparatus for cleaning tubes, the combination of a rod, a plate having
teeth or serrations on its outer side, and resilient strips connected at one end to
the rod and at their opposite ends to the plate, substantially as specified.
6. In an apparatus for cleaning tubes, the combination of a plurality of rod sections
having threaded sockets in their ends, threaded rods arranged between said sections
and inserted in the sockets thereof so as to connect the sections, scraping plates,
and resilient strips connected at one end to the rod sections and at their opposite
ends to the plates, substantially as specified.
Dated this 18th day of May 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
Agents.