Device and method for treating wire material

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for treating wire material, comprising at least one station consisting of two disc-shaped substrates. The surfaces of said substrates face each other and overlap, clamping the wire material with a changing surface condition. The substrate surfaces (C 1 , C 2 ) overlap except for at least one visual inspection zone (K), which remains exposed for viewing on at least one substrate surface (C 1 ) and likewise makes contact with the wire material (D). The surface condition of said zone is essentially the same as the wire contact area (F) of the overlapped remainder of said substrate surface (C 1 ).

1 . A device for treating running wire material, in particular for at least one of cleaning, wetting and impregnating said wire material, in said device said wire material is running in at least one station in-between two substrates which are held against said wire material, said substrates having surfaces which face to each other, overlap each other and contact said wire material with a varying surface condition, further comprising an adjusting mechanism for a relative movement of said substrates at least with a movement component oriented crosswise to a wire running direction, wherein said substrate surfaces overlap each other only such that at least one visual inspection zone is kept free which is moved relative to said wire material with a lateral movement component, and that said visual inspection zone contacts said wire material at one side.  
   
   
       2 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein both substrates are rotatable about a common axis of rotation, that in case of substantial equal geometric form of both said substrates, one said substrate is smaller than the other, and that the visual inspection zone is formed by the size difference at the surface of the larger of said substrates.  
   
   
       3 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein both said substrates are rotatable about a common axis of rotation, and that said visual inspection zone is formed by at least one of different geometric forms of and a relative offset of said substrates about the axis of rotation.  
   
   
       4 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said substrates which have substantially equal size and substantially equal geometric forms, are rotatable about two parallel axes of rotation, and that said two axes are distant from one another in a plane defined by said surfaces of said substrates.  
   
   
       5 . The device as in  claim 2 , wherein said substrates are circular disks.  
   
   
       6 . The device as in  claim 3 , wherein said substrates, are polygonal disks.  
   
   
       7 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said visual inspection zone is smaller than the overlapping region.  
   
   
       8 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said substrates has a cut-out which is open to an edge of said substrate or has a window ( 12 ,  13 ) placed within said edge of said substrate, respectively, and that said cut-out or said window of the one of said substrates, respectively, defines said visual inspection zone (K) at said surface of the other of said substrates (A 1 ).  
   
   
       9 . The device as in  claim 1 , the movement of said adjusting mechanism is derived from the friction resistance of the substrates on said wire material, by means of a braking device.  
   
   
       10 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said substrates are moved continuously or in steps.  
   
   
       11 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said substrates are rotatable by means of at least one drive with a sense of rotation in or counter to said wire running direction.  
   
   
       12 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said device includes several stations which are provided in said wire running direction one after the other.  
   
   
       13 . The device as in  claim 12 , wherein said substrates in said stations are placed either in a common plane or are placed in planes offset to each other about an axis of said wire.  
   
   
       14 . The device as in  claim 12 , wherein said visual inspection zones in said stations face to one side only or face to different sides of an axis of said wire, respectively.  
   
   
       15 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein each said substrate comprises at least one of an absorptive, felt material, foam plastic material, plastic material, fleece material and fabric material.  
   
   
       16 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein each said substrate is provided on a rigid carrier.  
   
   
       17 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said substrates include a stored dose of at least one of a liquid, paste-like or powder-like cleaning agent a slip additive, an abrasive agent, a contact agent, an alkaline agent, an oily or wax containing agent, a wetting agent and a welding wire balm.  
   
   
       18 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said visual inspection zone is oriented at least substantially crosswise to said wire run direction, and that said substrates are moveable crosswise or obliquely to said wire running direction.  
   
   
       19 . The device as in  claim 18 , wherein both said substrates are plate-shaped and are positioned in a holder, and that said substrates can be moved within the holder or together with the holder.  
   
   
       20 . The device as in  claim 18 , wherein both said substrates are strip-shaped and are positioned between pressing elements, and that said substrates are moveable between said pressing elements or together with the pressing elements.  
   
   
       21 . The device as in  claim 1 , further comprising an optoelectronic condition detection device that is aligned with said visual inspection zone, said detection device, being in operative connection with said adjusting mechanism and having a warning indicator.  
   
   
       22 . A method for treating running wire material, in particular for at least one of cleaning, wetting and impregnating said wire material comprising: 
 running the wire material through between two substrates which are held in at least one station against the wire material, the surfaces of the substrates facing to each other and overlapping each other and contacting the wire material with a varying surface condition, an adjusting mechanism for relatively moving the substrates at least with a movement component oriented crosswise to the wire running direction;    keeping at least one visual inspection zone free on at least one substrate surface that is brought into contact with the wire material;    reading or scanning the surface condition of the visual inspection zone to view a deterioration of the treating quality; and,    using the result of the reading or scanning is used as a decision help for moving the substrates further or for replacing the substrates.