IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OUT THE TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR CLEANING OUT OTHER TUBES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fox, of Ballingdon, (near Sudbury,) in the
County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING
OUT THE TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
CLEANING OUT OTHER TUBES."
Sealed the 8th April 1864, and dated the 12th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
October 1863. .
I, THOMAS Fox, of Ballingdon, (near Sudbury,) in the County of Essex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR CLEANING OUT THE TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR CLEANING OUT OTHER TUBES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus designed principally to be used in
place of the ordinary wire brushes for cleaning out the tubes of locomotive or
other multitubular boilers, but which may be also employed for cleaning out
other tubes and flues.
The Invention consists of a tubular rod or handle of any convenient length,
having near to one end four or more segmental plates or scrapers fixed to

page_text: springs, which force them outwards from the rod, so as to form a disc or plate
of rather larger diameter than the interior of the tube which it is intended to
clean out. Inside the tubular rod or handle is a solid rod, which is connected
at one end by a pin (working through a slot in the tube) to a ring which
embraces the springs. The other end of the inner rod is formed with a pro-
jection, by means of which it can be moved longitudinally in the tube in order
to cause the ring to compress or release the springs, so as to contract or
expand the segmental scrapers.
In using this apparatus it is placed in the tube in a contracted form, the
ring is then withdrawn from the springs, so as to allow them to force the
segmental scrapers outwards against the inside of the tube, and the whole
apparatus being drawn backwards and forwards will scrape or clean out the
tube or flue much more effectually than the wire brushes hitherto employed
for such purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
Fox, of Ballingdon, (near Sudbury,) in the County of Essex, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the 27th year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Fox, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
Fox, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Fox, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR CLEANING OUT THE TUBES OF STEAM BOILERS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR CLEANING OUT OTHER TUBES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Fox, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal: Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-"
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Fox, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:
This Invention relates to an apparatus designed principally to be used in
place of the ordinary wire brushes for cleaning out the tubes of locomotive or
other multitubular boilers, but which may be also employed for cleansing out
other tubes and flues.
The Invention consists of a tubular rod or handle of any convenient length,
having near to one end four or more segmental plates or scrapers fixed to
springs, which force them outwards from the rod, so as to form a disc or plate
of rather larger diameter than than the interior of the tube which it is intended
to clean out. Inside the tubular rod or handle is a solid rod, which is connected
at one end by a pin (working through a slot in the tube) to a ring which
embraces the springs. The other end of the inner rod is formed with a pro-
jection, by means of which it can be moved longitudinally in the tube in order
to cause the ring to compress or release the springs, so as to contract or
expand the segmental scrapers.
In using this apparatus it is placed in the tube in a contracted form, the
ring is then, withdrawn from: the springs, so as to allow them to force the
segmental scrapers outwards against the inside of the tube, and the whole
apparatus being drawn backwards and forwards will scrape or clean out the
tube or flue much more effectually than the wire brushes hitherto employed
for such purpose.
i
It will be evident that a modification of the above arrangement may be
made by causing, the scrapers to be contracted by a spring or springs and
expanded by a wedge or ram attached to or forming part of the interior
sliding rod.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for " Improved
Apparatus for Cleaning out the Tubes of Steam Boilers, which Apparatus is'
also applicable for Cleaning out other Tubes," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same, may be. distinctly
understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,

page_text: and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:
In the annexed Drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of the working end of my
improved apparatus (arranged as first above described, and suitable for
cleaning out the tubes of stationary multitubular boilers,) shown in its
expanded form; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same (also expanded
taken through about the line 1-2 in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a similar view
of the same when contracted to its smallest dimensions; Figure 4 is a longi-
tudinal section of the same in its expanded form, showing also the handle at
the other end of the tube.
a, a, is a tube, which may be of any convenient length, and near to one end
of which are the four segmental scrapers 6, b, fixed to the four springs c, c,
which have a tendency to force them outwards from the tube a, a, as seen at
Figures 1, 2, and 4, so as to form a disc or plate of rather larger diameter
than the tube to be cleaned out. Inside the tube a, a, is a rod d, d, connected
at one end by a pin e, e, (passing through a slot in the tube) to a ring f, f,
which embraces the four springs c, c. The other end of the rod is furnished
with a projecting pin g, g, also passing through a slot in the tube (see
Figure 4), by which it can be forced forwards, so ss to compress the springs
by means of the ring f, f, and thus contract the scrapers, as shown at Figure 3,
or drawn back, so as to allow the springs to expand; h, h, is a cross handle
for drawing the apparatus backwards and forwards in the tube or flue.
Figure 5 is an end view, and Figure 6 a longitudinal section (drawn
full size) of a modification of the apparatus, more especially adapted for
cleaning out locomotive boiler tubes of a small diameter. a, a, is the tube;
b, b, the rod; and c, c, the segmental scrapers, which are contracted by the
spring d, d, and forced outwards or expanded by the conical ram or circular
wedge e, e, which is attached to or forms part of the rod b, b; f, f, is an eye
passing through a slot in the tube, and screwed into the rod b, b; this eye
carries a drop link g, g, which falls over a keeper h, h, so as to hold the appa-
ratus in the position shewn in the Drawing whilst it is being introduced into
the tube. When the drop link g, g, is removed from the keeper h, h, the
spiral spring i, i, forces the rod b, b, forwards, and causes the ram e, e, to
expand the segmental scrapers c, c.
"
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improved Apparatus for Cleaning out the Tubes of Steam Boilers, which
Apparatus is also applicable for Cleaning out other Tubes," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into

page_text: practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention
the improved apparatus above described and shewn in the Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof operating in substantially the same or a similar
manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Fox, have hereunto set my
hand
and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
THOMAS FOX. (L.S.)