Apparatus for interiorly cleaning lengths of pipe

Claim 2

Apparatus for interiorly cleaning lengths of pipe, said apparatus comprising; an elongated primary carrier; locating means on said primary carrier defining a cleaning station for receiving and orienting a length of pipe for cleaning; clamping means for securing said length of pipe in said cleaning station; an elongated secondary carrier located adjacent and in general longitudinal alignment with said primary carrier; an elongated drive shaft; a plurality of coupled bearing means longitudinally movable on and carried by said secondary carrier, and spaced along the length of and rotatably supporting said drive shaft adjacent said cleaning station; a cutting tool mounted to said drive shaft; drive means for rotating said shaft for rotating said cutting tool; a carriage on said secondary carrier supporting said drive means and longitudinally movable on said secondary carrier in one direction for moving said cutting tool inwardly of and along the length of said length of pipe for effecting longitudinal movement of said plurality of bearing means toward said cleaning station and closer to one another, said carriage being coupled to at least one of said plurality of bearing means and longitudinally movable in a direction opposite said one direction for moving said cutting tool outwardly of said length of pipe and for effecting longitudinal movement of said plurality of bearing means away from said cleaning station and farther from one another; means on said primary carrier for receiving said secondary carrier in a retracted position with respect to said primary carrier; means for moving said secondary carrier between said retracted position and an extended position; and means for locking said secondary carrier in said extended position.

Claim 3

Apparatus for interiorly cleaning lengths of pipe, said apparatus comprising: an elongated primary carrier; locating means on said primary carrier defining a cleaning station for receiving and orienting a length of pipe for cleaning; clamping means for securing said length of pipe in said cleaning station; an elongated secondary carrier located adjacent and in general longitudinal alignment with said primary carrier; an elongated drive shaft; a plurality of coupled bearing means longitudinally movable on and carried by said secondary carrier, and spaced along the length of and rotatably supporting said drive shaft adjacent said cleaning station; a cutting tool mounted to said drive shaft; drive means for rotating said shaft for rotating said cutting tool; a carriage on said secondary carrier supporting said drive means and longitudinally movable on said secondary carrier in one direction for moving said cutting tool inwardly of and along the length of said length of pipe for effecting longitudinal movement of said plurality of bearing means toward said cleaning station and closer to one another, said carriage being coupled to at least one of said plurality of bearing means and longitudinally movable in a direction opposite said one direction for moving said cutting tool outwardly of said length of pipe and for effecting longitudinal movement of said plurality of bearing means away from said cleaning station and farther from one another; means on said primary carrier for receiving said secondary carrier in a retracted position with respect to said primary carrier; and means for locking said carriage to said secondary carrier whereby movement of said carriage in said one direction is accompanied by movement of said secondary carrier toward said retracted position.

Claim 4

Apparatus for interiorly cleaning lengths of pipe, said apparatus comprising: an elongated primary carrier; locating means on said primary carrier defining a cleaning station for receiving and orienting a length of pipe for cleaning; clamping means for securing said length of pipe in said cleaning station; an elongated secondary carrier located adjacent and in general longitudinal alignment with said primary carrier; an elongated drive shaft; a plurality of coupled bearing means longitudinally movable on and carried by said secondary carrier, and spaced along the length of and rotatably supporting said drive shaft adjacent said cleaning station; a cutting tool mounted to said drive shaft; drive means for rotating said shaft for rotating said cutting tool; a carriage on said secondary carrier supporting said drive means and longitudinally movable on said secondary carrier in one direction for moving said cutting tool inwardly of and along the length of said length of pipe for effecting longitudinal movement of said plurality of bearing means toward said cleaning station and closer to one another, said carriage being coupled to at least one of said plurality of bearing means and longitudinally movable in a direction opposite said one direction for moving said cutting tool outwardly of said length of pipe and for effecting longitudinal movement of said plurality of bearing means away from said cleaning station and farther from one another; means on said primary carrier for receiving said secondary carrier in a retracted position with respect to said primary carrier; and means for locking said carriage to said secondary carrier whereby movement of said carriage in said one direction is accompanied by movement of said secondary carrier toward said retracted position.

Claim 5

Apparatus a set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said secondary carrier includes winch means, and further includes at least one cable coupled to said winch means and said secondary carrier and operative upon operation of said winch means to move said secondary carrier toward said extended position.

Claim 6

Apparatus for interiorly cleaning lengths of pipe, said apparatus comprising: an elongated cutting tool movable along and rotatable within a length of pipe for cutting away unwanted material, said tool including a shank having a driven end and a free end; a leading cutting element secured to said free end and having arcuate cutting edges located on diametrically opposite sides of said shank for engaging the interior walls of the pipe; a pair of mounting blocks located on diametrically opposite sides of said shank in longitudinally spaced relation to said leading cutting element; a pair of trailing cutting elements carried by said mounting blocks, respectively; and resilient means securing said mounting blocks to said shank and operative to urge said cutting edges of said trailing cutting elements against the interior walls of the pipe; and means connected to said driven end of said shank for rotating and moving said cutting tool along the length of pipe to be cleaned.

Claim 7

Apparatus for interiorly cleaning lengths of pipe, said apparatus comprising: an elongated cutting tool movable along and rotatable within a length of pipe for cutting away unwanted material, said tool including a shank having a driven end and a free end; a leading cutting element secured to said free end and having arcuate cutting edges located on diametrically opposite sides of said shank for engaging the interior walls of the pipe; a pair of mounting blocks located on diametrically opposite sides of said shank in longitudinally spaced relation to said leading cutting element; a pair of trailing cutting elements carried by said mounting blocks, respectively; and resilient means securing said mounting blocks to said shank and operative to urge said cutting edges of said trailing cutting elements against the interior walls of the pipe; and means connected to said driven end of said shank for rotating and moving said cutting tool along the length of pipe to be cleaned.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said trailing cutting elements include circular cutting edges, and said trailing cutting elements are secured, respectively, within recesses provided in said mounting blocks, each of said circular cutting edges being located slightly above the adjacent surfaces of the associated one of said mounting blocks.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said trailing cutting elements include circular cutting edges and are rotatable relative to said mounting blocks to present different portions of said circular cutting edges to the interior walls of the pipe during rotation of said cutting tool within the pipe.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said shaft is sufficiently long that upon rotation thereof said shaft tends to flex laterally; said apparatus further including a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft, the size of said bearings being such that said shaft is permitted to flex laterally to a limited extent while it is supported whereby said arcuate cutting edges of said leading cutting element are enabled to move laterally against the interior walls of the pipe.