Gas Research Institute

Indugas, Inc.

James E Lyon

Klaus H Hemsath

An improved cooling cover is disclosed for use in bell shaped annealing furnaces. The cooling cover includes a jet nozzle orifice arrangement which develops jet streams from a low pressurized supply of air at ambient temperature in the plenum chamber of the cooling cover. A multitude of free standing jet streams thus impinge the inner cover of the bell shaped annealing stand to produce improved cooling times. Importantly, the plenum chamber includes strategically placed axial jet pump outlets which are effective to draw the jet streams from the cooling cover after they have been in heat transfer contact with the inner cover in a distribution pattern which is not altered so that the work or coils within the inner cover can be more uniformly cooled than heretofore possible. The spent jet streams are withdrawn from the cooling cover in a manner which does not affect the initial impact of the jets with the inner cover while establishing a neutral to slight under pressure at the base of the cooling cover to prevent sand seal upset and hot gas backwash.

Cooling cover for batch coil annealing furnace

Modifications are provided to a standard, batch type industrial heat treat furnace of a hot wall design which permit the furnace to be operated efficiently at high temperatures. The furnace is of a cylindrical design having a forward heat treat chamber and a rearward plenum chamber with a flat bulkhead plate in-between the chambers. The bulkhead has exit and inlet openings permitting wind mass to flow to the heat treat chamber and back to the plenum chamber. The bulkhead has a plurality of radially extending slits formed therein which permit the bulkhead to remain flat despite temperature and pressure gradients resulting in expansion/contraction of the bulkhead. Additionally, the furnace includes a closed end muffle within the heat treat chamber into which work to be heat treated is placed. A water cooled spring biasing support is provided for the closed end of the muffle to resist downward deformation of the muffle at high temperatures. The furnace additionally includes a heat shield circumscribing the furnace casing to provide a cooling air space for preheating burner combustion air while minimizing heat losses and the cost of furnace insulation.

High temperature industrial heat treat furnace

An industrial electrical, vacuum furnace for ion processing of work is provided with an improved feed-through interlock and insulator arrangement. A sealed interlock chamber on the furnace door is in fluid communication with the furnace's heat treat chamber. A bellows outside of the interlock chamber is in fluid communication therewith. When a vacuum is drawn in the heat treat chamber, the bellows distends into a collapsed position to provide a firmly clamped electrical connection with the feed-through which extends through the door into the interlock chamber. The feed-through is thus pinned by the bellows at one end and a V-shaped pulley guide arrangement within the furnace controls thermal distortion of the feed-through. The insulator arrangement includes a plurality of interlocking, ceramic caps or spacers which are stacked one on top of the other to define tortuous paths or gaps therebetween which prevent electrically conductive material deposited thereon during the ionizing process from establishing an electrically conductive path along which or as a result thereof an ion glow discharge or arcing or short circuiting could occur.

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Perrysburg, OH, United States of America

James E Lyon