Caterpillar Inc.

Loren D Thompson, Deceased

Gary D Keil

A heat treat furnace system 20 for heat treating metal workpieces includes a rotary carburizing chamber 24 containing a carburizing atmosphere, a cooling chamber 40A or 40B adjacent the carburizing chamber 24, a gas barrier device 50 cooperating with the cooling chamber opening and the carburizing chamber outlet for impeding movement of atmosphere therethrough; and transfer mechanisms for operatively moving at least one selected workpiece from the carburizing chamber 24 to the cooling chamber 40A or 40B and vice versa, and from the cooling chamber 40B to the equalizing chamber 26 and vice versa. The carburizing chamber 24 has a circular rotatable hearth for supporting an array of workpieces, and an inlet for loading the workpieces into the carburizing chamber 24. The cooling chamber 40A or 40B also has means for providing a protective atmosphere within it. This arrangement provides a system that can perform different heat treat operations, either singly or simultaneously, and/or the same heat treat operation on different piece parts. For example, the system can simultaneously perform a process where carbides are desired and a process where carbides are not desired.

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Pekin, IL, United States of America

Loren D Thompson, Deceased