Apparatus for cleaning tanks and the like

• US 3,878,857 A
• Filed: 05/09/1973
• Issued: 04/22/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ulf Heibo
• Original Assignee: Ulf Heibo
• Inventors: Heibo, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): Bleutge, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US05/358,595
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 134/167R,168R,180,181 239/227
• US Class Current: 134/167.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/02 with rotating elements electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0936 using rotating jets

Abstract

Apparatus for cleaning the interior surfaces of tanks and the like, of the type comprising an outer section with a flange member for attachment to the wall of a tank to be cleaned, and with device means for connection to a fluid supply and to a driving means, and an inner section with a supply tube for introduction into the tank, whereby the tube is fixed to the flange member at one end and at its other end is provided with a flushing head which is rotatable about the tube axis and has a tube section on which there is pivotally mounted a nozzle unit with two oppositely directed nozzles. The nozzle unit is rotatable about an axis at right angles to the tube axis, and the flushing head is provided with a mechanism for rotating the nozzle unit a small angle for each revolution of the flushing head. The flushing head is mounted in a holder fixed to the adjacent end of the tube, and is rotated by a driving shaft disposed concentrically in the supply tube, which shaft is attached to the flushing head at one end and is connectable to the external driving device at its other end, and further the tube section of the flushing head is provided with a slot-like aperture in the area facing the nozzles, which aperture extends essentially over one half of the circumference of the tube section, for supplying cleaning fluid to only one nozzle at a time.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cleaning the interior surfaces of tanks and the like, comprising an outer section with a flange means for attachment to the wall of a tank to be cleaned, and with means for connection to a fluid supply and to a driving means, and an inner section with a supply tube for introduction into the tank, which tube is fixed to the flange means at one end and at its other end is provided with a flushing head which is rotatable about the tube axis and has a tube section on which there is pivotally mounted a nozzle unit with two oppositely directed nozzles so that the nozzle unit is rotatable about an axis at right angles to the tube axis, the flushing head being provided with means for rotating the nozzle unit a small angle for each revolution of the flushing head, characterized in that the flushing head is mounted in a holder means fixed to the adjacent end of the tube, and is rotated by means of a driving shaft disposed concentrically in the supply tube, which is attached to the flushing head at one end and is connectable to the external driving means at its other end, and in that said tube section of the flushing head is provided with a slot-like aperture in the area facing the nozzles, which aperture extends essentially over one half of the circumference of the tube section, for supplying cleaning fluid to only one nozzle at a time.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for step by step rotation of the nozzle unit comprises a worm mounted in the flushing head and meshing with a worm gear on the nozzle unit, whereby the worm is intermittently acted upon by an engagement member on the supply tube, and by means of a blocking device is prevented from rotation outside the engagement zone, characterized in that the blocking device consists of a square blocking wheel mounted on the worm and having opposed concave outer surfaces for movement along a cylindrical surface which is concentric with the supply tube and is provided with a notch allowing an angular rotation of the blocking wheel when the worm is acted upon by the engagement member.