Combustion chamber cleaning apparatus

Claim 2

For use with a combustion chamber for combusting solid or liquid specimens for subsequent analysis of gases therefrom, a cleaning system for cleaning the combustion chamber comprising: a cylindrical housing for rotatably and slideably supporting a cleaning brush; a cleaning brush rotatably and slideably supported by said housing and including shaft means for moving said brush between a retracted position within said housing and from an end of said housing to operative cleaning positions extended from said housing, a plug mounted to said shaft adjacent said brush on a side of said brush adjacent said end of said housing when said brush is retracted within said housing; and said end of said housing including internal thread means extending inwardly and aligned with and radially spaced from said plug when said brush is in a retracted position within said housing to form a spiral pathway for gas exiting from a combustion chamber.

Claim 3

A combustion chamber for combusting solid or liquid specimens for subsequent analysis of gases therefrom and a cleaning system for cleaning the combustion chamber comprising: means defining a cylindrical combustion chamber having an open end; a housing for movably supporting a cleaning element wherein one end of said housing is shaped to fit within said open end of said combustion chamber, and seal means extending around said one end of said housing to seal the junction of said one end of said housing and said combustion chamber; a cleaning element comprising a shaft and means for mounting a generally circular brush to said shaft, said housing including means for mounting said shaft for rotational and longitudinal movement with respect to said housing between a first position within said housing and operative positions within the combustion chamber; and shield means comprising a spiral thread extending radially inwardly from an interior wall of said one end of said housing, said thread positioned below said brush when said brush is in said first position, and a circular plug mounted to said shaft to align with said thread when said brush is in said first position, said plug having a diameter to provide a slight clearance between said thread and the outer cylindrical wall of said plug and a length extending substantially the longitudinal length of said thread thereby forcing combustion gases to swirl around said thread before reaching said brush.

Claim 4

A combustion chamber for combusting solid or liquid specimens for subsequent analysis of gases therefrom and a cleaning system for cleaning the combustion chamber comprising: means defining a cylindrical combustion chamber having an open end; a housing for movably supporting a cleaning element wherein one end of said housing is shaped to fit within said open end of said combustion chamber, and seal means extending around said one end of said housing to seal the junction of said one end of said housing and said combustion chamber; a cleaning element comprising a shaft and means for mounting a generally circular brush to said shaft, said housing including means for mounting said shaft for rotational and longitudinal movement with respect to said housing between a first position within said housing and operative positions within the combustion chamber; and shield means comprising a spiral thread extending radially inwardly from an interior wall of said one end of said housing, said thread positioned below said brush when said brush is in said first position, and a circular plug mounted to said shaft to align with said thread when said brush is in said first position, said plug having a diameter to provide a slight clearance between said thread and the outer cylindrical wall of said plug and a length extending substantially the longitudinal length of said thread thereby forcing combustion gases to swirl around said thread before reaching said brush.

Claim 5

The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said brush is a wire brush

Claim 6

The apparatus as defined in claim 3 and further including filter means positioned in said housing to divide said housing into first and second chambers and gas inlet means communicating with said first chamber and gas outlet means communicating with said second chamber.

Claim 11

The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said cleaning element comprises a shaft and means for mounting a generally circular brush to said shaft, said housing including means for mounting said shaft for rotation and longitudinal movement with respect to said housing between said first position within said housing and said operative positions within the combustion chamber.

Claim 12

The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said brush is a wire brush.

Claim 14

The apparatus as defined in claim 9 and further including a particulate removal conduit mounted with an open end communicating with the combustion chamber and coupled to said means for changing the pressure for providing a conduit for the flow of particulate material from the combustion chamber.

Claim 15

The apparatus as defined in claim 10 and further including a particulate collection chamber coupled to said particulate removal conduit for collecting particulate material.

Claim 16

A combustion furnace for combusting a specimen for analysis and filter means comprising: a cylindrical combustion chamber having an open end; a cylindrical housing including means for sealably mounting one end of said housing to said open end of said combustion chamber and means enclosing the remaining end of said housing; a cylindrical filter coaxially supported within said housing in spaced relationship to the interior walls of said housing and sealed at opposite ends to the wall of said housing to define an inner chamber and an outer chamber separated by said filter; said housing including means for supplying a carrier gas to said combustion chamber and for receiving gases of combustion from said combustion chamber in said inner chamber; said housing further including gas outlet means communicating with said outer chamber; and means for rapidly changing the gas pressure within said housing comprising means defining a source of pressurized gas coupled to said inner chamber and momentarily actuated valve means for momentarily venting said inner chamber to a lower pressure thereby rapidly decreasing the pressure in said inner chamber, flexing said cylindrical filter for removing captured particles from said filter.

Claim 17

A combustion furnace for combusting a specimen for analysis and filter means comprising: a cylindrical combustion chamber having an open end; a cylindrical housing including means for sealably mounting one end of said housing to said open end of said combustion chamber and means enclosing the remaining end of said housing; a cylindrical filter coaxially supported within said housing in spaced relationship to the interior walls of said housing and sealed at opposite ends to the wall of said housing to define an inner chamber and an outer chamber separated by said filter; said housing including means for supplying a carrier gas to said combustion chamber and for receiving gases of combustion from said combustion chamber in said inner chamber; said housing further including gas outlet means communicating with said outer chamber; and means for rapidly changing the gas pressure within said housing comprising means defining a source of pressurized gas coupled to said inner chamber and momentarily actuated valve means for momentarily venting said inner chamber to a lower pressure thereby rapidly decreasing the pressure in said inner chamber, flexing said cylindrical filter for removing captured particles from said filter.

Claim 18

The apparatus as defined in claim 12 and further including a particulate collection chamber coupled to said combustion chamber for collecting particulate material removed by the pressure change.

Claim 19

The apparatus as defined in claim 13 and further including a cleaning element mounted within said housing for selective movement into said combustion chamber for cleaning the interior wall of the combustion chamber.