The invention relates to a device for cleaning a wire or the outer surface of a tube, both preferably with a rounded cross section, using textile or textile-like material strands which move substantially parallel to and against the direction of travel of the wire or tube, the textile or textile-like material strands surrounding the wire or tube in the form of at least one loop lying close thereto in a looping zone and optionally containing cleaning material, wherein the approach and exit angles of said material strands are flat with respect to the wire or the outer surface of the tube. When a plurality of loops is present, it can be said to lie in a spiral manner.
In the 1990s, a promising principle was established whereby a wire surface could be treated using a textile or textile-like material strand looped around the wire. As an example, European patent EP-B-0 499 775, claiming priority dates of 18.02.1991 and 15.10.1991, disclosed a method for lubricating a wire by coating the wire with a solid or liquid lubricant, wherein at least one loop lying close to the wire and soaked with at least one lubricating absorbent material strand was fed to the wire at a substantially constant rate which was lower than the feed rate of the wire. The wire and material strand were fed in the same direction.
That technology was not only used to evenly apply a solid or liquid substance such as paraffin to lubricate the wire, but was also used to clean wire surfaces, as in the apparatus described in German patent DE-A-100 01 591 and in United States patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,645.
When using that process to clean in counter-fed mode, the material strand frequently seizes and, as a result, rips. Apart from the resulting reduction in product quality, bringing the process back on-line after the material strand tears requires effort, leading to down time, which is deleterious to production.