Cleaning apparatus for tubes and tube bundles

A lance reciprocating and rotating construction comprising frame means, lance advancing and rotating means for advancing and rotating a lance, means for mounting said lance advancing and rotating means on said frame means proximate a tube to be cleaned, carriage means remote from said lance advancing and rotating means for mounting an end portion of said lance means for rotation, means for supporting said carriage means, and means for coupling the end of said lance means supported by said carriage means to a high pressure fluid source.

A lance reciprocating and rotating mechanism comprising base means, spaced wheel means on said base means for engaging a lance, first motor means for driving said wheel means to advance said lance axially, second motor means for causing said wheel means to revolve about the axis of said lance for rotating said lance, said wheel means comprising first and second wheels and said first motor means comprising a first motor for rotating said first wheel in a first direction and a second motor for rotating said second wheel in a second direction which is opposite to said first direction, means for adjustably mounting said first and second wheels for movement toward and away from each other to receive lances of different sizes, and means for resiliently biasing said first and second wheels toward each other.

A lance reciprocating and rotating construction for cleaning a tube comprising base means, lance-engaging means on said base means for engaging a lance, motor means coupled to said lance-engaging means for rotating said lance and advancing it axially, means for mounting said lance-engaging means substantially adjacent a tube which is to receive said lance, and means for indexing said lance relative to a tube bundle.

A frame for mounting a lance advancing mechanism comprising frame means, attachment means for attaching said frame means relative to the end plate of a tube bundle, a carriage for mounting a lance advancing mechanism for advancing a lance, means on said frame means for mounting said carriage for movement transversely of said end plate, and indexing means on said carriage laterally spaced from said lance for entering an aperture associated with said tube bundle to thereby align said lance with a tube to be cleaned.

A frame for mounting a lance advancing mechanism comprising frame means, clamp means for attaching said frame means to the rim of an end plate of a tube bundle, a carriage for mounting a lance advancing mechanism, means on said frame means for mounting said carriage for movement transversely of said end plate, intermediate connecting means connecting said frame means to said clamp means, said frame means comprising first and second spaced racks, and said intermediate connecting means comprising first plate means and second plate means, said first and second plate means having first and second spaced portions, said first portions of said first and second plate means being rigidly connected to said first and second racks, respectively, and said second portions of said first and second plate means being mounted on said clamp means.

A frame for mounting a lance advancing mechanism comprising frame means, clamp means for attaching said frame means to the rim of an end plate of a tube bundle, a carriage for mounting a lance advancing mechanism, means on said frame means for mounting said carriage for movement transversely of said end plate, and universal connection means between said clamp means and said frame means to permit said frame means to be moved to a desired position relative to said tube bundle.

A lance reciprocating and rotating mechanism comprising base means, spaced wheel means on said base means for engaging a lance, first motor means for driving said wheel means to advance said lance axially, second motor means for causing said wheel means to revolve about the axis of said lance for rotating said lance, means for attaching said base means relative to a tube-to-be-cleaned, and means positioned immediately adjacent said tube-to-be-cleaned for guiding said lance into said tube.

A frame for mounting a lance advancing mechanism comprising frame means, clamp means for attaching said frame means to the rim of an end plate of a tube bundle, a carriage for mounting a lance advancing mechanism, means on said frame means for mounting said carriage for movement transversely of said end plate, and intermediate connecting means connecting said frame means to said clamp means, said intermediate connecting means being pivotally mounted on said clamp means.