Patent ID: 8241472

Claim:
An electro-cleaning and pickling apparatus for cleaning a continuous metal piece comprising: at least two elongate tubes, each of said elongate tube is electrically conductive and is fluid impermeable, each of said elongate tube having a first end and a second end; at least one electrically conductive contact for each of said elongate tubes, operably connected to said tube wherein said contact applies an alternating current to said tube; a cover attached at each of said first end of said first of at least two elongate tubes and at said second end of the last of said at least two elongate tubes, each of said covers having an aperture with a predetermined size slightly larger than the diameter of such continuous metal piece; a connecting means between said elongate tubes, said elongate tube where said metal piece enters said tubes having said end cover attached to said first end of said first elongate tube, said end cover having an aperture slightly larger than the continuous metal piece entering said plurality of elongate tubes, and said end cover at said second end of the last of said elongate tubes where said continuous metal piece exits said tubes, said end cover having an aperture slightly larger than said continuous metal piece exiting said tubes; said connecting means further including: a connecting member with a first aperture along the longitudinal axis of said elongate tubes at a predetermined position, a predetermined number of cavities at opposing sides of said connecting member along said longitudinal axis at predetermined positions and at least four apertures transverse to said longitudinal axis at predetermined positions; at least four dowels each with at least two threaded apertures at predetermined positions received through said at least four transverse apertures; a flange attached generally adjacent to each of each said ends of said connected elongate tubes having a predetermined number of flange apertures at a predetermined position in each of said flanges corresponding to said longitudinal cavities receiving bolts through said flange apertures, longitudinal cavities and dowel apertures, snugged to connect said elongate tubes; a feed tube at a predetermined location and in fluid communication with each of said elongate tubes; a drain tube at a predetermined location and in fluid communication with each of said elongate tubes; and a predetermined fluid circulating through each of said feed tube, said elongate tube and said drain tube.