Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Pipe – tube – or conduit cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-21
2001-10-30
Chin, Randall E. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Pipe, tube, or conduit cleaner
C015S104160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308362
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention refers to a milling device for an application in the pipe cleaning and sanitation technology in order to mill away or ream out obstacles or sanitation material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A considerable number of various milling devices are known in the art of the pipe cleaning technique which serve for a removing of solid deposits, of penetrating projecting connecting pipes and other flow obstacles such as grown in roots. In the inliner pipe sanitation technology such as described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,009,063, and 4,067,211 milling devices are needed for the final working operations. For this task remote controlled milling devices are used often, such as e.g. described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,577,388 and 5,378,092, and what open the inliner at a side inflow point of connecting pipes. At that point, use is made either of a self-propelled base device or of a base device which is manually positionable by control rods having an integrated or separate television camera and a freely moveable arm with a rotatable head for the receipt of various tools. The employment of these devices in the pipe cleaning or pipe sanitation proceeds with an external or internal television monitoring. The operation of such devices necessitates a high measure of experience and skill. Additionally there is the complicated mechanical and control-related design of the devices which gives rise to high costs of production. This leads, therefore, in the practice to restrictions regarding the application and handling. Furthermore, susceptibility to failure can not be avoided specifically in case of the electro-mechanical components and the prevailing working conditions in the pipe. This is augmented by the main drawback of these devices, the lack of the ability to negotiate curves in the pipes, such that the applicability of these milling devices is restricted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Here the invention intends to provide a remedy. The invention solves the object of providing a rugged milling device which is easy to be operated for the pipe cleaning and sanitation technology at reasonable production costs and a broad range of application and which can negotiate curves.
Deviating from that which has been proposed until now, namely to power milling devices electromagnetically, the especially rugged and simple design of the invention operates without any electrical control or driving power. Accordingly, failures due to short circuits or creeping currents will be avoided. This is solved in accordance with the invention in that the milling device driven by an air motor is positioned in an infinitely variable manner in its vertical axis by a hydraulic cylinder either hydraulically or pneumatically. The air motor is clamped in a slideable manner between a U-shaped metal sheet with parallel guiding grooves formed therein. The parallel extending guiding grooves in the U-metal sheet can feature, depending on the position of the milling device, any possible shape of curves, preferably however, straight lines having a slope angle in a range of 20-60° relative to the position of the milling device.
The air motor which is clamped in the U-metal sheet with a support such to be able to slide, is connected in accordance with the invention to the stroke rod of the hydraulic cylinder via two centers of rotation. When the stroke rod of the hydraulic cylinder is extended, the milling device is pivoted radially away outwards along the guiding grooves in the U-metal sheet and can, therefore, operate at a sufficiently large distance in side inflows. The advantages of this proposed kind of controlling and positioning of the milling motor lie in the infinitely variable and precise course of the movement with a noticeable elasticity in case of counter forces, in a simple manner, with tactile feedback.
Hereto it is proposed in accordance with the invention to connect in case of the hydraulic solution the hydraulic cylinder of the milling device via a pressure hose in a closed system to a second hydraulic cylinder. The amount of the hydraulic fluid and the pressure of the hydraulic fluid needed for the moving of the milling cutter can now be produced in the simplest case by a manual lever or a manually rotatable handle. In case of a purely pneumatic solution the pneumatic cylinder is acted upon by pressurized air. In a most demanding case a computer supported control system may control the hydraulic cylinder. In order to have a improved capability of the milling cutter to negotiate curves the U-shaped metal sheet is designed to be able to pivot relative to the clamping body via a axial pivotal point located diametrically opposite of the lowermost point of the guiding groove and includes a restoring spring. The hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder proposed for the radial pivoting of the milling cutter is received in a clamping body. The object of the clamping body is to absorb the forces, which occur during the milling operation, and to allow precise milling due to the high stability of the guiding of the milling head. Because an ability to negotiate curves is demanded, it is proposed that the clamping body have an H-shape in the top and side view. The H-shaped design structure has a slender center part, thereby giving the ability to negotiate curves. In order to absorb the forces, which occur during the milling operation the clamping body is clamped in the inner pipe. This is done by radially arranged pneumatic cylinders, which represent in the top view and side view the vertical legs of the H-shape. The number of the radially arranged pneumatic cylinders may amount to three at both sides, preferably however, to four to six per side. Upon an action of pressurized air onto the radially arranged pneumatic cylinders which are separated from each other by the slender center portion, their piston rods with dish shaped clamping claws mounted to their ends extend radially and clamp the clamping body against the inner wall of the pipe. Instead of the dish shaped clamping claws it is possible to mount skids which interconnect two respective opposite pneumatic cylinders. This is preferred especially in case of strongly damaged pipes where the danger of jamming of the clamping claws exists. In order to prevent the clamping body from jamming tight should the feed of pressurized air fail, the pneumatic cylinders are equipped with restoring springs.
A further essential feature of the invention is represented by the design of the clamping body and the arrangement of the pneumatic cylinder formed therein and of the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, as well as the corresponding conduits for the feeding of the respective cylinders. The slender center portion of the clamping body includes a hydraulic or pneumatic piston which is arranged horizontally in the forward area and has at its inside a bore hole and is connected to the support of the milling motor. The hydraulic or pneumatic piston is somewhat milled down at both sides with the exception of a narrow intermediate portion which contains the O-ring for the sealing against the stroke rod; at the rear side for the shaping of the piston surface and at the front side for the receipt of a restoring spring. The piston area is formed by the diameter difference between the outer diameter of the narrow intermediate portion and the inner diameter of the stroke rod. The feed of pressurized air of the milling motor runs through the inner bore holes of the stroke rod and of the hydraulic piston. The sealing of the cylinder against the feed of the pressurized air is accomplished by an O-ring at the end of the piston. In accordance with the invention a restoring spring is foreseen opposite of the surface of the piston which is acted upon by pressure, which urges the milling cutter upon a reduction of the pressure back into the starting position. In accordance with the invention the H-shaped clamping body has a bore hole with a somewhat larger diameter at the slender center portion and contains in the longitudinal bore hole the above described stroke rod which is displaceable
Chin Randall E.
Welsh & Katz Ltd.
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