Fluid lance apparatus
AssigneeOmega Tools, Inc.
InventorsFrank P. Russo, William M. Hutton, Jeffery C. Bond, John K. Gilday
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a lance for removing dirt or other substances from an underground hole, by the use of air and water under high pressure. The water is used as an abrading material or lance to loosen dirt in a hole or to pick or chip off substances which are attached to a pipe. A limited amount of water is used during the operation of the apparatus, to prevent the formation of wet mud.
Claims17
A lance apparatus using water droplets as an abrading medium carried within a compressed air primary medium, comprising:
- a body having a first and second ends and a first and second inlets at said first end thereof;
- a water input valve attached to said first inlet;
- a compress air valve attached to said second inlet;
- a first control member for operating said water input valve for setting the position thereof;
- a second control member for operating said air input valve for setting the position thereof;
- and
- a nozzle attached to said second end of said body wherein said first and second inlets are each connected to said nozzle;
- wherein a limited amount of flow from said water inlet valve is permitted to join with the flow from said air inlet valve in said nozzle whereby said lance apparatus is capable of disturbing dirt with said water bearing air stream therefrom.
A fluid lance, for disturbing dirt without generating mud from the dirt, comprising:
- a compressed air means for providing an air carrier medium output discharge;
- means for delivering a water medium into said air carrier medium prior to its output discharge and for causing particles of said water medium to be entrained in said air carrier medium as an abrading medium;
- and
- means for directing said air carrier medium carrying said abrading water medium towards said dirt to be disturbed;
- wherein said water medium abrades said dirt and said air carrier medium carries away said abraded dirt without rendering said dirt substantially wet.
A method of disturbing dirt without generating substantial mud, comprising the steps of:
- providing compressed air as a carrier medium for delivering an abrading medium;
- providing water as an abrading medium into said compressed air carrier medium and causing particles of said water provided to be entrained in said air carrier medium;
- and
- discharging said air carrier medium with said entrained water abrading medium particles into said dirt;
- wherein the amount of water delivered as an abrading medium relative to the amount of air delivered as a carrier medium in said discharge into said dirt, is sufficient to abrade said dirt but insufficient to render said dirt substantially wet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.