Abstract: A treatment furnace having a longitudinally extending charging opening has a transversely extending furnace conveyor having an upstream end in the vicinity of the opening. A loading conveyor has an array of transversely extending approach rollers adjacent the charging opening so that a workpiece to be treated in the furnace can be rolled longitudinally along the approach rollers to a position transversely aligned with the charging opening. A loading apparatus for the furnace has at least two transversely extending arms each having an inner end pivoted inside the furnace about a longitudinal axis at the upstream end of the furnace conveyor and an outer end outside the furnace and an array of longitudinally extending loading rollers rotatable about horizontal and longitudinal axes is carried on the arms.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for transferring articles, such as concrete blocks, from a conveyor to a curing kiln and return comprise a carriage movable along a path leading from the block conveyor to any selected one of a number of curing kilns. The carriage supports a rotary turntable on which is mounted a transfer vehicle provided with article supporting forks that are vertically movable so as to shift articles off and onto the block conveyor, deposit the articles within the kiln, and retrieve the articles from the kiln. The transfer vehicle is movable horizontally relatively to the turntable to enable the article supporting forks to overlie the block conveyor, and the transfer vehicle also is movable horizontally relatively to the turntable and carriage into and out of the selected kiln.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic parison feed system for tubular plastic parisons. The parisons are fed, one at a time, from a parison feed unit into a parison loading unit. The parison loading unit, which holds a parison vertically, is positioned above a shuttered aperture in the upper wall of a heating furnace. The shutter of this aperture is opened as the parison loading unit descends vertically to a predetermined position within the furnace. The parison loading unit releases its parison, which falls onto a vertical parison pin mounted on an endless parison conveyor moving within the furnace. The parison loading unit is then raised from the furnace and the shutter is closed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for transferring articles, such as concrete blocks, from a conveyor to a curing kiln and return comprise a carriage movable along a path leading from the block conveyor to any selected one of a number of curing kilns. The carriage supports a rotary turntable on which is mounted a transfer vehicle provided with article supporting forks that are vertically movable so as to shift articles off and onto the block conveyor, deposit the articles within the kiln, and retrieve the articles from the kiln. the transfer vehicle is movable horizontally relatively to the turntable to enable the article supporting forks to overlie the block conveyor, and the transfer vehicle also is movable horizontally relatively to the turntable and carriage into and out of the selected kiln.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring palletized uncured concrete blocks to a curing kiln from a block making station and rapidly loading the palletized uncured blocks into the kiln. Typical kilns include a plurality of rows of tiered passageways extending from an open front end to an open rear end of the kiln. The transferring and loading apparatus includes a conveyor device for moving palletized blocks from the block making station to a location below the open front end of any selected one of the passageways a distance greater than the height of the palletized blocks, a lifting device for lifting the pallet of blocks from the conveyor device to the open front end of the selected passageway, and a palletized block moving device for moving the pallet of blocks from the lifting device into the selected passageway as another pallet of uncured blocks moves into position on the conveyor device below the selected passageway.

Abstract: A device and a process for feeding glass sheets at a predetermined rate to a furnace having a main conveyor moving at a constant speed and extending through the furnace where glass sheets are to be positioned on the main conveyor separated by a predetermined spacing. An auxiliary conveyor moves supply sheets to the entry side of the main conveyor until a supply sheet is temporarily positioned closer to a sheet on the main conveyor than the predetermined spacing at which point the auxiliary conveyor is stopped. A sheet transfer device is provided for then transferring a supply sheet to the main conveyor from the stopped auxiliary conveyor at the speed of the main conveyor when the distance between the last sheet on the main conveyor and the supply sheet is equal to the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus is disclosed, which includes a tube device having a tube axis in the horizontal direction for receiving therein an object to be treated so as to treat the same by heat, a holding member for holding thereon a plurality of objects to be treated, first and second supporting devices located at one end outside of the tube device, a first coupling member for coupling the first supporting device with the holding member, a first operating member for moving the holding member in the horizontal direction, a second coupling member attached to the second supporting device for holding a holding portion of the holding member by shaft-rotation, and a second operating member for moving the holding member in the horizontal and vertical directions.

Abstract: This invention concerns a device for insertion and feed of products on the plates in a freezer, particularly to horizontal evaporating plate freezers.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for heating a plurality of sheets of plastic material between adjacent ones of a plurality of vertically stacked and individually heated platens. The platens are vertically displaceable together and relative to one another, and any two vertically adjacent platens are vertically separable relative to a fixed horizontal pass line to facilitate removing a heated plastic sheet from between the platens and introducing a plastic sheet to be heated therebetween. Vertical separation is achieved by latching the upper one of two adjacent platens in a fixed holding position above the pass line and lowering the lower one of the two platens and any other platens of the stack therebeneath to position the upper surface of the lowered platen at the pass line. Sheet discharge and feed mechanisms are then operable respectively to remove a heated sheet from the lower platen and introduce a sheet to be heated onto the lower platen.

Abstract: An installation for handling a workpiece, particularly a workpiece to be forged includes a manipulator and an overhead crane, the controls of the manipulator and the crane form part of an integrated system so that movement of the crane and the manipulator are controlled together when they are handling a workpiece. Apparatus is disclosed for ensuring that the crane and the manipulator remain in step.

Abstract: The hearth of the furnace is indexed in such a manner that successive workpieces in a loading position are loaded in non-adjacent stations of the hearth during one revolution and are loaded in intervening stations during one or more subsequent revolutions. The method of loading and indexing the hearth enables a uniform temperature distribution to be more easily maintained in the furnace and provides flexibility in locating an unloading position relative to the loading position.

Abstract: A device is described for feeding bars and tubes into a treatment furnace. The device comprises a rotary drum positioned in front of a long horizontal opening provided in the sidewall of the furnace for receiving a bar and introducing it into the furnace through the opening. The device is characterized by a pair of arms which are articulated around an axis outside the furnace and parallel with the drum and which are designed to receive the bars supplied by the drum and to lay them gently down in the furnace, e.g. on the walking beams of a walking beam furnace.

Abstract: A system is provided for loading concrete blocks, carried on pallets, into a kiln. The kiln includes a front end wall and a rear end wall and a plurality of guideways extending from the front end wall to the rear end wall. The guideways are arranged in a grid pattern of horizontally aligned layers and vertically aligned tiers. The pallets are inserted into a selected guideway. A laterally movable main frame carries a vertically movable subframe which includes an arcuate conveyor. An elevator delivers pallets to the subframe which inserts the pallets into the selected guideway. The main frame and subframe are indexed for exact alignment with the selected guideway.

Abstract: A cooking retort for soup or the like in which the individual cans are stored in storage rack clusters arranged around a generally horizontal axis. The retort employs a power cylinder to tilt the retort and thus the storage racks to enable inclination of the racks to facilitate the loading and tilting of the racks to facilitate unloading. In addition, a hexagonal pattern of can rack clusters is provided to enhance cooking capacity of cans.

Abstract: A radioactive waste discharged from a radioactive substance handling equipment is dried and powdered, and the powder is pelletized. The resulting pellets are stored in an inner vessel of a store vessel having a double structure for a predetermined period to attenuate the radioactivity of the pellets. Then, the pellets are taken out from the store vessel and packed into a sealing vessel. A binder is injected into the sealing vessel to effect solidification.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of reheating, storing and conveying metal bars or rounds cast by continuous casting processes whereby uniform bar temperature is achieved, lengthwise and cross sectionally, prior to rolling, cutting and other secondary operations, and discloses apparatus for practicing the novel process concepts. Cast metal bars having varying heat content throughout their length and cross section have their local heat content restored by heaters at a variable rate proportional to the energy required to produce a substantially uniform temperature throughout the bar length end cross section. The reheated bars are stored in a inventory control and soaking furnace for a duration at least sufficient to permit the energy absorbed by the bars during reheating to uniformly dissipate throughout the bars, and and bars of uniform temperature are released from the furnace at a controlled rate for subsequent processing.

Abstract: Modular, conveyor-type heat exchange apparatus is provided which is especially adapted for handling large volumes of shale rock and preheating incoming raw shale using hot, spent shale from a commercial processing operation. The apparatus includes an elongated heat exchange zone having a plurality of separate, interconnected, insulated modules; two superposed, oppositely moving sections of an endless conveyor pass through the zone and respectively support hot and raw shale material for heat exchange therebetween. The conveyor includes spaced, interconnected, shale-supporting triangular elements which facilitate gas flow between the conveyor sections in the heat exchange zone. In preferred forms, the modules present restricted inlet and outlet throats, and are provided with slow moving fans for circulation of air currents between the conveyor sections without creation of chimney-like drafts along the length of the modules.

Abstract: Unloading apparatus for vacuum electric furnaces having a hostile environment is disclosed in which a compartment is provided to which work pieces are delivered from such a vacuum electric furnace, transferred from the furnace by movable supporting and transferrng arms which are normally in the hostile environment onto an elevator platform at a central location and then elevated for transfer to other equipment, all under vacuum. The movable arms are first raised and then turned by hudraulic actuators and the elevator platform is also positioned by a hydraulic actuator. The elevator platform and its enclosure are normally screened from radiant heat by a door which is swung from a vertical position for shielding to a horizontal position to permit access of the movable arms and the work pieces thereon to the elevator platform.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading tiles into firing ovens comprises, in combination with each firing oven chamber, a device for feeding the tiles, means for forming on such device a file of tiles which must be loaded concurrently, and means for taking up from such device the tile file and forwarding it in the direction of the oven and transferring the tiles onto a terminal conveyor which conveys the tiles to the oven inlet. Preferably the tile take-up means are constituted by a support device which vertically displaceable between a lowermost and an uppermost position and adapted to lift up the tiles as it passes from the first to the second positions. Preferably also the tiles are forwarded in the direction of the oven by a thruster actuatable by suitable means in the desired direction and adapted to engage and to forward the tile file which has formed on the feeding device. An auxiliary static support organ is preferably provided to support the tiles in an intermediate phase of the forward progress.

Abstract: A continuous constant or continuous variable intermittent method of charging, over periods sufficiently long not to reduce the process efficiency materially, small particulates of cast iron, carbon steel or alloy steel or stainless steel directly into a bath of similar metal, or the same metal as that being charged, in a melting furnace. The furnace has a feeder chute entering the furnace well below the normal full metal level. A feeding chamber is provided to introduce large masses of small particles of iron or steel into the feeder chute. An hydraulic cylinder and piston motor is positioned at the outer end of the feeder chute, beyond the feeding chamber, to push the small particles or iron or steel into the melting furnace. Oxides such as mill scale can be charged into the bath, which bath has been charged, prior to and during this charging process, with suitable charges of alloys or reducing materials, which materials are charged from the top of the furnace in any conventional practice.

Abstract: A water cooled material additive chute for introducing fluxing material into a furnace including water cooled inlet and outlet chambers meeting at a tip or nose portion, a local coolant water injection pipe extending through one of the chambers and into the tip region to augment the cooling efficiency of the water coolant, and a pipe structure which accommodates thermal expansion.

Abstract: A continuous heating or pusher-type furnace for the heat treatment of small arts, by which in a closed furnace chamber glide tracks are provided for the intermittent feeding of basket cars in a row between a loading station and a discharge station which is connected gas-tight to the furnace chamber, in the vicinity of which stations there is arranged respectively a reversing device for the translation of the individual baskets from one glide track to the other glide track, whereby the filled baskets automatically can be inserted into the discharge station, and can be emptied by a tipping device with a connecting gravity chute into a quenching bath. The glide tracks with the loading station and the discharging station lie on one plane and at least two glide tracks are provided for the transportation of the filled baskets, the two glide tracks being symmetrically arranged relative to a glide track provided for the return transportation of the emptied baskets.

Abstract: A hood car having a hood, a coke guide, a coke guide car, and a quench train are all provided for movement parallel to a battery of chamber coke ovens between a quench plant and the ovens. The hood car hood has an opening reaching over the loading area of the quench train and is adapted to be connected through extraction ducts to a gas transition device which is movable on a stationary collection duct alongside the coke oven battery and which has an opening at the top. The opening can be sealed by a flexible cover belt which can be lifted off by the gas transition device. The collection duct is connected to a stationary extraction and purifying device which purifies the dirty gases. The movable hood car and the quench train have coupling means, functional in both directions of movement, for coupling together the hood car and the quench train. The hood car has a brake means for automatically stopping the car upon being uncoupled from the quench train.