Device for cleaning ship's hulls and other immersed surfaces

• US 3,946,692 A
• Filed: 12/20/1974
• Issued: 03/30/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Phoceenne SOUS Marine - PSM Les Hommes Grenouilies Du Port de Marseille
• Original Assignee: Phoceenne SOUS Marine - PSM Les Hommes Grenouilies Du Port de Marseille
• Inventors: Sierra, Charles, Pince, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Reger, Duane A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goldstein, Stuart M.
• Application Number:
  US05/535,126
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 144/222, 15/1.7, 15/180, 15/385
• US Class Current: 114/222
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 59/10 using trolleys or the like driven along the surface

Abstract

A device for cleaning immersed surfaces comprising a supporting structure rrying rotary circular brushes for cleaning the surface and wheels for moving the device on the surface. When rotated the brushes produce a force of attraction towards the surface. Transmission means, for example, calibrated springs, transmit to the wheel a predetermined part of the force of attraction so that the force with which the brushes are pressed against the surface is diminished and the adhesion of the wheels to the surface is ensured.

Claims

1. A device for cleaning an immersed surface, comprising:

a supporting structure carrying wheels for moving the structure on said surface and carrying driving means for driving rotary brushes, and

a plurality of rotary circular brushes driven by said driving means, each brush being fixed to a sliding axial member which bears on the structure through a calibrated spring, said spring being compressed by the sliding of the said axial member in response to the rotation of said brush, each of said rotaty circular brushes having bristles for cleaning the surface and a central space which is free of bristles, the bristles of each brush being arranged in tufts which are distributed between said central space and the periphery of the brush in rows so as to define flow channels which are flared towards the periphery of the brush, said flow channels conducting streams of water from the central space to the periphery of said brush.

2. the device of claim 1 wherein said tufts are arranged on concentric circles, the tufts on each circle being evenly distributed.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein all circles have the same number of tufts.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein there are two series of concentric circles, all the circles of each series having the same number of tufts, circles of different series having different numbers of tufts.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein starting from the central space, the brush comprises four successive circles each of 36 tufts of bristles, followed by four successive circles each of 72 tufts of bristles.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said tufts are located at the intersection of concentric circles with two sets of non-secant curves, the curves of the first set extending from the innermost circle to the outermost circle, the curves of the second set being disposed between the curves of the first set and extending from a circle intermediate the innermost and outermost circles to the outermost circle.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said driving means for said brushes comprises hydraulic motors carried by said supporting structure, and further including a common oil feed pipe for feeding said motors and a common oil return pipe, said oil feed pipe being contained with said oil return pipe, and the diameter of the oil return pipe being such that when filled with oil the pipes are buoyant.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said axial member comprises a sleeve which slides on a shaft which is rotatively fixed to said supporting structure and which is driven by said driving means.