Cleaning apparatus of tubular materials for use in pickling facilities for the same

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus for use in pickling facilities for tubular members such as zirconium or zirconium alloy tubes. The apparatus includes a travelling crane for conveying and loading the tubular members from one cleaning tank to another, a pair of endless wrapping connectors such as endless chains spacedly and circulatably provided in at least one tank, for example, in a first cleaning tank filled with slightly warm water below the level of its cleaning fluid, and a plurality of feed claws provided with an interval therebetween on each of the endless wrapping connectors along the length of the same so as to prevent the tubular members from contacting one another during cleaning treatment. Thus, development of stain or physical damage such as scratches or dents is eliminated or minimized. It is possible to tentatively stock the tubular members on the endless wrapping connectors so as to perform a smooth and continuous pickling and cleaning operation of such tubular members.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.