US1701824A - Process and apparatus for cleaning radiators - Google Patents

Description

' Feb. 12,1929.

J. M. ROBINSON PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING RADIATORS Filed April 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .2540. Zh-WM Feb. 12, 1929. r 1,701,824

I J. M. ROBINSON PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING mnnwons Filed April is. 1928 2 smug-sheet 2 gwuewliot A supportin frame structure comprises the orward an rear legs 10 and 11, respectively, connected at their upper ends by side rails 12 and near their lower ends by side rails 13. The rails 13 extend forwardly as at 14 to provide a support for a radiator 15.

The side rails 12 are connected at their ends by upper cross rails 16 and the legs 10 and 11 are connected near their lower ends by lower cross rails 17 and 18, respectively. The outer ends of the extended portions 14 are connected by a cross rail 19.

Supported between the rails 12 is a tank 20, which has flanges 21, extended outwardly to engage the rails. A cover 22 is provided to completely cover the tank and has an opening 23, in which is supported a funnel 24 provided with a sediment screen 24".

A pump 25 is supported upon the cross rail 17 and an intermediate cross rail 26 and is connected to the tank 20 by its intake pipe 27, the tank discharge pipe 28 and an intervening valve 29, controlled by a hand wheel 30.

A motor 31 is supported upon intermediate cross rails 32, secured to the lower longitudidina-l rails 13, and is provided with a drive pulley 33, connected to a drive pulley 34 on the pump by means of a belt 35. The belt drive is used as a safety measure against possible breakage, due to overloading of the pump.

The outlet 36 of the pump is connected by an elbow 37 to a laterally extending discharge pipe 38, which brings the discharge connection of the pump to the side of the machine where it will be opposite the return connection 39 of the radiator 15.

It may be stated at this point that the radiator is supported in an inverted position be tween the arms 14 with its hose connections facing the machine. The purpose of this arrangement will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The discharge pipe 38 is connected by an elbow 40 to an upwardly extending ipe 41, which in turn is connected by an elbow 42, having a nipple end 43,to a. sleeve 44, which is threaded upon the nipple 43. Where a very small radiator connection is encountered, the nipple 44 may be removed. A flex ible hose 45 is employed to connect the nipple 44 with the discharge connection 39.

The tank connection 46 of the radiator is connected by a. flexible hose 47 to the funnel woman the tank 20 and by a return pipe 53 to the end of the tank near the top thereof. The heater shown is-a gas heater of a. common type and tank, might be substituted effectively for the heater shown.

In the operation of the process, the radiator 15 is removed from the vehicle and placed in the inverted position already described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2'with the discharge pipe from the pump connected to the return connection from the radiator and the return pipe to the tank 20 connected to the tank connection 46. The solution is heated to a temperature approaching the boiling point and the motor is started, causing the pump to deliver the solution to the radiator. The pump 25 is a. positive pressure pump. The effect upon the pump of the resistance of the radiator channels to the flow of liquid will be to regulate the speed of the pump. The pum will be constrained to operate at the spee at which it can deliver the amount of solution which it is receiving through the in- ,take pipe 27. Thus with the valve 29 only opened a slight amount at the beginning, the pump will be able to operate close to the maximum speed of the motor 31. In practice, the

valve is opened sufficiently so that the pump and motor will labor. -When thus laboring it will deliver a more forceful flow of. solution to the radiator than if it were passing only the amount of solution per minute which could freely circulatethrough the radiator.

As the solution gradually cleans out the channels of the radiator, the operator opens the valve, at intervals, so as to keep the pump and motor laboring. This accomplishes two important functions. In the'first place, as has already been brought out, the pump will positively force as much solution through the radiator per minute as the power of the motor will determine and this forced flow will act mechanically upon the particles wedged between the walls of the radiator channels to force them out. In the second place, the laboring of the pump and motor are easily detected by the operator and furnish a clue to .advise him of the freedom of circulation of the solution through the radiator. The pump and valve are so coordinated that when the valve is completely opened and the pump is thus delivering a full stream to the radiator,

the pump will be traveling at substantially,

its full rate without laboring, provided that the radiator channels have been completely cleared. It will be understood that the coordination of the pump and the valve, in relation to the channels of the radiator, cannot be made entirely accurate for the reason that radiators will vary in theircapacity. For truck radiators, assuming the machine to have bleep set for a smaller radiator, the full full freedom of flow. I owever, for any par-v ticular class of radiators such as, for instance, those used on the ordinary, medium-priced passenger vehicle, the pump and valve may be set for this particular class of radiators so as to indicate definitely the moment the radiator has been entirely cleared.

Summing up briefly the foregoing discussion of the functions of the valve and motor, the theory of operation is as follows: The changing capacity of the radiator caused by the gradual removal of the sediment cuts down its resistance to the flow oi the solution. The opening of the valve increases the load upon the motor. The decrease of the resistance of the radiator correspondingly de creases the load upon the motor. The load which the motor is carrying can he determined by the speed of rotation, or, as it is commonly termed, the laboring of the motor. The operator can thus regulate the stream of solution, so as to enert a constant torce against the radiator by gradually opening thevalve and keeping the motor laboring substantially the same amount. When the motor has ceased to labor after the valve has been fully opened, the resistance of the radiator has been cut downto a minimum.

The radiator overflow pipe is plugged in order to retain the pressure and the filling cap is tightly closed for the same purpose.

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It may now be noted that my process rovides a constant flow of liquid from the ct tom of the radiator to the top thereof (the radiator being inverted and the how being downwardly), as indicated by the arrow 61. There are three important elements'of process here involved. In the first place, the flow is in the reverse direction to the normal flow of water through the radiator. Thus the de posit of foreign material, which is seldom more than of an inch deep, is forced out in the direction from which it entered the radiator channels.

In the second place, the flow is constantly in the same direction so that there may be no tendency of the forced flow of solution to force the particles any further in the direction in which they originally entered the radiator channels.

it may be noted that the constant flow in a direction reverse to that of normal flow- With the particles thus deposited in the tank 62, which acts as a sediment trap to prevent the particles flowing back into the tank 20 after the radiator has been cleared, the sediment may be flushed out by removing the cap 60 and attaching a water hose to either one of the connections. Before this is done, however, the radiator is tipped up suificientl to allow the solution remaining in the tan 62 to flour through the connection 46 into the funnel 24.

Summing up the essential elements of my process, it will be seen that they. are as follows! I I 1. Using a solution adapted to remove scale without attaching the metal of the radiator.

2. Forcing the solntion through the rediator under positive pressure.

8. Regulating the load by means of a valve.

l. Forcing the solution constantly throu *h the radiator in a direction reverse to toe normal flow of water through the radiator during the dislodging of sediment.

5. llnverti-ng the radiator and forcing the solution downwardly therethrough so that the radiator tank may act as a sediment trap and so that the particles, when once dislodged, may drop hy gravity away from the radiator channels.

6. Clogging all openings of the radiator till except the two hose connections in order to stated, including the cleaning of a radiator .in a minimum length of time:

1. Heating the solution to increase its activity.

2. Employing a pump which will indicate I by its laboring the load which it is carrying. Some changes may be made in the construc tion and arrangement of the parts of my in.-

vention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or useof mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within t ieir scope.

ll claim as my invention:

1. A. process of cleaning vehicle radiators, comprising the following steps: inverting the radiator, plugging all. openings to its in terior except the water hose connections, pumping a solution adapted to remove scale without attackingthe metal of the radiator, through the radiator in a direction reverse to the normal flow of water through the radiator, and maintaining the said direction of flow constant during the removal of sediment.

2. A rocess of'cleaning vehicle radiators, comprising the following steps: inverting throu h the radiator.

the radiator, plugging all openings to interior except the water hose connections, pumping a solution adapted to re-movescale withoutattacking the metal of the radlator, through the radiator in a direction reverseto the normal flow of water through the radlator, maintaining the said direction of flow constant during the removal of sediment, and then flushing the-dislodged sediment from the radiator tankby a stream of water.

3. A process of cleaning vehicle radiators, comprising the following steps: inverting the radiator, pumping a solution adapted to remove scale without attacking the metal of the radiator, through the radiator in a. direction reverse to the normal flow of water 4. A recess of cleaning vehicle radiators, comprising the following steps: inverting the radiator, plugging all openings to its interior except two, and pumping a solution adapted to remove scale without attacking the metal of the radiator, into one of said opening's, causin the solution to flow, through the radiator ma direction reverse to the normal flow of waterthrough the radiator.

5. A process of cleaning vehicle radiators, comprising the following steps: inverting the radiator, plugging all openings to its interior except two, pumping, under pressure,

. a solution adapted to remove'scale Without attacking the metal of the radiator, into one of said openings, causing the solution to flow through the radiator in a direction reverse to the normal flow of Water through the radiator, and maintaining said pressure substantially constant during cleaning of the radiator.

Signed this 13th day of April, 1928, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa.

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