US3324498A - Apparatus for wiping salt from wires - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1967 E. J. GAZELLE ETAL 3,324,498

APPARATUS FOR WIPING SALT FROM WIRES Filed April '7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. EDMOND J. GAZELLE and GEORGE F1 SCHWARTZ A Horney J 3, 96 E. J. GAZELLE ETAL 3,324,498

APPARATUS FOR WIPING SALT FROM WIRES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7, 1965 //v VE/V 70/?5. EDMOND J. GAZEL 1. E and GEORGE SCHWARTZ y A f r orney 3,324,498 APPARATUS non WlPiNG SALT FROM wnuss This invention relates to apparatus for wiping material from wires and more particularly for wiping molten caustic salt from wires as they leave a tank containing the molten salt. In some wire coating lines, molten caustic salt is used to surface clean wires continuously. The old practice was to pull the wires from the caustic salt furnace or tank over a fixed or rotatable round bar, which was mounted on top of the discharge end of the caustic salt furnace in order to remove molten salt adhering to the wires. The solidification temperature of molten caustic salt is such that the salts which are wiped off by the rotating bar quickly solidify and immobilize the rotating bar and cause it to function as a fixed wipe. Further operation deposits additional salt on the bar, adjacent floor and equipment where it solidifies, thus changing the path of wire travel and creating a hazardous condition since any water from adjacent operations which may come in contact with the solidified salt can result in an unstable dissolving reaction. It is then necessary to take the wire processing line out of operation to permit the removal of the accumulated material.

While open flame wiping of wires is used for removal of other types of material from wires, it cannot be used with caustic salt because of detrimental reactions between the flame and the caustic salt.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide apparatus for removing molten caustic salt from wires in which the salt is kept molten after removal.

Another object is to provide such apparatus in which the removed salt is returned to the salt bath.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the apparatus of our invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view taken on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view taken on the line IVIV of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view taken on the line V-V of FIGURE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a tank which contains molten caustic salt S. The salt may be sodium hydroxide or a mixture of sodium hydroxide and an oxidizing agent. Wires W pass through the tank 2 around a hold down sinker 4 and then pass upwardly and are discharged from the tank 2 over an apron plate 6. The plate 6 has a curved lower portion 8, a main sloping portion 10 extending upwardly therefrom and a horizontal discharge end portion 12 connected to portion 10 by means of an arc. Herringbone ribs 14, 16 and 18 are Welded to or otherwise attached to the sloping portion of plate 6. A transverse rib 20 extends across the top portion 12 of plate 6. Vertical guide plates 22 are welded or otherwise secured to the rib 21b in spaced apart relationship so as to keep the wires W separate from one another. It will be seen that the sloping grooves 24, 26 and 28 are provided between ribs 14, 16, 18 and 20. An end drip channel 30 is provided on the discharge side of rib 12. The

the apparatus of FIG- 3 ,324,438 Patented June 13, 1967 channel 30 slopes from the center line of the apron downwardly to each side. A generally L-shaped plate 32 is welded to each end of plate 6 and extends downwardly therefrom. The plates 32 also are welded to plate 33 forming the bottom of channel 30. The plates 32 are connected by means of a bent plate 34 which is welded to the plate 32. A burner 36 is connected by means of a conduit 38 to the inside of an air tight chamber 40 formed by plates 6, 32, 33 and 34. Fuel is supplied to burner 36 through pipe 42 and combustion air is supplied to the burner 36 through conduit 44 connected to a blower 46. Burnt gases leave the chamber 40 through pipe 48. A baflie 50 is arranged in the chamber 40 so as to direct the heat against the pot end of plate 6. The bafile 50 may be arranged in various ways, but it is preferred that it extend completely from bottom to top of the chamber 40 so that the burnt gases will be deflected into the horizontal leg of the chamber. A plate 52 is welded to each plate 32 and to a vertical plate 54 which has its lower end extending into the tank 2. Plates 32, 52 and 54 form a channel 56. If desired, the area under the channels 56 may be incorporated into the chamber 40.

In operation, the wires W leaving the tank 2 pass over ribs 14, 16, 18 and 20 and the front edges thereof act to wipe excess salt from the wires. The material wiped ofl by rib 14 will flow downwardly into the tank 2 while the material wiped by the other edges will flow downwardly through grooves 24, 26 and 28 to side return channels 56 and then into the tank 2. This is also true of material which is received in channel 30. Heat supplied by the gases from the burner 36 heats the walls of chamber 40 so as to maintain the wiped salt molten so that it can flow back into the tank 2.

While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for removing caustic salt or the like from a wire comprising a tank having caustic salt therein, an apron plate mounted at the exit end of said tank and extending upwardly away therefrom, a plurality of spaced apart ribs fastened to said plate and extending from side to side thereof, a heating chamber beneath said apron plate, and means for supplying heat to said chamber.

2. Apparatus for removing caustic salt or the like from a plurality of wires comprising a tank having caustic salt therein, an apron plate mounted at the exit end of said tank and extending upwardly away therefrom, a plurality of spaced apart ribs fastened to said plate and extending from side to side thereof, said ribs providing channels therebetween, a heating chamber beneath said apron plate, means for supplying heat to said chamber, and means for delivering caustic salt from said channels to said tank.

3. Apparatus for removing caustic salt or the like from a plurality of wires comprising a tank having caustic salt therein, an apron plate mounted at the exit end of said tank and extending upwardly away therefrom, a plurality of spaced apart herringbone ribs fastened to said plate each with its apex at a higher elevation than its ends, said ribs providing channels therebetween, a heating chamber beneath said apron plate, means for supplying heat to said chamber, and side channels at each side of said apron plate extending to said tank for receiving caustic salt from said other channels.

4. Apparatus for removing caustic salt or the like from a plurality of wires according to claim 3 including a transverse rib at the top of said plate spaced from the uppermost of said herringbone ribs, and transversely providing channels therebetween, transversely spaced vertical guide plates fastened to said transverse rib to keep the wires separate, an end drip channel at the discharge end of said apron plate extending to the sides thereof,

a heating chamber beneath said apron plate, means for supplying heat to said chamber, side channels at each side of said apron plate extending to said tank for receiving caustic salt from said other channels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1929 Hollnagel 15-88 X 10/1929 Graaff 1588 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CAUSTIC SALT OR THE LIKE FROM A WIRE COMPRISING A TANK HAVING CAUSTIC SALT THEREIN, AN APRON PLATE MOUNTED AT THE EXIT END OF SAID TANK AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY AWAY THEREFROM, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART RIBS FASTENED TO SAID PLATE AND EXTENDING FROM SIDE TO SIDE THEREOF, A HEATING CHAMBER BENEATH SAID APRON PLATE, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING HEAT TO SAID CHAMBER.

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