Vent cleaning system

A method of removing dust from a vent of the type forming an angle with a vent opening and having a vent diameter, comprising in combination the steps of:

• providing an external brush coupled to a flexible shaft, the flexible shaft being, in turn, disposed within a flexible vacuum conduit having a diameter substantially less than said vent diameter for allowing said flexible conduit to be passed through said angle in said vent;
• inserting said external brush into said vent opening, thereby substantially occluding said vent;
• passing said flexible conduit inward along said vent through said angle;
• rotating said flexible shaft to cause said brush to rotate in said vent and dislodge said dust;
• applying a vacuum source to said flexible vacuum conduit to draw an air stream containing said dust from said vent into said conduit;
• and
• removing said brush from said vent.

An apparatus for removing dust from a vent of the type forming an angle with a vent opening and having a vent diameter, comprising:

• a flexible tubular conduit having a conduit diameter substantially less than said vent diameter for allowing said tubular conduit to be passed through said angle in said vent and an intake opening at one end and an exhaust opening at the opposite end;
• a flexible shaft located within said flexible tubular conduit and extending substantially between said intake opening and said exhaust opening;
• a brush coupled to said flexible shaft at approximately said intake opening of said flexible tubular conduit, said brush having a plurality of flexible bristles located externally of said flexible tubular conduit, and having a brush diameter substantially greater than said conduit diameter of said flexible tubular conduit, wherein said brush is adapted in diameter to substantially occlude said vent substantially obstructing the flow of air therethrough;
• a single mobile housing;
• motor means, disposed in said single mobile housing, coupled to said flexible shaft at approximately said exhaust opening of said flexible tubular conduit, for rotating said flexible shaft causing said brush to dislodge said dust from said vent;
• and
• vacuum means disposed in said single mobile housing for entraining said dust dislodged by said brush and drawing said dust from said intake opening of said flexible tubular conduit to said exhaust opening of said flexible tubular conduit.