Device for removing cleaning balls from a cooling water stream

A device for recovering cleaning balls from a cooling water stream of a power plant condenser, having a pipeline and for use with a cleaning ball recirculating system, said device comprising:

• a cylindrical pipe section forming a housing and provided with upstream and downstream flanges for connecting said housing to said pipeline;
• at least one sieve pivotally mounted in said housing for displacement about an axis generally perpendicular to the direction of flow of said stream between an operative position wherein said sieve lies generally across said stream to collect cleaning balls therefrom, and an inoperative position, said sieve having a downstream end disposed downstream of and outside said pipe section in both said operative position and said inoperative position whereby said downstream end is located in a portion of said pipeline beyond said pipe section;
• a ball collection part on said downstream end of said sieve cooperating with a wall portion independent of said housing and said pipe section and disposed downstream of a downstream one of said flanges to define a ball-collecting trough in said pipeline beyond said pipe section receiving balls captured from said stream in said operative position of said sieve;
• a pipe fitting on said pipe section;
• and
• a connecting pipe communicating between said pipe fitting and said trough for withdrawing collected balls from said trough.