US2158577A - Sewer cleaning tool - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1939. T. HALEY 2,158,577

SEWER CLEANING TOOL Filed July 24, 1937 (Ittorneg/D Patented May 16, 1939 SEWER CLEANING TOOL Timothy Haley, Springfield, Ohio, assignor of] one-hallI to George R. Krumholtz, Springfield,

Ohio

2 Claims.

This invention relates to driving mechanism for tools and the like. 'I'he invention more particularly relates to a driving mechanism for a tool for cleaning sewers, although the mechanism is not necessarily limited to that particular purpose, and it 'especially relates to a driving mechanism employing a flexible driving shaft'.

While flexible driving shafts made of coiled wire have heretofore been used for various purposes,

L0 including the use in sewer cleaners, diiliculty has been experienced in' the buckling of the flexible driving shaft and also in the accumulationl upon the revolving shaft of roots and trash encountered in the sewer. It is one of the objects of this '.5 invention toprotect the exible driving shaft by encasing it in a flexible non-revoluble casing which together with the shaft and cutting tool may be readily inserted in the sewer to be cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to provide 0 a cutting tool for sewer cleaning purposes which will be effective for that purpose and which will also act to sever any accumulation of roots or trash which may have accumulated thereon in case the tool meets an obstruction in the sewer..

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved driving mechanism shown equipped with a cutting tool for sewer cleaning purposes and partially inserted in a sewer, part of which is shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the improved cutting tool in normal cutting position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same tool in collapsed position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View partly in side elevation and partly in section of the forward portion of the flexible driving shaft and its casing, the bearing for the shaft, also shown in section, and the threaded stem upon which the tool is secured.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a brush for sewer cleaning purposes which may be attached to the flexible driving shaft.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a coupling usedk Application July 24, 1937, serial No. 155.415

(ci. 151o4.3o)

turns of the shaft to prevent the shaft and casing from becoming screwed together which might happen in the event that the turns were alike.

'Ihe shaft I is driven from an electric motor 3, the shaft 3' of which is connected to the flexible 5 shaft I through the medium of a flexible coupling 4, speed reducing device 5 and coupling 6. The coupling 6 is secured vin any suitable manner to the end of the shaft I and is preferably secured to the short shaft 5 which projects from the speed 10 -reducing device through the medium of a breakable wooden pin 'I so as to disconnect the flexible shaft from themotor in the event that the tool meets with an obstruction sufficient to stop the rotation of the parts. 15

A preferable form of cutting tool which I employ for sewer cleaning is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and consists of a steel ribbon 8 wound spirally so as to present a cutting tool of conical form, the small end of which leads. 'I'he rear end of this 20 ribbon has connected therewith a head 9, a rivet I0 being shown in the present case as the means for connecting the parts, although the ribbon and head may be connected in any other suitable way. The head 9 has a reduced threaded stem 25 9' having a hexagonal outer surface whereby it may be screwed upon a connection to be explained which will fasten it to the forward end of the flexible shaft.

The forward end of the exible shaft I has 30 secured thereto a stem II the ends of which are threaded as indicated at II' and II" and as shown Ibest in Fig. 4, leaving an intermediate plain portion, the rear threaded end II" of the stem being screwed into the driving shaft. 35 Screwed upon the forward end of the exible casing 2 is a bearing housing I2 containing ballbearings I3. One of the races I l for these ball bearings is fast in the housing and the other race I5 is fast on the intermediate plain portion of 40 the stem I I. 'Ihe outer threaded end II' of this stem I I receives the threaded portion 9' of the head 9 of the tool 8. 'I'he stem preferably has fixed thereto a hexagonal nut or head I6 to receive a wrench to hold the exible shaft from turning when the tool is being applied or removed.

In practice the tool 8 is made of several different sizes, the small size being rst secured to the flexible shaft which is inserted in the sewer, indicated at S in Fig. 1. This small size is used to first cut and dislodge a portion of the obstructions and in the event that the tool meets with an undue resistance, by reason of its construction it will be permitted to telescope as shown in Fig. 3, it being assumed that the tool shown in Figs. 2 and 3 may be the smaller size or one of the intermediate sizes and that the one shown in Fig. l is the larger size. When the tool telescopes as shown in Fig. 3 any roots or other trash which have accumulated thereon will -be cut by the rear edges of the coils. The forward end of the tool is preferably bent to a blade-like form as indicated at 8. Aiter the smaller tool has been run through the sewer the larger size or an intermediate size is then inserted so as to sever the roots as close to the Wall of the sewer as possible. By reason of the peculiar construction of this tool it will be seen that the tool will be able to follow short bends in the sewer pipe as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to permit its ready insertion in the sewer.

After the cutting tool has been used to sever the roots to dislodge the trash a brush such as shown in Fig. 5 and indicated at l1, the core IT of which has a threaded opening, may be screwed upon the outer end of the stem II and run through the sewer to eliminate cut roots and trash.

The improved driving devices are also adapted for operating other forms of tools than sewer cleaning devices, such for instance as a drill indicated at I8 in Fig. 7. To connect this drill to the flexible driving shaft a coupling I8 is employed having a threaded bore which screws upon the threaded shank I8 of the drill and also upon the forward end of the stem Il.

The motor 3 is mounted upon a base 2D and this base has a standard 2l upon which the upper end of the casing 2 is clamped and also a standard 22 which supports the casing of the speed reducing device 5.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a sewer cleaning apparatus, a flexible driving'shaft, means at one end of said shaft for driving the same, and a. cutting tool secured to the other end of said shaft, said cutting tool consisting of a. spirally wound steel ribbon to present a tool of conical form, the turns of said ribbon being capable of relative telescopic movement upon meeting an obstruction.

2. In a sewer cleaning apparatus, a iiexible .driving shaft, means at one end of said shaft for driving the same, and a cutting tool secured to the other end of said shaft, said cutting tool consisting of a spirally wound steel ribbon to present a tool of conical form, the forward end of said ribbon being bent to form a pointed, forwardlyextending cutting blade.

TIMOTHY HALEY.

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