Ultrasonic cleaning methods and apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE PERIPHERAL WORKING SURFACE OF A GRINDING WHEEL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF LOOSENED ABRASIVE GRAINS AND DEBRIS WHILE SAID WHEEL IS ROTATING AT NORMAL GRINDING SPEEDS AND PREFORMING A GRINDING OPERATION COMPRISING, A CLEANING TOOL HAVING A CLEANING FACE SHAPED IN SUBSTANTIAL ARCUATE CONFROMITY TO THE PERIPHERAL WORKING SURFACE OF THE WHEEL AND A PAIR OF FLANGES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CLEANING FACE SPACED TO OVERLAP THE SIDES OF SAID WHEEL WITH MINIMAL CLEARANCE THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID CLEANING TOOL WITH SAID CLEANING FACE CLOSELY SPACED FROM SAID WHEEL SURFACE TO DEFINE A GAP THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID CLEANING TOOL AT AN ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY TO ALTERNATELY INCREASE AND DECREASE THE THICKNESS OF SAID GAP AT THE FREQUENCY OF VIBRATION, MEANS MOUNTED FORWARDLY OF SAID CLEANING TOOL WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL FOR ESTABLISHING A REDUCED PRESSURE AREA ADJACENT THE PATH OF THE WORKING SURFACE OF SAID WHEEL TO DRAW OFF AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE AIR ADHERING THERETO JUST PRIOR TO ITS MOVEMENT INTO OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO SAID CLEANING TOOL, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A LIQUID CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING CAVITATION INTO SAID GAP AFTER THE AIR HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE WHEEL SURFACE, WHEREBY SAID LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY FILLS SAID GAP TO SUPPORT INTENSE CAVITATION AT THE SURFACE OF THE WHEEL.