Portable drain cleaning apparatus

In a drain cleaning apparatus comprising tubular guide means having an axis, snake means extending through said guide means, means to rotate said guide means about said axis, spring finger means rotatable with said guide means and including jaw means displaceable toward and away from said snake means between clamping and released positions relative thereto, and sleeve means received on said guide means and being axially displaceable relative thereto to actuate said spring finger means to displace said jaw means between said positions thereof, the improvement comprising:

• said spring finger means having axially opposite ends and axially extending side edges and said guide means having an outer surface including axially extending recess means receiving said spring finger means and having side walls receiving said side edges of said spring finger means therebetween, said jaw means being at one of said opposite ends of said spring finger means and extending radially toward said axis, the other of said ends of said spring finger means including tab means, tab slot means in said recess means and extending radially through said guide means and receiving said tab means, said spring finger means, said guide means and said sleeve means including means engaging with one another to alone support said spring finger means against axial and circumferential displacement relative to and radial separation from said guide means, said means engaging with one another including said tab means engaging said guide means in said tab slot means to support said spring finger means against axial displacement relative to said guide means, and said means engaging with one another further including said side walls and side edges engaging to support said spring finger means against circumferential displacement relative to said guide means.

A hand held drain cleaning apparatus comprising housing means having an axis, means for rotating said housing means about said axis, snake means coiled in said housing means about said axis, tubular guide means rotatable with and extending from said housing means coaxial with said axis and opening into said housing means for the passage of said snake means through said guide means, said guide means having an outer end with respect to said housing means, spring finger clamping means extending axially of said guide means in the direction from said outer end toward said housing means and having first leg means extending in said direction generally parallel to said axis and second leg means extending in said direction from said first leg means and outwardly at an inclined angle to said axis, said second leg means ending in jaw means extending radially inwardly toward said axis, said guide means including opening means radially therethrough for said jaw means, sleeve means removably received on said guide means in the direction from said outer end toward said housing means and having inner end means, said sleeve means being coaxial with said guide means and supported thereon for axial displacement therealong in opposite directions between first and second positions, retainer means removably mounted on said outer end of said guide means to removably retain said sleeve means on said guide means, said sleeve means in said first position axially overlying said first leg means of said spring finger clamping means with said inner end of said sleeve means facing said second leg means, said sleeve means being displaceable toward said housing means from said first position to said second position for said inner end means to displace said second leg means and move said jaw means radially inwardly to clamp against said snake means, and said spring finger means, said guide means and said sleeve means including means engaging with one another to alone support said spring finger means against axial and circumferential displacement relative to and radial separation from said guide means, said means engaging with one another including inner surface means on said sleeve means radially capturing said spring finger means between said guide means and sleeve means, whereby said sleeve means when removed from said guide means releases said spring finger means for free radial separation from said guide means.

A hand held drain cleaning apparatus comprising housing means having an axis, means for rotating said housing means about said axis, snake means coiled in said housing means about said axis, tubular guide means rotatable with and extending from said housing means coaxial with said axis and opening into said housing means for the passage of said snake means through said guide means, said guide means having an outer end with repsect to said housing means, spring finger clamping means extending axially of said guide means in the direction from said outer end toward said housing means and having first leg means extending in said direction generally parallel to said axis and second leg means extending in said direction from said first leg means and outwardly at an inclined angle to said axis, said second leg means ending in jaw means extending radially inwardly toward said axis, said guide means including opening means radially therethrough for said jaw means, sleeve means removably received on said guide means in the direction from said outer end toward said housing means and having inner end means, said sleeve means being coaxial with said guide means and supported thereon for axial displacement therealong in opposite directions between first and second positions, retainer means removably mounted on said outer end of said guide means to removably retain said sleeve means on said guide means, said sleeve means in said first position axially overlying said first leg means of said spring finger clamping means with said inner end of said sleeve means facing said second leg means, said sleeve means being displaceable toward said housing means from said first position to said second position for said inner end means to displace said second leg means and move said jaw means radially inwardly to clamp against said snake means, and said spring finger means, said guide means and said sleeve means including means engaging with one another to alone support said spring finger means against axial and circumferential displacement relative to and radial separation from said guide means, said means engaging with one another including slot means opening radially through said guide means and radial tab means on said firt leg means of said spring finger means extending into said slot means, said jaw means extending into said opening for said jaw means, and said tab means and jaw means engaging said guide means respectively in said slot means and said opening for said jaw means to support said spring finger means against axial displacement relative to said guide means.

A hand held drain cleaning apparatus comprising housing means having an axis, means for rotating said housing means about said axis, snake means coiled in said housing means about said axis, tubular guide means rotatable with and extending from said housing means coaxial with said axis and opening into said housing means for the passage of said snake means through said guide means, said guide means having an outer end with respect to said housing means, spring finger clamping means extending axially of said guide means in the direction from said outer end toward said housing means and having first leg means extending in said direction generally parallel to said axis and second leg means extending in said direction from said first leg, means and outwardly at an inclined angle to said axis, said second leg means ending in jaw means extending radially inwardly toward said axis, said guide means including opening means radially therethrough for said jaw means, sleeve means removably received on said guide means in the direction from said outer end toward said housing means and having inner end means, said sleeve means being coaxial with said guide means and supported thereon for axial displacement therealong in opposite directions between first and second positions, retainer means removably mounted on said outer end of said guide means to removably retain said sleeve means on said guide means, said sleeve means in said first position axially overlying said first leg means of said spring finger clamping means with said inner end of said sleeve means facing said second leg means, said sleeve means being displaceable toward said housing means from said first position to said second position for said inner end means to displace said second leg means and move said jaw means radially inwardly to clamp against said snake means, and said spring finger means, said guide means and said sleeve means including means engaging with one another to alone support said spring finger means against axial and circumferential displacement relative to and radial separation from said guide means, said means engaging with one another including said inner end means of said sleeve means engaging said second leg means of said spring finger clamping means to support said spring finger means against radial separation from said guide means, and said means engaging with one another further including slot means opening radially through said guide means and radial tab means on said first leg means of said spring finger means extending into said slot means, said jaw means extending into said opening for said jaw means, and said tab means and jaw means engaging said guide means respectively in said slot means and said opening for said jaw means to support said spring finger means against axial displacement relative to said guide means.