Flue-cleaner.

Application filed March 22,1902, Serial No. 99,476, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Harry Alvah Ruggles, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, and 5 Clemuel TylerHower,residing at Rhodes, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Flue-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

io The invention relates to improvements in flue-cleaners.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of flue-cleaners and to provide a simple and inexpensive one de15 signed for cleaning either water-tubes or smoke-flues and capable of shearing off the carbon, soot, or other crust accumulating on the interior of the tubes.

A further object of the.invention is to pro20 vide a device of this character in which the knives or blades will operate on the entire surface of the tubes or flues and which will be self-sharpening and adapted to be readily introduced into and removed from the tube 2.5. without liability of being injuredA further object of the invention is to enable the knives or blades to be readily adjusted to suit the diameter of the flues or tubes to be cleaned.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a flue-cleaner constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the adjust40 ing-nut.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

designates a shaft provided with an outer 45 threaded portion 2 and having a polygonal enlargement 3 arranged between its ends, and provided with flat side faces to which are secured the inner ends of straight longitudinal springs 4. The springs, which are I constructed of straight strips of resilient 50 metal, are secured to the enlargement 3 of the shaft by suitable fastening devices, and have smooth inner faces and are adapted to be flexed or bent outward by an adjusting-nut

5, and are capable of springing inward when 55 the nut is withdrawn to arrange diagonallydisposed laterally-extending blades 6 the desired distance from the shaft to provide a flue-cleaner of the desired diameter. The nut, which is provided with wings 7, has a 60 disk or ring 8, connected with the body portion of the nut by parallel bars or portions 9, located at opposite sides of the shaft, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. The winged nut is adapted 65 to be rotated to move the engaging portion or disk 8 inward and outward to expand and : contract the flue-cleaner. The body portion of the nut 5 is located adjacent to the outer end of the shaft when the engaging disk or 70 washer is located near the outer ends of the springs, and by this arrangement the nut is located within convenient reach of the operator and may be readily adjusted. The knives or blades 6 are curved longitudinally 75 to conform to the configuration of the interior of a tube or flue and they are also curved transversely in the reverse direction to present a concave outer face 10 to form sharp longitudinal side edges and end edges and to 80 cause the knives or blades to be self-sharpening. As the knives or blades become worn the concave outer faces will preserve the sharp edges and prevent the knives or cutters from becoming dull. The longitudinal curve 85 of the knives or cutters presents a longitudinal convex exterior to fit the tubes, and the said knives or blades overlap or extend beyond the ends of each other, whereby they are adapted to operate on the entire surface of 90 a tube or flue. They are adapted when moved longitudinally through a tube or flue to shear the crust formed by the products of combustion or by water from the inner surfaces of the tubes without injuring the 95 latter. The knives or cutters are provided at their inner sides with approximately centrally-arranged lugs 11, having recesses 12

721,608 at their inner faces to form sockets for the outer ends of the springs, to which the knives or cutters are secured by rivets 13 or other suitable fastening devices. The 5 knives or cutters are provided near their outer ends with longitudinally-disposed guards 14, which are curved longitudinally and which are provided with smooth outer edges 15, adapted to enable the device to be readily inio troduced into a tube or flue without liability of in j uring the knives or cutters. The guards are preferably formed integral with the knives or cutters; but they may be connected with the same in any other suitable man15 ner. The shaft is provided at its inner end with a bell 16, presenting a tapered or convex exterior and adapted to center the fluecleaner and guided into a tube or flue after it has been pushed entirely through the same, 20 thereby preventing any liability of the inner ends of the blades striking the wall or sheet of a boiler. The bell may be screwed or otherwise secured to the shaft, and a socket 17 is also fixed to the same to enable the device to 25 be readily coupled to a rod.

It will be seen that the flue-cleaner is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that the curved blades which conform to the configuration of the tube or flue over30 lap, so as to operate on the entire surface of the flue, and that they are transversely curved to present an exterior convex face to provide self-sharpening blades. It will also be seen that the flue-cleaner is readily adjusted to 35 contract and expand it and that the blades or cutters are fully protected and prevented from being injured when the device is being introduced into a tube or flue.