Apparatus and method for processing of steel strip continuously

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION, IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE SURFACES OF METAL STRIP BY PASSING THE SAME THROUGH A LIQUID BATH COMPRISING MOLTEN ALKALI METAL SALTS, OF AN ATMOSPHERICALLY OPEN TANK CONTAINING SAID MOLTEN ALKALI METAL SALTS, AND A PAIR OF TANGENTIAL METAL ROLLERS MOUNTED IN THE AFTER END OF SAID TANK ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID MOLTEN SALT RECEIVING IN THE NIP BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS SAID MOLTEN SALT COATED METAL STRIP TO SUPPORT, GUIDE AND SQUEEZE EXCESS SALT BATH, SAID STRIP AS IT EMERGES FROM SAID SALT BATH, WHEREBY SAID SALT WOULD TEND TO COOL AND FREEZE ON THE SURFACES OF SAID TANGENTIAL ROLLERS AND THEREBY SCRATCH AND MAR THE SURFACE OF SAID CLEAN METAL STRIP BY ABRASION OF THE SOLIDIFIED SALTS THEREON AND MEANS TO HEAT SAID ROLLERS TO A TEMPERTURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO MAINTAIN THE SALT MOLTEN AS A FILM ABOUT SAID ROLLERS.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF OPERATING A METAL CLEANING BATH OF THE MOLTEN ALKALI METAL SALT TYPE COMPRISING MELTING INTO AN ATMOSPHERICALLY OPEN BATH AN ALKALI METAL SALT CONTAINING AN OXIDIZING AGENT REACTABLE WITH GRAPHITIC CARBON, MOUNTING ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID BATH A PAIR OF CAST IRON TANGENTIAL GUIDE ROLLERS ADAPTED TO GUIDE, SUPPORT AND SQUEEZE EXCESS MOLTEN SALT FROM SAID STRIP AS IT LEAVES SAID BATH, SAID CAST IRON ROLLERS HAVING A NORMAL GRAPHITIC CARBON CONTENT REACTABLE WITH SAID OXIDIZING AGENT FORMING FISSURES IN THE SURFACES OF SAID ROLLERS BY REMOVAL OF SAID GRAPHITIC CARBON AND CONTINUOUSLY MECHANICALLY ENTRAINING IN SAID FISSURED ROLLERS A NON ABRADING LUBRICATING FILM OF SIAD MOLTEN SALT IN NON-ABRADING SUPPORTING AND GUIDING CONTACT WITH SAID METLA STRIP, REFLECTING HEAT FROM THE BATH UPON SAID ROLLERS TO MAINTAIN THE SAME SUFFICIENTLY HOT TO PREVENT FREEZING OF THE SALT FILM ABOUT SAID ROLLERS AND CONTINUOUSLY GUIDING METAL STRIP TO BE CLEANED THROUGH SAID BATH AND THROUGH THE NIP OF SAID ROLLERS.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF OPERATING A METAL CLEANING BATH OF THE MOLTEN ALKALI METAL SALT TYPE COMPRISING MELTING INTO AN ATMOSPHERICALLY OPEN BATH AN ALKALI METAL SALT CONTAINING AN OXIDIZING AGENT REACTABLE WITH GRAPHITIC CARBON, MOUNTING ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID BATH A PAIR OF CAST IRON TANGENTIAL GUIDE ROLLERS ADAPTED TO GUIDE, SUPPORT AND SQUEEZE EXCESS MOLTEN SALT FROM SAID STRIP AS IT LEAVES SAID BATH, SAID CAST IRON ROLLERS HAVING A NORMAL GRAPHITIC CARBON CONTENT REACTABLE WITH SAID OXIDIZING AGENT FORMING FISSURES IN THE SURFACES OF SAID ROLLERS BY REMOVAL OF SAID GRAPHITIC CARBON AND CONTINUOUSLY MECHANICALLY ENTRAINING IN SAID FISSURED ROLLERS A NON ABRADING LUBRICATING FILM OF SIAD MOLTEN SALT IN NON-ABRADING SUPPORTING AND GUIDING CONTACT WITH SAID METLA STRIP, REFLECTING HEAT FROM THE BATH UPON SAID ROLLERS TO MAINTAIN THE SAME SUFFICIENTLY HOT TO PREVENT FREEZING OF THE SALT FILM ABOUT SAID ROLLERS AND CONTINUOUSLY GUIDING METAL STRIP TO BE CLEANED THROUGH SAID BATH AND THROUGH THE NIP OF SAID ROLLERS.