Sand Ejecting Apparatus for Cleaning, Scouring and otherwise Treating Stones, Metals. and other Hard Substances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Sand Ejecting Apparatus for Cleaning, Scouring and otherwise
Treating Stones, Metals. and other Hard Substances.
We, LOUIS GABILLARD, Engineer, and LÉON ROUSSEAU, Solicitor, both of
24, Boulevard Barbès, Paris, France, 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:―
The different methods of cleaning the ornamental fronts of houses, whether such
ornamentation be of stone or metal, and the bottoms of ships, have been hitherto
associated with considerable difficulty, equally as regards the effective carrying
out and the quickness of the work.
These manual operations are very expensive and many experiments have been
tried without giving satisfactory results.
After much consideration, we have at length discovered an apparatus that will
effect the cleaning and scouring of these surfaces perfectly and very expedi-
tiously.
In order that our invention may be readily understood we annex to the present
specification a drawing which shows, by way of example, the arrangement in an
apparatus actuated by steam, for which latter we can substitute any other suitable
motive power, such as gas or compressed air by modifying the whole or a part of
the apparatus.
Fig. 1 is a view of the injector.and the sand hopper.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the collector; and
Fig. 3 shows the general arrangement of the collecting apparatus and of a
generator of any kind in front of a building to be cleaned.
The apparatus is connected by a flexible pipe A to a steam collector Y placed
on a fixed or moveable scaffolding Z at the height of the surfaces to be cleaned.
This collector Y is furnished with several conduits a by which steam can be
supplied to several points in order that as many apparatus as desired may be set.
up. This collector Y is connected by a flexible pipe X to a steam generator T
placed in front of the house or adjacent thereto. In the lower part of the collector
is a cleansing cock D. The steam coming in at B (Fig. 2) passes through a
perforated or rose piece C, having a large number of small holes and throws off
particles of water which may have been carried along with it or may result from
condensation. Thus it is steam freed from water that is carried into the upper
part of the collector and serves for carrying out the work.
The steam conveyed through the pipe A (Fig. 1) enters an injector E after
passing through a cock F at the side of which, in front of the key, is a neck G
which acts as a steam intake for creating a counter current of air in the tube (0)
as will be described further on.
This injector E is perforated in order that the steam escaping through the
orifice may assume a fish tail form.
On this injector E a three way cock seat I is mounted, the one upper arm J
of which is connected, by means of an india rubber pipe J¹, to a hopper K con-
taining dry sand. In the extension of the injector E is a flat tube L the interior

page_text: of which may be tapered, straight or of any other form, according to the nature
of the work to be executed, or of similar or varied form.
The upper
To this tube a pipe M is fitted and forms an extension of the same.
part of this pipe is perforated with a certain number of holes which can be easily
closed. A metal casing N surrounds the pipe M and is provided at any point
whatever with a pipe which is connected with the cock F by means of the
tube P.
The upper part of this casing N is perforated with vent holes.
Having described the apparatus, we now proceed to show how it acts.
In passing through the three way cock seat I, the steam which escapes through
the injector E creates a larger or smaller vacuum therein. This vacuum causes
a suctional action in J and so impels the sand in the hopper K.
This hopper terminates in a hollow piece R likewise forming a three way seat
so that the suctional action induced in J is actually produced in the apparatus
at e, creating a current of air which impels the sand to be ejected.
In the lower part of the hopper is a slot i, in which a regulator slides whereby
the arrival of the sand is regulated, enabling the apparatus to act regularly and
continuously, the regulator preventing any blocking in the india rubber tube J¹
by which the hopper is connected with the three way seat I.
The sand and steam mixing together in I and passing through the tube L (the
form of which may be varied) and its extension or pipe M would come together
into violent contact with the surface in front of which the apparatus had been
placed, if we did not create a counter current intended to draw up the steam in
such a manner that only the dry sand escapes through the opening in the pipe M.
In fact by means of the neck G and the pipe P we create in the tube Ő and
the casing Na larger or smaller vacuum by means of a jet of steam which escapes
into the air.
The pipe M being perforated with holes, the steam having served for propelling
the sand will be drawn up through these holes and dry sand only will escape from
the apparatus.
The casing N, as we have said, is perforated with holes which will allow air to
re-enter this casing. This air will escape through the pipe V and will thus
facilitate the ejection of the steam thereby enabling perfectly dry sand to be
projected. It is of course understood that the very large opening of the cock F
as well as the pressure of the generator will impart a greater or less degree of
velocity to the grains of sand, a velocity which should vary with the nature of
the work to be executed. The grains of sand thus ejected in coming violently
into contact with the stones or metal or any other objects, will clean and scour
them in a word, will make them look like new again by removing all grease, dirt,
rust, paint or fungus.
If the sand be thrown on to a glass, porcelain, or any other similar substance,
it graves perfectly.
In certain cases, particularly metallic surfaces, where the sand can be ejected,
without inconvenience with steam, it is sufficient to dispense with the whole of
the upper part of M, its casing N, and to close the cock G. In this case, the
steam mixed with sand will pass out through the tube L with greater force
than if a counter-current be created. The upper part M, and the casing N, are
likewise dispensed with if compressed air be employed. The metallic surfaces
thus treated are very quickly scoured, the metal is bright, and the surfaces are
ready for colouring, glazing, enamelling, galvanising or other treatment.
The tube L may be of any form whatever and the interior thereof cylindrical,
conical, &c., according to the nature of the work to be executed and the surfaces
operated on. The interior of the injecting tube L must be of the same form as
that of the injecting tube I, that is to say that if the section of the tube L is
square, parallepipedon, or circular &c., that of the injector I should likewise be
square, parallepipedon or circular &c., so that the injecting force is equal through-
out the surface of the ejected stream.

page_text: We reserve the right of varying proportions, dimensions, and substances
employed as also the arrangement of the different parts and of any accessories
intended to effect the purpose in view.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. In apparatus for cleaning scouring and otherwise treating hard substances
such as stones, metals, &c., by the projection of sand thereon, the combination
of a steam generator T or of any other means capable of effecting the same
object such as compressed air for example and an independent steam or com-
pressed air collector Y, connected with such generator by means of a suitable
flexible pipe with one or more flexible pipes A connecting the collector with the
cleaning apparatus substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. In apparatus for cleaning scouring and otherwise treating hard substances
such as stones, metals, &c., by the projection of sand thereon, the combination of a
generator and a collector as claimed above with a steam injector E arranged in
a three way cock seat I, the lateral one J of which likewise connected with a
three way cock seat R regularly conducts sand which the air impels by suction into
a pipe M perforated with holes and placed in a casing N also perforated with
holes in order that by the pressure of the atmosphere the steam may leave the
sand when the latter is propelled, in order to escape by a pipe O having an
outlet tube P, and serving to eject the impelling steam acting in the interior
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for cleaning scouring and otherwise treating hard substances
such as stones, metals, &c., by projection of sand thereon, the combination of a
generator and a collector and an apparatus_as claimed above with a cock F
regulating the admission of steam, a hopper K, with its three way cock seat and
its regulator, the hoppers containing the sand, and a pipe V as an outlet for the air
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of August. 1899.
Dated this 1st day of August 1899
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.