US3438380A - Pipe cleaner - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1969 K, P P ET AL PIPE CLEANER Sheet 1 of 2 Filed June 26. 196'? IN VENTORS fibmwo K 941%- April 15, 1969 R. K. PAPER ET AL 3,438,380

PIPE CLEANER Filed June 26. 1967 Sheet g of 2 INVENTORS Pom/v0 K Pe e-e 5y Poacnr \SMYIPJ United States Patent 3,438,380 PIPE CLEANER Roland K. Paper, Davenport, and Robert D. Smyers, Wilton Junction, Iowa, assignors to Automatic Cabinet Company, Durant, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed June 26, 1967, Ser. No. 648,683 Int. Cl. A24f 9/10, 19/10 U.S. Cl. 131-232 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ash tray including a motor driven rotary pipe cleaner having cutter blades with means for adjusting the resiliency of the blades and for accommodating large, medium and small bowls.

This invention relates to a pipe cleaner-ashtray and more particularly to a motorized reamer comprising a suitable bifurcated blade or pair of blades capable of being adjusted so as to ream and clean out various size pipe bowls without damage.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide an improved pipe bowl cleaner or reamer.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a cleaner or reamer in which a pair of cutter blades are provided and wherein such cutter blades can be adjusted not only for various size bowls but more importantly for stiffening or rendering said cutter blades more springy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pipe bowl cleaner or reamer which is electrically driven and in which when used in combination with an ashtray will by means of gravity direct the scrapings into the ashtray during the cleaning operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings forming a part hereof as will be more fully described hereinafter in the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a prospective view illustrating the improved pipe cleaner-ashtray of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially through the center line of the pipe cleaner-ashtray shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the pipe reamer of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional and perspective view of the device of the invention in position and use for cleaning a pipe having a large bowl;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view looking into the pipe bowl of FIGURE 4 and showing the relative position of the cutter blades and the adjacent bowl wall;

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of a modification of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURES 7 and 8 are also exploded perspective views of other modifications of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG- URES 1-5, there is illustrated the preferred form of the invention. As shown therein, the invention comprises a novel pipe bowl cleaning assembly 10, an ashtray 12 and knocker 14. The ashtray 12 can be of any desired shape and material, such as ceramic, metal, plastic and the like, whereas the knocker 14 is generally of a cork like substance.

For purposes of illustration herein, the pipe bowl cleaning assembly is suitably electrically driven as for example by a motor 16 powered by means of the conventional household electric source, i.e., 60 cycle, 110-120 volt A.C. power. The assembly 10 comprises a collar 18, at least two cutting blades 20 and 22, locking member 3,438,380 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 24, and member 26 which is interchangeable for other similar members. These members lend themselves not only as spacer means for various size pipe bowls but more importantly they lend themselves to rendering the cut ter blades stiff or flexible depending upon which size member is interposed between the cutter blades 20 and 22.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the pipe bowl cleaning assembly 10 is rotatively driven by gearing means 28 through gear means 30 which is suitably connected to the rotating shaft 32 of the motor 16. The motor 16 is controlled by means of a conventional on-off switch 34 suitably mounted in the rear wall 36 of the ashtray 12.

The collar 18 is removably connected to the gearing shaft 38, such as for example by threaded means (not shown), and the shaft 38 is guidingly supported in the ashtray 12 by means of a suitable bushing or hearing 40.

Referring now in particular to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the cutter blades 20 and 22 are held within the collar 18 by locking member 24 which is wedged down the blind aperture 42 into which the extending straight leg portions 44 and 46 of the blades 20 and 22 are fixedly positioned, respectively. FIGURE 3 shows a small member 26 whereas FIGURE 4 illustrates the use of the device with a large member 26. These members 26 as noted hereinabove lend themselves to rendering the curved cutter blades 22 and 24 stiff or flexible. With longer members, the cutter blades 22 and 24 have less resiliency and with shorter members, the cutter blades 22 and 24 have greater flexibility and resiliency for cleaning smaller diameter pipe bowls and for cleaning less dense material.

For larger diameter bowls and for cleaning dense, hard packed and caked material, stiffer blades are required and this is readily accomplished with the interchangeable members 26 of the invention.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the curved portion of the cutter blades 20 and 22 are disposed in a preferred orientation with respect to the inside wall of the pipe bowl. The blades 20 and 22 are preferably disposed at an angle a to the tangent formed at the point of contact with the blade to the circle formed by the wall of the pipe bowl and lying in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe bowl. Optimum results are achieved by the pipe cleaner of the invention when this angle a is from between about 10 and about 15 degrees.

In FIGURE 6, a three prong or cutter blade assembly 48 is illustrated with the three cutter blades being held fixed to the collar 50 by means of a ball 52 wedged between the extending straight legs of the cutter blades. In this modification, a triangular shaped aperture 54 is desired so as to insure that each blade is positioned approximately degrees from the adjacent cutter blades.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate other forms of fastening the cutter blades to a collar. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 7, the pair of cutter blades are fixedly held to the collar 56 by means of a locking ring 58. However, in this application a square-shaped boss or pad 60 is necessary. The extending straight leg portion of the cutter blades are then held between the inner walls of the locking ring 58 and the raised boss or pad 60. The cutter blades shown in FIGURE 8 are held to the collar 62 by means of a conventional fastener, such as a screw 64 but with this construction, suitable keying means 66 must be provided to preclude the blades from rotating about the fastener or screw 64.

In operation, the switch 34 is turned on and by means of the motor 16 and associated gearing the cutter blades 20 and 22 are forced to rotate. The bowl of a pipe, as shown in FIGURE 4, is positioned over the cutter blades 20 and 22 and lowered until the walls and bottom of the bowl are reamed clean. All of the scrapings will due to gravity automatically fall into the ashtray 12. The knocker 14, which is suitably cemented to the ashtray 12, can be used to rap the pipe so as to dump all dust, ashes and residue remaining in the pipe bowl after it has been reamed and cleaned of all crust and caked deposits by the pipe cleaning assembly of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe bowl cleaner comprising a collar and at least two cutter blades having curved free ends and restrained ends, said restrained ends including straight extensions fixedly secured to said collar, and said free ends of said cutter blades being adapted to form an angle in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe bowl of about 10 degrees to about 15 degrees with a tangent to the inside wall of the bowl of said pipe, and means disposed between the straight extensions of the cutter blades for rendering said free ends more stiff.

2. The pipe bowl cleaner of claim 1 wherein said cleaner is disposed within and forms part of a combination ashtray-pipe bowl cleaner and wherein said pipe bowl cleaner is electrically driven to rotate in said bowl.

3. The pipe bowl cleaner of claim 1 wherein the straight extensions of said cutter blades are fixedly held to said collar by means of a locking member.

4. The pipe bowl cleaner of claim 3 wherein said locking member is a wedge.

5. The pipe bowl cleaner of claim 3 wherein said locking member is a ring.

6. The pipe bowl cleaner of claim 3 wherein said locking member is a fastener.

7. The pipe bowl cleaner of claim 1 wherein said means for rendering said free ends of said cutter blades more stiff comprises a spacer having channels for permitting said spacer to be guidably inserted between said straight extensions of said cutter blades.

8. The pipe bowl cleaner of claim 4 wherein three cutter blades are employed and wherein a triangular-shaped cavity is provided in said collar and each of the straight extensions of said cutter blades are wedged to one Wall of said triangular-shaped cavity by means of a sphericalshaped wedge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,120,566 12/1914 Tiffany 131246 X 1,510,499 10/1924 Pfabe 131246 1,651,651 12/1927 Warman 131232 2,086,738 7/1937 Possinger 131246 2,252,175 8/1941 Gordon 13l232 2,306,622 12/1942 Gordon 13l246 2,575,634 11/1951 Marshall 131232 3,256,891 6/1966 Katt 131-246 3,299,897 1/1967 Rhoads 131-232 FOREIGN PATENTS 155,977 1/1921 Great Britain. 210,626 2/1924 Great Britain.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Pfiz'mary Examiner.

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