Drain cleaning tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465372-B2
Application number	US-201715442764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Nov 24, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Drain cleaning tools are described. The tools typically include a hollow drum for housing a drain cleaning cable, an elongated cable guide, a locking nut engageable with the cable guide for selectively engaging the cable, and a rotatable handle on the cable guide. A particular configuration is used at an open end of the cable guide to facilitate engagement, i.e., selective locking and unlocking, of the cable. One or more flexible members are provided in the cable guide for rotatably retaining the handle about the cable guide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drain cleaning tool comprising:
a drum defining an interior hollow chamber for housing a drain cleaning cable, the drum defining a forward face and an oppositely directed rearward face, the drum including a forwardly projecting hollow elongated cable guide, the cable guide defining a distal end opposite the rearward face and including at least one flexible retaining member disposed between the distal end and the forward face of the drum;
a handle having an axially extending interior passageway sized to receive the cable guide, the handle disposed about the elongated cable guide and rotatable with respect to the drum, the handle defining an annular race within the interior passageway and the at least one flexible retaining member contacting the race, thereby rotatably retaining the handle about the cable guide of the drum;
wherein the retaining member is formed within an arcuate wall of the elongated cable guide and includes a radially extending, outwardly projecting finger defining an inclined forwardly directed face and a rearwardly directed bearing face that contacts the annular race of the handle.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein the cable guide includes two flexible retaining members, each member formed within an arcuate wall of the elongated cable guide and disposed 180° apart from each other.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the elongated cable guide includes (i) a plurality of axially extending flexible tabs integrally formed with the elongated cable guide and (ii) an outer threaded region.

4. The tool of claim 3 further comprising:
a nut defining (i) a rear face, (ii) a forwardly extending inner tapered face, and (iii) an inner threaded region configured to threadedly engage the outer threaded region of the cable guide;
wherein the nut is threadedly engaged with the threaded region of the cable guide.

5. The tool of claim 4 wherein the nut is free of metal.

6. The tool of claim 4 wherein the nut includes a polymeric material.

7. The tool of claim 1 further comprising:
a knob engaged along a rearward face of the drum.

8. The tool of claim 1 further comprising:
a flexible drain cleaning cable at least partially housed in the hollow chamber of the drum.

9. The tool of claim 1 wherein the handle includes an outwardly extending pistol grip member.

10. A drain cleaning tool comprising:
a front drum defining a front face, a rearwardly extending cylindrical wall and a forwardly projecting hollow elongated cable guide, the cable guide defining a distal end opposite the cylindrical wall, the distal end of the elongated cable guide including (i) a plurality of axially extending flexible tabs integrally formed with the elongated cable guide and (ii) an outer threaded region;
a rear drum sized and shaped to engage a rearward face of the cylindrical wall of the front drum, and thereby form a chamber for housing a drain cleaning cable;
a nut defining (i) a rear face, (ii) a forwardly extending inner tapered face, and (iii) an inner threaded region configured to threadedly engage the outer threaded region of the cable guidell;
wherein the cable guide includes at least one flexible retaining member disposed between the distal end of the cable guide and the front face of the front drum;
the tool further comprising:
a handle having an axially extending interior passageway and disposed about the elongated cable guide of the front drum and rotatable with respect to the front drum, wherein the handle defines an annular race within the interior passageway and the at least one flexible retaining member contacts the race and thereby rotatably retains the handle disposed about the cable guide;
wherein the at least one retaining member is formed within an arcuate wall of the elongated cable guide and includes a radially extending, outwardly projecting finger defining an inclined forwardly directed face and a rearwardly directed bearing face that contacts the annular race of the handle.

11. The tool of claim 10 wherein the cable guide includes two flexible retaining members.

12. The tool of claim 10 wherein the nut is free of metal.

13. The tool of claim 10 wherein the nut includes a polymeric material.

14. The tool of claim 10 further comprising:
a flexible drain cleaning cable at least partially housed in the chamber formed upon engagement of the front drum with the rear drum.

15. The tool of claim 10 further comprising:
a knob engaged with the rear drum.

16. The tool of claim 10 wherein the handle includes an outwardly extending pistol grip member.

17. A drain cleaning tool consisting essentially of:
a front drum including a front face, a rearwardly extending cylindrical wall, and a forwardly projecting hollow elongated cable guide, the cable guide including (i) a distal end opposite the cylindrical wall, (ii) an arcuate wall extending between the distal end and the front face of the front drum, (iii) at least one flexible retaining member formed within the arcuate wall of the cable guide, (iv) a plurality of axially extending flexible tabs integrally formed with the cable guide and disposed at the distal end, and (v) an outer threaded region disposed between the plurality of axially extending flexible tabs and the at least one flexible retaining member;
a rear drum including a rear face and a cylindrical wall, the rear drum engaged with a rearward face of the cylindrical wall of the front drum, thereby forming a chamber for housing a drain cleaning cable;
fastening provisions for securing engagement of the rear drum with the front drum;
a knob engaged along the rear face of the rear drum;
a handle having an axially extending interior passageway defining an annular race and rotatably disposed about the elongated cable guide of the front drum, the handle disposed between the threaded region of the elongated cable guide and the front face of the front drum, the at least one flexible retaining member contacting the race and thereby rotatably retaining the handle disposed about the cable guide;
a flexible drain cleaning cable at least partially housed in the chamber formed from the front drum and the rear drum;
a nut defining (i) a rear face, (ii) a forwardly extending inner tapered face; and (iii) an inner threaded region configured to threadedly engage the outer threaded region of the cable guide, the nut threadedly engaged with the threaded region of the cable guide;
wherein at least a portion of the drain cleaning cable extends through the elongated cable guide and the nut, and upon rotation of the nut relative to the cable guide, the nut is linearly displaced against the plurality of axially extending tabs of the cable guide thereby resulting in deflection of the tabs against the drain cleaning cable to thereby secure the cable at a desired axial position relative to the cable guide;
wherein the at least one flexible retaining member includes a radially extending, outwardly projecting finger that defines an inclined forwardly directed face and a rearwardly directed bearing face that contacts the annular race of the handle.

18. The tool of claim 17 wherein upon linear displacement of the nut against the plurality of axially extending tabs, the inner tapered face of the nut contacts the plurality of axially extending flexible tabs of the cable guide.

19. The tool of claim 17 wherein the nut is free of metal.

20. The tool of claim 17 wherein the nut includes a polymeric material.

Assignees

• Ridge Tool Co

Inventors

• Bowles Richard R
• Moherman Brandon
• Patil Prasad Chatursingh

Classifications

• E03F9/005 Primary

  Apparatus for simultaneously pushing and rotating a cleaning device carried by the leading end of a cable or an assembly of rods · CPC title

• B08B9/045

  the cleaning devices being rotated while moved {, e.g. flexible rotating shaft or "snake"}(B08B9/047 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E03C1/302 Primary

  using devices moved through the pipes {(and simultaneously rotated by means of a cable or rods E03F9/005)} · CPC title