Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 2186434
SEWER CLEANING NOZZLE
This invention relates to a sewer cleaning nozzle of a type
which is connected to a high pressure supply of cleaning fluid, particularly
water, and includes high pressure jets directed rearwardly and outwardly
relative to a central pipe section connected to an elongate hose so that as
the nozzle is pulled through the sewer pipe it washes before it materials
collected at the base of the pipe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One example of a nozzle of this type is shown in U.S. Patent
4,699,163 of the present inventor which includes an elongate pipe section
having a rear end for connection to the hose and a forward end connected
to a cylindrical housing. At a rear face of the housing is provided a
plurality
of rearwardly extending jets surrounding the pipe section. A plurality of skid
bars are attached to the housing longitudinally of the housing at angularly
spaced positions around the housing with those skid bars extending from
the rear face of the housing rearwardly and inwardly for attachment to the
pipe section.
This arrangement of nozzle has achieved significant success in
the field and is widely used but has a number of disadvantages. Firstly the
nozzle tends to collect sticks and other elongate elements which lie
transverse to the pipe so that they are carried by the nozzle and thus
interfere with the proper sweeping action of the jets. Secondly the
arrangement does not maximize water flow from the jets. Thirdly the
construction is relatively complicated and therefore expensive.
Further examples are shown in U.S. Patents 3,380,461
(Maasberg), 3,678,948 (Hedges assigned to Rockwell Manufacturing Co.);
3,814,330 (Masters assigned to McNeil Corporation) and 4,073,302
(Jones).
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Masters shows a nozzle having four lobes each lying in a
substantially axial plane with the lobes arranged at right angles and each
lobe carries two jet nozzles. This arrangement is disadvantageous in that
the nozzles are carried on the lobes and therefore can be engaged into the
material at the base of the pipe thus reducing flow.
Maasberg discloses a head which is generally a flat body with
nozzles at the front face. Again the nozzles can engage into the material
reducing flow.
Hedges discloses a relatively complex arrangement with two
heads carried on a central fin section with the fins welded to a connecting
pipe section at spaced positions around the axis of the pipe section. This
arrangement is relatively complex and bulky so that the cost of manufacture
is increased and the proper flow of material and flushing water may not be
achieved.
Jones discloses an arrangement with skids which run on the
inside surface of the pipe with a simple nozzle and is therefore carried
centrally of the pipe. This arrangement is impractical in view of the
difficulty of running along the length of the pipe which can have
obstructions, bends and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide
an improved sewer cleaning nozzle of the above general type.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a
sewer cleaning nozzle comprising: a straight pipe portion having a
longitudinal axis of the pipe portion defining a longitudinal direction of the
nozzle; a first end of the pipe portion having thereon an attachment member
for attachment to a cleaning fluid supply pipe; a chamber portion attached
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to a second end of the pipe portion having a front wall, a rear wall spaced
axially of the front wall away from the first end, the front and rear walls
each extending generally outwardly of the longitudinal axis, and a peripheral
wall interconnecting the front and rear walls, the front wall facing along the
pipe portion toward the first end thereof and the peripheral wall spaced
radially outwardly relative to the pipe portion; a plurality of longitudinally
extending fin members mounted on the pipe portion and the chamber
portion at angularly spaced positions therearound, each fin member having
an outer edge spaced radially outwardly relative to the peripheral wall of the
chamber portion for supporting the peripheral wall in sliding action along a
surface to be cleaned; a plurality of first jet cleaning nozzles mounted on
the
chamber portion at angularly spaced positions therearound, each arranged to
define a stream of fluid projection forwardly and outwardly relative to the
longitudinal axis, the first jet cleaning nozzles being located in between the
fins; the pipe portion being in fluid connection with a chamber inside the
chamber portion for supplying cleaning fluid thereto and the first jet
cleaning
nozzles each being in fluid connection with the chamber for receiving fluid
therefrom; each fin having an inner edge having a first edge portion lying
along the pipe portion and sufficiently closely thereto to avoid any
substantial openings therebetween and a second edge portion lying along at
least the front wall and peripheral wall of the chamber portion and
sufficiently closely thereto to avoid any substantial openings therebetween,
each of the fin members being substantially solid so as to avoid any
substantial openings therein.
Preferably the first jet cleaning nozzles are located on the front
wall.
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Preferably the front wall lies substantially in a radial plane of
the longitudinal axis.
Preferably the second portion of each of the fin members also
lies closely adjacent the rear wall.
Preferably the fin members are joined to a stub member
rearwardly of the rear wall.
Preferably the stub member carries a fastening loop member.
Preferably the first jet cleaning nozzles each define an angle of
the order of 15 degrees outwardly relative to the axis.
Preferably there is provided a conical baffle member inside the
chamber having an apex lying on the axis and facing toward the first end
and a base on the rear wall for guiding fluid flowing along the pipe portion
outwardly from the axis toward the first jet cleaning nozzles.
Preferably the rear wall is curved outwardly of and forwardly
from the base to curve the movement of the fluid outwardly and forwardly
toward first jet cleaning nozzles.
Preferably there is provided a plurality of second nozzles
mounted on the pipe portion forwardly of the front wall such that each
defines a stream of fluid projection forwardly and outwardly relative to the
longitudinal axis, the second jet cleaning nozzles being located at angularly
spaced positions around the pipe portion in between the fins.
Preferably the second nozzles define an angle relative to the
axis which is less than that of the first nozzles.
Preferably there is a number of the second nozzles which is less
than that of the first nozzles.
Preferably the fins converge inwardly toward the first end and
each end of each fin includes a curved end portions.
2186434
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided
a sewer cleaning nozzle comprising: a straight pipe portion having a
longitudinal axis of the pipe portion defining a longitudinal direction of the
nozzle; a first end of the pipe portion having thereon an attachment member
5 for attachment to a cleaning fluid supply pipe; a chamber portion attached
to a second end of the pipe portion having a front wall, a rear wall spaced
axially of the front wall away from the first end, the front and rear walls
each extending generally outwardly of the longitudinal axis, and a peripheral
wall interconnecting the front and rear walls, the front wall facing along the
pipe portion toward the first end thereof and the peripheral wall spaced
radially outwardly relative to the pipe portion, the front wall lying
substantially in a radial plane of the longitudinal axis; a plurality of
longitudinally extending fin members mounted on the pipe portion and the
chamber portion at angularly spaced positions therearound, each fin member
having an outer edge spaced radially outwardly relative to the peripheral
wall of the chamber portion for supporting the peripheral wall in sliding
action along a surface to be cleaned; a plurality of first jet cleaning
nozzles
mounted on the front wall of the chamber portion at angularly spaced
positions therearound, each arranged to define a stream of fluid projection
forwardly and outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis, the first jet
cleaning nozzles being located in between the fins; the pipe portion being in
fluid connection with a chamber inside the chamber portion for supplying
cleaning fluid thereto and the first jet cleaning nozzles each being in fluid
connection with the chamber for receiving fluid therefrom; and a conical
baffle member inside the chamber having an apex lying on the axis and
facing toward the first end and a base on the rear wall for guiding fluid
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flowing along the pipe portion outwardly from the axis toward the first jet
cleaning nozzles..
According to athird aspect of the invention there is provided a
sewer cleaning nozzle comprising: a straight pipe portion having a
longitudinal axis of the pipe portion defining a longitudinal direction of the
nozzle; a first end of the pipe portion having thereon an attachment member
for attachment to a cleaning fluid supply pipe; a chamber portion attached
to a second end of the pipe portion having a front wall, a rear wall spaced
axially of the front wall away from the first end, the front and rear walls
each extending generally outwardly of the longitudinal axis, and a peripheral
wall interconnecting the front and rear walls, the front wall facing along the
pipe portion toward the first end thereof and the peripheral wall spaced
radially outwardly relative to the pipe portion, the front wall lying
substantially in a radial plane of the longitudinal axis; a plurality of
longitudinally extending fin members mounted on the pipe portion and the
chamber portion at angularly spaced positions therearound, each fin member
having an outer edge spaced radially outwardly relative to the peripheral
wall of the chamber portion for supporting the peripheral wall in sliding
action along a surface to be cleaned; a plurality of first jet cleaning
nozzles
mounted on the front wall of the chamber portion at angularly spaced
positions therearound, each arranged to define a stream of fluid projection
forwardly and outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis, the first jet
cleaning nozzles being located in between the fins; ction with a chamber
inside the chamber portion for supplying cleaning fluid thereto and the first
jet cleaning nozzles each being in fluid connection with the chamber for
receiving fluid therefrom; a plurality of second nozzles mounted on the pipe
portion forwardly of the front wall such that each defines a stream of fluid
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projection forwardly and outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis, the
second jet cleaning nozzles being located at angularly spaced positions
around the pipe portion in between the fins, the second nozzles defining an
angle relative to the axis which is less than that of the first nozzles.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a jet clean nozzle according to
the present invention.
Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view through the nozzle
of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a first end elevational view of the nozzle of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a second elevational view of the nozzle of Figure 1.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The cleaning nozzle shown in the drawings comprises an
elongate pipe portion 10, a head portion 11 and a plurality of fins 12.
The pipe portion 10 comprises an elongate rigid straight pipe
having a rear end 13 and a forward end 14. The pipe is relatively short
generally of the order of six inches in length and has its rearward end 13 a
threaded outer surface 15 for receiving a coupling 16 of a supply hose 17.
The head portion 11 defines an internal chamber 18 connected
to the interior of the pipe portion 10 for receiving a cleaning fluid supplied
therefrom supplied through the hose 17. The chamber includes a front wall
19 facing the first end 13 of the pipe portion, a rear wall 20 generally
parallel to the front wall and spaced axially therefrom and a peripheral wall
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21 interconnecting the front and rear walls. In the examples shown the rear
wall 20
and the peripheral wall 21 are formed integrally from a single metal element
which is
shaped with a curved interconnecting portend 22 joining the peripheral wall to
the
rear wall. The front wall 19 is formed by a separate element which is annular
in
shape so as to surround the end 14 of the pipe portion and so as to be located
inside the forward end of the peripheral wall portion 21. The front wall 19 is
welded
at its outer edge to the front portion of the peripheral wall with a high
pressure
welding technique so as to define a high pressure chamber for receiving the
high
pressure liquid from the hose 17. The inside edge 23 of the front wall 19 is
welded
to the end 14 of the pipe portion, again with a pressure weld so that the
whole of the
interior of the pipe portion and the interior of the chamber can accommodate
the
high pressure from the cleaning liquid within the supply pipe 17.
The front wall 19 include a front surface 24 which lies generally in a
radial plane of the axis 25 of the pipe portion. The front surface 24 includes
an
inner portion 24A which lies directly in the radial plane, an intermediate
inclined
portion 24B which is inclined so that it faces slightly outwardly away from
the axis 25
at an outermost portion 24C which is again in a directly radial plane recessed
slightly
relative to the inner portion 24A. The inclined portion 24B is thus set at an
angle to
reoeive therethrough a series of drilled holes 26 each of which receives a jet
nozzle
27 defining a jet orifice 28. The angle of the surface portion 248 is thus set
that the hole 26 lies at right angles to the surface. The angle is arranged
so that each jet nozzle 27 provides an angle A relative to a line parallel to
the axis which is of the order of 15 outwardly of the axis. As shown in
Figure
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4 there are six such holes and associated jet nozzies at equi-angular spaced
positions around the axis 25.
Inside the chamber 18 is located a conical deflector member 30 having
an apex 31 and a base 32. The deflector member 30 is attached to the rear wall
20
so that the base 32 is welded to the front face of the rear wall with the
deflector
member and the apex projecting forwardly therefrom. The deflector member is
located centrally of the rear wall 20 so that the apex 31 lies on the axis 25
and faces
longitudinally of the pipe portion toward the feed tube 17. The apex is
located
substantially at or adjacent the entrance to the chamber that is at the rear
end 14 of
the pipe portion.
The deflector member 30 acts to deflect cleaning fluid indicated at
arrow 33 from the pipe portion along the front face of the conical deflector
member
so that the liquid is prevented from impacting the front surface of the rear
wall 20 but
is instead deflected outwardly toward the curved connector portion 22. The
liquid
thus passes smoothly from the outside surface of the deflector onto the front
surface
of the rear wall 20 adjacent the curved connector portion in view of
the'increased
angle of incidents of a liquid on the rear wall, The curved connector portion
also
acts to curve the movement of the liquid outwardly and forwardly so that the
Itquid is
moving forwardly to a position where it reaches the front wall and
particularly the jet
nozzles 27. The jet nozzles are arranged substantially immediately adjacent
the
inside surface of the peripheral wall so that the liquid can flow smoothly
into the
holes 26 to enter the orifices 28. This arrangement therefore provides a
smoother
flow of the liquid in its high pressure high velocity movement from the
rearward
moving liquid in the pipe portion to the forwardly moving liquid at the outlet
jet
nozzles 27.
CA 02186434 2007-10-18
On the pipe portion 10 is also mounted a plurality of second nozzles
40 which are connected on the pipe portion approximately halfway along the
pipe
portion that Is forward of the front face 24 and rearward of the front
coupling 15.
Each nozzle is engaged into a respective one of three holes 41 provided in the
pipe
5 portion and each nozzle comprises a cylindrical connection portion having a
threaded surface engaged into the respective hole 41. An elbow 43 is connected
to
the upper end of the connection portion 42, the elbow having a forwardly
extending
portion 44. A band 45 is machined into the outside surface of the pipe portion
so as
to define a slightly inclined surface at which the holes 41 are located. The
holes are
10 arranged so that they lay at right angles to the surface 45 and thus the
holes have a
slight inclination of the axis of the hole thus locating the connection
portion 42 at a
slight angle. As the elbow is a 90 , the forwardly projecting portion 44 lies
at an
angle slightly outwardly of the axis 25 thus defining the same angle for an
outlet jet
46 of a nozzle tip 47 engaged into the forwardly projecting portion 44. The
angle of
the jet 46 relative to the axis which is the same angle B as the surface 45 to
the axis
is arranged to be less than that of the angle A and preferably of the order of
5 to
100.
The fins 12 are arranged so that the number of fins is equal to the
number of nozzles 27 so that each nozzle is symmetrically located between a
respective pair of the pins. The number of the nozzles 40 is reduced relative
to the
number of nozzles 27 and is preferably one half of that number so that there
are
three such nozzles 40 each located between alternate pairs of the fins.
The fins 12 are arranged so that the each fin lies in an axial plane of
the axis 25 with the fins being at equi-angularly spaced positions around the
axis 25.
Each fin is formed from a plate of metal defining an outer edge 50, an inner
edge 51
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and two side surfaces 52. The outer edge 50 is shaped so that the forward end
53
of the fin is located immediateiy rearwardly of the coupling portion 15. At
that
position the outer edge 50 extends substantially at right angles to the axis
of the
pipe portion following which the outer edge provides a smoothly curved section
54
which curves rearwardoly and intersects with a straight edge 55 which is
inclined so
that the straight edges 55 lie on a cone tapering inwardly toward the front of
the
nozzle. At a rear end of the straight edge 55 is provided a smoothly curved
rear
section 56 which extends from the larger end 57 of the straight portion 55
inwardly
to a rear most end 58 which again lies substantially at right angles to the
axis 25.
The inner edge 51 includes a portion which lies substantially directly
along the outside surface of the pipe portion 10. That first portion 60 of the
inner
edge along the pipe portion is thus straight and lies in contact with or
immediately
adjacent the outside surface of the pipe portion. At the front face 24, the
inner edge
51 includes a radially outwardly extending portion 62 which extends outwardly
to a
third portion 63 of the inner edge which lies immediately adjacent or in
contact with
the peripheral wall 21. The third portion 63 includes a curved secdon 64
following
the curvature of the portion 22 and a rear portion fi5 lying along the rear
face of the
rear wall 20. A final portion 66 of the inner edge is attached to a stub
member 70
welded to and extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the rear wall 20.
On
the rear face 71 of the stub member 70 is provided a loop 72 with the hole 73
for
attachment for example to a pulling cord of a camera.
Each fin is thus formed by a plate of metal so that it is solid and
imperforate with no holes for catching or attracting materials within the
pipe. The
inner edge of the fin lies immediately adjacent the respective part of the
pipe portion
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or chamber portion so that there is again no possibility of materials being
collected
In any openings therebetween.
In operation, the supply of cleaning liquid, generally water through the
tube 17 provides a flow of the cleaning fluid through the nozzles 27 and 40.
This
flow is sufficient to cause the nozzle to slide along a pipe to be cleaned
pulling the
hose 17 behind the nozzle. When the nozzle has reached the end of the section
to
be cleaned, a forward movement is halted and the hose 17 is pulled thus
pulling the
nozzle against its initial direction. The forward nozzles 40 act as pushing
nozzles
which push water and initial material forwardly thus sweeping that collected
water
forwardly as the nozzle moves forwardly pulled by the hose 17, The nozzles 27
thus
are able to act directly upon collected material sifting on the bottom of the
pipe in a
vigorous washing action which thus breaks up mud, stones and other collected
materials and pushes that material forwardly into the area where the pushing
nozzles 40 can again direct that material forwardly along the pipe.
The conical shape of the outer edges of the fins causes the nozzle to
lie with the fines which are at the bottom (depending upon the angular
orientation of
the nozzle which can of course vary) lying flat against the bottom of the
sewer pipe.
This tends to direct those nozzles which are at the bottom at a sharper angle
outwardly to the pipe wall while the nozzles that are at the top tend to
direct material
along the axis of the sewer pipe thus increasing the aggressiveness of the
washing
action at the bottom of the pipe while increasing the pushing action of
materials in
the pipe along the pipe to the area for collection. Also the conical shape of
the fins
allows the device to more easily ride over any Impacted material in the pipe.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein
above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made
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within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit
and
scope, it is intended that aEl matter contained in the accompanying
specification
shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
