Flexible tube cleaning lance positioner frame apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684082-B2
Application number	US-201816007792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2018
Priority date	Jul 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A frame apparatus for holding a flexible lance positioning mechanism adjacent to and spaced from a heat exchanger tube sheet includes an upper guide rail, a lower guide rail, a positioner rail supported from one of the upper and lower guide rails and guided by the other of the upper and lower guide rails, and a rail clamp assembly fastened to a portion of a tube sheet. This rail clamp assembly has a flat plate member fastened to the tube sheet, a base plate spaced from the flat plate by one or more threaded shafts, and one or more clamp fingers rotatably fastened to the base plate. Each clamp fingers is operable to rotate toward the base plate when the base plate is drawn against the flat plate or beam member by rotating the threaded shaft, thus drawing the rail securely to the flat plate of the clamp assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A frame apparatus for holding a flexible lance positioning mechanism adjacent to and spaced from a heat exchanger tube sheet, the apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a positioner rail supported from the guide rail for positioning the flexible lance positioning mechanism; and
a rail clamp assembly operably holding the guide rail in a fixed position with respect to the tube sheet, the rail clamp assembly comprising:
one of a flat plate or beam member adapted to be fastened to the tube sheet;
a base plate spaced from the one of the flat plate or beam member by one or more threaded shafts;
one or more clamp fingers rotatably fastened to the base plate, wherein the one or more clamp fingers is operable to rotate toward the base plate when the base plate is drawn against the flat plate or beam member and wherein each of the one or more clamp fingers at at least one of a plurality of predetermined positions engages a ball nose spring plunger carried in the base plate operably permitting the guide rail to be attached to the rail clamp assembly.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the one of the flat plate or beam member is a generally trapezoidal shaped flat plate having a curved bottom edge and a plurality of apertures therethrough adjacent the bottom edge for receiving a plurality of bolts to fasten the flat plate to the tube sheet.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the base plate has a pair of spaced apart clamp fingers rotatably supported therein and one of the one or more threaded shafts is positioned beneath each of the clamp fingers and is fastened to the base plate.

4. A frame apparatus for holding a flexible lance positioning mechanism adjacent to and spaced from a heat exchanger tube sheet, the apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a positioner rail supported from the guide rail for positioning the flexible lance positioning mechanism; and
a rail clamp assembly operably holding the guide rail in a fixed position with respect to the tube sheet, the rail clamp assembly comprising:
one of a flat plate or beam member adapted to be fastened to the tube sheet;
a base plate spaced from the one of the flat plate or beam member by one or more threaded shafts;
one or more clamp fingers rotatably fastened to the base plate, wherein each of the one or more clamp fingers is operable to rotate toward the base plate when the base plate is drawn against the flat plate or beam member and wherein each of the one or more clamp fingers at a predetermined position engages a ball nose spring plunger carried in the base plate operably permitting the guide rail to be attached to the rail clamp assembly, wherein the ball nose spring plunger carried in the base plate engages one of the one or more clamp fingers in a first position permitting the guide rail to be attached to the rail clamp assembly and the one of the one or more clamp fingers in a second position permitting the guide rail to be translated along the base plate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the threaded shaft draws the one or more clamp fingers to a third position engaging the guide rail to hold the guide rail within the rail clamp assembly.

6. A frame apparatus for holding a flexible lance positioning mechanism adjacent to and spaced from a heat exchanger tube sheet, the apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a positioner support rail supported from the guide rail; and
one or more rail clamp assemblies operable to releasably receive, hold and clamp a portion of the guide rail therein, each rail clamp assembly having a support plate adapted to be fastened to a peripheral portion of the heat exchanger tube sheet, a hand screw threaded through the support plate and rotatably fastened into a base plate, a clamp jaw fastened to the base plate, and a hooked clamp finger rotatably fastened to the base plate opposite the clamp jaw, wherein the base plate carries a ball nose spring plunger releasably engaging the hooked clamp finger to releasably hold the hooked clamp finger in each of a plurality of predetermined positions.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the hooked clamp finger is rotatably fastened to the base plate in a rectangular notch in the base plate via an axle screw.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the hooked clamp finger has a parallel sided stem portion carried in the notch, a hook portion that extends out of the notch toward the clamp jaw and an opposite hammerhead portion that extends beyond a rear edge of the stem portion.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the hooked clamp finger is rotated toward the clamp jaw when the hand screw tightens the base plate to the support plate.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the ball nose spring plunger extends out of the base plate into the notch so as to engage a depression in the hooked clamp finger to releasably hold the hooked clamp finger in an open position to receive a portion of the guide rail between the hooked clamp finger and the clamp jaw.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the axle screw extends across the notch and the hooked clamp finger is rotatably supported on the axle screw extending across the notch.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the hammerhead portion extends toward the support plate from the base plate when the base plate is spaced from the support plate and wherein the hammerhead portion causes the hooked clamp finger to rotate toward the clamp jaw when the base plate is drawn against the support plate.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the ball nose spring plunger extends from the base plate into the notch above the axle screw.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the ball nose spring plunger releasably engages a first detent in the hook shaped finger when the base plate is spaced from the support plate and the hooked clamp finger is rotated to a release position and engages a second detent in the hooked clamp finger when the hooked clamp finger is rotated to hold the one of the guide rails between the hooked clamp finger and the clamp jaw.

15. An apparatus for holding a flexible lance positioning mechanism adjacent to and spaced from a heat exchanger tube sheet, the apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a positioner rail supported from the guide rail; and
a rail clamp assembly operably holding the guide rail in a fixed position with respect to one of the tube sheet and the positioner rail, the rail clamp assembly comprising:
one of a flat plate or beam member adapted to be fastened to the one of the tube sheet and the positioner rail;
a base plate spaced from the one of the flat plate or beam member by one or more threaded shafts;
one or more clamp fingers rotatably fastened to the base plate, wherein the one or more clamp fingers is operable to rotate in a plane perpendicular to the base plate toward the base plate when the base plate is drawn against the one of the flat plate or beam member, and wherein each clamp finger releasably engages a ball nose spring plunger carried in the base plate to releasably hold the clamp finger in each of a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position.

Assignees

• Stoneage Inc

Inventors

• Mathis Todd

Classifications

• F16C29/005

  Guide rails or tracks for a linear bearing, i.e. adapted for movement of a carriage or bearing body there along · CPC title

• F28G3/163

  from internal surfaces of heat exchange conduits · CPC title

• F28G15/04

  Feeding and driving arrangements, e.g. power operation · CPC title

• F28G15/02 Primary

  Supports for cleaning appliances, e.g. frames · CPC title