US2201680A - Interior pipe cleaner - Google Patents

Description

' May 21, 1940. I

A. HAYNES I N'I'IEIRIQR PIPE CLEANER 2 Sheets-She e'p 1 Filed ha 21, 1938 amen K041 A- HAYNES INTERIOR PIPE CLEANER 2 Shaets-She et 2 May 21, 1940.-

Filed lay 21, 1938 alum/1424 Y M classd sc b d comprising a a i y of rotors blades 6 adapted to move in close juxtaposition Patented May 21', 1 940 v i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERIOR. PIPE enema Albert Haynes, Bay City, Texq'assignor of onehalf to J. E. Hasty, Houston, Tex.

Application May .21, 1938, Serial No. 209,218

4 Claims. (01. Ii-104.06)

The invention relates to an interior pipe clean- Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing er and more particularly to a device which is the construction of the articulatingjoints in'the designed, to travel axially through a string of mandrel of the device shown in Fig. 1. pipe and to operatein, a manner to release. 011-. Fig. 5 is aicross section taken on line 5-5 in 5 strueting material from the inner walls of the Fig. 4.

pipe. Fig. 6 shows a modification of the construction In pipelines which carry hydrocarbon fluids shown in Fig. 1 as used in removing paraflln from point to point and in producing oil wells 'from the walls of tubing string in oil wells. there is a gradual accumulation of paraffin upon Fig, 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 the inner walls of the conducting pipe or tubing. 1-1 in Fig. 6. 10

This accumulation is minimized by modern pro- Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 0! 'Fig. 7. duction and pumping methods, yet there still As best seen in Fig. 1' the device of the invenremain difliculties which arise from the accumution is a composite construction designed to pass ration of parafiin. through a pipe I. having material, such as paraft It is therefore a primary object of the invenfin, adhering to. the inner walls and which is to 7 tion to provide a device which is both simple and he removed from the walls so that fluid passing eillcient inthe removal of parafiin from the walls through the pipe may carry'such material from of pipeline or tubing. While' the disclosure of the within the pipe: The device comprises essendevice of the invention refers specifically to mechtially an articulated mandrel generally designated m anlsm for the removal of paraiifin, it is to be unas 2 having upon its forward end a pilot 3. .0

' derstood that the invention is of utility in any Mounted upon rotor supportsections 4 of .the

case where it is desired to remove material from ma drel 2 rearwardly of the pilot 3 are a plue inner Walls Of P p t rality of rotors 5, here shown as three in num- It is'also an object to provide a device of the h r, each f which is provided-with peripheral having cutter blades thereon to remove the mat th i ner walls, of the pipe I and hence to reterial f o the P p Wallsmove accumulated material from these walls.

Another object is to provide a device in which In rder to more clearly illustrate both the rotors a yi g tt blades rotate in di nt construction and the operation of the device, atm directions in order to avoid the condition where t t o i dir ted to the fact that the liquid in o the cutter blades of one rotorfollow the path of th i I 1 moving in thedirection indicated the blades of a Preceding by the arrows l0 and that the respective rotatable An ther Obj is to P ov de a device having elements of the device normally rotate in the dia pilot at its forward end to guide the device rection i te by the arrows ll. along a pipeline which is being cleaned thereby. d l 2 comprises the f rw rd pilot 5 Still another object is to provide a device which shaft, 5 and t rotor support ti attached s p pe by fl d moving through the p to thereto by means of the articulating connectors be clea ed- IS. The rotor support sections 4 and the pilot It is also an object to provide a device which shaft 5 each i d l v r d d by y be lowered into 011% tubing String spaced collars 2| secured thereto by pins 22. In wire line or which may be allowed to move under t manner there 1 provided a, journal for a h gravity n l retrieved as by a sparof the rotating elements of the device.

still another object is to dence 0f 'In order to interconnect successive sections of 5mm that W m Pipe the device stub shafts extend into each or u be cleaned thereby may be readily negotiated. the Sleeves 20 5nd have openings 25 through Other objects, together with the foregoing will h be apparent from the following description 'con-' 22 g; 2 21 g gr: g fifi gg g g sidered in connection with the drawings in which: into th Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a; device embodying preferably f g g sfi fi in the invention, the device being shown within' a connector 6 Pro m grooves 29 to receive snap rmgs II which serve '0 t in arts thereof bein pipe to be cleaned and a g to fix. an annular block ll within the collar and shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 hen e o h l the adjac n s ction of the manin Fig. 1. r Y drel in assembled relation.* This construction is Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 v simple and provides the desired flexibility in the of Fig. 1. device so that efficient operation accrues. II

The pilot 3 mounted upon the pilot shaft l5 has a minimum diameter which is slightly less than the inside diameter of the surrounding pipe l. The forward end of the pilot comprises a collar 40 rotatably surrounding the pilot shaft l5 and having attached thereto a plurality of curved blades 4! which flare outwardly from the collar and have their rear ends attached to a rim 42 of the base member 43 of the pilot. The rim 42 is in turn secured to the outer ends of the webbed blades 44 attached to the hub 5 rotatablymounted upon the mandrel 2 in the manner already described.

Each of the rotors 5 is mounted upon the mandrel as above described and comprises a hub portion from which web blades 5i extend outwardly for attachment to the rim 52. The blades 6 are spaced about the rim 52 and are attached thereto in any' suitable manner as by rivets 53. These blades extend rearwardly from the rim 52 at it and are curved to provide a rigid construction and also to provide a blade having efficient cutting action. The peripheral edges of the blades have substantially straight portions 55 so that all portions of this edge will be in close cutting relation with the inner walls of the pipe. .1

As already indicated the respective rotatable elements rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows ii. It is to be noted that successive elements rotate in opposite directions-as such mode of operation avoids the tendency of any series of cutter blades to follow the path cleaned by a preceding series. This mode of operation is brought about by providing the web blades Ell with such a direction of pitch that the desired direction of rotation is efiected.

It should be noted that the web blades serve the function of providing a surface having a component which is transverse to the pipe i so that movement of fluid under pressure longitudinally of the pipe will propel the device along the pipe. At the same time these blades provide the desired turning eifort by the movement or slip of the pressure fluid pas't'the device.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 is designed for use in removing paraffin from tubing within a well bore, particularly where the fluid is howing from the well under gas pressure. This form of the device is identical to that shown in Fig. 1 except that a stub shaft extends rearwardly from the last rotor support section of the mandrel and is secured into a threaded plug ti in the same manner that connection is made in each of the connectors. TI'heplug 6| is threadably connected to a sectionof tubing 82. This tubing section may be the lower section of a string of tubing which isused for lowering the device within the pipe I. On the other hand,

the tubing 62 may be only of such length as to provide sufficient weight to move the device downwardly within the "pipe I at a suillcient speed as compared with the flow of liquid that efficient cutting action will take place.

With the mode of operation just described the device may be'allowed to fall under gravity or its descent may be controlled by the use of a wire line for lowering the device. In either event the material released by the cutter blades will be carried upwardly by the flow of liquid as indicated by the arrows Hi. It is believed apparent that the device may be thus lowered upon the tubing string, it may be allowed to move downwardly under gravity and to be thereafter retrieved as by means of a spear, or it may be lowered by means of awire line.

What is claimed is:

1. An interior pipe cleaner assembly including a mandrel comprising a plurality of articulated sections, a conical pilot on one end section thereof, said pilot being adapted to guide the assembly through the pipe to be cleaned thereby, spaced rotorson other sections of the mandrel, cutter blades on said rotors positioned closely adjacent the inner wall of the pipe to be cleaned, and means on said pilot and each of said rotors for rotating each of said elements as the assembly is moved longitudinally within a pipe.

2. An interior pipe cleaning assembly including a mandrel comprising a plurality of articulated sections, a conical pilot on one end section thereof, rotors on other sections of the mandrel, cutter blades on said rotors for movement in close relation with the walls of the pipe to be cleaned, and driving blades on each of said pilot and rotors, said driving blades being so constructed and arranged that fluid passing through the pipe will advance the assembly through the pipe and rotate the pilot and rotors upon the mandrel.

3. In an interior pipe cleaner, a mandrel, a pilot on one end thereof, a plurality of rotors mounted on the mandrel rearwardly of the pilot, each of said rotors comprising a hub, an annular rimand interposed vane means inclined from a'transverse plane, having a rim secured thereto, and cutter blades mounted on the rim and adapted to move closely adjacent the inner wall of pipe to be cleaned.

4. In an interior pipe cleaner, an articulated mandrel, a rotor mounted upon each section thereof, each of said rotors comprising -a hub rotatably mounted upon the section, an annular rim and interposed vane means inclined from a transverse plane, and cutter blades secured to said rim and extending axially thereof for movement in close proximity to the walls 01' the pipe to be cleaned.

ALBERT HAYNES.

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