Patent Application
20090077765
The present invention involves a cylindrical member conditioning device capable of changing a surface condition of the cylindrical member. As an example, the present device can be moved along a braided cable, the braided cable, when used on, for example, suspension bridges, is subjected to multiple coats of paint over time. This device can fracture the paint layers enabling downstream conditioning devices to remove the paint layers more easily for subsequent cleaning and repainting.
As noted above, braided steel cable, such as the type used on suspension bridges, is comprised of a plurality of braided strands helically wrapped around a solid core. The cable is made of steel and thus requires periodic maintenance to prevent rusting. Such maintenance is comprised of removing surface dirt, rust and old paint, followed by repainting the clean surface.
A typical cleaning device for cleaning braided steel cables is comprised of a housing which positions wire brushes around a cable. When the cleaning device is moved along the cable, the cable is cleaned by the wire brushes. Some cleaning devices apply a cleaning fluid. The prior art cable cleaners can clean the lands of the cable, that is, the outer most parts of the strands, but cannot clean deep inside the groove between adjacent strands. Also, the wire brushes wear out quickly. Further, debris and cleaning fluids fly out from the cleaning devices as environmental contaminants.
Applicants have been awarded U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,707, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. This device is shown in
Rotary helical brush assemblies 61 and a rotary longitudinal brush assembly 62 are positioned in housing 50 and rotatable about an axis thereof. As taught in the '707 patent, there may be any number of each type of brush assembly. Rotary helical brush assembly 61 is comprised of coaxial split rings 63 connected by spacers 64 and rotary cylindrical wire brushes 65 in a helical arrangement. Rotary longitudinal brush assembly 62 is comprised of coaxial split rings 66 connected by spacers 67 and cylindrical wire brushes 68 in a longitudinal arrangement. The brushes in either brush assembly are independently rotatable about their own axle 97. Each brush assembly can be opened and closed around cylindrical member 19.
Nozzles 69 are positioned inside housing 50 and a space between brush assembly 61 and sealing ring 57 for applying a material to cylindrical member 19, such as a chemical cleaner, steam, abrasives, paint, etc. Nozzles 69 are connected by hoses 70 to a distribution chamber 71 attached to the outside of housing 50. Suction apertures 72 in housing 50 are for connecting to a suction device depicted in
Although the cylindrical member maintenance device disclosed and claimed in applicants' prior '707 patent represented a dramatic advancement in the art of cleaning and maintaining cylindrical members such as braided steel cables, it has been recognized that the overall process of stripping debris such as layered paint and rust could be dramatically improved by preconditioning the cylindrical member surface prior to its introduction to the cylindrical member maintenance device as depicted in
A cylindrical member conditioning device. The device includes a housing having a longitudinal axis and a passageway extending along the longitudinal axis, the passageway being of sufficient size to receive the cylindrical member and to facilitate its movement through the housing. The housing includes at least one roller pair, each roller of the roller pair having an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Each roller is rotatable about its axis, the rollers of the roller pair positioned on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. The surface of each roller is sized to extend sufficiently into the passageway such that as the cylindrical member passes through the housing, the rollers change a surface condition thereof.
Cylindrical member conditioning device 10 is shown having housing 11 which can be cylindrical, square or rectangular in cross section, the front surface of which is removed to show the internal working components thereof.
Cylindrical member conditioning device 10 includes housing 11 having longitudinal axis 9 and passageway 18, said passageway 18 being of sufficient size to receive cylindrical member 19 which, again, can be cables typically used on bridges having paint, dirt, rust and other debris on its surface.
Cylindrical member conditioning device 10 is provided with at least one roller pair 12 and 13,
In preparing to receive cylindrical member 19, the radial size of the cylindrical member is determined and rollers positioned to extend within passageway 18 to intrude upon and break up coated layers on cylindrical member 19. Axes 14 and 15 can be moved along passageways 7 and 8 and once the appropriate spacing has been determined, can be bolted down to affix axes 14 and 15 to extend rollers 12 and 13 into passageway 18 as desired. Thus, as housing 11 is moved along cylindrical member 19, the surface condition of cylindrical member 19 is changed, in most instances, by enabling rollers 14, and the roller pair defined by roller 16 to fracture unwanted paint layers existing thereupon, later be processed by the combination as further described regarding
In accomplishing the goal of the present invention, in most instances, each roller should be provided with a profile as best depicted by referring to
It should also be appreciated that the present invention operates, as noted above, by providing roller pairs. In this way, the cylindrical member is pinched between opposing rollers which enhances the ability of the present invention to change a surface condition thereof. Ideally, adjacent roller pairs should be positioned about passageway 18 and longitudinal axis 9 such that substantially the entire surface of cylindrical member 19 is impacted thereby. In the example shown in
It is quite possible that debris will be created within housing 11 which either can be removed therefrom or downstream when cylindrical member 19 confronts a further maintenance device as depicted in
A unitary cylindrical member conditioning and maintenance device can be provided as shown in
The details of maintenance device 51 is depicted in
When the cylindrical member conditioning/maintenance device is used for cleaning steel cable, it may be moved in an upward direction along the steel cable thus enabling housing 11 to first confront the cable prior to housing 50. When the composite device 40 is used for painting a portion of the steel cable, the device may be moved in a downward direction. Ideally, housing 11 will not be employed during the painting operation. Movement of composite device 40 can be had through the attachment of cables to appropriately place loops on housing 11 and/or 50. Again, this is shown in the '707 patent, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
