Device for cleaning ship's sides, tank walls, and similar surfaces

Abstract

A device for cleaning surfaces which extend in a vertical plane and particularly ship's sides, tank walls and similar surfaces which are made of ferromagnetic material, comprises a lifting mechanism which has roller means permitting it to run along a ship's railing or similar structure adjacent the top of the surface to be cleaned. The lifting mechanism includes one or more winding drums or hoists which carry support line means which extend from the lifting mechanism to a carrier for a cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus advantageously includes a housing having an undercarriage which is movable along the surface to be cleaned and which includes magnetic means for causing an attraction between the carrier and the surface to be cleaned so that the carrier is held thereagainst during the cleaning operation. The cleaning apparatus advantageously comprises a cleaning spray beam which extends substantially horizontally and which has one or more spray nozzles along its length for the spraying outwardly of a cleaning agent, such as a liquid, or for applying a sand-blasting action or a cleaning substance against the surface to be cleaned. The support line means advantageously comprises at least a flexible conduit which permits the support of the carrier as well as the transmission of a fluid to the spray which is mounted on the carrier. The flexible conduit is advantageously connected to a high pressure pump for supplying the liquid or similar substance to the carrier at its location along the surface to be cleaned and the hoisting means is effective to move the carrier upwardly and downwardly as the lifting mechanism is advanced along the length of the surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.