Extensible cleaning tool

• US 3,938,218 A
• Filed: 11/07/1973
• Issued: 02/17/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ferdinando Deamicis
• Original Assignee: Ferdinando Deamicis
• Inventors: DeAmicis, Ferdinando
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, C. K.
• Application Number:
  US05/413,432
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 15/315, 15/316 R, 15/393, 15/395, 15/401, 15/405, 15/406, 15/408, 15/414, 285/302
• US Class Current: 15/401
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/00 Suction cleaners adapted for additional purposes suction devices for removing ash F23J1/02; Tables with suction openings for cleaning purposes; Containers for cleaning articles by suction; Suction cleaners adapted to cleaning of brushes; Suction cleaners adapted to taking-up liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00

Abstract

A telescoping cleaning tool adapted to remove debris and the like from a poorly accessible surface. The tool includes telescoping inner and outer tubes wherein one end of one of the tubes is adapted to receive air under pressure, as from an air nozzle, and the opposite end of the other tube is provided with a sharpened edge for scraping debris and the like from a surface. An orifice is provided adjacent the sharpened edge for directing the air under pressure against such debris. The one tube is preferably provided with a handle near its air-receiving end so that an operator may grasp the handle with the fingers and press the air-receiving end into an air nozzle held in the palm of the hand, thereby permitting the tool to be used with one hand only. Upon application of air pressure, the tube bearing the sharpened edge is caused to extend axially outwardly of the other tube, and the air under pressure is directed through the orifice in the end of the extended tube so as to blow away debris from a surface as the same is loosened by scraping with the sharpened edge. Means are provided to prevent the member having the sharpened edge from completely escaping, when extended, from the other member.

Claims

1. Telescoping cleaning tool adapted to remove debris and the like from timing adjustment scales of an automobile, comprising:

telescoping, hollow, inner and outer tubes in axial sliding engagement with one another, one tube having an end adapted to receive air under pressure, and the other tube having an end remote from the air-receiving end of said one tube, said remote end terminating in an end transversely crimped and machined at an angle to the tube axis and parallel to the crimp to provide both a sharp, straight, chisel edge transverse of the longitudinal axis of the tubes and an elongated end orifice closely adjacent the chisel edge and which has a cross-section area less than that of said other tube, the orifice having a greater dimension parallel to the chisel edge than perpendicular thereto and communicating with said air-receiving end to direct air under pressure against debris;

said other tube providing means responsive to the flow of air under pressure into said one tube to cause said other tube to telescopically extend therefrom; and

means preventing complete disengagement of said inner and outer tubes.

2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 wherein said sharpened end is on said inner tube and wherein the other end of the inner tube has sufficient surface area normal to the direction of air flow as to cause said inner tube to slidably extend outwardly from the outer tube upon application of air under pressure to the air-receiving end of the outer tube.

3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 wherein said inner and outer tubes are respectively substantially uniform in cross section, with the proviso that the cross-sectional area available for air flow at said orifice is smaller than the cross-sectional area available for air flow intermediate the ends of said inner tube.

4. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 wherein said means preventing disengagement of the tubes comprises a bushing positioned between said inner and outer tubes and affixed to the inner tube and adapted to retain said tubes in substantially axial alignment when said inner tube is extended from said outer tube.

5. The cleaning tool according to claim 4 wherein said bushing comprises a band attached circumferentially to the outer surface of the inner tube and having a plurality of spring strips extending therefrom along said outer surface in substantial alignment with the direction of air flow, each spring strip alternately contacting facing surfaces of said inner and outer tubes.

6. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 wherein said air-receiving end is adapted to receive a pressure-actuatable nozzle of an air line and wherein said outer tube includes a handle projecting laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent said air-receiving end, whereby with one hand an operator may grasp said handle with the fingers and pressurally apply with the palm the air nozzle to said air-receiving end.

7. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 including a hollow, longitudinal scribe holder attachable to said sharpened end, said scribe holder having a spring-loaded end for rigid attachment to said sharpened end, an opposite, open end adapted to rigidly receive a scribing instrument, and an aperture intermediate its ends to permit air under pressure from said orifice to escape therethrough.

8. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 including a scribe holder comprising a pair of parallel tubes each having a lengthwise split and having spaced, split longitudinal edges, the split tubes being rigidly joined together in parallel orientation, one split tube being slidably but firmly mounted to the tube with the sharpened end and the other tube having a scribe projecting from its lower end, whereby the scribe holder may be pushed slidingly downward on the tube to which it is joined until the scribe extends beyond the sharpened end of the tool.

9. A telescoping cleaning tool adapted to remove debris from timing adjustment scales of an automobile and comprising:

a. an outer tube having open ends of which one is adapted to receive air under pressure from a pressure-actuatable nozzle;

b. an inner tube fitted within said outer tube in sliding engagement therewith, said inner tube having proximal and distal ends with respect to the air-receiving end of the outer tube, said proximal end terminating in an end surface at least partially in the path of the flow of air under pressure through said outer tube, and said distal end terminating in an end transversely crimped and machined at an angle to the tube axis and parallel to the crimp to provide both a debris-scraping chisel edge which is substantially normal to the direction of air flow through said tubes and an elongated orifice therein closely adjacent and aligned with said chisel edge and adapted to direct said air under pressure against debris adjacent the edge;

c. A band rigidly attached circumferentially to the outer surface of said inner tube and having a plurality of spring strips extending therefrom substantially parallel to the direction of air flow, each spring strip being sinuously curved so as to alternately contact juxtaposed walls of the inner and outer tubes to restrain movement tending to displace the coaxial alignment therebetween;

the end of said outer tube opposite said air-receiving end being turned inwardly about its periphery to an extent just sufficient to restrain passage to said band therethrough, said outer tube further having a handle extending laterally outwardly adjacent the air-receiving end thereof and adapted to be held by the fingers of one hand as the palm of that hand urges a pressure-actuated air nozzle into engagement with said air-receiving end.