Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE
[0001] Thread cleaning apparatus
FIELD
[0002] This relates to an apparatus for cleaning the threads of a tubular
member.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Prior to making up threaded connections, it is often required to
clean the threads to
ensure there is no dirt or debris that could damage or otherwise hinder the
connection. US
Patent no. 5,157,802 (Guidry et al.) is an example of a device that may be
used for this
purpose, and describes a pipe thread cleaning apparatus that uses a source of
pressurized
cleaning fluid connected to a pin thread cleaning head and a box thread
cleaning head.
SUMMARY
[0004] There is provided an apparatus for cleaning threads of a threaded
tubular member,
comprising a steam generator, a vacuum source, a thread cleaning tool, and a
filter. The
thread cleaning tool comprises a housing having a first end and a second end,
the housing
having a steam conduit connected to the steam generator and a vacuum conduit
connected to
the vacuum source, the steam conduit having an injection nozzle adjacent to
the first end of
the housing for directing steam toward the threaded tubular member and the
vacuum conduit
withdrawing used fluids from the threaded tubular member. The thread cleaning
tool further
comprises a sealing element at the first end of the housing that engages the
threaded tubular
member. The filter for separates water from the used fluids, the separated
water being
supplied to the steam generator.
[0005] According to another aspect, the thread cleaning tool may comprise
a
compressible spring positioned between the housing and the sealing element.
The spring may
connect the sealing element to the housing. The sealing element may be movable
relative to
the nozzle, the nozzle extending toward the threaded tubular member upon
application of a
force to the sealing element.
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[0006] According to another aspect, the thread cleaning tool may further
comprise a
valve for controlling the flow of steam through the conduit.
[0007] According to another aspect, the housing may be a tubular body and
the vacuum
conduit may be defmed by the tubular body.
[0008] According to another aspect, the steam conduit may be
concentrically disposed
within the tubular body.
[0009] According to another aspect, the nozzle may rotate upon application
of fluid
pressure.
[0010] According to another aspect, the sealing element may comprise a
sealing surface
and an enclosure that extends outward from the sealing surface to enclose an
end of the
tubular member, and wherein the nozzle is outside an outer diameter of the
tubular member.
[0011] According to another aspect, the sealing element may seal against
an end of the
tubular member and the nozzle is inside an inner diameter of the tubular
member.
[0012] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of cleaning
threads of a
threaded tubular member, comprising the step of providing a thread cleaning
tool. The thread
cleaning tool comprises a housing having a first end and a second end, the
housing having a
steam conduit connected to the steam generator and a vacuum conduit connected
to the
vacuum source, the steam conduit having an injection nozzle adjacent to the
first end of the
housing. The thread cleaning tool further comprises a sealing element at the
first end of the
housing. The method further comprises the steps of setting the sealing element
against an
end of the threaded tubular member; using a steam generator, generating steam
and
transferring the steam through the steam conduit to the injection nozzle, the
injection nozzle
directing the steam onto the threads of the threaded tubular member such that
the steam
removes contaminants from the threads; applying vacuum pressure adjacent to
the threads of
the threaded tubular member via the vacuum conduit to remove a stream of
fluids comprising
used steam and contaminants; passing the steam of fluids through a filter to
separate water
from the stream of fluids; and supplying the separated water to the steam
generator.
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[0013] According to another aspect, the thread cleaning tool may comprise a
thread
cleaning tool as described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] These and other features will become more apparent from the
following
description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings
are for the
purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting,
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a thread cleaning tool for cleaning
internal
threads in the retracted position.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the thread cleaning tool for cleaning
internal
threads shown in FIG. 1 in a partially extended position.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the thread cleaning tool for cleaning internal
threads shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a sealing element and nozzle on the thread
cleaning tool for cleaning internal threads shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the thread cleaning
tool for
cleaning internal threads within a section of pipe.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view, in section, of the thread cleaning tool for
cleaning
external threads.
FIG. 7 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the thread cleaning
tool for
cleaning external threads shown in FIG. 6 with a section of pipe.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a system used with the thread cleaning tool.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] A thread cleaning tool for cleaning internal threads generally
identified by
reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 through
5. A thread
cleaning tool for cleaning external threads generally identified by reference
numeral 100, will
now be described with reference to FIG. 6 through 8. Each tool 10 and 100 may
be used in a
system for cleaning threads of a tubular member.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1 through 5, a thread cleaning tool 10 is shown
that is designed
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to clean internal threads of a tubular. Referring to FIG. 3, thread cleaning
tool 10 has a
housing 20 defining a vacuum passage 21 and a tubing or steam passage 30 that
passes
through housing 20, preferably concentrically. Steam passage 30 has a nozzle
32 for injecting
the steam against the threads being cleaned, which is adjacent to a first end
22 of housing 20.
It will be understood that "adjacent" does not necessarily mean "immediately
adjacent", as
nozzle 32 may move relative to first end 22, and it may be designed to extend
a certain
distance from first end 22, depending on the requirements of the tool being
designed. It is
convenient to use housing 20 to define vacuum passage 21, however it will be
understood that
it may be made from a separate tubular. Furthermore, it is convenient to have
steam passage
30 within housing 20 to avoid contact with a potentially hot surface, as well
as to make it
more convenient for vacuum pressure to remove the steam or water once the
cleaning
operation has been completed. Housing 20 has a seal element 24 at first end 22
and a handle
14 at a second end 26 of housing 20. As depicted, seal element 24 is mounted
to an inner
sleeve 34 of housing 20 and slides relative to an outer sleeve 35. Seal
element 24 and inner
sleeve 34 are biased outward relative to outer sleeve 35 by a spring 28.
Spring 28 allows the
user to apply pressure to cleaning tool 10, ensuring a good seal, and causing
nozzle 32 to
extend out from housing 20. A good seal is useful to ensure the vacuum
pressure through
vacuum passage 21 is primarily applied to the fluids and contaminants, such as
steam,
condensed steam, debris, oil, etc. that will be present after steam contacts
the surface of the
tubular body, and in particular, the threads.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 3, there is a cleaning fluid connection 12 that
is connected to
handle 14. Handle 14 has a control lever 16 that opens and closes a valve (not
shown) that, in
the depicted embodiment, is inside handle 14. Control lever 16 and steam
passage 30 with
nozzle 32 may be considered to be similar to a modified pressure washer, where
trigger 16
controls the flow of fluid to nozzle 32, and steam passage 30 has been
designed to be inserted
within housing 20 in such a way that vacuum passage 21 is not unduly
restricted. A vacuum
connection 18 is also positioned on housing 20, such that it is in
communication with vacuum
passage 21. Vacuum connection 18 is designed to be connected to a typical
vacuum hose
that is capable of withstanding the applied vacuum pressure and the fluids and
contaminants
that will be transferred through it. Tool 10 as depicted is designed primarily
with the usability
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of the tool in mind, such that connections 12 and 18 are at second end 26 of
housing 20, such
that steam enters at one end of housing 20, and is ejected from nozzle 32 at
the other.
Similarly, vacuum pressure is applied at the same end, and withdraws fluid and
contaminants
from the other end. Referring to FIG. 4, nozzle 32 may be any convenient style
of nozzle that
5 is able to apply sufficient pressure to clean the threads as recognized
by those skilled in the
art. The nozzle design will also depend at least partly on the pressure
provided to tool 10 and
the size of the tubular member being cleaned. Examples of nozzles may include
a manifold-
type nozzle 32 as shown in FIG.! and 2, which simultaneously sprays steam in
all directions,
or it may be a rotating nozzle that uses the fluid pressure of the steam to
rotate, or it may be an
omni directional nozzle, similar to a sprinlder head. Referring to FIG. 5, the
cleaning fluid is
shown as being applied to the inner circumference of the threads 220 as nozzle
32 extends
outward from seal 24.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 3, as mentioned above, housing is preferably
made up of inner
sleeve 34 and outer sleeve 35. A compressible spring 28 is preferably
positioned between
seal element 24, mounted on inner sleeve 34, and outer sleeve 35. A portion of
inner sleeve
34 is slidably received within outer sleeve 35 and is maintained in outer
sleeve 35 by a first
pin 36. Movement of inner sleeve 34 within outer sleeve 35 is permitted by an
elongate
aperture 38 through inner sleeve 34 through which first pin 36 passes. Spring
28 is maintained
on inner sleeve 34 by a second pin 40. The portion of inner sleeve 34 received
within outer
sleeve 35 is determined by the relative compression of spring 28. Other
fittings are depicted
that may be used to connect inner sleeve 34 within outer sleeve 35 and
maintain a seal, as will
be recognized by those skilled in the art.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 5, using the depicted example of tool 10, when
sealing element
24 is set against the tubular 200, the nozzle 32 extends into the tubular body
200 to be cleaned
by applying pressure against sealing element 24, causing sealing element 24 to
retract relative
to handle 14, and nozzle 32 to extend into tubular body 200. The thread
cleaning tool 10 in a
partially extended orientation is shown in FIG. 2. The travel distance
provided by aperture 38
is preferably sufficient to allow nozzle 32 to traverse the entire threaded
portion 220 of
tubular body 200. Referring to FIG. 3, by providing a long enough spring 28
and elongate
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aperture 38, this may be done at varying distances to ensure the entire set of
threads, not
shown in this figure is cleaned. Referring to FIG. 5, as spring 28 requires
the user to apply a
force to extend nozzle 32 into the tubular 200, it also helps ensure a good
seal against the end
of the tubular 200. Referring to FIG. 3, when spring 28 is further compressed,
a greater
portion of inner sleeve 34 is received within housing 30. The amount of
compression possible
is based on the length of elongate aperture 38 and spring 28. Referring to
FIG. 2, when spring
28 becomes compressed, nozzle 32 and a portion of tubing 30 protrudes beyond
seal element
24.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 3, when spring 28 is in an extended position, only
a small
portion of inner sleeve 34 is received within housing 20, and nozzle 32 is
preferably
withdrawn into sealing element 24. The thread cleaning tool 10 with spring 28
uncompressed
and nozzle 32 in a retracted position is shown in FIG. 1.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 5, seal element 24 seals the end of the tubular
200 to allow
vacuum pressure to be applied. Referring to FIG. 1, vacuum pressure is applied
through
vacuum connection 18 through housing 20 to a point adjacent to nozzle 32 in
order to remove
the used cleaning fluid and any debris or contaminants that are removed from
the threads 220,
as shown in FIG. 5.
[0022] The manner in which spring 28 is incorporated into tool 10 may
vary. For
example, as shown, spring 28 is mounted on the outside of housing 20 and the
forward part of
housing 20 withdraws as pressure is applied. Alternatively, sealing element 24
may be
mounted directly to housing 20 by spring 28, or spring 28 may be mounted
within housing 20.
Other variations will be recognized by those skilled in the art.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 6 through 8, a thread cleaning tool 100 for
cleaning threads 220
on an outer surface of a tubular 200 is shown. As will be recognized, many of
the same
concepts and variations discussed above are also applicable to tool 100,
whether they are
explicitly discussed or not. Accordingly, the discussion below relates
specifically to the
example depicted in the drawings.
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[0024] As with tool 10, thread cleaning tool 100 is designed to apply
steam to threads
220, while also applying vacuum pressure. The main difference is that thread
cleaning tool
100 is designed to clean external threads, and therefore the vacuum pressure
and steam must
be applied to an external surface of tubular member 200. Referring to FIG. 6,
thread cleaning
tool 100 has a housing 120 defining a vacuum passage 121 with a seal element
124 on a first
end 122 of housing 120. Referring to FIG. 8, a steam connection 112 is
connected to handle
114 with a control lever or trigger 116. A vacuum connection 118 is positioned
on housing
120. Referring to FIG. 6, steam is supplied to first end 122 of the thread
cleaning tool 100 by
tubing 130 that passes through the vacuum passage 121. The tubing 130 has a
nozzle 132 on
the end to spray the cleaning fluid on the threads. In order to have the
vacuum pressure
applied to the area of threads 220, an enclosure 123 is formed by an outer
wall 127 that is
carried by housing 120 and a curtain 125 at the end of outer wall 127. Curtain
125 as shown
in a series of elastomeric tabs that extend inward. These are not intended to
form an air-tight
seal, but are used to capture any steam, and to localize the vacuum pressure
within enclosure
123. Sealing element 124 is mounted to housing 120 within enclosure 123 by a
spring 126
toward the extended position. Referring to FIG. 7, sealing element 124 is
placed against the
end of a tubular 200, and the tool is pushed such that housing 120 extends
over the threads
220, while sealing element 124 remains pressed against the end of the tubular
200, sealing the
end of tubular member 200 against the steam and vacuum pressure. Sealing
element 124 is
biased against tubular member 200 by spring 126, which may be mounted on a
sleeve that
moves within housing 120 (not shown), or any other convenient method.
Referring to FIG. 6,
nozzle 132 is positioned along the inner perimeter of enclosure 123 toward
curtain 125. In
this manner, steam is directed inward against outer threads 220, and the
vacuum pressure
draws the resulting fluids and contaminants backward. In the depicted
embodiment, steam
passage 130 may not be concentric with vacuum passage 120, and may be made up
of two or
more separate passages to achieve a more even distribution of pressure to
nozzle 132.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 8, a water source 240 supplies water to a steam
source 230.
Steam is supplied to thread cleaning tool 100 through steam connection 112
when control
lever 116 of handle allows for steam to enter tool 100. Referring to FIG. 6,
steam travels
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through tubing 130 to nozzle 132 where it is directed on the threads 220.
Referring to FIG. 7,
pressure exerted on tool 100 causes center portion 125 to retract within
housing 120. By
altering the amount of pressure exerted on tool 100, the user can alter which
portion of threads
220 is being washed by the steam. Sealing element 124 engages the tubular 200
to prevent the
steam from escaping. Referring to FIG. 8, steam and debris from the washed
threads 220 are
vacuumed through vacuum connection 118 into vacuum source 250. Steam may then
travel
through a filter 260 and return to steam source 230 for reuse. Although not
shown, it will be
understood that thread cleaning tool 10 will use a similar method of cleaning
threads that
includes a water source 240, a steam source 230, a vacuum source 250 and a
filter 260 for
reuse of steam.
[0026] In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-
limiting sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
[0027] The following claims are to be understood to include what is
specifically illustrated
and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, and what can be
obviously substituted.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set
forth in the
examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the
description as a
whole.
