Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-18
2004-08-17
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
C015S104170, C015S104190, C015S104200, C015S104050, C166S170000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06775872
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a vehicle for traversing a surface such as for carrying out an inspection, survey or maintenance operation upon that surface.
2. Description of Related Art
In Patent Specification No. GB2305407A we have described a vehicle for this purpose which comprises two bodies interconnected by means to move the bodies towards and away from each other, each said body being supported upon a multiplicity of resilient bristles extending from it. Operation of that vehicle by alternate moving of the bodies towards and away from each other causes it to move in successive steps along a generally linear path over the surface upon which it is supported. The bristles are inclined by a small amount away from being perpendicular to the surface and thereby provide a grip upon that surface which is greater in one direction than in the opposite direction, as determined by the direction of inclination of the bristles.
This foregoing surface-traversing vehicle has proved to be able to move progressively and effectively over a range of different surfaces. When it is required to move in the opposite direction, for example to withdraw from a tubular conduit in which it has been operating, it is necessary for the surface-gripping effect of the bristles to be reversed by reversing the direction of inclination of the bristles. One possible way of achieving that reversal is to rely wholly upon the resiliency of the bristles and to reverse their direction of inclination simply by pulling axially upon the relevant bristle-supporting body. The reorientation of the bristles may be assisted by rotating the relevant body about its axis.
As indicated in the above patent specification, it could be advantageous if at least one of the bristle-supported bodies were constructed with retractable bristles. However the provision of a mechanically-operated system for retracting such bristles is particularly difficult in the case of surface-traversing vehicles of the present general type in that one important use of such vehicles is in the harsh environments of sewers, oil pipelines and the like, wherein deposited dirt and other sediments can readily impede continued satisfactory mechanical operations. It is perhaps not surprising that no satisfactory provision of such retractable bristles has hitherto been available.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a surface-traversing vehicle of this general type in which a practical and advantageous retraction of the bristles is made possible.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a surface-traversing vehicle comprising a plurality of bodies at least one moving device for moving at least one pair of adjacent said bodies towards and away from each other, a plurality of bristle-carrying members mounted to a plurality of said bodies, a plurality of resilient bristles mounted to each said bristle-carrying member, wherein each said bristle-carrying member is adapted to be moved in a respective first direction away from the corresponding said body and a respective second direction towards the corresponding said body, and at least one fluid pressure device for moving said bristle carrying members in the respective first and/or second direction thereof relative to the corresponding said body, wherein said moving device is adapted to cause said vehicle to traverse a surface by moving at least one pair of adjacent said bodies towards and away from each other when a plurality of said bristles of said body are in engagement with said surface to support the vehicle.
Thus, by operation of the fluid pressure means associated with one of the bodies, the bristles of that body may be retracted and/or extended as required, to enable their orientation to be reversed and the body to be moved more readily in its reverse direction, thereby permitting reversal of the direction of movement of the surface-traversing vehicle.
As described in Specification No. GB2305407A, the interconnected bodies which are a feature of the surface-traversing vehicles of the type to which the present invention is applied may be of various shapes depending upon the general nature of the surface to be traversed. Thus they may be generally flat or, for example, rotationally symmetrical, for example generally cylindrical. The bristles may extend generally perpendicularly from the bodies if the bodies are flat. Most usually, the bodies will be generally cylindrical and the bristles will extend generally radially outwardly or inwardly of the body. While the surface-traversing vehicle may comprise generally hollow bodies with inwardly-directed bristles, designed to enable it to progress over the outer surface of a chimney, cable or like conduit, the vehicle is particularly well adapted to use within a tubular pipe, sewer or similar conduit and for that purpose will have outwardly-directed bristles, in particular bristles directed radially outwardly.
Although in most cases the bristles are preferably directed generally perpendicularly, including radially, from the bodies upon which they are mounted, in particular when the bodies are viewed from the side relative to their direction of relative movement, when those bodies are rotationally symmetrical, the bristles may be inclined to a small extent in the rotational direction in order to discourage undesired rotation of the bodies. For example, alternate bristles or groups of bristles around the bodies may be inclined in alternate directions in a cross-ply structure to stabilize the bodies against such rotation.
The bristles of each of the bodies are mounted in groups upon a plurality of bristle-carrying members each guided for movement towards and away from the said body. These bristle-carrying members may be spaced apart at intervals over the surface of the body but preferably they combine to cover the whole of the relevant surface of the body and therefore lie closely together at one limit of their guided movement. By way of example, in the case of generally cylindrical bodies having outwardly-directed bristles, the bristle-carrying members may each form one angular segment of the cylindrical surface of the body. Preferably such segments are all of equal angular size, for example 4, 6 or 8 segments each covering, respectively, 90 degrees, 60 degrees or 45 degrees of the cylindrical surface of the body.
The bristle-carrying members are guided so that they may move towards and away from the body upon which they are mounted. Preferably that movement is generally radial with respect to the axis of a generally cylindrical body. To that general end, the axially opposite ends of each bristle-carrying member may be designed to engage generally radial slots or guide channels in the ends of the body. As an alternative, the bristle-carrying members may be mounted upon pins extending through radial apertures or bores in the body, or may themselves slide upon radial pins upon the body.
The movement of the bristle-carrying members towards and/or away from the associated bodies is effected by a fluid pressure means. It is preferred that the latter means be hydraulically, or more preferably pneumatically, operated. By way of example, when the bristle-carrying members each form an angular segment of the body, a membrane, for example a generally cylindrical tubular bag-shaped membrane, may be located along the axis of the body in contact with the radially inner faces of the members. When the membrane is caused to expand outwardly, either by stretching or by unfolding, upon the introduction of, say, compressed air into its interior, the bristle-carrying members are thereby urged outwardly. The latter members may subsequently disengage from the surface being traversed either simply in response to the absence of radially outward pressure or, more positively, under the action of one or more return springs when the fluid pressure is removed.
In one alternative form of the surface-traversing vehicle according to the present invention, the bristle-carrying members
Appleton Ernest
Stutchbury Neil William
Cole Laura C
Schein, Ph.D. Esq. Daniel B.
University of Durham
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
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