Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
243 words
Scraper for the interior surface of a vessel comprising: a. an inner shaft positioned within the vessel, b. a plurality of arms radially disposed with respect to said inner shaft said plurality of arms having at least a first pair of substantially parallel arms and a second pair of substantially parallel arms, one of said arms of said first pair of arms oppositely radially disposed along said inner shaft with respect to one arm of said second pair of arms and another of said arms of said first pair of arms oppositely radially disposed along said shaft with respect to another arm of said second pair of arms, c. a plurality of peripheral shafts spanning the end portions of at least said first and second pairs of substantially parallel arms, d. scraping means for scraping the interior surface of the vessel mounted on said plurality of peripheral shafts, said scraping means comprising a plurality of scraping units, each of said units including a lever having a first pivotal arm and a second pivotal arm pivotal about a fulcrum and having a blade contacting the inner surface of the vessel, said blade mounted on said first pivotal arm of said lever, said second pivotal arm of said lever connected to spring means for urging contact between said blade and the inner surface of the vessel through a predetermined range of distances between the fulcrum of said lever and the inner surface of the vessel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
243 words
Scraper for the interior surface of a vessel comprising: a. an inner shaft positioned within the vessel, b. a plurality of arms radially disposed with respect to said inner shaft said plurality of arms having at least a first pair of substantially parallel arms and a second pair of substantially parallel arms, one of said arms of said first pair of arms oppositely radially disposed along said inner shaft with respect to one arm of said second pair of arms and another of said arms of said first pair of arms oppositely radially disposed along said shaft with respect to another arm of said second pair of arms, c. a plurality of peripheral shafts spanning the end portions of at least said first and second pairs of substantially parallel arms, d. scraping means for scraping the interior surface of the vessel mounted on said plurality of peripheral shafts, said scraping means comprising a plurality of scraping units, each of said units including a lever having a first pivotal arm and a second pivotal arm pivotal about a fulcrum and having a blade contacting the inner surface of the vessel, said blade mounted on said first pivotal arm of said lever, said second pivotal arm of said lever connected to spring means for urging contact between said blade and the inner surface of the vessel through a predetermined range of distances between the fulcrum of said lever and the inner surface of the vessel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The scraper of claim 1 in which the vessel is elongated having a deflected axis and said inner shaft is flexible to generally coincide with the axis of the vessel when said rotational means turns said inner shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
The scraper of claim 2 in which said inner shaft possesses rigidity according to the following equation: EI = FL.sup.3 /KΔ R wherein E is the modulus of elasticity of said shaft, I is the moment of inertia of said shaft, F is the total blade force on the interior surface, a deflection Δ R of the vessel axis, L is the length of said inner shaft and K, a constant, ranges between 10 and 400.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The scraper of claim 2 in which each of said scraping units forms an acute angle utilizing said fulcrum as an apex connecting a line perpendicular to the normal force vector of said blade contacting said inner surface of said vessel and connecting a line to the point of contact of said blade and the inner surface of said vessel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The scraper of claim 4 in which said acute angle ranges between 30° and 80°.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The scraper of claim 5 in which said scraping means further comprises a removable pin which retains said first pivotal arm from rotational movement about said fulcrum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The scraper of claim 1 in which said plurality of arms includes a plurality of first and second pairs of substantially parallel arms, each of first and second pairs of said substantially parallel arms being angularly staggered with respect to adjacent first and second pairs of substantially parallel arms along the axis of said inner shaft.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The scraper of claim 7 which further includes an end pair of peripheral shafts having said scraping means mounted thereupon, said end pair of peripheral shafts cantileveredly fixed to the end pair of said plurality of said first and second pairs of arms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
101 words
The scraper of claim 7 in which said scraping means includes a plurality of scraping units, each of said units including a lever having a first pivotal arm and a second pivotal arm about a fulcrum and having a blade contacting the inner surface of the vessel, said blade mounted on said first pivotal arm of said lever, said second pivotal arm of said lever connected to spring means for urging contact between said blade and the inner surface of the vessel through a predetermined range of distances between the fulcrum of said lever and the inner surface of the vessel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
The scraper of claim 9 in which the vessel is elongated having a deflected axis and said inner shaft is flexible to generally coicide with the axis of the vessel when said rotational means turns said inner shaft.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
The scraper of claim 10 in which said inner shaft possesses rigidity according to the following equation: EI = FL.sup.3 /KΔR wherein E is the modulus of elasticity of said shaft, I is the moment of inertia of said shaft, F is the total blade force on the interior surface, a deflection Δ R of the vessel axis, L is the length of said inner shaft and K, a constant, ranges between 10 and 400.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
The scraper of claim 10 in which each of said scraping units forms an acute angle utilizing said fulcrum as an apex connecting a line perpendicular to the normal force vector of said blade contacting said inner surface of said vessel and connecting a line to the point of contact of said blade and the inner surface of said vessel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The scraper of claim 12 in which said scraping means further comprises a removable pin which retains said first pivotal arm form rotational movement about said fulcrum.