Abstract: An improved temperature control system using a state controller with two degrees of freedom to regulate the temperature of the barrel of an injection molding machine is disclosed. The control system divides the temperature of the barrel into longitudinally-extending zones and radially extending layers within each zone. Heat transfer calculations which include the effects of heat transfer between all the layers within the zones are performed for a set time in the future to accurately determine the heat needed from the heater band to reach the operator set point temperature. The duty cycle for the heater bands is thus accurately set to give a more responsive and accurate control than heretofore possible. The controller additionally includes factors for accounting for heat disturbances present in the injection molding process. In addition each system is calibrated for each machine to insure accurate formulation of machine specific parameters such as heat transfer co-efficients used in the control.

Abstract: A lubrication system for an body maker of the type which is used in a container fabrication facility to shape a metallic can body includes a filter, a first conduit for conveying coolant from the body maker to an inlet side of the filter, a second conduit for conveying coolant from an outlet side of the filter to the body maker, a pump in one of the conduits for pumping coolant in a circuit which includes the filter, the conduits and the body maker, and a coolant makeup system for adding coolant to the circuit. The coolant makeup system is constructed and arranged to continuously supply coolant to the circuit to make up for continuous losses of coolant at the body maker.

Abstract: An electronic gain control is disclosed for the photomultipliers of a gamma camera which assures that all photomultipliers in the camera have uniform gain for any given gamma event. A specific dynode in the photomultiplier is isolated from the line resistive voltage divider string in the photomultiplier which places each dynode under incremental voltages. A voltage is then applied to the isolated dynode which can vary anywhere from the voltage the isolated dynode would have had if inserted in the voltage divider string to the voltage that the immediately preceding or immediately succeeding dynode in the string has whereby the photomultiplier's gain is controlled. The applied voltage to the isolated dynode is developed electronically by a voltage to frequency converter coupled by an opto-isolator to a gain voltage divider circuit which cycles the applied voltage between two different voltage potentials tapped from the voltage divider string.

Abstract: A temperature probe is disclosed for determining the temperature at which residual oils can be vaporized from cold rolled strip without producing free carbon. The probe includes an open ended first tubular member with a burner mounted at one end of the first tubular member for closing the end thereof so that the burner fires its products of combustion through the first tubular member and out the other end thereof. A closed end second tubular member concentrically receives the first tubular member to define an annular heat space therebetween and has an exhaust port in fluid communication with said annular heat space adjacent the burner.

Abstract: An improved seal arrangement is disclosed for use in batch coil annealing furnaces. The furnace has extending from its base a pair of cylindrical upright supports having exposed membrane engaging seal edges and between which an underpressure chamber is formed. The inner cover which removably rests on the base, has an annular top plate extending radially outwardly from its sidewall adjacent the cover's bottom end. Extending vertically downwardly from the top plate are concentric inner and outer clamp mechanisms which clamp flat annular elastomer seal therebetween. An overpressure chamber is formed between the seal and the top plate and when the inner cover is seated on the base, an underpressure chamber is formed between the seal and the upright supports.

Abstract: A system for non-destructively measuring an object and controlling industrial processes in response to the measurement is disclosed in which an impulse laser generates a plurality of sound waves over timed increments in an object. A polarizing interferometer is used to measure surface movement of the object caused by the sound waves and sensed by phase shifts in the signal beam. A photon multiplier senses the phase shift and develops an electrical signal. A signal conditioning arrangement modifies the electrical signals to generate an average signal correlated to the sound waves which in turn is correlated to a physical or metallurgical property of the object, such as temperature, which property may then be used to control the process. External, random vibrations of the workpiece are utilized to develop discernible signals which can be sensed in the interferometer by only one photon multiplier.

Abstract: Method and apparatus is disclosed for heat treating coiled, metal strip in bell shaped annealing furnaces employing an annealing stand upon which coils of strip are vertically stacked. An inner cover removably sealed to the stand surrounds the coil and an outer cover surrounds the inner cover. A vacuum is drawn within the inner cover while the work is being preheated to volatize oil on the coil into hydrocarbon vapors and permit the hydrocarbons to be drawn off prior to annealing so that carbon soot formation does not occur. A unique concentric, two seal arrangement is disclosed which provides for drawing a vacuum between the seals to positively seal the inner cover to the base while providing a fail safe mechanism for monitoring the process thus permitting a potentially explosive reducing atmosphere, such as pure hydrogen, to be used in the annealing furnace in a safe manner.

Abstract: A control arrangement is disclosed for a conventional, atmosphere heat treating furnace which is operated at high temperature and fitted with a vacuum pump to draw rough or soft vacuum levels when heating the work to heat treat temperatures. The control arrangement utilizes a hydrogen--inert gas furnace atmosphere continuously metered into the furnace to produce a reducing gas mixture to prevent oxidation of the work. If oxidation conditions are sensed, the mass flow is automatically increased while vacuum levels are maintained constant. A unique oxygen probe mounting arrangement is disclosed which enables a conventional oxygen probe to give fairly accurate and consistent readings for fast, automatic process control.

Abstract: A transfer system is provided to effect collimator change out for a medical nuclear camera. The system includes a rectangular lead collimator frame into which the collimator is mounted. The collimator frame has an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge, the peripheral edges defining the collimator thickness. A transfer cart has a C-shaped transfer frame carrying top, bottom and side supports. The top and bottom supports have spring biased locking discs protruding therefrom which are adapted to contact and lock into contact grooves formed into the collimator frame's outer peripheral edge at its top and bottom thus encapsulating the collimator frame within the transfer cart frame for movement of the camera to storage and vise-versa. An especially configured storage rack is provided which has vertically extending, rack modules for storage/retrieval of the collimators.

Abstract: Method and apparatus is disclosed for heat treating coiled, metal strip in bell shaped annealing furnaces employing an annealing stand upon which coils of strip are vertically stacked. An inner cover removably sealed to the stand surrounds the coil and an outer cover surrounds the inner cover. A vacuum is drawn within the inner cover while the work is being preheated to volatize oil on the coil into hydrocarbon vapors and permit the hydrocarbons to be drawn off prior to annealing so that carbon soot formation does not occur. A unique concentric, two seal arrangement is disclosed which provides for drawing a vacuum between the seals to positively seal the inner cover to the base while providing a fail safe mechanism for monitoring the process thus permitting a potentially explosive reducing atmosphere, such as pure hydrogen, to be used in the annealing furnace in a safe manner.

Abstract: A variable gas generator is disclosed which is capable of producing a wide variety of product gas compositions heretofore produced only by either exothermic gas generators or endothermic gas generators or a combination of gas generators. The variable gas generator includes a nitrogen membrane module producing a nitrogen-oxygen feed gas which is combined with a hydrocarbon fuel and fed into a conventional endothermic gas generator. By controlling the nitrogen membrane module to produce a desired oxygen-nitrogen feed gas and by controlling the addition of methane and the catalyst bed temperature of the gas within the endothermic generator, a wide variety of product gas composition with carbon potential varying anywhere from one to 80% combustibles can be produced.

Abstract: An improved batch coil furnace is disclosed in that the annealing stand or base of the furnace is provided with a source for auxiliary heating or cooling of the work. A cylindrical containment wall is heated by hot burner products of combustion convectively impinging the outside surface of the containment wall. A unique jet tube impingement bundle is positioned within the base to form the recirculating cover atmosphere into jet streams which convectively impinge the inside surface of the containment wall. The furnace atmosphere is thus heated prior to being recirculated into the inner cover with the result that the temperatures of all the coils within the inner cover are more uniform. Provisions are made for cooling the outside surface of the containment wall after the coils have been heated to their transformation temperature.

Abstract: An improved pressure pad is provided for stably floating thin metal strip while heat treating the strip. The pressure pad includes an oval pad housing which is slitted adjacent the strip. An elliptical plenum chamber is disposed within the pad housing with a portion thereof spanning the slit and forming with the slit margins a leading and a trailing slot jet nozzle. Opposing jet streams of gaseous medium exit the slot jet nozzles and collide with one another to provide a zone of pressure which stably supports the strip.

Abstract: A high temperature, low NO.sub.x industrial furnace uses coal-fired burners placed in an arcuate heat track conduit which heats an arcuately configured wall member extending through an opening in the heat track conduit. The heated portion of the wall member rotates out of the heat track conduit to indirectly heat a bundle or bank of heat exchange tubes while an unheated wall portion moves into the opening vacated by the heated wall portion. The regenerative heated wall member thus permits the heat exchange tube bundle to be heated to high temperature without exposure to the burner products of combustion. The coal-fired burners are operated substoichiometrically to produce combustibles and a free-standing, jet entrainment arrangement is utilized to achieve staged combustion to avoid NO.sub.x formation.

Abstract: An improved convective heat transfer arrangement is disclosed achieving overall heat transfer efficiencies in the neighborhood of 30 Btu/(hr. ft.sup.2 .degree.F.). A heat transfer conduit including a heat transfer wall is axially divided into a plurality of axially extending heat transfer chambers by a plurality of transversely extending baffles. Each baffle is especially configured to have an axially extending recess formed therein through which extends an orifice opening. Heat transfer gas pumped through the conduit cascades through the heat transfer chambers forming and reforming nascent free standing jet streams through each baffle orifice which impinge the heat transfer wall to achieve very high heat transfer coefficients while efficiently utilizing the available heat in the heat transfer gas.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system for non-destructively measuring an object and controlling industrial processes in response to the measurement is disclosed in which an impulse laser generates a plurality of sound waves over timed increments in an object. A polarizing interferometer is used to measure surface movement of the object caused by the sound waves and sensed by phase shifts in the signal beam. A photon multiplier senses the phase shift and develops an electrical signal. A signal conditioning arrangement modifies the electrical signals to generate an average signal correlated to the sound waves which in turn is correlated to a physical or metallurgical property of the object, such as temperature, which property may then be used to control the process. External, random vibrations of the workpiece are utilized to develop discernible signals which can be sensed in the interferometer by only one photon multiplier.

Abstract: A control arrangement is disclosed for a conventional, atmosphere heat treating furnace which is operated at high temperature and fitted with a vacuum pump to draw rough or soft vacuum levels when heating the work to heat treat temperatures. The control arrangement utilizes a hydrogen--inert gas furnace atmosphere continuously metered into the furnace to produce a reducing gas mixture to prevent oxidation of the work. If oxidation conditions are sensed, the mass flow is automatically increased while vacuum levels are maintained constant. A unique oxygen probe mounting arrangement is disclosed which enables a conventional oxygen probe to give fairly accurate and consistent readings for fast, automatic process control.

Abstract: A heat treating furnace is provided with high momentum burners for uniformly heating each work item therein primarily by convective heating. A plurality of work items are spaced in a row on a furnace base and enclosed by an outer cover sealed to the base to define an enclosure therein. High momentum burners are orientated in a predetermined manner in the outer cover to fire jet streams of hot gases into the enclosure. The jet streams rapidly entrain the furnace gases to promote a gas stream of uniform temperature which swirls rapidly about each work item effecting uniform heating of each work item primarily by convection. The furnace is further provided with an efficient internal recuperator arrangement which also functions as the flue for the furnace.