Drain pipe clearer

Feb. 12, 1935.

1,990,686

N. EINHORN CT AL

DRAIN PIPE CLEARER

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Feb. 12, 1935.

N. EINHORN ET AL

DRAIN PIPE CLEARER

Filed Aug. 2, 1933

1,990,686

Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Feb. 12, 1935

1,990,686

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,990,686

DRAIN PIPE CLEARER

Nathan Einhorn and Charles I. Einhorn, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 2, 1933, Serial No. 683,392

Claims. (Cl. 15—104.30) sheath is a flexible shaft 10 which extends through both ends of the sheath but is out of contact with the walls thereof so that it may operate freely at all times. The flexible shaft 10 extends above the upper end of the handle 7 and 5 is there equipped with a crank 11, as shown in Fig. 1, while at the opposite end of the shaft is an annular enlargement or head 12 having an annular groove 13 therein and carrying on its outer side a threaded rod or screw 14. Disposed 10 concentrically about the screw 14 is a sleeve or hub 15 externally threaded at its inner end to be engaged by a nut 16 which nut fits around the end of the sheath 6, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, and is provided on the wall of its bore 15 with a lug or rib 17 which engages loosely in the notch 9 in the flange 8. The parts are so proportioned that the nut 16 may have some longitudinal movement relative to the sheath and the flange so that the longitudinal movement of 20 the sheath, due to the lengthening and shortening of the flexible shaft when the latter is rotated will be accommodated. The nut 16 is provided with an enlarged bore, the outer end of which is threaded to engage the threaded end of the hub 25 or sleeve 15 and the inner portion of the enlarged bore is smooth, as shown at 18. A race ring 19 is fitted within the smooth bore 18 and bears against the base or shoulder 20 defined by the bore, this race ring providing one-fourth of a 30 track for bearing balls 21, said balls being received in the annular groove 13 and in an annular recess formed in the inner end of the sleeve or hub 15, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The shaft and the head 12 may thus rotate freely in 35 the hub and the nut while the balls constitute stops to prevent longitudinal movement of the head and the screw in the hub or housing sleeve. It should be noted that the outer surface of the nut is convex, so that it will present no sharp 40 corners or abrupt shoulders to impede the withdrawal· of the tool by catching on projections or shoulders, such as shown at 22, which may be present in the drain passage.

Fitted upon the screw 14 is a plunger 23 pro- 45 vided with an annular groove in its outer periphery, and formed in the inner walls of the hub or sleeve 15 are longitudinal grooves 24. A series of beads 25, connected together by flexible links 26, are provided to connect the plunger 23 50 with the gripping jaws 27, and the bead at one end of the series of beads is seated in the annular groove of the plunger and also in the adjacent groove 24 of the hub so that, as shown in Fig. 4, . the bead will serve as a ,spline connecting the ⁵⁵

This invention relates to devices for removing obstructions from drain pipes and has for its object the provision of a tool which will be of simple and inexpensive construction which will 5 operate efficiently and easily and which may be very readily inserted in and withdrawn from the drain pipe. The invention is illustrated in the. accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features being par10 ticularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improved tool showing it in position in a drain passage,.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section 15 through the gripping jaws and immediately adjacent parts of the tool showing the jaws in open position,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the jaws closed, Fig. 3α is a section taken along the line 3^a—3^a20 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4—4 of Fig. 2,

- Fig, 5 is a transverse section on the line 5—5 of Fig. 2,

- Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing a modification,

Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7—7 of Fig. 6, ......

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on.; the line 8—8 ³⁰ of Fig. 6,

Fig. 9 is a detail showing a slight modification.

In carrying out the invention we provide a guide tube 1 which, as shown in Fig. 1, has one end formed in a curve extending laterally from 35 the main portion of the tube, as shown at 2, whereby it may fit around a wall 3 above the drain passage 4 of a bowl, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The tube is open throughout its length and the extremity of its lower curved end is directed out40 wardly, as shown at 5, so as to provide a curved guiding surface which will permit the head of the tool to fit against the end of the tube without catching thereon and being bent or caused to release the obstructing accumulation which has 45 been withdrawn from the drain passage. The guide tube is pref erably of such length that it may be placed within a bowl and have its upper end at the rim of the bowl so that the tool may be easily manipulated. The tool comprises a ilexi⁵⁰ ble sheath 6 which is of well-known construction and is fixed at one end to a handle member 7, as wifi be understood. The opposite end of the sheath is provided with an annular flange 8 having a notch 9 in its margin, the purpose of which ⁵⁵ will presently appear. Extending through the .

1,990,686 plunger and the hub so that they cannot have relative rotation but the plunger may move longitudinally of the hub. The mouth of the hub or sleeve 15 is flared, as shown at 28, so that a suitable guiding surface for the series of beads will be provided and the beads will not encounter any abrupt formation which would interfere with the operation of the device. The sleeve or hub 15 is provided upon its outer side with pairs of lugs or ears 29 and the gripping jaws 27 are pivotally secured to and between said lugs. Four jaws are provided in the illustrated form of the invention and these jaws are arranged equi-distantly around the hub, as shown in Fig. 4. Each jaw is formed of a channeled member of sheet metal having a hollow boss 30 struck inwardly from its base between its ends to receive the outermost bead 25. The inner end portion of the boss is provided with an opening through which the several links 26 may freely pass but the diameter of which is slightly less than the diameter of the beads so that the beads cannot pass therethrough. A keyhole slot 31 is formed in the jaw in advance of the boss 30 and leading to the boss so that the end bead may be slipped through the outer end of the slot until a link is in position to ride in the slot and the link and ball may then be moved longitudinally of the slot until the bead seats in the boss, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The several jaws will thus be flexibly connected with the plunger 23 and will be caused to follow the movements of the same, the jaws being yieldably held in open position by springs 32 which are coiled around the pivot bolts 33 and have their ends bearing respectively upon the hub and the inner face of the respective jaw. When the shaft 10 is rotated so as to cause the plunger 23 to ride toward the inner end of the screw 14, the flexible connections between the plunger and the jaws will pull the jaws into closed gripping position while, when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, the springs 32 will open the jaws as the plunger moves outwardly and, consequently, the connecting chains will always be taut and will not become dislodged or so loose as to interfere with the successful use of the device.

While the series of beads, shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and above described, has certain advantages, a single bead 50 at each end of a flexible link 51, as shown in Fig. 9, may be substituted therefor and will operate efficiently.

Each jaw has teeth 34 formed on the edges of its side flanges which are adapted to engage the obstruction when the device is operated so as to firmly grip the mass of material which has clogged the drain passage so that when the tool is withdrawn from the passage, the obstructing mass will also be withdrawn. In this connection, it is to be especially noted that the teeth diminish in height toward the ends of the jaws and at the extremities of the jaws are lips 35 which are turned slightly inwardly to present convex surfaces to the walls of the drain passage when the tool is being inserted and to readily ride under the obstruction or between the obstruction and the walls of the passage instead of pushing the obstruction further into the passage.

It is thought the operation of the device will be readily understood from what has been said. When the tool is to be used, the guide tube is placed in position, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the lower curved or horseshoe end of the tube will pass around the wall 3 and rest upon the dam 36 below said wall. The sheath is, of course, housed in the guide tube when the parts of the tool are assembled and when the tube is placed in position the head of the tool will be seated in the lower outlet end of the guide tube, as will be understood. A push is then exerted upon the _gtool through the handle member 7 so that the sheath and flexible shaft therein will move readily through and from the tube, the head of the tool being directed against the underside of the wall or partition 3 and being thereby turned ₁₀into a goose-neck formation, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that it will be directed toward the outer wall of the bowl and by it again deflected downwardly. The head will then pass to the bottom of the bowl and be directed to the outlet of the _lgdrain passage, as clearly shown. When the device is inserted, the gripping jaws 27 will be closed. When the jaws have reached the obstruction, which will be readily known by the forward movement of the sheath and attending ₂₀parts being arrested, the crank 11 and the flexible shaft 10 are rotated so that the screw 14 will be turned in the proper direction to cause the plunger 23 to ride outwardly and permit the jaws to open. The shaft is then pushed in as far ₂5 as possible, and the shaft then rotated in the opposite direction to close the jaws about the obstructing mass and cause them to firmly grip the obstruction. A pull is then exerted upon the handle 7 whereupon the sheath and connected βθ elements will be drawn from the drain passage until the nut 16 reaches the end of the guide tube whereupon the entire tool may be very readily withdrawn from the bowl.

The exit end of the lower curved portion 2 of 35 the guide tube is disposed at such an angle that the head of the tool will be directed obliquely against the walls of the drain passage and will not strike them abruptly to be turned directly backward or deflected from the desired path but 40 will automatically and readily turn so as to clear the corners and angles of the passage. Particular attention is invited to the curved lip formation, indicated at 5. By this formation, we avoid ... the presentation of sharp edges to the flexible 45 sheath as it is being withdrawn so that the coils or turns of the sheath will not catch upon the end of the tube and arrest or interfere with the withdrawing movement but will ride easily into the tube and pass therethrough. 50

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 we have illustrated a slight modification of the invention which, however, will operate in the same manner as the form just described. In this modified arrangement, guide pulleys or rollers 37 are mounted at the mouth 55 of the hub or sleeve 38 and cables 39 are trained over these pulleys, the inner ends of the cables being secured to the plunger 40 carried by the screw 14^a and the outer ends of the cables being secured to the gripping jaws 41, the cables being 60 seated for half of their circumferential extent in the grooves 42 in the hub and for the other half of their circumferential extent being seated in the plunger so that the cables serve as splines to prevent relative rotation between the plunger and 65 the hub. In both forms of the invention, a stop pin 43 or 43^a is secured to or inserted through the hub near the mouth of the same with its free end adjacent the threads on the screw 14 and disposed in the path of movement of the plunger to limit 70 the outward movement of the plunger and prevent it from riding off the end of the screw.