AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF TAPER OR CONICAL TUBES INS IN STEAM-BOILERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE KNOWN AS THE GALLOWAY' TUBES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ezra Lofts and Henry Joshua Barker, of Cherryhinton,
in the County of Cambridge, Engineers, for an Invention of "AN APPARATUS
FOR CLEANSING THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF TAPER OR CONICAL TUBES IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ezra Lofts and Henry
Joshua Barker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th July
1881.
[
EZRA LOFTS and HENRY JOSHUA BARKER, of Cherryhinton, in the County of
Cambridge, Engineers. AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING THE INTERIOR SURFACES
OF TAPER OR CONICAL TUBES IN STEAM-BOILERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE KNOWN AS
THE GALLOWAY' TUBES."
'
The object of this Invention is to construct an apparatus which shall properly
and economically cleanse the interior surfaces of taper or conical tubes used in
steam-boilers, especially those known as the 'Galloway' tubes, which are slightly
oval in cross-section.
Our cleansing apparatus consists of a hollow square metal bar, about seven inches
long, one-and-a-half inches square outside, and a one-inch square space within, more
or less. The bottom of this bar is fitted and fixed in the centre of a circular metal
plate, about six inches in diameter and about half-an-inch thick. This plate is
provided on its upper face with four or more pairs of metal bearings projecting
upwards; within each of these pairs of bearings is pivotted a projecting flanged
scraper or cleanser, varying in length to suit the diameters of the tubes to be
cleansed; the said flanges project upwards about an inch above the said bearings,
and are notched to receive the edge of a plate of india-rubber, or a spring, fitted
on the said hollow metal bar. The object of this india-rubber plate or spring is to
press the outer edges of the said scrapers against the internal surfaces of the said
tubes as the latter vary in diameter.

page_text: This cleansing apparatus is placed upon a square metal bar, and is secured in
position thereon by a set-screw or other suitable means, so that it will turn with.
such metal bar.
We make the said metal bar a little longer than the tube to be cleansed, and of
lateral dimensions to fit easily the internal space of the aforesaid hollow square
metal bar.
Prior to mounting the cleansing apparatus we cleanse the upper part of the tube
by operating such apparatus by hand without the fixing portion thereof. We then
fit to such cleansed upper end of the tube a horizontal metal bar, properly recessed,
and fitted at one or both ends with a sliding bar projecting outwards, to be driven
by means of keys, wedges, or screws tightly against the sides of the tube so as to
keep it firmly in place, and keep the said long metal bar and the cleansing apparatus
thereon in or near the centre of the tube. -
Above the tube and upon the said long metal bar we fit handles similar to those
used in cutting screw-bolts, with which we operate the cleansing apparatus by
a reciprocal motion similar to that used in making screw-bolts.
Or a wheel may be substituted for the said handles, and the apparatus be operated.
by steam or other motive power.
By the said operation an ordinary Galloway' tube (which now requires 3 or 4
hours, or even more, to cleanse it by chipping the incrustation therefrom), can be
cleansed in about half-an-hour, or even less, and without the risk of indenting the
tube.
When our said apparatus has passed through and cleansed a tube, the scrapers
fall, or are pushed by the india-rubber plate or spring vertically downwards,
suitable nicks being cut or forined in the circular iron plate on or to which they
are pivotted; the apparatus can then be drawn upwards through the tube and
thus conclude the operation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ezra Lofts and Henry Joshua Barker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th January 1882.
EZRA LOFTS and HENRY JOSHUA BARKER, of Cherryhinton, in the County of
Cambridge, Engineers. "AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING THE INTERIOR SURFACES
OF TAPER OR CONICAL TUBES IN STEAM-BOILERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE KNOWN AS
THE GALLOWAY' TUBES."
'
The object of this Invention is to construct an apparatus which shall properly
and economically cleanse the interior surfaces of straight and taper or conical tubes
used in steam-boilers, especially those known as the 'Galloway' tubes, which are
slightly oval in cross-section.
In order that our said, Invention may be more fully understood and be more
readily performed, we will explain the same with the aid of the accompanying
Drawing, which forms part of this Specification, reference being made thereto by
the numerals and letters marked thereon. The same index letter refers to similar
parts in each Figure of the said Drawing.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of a recessed metal bar for holding the apparatus on or
near the top of the tube to be cleansed.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal plan of the same.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal plan of the hollow boss k, Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the same.
Fig. 6 is a horizontal plan of the hollow boss , Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same.
vu
uppe 2004
Our said cleansing apparatus consists of a hollow metal bar a about seven or
eight inches long, one-and-a-half inches square outside, and the inside a trifle larger
than the sides of the bar b, so that the latter may slide freely up and down therein.
To the bottom of this bar a is fitted and fixed a circular metal plate c; this plate c
is provided
with fa or more noirs of metal bearings e projecting
upwards; within each of these pairs of bearings e is pivotted a projecting scraper a
shaped somewhat as shown, and varying in length and scantling to suit the
diameters of the tubes to be cleansed. The raised or projecting parts of the said
scrapers at d' are intended to press against and be pressed by an elastic disc for
by a spring. The total length of these scrapers and centre plate from d² to d³ is
somewhat longer than the diameter of the tube to be cleansed, so that when the
apparatus is inserted in and forced down such tube the latter will cause the ends
of the scrapers d to point upwards so as to strongly press the parts d' against the
edge of the elastic plate f, thus causing the said plate f to force the end of the
scraper at d², or of a pivotted circular plate at №³ against the internal surface of
such tube as it varies in diameter.
This cleansing or scraping apparatus is placed upon the metal bar band is
secured in position thereon by a set-screw or set-screws at g or thereabouts, or by
other suitable means, so that it will turn and slide up and down with the said bar b.
This bar b we make a little longer than the tube to be cleansed.
Prior to mounting our said apparatus we cleanse the upper part of such tube by
We
operating the apparatus therein by hand without the fixing portion thereof.
then fit to such cleansed upper end of the tube a horizontal metal bar h, properly
recessed, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and fitted at one or both ends with a sliding
bar projecting outwards, which bar h is driven by the keys or wedges i tightly
against the sides of the tubes so as to keep such bar firmly in place, and also by
proper adjustment of the bar h to maintain the bar b and the cleansing apparatus
thereon in or near the centre of the tube. Or instead of the bar h we use a metal
rod j fitted at one or both ends with flanged hangers j' which rest upon the top

page_text: of the tube; the rod j is lengthened or shortened by means of the screws j² or
by packing driven between the ends of such rod and the internal surface of the
tube.
In order to keep the resting or hanging bar h or j stationary when in place, and
at the same time allow the bar b and the cleansing apparatus fixed thereon to
freely work, we turn the screw or drive the wedges i until the bar h or j is
tightly pressed against or upon the upper end of the tube.
The set-screw of the boss js is turned to loosely fit within the groove or
channel of the prolonged portion of the boss k to prevent the latter from slipping
out of the bar h or j, and at the same time allow it to turn freely with the bar b.
Above the tube and on the bar b we fit a pair of metal handles with which we
operate the bar b and the cleansing apparatus fixed thereto by a circular or other
motion as desired, or a wheel may be substituted for the handles and the apparatus
be operated by steam or other motive power.
By thus operating our said improved apparatus an ordinary Galloway' tube,
which now requires some three or four hours, or even more, to cleanse it by chipping
the incrustation therefrom, can now be cleansed in about half an hour, or even less,
and without the risk of indenting such tube.
When our said apparatus has passed through and cleansed a tube the scrapers d
fall, or are pushed by the elastic plate f, vertically downwards, as shown by the
dotted lines at dx, Figure 1, suitable nicks being cut or formed in the plate c, as
at c¹, to admit their descent. The apparatus can then be drawn upwards through
the tube, the projecting arms or plate m catching the apparatus at the part n.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the method of performing the same, we declare that we do not confine ourselves
to the precise details or dimensions now given by way of illustration, as they
admit of considerable variation, as partly shown herein, without departing from
the main characteristics of our said Invention, but we claim as our Invention and
desire to secure by the before-mentioned in part recited. Letters Patent, the
apparatus for cleansing the interior surface of Galloway' and other tubes in
steam-boilers, substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Ezra Lofts and Henry Joshua Barker,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.