Method of washing the side seams of can bodies

Claim 1

A METHOD OF REMOVING ADHERING PARTICLES OF FOREIGN MATTER INCLUDING FLUX FROM THE SIDE SEAMS OF TUBULAR CONTAINER BODIES AFTER THE FLUXING AND SOLDERING OF THE SEAMS OF THE BODIES, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES PASSING CONTAINER BODIES IN PROCESSIONAL ORDER WITH THE SIDE SEAMS IN ALIGNMENT, MIXING A LIQUID CLEANING SUBSTANCE WITH STEAM, FIRST PROJECTING SAID MIXTURE AT HIGH VELOCITY AGAINST SAID FLUXED AND SOLDERED SIDE SEAMS AS A COARSE SPRAY OF CLEANING FLUID FOR DISSOLVING THE FOREIGN PARTICLES AND SCOURING THE SIDE SEAMS, THEN PROJECTING A FINER SPRAY OF CLEANING FLUID AT HIGHER VELOCITY AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE SIDE SEAM ALREADY SPRAYED TO WASH AWAY THE DISSOLVED PARTICLES, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CONFINING SAID FINE SPRAYS BY TRANSVERSELY DIRECTED COARSE SPRAYS TO CONCENTRATE AND PREVENT SPLASHING OF THE FINE SPRAYS.