US1549424A - Apparatus for cleaning tunnels, roadbeds, and the like - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1925.

W. l. SMITH ET AL APPARATUS oR CLEANING TUNNELS,

ROADBEDS, AND THE LIKE Filed July 12 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '.--f-M 1 ENTORS.

@WMM '9 BY y l ,S 4 m l ATTORNEYS.

AugA 11, 1925.

W. l. SMITH ET AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TUNNELS, ROADBEDS, AND THE LIKE 2 sheets-sneer Vz Filed July 12 1921 @QQGGOQOGQQQGGOG A TTORNEYJ',

Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER I. SMITH, 0F BROOKLYN, AND ALGERNON R. BURNETTE, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TUNNELS, ROADBEDS, AND THE LIKE.

Application lcd July 12,

To all whom it muy cof/cem Be it known that we, 'Amnn I. SMITH and ALGERNoN R. BURNETTE, citizens of the United States, residing at Brooklyn and New York, in the counties of Kings and New York, respectively. State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tunnels, Roadbeds, and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning tunnels, subways, roadways, etc., by pneumatic` means. In prior attempts to clean subways or tunnels, the cleaning has been solely upon the roadbed and the dust and other foreign matter clinging to or resting upon the walls and crevices of the tunnels was untouched. Difficulty has been eX- perienced in cleaning the roadbed due to the fact that the suction along the length of the necessarily long nozzles is not uniform with the result that the cleaning at the sides of the roadbed is unsatisfactory. The vacuum blowers have heretofore been connected to the. collecting nozzles solely through the separator with the result that. the pressure tending to carry the matter and air into the separator, and which is always less than atmospheric pressure is, considerably reduced by the resistance of the cloth bags that are commonly used in the separator. Consequently only the finer and lighter particles or matter have been collected in this manner.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide cleaning apparatus for tunnels, subways, roadbeds and the like which will effectively and satisfactorily clean all of the walls of the tunnel or subway; which will effectively, expeditiously, and efficiently clean the entire roadbed; which provides a stronger suction at the collecting nozzles so as to collect heavier lnatter and which puriiies the air of the tunnel or subway. A further object is to provide apparatus of this type which may be readily supported upon cars and transported through the tunnel or subway, or over any roadbed during the cleaning operation; which is efficient, durable, eHective and inexpensive. Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out inclaims.

The invention comprises the details and arrangements which will be set forth in connection with the following detailed descrip- 1921. Serial No. 484,095.

tion of a practical embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan of a car carrying a portion of the apparatus with the top removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially along the line a-a of Fig. 1 with the top in place.

Fig. 3 is a plan of another car carrying a further portion of the apparatus, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the same taken substantially along the liner b-b of Fig. 3. Y

In the illustrated embodiment, particularly adapted for tunnel or subway cleaning, the cars 1 and 2 which are mounted upon trucks 3 and 4 and coupled together, form the support for the apparatus and serve as means by which it is carried over the roadbed or through the tunnels or subways to be cleaned. Upon opposite ends of the car 1 are mounted blowers 5 and 6 or other suitable suction and pressure creating devices; the blowers being driven in any desired manner such as by motors 7 and 8 with connecting belts 9 and 10. The car 2 supports a separator 11 and an air washer 12 of any desired construction. The separator usually comprises a compartment divided into two parts by closely woven cloth, which may be in the form of bags 13 as shown, through which the air is passed to separate it from the solids carried by the moving air. The washer may comprise a tank through which the air is passed and subjected to a spray of water or other purifying or disinfecting liquid which may be circulated by a pump 14. The air after leaving the washer may be discharged into the tunnel or open air through an opening 1:5 in the car.

Upon the car l and between the blowers 5 and 6, three casings 16, 17 and 18 are provided, the casings extending transversely across the car both horizontally and vertically and provided with substantially continuous slits 19 around the transverse periphery of the car and casings that serve as air blast and suction nozzles. The platform frame, where it passes through the casings 16, 17 and 18, is provided with a number of apertures of considerable area so that the portion of the bottom or platform frame which passes through the casings, will, in effect, be merely a plurality of beams or strips which are integral portions of the remainder of the platform frame. They will therefore not offer any material obstruction to the passage of the air through the casings to the slits in the bottoms of the casings. The top wall, which is shown in Fig. 2, is provided with openings or slits 19, which are elongated in the direction of the underlying slits in the casing walls, the openings 19a being spaced closely together' so as to provide a substantially continuous slit and at the same time have suflicient material extending across the slits 19 of the casing to give suicient rigidity to the casings and at the same time have a continuous top. Any desired number of strips may, if necessary, be extended across the slits 19 to tie together the poi'- tions of the casings on opposite sides thereof. The outlet pipe 20 of the blower 5 is divided into two conduits 21 and 22, each having a controlling valve 23 therein. The conduit 21 leads to and discharges into the adjacent casing 16 so that when its valve 23 is open compressed air will be forced into casing 16 and thence at a high velocity through its slit 19 as a thin sheet or blast transversely and peripherally of the car, which blast serves to agitate and stir up the particles of matter such as papers, dust, dirt, etc., which are upon the roadbed and all the walls of the tunnel, and hold them temporarily in suspension in the agitated air. The other branch 22 of the conduit passes through the casing 16 and 17 and discharges into the casing 18 so that when valve 23 of its conduit is open a sheet or blast of air will be set up peripherally and transversely of the car in the same manner as that from casing 16.

The casings are spaced apart along the length of the car and the casing 17, which is between the other casings, is directly connected by a conduit 24 to the intake side of blower 6 so that operation of this blower will create a partial vacuum in the conduit 24 and casing 17 which causes the surrounding air to enter the casing through its slit 119 with considerable velocity, and the air with suspended solid matter is carried into the casing 17 and thence conducted to the blower 6. A conduit 25 connects the discharge end of the blower 6 with the separator 11, the conduit having a suitable flexible coupling (not shown) Where it passes between the cars. The air after entering the separator passes through the bags 13 by which the solid matter is held back and collected in the chamber and the bags, after which the air divides, a portion passing through the washer 12 and a portion passing into conduit 26 through which it is conducted to car 1 and then to the intake side of blower 5. The conduit 26 is also provided with a flexible coupling (not shown) where it passes between the cars.

The casings 16 and 18 are provided at their lower edges furthest from the casing 17, with deflecting plates 27 which depend into close proximity to the roadbed so as to confine the agitated air adjacent the roadbed within the immediate influence of the suction casing 17. Plates 18a are mounted upon the sides and top of the car in any suitable manner, such as by screws 18b which pass through elongated slots 18c in the plates, whereby the plates are slidingly disposed upon the sides and top of the casings 16, 17 and 18, and operable independently or together to cover and uncover the slits or apertures. When the cleaner passes a station or platform, the air blast and suction upon the station or platform side can be cut off to avoid danger or annoyance to passengers who might be standing upon the platform. When the device is used solely as a roadbed cleaner the side and top portions of the slits or apertures of the casings may be closed by the plates. Doors 28 in the separator compartment provide access thereto for removing the collected and separated matter at suitable intervals.

In use, the valves 23 are operated to admit compressed air to the casing 16 or 18 which will be the forward casing as the cars move through the tunnel, and cut it oli from the one which will be the rear. The pump 14 and blowers 5 and 6 are started up and the device is ready for movement through the tunnel. The blower 5 forces air into the forward casing (16 or 18) and the pressure in the casing causes air to pass through the slit or nozzle 19 as a sheet or blast at a high velocity in all directions transversely of t-he car. This blast of air stirs up and agitates the air against the walls and roadbed to lift papers, trash, dirt, dust and other foreign matter and temporarily hold it in suspension. The blower 6 by its direct' connection to the casing 17 causes a partial vacuum therein so that the agitated air is carried into this casing from all directions transversely of the car and therefore carries the matter in suspension with it. This air and matter is drawn into the blower 6 through conduit 24 and then forced through conduit 25 into and through the separator 11 where the solid or foreign matter is removed by the cloth bags or fabric 13. From the separator a portion of the air may pass through the washer where it is subjected to a spray of water or disinfecting liquid and then discharged from the car into the tunnel through opening 15. The remainder of the air passes from the separator through conduit 26 to the intake side of the blower 5. from which it is reapplied to casing 16 or 18 under pressure. It will of course be understood that all of the air may be passed through the washer if desired and air drawn from the tunnel directly to the blower 5, or all of the air from the separator may be conducted to the blower 5 With or Without having been Washed` By using much` of the same air over again the dust which is too tine to be removed by the separator will not be dispersed into the tunnel to any great extent without puritication. As much as possible ot the air from the separator is preferably passed through the washer, since substantially all of the dust can be removed in this manner and the air of the tunnel is puri tied. It the liquid in the ashcr is antiseptic, the bacteria present in the air will be killed. lith the suction fan directly connected to the casing 17, the suction force will be much stronger and, due to the chamber Within the casing 17, the suction will be substantially uniform all along the slits or apertures 19 of this casing and the Walls and roadbed Will be eectivcly and expeditiously cleaned.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements herein described and illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art Within the principle and scope of the invention.

IVe claim:

1. A tunnel cleaning machine comprising a portable support, means carried thereby and adapted to emit compressed air theretrom at a high velocity and in a direction transversely ot the tunnel to form a substantially continuous peripheral transverse sheet-like blast ot air around said support, and means also carried by the support and spaced to the rear of the compressed air emitting means, relatively to the direction ot movement ot the support through the tunnel, adapted by suction to collect the matter stirred up and temporarily held in suspension by the blast of air.

2. A tunnel cleaning machine comprising a portable support, a suction device carried thereby and having collecting openings adapted to collect air and mattei' carried by the air from all directions transverse to the tunnel, and means carried by the support for setting up jets ot compressed air at a high velocity in substantially all directions transversely ot' the tunnel and in advance ot the collecting openings relatively to the direction ot' movement of the machine through the tunnel.

23. A tunnel cleaning machine comprisimg` means for projecting an air blast against the Walls oit' a tunnel to stir up extraneous matter therein, and suction means having collecting openings opening toward all the walls to collect the extraneous matter stirred up by the blast of air and temporarily held in suspension therein.

4. In a cleaning device, a portable support, a casing having a chamber therein disposed to extend transversely of and entirely across the support both horizontally and vertically, said casing having a substantially continuous slit around the same in a substantially vertical plane and opening into the chamber, and means for applying suction to said chamber so that the partial vacuum created in the latter provides a substantially uniform suction entirely around the support.

5. In a cleaning device, a portable support, a pair of hollow casings carried by and extending both horizontally and vertically across the support and also spaced apart relatively to the direction of movement ot the support, said casings each having a substantially continuous slit around the same in a substantially vertical plane, means tor continuously supplying compressed air to the interior of one of said casings, and means for creating a partial vacuum in the other oi said casings to collect air and suspended mattei', and means for receiving and separating the air and suspended matter.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our signatures.

YALTER I. SMITH. ALGERNGN R. BURNETTE,

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