# US 12,214,389 B2 · Auto-indexing lance positioner apparatus and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,214,389 B2 - Document ID: US12214389B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/238,935 - Filed: 2023-08-28 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-26 - Assignees: Stoneage, Inc. - Applicants: Stoneage, Inc. - Inventors: Joseph A. Schneider; Adam Christopher Markham; Scott Howell; Daniel Szabo; Cody Montoya; Jeffery R. Barnes; Cooper Hanley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214389B2 ## CPC - B08B 9/0433: {provided exclusively with fluid jets as cleaning tools} - B08B 9/047: the cleaning devices having {internal} motors {, e.g. turbines} for powering cleaning tools - F28G 1/163: {from internal surfaces of heat exchange conduits} - F28G 15/04: Feeding and driving arrangements, e.g. power operation - B08B 9/04: using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes - F28G 15/003: {Control arrangements} - F28G 15/08: Locating position of cleaning appliances within conduits - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - F28G: CLEANING OF INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL SURFACES OF HEAT-EXCHANGE OR HEAT-TRANSFER CONDUITS, e.g. WATER TUBES OR BOILERS (cleaning pipes or tubes in general B08B9/02; devices or arrangements for removing water, minerals, or sludge from boilers while the boiler is in operation, or which remain in position while the boiler is in operation, or are specifically adapted to boilers without any other utility F22B37/48; removal or treatment of combustion products or combustion residues F23J; removing ice from heat-exchange apparatus F28F17/00) ## Abstract A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances through tubes penetrating a tube sheet of a heat exchanger tube sheet, includes a smart lance tractor drive, a controller, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate and/or distribute electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The smart tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions, sense lance insertion distance and lance removal and provide automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flexible lance tractor drive apparatus comprising: a housing; a drive motor sensor coupled with at least one drive motor in the housing, wherein the drive motor sensor is configured to determine a first position of at least one flexible hose based on rotation of the at least one drive motor as it provides a driving force to convey the at least one flexible hose; and a lance position assembly fastened to an end wall of the housing, the lance position assembly comprising: a sensor roller having a roller portion adapted to engage at least one flexible lance hose passing through the housing and a magnetic ring portion; and a magnetic sensor module operable to determine a second position of the at least one flexible hose based on magnetic field fluctuations in the sensor roller as the sensor roller moves along the at least one flexible lance hose, wherein conveyance of the at least one flexible hose is controlled based on the first position and the second position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic ring portion is a multipole magnetic ring. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the lance position assembly includes an idler roller adapted to press against the at least one flexible lance hose to maintain the at least one flexible lance hose engaged with the sensor roller, and wherein the idler roller is pneumatically biased against the at least one flexible lance hose. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising the lance position assembly including a second sensor roller for engaging a second flexible lance hose, the second sensor roller having a second magnetic ring portion, and a second idler roller adapted to press against the second flexible lance hose to maintain the second flexible lance hose engaged with the second sensor roller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising the lance position assembly including a third sensor roller for engaging a third flexible lance hose, the third sensor roller having a third magnetic ring portion, and a third idler roller adapted to press against the third flexible lance hose to maintain the third flexible lance hose engaged with the third sensor roller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the magnetic sensor module is operable to separately sense magnetic field fluctuations in the magnetic ring portion, the second magnetic ring portion and the third magnetic ring portion as the sensor roller, the second sensor roller, and the third sensor roller each roll along each respective flexible lance hose. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the magnetic sensor module sends sensed separate magnetic field fluctuation signals to a hand held controller for processing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: at least one drive motor having a drive axle in the housing carrying a cylindrical drive roller; a plurality of cylindrical guide rollers on fixed axles aligned parallel to the cylindrical drive roller; an endless belt wrapped around the cylindrical drive roller and the plurality of cylindrical guide rollers; and a bias member supporting a plurality of follower rollers each aligned above one of the cylindrical drive roller or one of the plurality of cylindrical guide rollers, wherein the bias member is operable to press each follower roller toward one of the cylindrical drive roller or one of the plurality of cylindrical guide rollers to frictionally grip at least one flexible lance hose when the at least one flexible lance hose is sandwiched between the plurality of follower rollers and the endless belt. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the first position is determined based on direction and speed of the at least one drive motor, and wherein the drive motor sensor is configured to send a motor direction and speed signal to the hand held controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising the hand held controller having a comparator for comparing the motor direction and speed signal with the separate magnetic field fluctuation signals from the magnetic sensor module to determine whether there is a mismatch between motor speed and lance position to identify belt slippage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising the comparator in the hand held controller being configured to send a signal to increase clamp pressure if the mismatch exceeds a predetermined amount. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the comparator in the hand held controller sets a flag if clamp pressure cannot be increased. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the comparator is configured to send a signal to increase clamp pressure by a predetermined increment if the mismatch exceeds the predetermined amount. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The flexible lance tractor drive apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the predetermined increment is 2 psi. ### Claim 15 A controller for controlling a flexible lance tractor drive apparatus, the controller comprising: memory storing instructions; a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes the instructions to cause the controller to: control conveyance of at least one flexible hose based on a first position of at least one flexible hose and a second position of the at least one flexible hose, wherein the first position is determined from rotation of at least one drive motor of the flexible lance tractor drive apparatus, and wherein the second position of the at least one flexible lance hose is determined from magnetic field fluctuations of a sensor roller of the flexible lance tractor drive apparatus as the sensor roller moves along the at least one flexible lance hose. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The controller according to claim 15, wherein the processor is communicatively coupled with at least one comparator providing an input based on the first position and the second position, and wherein the processor controls conveyance of the at least one flexible hose based on the input. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The controller according to claim 15, wherein the processor is communicatively coupled with a motor sensor of the flexible lance tractor drive and a magnetic sensor module, and wherein the processor executes the instructions to: determine a first position of at least one flexible hose based on rotation of at least one drive motor of the flexible lance tractor drive apparatus; determine a second position of the at least one flexible lance hose based on magnetic field fluctuations of a sensor roller of the flexible lance tractor drive apparatus as the sensor roller moves along the at least one flexible lance hose; and determine whether there is a mismatch between the first position and the second position to identify belt slippage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The controller according to claim 15, wherein the processor executes the instructions to cause the controller to send a signal to increase clamp pressure if a mismatch between the first position and the second position exceeds a predetermined amount. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The controller according to claim 15, wherein the processor executes the instructions to cause the controller to set a flag if clamp pressure cannot be increased. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The controller according to claim 15, wherein the processor executes the instructions to cause the controller to send a signal to increase clamp pressure by a predetermined increment if the mismatch exceeds a predetermined amount.