Method and apparatus for cleaning elongated tubes
AssigneeTerydon, Inc.
InventorTerry D. Gromes, Sr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for cleaning elongated tubes is presented. An apparatus for cleaning elongated tubes includes a cart, a lance, a pressure sensing device and a propulsion device. The lance sprays material into elongated tubes to clean the elongated tubes. The cart supports the lance while the cart is moves in a rail in a forward direction and in a reverse direction. The pressure sensing device is located in the cart detects a pressure exerted on the cart as the cart moves in a forward direction in the rail. The propulsion device, upon the pressure sensing device detecting a pressure crossing a threshold value, propels the cart in the reverse direction for predetermined distance or time before again propelling the first cart in the forward direction.
Claims19
An apparatus for cleaning elongated tubes comprising:
- a lance for spraying material into elongated tubes to clean the elongated tubes;
- a cart supporting the lance, wherein the cart is configured to move along a rail in a forward direction and in a reverse direction;
- a pressure sensing device located in the cart configured to detect a pressure exerted on the cart as the cart moves in a forward direction in the rail;
- and
- a propulsion device configured to, upon the pressure sensing device detecting a pressure crossing a threshold value, propel the cart in the reverse direction for predetermined distance before again propelling the first cart in the forward direction.
An apparatus for cleaning elongated tubes comprising:
- a rail with a door;
- a lance for spraying material into elongated tubes to clean the elongated tubes, wherein when the door is in a closed position the door is adapted to support the lance;
- a cart supporting the lance, wherein the cart is configured to move in the rail in a forward direction and in a reverse direction;
- a pressure sensing device located in the cart configured to detect a pressure exerted on the cart as the cart moves in a forward direction in the rail;
- and
- a propulsion device configured to, upon the pressure sensing device detecting a pressure crossing a threshold value, propel the cart in the reverse direction for predetermined distance before again propelling the first cart in the forward direction.
A method of cleaning elongated tubes comprising:
- propelling a cart holding a lance through a rail in a forward direction;
- spraying a material out of the lance to clean an elongated tube;
- detecting a pressure applied to the cart that crosses a threshold value;
- in response to the pressure crossing the threshold, stopping and backing the cart up in backward direction for a distance or a predetermined time;
- and
- after backing the cart up the distance, again moving the cart in the forward direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.