Hand hole inspection plug removal machine
OwnerCharles E. Stuckeyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The instant invention is a hand hole inspection plug removal machine that includes a base plate, an alignment tool, and a head assembly. The base plate has a cutting hole and may be adapted to mount to a round object through a pair of rails attached to the bottom of the base plate on opposite sides. The alignment plug is adapted to align the center of the cutting hole with the center of a pre-drilled hole in the round object. The head assembly may be attached to the base plate and may be adapted to position a cutting tool over the center of the cutting hole and move the cutting tool up and down along the center line of the cutting hole. The head assembly includes a motor for spinning the cutting tool.
Claims19
A hand hole inspection plug removal machine comprising:
- a base plate having a cutting hole and a pair of rails attached to the bottom of said base plate on opposite sides, said base plate being adapted to mount to a round object via said pair of rails;
- an alignment tool being mountable to said base plate, where said alignment tool aligning the center of said cutting hole with the center of a pre-drilled hole in said round object;
- and
- a head assembly attached to said base plate having a cutting tool positioned over the center of said cutting hole and being adapted to move said cutting tool up and down along the center line of said cutting hole;
- said head assembly including a motor adapted to spin said cutting tool.
The hand hole inspection plug removal machine of claim 16 where said lead screw including a handle adapted to allow a user to rotate said lead screw thereby moving said cutting tool up and down perpendicular to said base plate.
An alignment tool for a base plate of a hand hole inspection plug removal machine comprising:
- a tool mount adapted to mount said alignment tool to a pair of alignment holes in said base plate via said alignment holes;
- said base plate having two alignment holes on opposite sides of said cutting hole along the center line of said cutting hole, and said tool mount having two mounting holes adapted to align with said two alignment holes when a first alignment plug being inserted into said cutting hole;
- said first alignment plug being attached to said tool mount and fitting inside a cutting hole in said base plate;
- and
- a second alignment plug attached to said first alignment plug via a plurality of bolts, said second alignment plug fitting inside a pre-drilled hole in a round object;
- a plurality of alignment plug spacers positioned between said first alignment plug said second alignment plug, where said plurality of bolts running through said alignment plug spacers;
- whereby, when said alignment plug being mounted to said base plate, said second alignment plug may be inserted into said pre-drilled hole to align said cutting hole with said pre-drilled hole.
A method of removing a hand hole inspection plug from a waterwall tube header comprising the steps of:
- providing a hand hole inspection plug removal machine having a base plate with an alignment tool and a head assembly mounted to said base plate via a hinge;
- removing said head assembly from said base plate;
- positioning said base plate onto said waterwall tube header;
- centering said cutting hole with a pre-drilled hole in said waterwall tube header with a hand hole inspection plug via said alignment tool;
- mounting said base plate to said waterwall tube header;
- connecting said head assembly to said base plate;
- and
- cutting between said hand hole inspection plug and said pre-drilled hole in said waterwall tube header.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.