Apparatus for cleaning heat exchanger tubes
AssigneeWater Services of America, Inc.
InventorsGordon F. Leitner, Fred G. Wiegratz, John C. Cleaver, deceased, by Laird C. Cleaver, personal representative, Lee Wolcott, Vice President, First Wisconsin Trust Company, personal representative
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a cleaning system for heat exchanger tubes each tube has a chamber at its end for capturing a tube cleaning element such as a brush that is subject to being propelled in opposite directions through the tube by reversing the direction of fluid flow therein. Novel means are provided for enabling access to the tube through the chamber for such purposes as replacing brushes and admitting a flaw detector to the tube.
Claims29
A cleaning element catching chamber comprising a hollow body having a first open ended portion for communication with a heat exchanger tube and a second end portion longitudinally displaced from said first portion, said body defining an interior space for accommodating a tube cleaning element that is adapted for being propelled through said tube under the influence of fluid,
- a retainer,
- coupling means disposed adjacent the second end portion of said body and including a plurality of spaced apart resilient members each constructed and arranged to resiliently engage said retainer for supporting the same at said second end portion,
- said retainer being constructed and arranged when mounted on the second end portion to present an obstruction to said cleaning element against removal from said body,
- said resilient members being movable out of engagement with said retainer to permit the removal thereof from said body enabling access to the interior thereof and said tube.
A cleaning element catching chamber for use in cooperation with a tube that is subject to being cleaned internally, comprising:
- a hollow generally cylindrical thin walled member and having first and second openings at opposite first and second ends, respectively,
- a portion of said member intermediate said ends defining an interior space for accommodating a tube cleaning element that is adapted for being propelled through said first opening to and from the interior of said tube that is to be cleaned, said portion having at least one aperture for fluid to pass between the interior and exterior thereof,
- a radially expandable tubular portion at said one end of said member defining said first opening,
- a retainer and a plurality of spaced apart coupling members at said second end of said member, said retainer including means releasably engageable with said members for securing said retainer to said cylindrical member, engagement of said retainer effecting obstruction of said second opening to thereby enable capture of said cleaning element by said chamber and disengagement of said retainer removing said obstruction to thereby enable introduction of an instrumentality through the interior of said chamber to said tube.
For use in apparatus in which a cleaning element is passed through a heat exchanger tube for cleaning the interior of the tube;
- a cleaning element capturing means comprising:
- a wire cage constructed and arranged for being coupled to an end of said tube, said cage having an opening for leading to said tube which opening is sufficiently large for said cleaning element to translate between the interior of said cage and said tube.
For use in apparatus in which a cleaning element is passed through a heat exchanger tube for cleaning the interior of the tube;
- cleaning element capturing means adapted to couple with a threaded element that provides for fluid communication with said tube, said capturing means comprising:
- a helical coil comprised of a plurality of turns defining an interior space for accommodating said cleaning element and having open space between at least some of said turns, and at least one turn at a first end of said coil having a pitch complementary to the pitch of the thread of said threaded element for enabling said coil to be threadingly engaged with and disengaged from said threaded element.
A cleaning element capturing means for use in apparatus including a heat exchanger tube and a cleaning element which is adapted for translating through the tube to clean it, said means comprising:
- a thin walled cylindrical sleeve means having a first cylindrical portion for fitting tightly in an end of said tube and a second coaxial cylindrical portion which is provided with a thread having a predetermined pitch,
- coil means comprised of first and second end turns and turns intermediate said end turns, said first end turns having substantially the same diameter and pitch as said thread in said sleeve means to enable said first end turns to be screwed on and off of said sleeve means, the inside diameter of said first end turns being sufficiently great to permit said cleaning element to transit between said tube and the interior of said coil means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.