Lance tube deflection compensator for long retracting blower

Claim 1

A LONG RETRACTING TYPE SOOT BLOWER COMPRISING A FRAME MOUNTED EXTERIORLY OF A HEAT EXCHANGER APPARATUS, GUIDE MEANS ON SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, A CARRIAGE MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID GUIDE MEANS, A LANCE TUBE FORMED WITH AT LEAST ONE NOZZLE IN THE FORWARD END THEREOF FOR DISCHARGING A BLOWING MEDIUM AGAINST THE HEAT EXCHANGER SURFACES TO BE CLEANED, SAID LANCE TUBE ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED EXTERIORLY OF AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH A PORT IN A WALL OF A HEAT EXCHANGER APPARATUS AND MOVABLE TO AND FROM A RRETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN THE NOZZLE END OF SAID LANCE TUBE IS DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE PORT AND A PROJECTED POSITION WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER APPARATUS, THE REARWARD END PORTION OF SAID LANCE TUBE SUPPORTED BY SAID CARRIAGE IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT SPACED RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID GUIDE MEANS DURING THE TRAVEL THEREOF BETWEEN SAID RETRACTED AND SAID PROJECTION POSITION, SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AT A LONGITUDINALLY STATIONARY POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR MOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID LANCE TUBE AT A POSITION ADJACENT TO THE PORT, SAID SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING MEANS MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID LANCE TUBE FOR EFFECTING A CONTROLLED LIFTING AND LOWERING OF SAID LANCE TUBE SUPPORTED THEREBY IN COORDINATED RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO THE PROJECTING LENGTH OF SAID LANCE TUBE BEYOND SAID SUPPORT MEANS INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER APPARATUS AND IN AN AMOUNT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DOWNWARD GRAVITATIONAL DEFLECTION OF SAID NOZZLE END THEREOF.