Pipe cleaning device

Claim 1

A PIPE CLEANING DEVICE COMPRISING A PORTABLE FRAME STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PAIR OF TRACK ELEMENTS AT ITS TOP; A CARRIAGE MEANS INCLUDING A PLATFORM WITH A PLURALITY OF GUIDE ELEMENTS MOVABLY ENGAGING THE TRACK ELEMENTS OF SAID STRUCTURE FOR FREELY POSITIONING SAID CARRIAGE ALONG SAID STRUCTURE; A CLAMPING MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND ENGAGING A CONFORMABLE NON-RIGID ELONGATED CLEANING ELEMENT THERETHROUGH ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON THE PLATFORM OF SAID CARRIAGE AND HAVING MEANS FOR PROVIDING FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CLAMPING MEANS WITH SAID CLEANING ELEMENT AT SUCCESSIVE LOCATIONS ALONG ITS LENGTH; AND DRIVE MEANS SUPPORTED BY THE PLATFORM OF SAID CARRIAGE FOR CONTROLLABLY ROTATING SAID CLAMPING MEANS; SAID CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED GUIDE TUBE EXTENDING ALONG THE TRACK ELEMENTS OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR MOVABLY RECEIVING THERETHROUGH SAID CLEANING ELEMENT OF ELONGATED COILED WIRE FORM, A PLURALITY OF BEARING UNITS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID TUBE UPON SAID PLATFORM IN POSITION PARALLEL TO SAID PAIR OF TRACK MEANS, A CLAMP UNIT HAVING A PORTION SECURED AT AN END OF SAID TUBE FOR ROTATION WITH SAID TUBE AND FOR RECEIVING THERETHROUGH THE CLEANING ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID TUBE, AND A CONTROL LEVER FOR CONTROLLABLY ACTUATING SAID CONTROL UNIT FOR ENGAGING AND CLAMPING THEREWITH THE CLEANING ELEMENT EXTENDING THERETHROUGH OR ROTATION BY SAID DRIVE MEANS AND FOR CONTROLLABLY CLAMPING SAID ELEMENT WITH SAID CLAMPING MEANS FOR LONGITUDINAL ACTUATION OF SAID CLEANING ELEMENT BY MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE MEANS ALONG THE TRACK ELEMENTS OF SAID STRUCTURE FOR FEEDING OR WITHDRAWING SAID CLEANING ELEMENT FROM A PIPE DURING A PIPE CLEANING OPERATING; SAID CLAMP UNIT COMPRISING A ROTATABLE CASING HAVING A TAPERED BORE ALONG ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A CLAMPING RING WITH A PLURALITY OF RESILIENTLY SECURED TOGETHER SEGMENTS HAVING TAPERED OUTER SURFACES FOR CONFORMING WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID BORE AND