Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DRAIN CLEANING APPARATUS
Background of the Invention
This invention relates to drain cleaning apparatus and devices and, more
particularly, to
improvements in portable, motor-operated drain cleaners.
Relatively small, portable drain cleaners are of course well known and,
generally, include
a drain cleaning snake or cable coiled in a housing or drum from which an end
of the cable extends
for introduction into a drain or sewer line to be cleaned. The drum is rotated
in order to rotate the
cable about its axis as the latter is advanced into the drain, and such
rotation of the drum is achieved
by coupling the drum with a suitable drive motor which, in some instances is
provided by a handheld
drill. The cable is advanced out of the drum and into a drain either manually,
by pulling the cable
outwardly of the drum, or through the use of a cable feeding device attached
to the drum as shown,
0 for exainple, in patents 6,158,076 to Rutkowski, et al. and 6,615,436 to
Burch, et al., or to a guide
tube or hose as shown, for example, in patent 6,009,588 to Rutkowski, all of
which patents are
incorporated herein by reference for background information.
In such drain cleaning apparatus heretofore known, the drum is a rotating part
which a user
must contend with during operation of the drain cleaner. Moreover, in the
absence of a cable feeding=
5 device, the user must de-energize the drive motor and manually displace the
cable out of the drum
during a drain cleaning operation and back into the drum following completion
of the operation.
Such manual displacement of the cable exposes the user's hands, gloves or
other clothing to the
grime and other moisture-laden material which adheres to the cable as the
latter advances into and
is withdrawn from a drain or the like being cleaned. In any event, the drain
cleaning apparatus and
,0 devices of the foregoing character heretofore available are not easy to
use, most often do not provide
for hands-off operation with respect to the cable, expose a user to contact
with the rotating cable
drum, and render a drain cleaning operation tedious and, often, undesirably
time-consuming.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with the present invention, motor-operated drain cleaning
apparatus is
:5 provided by which the foregoing and other disadvantages of such devices
heretofore available are
advantageously minimized or overcome. More particularly in this respect, a
drain cleaning device
in accordance with the invention provides for the drain cleaning cable to be
stored in a non-rotating
housing and to be rotated about the cable axis when the cable is in a drain by
a motor coupled to the
end of the cable in the housing. Advantageously, the outer or operating end of
the cable can be
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associated with a cable feeding device coupled to the housing, such as through
the use of a flexible
guide tube or hose, whereby an operator of the apparatus does not have to come
into contact with
rotating parts of the apparatus, or the cable which rotates relative thereto
and is advanced and
retracted relative to the housing by the feeding device. Accordingly, use and
operation of the device
with a cable feeding mechanism is much easier than is the operation of units
heretofore available
and, moreover, affords the operator the ability to avoid contact with the
cable and thus exposure to
dirt, grime and other undesirable matter which may accumulate on the cable
during a drain cleaning
operation. Still further, a user is much more relaxed in connection with using
the apparatus in that
he or she does not see any rotating parts of the apparatus other than the
cable, and visibility of the
0 latter is minimal once the operating end of the cable is in a drain,
especially if displacement of the
cable into and from the drain is through the use of a cable feeding mechanism.
Suitable cable
feeding devices can include those shown in the aforementioned patents and,
preferably, is one
enabling displacement of the cable out of and into the housing without
changing the direction of the
drive motor, such as the feed mechanisms disclosed in co-pending application
Serial No.
5 in the name of Rutkowski, et al. and which is assigned to the same assignee
as the
present application.
It is accordingly an outstanding object of the present invention to provide
improved,
motor-operated drain cleaning apparatus.
Another object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in
which rotation of
;0 the drain cleaning cable about its axis during displacement relative to a
drain being cleaned is
achieved by rotating the cable by a motor coupled to the end of the cable in a
housing of the device.
Yet another object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in
which the drain
cleaning cable is stored in a non-rotating housing and is directly rotated
about the cable axis relative
to the housing.
!5 A further object is the provision of drain cleaning apparatus of the
foregoing character which
is portable, easy to use, does not have any visible rotating parts, such as a
cable drum, and affords
an opportunity for hands-off use or use with a minimum hand contact with the
cable during a drain
cleaning operation.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
The foregoing objects, and others, will in part be obvious and in part pointed
out more fully
hereinafter in conjunction with the written description of preferred
embodiments of the invention
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of drain cleaning apparatus in accordance with
the
invention;
FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;
FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the base portion of the housing of the apparatus;
FIGURE 4 is an inverted plan view of a cover portion of the housing;
0 FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of drain cleaning
apparatus in
accordance with the invention;
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the base portion of the housing of the
apparatus shown
in Figure 5;
FIGURE 7 is an underside perspective view of the cover portion of the housing
of the
.5 apparatus shown in Figure 5;
FIGURE 8 is a perspective view from one side of yet another embodiment of
drain cleaning
apparatus in accordance with the invention;
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the apparatus in Figure 8 from the opposite
side thereof;
FIGURE 10 is an exploded perspective view of the component parts of the
apparatus shown
!0 in Figures 8 and 9;
FIGURE 11 is a sectional elevation view of the apparatus taken along line 11-
11 in Figure
9; and,
FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the apparatus taken along
line 12-12 in
Figure 9.
>_5 Description of Preferred Embodiments
Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, wherein the showings are for
the purpose of
illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for limiting
the invention, drain
cleaning apparatus 10 illustrated in Figures 1-4 includes a housing comprising
a base 12 and a cover
which, in this embodiment, includes first and second cover portions 14 and 16,
respectively, which
30 overlie and are attached to base 12 as set forth more fully hereinafter.
Base 12 has a first portion 12a
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which includes an annular wall 18 extending upwardly of the base and having a
vertical axis A, and
a domed wall 20.extending upwardly and radially inwardly from annular wall 18
and having a closed
upper end or apex 22. Base 12 further includes a second base portion 12b
integral with and
extending laterally of the first base portion and having an upwardly open
compartment area 24
providing a lower portion of a motor and switch compartment as set forth more
fully hereinafter.
Cover portion 14 forms an outer shell of the housing with respect to base
portion 12a and includes
an annular wall 26 radially outwardly of and surrounding annular wall 18 of
the base and a domed
wall 28 extending upwardly and inwardly of wall 26 so as to be radially spaced
from and overlie
domed wall 20 of the base. Domed wal128 terminates at its upper end in a cable
opening 30 coaxial
0 with axis A and, preferably, wall 28 includes a sleeve portion 32 having an
outer surface provided
with ribs or barbs 34 for frictionally interengaging with and coupling a
flexible guide hose 36 with
the cover.
The spaced annular and domed walls provide a cable passageway 38 having a
lower end 38a
and an upper end 38b which communicates with cable opening 30, and a drain
cleaning cable 40 is
5 coiled in the lower portion of passageway 38 about annular wall 18 of base
12. Cable 40 has an
inner end 42 relative to the housing which extends tangentially from lower end
38a of passageway
38 through an opening 44 in the lower portion of annular wall 26 of the cover
for coupling with a
drive motor unit M of the apparatus as set forth more fully hereinafter. Cable
40 extends upwardly
from the coil in the lower portion of passageway 38, through cable opening 30
and, in the
0 embodiment shown, through flexible guide tube 36 and a cable feeding device
CF which corresponds
structurally to a feeding device disclosed in the aforementioned co-pending
application Serial No.
. Basically in this respect, the cable feeder comprises a base B having
axially
opposite ends and an actuator defined by first and second actuator members Al
and A2, respectively,
overlying base B between the opposite ends thereof. Actuators Al and A2 are
mounted on base B
:5 by a pivot pin P for displacement toward and away from base B independent
of one another, and one
of the opposite ends of base B is adapted to receive and frictionally
interengage with the outer end
of guide tube 36. The feeding device further includes axially spaced apart
sets of actuating rolls,
each of which sets includes a pair of rolls mounted on the corresponding one
of the actuators A 1 and
A2 and a single roll mounted on base B and underlying the rolls on the
corresponding actuator. The
;0 rolls of each set are skewed so as to alternately engage with and displace
the cable in opposite
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directions relative to the cable feeder in response to rotation of the cable
about its axis. As
mentioned, cable 40 extends through the cable feeding device, and the cable
has an outer end 46
provided, for example, with a bulb auger BA. Preferably, passageway 38 has a
radial dimension
which precludes two turns of the coil being in the same radial plane in the
passageway. This
relationship can be obtained by providing for the radial width of the
passageway to be less than twice
the outer diameter of the cable.
Second cover portion 16 is contoured to overlie and matingly interengage with
second base
portion 12b, and the interior compartment area 24 ofbase portion 12b and the
interior compartment
area 48 of second cover portion 16 are structured to axially capture motor
unit M and a
0 pneumatically actuated switch unit 50 therebetween. Further, an on-off
switch 52 is mounted on
cover portion 16 for selectively connecting and disconnecting motor unit M to
a power source which,
in the embodiment disclosed, is a 110 volt source to which the motor unit is
connected by a power
cord 54. Motor unit M is mounted on cover portion 16 and comprises an electric
motor 56 and a
gear box 58 which is driven thereby and which has a slip clutch output
coupling 60 for connection
5 to end 42 of cable 40 by means of a pair of set screws 62. Pneumatically
actuated switch 50 is
mounted on cover portion 16 and is connected to an air hose 64 which, in a
well-known manner, has
a foot or hand actuator component attached to the outer end thereof and by
which pulses of air under
pressure are delivered to the switch by depressing the actuator to
alterriately open and close the
switch. While not shown, it will be appreciated that switches 50 and 52 are
connected in series with
!0 motor M and the power source, whereby displacement of switch 52 to the "on"
position connects
motor M to the power source subject to the operating condition of switch 50.
During use, the
operator displaces the actuator of the pneumatically actuated switch to
alternately energize and
de-energize motor 56 and, accordingly, alternately rotate and stop rotation of
cable 40.
Cover portion 14 is removably attached to base 12 by means of a plurality of
threaded
!5 fasteners, not shown, extending through openings 66 in cover portion 14 and
into openings 68
therefor in base 12, and cover portion 16 is removably mounted on the base by
a plurality of threaded
fasteners, not shown, which extend upwardly from the bottom of base 12 through
openings 70
therefor and to openings 72 in cover portion 16. Domed wal128 of cover portion
14 is provided with
a plurality of arcuate slots 74 therethrough which enable observing the
movement of cable 40
30 upwardly toward opening 30 during operation of the apparatus, and housing
and cover portions 12b
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and 16 are provided with aligned slots 75 which provide vent openings to the
motor unit when the
base and cover are assembled.. A handle 76 is provided for lifting and
transporting the drain cleaner
and includes a first end 76a attached to domed wall 28 of cover 14 by a
threaded fastener 78
extending into the handle from the interior side of wall 28. Second end 76b of
the handle is
releasably interengaged with cover portion 16 by a slot and finger arrangement
including slots 80
and 82 in cover portion 16 and fingers 84 and-86 on end 76b of the handle
which extend through
slots 80 and 82, respectively. Finger 84 engages under the inner side of cover
portion 16, and the
handle is removable with cover portion 14 by removing the fasteners from the
openings 66 of the
latter and pivoting cover portion 14 and handle 76 clockwise from the position
shown in Figure 2
0 to disengage fingers 82 and 84 from the corresponding slots and then li$ing
cover portion 14 and
handle 76 from cover portion 16.
In use, it will be appreciated that power cord 54 is plugged into a power
source and switch
52 is then turned to the "on" position to enable energizing of the motor
dependent on the condition
of pneumatically actuated switch 50. Presuming the operator to depress the
actuator of switch 50
5 to close the switch, motor 56 is energized and cable 40 is rotated relative
to base 12 and the cover
components. Further presuming the cable feeding device CF to be in a neutral
position as shown in
Figure 2, end 46 of the cable rotates relative thereto and can be positioned
at the entrance of a drain
into which the cable is to be advanced. Assuming actuator A1 to be operable to
displace the cable
to the right in Figure 2 relative to the cable feeder, the operator can then
displace actuator A 1 toward
!0 body B of the cable feeding device to engage the cable between the rolls of
the corresponding roll
set and thus advance the cable into the drain. Selectively, the operator can
displace the cable feeding
device to its neutral position whereby the cable continues to rotate without
being further advanced
into the drain. Also, selectively, the operator can actuate switch 50 to open
the circuit to motor 56
to interrupt rotation of the cable. Further, upon removal of a blockage and
assuming the cable to be
!5 rotating relative to the cable feeding device, the operator can displace
actuator A2 toward base B,
whereupon the cable is engaged between the rolls of the corresponding roll set
to reverse the
direction of displacement of the rotating cable relative thereto to withdraw
the cable from the drain.
While the use of a pneumaticallyoperated switch of the foregoing character and
a manually operable
cable feeding device are preferred in connection with operating the apparatus
to optimize the
0 operator's ability to control the operation and to provide hands-free
operation, it will be appreciated
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that control of the drive motor can be achieved through just the on-off switch
52 and that the cable
can be manually pulled from the housing and pushed into a drain to be cleaned.
Figures 5-7 illustrate drain cleaning apparatus l0A which, primarily,
incorporates a
modification of the housing structure of apparatus 10 illustrated in Figures 1-
4. Accordingly, like
numerals are used in Figures 5-7 to identify component parts corresponding to
those of the apparatus
in Figures 1-4. Drain cleaning apparatus l0A comprises a base 12A which
includes a first portion
12a comprising annular and domed wall portions 18 and 20, respectively. Base
12A also includes
a second U-shaped portion 12b integral with and extending laterally from
portion 12a and defined
by legs 92 and 94 extending generally tangentially from the opposite sides of
base portion 12a and
0 a bridging portion 96 between the outer ends of the legs. As will be
appreciated from Figure 7, the
housing of drain cleaning apparatus l0A further includes a cover comprising a
first cover portion
14A and a second cover portion 16A which, in this embodiment, is integral with
and extends
laterally from the first cover portion. Housing portion 14A includes annular
and domed wall
portions 26 and 28 which are spaced from and overlie and cooperate with wall
portions 18 and 20
5 of the base to provide a cable passageway as shown and described in
connection with Figures 1-4.
Housing portion 16A is defined by legs 98 and 100 extending generally
tangentially of
housing portion 14A and a bridging portion 102 between the outer ends of the
legs, and when the
base and cover portions are assembled, legs 98 and 100 and bridging portion
102 respectively overlie
legs 92 and 94 and bridging portion 96 of base portion 12b. Moreover, when the
base and cover
;0 portions are assembled, legs 92 and 98 define a compartment for a battery
pack 103 and on-off
switch 104, and legs 94 and 100 define a compartment for a motor unit M.
Further, as will be
appreciated from Figure 5, the legs and bridging portions of the base and
cover members
cooperatively provide a carrying handle 105 for the drain cleaning apparatus.
In this embodiment, motor unit M includes a motor 106 and gear box 108 having
a slip clutch
!5 output coupling 60 for connection to the inner end 42 of a drain cleaning
cable. Further, it will be
appreciated that the power source for the motor in this embodiment is battery
pack 103 and that the
latter is connected in circuit with motor 106 through on-off switch 104. As in
the embodiment
shown in Figures 1-4, the drain cleaning apparatus can also be provided with a
pneumatically
actuated, foot-operated control switch if desired. While not shown, it will be
appreciated that the
SO housing portions are interconnected by suitable threaded fasteners
extending upwardly through
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openings 110 therefor in base 12A and into corresponding apertured posts 112
on the cover
component. Legs 94 and 100 of the base and cover portion 16A are provided with
aligned slots 113
which provide for venting the motor compartment. As will be appreciated from
the description
herein regarding the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4, a drain cleaning cable
is coiled about annular
wall 18 of the base portion and has an inner end connected to coupling 60 for
rotation of the cable
about its axis by motor 106, and the cable extends through the cable opening
at the top of domed
wall 28 of the cover and has an outer end spaced therefrom for introduction
into a drain to be
cleaned. Furthermore, a cable feeding device such as that described above can
be used to displace
the cable relative to the housing.
0 Figures 8-12 illustrate yet another embodiment.of drain cleaning apparatus
in accordance
with the present invention. In this embodiment, drain cleaning apparatus 120
includes a cylindrical
housing having a horizontal axis A and comprising first and second housing
members 122 and 124
axially interconnected by a plurality of threaded fasteners 126. Housing
member 122 comprises a
circular outer wall 128 and a closed end wall 130, and member 124 comprises a
circular outer wall
.5 132 and an inwardly extending peripheral flange 134 which provides for the
corresponding end of
the housing to be open. The drain cleaning apparatus fizrther includes a drum
136 having a closed
end wall 138 and a circular outer wall 140 spaced radially inwardly of the
outer peripheral edge of
wall 138 to define a peripheral flange 142 about the closed end of the drum.
Drum 136 is received
in the housing and supported for rotation relative thereto about axis A. More
particularly, in this
>.0 respect, end wall 138 of the drum is provided with an axially inwardly
extending drum shaft 144,
and end wall 130 of housing member 122 is provided with an axially inwardly
extending hub 146
which receives the innermost end of shaft 144 and supports the latter for
rotation about axis A.
Drum 136 is axially retained in hub 146 by means of a washer 148 and a drum
mounting fastener
150.
Z5 The axially inner side of end wall 138 of drum 136 is provided with a
compartment 152 for
receiving a motor unit M, a compartment 154 for receiving a battery pack 156,
and an axially
inwardly. extending switch recess 158 having an inner wall 160 on which an on-
off switch 162 is
mounted. As in the previous embodiments, motor unit M includes an electric
motor 164 connected
to a gear box 166 having an output to a slip clutch coupling 60 by which inner
end 42 of drain
30 cleaning cable 40 is coupled to the motor unit. End wall 138 of the drum is
provided with slots 139
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for venting the motor unit compartment. The housing, as defined by housing
members 122 and 124
has a cable opening 168, and cable 40 is coiled about drum 136 in the space
between drum wall 140
and cylindrical walls 128 and 132 of the housing members, which space defines
a cable passageway
38, and the cable extends outwardly through opening 168 and, as in the
previous embodiments, has
an outer end, now shown, which is adapted to be introduced into a drain to be
cleaned. Preferably,
opening 168 terminates in a collar 170 which is provided with barbs or the
like to facilitate
connecting a flexible guide tube thereto, such as that shown in connection
with the embodiment of
Figures 1-4. Opening 168 extends generally tangentially of the passageway at
the upper portion of
the housing. Motor unit M and battery pack 156 are axially captured in the
corresponding
0 compartment by a retainer 172 including a plate portion 174 overlying
comparhnent 154 and a
retaining arm 176 which depends therefrom and across compartment 152.
End wall 138 of drum 136 is provided on the axially outer side thereof with a
crank arm 180
by which the drum can be manually rotated about axis A relative to the
housing, and each of the
housing members is provided with a pair of circumferentially spaced apart feet
182 for supporting
5 the drain cleaner on an underlying surface in a use position as shown in the
drawings. Further,
closed end wa11130 of housing member 122 is provided with a plurality of
radially extending axially
outwardly projecting recesses 184 each of which terminates in a foot 186 which
projects axially
outwardly therefrom and which feet provide an alternative arrangement for
supporting the drain
cleaner on an underlying surface. Further, each of the housing members 122 and
124 is provided
0 with a corresponding handle portion 188 which, when the housing members are
assembled, provides
a carrying handle diametrically opposite feet 182 of the housing.
As will be appreciated from the description of the previous embodiments
herein, motor 164
is adapted to be energized through on-off switch 162, and when the latter is
in the "on position" the
motor operates through gear box 166 to rotate cable 40 about its axis and
relative to the drum and
5 housing components. If the cable extends through a flexible guide tube
having a cable feeding
device attached thereto as described in connection with the embodiment of
Figures 1-4, the operator
can actuate the feeding device to advance cable 40 outwardly of the housing
and into a drain to be
cleaned. In response to advancement of the cable in this respect, drum 136 is
free to rotate in the
clockwise direction in Figure,11 to accommodate such cable displacement. When
the operator
;0 actuates the cable feeding device to reverse the direction of cable
displacement, drum 136 is free to
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rotate in the opposite direction as the cable is fed back into the housing.
Advantageously in
connection with this embodiment, the operator can actuate the switch to the
"off position," thereby
stopping rotation of the cable, and then manually rotate drum 136 through the
use of crank arm 180
to more quickly draw the cable back into the housing.
In each of the foregoing embodiments, the housing components are constructed
from a
suitable plastic material such as polyethylene, for example, and preferably
are constructed from an
antibacterial plastic material or a plastic material such as polyethylene
having an antibacterial
additive therein such as the additive IRGAGUARD available from Ciba Specialty
Chemicals, Inc.
of Tarrytown, New York.
D While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on preferred embodiments
of the
invention, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can be readily
devised and that many
changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the
principals of the
invention. In this respect, for example, it will be appreciated that a wide
variety of on-off switch
structures can be employed, that the use of a pneumatically actuated switch is
optional, and that, if
5 used, any variety of cable feeding devices can be employed either in
association with a flexible guide
tube or directly connected to or supported adjacent the housing. Further, it
will be appreciated that
the drive motor can be reversible in which case the main control switch would
operate to reverse the
direction of the output rotation of the motor, thus enabling the use of a
cable feeding device with the
drain cleaner which would operate to displace the cable into a drain in
response to rotation of the
0 cable in one direction about its axis and outwardly of the drain and into
the housing in response to
rotation of the cable in the opposite direction about its axis. These and
other modifications of the
preferred embodiments as well as other embodiments will be obvious to those
skilled in the art upon
reading the description herein, whereby the foregoing descriptive matter is to
be interpreted merely
as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.
