Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090292502 | DRAIN CLEANING APPARATUS WITH ELECTRONIC CABLE MONITORING SYSTEM - A drain cleaning machine with an electronic cable monitoring system is disclosed which comprises a frame supporting a rotatable drum which is driven by a motor through an endless belt. The drum contains a flexible drain cleaning cable which is rotatable with the drum and axially displaceable into and out from the drum, and the frame supports a cable feeding device through which the cable extends and by which the cable is displaced into and out of the drum. An electronic cable monitoring system is configured to assess an amount of cable payed out from and retracted into the drum. A process determines an amount and direction of relative movement between a rotatable drum and a cable follower member and generates a signal representative of an amount of cable payed out or retracted into the drum. | 11-26-2009 |
20100017981 | DRAIN CLEANING TOOLS WITH WEAR INDICATORS - A drain cleaning tool includes a wear indicator for providing a visual indication to a user of the tool of an amount of wear in the tool. Various forms of the wear indicator and tool include a flexible plumbers cable with one or more wear detector prominences extending between turns of the cable, a tool carried on the end of the cable and couplings on the opposite ends of the cable. The flexible plumbers cable includes an elongate hollow outer body member defining a longitudinal axis and a resilient intermediate body carried within the outer body. The resilient intermediate body carried within the outer body has along its periphery at least one wear detector prominence extending radially outwardly between at least one selected turn of the helically coiled outer body. The at least one wear detector has at least one color change in the radial direction to provide a visual indication visual indication to a user of the tool of an amount of wear in the tool. Further, a tool on an end of a flexible plumbers cable includes a wear detector. A flexible plumbers cable section includes an elongate cable portion, first and second coupling portions on opposite ends of the cable section, and a wear indicator on the coupling portions. | 01-28-2010 |
20110045746 | PREPARATION TOOLS FOR PIPE ENDS AND RELATED METHODS - Various systems, tools, and methods are described for rendering regions of coated pipe suitable for receiving press fittings. The systems, tools, and methods may also be applicable for transforming regions of pipe, coated or uncoated, and which are otherwise unsuitable for sealingly engaging press fittings, so that reliable and leak-proof seals can be made between the pipe and press fittings. | 02-24-2011 |
20120039679 | SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR PERFORMING POWERED THREADING OPERATIONS - A device and associated system for threading, cutting, and reaming pipe ends are described. The device and system utilizes a brushless DC electric motor. The devices also include on-board electronics and operator interface(s) to provide sophisticated control and information as to the various operations. Also described are methods of operating the devices and several different modes for performing various operations. | 02-16-2012 |
20120203501 | DRAIN CLEANING APPARATUS WITH ELECTRONIC CABLE MONITORING SYSTEM - A drain cleaning machine with an electronic cable monitoring system is disclosed which comprises a frame supporting a rotatable drum which is driven by a motor through an endless belt. The drum contains a flexible drain cleaning cable which is rotatable with the drum and axially displaceable into and out from the drum, and the frame supports a cable feeding device through which the cable extends and by which the cable is displaced into and out of the drum. An electronic cable monitoring system is configured to assess an amount of cable payed out from and retracted into the drum. A process determines an amount and direction of relative movement between a rotatable drum and a cable follower member and generates a signal representative of an amount of cable payed out or retracted into the drum. | 08-09-2012 |
20130070068 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SURVEYING WITH A FEATURE LOCATION - Methods are provided for conducting surveys of regions of interest, points of interest, and objects of interest. The methods typically involve using a survey instrument with programmed logic. The programmed logic may include one or more base of knowledge in an electronically accessible format, and may include statistical analysis software. The survey instrument generally includes a display and one or more sensors. The sensors may include a visible image or an infrared image sensor. The program logic may be used to guide an operator through a survey. | 03-21-2013 |
20130160227 | FEED CONTROL LOCK FOR HAND OPERATED DRAIN CLEANER - A hand operated drain cleaner includes a manually operated rotatable drum and an elongated flexible cable at least partially held in the drum. A portion of the cable extending from the drum has a cable axis, and rotation of the drum rotates the cable portion about the cable axis. A handle is adapted to rotatably support the drum. The handle includes a barrel portion and a handle portion. A feed control device includes a housing having a feed passage axially therethrough for receiving the cable and a trigger for moving the feed control device between a non-actuating position and an actuating position. In the actuating position, a feed control device is pivoted relative to the handle such that the driving mechanism engages the cable thereby inducing axial movement of the cable via rotation of the drum. A locking mechanism is opera operably associated with the feed control device. | 06-27-2013 |
20140036771 | Networked Video Bridge Device - A networked video bridge device includes a data input module that receives at least one raw image data stream from a plurality of data sources. The device further includes a storage module that records the raw image data and temporarily stores the raw image data. A display screen displays the raw image data. The device also includes a user interface module that receives user input data from a user of the networked video bridge device. The device also includes a control module that selectively augments the raw image data based on the user input data. The control module also communicates the augmented image data to a remote image data storage device. | 02-06-2014 |
20140083260 | PIPE WRENCH WITH HOOK SHANK SPACER - A shank spacer member and its attachment to a pipe wrench is described. The shank spacer member prevents contact between a pipe or other work piece and a shank portion of a movable jaw when the pipe is positioned in the wrench. Upon application of torque to the wrench, the member and its placement on the wrench provides increased gripping force by the wrench upon the pipe. | 03-27-2014 |