Wayne L Briney

US Patent:

43778810, Mar 29, 1983

Filed:

Aug 27, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/296686

Inventors:

Frank W. Bakewell - Apollo PA
Wayne L. Briney - North Irwin PA
Charles D. Stricker - Monroeville PA

Assignee:

United States Steel Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

B08B 502

US Classification:

15306A

Abstract:

The subject invention provides an improvement in split gas-wipe apparatus, which, although not limited thereto, is normally used in coating or cleaning applications on wire, rod, or strand. The conventional apparatus has two segments hinged along an outer edge parallel to the passline of the wire or rod. The segments have mateable half-conical guides on their entry side which, when contacted by joints in the workpieces, cause rotation of one segment, the other normally being fixed, so that the joints have sufficient space to automatically pass through. The improvement of this invention involves providing pivoted mounting means replacing the hinged joint, the mounting providing an axis of rotation for one of the segments in a plane normal to the passline and substantially spaced therefrom. Advantageously, much larger joints may pass through the apparatus. Furthermore, better guiding is achieved since the guide of the rotated segment remains centered in a plane through the passline and center of the guide of the fixed segment.