CLEANING WIRE AND THE LIKE

Abstract: The invention provides for surface cleaning of wire rod and the like by holding the wire (10) under tension while passed through a die system (16) and vibrating the wire (10) trans­ versely so that it is abraded by the surface. Cleaning liquid flushes the die bore.

Description: CLEANING WIRE AND THE LIKE This invention relates to cleaniny wire and the like and in particular to the cleaning by abrasion ot the surface of netal wire, rod or strip so as to remove tor example oxide hollowing a heat treatment operation, or lubricant followinj a rolling or drawing operation. According to the invention a Inethou of cleaning an elongate strip comprises passiny the same through a die dimensioned to provide a working clearance about tne strip ana between it and the die, holding the strip under tension whilst so passed, causing transverse vibration of the strip relative to the die so that a number of points around the surface of the strip contact the die, ana passing a fluid throuyh the die to aisplace material removed from the strip surface by the die. The invention also consists in apparatus for carryiny out the method. ere the strip consists of circular cross section wire, the die will have a cylindrical bore, and the same bore will be used as a passage for the fluid which is to aisplace material removed froln the strip surface, and the fluia, which conveniently is water, Inay be pumped under pressure throuyh a tanyential opening to a mid-point along the length of the bore so that the water tends to spiral in opposite airections to the ends of the bore. The strip may be vibrated transversely by mechanical means or by electromagnetic means for example. The vibrations may be applied to the strip whilst passing throuyh a relatively stationary die structure, or alternatively the die structure may be subject to the vibrations so as to displace the strip laterally and hence cause the vibration in the strip. In the case of mechanical vibration applied directly to the strip and usiny a static die structure, the wire laay pass over a rotating pulley having its surface formed somewhat as a snail cam so that the wire is displaced laterally and then allowed to return due to the tension in the wire. A number of such means tor causing the lateral displacement may be provided arranged for displacement yenerally at riyht anyles to one another, The preferred airection of vibration of the strip is in a generally circular pattern extending about the axis of the tensioned strip when not subject to the vibration. Preferably a number of cleaning dies are provided, at suitable intervals, along the length ot the strip ana where mechanical or electromagnetic means cause the lateral movement of the wire, tne force causing the vibration may be applied at points between successive dies so that the dies tend to act as nodes or at least as points of nliriintuinn amplitude of vibration with the maximum amplitude being at the points of application of tile force causing the vibration. where electromagnetic torces are used, a rotating magnetic field may be set up for example at each die, and it is believed that this may be useful not only with magnetic materials as the strip but also it good electrical conductors as strip, and hence in practice with substantially all metal strips wllictl are required to be cleaned. The invention is applicable to strips which are not of circular cross section, for example rectangular strips. In this case the die will also be of similar rectangular section. The dies may be rnade of a material selected according to the nature of the cleaning operation to he carried out, and accordiny to the nature of the strip material. Thus, for example, cleaniny oil from a soft material wire may be achieved using a high density polyethylene for the die, but if a fierce abrasive action is required to remove stubborn scale, a tunysten carbide material may be used for the die surface. It is found experimentally that using a sinyle die head with a circular bore, and an appropriate circular cross section wire passel at a high speed under tension throuyh the bore, and caused to vibrate between the tension points which are locatea at a distance in front of and behind the die along the length of the feed direction, with a vibratory pattern such t1iat it the d die were not present the wire would vibrate in a generally circular fashion with the diameter of the circle beiny substantially larger than the aie, then a cleaned track extends generally spirally along the length ot the wire as a result ot contact i)etween te wire surface and tiie die bore. This in general is what is meant by "a number of points around the surface of the strip" having contacted the die and become cleaned. Such a result may be useful in certain circumstances, but usually it is required to clean the complete surtace area of the strip and tnis requires adjustment of a number of parameters including the amplitude and possibly also frequency of vibration, feed tension and speed (and feed tension itself affects the vibratory mode) and the under of dies used. However, tlie net result enables complete cleaning to be achieved with relatively low pressure and volume fluid flows. The term "cleaning" can include removal of contaminants such as the lubricating oil mentioned, removal of surface oxide, and also include the possibility of incluciiny polishing or other surface finishing of the strip material with such removal at lubricants, scale and the like, or it the wire was chemically clean before the treatment, (which is an unusual situation) then it inciudes the possibility of performing a surface finishing or polishing operation per se. In the accompanying drawing the sole figure represents diagrammatically one possible apparatus for carrying out the invention. In the drawing, the rod or strip lU is conveyed in the direction or ttie arrow a under tension. For example it Inay be driven by pairs of snail teed rolls 12 anu 14 of which the rolls 12 run slightly taster tnan the rolls 14. The rou passes through two cleaning dies 16 which are generally siiiilar to one anotller, each at which has a bore sliyhtly larder than the rod and of the same cross section. The drawing exaggarates the clearance in the interest of @ clarity in explaining the working of the invention. In this example the rod is vibrated transversely and generally in a plane containing the axis of the ro(J by ttie use of a snail cam Id which is rotated about the axis 20 and which engages the rod at its periphery substantially mi@way between tile dies. This causes the rod to oscillate generally between the two extreme paths indicated by the chain dot lines 22 24, the oscillations being contined between nodal points at the respective pinch rolls 12 and 14 and being limited by the dies. In practice, by using bores through the dies which are only slightly larger than the cross sectional dimensions of the rod, and a high frequency of vibration, substantially the entire periphery of the rod 10 can be cleaned. dy imparting vibration about a second axis at right angles to that of shaft 20, the rod can be causea tu vibrate in a generally circular pattern within tile bounds indicated by the chain aot lines 22 24 with increased certainty ot cleaning ot the entire surface area. material abraded tram the rod surface in the dies is flushed by liquid pumped through the pipe system 26 and, in this embodiment, the pipes lead to tangential apertures in the die bores so as to cause a spiralling current of cleaning liquid to flow through the bores. The rod may be dried for example by an air wipe constructed generally as described in BP.1533846.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method of cleaning an elongate strip comprises passing the same through a die dimensioned to provide a working clearance about the strip and between it and tile die, nolding tile strip under tension whilst so passed, causing transverse vibratory movement of the strip relative to the die so that a number of points around tiie surfacer of the strip contact the die, ano passing a fluid through the die to displace material removed from the strip surface. 2. Apparatus for carrying out tile method as claimed in Claiin 1 comprising a die, means for tensioning tile strip passing through the die, means for flowing fluid through the die, and means for causing transverse vibratory movement of the strip relative to tile die. 3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the strip is vibrated and the die remains stationary. 4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the strip is vibrated mechanically. 5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the striiJ is vibrated electromagnetically.

Inventors: GOUGH, PETER ROBERT
Applicants: PAROMEC ENGINEERING LIMITED
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B21C43
IPC codes: B08B11, B21C43