Cable feed mechanism for a drain cleaner
AssigneeTti (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited
InventorParke Pleasants
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drain cleaner includes a rotatable drum and a cable having a first portion housed within the drum and a second portion extending outwardly of the drum along a cable axis. The cable is rotatable about the cable axis. The drain cleaner also includes a cable feed mechanism for feeding the cable out of the rotatable drum in an axial direction along the cable axis. The cable feed mechanism includes a plurality of feed members selectively engagable with the cable, and a drive gear surrounding the plurality of feed members. The drive gear is engaged with the plurality of feed members. Rotation of the drive gear moves the plurality of feed members into engagement with the cable.
Claims20
A drain cleaner, comprising:
- a rotatable drum;
- a cable including a first portion housed within the drum and a second portion extending outwardly from the drum along a cable axis, the cable rotatable about the cable axis;
- and
- a cable feed mechanism for feeding the cable out of the rotatable drum in an axial direction along the cable axis, the cable feed mechanism including
- a plurality of feed members selectively engagable with the cable, and
- a drive gear surrounding the plurality of feed members, the drive gear being engaged with the plurality of feed members, wherein rotation of the drive gear moves the plurality of feed members into engagement with the cable.
A drain cleaner, comprising:
- a rotatable drum;
- a cable including a first portion housed within the drum and a second portion extending outwardly of the drum along a cable axis, the cable rotatable about the cable axis;
- and
- a cable feed mechanism for feeding the cable in an axial direction along the cable axis in a feed direction, the cable feed mechanism including
- a plurality of feed members selectively engagable with the cable, wherein engagement of the plurality of feed members with the cable feeds the cable along the cable axis,
- a drive gear concentrically surrounding the plurality of feed members, and
- a collar concentrically surrounding the drive gear, the collar rotatably fixed relative to the drive gear to change the feed direction by rotation of the drive gear and linearly movable relative to the drive gear to lock and unlock the drive gear from further rotation,
- wherein rotation of the collar moves the plurality of feed members into engagement with the cable.
A drain cleaner, comprising:
- a rotatable drum;
- a cable including a first portion housed within the drum and a second portion extending outwardly of the drum along a cable axis, the cable rotatable about the cable axis;
- a plurality of feed members selectively engagable with the cable to feed the cable along the cable axis;
- a drive gear surrounding the plurality of feed members, the drive gear engaged with the plurality of feed members, wherein rotation of the drive gear rotates the plurality of feed members and moves the plurality of feed members into engagement with the cable;
- a collar extending concentrically around the drive gear, the collar rotatably fixed relative to the drive gear and linearly movable relative to the drive gear, the collar including a protrusion;
- and
- a carrier supporting the plurality of feed members and the drive gear, the carrier including a plurality of slots, wherein linear movement of the collar relative to the carrier selectively moves the protrusion into engagement with one of the plurality of slots.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.