Abstract: Screens for limiting heat losses from heated material, e.g. bars and slabs in rolling mills. Screens are provided in the form of strings of heat insulating bodies composed of metal shells containing insulating material. These screens may form curtains and/or covers for the hot material. Containing chambers for the hot material may be provided with such strings of elements and the chambers may also comprise structure for limiting heat conduction losses through the material supports therein. The screens may be collapsed over the hot material thereby completely surrounding and insulating the material from loss of heat. A displaceable chamber installation may also be provided for limiting heat loss when holding and transferring hot material between processing stages.

Abstract: To protect a heat shield arrangement over a hot-rolling mill, at the entry end of the table contact members of large mass are suspended over the path of the hot material to form a height barrier for distorted material. The members are suspended displaceably from bars on a cantilevered support that leaves one side of the table open for the removal of scrapped material. The bars pass through contoured apertures in the members which permit the members to move in forwards and upwards so that when struck by the material they can lift and can also yield to the frictional force of the material travelling under them. The loading on the cantilevered support is thereby reduced. Reduction in peak loadings also result from mounting the members on an upwardly pivotable cantilever frame and by damping the return movements of the members and/or the frame.

Abstract: Screens for limiting heat losses from heated material, e.g. bars and slabs in rolling mills. Screens are provided in the form of strings of heat insulating bodies composed of metal shells containing insulating material. These screens may form curtains and/or covers for the hot material. Containing chambers for the hot material may be provided with such strings of elements and the chambers may also comprise structure for limiting heat conduction losses through the material supports therein. The screens may be collapsed over the hot material thereby completely surrounding and insulating the material from loss of heat. A displaceable chamber installation may also be provided for limiting heat loss when holding and transferring hot material between processing stages.

Abstract: A heat shield arrangement for a hot-rolling mill has thin-walled heat insulating panels above below and at the sides of a hot material path through the mill. The upper and/or side panels are adjustable in position to reduce the free space around the material on said path and so improve the view factor. The upper panels are suspended from carrier frames which can be raised to lift the panels clear. With the frames lowered, the upper panels are adjustable between a raised ambush position and a fully lowered operative position. Lowering the panels from the ambush position can be triggered by sensing the presence of the material so that the panels become fully effective as a strip of hot material begins to pass under them but are held sufficiently high before threading to avoid damage from a hot strip with a distorted leading edge.

Abstract: A heat shield arrangement for strip material employs insulating panels of thin-walled composite construction. The panels include an upper series displaceable upwardly by power actuation means to avoid damage by buckled or lifting material. Protective members projecting below the upper panels are associated with sensing means to actuate the raising of the upper panels and can have a limited displacement before the raising of the upper panels is actuated. The power actuation means can themselves act on the sensing means to determine the minimum force from the material that causes raising of said panels. Control means displace the panels in response to the sensed transverse temperature profile to maintain the profile more uniform and some of the panels may have heating means for this purpose.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling and packaging coils of sheet material, especially steel strip, comprises a rotary capstan with arms that can project through the hollow core of a coil to support the coil. Successive operations of the packaging process are performed at a number of operating stations, at least one of which is so placed that its packaging operation is performed while a coil is so supported. The packaging may comprise an outer sheet metal wrapping applied by rotation of a wrapping arm about the coil to carry the wrapping sheet around the coil circumference. A feed table is provided to align the metal wrapping sheet initially with the coil. Two overlapping wrapping sheets making up a wrapping for a wider coil can be secured together by a welding arm that operates on the sheets as they are wrapped around the coil.

Abstract: A heat shield arrangement for strip material employs insulating panels of thin-walled composite construction. The panels include an upper series displaceable upwardly by power actuation means to avoid damage by buckled or lifting material. Protective members projecting below the upper panels are associated with sensing means to actuate the raising of the upper panels and can have a limited displacement before the raising of the upper panels is actuated. The power actuation means can themselves act on the sensing means to determine the minimum force from the material that causes raising of said panels. Control means displace the panels in response to the sensed transverse temperature profile to maintain the profile more uniform and some of the panels may have heating means for this purpose.

Abstract: A composite thermal insulation panel for a metal processing installation has a thin-walled casing providing a cover plate or membrane that will be heated quickly to near the temperature of an adjacent hot metal slab or strip being processed. To allow substantial freedom for movement relative to adjoining regions of the casing due to thermal expansion caused by the large temperature changes, retaining elements of the casing that locate the membrane transversely to its extent but permit relative movement in its own plane, and/or the membrane may have surfaces that slope to a central region to accommodate relative thermal expansion by flexure. Panels below the material path may have membrane surfaces that slope downwards to an escape aperture for scale dropping from the hot metal. Panels above the material path may have apertures aligning with the lower panel apertures for temperature sensors that detect the passage of hot material between the panels.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for high temperature operation has a ceramic-walled chamber traversed by ceramic tubes and is capable of use inter alia in fluidised bed applications. The tubes are arranged in series of successive banks and to give a compact arrangement the successive banks of tubes at different levels are disposed transversely to each other. The tubes may have internal and external reinforcing means to allow them to withstand the loads imposed by the fluidised bed and generally to allow longer tubes to be used in ceramic constructions. The internal reinforcing means may also provide restrictions that in fluidised bed applications can function to minimise the effects of tube wall fracture by reducing carry-over of bed particles seeping into the tubes. For improved end sealing, means can be provided to hold resilient ceramic seals compressed against the tube ends while permitting axial thermal movement of the tubes.

Abstract: A heat shield arrangement for strip material employs insulating panels of thin-walled composite construction. The panels include an upper series displaceable upwardly by power actuation means to avoid damage by buckled or lifting material. Protective members projecting below the upper panels are associated with pressure sensors to actuate the raising of the upper panels and can have a limited displacement before the raising of the upper panels is actuated. The power actuators can themselves act on the sensors to determine the minimum force from the material that causes raising of the panels. A control device displaces the panels in response to the sensed transverse temperature profile to maintain the profile more uniform and some of the panels may have heaters for this purpose.

Abstract: Thermal energy storage apparatus has a heat-insulating casing containing a length of flexible material extending between a pair of driven mandrels so that the material can be wound on either mandrel selectively. Between the mandrels the unwound material is heated as it passes a window in the casing through which solar energy is focused, and the heated material is collected in closely coiled form on the receiving mandrel, where it has a low exposed surface area for its thermal mass, to store the heat received. The stored energy is extracted from the coiled material by winding it onto the other mandrel while a gas flow is passed over the unwound material.

Abstract: A metal or alloy, present in material containing another metal or alloy having a higher melting point, can be recovered by heating the material in conditions preventing oxidation of the lower melting point metal or alloy, vaporizing this metal or alloy and depositing it on at least one collective surface. The initial heating may be performed in a controlled atmosphere at around atmospheric pressure, e.g. up to the melting point of the lower melting metal or alloy, whereafter the pressure can be reduced and heating continued to effect the vaporization.Apparatus for use in such a process comprises a heating chamber, means for heating the material in said chamber, means for producing higher and lower pressure conditions in said chamber, and condenser means in said chamber or arranged to be put into communication with the chamber in conjunction with the production of said lower pressure condition for the deposition of vaporized lower melting point metal or alloy on said condenser means.