Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of fluid flow tubes secured adjacent their ends by tube sheets. Cleaning elements are adapted to shuttle back and forth in the tubes and are adapted to be captured by baskets. A basket retaining plate is fixedly mounted, as by bolts or the like, outwardly of the tube sheet in an adjacent or proximate, generally parallel relationship to the outer face of the tube sheet. The retaining plate may be mounted either in spaced relationship from or in abutting relationship with the outer tube sheet face. The plate and its mount cooperate with the tube sheet to hold the baskets in fixed position relative to the tube sheet and tube ends. The outer capturing and holding portions of the baskets extend outwardly from the retaining plate. The baskets include central or intermediate portions which extend through openings in the plate and inner portions which terminate within the tube sheet openings.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of fluid flow tubes secured adjacent their ends by tube sheets. Cleaning elements are adapted to shuttle back and forth in the tubes and are adapted to be captured by baskets. A basket retaining plate is fixedly mounted, as by bolts or the like, in spaced relationship outwardly from the outer tube sheet face. The plate and its mount cooperate with the tube sheet to hold the baskets in fixed position relative to the tube sheet and tube ends. The outer capturing and holding portions of the baskets extend outwardly from the retaining plate. The baskets include central or intermediate portions which extend through openings in the plate and inner portions which extend through the space between the plate and tube sheet and which terminate within the tube sheet openings. The baskets are fixedly secured against transverse shifting by a two-point support, one at the inner basket ends and one intermediate their ends.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of fluid flow tubes secured adjacent their ends by tube sheets. Cleaning elements are adapted to shuttle back and forth in the tubes and are adapted to be captured by baskets. A basket retaining plate is fixedly mounted, as by bolts or the like, in spaced relationship outwardly from the outer tube sheet face. The plate and its mount cooperate with the tube sheet to hold the baskets in fixed position relative to the tube sheet and tube ends. The outer capturing and holding portions of the baskets extend outwardly from the retaining plate. The baskets include central or intermediate portions which extend through openings in the plate and inner portions which extend through the space between the plate and tube sheet and which terminate within the tube sheet openings. The baskets are fixedly secured against transverse shifting by a two-point support, one at the inner basket ends and one intermediate their ends.

Abstract: A fluid flow diverter includes a housing and a rotatable sleeve mounted for rotation on an axle and spaced inwardly from the housing walls. The sleeve and housing include ports which are selectively positioned in registered or unregistered relationship, depending upon which of two operative positions the sleeve assumes. The sleeve forms a single internal chamber through which fluid always flows in the same direction in both operative positions of the sleeve. The space between the sleeve and housing also forms a single chamber through which fluid always flows in the same direction in both operative positions of the sleeve. The unidirectional fluid flow through the sleeve itself is opposite to the unidirectional fluid flow through the external chamber between the housing and sleeve. The supporting connection between the cylindrical sleeve and housing walls occurs adjacent the registered sleeve and housing ports by means of mating peripheral supporting surfaces.

Abstract: A shuttle assembly is provided which includes a spring cleaning element secured at each end to mounting members which are freely slideable on a longitudinal axial rod. The rod is longer than the cleaning element in its normal extended position so that the cleaning element can shuttle back and forth on the rod. Stop members are secured to the end portions of the rod. When either rod end engages a capturing device at the end of a heat exchanger tube, inertia causes the cleaning element to slide forwardly until the adjacent mounting member tappingly engages the adjacent stop member of the assembly, causng undesirable material on the cleaning element to drop off. The mounting members are of a lesser O.D. (Outside Diameter) than the I.D. (Inside Diameter) of the pipe and are also of a lesser O.D. than the O.D. of the normally extended cleaning element. The O.D. of the cleaning element is such as to allow for transverse rattling engagement with the inner tube wall during shuttling.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of fluid flow tubes secured adjacent their ends by tube sheets. Cleaning elements are adapted to shuttle back and forth in the tubes and are adapted to be received by capturing cages. The inner ends of the cleaning element capturing cages are provided with enlarged collars having generally semi-circular flanges providing inclined undercut seats. The heat exchanger tube ends extend fully through the openings in the tube sheets and are provided with annular flared lips extending outwardly from the outer tube sheet faces. The cages are mounted directly to the tubes by bringing the collar seats down into hanging engagement with the tube lips.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of fluid flow tubes through which shuttle type cleaning elements are carried by the fluid, the direction of which is reversable. The cleaning elements are captured adjacent the tube ends by a transverse plate having cleaning element receiving openings therein. The plate is adapted to be mounted so that the openings register with the tube ends, and the plate openings are of sufficient length to contain the cleaning elements. At least some of the plate openings are connected by fluid flow slots which also communicate with the end chamber of the heat exchanger. A cleaning element stop device is disposed at the outer ends of the plate openings so that the cleaning elements are retained therein.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of fluid flow tubes secured adjacent their ends by tube sheets. Cleaning elements are adapted to shuttle back and forth in the tubes and are adapted to be captured by baskets. A basket retaining plate is fixedly mounted, as by bolts or the like, in spaced relationship outwardly from the outer tube sheet face. The plate and its mount cooperate with the tube sheet to hold the baskets in fixed position relative to the tube sheet and tube ends. The outer capturing and holding portions of the baskets extend outwardly from the retaining plate. The baskets include central or intermediate portions which extend through openings in the plate and inner portions which extend through the space between the plate and tube sheet and which terminate within the tube sheet openings. The baskets are fixedly secured against transverse shifting by a two-point support, one at the inner basket ends and one intermediate their ends.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of fluid flow tubes secured adjacent their ends by tube sheets. Cleaning elements are adapted to shuttle back and forth in the tubes and are adapted to be captured by baskets. The baskets are positioned so that their basket holding chambers having fluid flow openings in the side walls thereof are disposed in the space between a retaining plate and tube sheet. The outer end portions of the baskets are engaged by the retaining plate while the inner end portions of the baskets are positioned relative to the tube sheet openings to be in fluid communication with the heat exchanger tubes. The retaining plate has a plurality of openings therein which may be in axial alignment with the tube sheet openings and in axial registry with the open outer ends of the baskets. Alternately, the retaining plate openings may be arranged in a random pattern basically out of alignment with the tube sheet openings and out of registry with the baskets.

Abstract: A plurality of elongated tube cleaning element capturing cages of different lengths are mounted within the heat exchanger chamber. The cages are so constructed and positioned so that fluid discharging outwardly from the cages flows laterally in a plurality of transverse planular layers. Fluid discharging laterally through the openings of the shorter cages impinges against closed wall portions of the longer cages, with the openings of the longer cages being disposed axially beyond the openings of the shorter cages. The longer and shorter cages may be arranged in substantially alternating relationship. In the event that some longer or shorter cages are disposed directly adjacent each other, openings of adjacent similar length cages are disposed in generally facing relationship with imperforate portions of the adjacent similar length cage.

Abstract: In a cleaning system for heat exchanger tubes each tube has a chamber at its end for capturing a tube cleaning element such as a brush that is subject to being propelled in opposite directions through the tube by reversing the direction of fluid flow therein. Novel means are provided for enabling access to the tube through the chamber for such purposes as replacing brushes and admitting a flaw detector to the tube.