Abstract: An apparatus and a method for locking a wire basket or a pod carrier basket in a support base for cleaning in an ultrasonic cleaning bath are provided. In the apparatus, a support base is constructed of an open bottom panel and four vertical posts emanating upwardly from four corners of the bottom panel adapted for moving upwardly and downwardly in the cleaning bath. At last two locking means each mounted on a diagonally opposing vertical post are provided and each equipped with a hook or catch for locking onto one of the two horizontal handle bars provided on a wire basket that is positioned in the support base. The present invention novel locking means for locking a wire basket in a support base allows a wire basket that has lightened load to be positioned in the support base without causing bodily injury to a machine operator, and allows the wire basket to be securely locked in the support base during an ultrasonic cleaning procedure without the basket floating problem.

Abstract: A cold trap that is equipped with a curvilinear housing and a curvilinear cooling plate contained therein for collecting unwanted reactant gases and reaction byproducts in an exhaust gas is disclosed. In the curvilinear housing of the cold trap, a curvilinear cooling plate, i.e., in a convex shape is provided which has a plurality of cooling fins mounted on a convex surface facing an incoming flow of exhaust gas such that contaminating powder in the exhaust gas is collected by the cooling fins. The present invention novel curvilinear cooling plate functions at twice the efficiency of a conventional flat cooling plate such that the frequency for cleaning required for the present invention novel cold trap is reduced.