Importance

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Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed which is attached to the ends of a heat exchanger tube to capture a tube cleaning brush or sponge that has been propelled back and forth through the tube by reversing the direction of flow of the circulating cooling fluid. The apparatus includes a tubular synthetic polymer cage with perforated walls which receives the expelled cleaning element and holds it in alignment with the tube and a tandemly positioned tubular synthetic polymer adapter which is bonded at one end to an open end of the tube and which functions as a conduit for the movement of the cooling fluid and cleaning element between the tube and cage. The adapter and cage are coupled through lockable mating open ends which permit the cage to be removed manually and non-destructively, thereby providing fast and unobstructed access to the interior of the tube by test probes. A particularly secure coupling also is disclosed in which these mating open ends are the male and female elements of a snap fastener.

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First Claim