Patent ID: 7036564

Claim:
A system for cleaning tubing used for conducting a fluid therethrough, the tubing being connected to an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, the system having a plurality of cleaning balls for circulating with the fluid through the tubing; a separator 12 disposed at the outlet pipe 9 , the separator 12 being housed within an enlarged section of the outlet pipe 33 and arranged to separate the cleaning balls 20 from the fluid; a recirculating means comprising: a housing 21 arranged to collect the cleaning balls 20 , the housing 21 having a first compartment 19 and second compartment 27 separated by an apertured partition 28 , the apertured partition 28 arranged to allow the fluid to pass through to the second compartment 27 but not the cleaning balls 20 ; a ball supply pipe consisting essentially of a ball supply pipe 24 having an entrance 26 coupled to a first opening on the first compartment 19 of the housing 21 and an exit 3 coupled to a first opening on the inlet pipe 5 , a first one-way valve CV 1 disposed along the ball supply pipe 24 and a fourth valve HV 1 disposed along the ball supply pipe 24 ; a fluid supply pipe 23 having an entrance 2 coupled to a second opening on the inlet pipe 5 and an exit 22 coupled to a second opening on either the first compartment 19 or the second compartment 27 of the housing 21 ; a fluid return pipe 16 having an entrance 30 coupled to an opening on the second compartment 27 of the housing 21 and an exit 14 coupled to an opening on a section of the outlet pipe 15 after the separator 12 ; and a ball return pipe consisting essentially of a ball return pipe 17 having an entrance 13 coupled to an opening on the separator 12 and an exit 31 coupled to a third opening on the first compartment 19 of the housing 21 , a second one-way valve CV 2 disposed along the ball return pipe 17 and a third valve HV 2 disposed along the ball return pipe 17 ; a means for supply of cleaning balls to the inlet pipe 5 whereby a higher pressure is formed at the entrance 2 of the fluid supply pipe 23 and a lower pressure is formed at the exit 3 of the ball supply pipe 24 , the difference in pressure causing a transfer of cleaning balls 20 from the housing 21 to the inlet pipe 5 ; and a means for a return of cleaning balls 20 to the housing 21 , whereby a higher pressure is formed at the entrance 13 of the ball return pipe 17 and a lower pressure is formed at the exit 14 of the fluid return pipe 16 , the difference in pressure causing a transfer of cleaning balls 20 from the separator 12 back to the housing 21 , and wherein the recirculating means, means for supply of cleaning balls and means for return of cleaning balls are arranged to selectively transfer the plurality of cleaning balls 20 from the inlet pipe 5 to the outlet pipe 9 .