US3397420A - Sewer snake - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 20, 1968 M. SCHNEIDER SEWER SNAKE Filed June 21, 1966 INVI::NTOR. Mzcl zael Schnemler ATTORNEY.

BYWQ/W United States Patent 3,397,420 SEWER SNAKE Michael Schneider, 2038 Watson Ave., Alliance, Ohio 44601 Filed June 21, 1966, Ser. No. 559,319 1 Claim. (Cl. 15104.3)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sewer snake including a spiral wire positioned around a plurality of interconnected elongated chain links wherein the spiral Wire forms a flexible shaft and the interconnected chain links form a positive and durable means of transferring torque therethrough as to a cleaning tool at one end thereof.

This invention relates to a sewer cleaning apparatus and more particularly to a sewer snake capable of driving a sewer cleaning tool through a sewer pipe and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a sewer snake of composite construction, including a spiral wire positioned around a plurality of interconnected elongated chain links wherein the spiral wire forms a flexible shaft and the interconnected chain links form a positive and durable means of transferring torque therethrough as to a cleaning tool at one end thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sewer snake consisting of one or more sections of flexible shafts having improved separable couplings at its opposite ends attached to the components of the flexible shaft.

Sewer snakes heretofore known in the art have usually comprised flexible shafts formed of a spiral wire usually in predetermined lengths with detachable couplings on its opposite ends by means of which a plurality of the spiral wire sections may be joined in an elongated sewer cleaning tool. The torque from a source of rotary motion is transferred through the flexible shaft to a sewer cleaning tool as the sewer snake is advanced through the sewer pipe being cleaned. The spiral shape is advantageous in in that it provides a means of advancing the sewer snake relative to projections or irregularities in the sewer pipe and provides flexibility.

In the prior art devices the spiral wire frequently wears and breaks or becomes detached from its coupling members with the result that the sewer cleaning tool and one or more sections of the sewer snake are lost in the sewer pipe. It is sometimes necessary to dig up the pipe in order to retrieve the parts.

The present invention relates to a sewer snake avoiding these difliculties of the prior art constructions and particularly in that a composite structure is disclosed which has all of the advantages of the prior art constructions and additionally provides a positive and unbreakable means of transmitting the torque through the snake to the cleaning tool. Additionally, the present invention provides an improved coupling device which is capable of being worn to a marked degree without affecting the positive locking of the couplings on the ends of the sewer snake section. The prior art devices of a comparable nature frequently become detached when worn and result in the same problems as occur when the sewer snake sections break as aforesaid.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not conice stitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away showing a section of the sewer snake and the couplings on the opposite ends thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section longitudinally of the device seen in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section on line 33 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a cross section with parts broken away showing part of the coupling of FIGURE 4 in locked rilagpn to a modified end coupling incorporating a squared s a FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of sewer snake with parts broken away.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular, it will be seen that a sewer snake has been disclosed and more particularly a section which may be combined with other duplicate sections to form a sewer snake of desired length. The snake comprises a relatively heavy spiral wire 10 the convolutions of which are spaced with respect to one another throughout the majority of its length and closely adjacent one another at its end sections 11 and 12. The end sections threadably engage oppositely disposed coupling means 13 and 14. The coupling 13 which appears at the upper end of the sewer snake in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings has a cross shaped transversely positioned channel 15 therein through the lower portion of which a movable latch bar 16 is positioned.

By refer-ring to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the latch bar 16 is normally urged in one direction by a spring 17 which is seated in a central bore 18 in the coupling 13 and that the central bore 18 enlarges to form a chamber 19 capable of receiving one end of a chain link 20. A transverse pivot pin 21 is positioned through the chamber 19 as best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings and the end of the chain link 20 is positioned thereabout so as to be pivotally secured thereto. By referring again to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the close convolutions of the spiral wire 10 forming the end portion 11 thereof threadably engage a thread configuration 22 on the exterior of the coupling 13 and the coupling 13 thus is attached to the spiral wire 10 and the chain link 20. A plurality of interconnected chain links 20 extend longitudinally of the sewer snake and at the opposite end thereof as defined by the coupling 14 one of the chain links 20 extends int-o a secondary chamber 23 and engages a secondary pivot pin 24 in the coupling 14. The exterior of the coupling 14, at the lower end of the sewer snake as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, is provided with a secondary exterior thread pattern 25 on which the closely spaced convolutions of the spiral wire 10 defining the end 12 thereof are threadably engaged. The coupling 14 has a cross sectionally cross shaped transversely positioned depending end portion 26 as best seen in cross section in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. The configuration of the cross shaped depending portion 26 is such that it will slidably engage the cross shaped channel 15 in the coupling 13 as heretofore described when the locking bar 16 is moved downwardly and out of the channel 15. This alternate positioning of the locking bar 16 is occasioned by manual engagement of the opposite ends thereof where they appear in recesses in the opposite sides of the coupling 13. In order that the locking bar 16 will hold the coupling 26 in locked position in the the channel 15 and thereby join the adjacent sections of the sewer snake in end to end relation in a manner that precludes accidental disconnection the lower portion of the cross shaped depending extension 26 of the coupling 14 is provided with a notch 27 midway between its ends and of a size and shape capable of receiving the locking bar 16 so that when the same is in registry in the notch 27 the coupling 14 cannot be removed from its engagement with the coupling 13, as it must move transversely thereof.

By referring again to FIGURE 2 of the drawings and the uppermost portion thereof and the locking bar 16 in particular, it will be observed that it is positioned in a transverse passageway 28 formed in the coupling 13 which is of sufficient size to permit the locking bar 16 to be moved vertically relative thereto as is necessary in moving from locked to unlocked position as heretofore described. It will be seen that the arrangement of the passageway 28 and the locking bar 16 and its spring 17 is such that even though one end of the locking bar 16 is moved downwardly to the fullest extent possible the middle portion thereof will still remain partially engaged in the notch 27 and thus prevent the accidental unlocking and disconnection of the coupling 13 and 14. It will thus be observed that it is necessary to move the locking bar 16 downwardly in its entirety before its middle section will release the matching configuration in the coupling 14 and permit the disengagement of the couplings.

It will thus be seen that a sewer snake has been disclosed which possesses all of the advantages of the spiral wire type of similar construction as heretofore known in the art and more importantly includes the interconnecting links which are flattened between their eyeleted ends as shown and which extend from the couplings on either end of the sewer snake section. It will occur to those skilled in the art that while the spiral wire configuration will advantageously permit the sewer snake to be positioned in a sewer pipe and moved longitudinally thereof, the actual torque of the rotating motion applied to the device by means (not shown) to drive a cleaning tool (not shown) is carried by the links 20 thereof and that the possibility of a section of the sewer snake breaking is practically eliminated. It will be observed that the links 20 are preferably flattened intermediate their eyeleted ends and welded to one another so that they become in effect elongated members with interlocking eyelets at each end.

The sewer snake sections such as disclosed herein are customarily equipped with a sewer cleaning tool at one end and a motor driven device including a reel at the other end is used to rotate the sewer snake as it is fed into a sewer pipe. In some applications the device may be used by rotating the same with a difierent source of rotary motion and in order that this may readily be accomplised a fitting comprising an adaptor has been devised and is illustrated in FIGURE of the drawings in connection with one of the coupling members 14. The adaptor fitting comprises a body member 29 having a square extension 30 on one end which is adapted to be engaged in the chuck of an electric drill or similar tool which will impart rotary motion of the device. The other end of the body member 29 includes a coupling configuration exactly the same as that heretofore described in connection with the coupling member 13 and illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings.

Still referring to FIGURE 5 it will be seen that this coupling configuration includes a transverse passageway 31 in which a locking bar 32 is movably positioned and a central cavity in the body member positions a coil spring 33 which normally urges the locking bar 32 toward the coupling configuration comprising the cross shaped depending member 26 on the coupling 14 and including the transverse slot or notch 27 therein as heretofore described.

4 As illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings the locking bar 32 is shown with one end thereof moved downwardly and the other end still held in uppermost position by the spring 33 thus indicating the degree of motion necessary before an unlatching of the coupling parts may be effective.

Those skilled in the art will observe that in some instances a smaller light weight form of the sewer snake invention may be advantageously used and such a modification is illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings with parts broken away. In FIGURE 6 a plurality of rods 34 having eyelets 35 on their opposite ends are interconnected to form a torque transferring means. An elongated spiral shaped wire 36 is positioned about the rods 34 and the eyelets 35 which are interconnected one with the other and the convolutions of the spiral wire 36 are spread out so that there are only relatively few convolutions between the ends of this modified sewer snake section. At each end the spiral wire is provided with a plurality of closely wrapped convolutions 37 and they are threadably engaged on a thread pattern on the exterior of a coupling 38 which in turn has a squared extension 39 thereon which is adapted to be received in the chuck of an electrical drill. Thus it will be seen that where a single ten to fifteen foot section of sewer snake may be used to clear a blocked sewer pipe the modification of FIGURE 6 may be advantageously used as it is light Weight, integral and capable of being operated by a suitable electrical drill or the like.

Those skilled in the art will observe that the opposite end of the modified sewer snake will include a configuration very much like the coupling 13 arranged to mount a sewer cleaning tool of conventional design.

It will thus be seen that a sewer snake has been disclosed which meets the several objects of the invention and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sewer snake comprising an elongated section of spiral wire having the convolutions at both ends thereof in adjacent relation and the convolutions therebetween spaced relative to one another, couplings at either end of said sewer snake, said couplings comprising cross sectionally circular body members having thread patterns on their exterior surfaces engaged with the adjacent convolutions of said spiral wire, a plurality of links interconnected to one another and positioned longitudinally of said spiral wire and pivotally attached at each of the opposite ends thereof to said couplings, interlocking configurations on said couplings comprising a transverse slot in one coupling, the entrance of said slot being narrower than an area therein and a transversely extending extension on the other coupling, the extension having a cross sectional configuration registering in said slot, and locking means including a right angular notch transversely of said transverse extension and a right angular elongated passageway transversely of said slotted coupling, a locking bar disposed in said passageway for manual movement and spring means urging said locking bar into the area of said transverse slot for registry with said notch in said transverse extension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 501,731 7/ 18'93 Priest. 1,641,312 9/1927 Bertone. 1,805,014 5/1931 Schalk 287103 2,521,172 9/1950 Kollmann 287-103 2,880,435 4/ 1959 Deutsch et a1. 3,118,159 1/1964 Kollmann.

EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner.

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