Abstract:
A cleaning device for cleaning an all-steel sawtooth arrangement of a swift of a card has adjacently arranged sawtooth wire sections, wherein between two adjacent sawtooth wire sections a groove of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement is formed, respectively. The grooves extend from the tooth tips of the sawtooth wire sections to the groove bottom. The cleaning device has one or more cleaning elements for removing foreign particles from the grooves, wherein the cleaning element comprises a cleaning portion that is placed against the groove bottom of a groove and follows the groove when the all-steel sawtooth arrangement is moved in rotation to thereby remove foreign particles from the groove bottom.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a device for cleaning an all-steel sawtooth arrangement of a swift of a card or carding machine with a number of adjacently positioned sawtooth wire sections, wherein between the threads or windings of neighboring sawtooth wire sections a groove of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement is formed extending from the tooth tips of the sawtooth wire sections to the groove bottom, comprising at least one cleaning element for removing foreign particles from the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. The invention also relates to a cleaning method that can be performed with such a device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Devices and methods of the aforementioned kind are required, for example, in connection with the operation of a card and, in particular, when operating a carding machine. During the operation of a card, short fibers and neps will collect in the area of a swift arrangement, formed by a sawtooth wire extending in a coil shape about a corresponding support, in the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement formed between the individual windings of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. When operating carding machines for processing or producing carded yarns, combed yarns, synthetic fibers, cotton wadding, fleece material etc., foreign particles such as finishes, melted synthetic fiber packets as well as straw, wood, and burs will collect in the area of the corresponding swift or drum arrangements in Morell-type rollers when processing wool. These foreign particles must be removed from the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement for ensuring a satisfactory work result. For this purpose, it is conventional to employ cleaning brushes which are arranged outside of the actual working area of the swift or drum and rotate about a rotational axis which extends parallel to the rotational axis of the swift. During the cleaning process the cleaning brush bristles sweep through the all-steel sawtooth arrangement and remove foreign particles from the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. After leaving the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangements, the foreign particles are then removed conventionally by a suction device or the like from the cleaning brushes so that the cleaning brush bristles will not introduce new foreign particles during the subsequent sweep through the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. 
     Even though with these known cleaning devices, at least during processing of cotton fibers, satisfactory cleaning results can be obtained, it was found that the cleaning process that can be performed therewith results in additional wear of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, which is already subjected to great wear due to the fiber processing, this additional wear resulting in a corresponding reduction of the service life of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. Moreover, when using the known cleaning devices during the operation of a carding machine, only an incomplete cleaning of the corresponding swift or drum arrangement will be obtained. For eliminating the first mentioned deficiency, DE 195 32 592 C1 has already proposed cleaning devices that are useable for the cleaning of circular combs and make a contactless and accordingly wear-reduced cleaning process possible. When using the cleaning devices described in the aforementioned document for cleaning swift arrangements, however, only unsatisfactory cleaning results are obtained, in general. This is true especially for use of the known cleaning devices for cleaning high performance carding machines with which synthetic fibers are processed. In these machines a manual cleaning step must be performed, even when using the known cleaning brushes, in order to achieve a complete cleaning. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device of the aforementioned kind with which, while eliminating excessive wear of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, a satisfactory cleaning can be achieved, even for operating carding machines that are used for processing synthetic fibers, and to provide also a cleaning method to be performed therewith. 
     In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved with respect to the device in that the cleaning element has a cleaning portion, preferably in the form of a cleaning blade, that can be placed against the groove bottom. 
     This invention is based on the finding that during the operation of a device for processing textile fibers foreign particles that collect in the area of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement are deposited only to a small degree in the area of the tooth tips of the sawtooth wires and are collected primarily in the area of the groove bottom of the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement that are formed between the individual sawtooth wire sections of an all-steel sawtooth arrangement. This holds true especially when processing synthetic fibers wherein the foreign particles are substantially comprised of melted products of the synthetic fibers which are produced from the synthetic fibers under the effect of the high temperatures resulting from operation of the high performance carding machines. 
     These foreign particles can be removed reliably and completely from the all-steel sawtooth arrangement by means of the cleaning portion of the cleaning device according to the invention resting against the groove bottom and being preferably in the form of a cleaning blade comprised of spring steel, without the sawteeth or sawtooth tips used for the actual fiber processing being loaded by the cleaning portion by an appreciable force. Accordingly, a satisfactory cleaning can be achieved with the cleaning device according to the invention, while preventing an appreciable wear of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, even when melted products resulting during processing of synthetic fibers adhere to the all-steel sawtooth arrangement in the area of the groove bottom. These effects can be achieved in the cleaning of those all-steel sawtooth arrangements in which the groove bottom is formed by the foot of a sawtooth wire that is spirally applied as well as in the cleaning of those all-steel sawtooth arrangements in which the sawtooth wire is applied to a support provided with grooves so that the groove bottom is at least partially formed by the support surface. 
     In this context, the cleaning device according to the invention can be used not only as an alternative in the cleaning of the swift of a carding machine but also in addition to the known cleaning brushes. A gentle treatment of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement can be achieved in this context in that during the additional use of the device according to the invention cleaning brushes with softer cleaning brush bristles are employed. 
     In order to achieve an especially good cleaning action, it was found to be expedient to couple the cleaning element with a tensioning device forcing the cleaning portion in the direction toward the groove bottom because a reliable contact of the cleaning portion on the groove bottom is ensured in this way even for irregular surfaces of the groove bottom so that a satisfactory cleaning action can be achieved. 
     Damage to the all-steel sawtooth arrangement caused by the cleaning process can be reliably prevented when the cleaning portion is secured on a support so as to be movable in a direction counter to the tensioning force produced by the tensioning device. In this manner it is achieved that the cleaning portion can be deflected in a direction counter to the tensioning direction when a high resistance is encountered during the cleaning process, which can be, for example, caused by sawteeth buckled into the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, in order to thereby prevent an excessive loading of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement by the cleaning process as well as breaking off of the cleaning portion. 
     It was found that the last described embodiment of the invention can be realized in a constructively especially simple manner when the cleaning portion is pivotably secured on the support so as to pivot about a pivot axis extending approximately perpendicularly to the tensioning direction. An especially compact design that simultaneously ensures a simple operation can be ensured in this context when the cleaning element comprises a lever supported so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis and extending on both sides of the pivot axis in a direction that extends substantially perpendicularly thereto. The lever is provided on one side of the pivot axis with the cleaning portion and on the other side of the pivot axis with a coupling area for connecting the tensioning device thereto. In this embodiment according to the invention, the tensioning device can be formed in an especially simple way as a spring, preferably in the form of a tension spring, more preferred in the form of a coil spring, secured, on the one hand, on the support and, on the other hand, on the coupling area. 
     In the case that the cleaning portion meets a resistance in the groove of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, for example, in the form of a bent sawtooth of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, and that a deflection movement of the cleaning portion does not occur in the desired way, for example, when the cleaning portion is canted in the groove of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, it has been proven to be especially expedient for making a continued cleaning process possible when the cleaning device according to the invention has an actuating element with which the cleaning portion can be removed from the groove bottom against the tension of the tensioning device. In this manner it can be achieved that the cleaning process can be continued with manual intervention by means of the actuating element. For this purpose, the actuating element can be configured in a constructively especially simple and very compact manner when it has an eccentric lever that is rotatably secured on the support so as to rotate about a rotational axis extending preferably perpendicularly to the pivot axis and is coupled to the lever of the cleaning element. With such an eccentric lever a disturbance-free removal of the cleaning portion from the bottom of the groove is made possible by a simple rotational movement with which simultaneously a removal force that overcomes even greater clamping forces is transmitted onto the cleaning section by means of the leverage action provided by the eccentric lever. 
     For cleaning an all-steel sawtooth arrangement of a swift of a carding machine or card formed usually by a sawtooth wire wound in a coil shape onto a circular cylinder mantle surface of a support of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, it has been proven to be especially expedient when the cleaning portion is forced in the radial direction into the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement formed between the individual sawtooth wire sections that are defined by the windings of the sawtooth wire and then, during the actual cleaning process, is guided in the axial direction by the all-steel sawtooth arrangement during the course of a rotational movement of the swift, without staggering in the circumferential direction, in order to thus make possible a complete cleaning of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement without requiring the provision of a specific drive element for the cleaning device. For this purpose, the cleaning portion is expediently supported in a slidable manner in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the sawtooth wire section to be cleaned therewith. 
     This displaceable support of the cleaning portion can be realized constructively in a very simple manner when the cleaning element is secured by a slide which is preferably formed by the support and is slidable along a guide element extending parallel to the displacement direction and formed preferably as an aluminum extruded section. 
     With such a slide an especially low-friction displacement of the slide, and thus also of the cleaning portion, in the displacement direction can be realized when the slide has at least one guide roller which is supported so as to be rotatable about a roller axis positioned perpendicularly to the displacement direction and can be placed against a guide surface of the guide element, wherein the guide surface is preferably an outer peripheral surface of the guide element. 
     With the last disclosed all-steel sawtooth arrangement an especially stable and simultaneously low-friction guiding of the slide can be achieved when it has at least two, preferably at least three, more preferred at least four, guide rollers that can be placed respectively against one guide surface of the guide element, wherein the individual guide surfaces are preferably positioned to form an angle of approximately 90° with one another. This means that in an especially preferred embodiment of the invention the guide element has a square or rectangular cross-section in a section plane extending perpendicularly to the displacement direction and that at least one guide roller is resting against each one of the outer surfaces of the guide element that form an angle of 90° with one another. 
     By using a slide which is resting by means of guide rollers on the guide element, tilting of the slide, and thus also of the cleaning portion, about a tilting axis extending perpendicularly to the displacement direction can be reliably prevented when the slide has at least two guide rollers spaced apart in the displacement direction and preferably placeable against the same guide surface. 
     A slide of the cleaning device according to the invention, suitable for coupling a plurality of guide rollers that can be placed against guide surfaces forming an angle of 90° with one another, can be realized in a constructively especially simple manner when it comprises an angular profile extending in the displacement direction and having two legs forming an angle of approximately 90° with one another. At least one guide roller, supported to rotate about a roller axis that is perpendicular to the leg, is mounted on each leg. 
     In an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention, the slide is arranged such that it embraces the guide element at least partially. With this all-steel sawtooth arrangement, the guide element can also be used for guiding further processing tools for reconditioning the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, for example, a grinding element, which are received at least partially in the guide element and during the cleaning operation are surrounded by the slide supporting.the cleaning portion. For guiding these further processing tools, the guide element expediently has a guide groove being covered by the slide. If for the operation of the additional processing tools, as, for example, a grinding head disclosed in DE 196 05 635 C2, an additional drive unit is required, an especially compact configuration can be achieved when the guide element is formed as a hollow profile and the guide groove opens into a hollow space penetrating the guide element in the longitudinal direction or the displacement direction, because in this all-steel sawtooth arrangement important components of the drive device, such as, for example, an additional drive belt coupled to the processing tool, can be housed within the hollow space. 
     As has been explained already above, the cleaning device according to the invention can be operated such that it is not moved in the circumferential direction of the swift of a carding machine or card and that also in the radial direction of the swift only a movement caused by the tensioning device is performed. For this type of operation of the cleaning device according to the invention it is expedient to provide an advancing device that can be secured relative to a frame of a machine, for example, a carding machine, comprising the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. By means of the advancing device the cleaning portion can be advanced in the direction toward the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. Advancing devices useable in connection with this invention are, for example, described in DE 196 05 635 C2. The disclosure of this document with respect to the advancing devices described therein is therefore incorporated into this description by express reference. 
     The time for cleaning an all-steel sawtooth arrangement by using the cleaning device according to the invention can be significantly shortened when the cleaning device comprises a plurality of cleaning portions spaced from one another in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the sawtooth wire sections. This embodiment of the invention can be used with special advantage for cleaning all-steel sawtooth arrangements which are obtained by a multi-strand winding, as, for example, described according to DIN ISO 5234. 
     An increased operational reliability in regard to the use of the cleaning device according to the invention can be obtained when the cleaning portion is not only movable in a direction opposite to the tensioning force of the tensioning device but is additionally produced of an elastically deformable material. Accordingly, pursuant to an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the cleaning portions is manufactured of spring steel. 
     As can be taken from the above description, a method according to the invention for cleaning an all-steel sawtooth arrangement by using the cleaning device according to the invention is characterized primarily in that a cleaning portion of the cleaning device is introduced into a groove of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement formed between neighboring sawtooth wire sections of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement and brought into contact with the groove bottom, wherein subsequently a relative movement between the all-steel sawtooth arrangement and the cleaning portion is initiated in order to so lift foreign particles off the groove bottom and remove them from the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. In this context, the relative movement between the cleaning portion and the all-steel sawtooth arrangement during the cleaning of an all-steel sawtooth arrangement, mounted on the swift of a carding machine or a card in a circumferential coil shape, is realized expediently in that the swift is set in motion rotatingly while the cleaning portion is stationary in the circumferential direction and is guided in the axial direction of the swift by the coil-shaped rotating sawtooth wire. 
     In the following, the invention will be explained with reference to the drawing to which reference is being had with respect to all details that are important to the invention but not explained in detail in the description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the drawing: 
     FIG. 1 a plan view onto the cleaning device according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 a sectional view along the section plane I—I indicated in FIG. 1 of the cleaning device illustrated in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 a sectional view along the section plane III—III indicated in FIG. 2 of the cleaning portion of the cleaning device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2; and 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  a representation for illustrating the attachment and arrangement of the cleaning device illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 in the area of the swift of a carding machine. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The cleaning device illustrated in the drawing is comprised essentially of a guide element in the form of a guide rail  10  made of an aluminum extruded section, a slide  20  displaceable in the directions indicated by double arrow  21  along the guide rail  10 , and a cleaning element  40  arranged on the slide  20 . 
     As illustrated especially clearly in FIG. 2, the guide element in the form of a guide rail  10  is formed as a hollow profile of a substantially square cross-section and a hollow space  11  penetrating the guide rail  10  in the longitudinal direction. The outer surfaces  12 ,  14 ,  16 , and  18  of the hollow profile  10 , which form substantially an angle of approximately 90° relative to one another, are provided with grooves  12   b ,  14   b ,  16   b , and  18   b  in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove  10  which have an approximately T-shaped cross-section. These grooves are provided for securing further guide elements, stop elements or the like on the guide rail, as illustrated, for example, by the stop element  18   c  secured on the outer surface  18  in the groove  18   b . In addition, these grooves also serve to fasten the guide rail on the machine, such as a carding machine, or a cleaning frame by means of T-shaped sliding blocks and an advancing slide, as will be explained in the following in context with FIG.  4 . 
     Moreover, on the outer surface  14  of the guide rail  10  a guide groove  19  is arranged between the grooves  14   b  with T-shaped cross-section and opens into the hollow space  11  penetrating the guide rail  10 . This guide groove  19  serves to guide a grinding head, as disclosed, for example, in DE 196 05 635 C2, of a device for grinding the all-steel sawtooth arrangements, whose drive belts are arranged in the hollow space  11 . 
     The slide  20  of the cleaning device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 embraces the outer surfaces  12 ,  14  and  16  of the guide rail  10  completely and has moreover a guide roller  36   b  resting against a guide surface  18   a  of the outer surface  18 . The slide  20  is comprised essentially of three angle profiles  22 ,  24  and  26 . Each angle profile has two legs  22   a ,  22   b ;  24   a ,  24   b ; and  26   a ,  26   b  which form an angle of approximately 90° with one another. The apex of the angle profile  22  extends along the edge forming a transition between the outer surface  12  and the outer surface  14  of the guide rail  10 . Similarly, the apex of the angle profile  24  extends along the edge forming the transition between the outer surface  14  and the outer surface  16  of the guide rail  10 , while the apex of the angle profile  26  extends along the edge forming the transition between the outer surface  16  and the outer surface  18 . In this context, the legs  22   a ,  22   b ;  24   a ,  24   b ; and  26   a ,  26   b  of the angle profiles  22 ,  24 , and  26  extend respectively approximately parallel to the adjoining outer surfaces  12 ,  14 ,  16 , and  18  wherein the individual legs form an extension of these outer surfaces. 
     In addition to the angle profiles  22 ,  24 , and  26 , the slide  20  also has a stay  28 , which extends along the edge forming the transition between the outer surface  18  and the outer surface  12  and which forms an extension of the outer surface  18 , as well as connecting stays  23 ,  25 , and  27  extending approximately perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail between the stay  28  and the angle profile  22 , the angle profile  22  and the angle profile  24 , respectively, the angle profile  24  and the angle profile  26 . At the outer ends of the stay  28  and of the legs  22   a ,  22   b ;  24   a ,  24   b ; and  26   a ,  26   b  of the angle profiles  22 ,  24 , and  26 , when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail  10 , guide rollers  38 ;  32   a ,  32   b ;  34   a ,  34   b ; and  36   a ,  36   b  are mounted which are respectively supported so as to rotate about roller axes extending perpendicularly to the stay  28  and the respective legs  22   a ,  22   b ;  24   a ,  24   b ; and  26   a ,  26   b  of the angle profiles  22 ,  24 ,  26 . 
     Each one of the guide rollers  38 ;  32   a ,  32   b ;  34   a ,  34   b ; and  36   a ,  36   b  rests against a guide surface  12   a ,  14   a ,  16   a , and  18   a  of the outer surfaces  12 ,  14 ,  16 , and  18  of the guide rail  10  positioned immediately adjacent to one of the edges of the guide rail  10 . In this context, the guide surfaces  12   a ,  14   a ,  16   a , and  18   a  are positioned respectively between the grooves  12   b ,  14   b ,  16   b , and  18   b  arranged in the corresponding outer surfaces  12 ,  14 ,  16 , and  18  and the edges forming the transition between the individual outer surfaces. This provides a safe guiding of the slide  20  along the guide rail  10  even when further guide elements or the like are arranged in the grooves  12   b ,  14   b ,  16   b , and  18   b . Moreover, by arranging at least two guide rollers on each leg of the angle profiles  22 ,  24 ,  26  and the stay  28 , respectively, which guide rollers are arranged staggered relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail  10  (see FIG.  1 ), it is achieved that the slide  20  overall is secured against tilting about a tilting axis which is perpendicular to the guide rail  10 . As can be seen when viewing FIGS. 1 and 2 together, two further guide rollers  36   a ,  36   b  are additionally mounted on the legs  26   a  and  26   b  between the outer guide rollers in order to thus provide a further securing of the guiding action of the slide  20 . 
     The cleaning element  40  is comprised essentially of an L-shaped lever  42  and a cleaning blade  56 . The longer leg  44  of the L-shaped lever  42  extends approximately parallel to the outer surface  14  and perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail  10 . The shorter leg  46  is stationarily mounted approximately in the area of the center of the outer surface  14  on the longer leg  44  of the lever  42  and extends approximately perpendicularly thereto and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail  10  away from the guide rail  10  in the direction of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100 , only schematically illustrated in FIG. 2, of the swift of a card. For this purpose, the guide rail  10  is fastened by means of an advancing device, not represented in the drawing, on a frame of the card so that it extends approximately parallel to the cylinder axis of the swift. 
     The cleaning blade  56  is mounted on the end of the shorter leg  46  remote from the longer leg  44  of the lever  42  so that it extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the sawtooth wire forming the all-steel sawtooth arrangement support in a coil shape. The dimensions of the cleaning blade  56  are selected such that it can be immersed into the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, formed between the individual windings of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement, down to the groove bottom. As can be seen especially clearly in FIG. 3, the cleaning blade  56  is fastened to the lever  42  by a clamping screw  54 , penetrating the shorter leg  46  of the lever  42 , and by a clamping piece  58 . 
     When viewing the FIGS. 1 and 2 together, it is clear that the longer leg  44  of the L-shaped lever  42  is articulated on the slide  20  by a pivot bolt  46   a  that penetrates it and is received in the connecting stay  25  between the angle profile  22  and the angle profile  24 . Accordingly, it is realized that the lever  42  overall is pivotably connected to the slide  20  so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis  46   b  that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail  10 . The end of the longer leg  44  of the lever  42  facing away from the shorter leg  46  is provided with a coupling area  50  formed by a screw bolt for a tension spring  52  extending approximately perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail  10  and perpendicularly to the longer leg  44  of the lever  42 . The other end of the tension spring  52  is fastened by means of a screw bolt  54  stationarily on the connecting stay  23  between the stay  28  and the angle profile  22 . By means of the tension spring  53  the upper end of the leg  44  of the lever  42  is forced in the direction toward the screw bolt  54 , as indicated by the arrow  53   a . At the same time, the cleaning blade  56  is forced by the tension spring  52  in the direction toward the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100  as is indicated by the arrow  53   b . In the case that within the groove of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100  to be cleaned an excessively high resistance occurs, the cleaning blade  56  will lift automatically off the groove bottom against the tensioning force of the tension spring  52 . 
     In the case that the automatic lifting of the cleaning blade  56  away from the groove bottom of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement is hindered by an excessive clamping force, the cleaning blade  56  can also be removed from the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100  by an eccentric lever  60 . This eccentric lever comprise an eccentric disc  62 , that is supported so as to be eccentrically rotatable perpendicularly tot he pivot axis  46   b  and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail  10 , and a grip  64  secured on the eccentric disc  62 . The eccentric disc  62  rests against the upper end of the longer leg  44  of the lever  42 . Accordingly, the upper end of the longer leg  44  of the lever  42  can be moved by rotation of the eccentric disc  62  in the direction indicated by arrow  53   a  counter to the tension direction of the tension spring  52  so that the cleaning blade  56  can be lifted off the groove bottom of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. In addition, the eccentric lever  60  is also to be used for starting a cleaning process employing the cleaning device illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, as will be explained in the following with the aid of FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b.    
     According to FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b , for performing the cleaning process, the cleaning device illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 is fastened on the machine frame, for example, the frame of a carding machine or a special cleaning frame, by means of two fastening devices  110  mounted on the axial ends of the guide rail  10 . In this context, each of the fastening devices  110  comprises a holder  112  fixedly connected on the machine or cleaning frame as well as a guide slide  114 . The guide slide  114  comprises at least one T-shaped sliding block  118  which is received in one of the grooves  16   b  in the guide rail  10 . Moreover, a threaded bore  115  (see FIG. 4 b ) is provided in the guide slide  114  which is engaged by an adjusting screw  116  rotatably supported on the holder  112 . With the aid of the combination of the guide slide  114  and adjusting screw  115  received therein, the guide rail  10  can be aligned precisely parallel to the cylinder axis of the swift arrangement  100  by a corresponding actuation of the adjusting screw  116  of the fastening devices  110  fastened to the two axial ends of the guide rail  10  since the two axial ends of the guide rail  10  can be moved back and forth in the radial direction by actuation of the adjusting screws  116 , as is illustrated by the double arrow  119  in FIG. 4 a.    
     During this adjusting process, the cleaning portion  56  of the cleaning element  40  is retracted by actuation of the eccentric lever  60 , as illustrated in a dashed line in FIG. 4 a . After adjustment of the guide rail  10 , the slide  20  is moved to one of the axial ends of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100 . Subsequently, the guide rail  10 , and thus also the cleaning portion  56 , is advanced by actuation of the adjusting screws  116  of the fastening devices  110  until the tip of the cleaning portion  56  is positioned one to two millimeters above the tips of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100 . For monitoring the correct position of the cleaning portion  56  relative to the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100 , a sensing gauge  120  (see FIG. 4 a ) can be guided between the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100  and the cleaning portion  56 . The other side of the guide rail  10  is correspondingly advanced by moving the slide  20  to the other axial end of the guide rail  10  and by repeating the above described advancing process. For starting the cleaning process, the eccentric lever  60  is rotated such that the cleaning portion  56  is immersed into the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement. Subsequently, the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100  is then started in rotation, as illustrated in FIG. 4 a  by the arrow  122 . 
     During the cleaning process of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement  100 , formed by a coil-shaped circumferentially extending sawtooth wire mounted on the arrangement support, the cleaning blade  56  is automatically entrained by the all-steel sawtooth arrangement in a direction parallel to the coil axis. This is achieved in the device according to FIGS. 1 through 3 with especially low friction by the guide rollers  38 ;  32   a ,  32   b ;  34   a ,  34   b ;  36   a  and  36   b  resting against the guide surfaces  12   a ,  14   a ,  16   a , and  18   a , wherein a further friction reduction can be achieved by a ball bearing support of the guide rollers on the respective legs of the angle profiles or the stay  28 , as represented in an exemplary fashion in FIG. 2 for the guide rollers  36   a  and  36   b.    
     By designing the slide  20  as an arrangement embracing the guide rail  10  it can be moreover achieved that the cleaning device illustrated in the drawing can be operated by using the same guide rail that is used in the after grinding of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement by means of the grinding device described in DE 196 05 635 C2. For this purpose, the grinding head of the device described in the document must only be removed from the slide of the grinding device while the entire drive unit of the known grinding device, including the slide that otherwise supports the grinding head, remains within the hollow space  11  of the guide rail, respectively, the groove  19  opening into the hollow space  11 . 
     The invention is not limited to the embodiment explained with the aid of the drawing. In addition, the use of cleaning devices with a plurality of cleaning blades is envisioned wherein each one engages a groove of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement formed between two adjacently positioned threads or windings of a sawtooth wire. Moreover, the slide  20 , for simplifying its construction, can also be provided with simple guide elements which rest glidingly against the guide surfaces of the guide rail. In addition, it is also possible to employ a guide rail with rectangular, circular, or polygonal cross-section. Also, an embodiment is envisioned in which the cleaning blade is forced into the grooves of the all-steel sawtooth arrangement by a pressure spring extending parallel to the shorter leg  46  of the lever  42 .