Duct cleaning apparatus
AssigneeAbatement Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJames R. Nolan, Gary E. Kruse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved power-driven brush assembly is disclosed, useful for cleaning the interior surfaces of ducts, pipes, and other similar structures. The apparatus comprises a cable having a brush at one end, and a motor at the other end for spinning the cable and the brush. A casing surrounds the cable, allowing a fluid to be injected through the casing to the brush. A fluid directing assembly at the end of the casing near the brush allows fluid to the be injected into the duct in a desired direction, to flush particulate matter from the vicinity of the brush.
Claims15
An apparatus for cleaning an interior surface of a duct, comprising
- a) an elongated, flexible cable having a proximal end and a distal end;
- b) a cleaning tool attached to the distal end of the cable;
- c) drive means, connected to the proximal end of the cable, for spinning the cable;
- d) a flexible tubular casing surrounding the cable between the drive means and the cleaning tool, the casing having a proximal end corresponding to the proximal end of the cable and a distal end corresponding to the distal end of the cable;
- e) means for injecting a fluid into the proximal end of the casing and forcing the fluid towards the distal end of the casing;
- f) a fluid directing assembly surrounding the cable between the distal end of the casing and the cleaning tool, the fluid directing assembly comprising
- (i) a housing having an outer surface and an internal passage within the housing,
- (ii) a first opening into the internal passage in direct fluid connection with the casing,
- (iii) a second opening at an opposite end of the housing, wherein the cable extends through the first and second openings of the housing,
- (iv) a first plurality of nozzles extending between the internal passage and the outer surface of the housing in a first general direction,
- (v) a second plurality of nozzles extending between the internal passage and the outer surface of the housing in a second general direction, different from the first general direction;
- and
- (vi) means for selectively closing the first plurality of nozzles when the second plurality of nozzles is open and for closing the second plurality of nozzles when the first plurality of nozzles is open.
An apparatus for cleaning an interior surface of a structure, comprising
- a) an elongated flexible casing having a proximal end and a distal end;
- b) means for forcing a fluid through the casing to the distal end of the casing;
- and
- c) a fluid directing assembly connected to the distal end of the casing, the fluid directing assembly comprising
- (i) a housing having an outer surface and an internal passage in fluid communication with the casing;
- (ii) a first plurality of nozzles extending between the internal passage and the outer surface of the housing in a first direction,
- (iii) a second plurality of nozzles extending between the internal passage and the outer surface of the housing in a second general direction, different from the first general direction;
- and
- (iv) means for selectively closing the first plurality of nozzles when the second plurality of nozzles is open and for closing the second plurality of nozzles when the first plurality of nozzles is open;
- the apparatus further comprising a cleaning tool connected to the fluid-directing assembly;
- and means for spinning the cleaning tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.