US979899A - Line-threading device. - Google Patents

Description

P. N. STEIGLEDER.

LINE THREADING DEVICE. APPLIQA'I'ION FILED MAR.12,1910,

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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LINE THREADING DEVICE. APPLIOA'IIOR Hum an, 12, 1910.

Patented Dec. 2?, 1910.

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Specification Letters Patent.

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To all. whom-it may concern: --'.Be it known that I, FRANK N. S'rmennonn,

a; citizen of the United States, residing at fiichmond, in the county of Henrico' and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Line-Threading Dewoes, of which the following is a specificaelectric wire 5) to which car tion.

This invention relates to a device for threading a cord or line through the narrow ipes or conduits of buildings, the electric wires may-be attached for drawing them through the pi es. The object of the invention is to provi e a device whereby the operation of-threading 'the wires'may be easily, quickly and conveniently accomplished and with a great saving in time and labor over the customary practice of fishing with metal tapes.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of devices, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of a line threading. device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 1s. a vertical: longitudinal section through the storage tank and pump. Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof the same. Fig. 4 1s a sectional view, showing the nozzle and traveler applied to a conduit for use. Fig. 5 is- 1 an end view of the nozzle.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I have disclosed a traveler, a flexible line connected with the traveler, and means for supplying compressed air or other fluid pressure for forcing the' traveler through the ipe or conduit, and it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention the fluid pressure employed might be other than that supplied from an air compressor, such as would be produced by forming vacuum in the pipe in advance of the trav eler and utilizing the normal air pressure behind the traveler to force the same throu h the pipe. I

' Re 'erring to the drawings, 1 designates a source of com ressed air supply comprising a storage tan: closed by to and bottom heads 2 and 3 and provided with a discharge outlet 4 havin .a controlling valve 5. AL- ranged central y and vertically within said tank is an air compressor comprising 3 cyl; inder 6 having a piston 7 operating therein;- the rod 8 from which extends upwardly through a cap 9 closing the upper end of a power as preferred.

at one end wit said cylinder for. opIeration by hand or he cap 9 is provided with air inlet ports 10,,while the lower end of the cylinder is provided with an outlet 11 controlled by a check valve 12, by which air may be forced from the cylinder to thetank and prevented from returning to the Patented'Dec. 27, 1910. Application filed March 12, 1910. Serial No. 548,966. I v i j cylinder. The cylinder is further provided with a suitable gage 13, by which pressure of the compressed airtherein may be determlned at any time.

A preferably1 flexible tube 14 is connected at its free end with a tapered nozzle 15,

preferably formed of wood or other slightly yielding material, which nozzle is detachabl connected therewith so that nozzles of d1 erent sizes may be ap lied to the pipe for connecting the same wit diflerent slzes of conduits. y

A bracket 16 engages the pipe 14 at a point adjacent the valve 5 and holds the the outlet 4 and is provideda same normall in adesired bend or curve,';

and supporte by said bracket immediately below the curved portion of the pipe is a drum or reel 17 having an actuating crank 17, to which reel is attached one endof a flexible cord or line 19. This cord passes,

from the reel into the a djaoent end of'the pipe 14 through a slit or opening 20 formed in said pipe, and thence extends through the pipe and nozzle, saidslit or opening being of compartively -restricted size so as to avoid the escape of any material quantity of the compressed. air. The cord is preferably in the nature of a stout fishing line, and the reel may be provided with an ordinary spring drag to allow the cord to reel ofi freely and uniformly and without regard to the amount of cord which happens to be upon the reel at any stage in the threading operation. The discharge endof the nozzle is provided with a central guide 15 for the line, by which the line is held in a determined position and prevented from being pinched between the nozzle and conduit, when the nozzle is inserted. Connected with the free end of theline is a traveler 21, which is herein shown as formed of a laterally flexible or resilient wire stem 22 carrying one or more'disks orheads 23, composed of the pipe or conduit through which the a cord is to be threaded. The edg 'es are radially flexiblev or yieldable to rea ily aco nn modate themselves to and pass portions of to passthrough the various bends, angles and curves which may be formed in conduits of this character. As shown, the stem of the traveler is detachably connected with the line by an ordinary snap. hook 25 by which it may be conveniently separated therefrom at any time, so that a larger or smaller sized traveler may be substituted therefor to pass through a smaller or larger conduit.

In the operation of the device the traveler and a portion of the line are first-inserted into one end'of the conduit 26, andthen the nozzle 15 is fitted into the end of the conduit, after which the valve 5 is opened to allow air'to feed from the tank 1 through the pipe l t and the conduit 26 behind the traveler, by which the latter will be forced or driven through said conduit and dis-. charged atthe opposite end thereof. The electric 'wireto be passed through the conduit may then be attached to the cord 19 and drawn through the conduit with the cord, or, if the wire should be too large or heavy to be fed in this manner, a light wire may be attached and drawn through the pipe with the cord, and the conducting wire then fastened to 'the feed wire and drawn therewith through the conduit.' In this manner the operation of threading electric wires through conduits of any length and diameter. may" be quickly and conveniently performed, and with a great saving of time and labor over the customary practice ,of fishing the conduits with metal tapesQ By detachably connecting the nozzle to the air supply pipe 14; and similarly connecting the traveler with. the-line,

I different sizes'of; nozzles andtravelers may yhe'[quicklyg attached for use in CODDGtEtlOIl' with different sizes of conduits. After the electric wire is threaded, it will'be understood that the traveler is detached from the line and the latter wound back through the conduit by means of the reel 17 3 Having described the invention, I claim 1. In a line threading device, the combination of a fluid pressure supplydpipe having an opening therein and provide vwith a'discharge nozzle, a bracket moimted upon the exterior oflsaid pipe in proximit to 'said opening, a reel journaled upon sai bracket, a line wound upon the reel and extending" through said opening into the, pipe and thence through the pipe and externally through the nozzle, and a traveler connected with the free end of said line, said traveler comprising a flexible stem carrying radially flexible disks. Q 2. In a line threading device, the combination of a fluid pressure supply pipe having atone end an elbow-shaped inlet portion and an opening adjacent thereto and having at its opposite end a' discharge nozzle, a bracket fitted upon the elbow-shaped portion of-the pipe, a reel mounted upon said bracket to lie within the bend formed by the elbow-shaped portion, a line wound upon the reel and extending therefrom through said opening into the pipe and thence exteriorly of the pipe through the nozzle, and a traveler detachably connected with zthe freeend of the line, said traveler compris' ing a flexible stem carrying a series of con- FRANK N. S'IEIGLEDER.

lVitnesses:

ROBINSON NELSON, C. VALVIn Roemson.

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