Fluid lance apparatus
AssigneeOmega Tools, Inc.
InventorsFrank P. Russo, William M. Hutton, Jeffery C. Bond, John K. Gilday
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a lance for removing dirt or other substances from an underground hole, by the use of air and water under high pressure. The water is used as an abrading material or lance to loosen dirt in a hole or to pick or chip off substances which are attached to a pipe. A limited amount of water is used during the operation of the apparatus, to prevent the formation of wet mud.
Claims16
A water air lance apparatus using water droplets as an abrading medium that disturbs dirt covering an underground pipe with minimal residual water comprising:
- a. a body shaft having a forked first end and a second end;
- b. a handle attached to said body shaft;
- c. a water input valve attached to a first fork prong of said forked first end of said body shaft;
- d. a means for regulating the water entering through said water input valve attached to said water input valve;
- e. an air input valve first attached to a second fork prong of said forked first end of said body shaft;
- f. a means for regulating the air entering through said air input valve attached to said air input valve;
- and
- g. a nozzle attached to said second end of said body shaft, wherein said water lance apparatus disturbs substances covering an underground pipe by bombardment of water droplets which have converged with compressed air after traversing said body shaft and thereafter exit said nozzle, wherein the disturbed substance is vacuumed away and stored until needed to re-cover the pipe.
A fluid lance apparatus for disturbing dirt without generating wet mud from the dirt comprising:
- a. compressed air means providing an air carrier medium for delivering an abrading medium;
- b. means delivering a water abrading medium to the compressed air means and causing particles of the water to be entrained in the carrier medium;
- c. means for discharging water particles as an abrading medium carried by air as a carrier medium, to dirt, for disturbing the dirt;
- and
- d. wherein the means delivering water as an abrading medium comprises means for delivering sufficient water to abrade dirt without making the dirt substantially wet.
A method of disturbing dirt without generating wet mud from the dirt comprising the steps of:
- a. providing compressed air as a carrier medium for delivering an abrading medium;
- b. providing water as an abrading medium to the compressed air and causing particles of the water to be entrained in the carrier medium;
- c. discharging water particles as an abrading medium carried by air as a carrier medium, to dirt, for disturbing the dirt;
- and
- d. wherein the amount of water delivered as an abrading medium relative to the amount of air delivered, is sufficient to abrade dirt without making the dirt substantially wet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.