Downspout-cleaning device

Application filed. December 30, 1922. Serial No. 609,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Alexander Raymond Werner, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bronx, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Downspout-Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a down spout cleaning device, and an object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient device operable automatically to prevent clogging of a down spout, or similar article.

It is a common nuisance experienced by all house owners that their eaves troughs and down spouts frequently become clogged with leaves, accumulations of dust and dirt, and other objectionable matter, and that the only remedy usually is to manually remove the obstruction, often times at considerable expense and trouble. In an effort to minimize this nuisance, it is a common practice to place a strainer in the upper end of the down spout where it communicates with the eayes trough, but while this prevents entrance of obstructing material into the down spout, it nevertheless accumulates material at the mouth of the down spout frequently sufficient to cause over-flowing of the eaves trough.

According to the present invention it is intended that the upper end of the down spout shall be left open and that the device of this invention shall be placed at a suitable point in the down spout, usually tho not necessarily, adjacent to the ground, and that this device will serve to intercept all leaves, or other obstructing material, and will operate periodically to discharge such material laterally out of the spout.

A further object of the invention is to design the device in such form that it may be manufactured at reasonable cost, and so that it will constitute a suitable article of commerce which may be readily installed as a part of any existing pipe or down spout, or so that it may be inserted as a part of the length of any newly erected pipe or down spout.

Other objects and aims, of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention, and the _ scope of protection contemplated .will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, 60 and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention :

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a device constructed in accordance. with this 65 invention, being shown partly in vertical . section for the better disclosure of structural features.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the device seen in Fig. 1, the cover being re- 70 moved, and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line III of Fig. 1.

Referring· to the drawings for deserib- 75 ing in detail the structure which is therein shown, the reference character L indicates a suitable, preferably short length of pipe, or down spout. The pipe illustrated herein is of circular cross section, 80 tho it will be understood that it may be of any desired cross section, or of any size, or material, as usually employed for down spouts, and the like.

. Arranged within this pipe, and extend- 85 ing diagonally there-across, is a screen G of suitable mesh for preventing passage of leaves, or other articles, which might clog the pipe, but not interfering materially with the free passage of water downwardly thru 90 the pipe.

. By placing the screen in a diagonal position leaves, or other obstructing material, 'will accumulate at the lower edge and between the screen and the adjacent surface 95 of the pipe.

At the lower edge of the screen, therefore, the .pipe is provided with a door H pivotally mounted, as at 1, at its upper edge so that its lower edge, which preferably stands 100 directly adjacent the lower edge of the screen, may readily swing outwardly whenever the pressure against the door is suffi cient.

As a practical method of forming the door 105 opening and of mounting the door, it is contemplated that a suitable door frame 2 shall be employed, preferably formed of cast metal, being shaped to fit to the contour of the pipe and being riveted, or other wise bo suitably connected with the pipe, at spaced points, as indicated at 3. The pivot pin 1 £S

1,552,902 is carried by a pair of ears 4 which are formed integrally with the door frame and the door H is provided with similar ears 5 also engaging the pivot pin and holding the door so that an inset portion 6 thereof will fit snugly into the door opening when the door is closed.

Preferably the outer edge, as 7, of the frame is inclined outwardly at its lower end so that the door, in hanging by gravity from the pivot 1, will normally engage close against said edge 7.

If desired, the door may be provided with a weight 8 for further increasing the gravity pressure of the door against the edge 7.

As a simple expedient for attaching the screen G in position, the door frame 2 may be provided with an inwardly projecting flange, or similar surface providing portion 9 to which the lower edge of the screen may be connected, as by means of rivets, or the like, 10.

It has been found in practice that a device constructed as herein described operates to intercept all leaves and other refuse seeking to continue downwardly thru the pipe, and that as this refuse piles upon the screen it operates at certain times to press the door H open so that the refuse becomes automatically discharged outwardly thru the door opening. At other times the refuse will form an almost complete stoppage in the pipe so that the water will pile up and rise within the pipe. When sufficient refuse and water is accumulated to produce the necessary pressure against the door, then the door will be suddenly swung open under the force of this pressure and the refuse will be swept outwardly by the water leaving the screen clean and unobstructed, after which the door will swing by gravity again to its closed position.

The device requires no particular attention but will operate automatically and as frequently as may be determined by the amount of refuse passing down the pipe.

While the invention is herein described as being particularly adapted to the automatic cleaning of an ordinary down spout, nevertheless it will be apparent that it may be adapted to any one of a number of different other uses where the principles of the invention can be satisfactorily employed. In factories, and the like, for instance, pipes carrying a liquid containing material which it is desired to separate from the liquid may be fitted with a device of this character.

As many changes could be made in this construction without' departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the fol- 60 lowing claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. 05