The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 14, 1986
Filed:
Jun. 22, 1984
Milburn L Hart, Tulsa, OK (US);
Robert J Hart, Oologah, OK (US);
Resource Engineering & Manufacturing Company, Tulsa, OK (US);
Abstract
A machine for cleaning the interior uncoated surfaces surrounding the weld joints in an otherwise internally coated pipeline comprising a first plate mounted on the machine and extending transversely across the pipeline when the machine is disposed within the pipeline, a second plate mounted on the machine in spaced parallel relation with the first plate, a first resilient member mounted on the first plate and having a circular periphery for engaging the inner periphery of the pipeline wall, a second resilient member mounted on the second plate and having a circular periphery for engaging the inner periphery of the pipeline wall, the first and second plates with their attached resilient members forming a closed cleaning chamber sealed at its ends with respect to the pipeline, a hollow rotatable hub mounted on the machine and within the cleaning chamber and rotatable on an axis substantially co-axial with the longitudinal central axis of the pipeline, a plurality of hollow tubes extending radially outward from the hub and in communication with the interior of the hub, a motor for rotating the hub whereby air is forced outwardly through the tubes to create a partial vacuum within the interior of the hub, arrangement for supplying particulate abrasive material to the interior of the hub whereby the vacuum created upon rotation of the hub will cause the particulate material to be propelled outwardly against the interior of the pipeline wall, wheels for moving the machine so as to position the radial tubes in alignment with a weld joint whereby, upon rotation of the hub and upon supplying the hub with particulate abrasive material, the tubes will propel the particulate material against the weld joint to clean the same by a sand blasting effect, a rotary disc and linkage acting in timed response to the initial rotation of the hub for oscillating the plates and hub as a unit longitudinally with respect to weld joint whereby the tubes will move alternately back and forth across the weld joint to clean the entire weld joint area, and a vacuum head for removing accumulated spent particulate material and blasted-off material continuously from the cleaning chamber.