The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 1997
Filed:
Sep. 01, 1995
Masanori Ichikawa, Fukuroi, JP;
Tadayoshi Yoshioka, Shizuoka-ken, JP;
Katsumasa Toyoda, Ogaki, JP;
Shinichi Takizawa, Nagoya, JP;
NTN Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A process for hardening a plurality of holed flat parts. The holed flat parts are heated by inserting a cantilever hanger into the holes of the holed flat parts to support them in vertical positions within a furnace. The holed flat parts are then removed from the hanger by inserting a moving fork into the holes of the holed flat parts and moved to a cooling section while being supported in the vertical positions on the moving fork. Then, the holed flat parts in the vertical positions are quenched in the cooling section by blowing a gas downward to them. Also disclosed is an apparatus for practicing the holed flat part hardening process. The apparatus comprises: a continuous furnace; a plurality of stands arranged in the continuous furnace and each having a cantilever hanger; a loader including a moving fork for hanging the holed flat parts on the hanger; an extractor including a moving fork for extracting the holed flat parts from the hanger; and a cooling section for blowing a gas downward to the holed flat parts supported by the moving fork of the extractor, to quench the holed flat parts.