Self-cleaning sight tube assembly
AssigneeExcell Design & Construction Services, Inc.
InventorAlfonso M. Misuraca
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-cleaning assembly for a vertically oriented sight tube interposed in a flow line is suspended from a bearing member for free rotation within the sight tube. The assembly includes a support member having a pair of cleaning members suspended remote from the tube axis. A flow directing assembly upstream from the sight tube (either above or below) sets up a spiral flow pattern within the sight tube. This spiral flow pattern causes the cleaning assembly to spin, and centrifugal force pushes the cleaning members against the interior wall of the sight tube to effect a scouring action thereon.
Claims19
A self-cleaning sight tube assembly interposed in a fluid flow line and comprising:
- a cylindrical transparent sight tube arranged to provide fluid flow therethrough, said tube being disposed with its central axis in a generally vertical orientation;
- a support member;
- a plurality of elongated cleaning members;
- securing means for securing said plurality of cleaning members to said support member so that said plurality of cleaning members are substantially parallel to each other and extend in the same direction away from said support member;
- support means for supporting said support member for free rotation about said tube central axis, said support means being so located that said plurality of cleaning members are suspended downwardly from said support member within said tube;
- and
- flow directing means for causing said fluid to flow in a spiral pattern within said tube;
- whereby the spiral pattern flow through said tube causes said plurality of cleaning members and said support member to rotate about the tube central axis with the resulting centrifugal force on said plurality of cleaning members causing said plurality of cleaning members to engage the interior surface of said tube and effect a scouring action thereon.
An assembly for scouring the interior wall of a vertically oriented cylindrical tube interposed in a fluid flow line, the assembly comprising:
- a scouring member vertically suspended within said tube for rotation about the central axis of said tube;
- and
- means responsive to fluid flow in said line for rotating said scouring member about the central axis of said tube so that centrifugal force causes said scouring member to be moved outwardly into scouring engagement with the interior wall of said tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.