Abstract: A tube wall for forming the heating chamber of an electric steel-smelting furnace is comprised of a plurality of generally parallel tubes each closely juxtaposed with at least one adjacent tube of the plurality and forming therewith an outer groove open away from the chamber and an inner groove open toward the chamber. Welds extend the full length of and substantially fill at least the bases of the outer grooves and each form a gas-tight connection between the respective tubes. In addition tubular transverse reinforcing members are welded to the outside of the wall formed with these tubes, and a coolant is circulated through the reinforcing members through the tubes. Finally lining anchors in the form of hooks have inner ends conforming to the space between adjacent tubes and engage between these tubes to the weld securing them together. The wall is therefore formed simply by the tubes and the welds, and no further gas-tight wall need be provided.

Abstract: A furnace workpiece-support system has at least one horizontal workpiece-support tube through which a fluid coolant is circulated and at least one vertical support post or tube connected at its upper end at a joint to the horizontal tube and having a blind lower end. A tubular pressure-alteration body is provided in this joint and has an intake mouth directed upstream and an outlet mouth directed downstream and of different flow cross section from the intake mouth. A flow diversion element, either a flat plate or a pipe, extends downwardly from the pressure-alteration body into the vertical tube to conduct into this tube fluid coolant diverted at the pressure-alteration body.

Abstract: A furnace workpiece-support system has at least one horizontal workpiece-support tube through which a fluid coolant is circulated and which is supported on at least one vertical tube that is connected at its upper end to this horizontal tube and that has a blind lower end. A flow-diversion pipe has an upper intake end opening in an upstream direction into the horizontal tube and a lower end opening downwardly into the vertical tube. This pipe is received with clearance in the vertical tube so that coolant diverted by the pipe from the horizontal tube is injected downwardly into the vertical pipe to cool it and then rises vertically in the vertical tube around the pipe to reenter the horizontal tube after cooling the vertical tube.