Electrical cleaning apparatus

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL CLEANING APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A LENGTH OF WIRE, COMPRISING A HOLLOW SHAFT MEMBER THROUGH WHICH A LENGTH OF WIRE TO BE CLEANED CAN BE PASSED, SAID HOLLOW SHAFT MEMBER BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTATION, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID HOLLOW SHAFT MEMBER FOR IMPARTING ROTATION THERETO; AN ELECTRODE HOLDING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HOLLOW SHAFT MEMBER FOR ROTATION THEREWITH; AT LEAST ONE ELECTRODE MOUNTED IN SAID ELECTRODE HOLDING MEANS, SAID ELECTRODE BEING IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID HOLLOW SHAFT MEMBER AND EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD THE AXIAL CENTERLINE OF SAID HOLLOW SHAFT MEMBER; ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID ELECTRODE TO A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY; AND CONTACT MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE LENGTH OF WIRE BEING CLEANED, SAID CONTACT MEANS INCLUDING A MEMBER MOUTED FOR RESILIENTLY BIASED CONTACT WITH A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF WIRE SO THAT THERE CAN BE ESTABLISHED AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT COMPRISING SAID ELECTRODE, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF WIRE BEING CLEANED, AND AN ELECTRIC ARC ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE AND THE WIRE.