公开(公告)号：US20250018444A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-16

申请号：US18642551

申请日：2024-04-22

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Terry D. GROMES, SR. ,  Gary L. MANACK, JR. ,  Kristin E. GRIFFIN

IPC: B08B9/032 ,  B05B1/02 ,  B08B3/02 ,  B08B3/04 ,  B08B9/043

Abstract: A nozzle for water jet equipment and a method of use thereof. The nozzle has a body including a base with a shaft extending outwardly therefrom. The shaft is inserted through a bore of a sleeve that rotatable about the shaft. The base and shaft define a bore therein. At least one opening is defined in the shaft and one or more grooves are milled into the shaft's exterior surface. Each opening places the body's bore in fluid communication with one of the grooves and the sleeve's bore. Water flowing through the body's bore will flow through each opening, into the associated groove and into a space between the shaft and sleeve. The shaft terminates in a conical section usable as a battering ram to break up blockages in pipes during cleaning operations.

公开(公告)号：US11934215B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-19

申请号：US16776770

申请日：2020-01-30

Applicant: StoneAge, Inc.

Inventor： Terry D. Gromes, Sr. ,  Terry D. Gromes, Jr. ,  Kristen E. Griffin ,  Jon M. Shockey, Jr. ,  Gordon W. East ,  William C. Jackson

IPC: G05B19/4099 ,  B24C3/32 ,  B24C7/00 ,  F28G1/16 ,  F28G15/00 ,  F28G15/02 ,  F28G15/08 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05D7/06 ,  G06F3/04886 ,  F28D7/16

CPC classification number: G05D7/0617 ,  B24C3/327 ,  B24C7/0015 ,  F28G1/163 ,  F28G15/003 ,  F28G15/02 ,  F28G15/08 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G06F3/04886 ,  F28D7/16

Abstract: A system and method for cleaning of heat exchanger tubes including an assembly, an indexer, and a communication device provided with specialized software and programming. The indexer includes orthogonally arranged first and second arms. A trolley and sensors are provided on the indexer arms. One or more lances are provided on the trolley to deliver water jets into the openings. Sensors measure displacement as the trolley is moved relative to the heat exchanger's face plate. An operator controls the system from a distance away using the communication device. During setup, the pattern of the face plate is learned and mapped utilizing information from the sensors as one of the inputs. This information is utilized to help navigate the face plate during a subsequent cleaning operation. A kit for retrofitting existing X-Y indexers is also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20230405646A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-21

申请号：US18238935

申请日：2023-08-28

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Joseph A. SCHNEIDER ,  Adam Christopher MARKHAM ,  Scott HOWELL ,  Daniel SZABO ,  Cody MONTOYA ,  Jeffery R. BARNES ,  Cooper HANLEY

IPC: B08B9/043 ,  F28G15/04 ,  F28G1/16 ,  B08B9/047

CPC classification number: B08B9/0433 ,  F28G15/04 ,  F28G1/163 ,  B08B9/047 ,  F28G15/08

Abstract: A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances through tubes penetrating a tube sheet of a heat exchanger tube sheet, includes a smart lance tractor drive, a controller, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate and/or distribute electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The smart tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions, sense lance insertion distance and lance removal and provide automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned.

公开(公告)号：USRE49573E1

公开(公告)日：2023-07-11

申请号：US17336102

申请日：2021-06-01

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Joseph A. Schneider

IPC: B05B3/00 ,  B05B3/06 ,  F16F9/06 ,  F16F9/14 ,  B05B3/10 ,  F16D57/00

CPC classification number: B05B3/005 ,  B05B3/06 ,  F16F9/064 ,  F16F9/14 ,  B05B3/1042 ,  F16D57/00

Abstract: A speed retarding device for a rotary nozzle includes a hollow cylindrical housing and a rotatable tubular shaft rotatably carried by the housing. The shaft has a central axial bore and an enlarged drag sleeve portion carried in the housing. A pair of support bearings support the drag sleeve portion of the shaft in the housing. An annular inner seal between each of the support bearings and the drag sleeve portion defines a cavity within the housing receiving a viscous fluid confined within the cavity. The drag sleeve portion includes a peripheral helical groove and a plurality of axial bores extending therethrough parallel to the central bore, one or more blind axial bores each having a closed end an open end, and a piston disposed in each of the one or more blind axial bores each defining an air space between the closed end and the piston.

公开(公告)号：US11517947B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-06

申请号：US17004934

申请日：2020-08-27

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Joseph A. Schneider ,  Adam Christopher Markham ,  Scott Howell ,  Daniel Szabo ,  Cody Montoya ,  Jeffery R. Barnes ,  Cooper Hanley

IPC: B08B9/043 ,  B08B9/047 ,  F28G1/16 ,  F28G15/04 ,  F28G15/08 ,  B08B9/04 ,  F28G15/00

Abstract: A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances through tubes penetrating a tube sheet of a heat exchanger tube sheet, includes a smart lance tractor drive, a controller, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate and/or distribute electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The smart tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions, sense lance insertion distance and lance removal and provide automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned.

公开(公告)号：US11460257B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-04

申请号：US16663149

申请日：2019-10-24

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Travis Watkins ,  Jeffery R. Barnes ,  Daniel Szabo ,  Cody R. Montoya

IPC: F28G1/04 ,  F28G15/00 ,  B08B9/043 ,  F28G15/04 ,  F28G3/16 ,  B65G43/04

Abstract: An apparatus for sensing an obstruction within a tube being cleaned and repetitively advancing and retracting a flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance within the tube is disclosed. The apparatus monitors drive roller/belt position and actual hose position, compares the belt (expected travel) to hose position (travel) and generates a position difference, or mismatch. If the mismatch is above a predetermined level, the drive motor direction is reversed for a predetermined time interval, and forward operation restored after the predetermined time interval; and the sequence of repeating the reversing and restoring operations is continued until the position difference or mismatch no longer exceeds the predetermined difference threshold.

公开(公告)号：US20220290932A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-15

申请号：US17689608

申请日：2022-03-08

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Jeffery R. Barnes ,  John L. Krauser

IPC: F28G1/16 ,  B08B9/043

Abstract: A multiple flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance drive apparatus includes at least a first drive motor having a first drive shaft, a spline drive roller mounted on the first drive shaft, a plurality of cylindrical guide rollers extending parallel to the spline drive roller, an endless belt wrapped around the spline drive roller and the plurality of guide rollers, and one or more follower roller modules each supporting a plurality of follower rollers for pressing against a single flexible lance. Each follower roller module independently presses its follower rollers toward the endless belt to grip the flexible lance sandwiched therebetween. Each module has an elongated block shaped housing having a central axis, a plurality of pneumatic cylinders and a piston rod carried in each pneumatic cylinder supporting a pair of spaced follower rollers that ride on the flexible lance captured between the endless belt and the follower rollers.

公开(公告)号：US11441856B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-13

申请号：US16662762

申请日：2019-10-24

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Timothy Schneider ,  Adam Markham ,  Joseph A. Schneider ,  Scott Howell ,  Daniel Szabo ,  Cody R. Montoya

IPC: F28G1/16 ,  F28G15/00 ,  F28G15/08 ,  B08B9/032 ,  F28G15/04 ,  B08B9/043

Abstract: A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances includes a frame removably fastened parallel a tube sheet of a heat exchanger. The apparatus includes a smart lance tractor drive for advancing and retracting one or more lance hoses through one or more lance guide tubes into tubes penetrating through the heat exchanger tube sheet, a controller, one or more AC induction sensors on the tubes operable to sense holes in the tube sheet, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions and automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned.

公开(公告)号：US11248860B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-15

申请号：US16791396

申请日：2020-02-14

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Joseph A. Schneider ,  Jeffery R. Barnes ,  John L. Krauser

IPC: F28G15/02 ,  F28G9/00 ,  F28G15/04

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning a flexible lance drive device in registry with an opening into a heat exchanger tube sheet includes a flat plate bracket adapted to be bolted parallel to a flange of the heat exchanger. The bracket carries a stub tube fastened to and extending normal to the flat bracket. A rotary drive is removably fastened to the stub tube and has a rotary disc rotatable in a plane parallel to the tube sheet. A slotted box rail has a proximal end clamped to the rotary disc and a linear drive assembly is removably fastened to the slotted box rail. A guide tube collet block assembly clamped to the linear drive assembly removably supports a flexible lance drive and guide tube to guide a flexible lance between the lance drive and a selected one of a plurality of tubes penetrating through the heat exchanger tube sheet.

公开(公告)号：US10684082B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-16

申请号：US16007792

申请日：2018-06-13

Applicant: STONEAGE, INC.

Inventor： Todd Mathis

IPC: F28G15/02 ,  F28G15/04 ,  F28G3/16 ,  F16C29/00

Abstract: A frame apparatus for holding a flexible lance positioning mechanism adjacent to and spaced from a heat exchanger tube sheet includes an upper guide rail, a lower guide rail, a positioner rail supported from one of the upper and lower guide rails and guided by the other of the upper and lower guide rails, and a rail clamp assembly fastened to a portion of a tube sheet. This rail clamp assembly has a flat plate member fastened to the tube sheet, a base plate spaced from the flat plate by one or more threaded shafts, and one or more clamp fingers rotatably fastened to the base plate. Each clamp fingers is operable to rotate toward the base plate when the base plate is drawn against the flat plate or beam member by rotating the threaded shaft, thus drawing the rail securely to the flat plate of the clamp assembly.