Metal degreasing apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR DEGREASING ELONGATED SOLID WORK OBJECTS, THE COMBINATION OF (1) AN ENCLOSED VESSEL HAVING (A) A LOWER LIQUID SUMP PORTION FORMED THEREIN AND (B) AN UPPER ELONGATED PORTION FORMED THEREIN, SAID SUMP PORTION BEING OPEN AT THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID ELONGATED PORTION; (2) MEANS FOR CONVEYING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF A SOLID WORK OBJECT INTO, THROUGH AND OUT OF SAID ELONGATED PORTION ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTILINEAR PATH; (3) LIQUID SPRAY MEANS WITHIN SAID ELONGATED PORTION AND POSITION TO SPRAY LIQUID ONTO SAID WORK OBJECT, WHEREBY THE SPRAYED LIQUID RETURNS BY GRAVITY INTO SAID LOWER LIQUID SUMP PORTION; (4) LIQUID OVERFLOW MEANS COMMUNICATING OUT OF SAID SUMP PORTION; (5) VAPOR INLET MEANS COMMUNICATING INTO SAID VESSEL; (6) VAPOR CONDENSING MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL, SAID CONDENSING MEANS HAVING A CONDENSING SURFACE THEREOF EXPOSED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL; (7) MEANS FORMED WITHIN SAID VESSEL AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE CONDENSATE FROM SAID CONDENSING MEANS, AND TO DIRECT SAID CONDENSATE INTO THE PATH OF SAID SOLID WORK OBJECT AS DETERMINED BY SAID CONVEYING MEANS AT A POINT SPACED APART FROM SAID LIQUID SPRAY MEANS IN THE DIRECTION OF EXIT FROM SAID VESSEL; (8) A SECOND SUMP PORTION FORMED IN SAID ELONGATED PORTION AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID CONDENSATE AS IT FALLS FROM THE PATH OF SAID WORK OBJECT; (9) MEANS FOR CONDUCTING LIQUID FROM SAID SECOND SUMP PORTION INTO SAID LOWER LIQUID SUMP PORTION; (10) MEANS EXTERNAL TO SAID VESSEL FOR RECOVERING SPENT LIQUID SOLVENT IN VAPOR AND LIQUID FORM AND FOR SUPPLYING SAID RECOVERED SOLVENT IN VAPOR FORM; AND (11) (A) MEANS FOR CONDUCTING LIQUID FROM SAID OVERFLOW MEANS INTO SAID SOLVENT RECOVERY MEANS, (B) MEANS FOR CONDUCTING VAPOR FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL INTO SAID SOLVENT RECOVERY MEANS, AND (C) MEANS FOR CONDUCTING VAPOR FROM SAID SOLVENT RECOVERY MEANS INTO THE VAPOR INLET MEANS OF SAID VESSEL.