Multiple tube cleaning apparatus
OwnerWalter A. Draegerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tube cleaning apparatus especially suitable for use in a hot emission stack which includes vertical cooling tubes contained within a stacked housing is disclosed herein. This apparatus utilizes a mechanical cleaning head movable vertically between a raised position and a lowered position, a support assembly for moving the cleaning head horizontally to any desired location above the tubes and an indexing mechanism outside the emission stack for indicating the horizontal position of the cleaning head. In this way, any given tube cleaned from a remote location by first moving head to a point directly above that tube and thereafter lowering the head into and through the latter.
Claims19
A tube cleaning apparatus for use in an emission stack including a vertical housing containing a plurality of vertically extending emission tubes fixedly located adjacent one another and having opened top ends located below the top of said housing, said apparatus comprising:
- a tube cleaning arrangement including head means for cleaning said tubes, one at a time;
- a cleaning arrangement support assembly located partially within said stack housing above the top ends of said tubes and partially outside said housing through a cooperating opening in the latter, said support assembly including
- means located within said stack and supporting said head means for horizontal movement above said tubes, whereby to clean any given tube by first moving said head means directly above the given tube,
- drive means at least partially located outside said stack housing and connected with said support means for providing said horizontal movement from outside said housing, and
- means positioned outside said stack housing and connected with said support means for indicating the horizontal location of said head means relative to said tubes, whereby said indicating means serves as an indexing guide in locating said head means above any of said tubes.
An apparatus for cleaning a plurality of vertically extending tubes which are fixedly located adjacent one another and opened at their top ends, said apparatus comprising:
- a tube cleaning arrangement including a mechanical cleaning head and means for moving said head vertically between a raised position and a lowered position;
- and
- a cleaning head support arrangement including means for moving said cleaning head horizontally to locations above said tubes when said head is in its raised position, whereby to clean any given tube by first moving said cleaning head to a point directly above said given tube and thereafter lowering said head into and through the latter, said support arrangement also including means positioned horizontally to one side of said tubes for indicating the horizontal location of said cleaning head relative to said tubes, whereby said indicating means serves as a guide in locating said cleaning head above any of said tubes.
A tube cleaning apparatus for use in an emission stack including a vertical housing containing a plurality of vertically extending tubes fixedly located adjacent one another and having opened top ends located below the top of said housing, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a tube cleaning arrangement including a mechanical cleaning head, first support means supporting said cleaning head for vertical movement between a raised position and a lowered position and second drive means for providing said vertical movement;
- (b) a cleaning arrangement support assembly located partially within said stack housing above the top ends of said tubes and partially outside said housing, said assembly extending through a cooperating opening in the latter and including
- (i) cleaning head support means located within said stack and supporting said head for horizontal movement above said tubes when said head is in its raised position, whereby to clean any given tube by first moving said cleaning head to a point directly above said given tube and thereafter lowering said head into and through the latter, said cleaning head support means supporting said head for linear movement between a first retracted position and a second extended position and for pivotal movement about a predetermined vertical axis located in the plane of said cooperating opening through said housing,
- (ii) drive means connected with said cleaning head support means and partially located outside said stack housing for providing said horizontal movement from outside said housing,
- (iii) means positioned outside said stack housing and connected with said cleaning head support means for indicating the horizontal location of said cleaning head relative to said tubes, whereby said indicating means serves as an indexing guide in locating said cleaning head above said tubes, said indicating means including a horizontal plate fixedly mounted adjacent said vertical axis and having scaled down indicia representing the positions of the said tubes, a guide pin, and means interconnecting said pin with said cleaning head support means for horizontally moving said pin with said cleaning head across said indicia but in a scaled down way to indicate the location of said cleaning head, said pin movement including a linear component in a direction opposite the linear movement of said cleaning head and a pivotal component about said vertical axis opposite in direction to the pivotal movement of said cleaning head, and
- (iv) means for substantially preventing any of the emission particles within said stack from escaping out of the latter through said support assembly or said cooperating opening in said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.