Measuring and testing – Sampler – sample handling – etc. – Automatic control
Patent
1997-03-21
1999-07-27
Noland, Thomas P.
Measuring and testing
Sampler, sample handling, etc.
Automatic control
7386431, 7386441, G01N 104, G01N 108
Patent
active
059293470
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus for sampling dust and other dirt accumulations in a duct while traveling therein, to examine the kinds and properties of the sampled material, the apparatus must be enabled to travel in a narrow duct with a small inner diameter such as 150 mm.
BACKGROUND ART
Such narrow ducts which can not be internally accessed by a person have had their inside cleaned by a small-sized cleaning apparatus traveling therein. The apparatus comprises a traveling truck equipped with means for removing dust and contaminations accumulated on or adhering to the inner surface of the duct. Such small-sized duct cleaning apparatus may, however, be said to be still under development. In addition, attention has been paid principally to the technology of effectively discharging dust and contaminations from a duct; but it has not been taken into account to examine, in advance, the kinds, properties, state of accumulation and adhesion of the dust in a duct to be cleaned.
Recently, however, the dust and dirt accumulations in a duct have widely come to have their type, properties and state of accumulation and sticking diversified. In some cases very specific foreign substances are found sticking and accumulating. Therefore, to clean the inside of a duct effectively it is important to grasp, in advance, the types, features and state of sticking and accumulation of foreign matters in a duct both quantitatively and qualitatively. However, the apparatus for examining the properties of the contaminations in a narrow duct has not been sufficiently developed so far.
The applicant of the present patent application provided an apparatus for searching in a duct both in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-220683 and in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,641, but the apparatus has no function of dust sampling.
Accordingly, the present invention aims at eliminating such a disadvantage in the conventional technology and makes it an object to provide an apparatus for sampling dust in a duct to grasp the types, properties, state of accumulation and sticking of the contaminations in the duct in advance of cleaning the duct.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
To achieve the above object, the apparatus for sampling dust in a duct, in accordance with the present invention, comprises essentially a traveling truck capable of traveling forwardly and backwardly in a duct, an illuminating light is mounted on a front end of the traveling truck for illuminating the inside surface of the duct, a TV camera is mounted on the front end of the traveling truck for observing the inside surface of the duct, at least one compressed air ejection nozzle is mounted on the front end of the traveling truck for ejecting compressed air toward any accumulation in the duct in front of the traveling truck, a sampling bucket means, mounted on a front end of the traveling truck and movable about a shaft between a lower position for scooping-up accumulations in the duct and an upper position in a standby position without blocking a view of the TV camera and the compressed air ejected from behind the sampling bucket. The movement of the travel truck and operation of the illuminating light, the TV camera, the compressed air and the sampling bucket means are all operated remotely by an operator that monitors an inside of the duct via a TV screen which shows the subject matter viewed by the TV camera, - - - .
The bucket means of the apparatus comprises a shaft supported by and between a pair of supporting elements that project forwardly from the front part of the traveling truck, a pair of rotation arms supported by said shaft and rotatable around said shaft, an air cylinder for making said pair of rotation arms turn between a standby position and a scooping position, a hydraulic damper for damping the turning speed of the rotation arms made to turn by said air cylinder, and a sampling bucket detachably attached to and between said pair of rotation arms.
According to the first feature of the present invention an operator of the apparatus can,
REFERENCES:
patent: 3677427 (1972-07-01), Allen
patent: 4177624 (1979-12-01), Kelpin
patent: 4304139 (1981-12-01), Johnson
patent: 4558602 (1985-12-01), Redding
patent: 4763376 (1988-08-01), Spurlock, Jr. et al.
patent: 5311641 (1994-05-01), Metsuure et al.
patent: 5317782 (1994-06-01), Matsuura et al.
patent: 5333533 (1994-08-01), Hosseini
patent: 5392659 (1995-02-01), Ford, Jr. et al.
patent: 5572706 (1996-11-01), Metsuura et al.
Patent Abstracts of Europe (FR 02693220 A1) dated Jan. 7, 1994 inventor Jean "Remote Controlled Hydraulically Powered Sewer Cleaning Method-Uses Tracked Vehicle with Front Mounted Cutter/Grinder and Outlet Pipe Discharging Into Barge with Data Collectors Mounted on Front Above".
Matsuura Kenji
Shiraishi Junichi
Ataka Construction & Engineering
Greigg Edwin E.
Greigg Ronald E.
Kobe Mechatronics Co., Ltd.
Noland Thomas P.
LandOfFree
Apparatus for sampling dust in a duct does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for sampling dust in a duct, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for sampling dust in a duct will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-880707