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:
May. 15, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 04, 2007
David Englund, Bovey, MN (US);
Rodney Bleifuss, Grand Rapids, MN (US);
Iwao Iwasaki, Grand Rapids, MN (US);
Donald Fosnacht, Hermantown, MN (US);
Mark Brandon, Charlotte, NC (US);
Bradford True, Charlotte, NC (US);
David Englund, Bovey, MN (US);
Rodney Bleifuss, Grand Rapids, MN (US);
Iwao Iwasaki, Grand Rapids, MN (US);
Donald Fosnacht, Hermantown, MN (US);
Mark Brandon, Charlotte, NC (US);
Bradford True, Charlotte, NC (US);
Nu-Iron Technology, LLC, Charlotte, NC (US);
Abstract
A hearth furnacefor producing metallic iron material has a furnace housingwith a drying/preheat zonecapable of providing a drying/preheat atmosphere for reducible material, a conversion zonecapable of providing a reducing atmosphere for reducible material, a fusion zonecapable of providing an atmosphere to at least partially reduced metallic iron material, and optionally a cooling zonecapable of providing a cooling atmosphere for reduced material containing metallic iron material. A hearthis movable within the furnace housingin a direction through the drying/preheat zone, then the conversion zone, then the fusion zone, and then the cooling zone. A separation barrieris positioned within at least a portion of the conversion zone, the separation barrierseparating the conversion zoneinto a combustion regionand a reducing regionwith the reducing regionadjacent the hearthand the combustion regionadjacent the reducing regionand spaced from the hearth