Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – With particular drive
Patent
1993-06-08
1996-02-27
Nguyen, John Q.
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
With particular drive
2423973, 242407, 2426021, 2426153, 2421585, 1373552, 13735526, B65H 7548, B65H 7514, A62C 3500
Patent
active
054942357
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning or otherwise working on tubes and conduits.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,120 discloses an arrangement wherein a flexible hose is stored on a rotatable drum in a limited number of turns whereby the drum is rotated to extend the hose through a rigid laterally disposed and substantially straight guide or housing. The hose is connected to a plurality of separate or individual lances each having a length approximating the length of the rigid guide or housing such that when the hose is withdrawn onto the drum, the individual lances are substantially withdrawn into the guide or housing. The arrangement disclosed is intended to enable a plurality of lances to be moved through conduits or pipes to be cleaned simultaneously. The disadvantage with the disclosed system is that the exit point for the hose from the drum is fixed thereby substantially limiting the length of hose that might be stored on the drum and as a result limiting severely the possible length of movement of travel of each of the lances. Moreover a quite large length of head room is required in front of any bundle or array of tubes to be cleaned to enable positioning of the equipment if the tubes are to be cleaned in situ as would be desired in most circumstances. If this required head room is unavailable in any existing installation, then the tubes could not be cleaned with this equipment without removing same from the position in which they are installed.
Another arrangement is disclosed in Patent Cooperation Treaty Application No. PCT/AU90/00126 which discloses apparatus for projecting devices through tubes and conduits, said apparatus comprising a drum captured within a cage of axially disposed rollers and provided with a spiral groove on its outer surface, said drum being rotatable by drive means to extend from or retract back into said groove a cleaning lance, umbilical cable for a survey unit or the like, said drum being axially displaced during rotation to maintain the point at which said lance, umbilical cable or the like exits from or re-enters said groove in alignment with a tangentially arranged guide tube.
The aforesaid arrangement has worked satisfactorily but it has been found desirable to make some practical modifications to the system to improve its simplicity and portability. This arrangement involves both axially and rotationally moving the drum and flexible lance or umbilical cable or the like which requires considerably larger power units to drive the system and involves the use of more power in operation. Moreover, the system, because of this complication is larger and more complicated than might be otherwise needed.
The objective therefore of the present invention is to provide apparatus which is capable of projecting a stiffly flexible elongated member through a conduit, tube or the like which requires a minimum of space in front of the conduit, tube or the like being worked upon, but which is relatively simple in construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides apparatus for storing and selectably projecting a flexible lance therefrom, said apparatus comprising a storage means for storing said lance in a plurality of wound coils thereon with a distal end of said lance being adapted to project from said apparatus, drive means enabling rotation of said storage means about a rotation axis to extend said distal end from said storage means or to retract said distal end towards said storage means, said apparatus being characterised in that during rotation of said storage means, the point of exit or return of said lance from or to said apparatus moves in an axial direction.
Conveniently, guide means may be provided through which the lance passes during projection from or withdrawal onto said storage means, said guide means being arranged to move axially. Preferably movement control means may be provided to positively move the guide means in direct response to rotational movement o
REFERENCES:
patent: 1433412 (1922-10-01), Playle
patent: 1850677 (1932-03-01), Kieneman
patent: 2309574 (1943-01-01), Busha
patent: 4066093 (1978-01-01), Egerstrom
patent: 4660782 (1987-04-01), Hegemann
patent: 4767073 (1988-08-01), Malzacher
Patent Abstracts of Japan, M-1015, p. 147, JP,A, 2-147574 (Jun. 6, 1990).
Patent Abstracts of Japan, M-776, p. 82, JP.A. 63-202569 (Aug. 22, 1988).
Barry Bros. Specialised Services Pty. Ltd.
Linek Ernest V.
Nguyen John Q.
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