Abstract: An especially adapted kiln car transfer apparatus includes a transfer carriage for supporting at least one kiln car. The transfer carriage itself is supported upon transverse tracks (i.e., relative to the longitudinal dimension of the tunnel kilns with which the transfer apparatus is associated) so as to be capable of movements between adjacent ends of a pair of tunnel kilns. A generally inverted U-shaped housing is carried by the transfer carriage and defines an interior space sized and configured to accept a kiln car. A reciprocally movable wall structure is disposed within the housing's interior space. The wall structure may thus move between the opposing open ends of the housing in response to the continual advancement of the kiln car onto the transfer carriage, and hence, into the interior space defined by the housing.

Abstract: A rapid thermochemical treatment automatic installation for a charge constituted by parts, intended particularly for the mechanical industry, which includes a plurality of treatment modules such as an induction preheating module, thermochemical treatment modules, a quenching module, a device for carrying out the loading and unloading of the parts stacked in columns and a transfer device of the columns of parts between the various treatment modules.

Abstract: A wafer processing system includes an autoloader mounted within a load lock for providing batch, cassette-to-cassette automatic wafer transfer between the semiconductor processing chamber and cassette load and unload positions within the load lock. The system provides rapid, contamination-free loading and unloading of semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: Steel charges are heated to rolling temperature in reheating furnaces. It is standard practice for the charge to be moved through such a furnace on continuous water-cooled tubular supports crossing the furnace in a straight line. The supports obstruct charge heat-up to the desired temperature at the points where the charge is in contact with the tubular supports. A lateral offset of the tubular supports or similar designs have been unable to overcome this disadvantage. The tubular supports of the present reheating furnace are therefore several times offset from a straight line through the furnace between the furnace inlet and the furnace exit or, in the case of a furnace with a fixed hearth in the soaking zone, the furnace inlet and the fixed hearth. Each tubular support section between two such offsets is shorter than the upstream tubular support section. The present arrangement is particularly advantageous for pusher-type furnaces or walking-beam furnaces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conveying carbon black pellets to avoid breaking up the pellets and inhibit caking on the conveying means which may be a screw type conveyor that is sufficiently heated to inhibit caking of the carbon black. The conveying means is centerless ground to maintain uniform distances of relatively moving parts and the contact surfaces are electroless plated to further inhibit caking of the carbon black on the conveying means.

Abstract: A random access oven system including an oven, a vestibule, a loading conveyor, and a cooling conveyor. A plurality of load carriers, arranged in one or more tiers, are translated within the oven by one or more drive chains, in response to remotely generated commands. Loads to be treated in the oven are queued on the loading conveyor and are supplied to the vestibule in response to remotely generated commands. Any desired load carrier may be brought to a position adjacent the vestibule where the load carried by the carrier may be transferred to a conveyor within the vestibule, or a load within the vestibule may be transferred to the load carrier. After exiting the oven following heat-treatment, a load within the vestibule may be transferred onto the cooling conveyor. After a desired cooling period, each load on the cooling conveyor may be transferred out of the inventive system, for example to an adjacent conveyor.

Abstract: A buffer stop for an opening on a side-loading and side unloading furnace is mounted on a parallelogram linkage connected with a fixed support and is moved into position and out of position by the movement of a counterweight along a shaft on a member of the parallelogram linkage.

Abstract: A self-aligning fixture for use in a high temperature top-loading furnance includes multiple stacked trays to optimize load placement and capacity and to minimize fixture heat absorption. The fixture is manipulated by a handling tool to insert, position, and withdraw the fixture without obscuring the chamber and includes self-aligning blackbody radiators insertable by a handling tool into the optical path of an optical pyrometer and onto a selected tray for temperature monitoring of the load therein. A calibration blackbody radiator allows independent pyrometer verification of an inserted thermocouple.

Abstract: An asphalt recycling conveyor system has a substantially horizontal collecting trough for receiving returned, unused hot mix asphalt. Deflecting plates are provided at the back and ends of this trough, and spaced guard rails extend across it. Asphalt is moved in the trough by an auger having standard pitch to a hopper at one end of the trough. Asphalt lump breaking rods extend from the auger shaft above the hopper to prevent these lumps from bridging the hopper opening. An elevating trough may receive the asphalt from the collection trough hopper and carry it to a higher elevation. The elevating trough has an auger having one-half standard pitch and is turned at a faster speed than the collection trough auger. Heat trace lines are provided on the bottom of the troughs to prevent asphalt buildup.

Abstract: An automated installation for the rapid thermochemical treatment of parts, notably for the mechanical industry, characterized in that it includes: a transfer lock for the parts under a controlled atmosphere; a plurality of treatment modules of the parts, all said modules being connected to said transfer lock; a loading lock; an unloading lock, and a handling robot for the parts, disposed in said transfer lock in order to provide for the successive transfers of parts between the various modules.

Abstract: A divider for a tunnel oven converts the moving surface of the oven into at least two lanes so that two or more different brands or types of articles can be dried without intermixing. The divider comprises at least one cable guide mounted to the tunnel oven housing at the inlet and the outlet of the oven. The cable guides extend downwardly to a point adjacent to and above the moving surface. A cable extends the length of the oven from one cable guide to the other and effectively divides the moving surface of the oven into two lanes. In a preferred embodiment there is a pulley wheel at one end for reversing the direction of the cable to provide a two strand divider and a ratchet wheel for adjusting the cable.

Abstract: An apparatus for baking treatment of semiconductor wafers comprises a furnace portion and a conveyor portion. The furnace portion has a baking chamber in which is installed a turntable on which baking cassettes are supported during baking treatment and a mechanism for circulating hot air through the baking chamber. The conveyor portion has a conveyor mechanism which moves cassettes for transporting wafers along a path from an entrance to an exit of the conveyor portion, a transferring mechanism which can transfer wafers from a cassette for transporting wafers to a baking cassette and vice versa, and a cassette insertion and removal mechanism for inserting and removing a baking cassette from the baking chamber of the furnace portion and mounting it on and removing it from the turntable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a slide damper system used for a vertical type of furnace for continuously heat-treating charged solid matters. This slide damper system comprises at least two slide damper means disposed vertically apart from each other in the furnace. The slide damper means is provided with means for preventing clogging with foreign matter and/or means for heat-resisting as well as means for preventing two or more slide damper means from opening simultaneously.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading semiconductor wafers into a cantilever diffusion tube includes a cantilever paddle supporting a boatload of wafers. The paddle is moved into alignment with the open end of the cantilever diffusion tube. The open end portion of cantilever diffusion tube is moved to surround the paddle and boat load of wafers. The paddle is lowered slightly, causing the boat load of wafers to be supported on an inside surface of the cantilever diffusion tube and providing clearance around the paddle. The cantilever tube is withdrawn from the paddle, which then is withdrawn from the path of the cantilever diffusion tube. The cantilever tube and the boatload of wafers is moved into the hot zone of the furnace. After a heat treating operation, the cantilever diffusion tube is withdrawn from the furnace, and the reverse operation is performed to unload the boatload of wafers.

Abstract: A spiral gas stream is generated in a pipeline when a uniform flow of gas flowing in a cylinder having inner diameter larger than that of the pipeline is introduced through a funnelform reducer into the inlet of the pipeline and bringing the mean gas stream velocity in the pipeline faster than 20 meter per second. The uniform flow of gas is formed in the cylinder easily when outside low pressure gas is fed into the cylinder through a feed gas inlet pipe installed diagonally at the side of the cylinder apart from the bottom plate so as to make the flow line of the feed gas to cross the axis of the cylinder and inclined toward the bottom plate. When solid particles are introduced into the spiral gas stream zone, they are transported to the outlet of the pipeline. As the compressed gas layer is formed along the inside wall of the pipeline by the spiral motion of gas stream, solid particles don't contact directly with the inside wall of the pipeline and don't hurt it.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for heating powder material charges to high temperatures at a fast rate, and for moving the charges through process operations, and for maintaining the temperatures of preheated charges and protecting the charges against contamination as they are moved through process operations.

Abstract: A wafer softlanding system and cooperative door assembly are disclosed for gently and reliably loading and unloading a batch of wafers onto and off of the floor of a processing furnace tube. The disclosed softlanding system is coupled to a wafer receiving paddle and is operable to both linearly move the paddle as a whole in Z either upwardly or downwardly and to selectively rotatably move the paddle so that it tilts about an axis as it is moved linearly up and down. A door assembly is disclosed that includes a resiliently mounted furnace closure that is operative to provide a self-seating action at the mouth of the processing furnace tube. The door assembly includes in one embodiment a vacuum door closure and in another embodiment an atmospheric process door closure. In both embodiments, the closure members are readily releasable to provide for each of interchangeability, maintenance, and differential door size accommodation.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for heating powder material charges to high temperatures at a fast rate, and for moving the charges through process operations, and for maintaining the temperatures of preheated charges and protecting the charges against contamination as they are moved through process operations.

Abstract: At least two successive assemblies are formed by respective walking beams and actuatable independently of one another to advance articles through an oven, with a respective hydraulic jack connected to each of the assemblies for horizontally displacing each assembly. A respective pump is connected to each of the jacks in a respective circuit having two sides, with a respective nonreturn valve provided on one of the sides of each of the circuits between each jack and the respective pump. A pair of distributors are provided in the other side of one of the circuits between one of the jacks and the respective pump, with a respective distributor provided in each of the sides of the other circuit between another of the jacks and the respective pump, and hydraulic lines connecting the distributors of the circuits.

Abstract: The grate of an industrial furnace is assembled of elongated grate bars which form rows of neighboring grate bars and the grate bars of neighboring rows partially overlap each other. Each grate bar has a top wall, a front end wall and two sidewalls, and such walls define an air-admitting passage having a portion in one or more hollow upward extensions of the top wall close to the front end wall. The extensions have transverse openings which discharge air from the respective portions of the passages into the surrounding atmosphere, namely into fuel which is deposited on the grate. The openings of each extension are located in planes which are inclined to the longitudinal direction of the corresponding top walls through angles of 80-90 degrees, and such openings can be inclined forwardly, rearwardly, downwardly or upwardly. If the grate bars have top walls with several extensions, the openings in the extensions of each grate bar can be staggered relative to each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a combustor with viscous bulk material, particularly coal slurry, comprises two silos which are associated with at least one conveyor system, for transporting the bulk material from the silos to a plurality of fuel-feeders in the combustor. Advantageously, two conveyor systems are linked with each other so that bulk material can be distributed uniformly either from both silos or from one of the silos to all the fuel-feeders of the combustor.

Abstract: An automated cassette handler for transporting a cassette containing integrated circuit wafers between first and second elevators in a standardized mechanical interface (SMIF) system for integrated circuit processing. The handler is adapted to grip and transport the cassette while positively pushing the wafers into the cassette.

Abstract: A radiantly heated, travelling hearth furnace having a supplementary feed means positioned intermediate the initial loading point and the final take-off point to increase the capacity of the furnace for treating objects fed thereto. When the objects are pellets of iron oxide and carbonaceous reductant the provision of supplementary feed means about half-way along the travel path of the hearth promotes uniformity of product by inhibition of reoxidation of reduced iron by exposure to a fossil-fuel-fired furnace atmosphere.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a drum (10) adapted to be driven in rotation about a horizontal axis of rotation (A) and having an at least approximately cylindrical body (12) as well as two steep end walls (14), one at each side of the body (12). The two end walls (14) each include a radially outer crown of ring sectors (20) which are inclined in overlapping relationship such that their leading edges (22) in the operating direction of rotation (26) of the drum (10) are disposed axially further outside than their trailing edges (24). A gap-like passage (28) each is formed between adjacent ring sectors (20). The material (58) being treated may exit through these passages upon rotation of the drum (10) in reverse sense. The ring sectors (20) are followed radially inwardly by a central portion (18,42) of the respective end wall (14) which portion the material (58) cannot penetrate. This makes sure that the material (58) will revolve without disturbance within the forwardly rotating drum (10).

Abstract: The method comprises passing preformed bodies to be calcined, containing pyrolyzable substances, through a furnace having, arranged in succession, a first heating zone, a second or combustion zone wherein volatile substance released by said bodies are subjected to combustion, a third or calcining zone, and a fourth or cooling zone. Separation means between the first and second zones, and between the third and fourth zones, prevent the flue gases from flowing between such zones.

Abstract: A grate bar has an elongated top wall, two longitudinally extending sidewalls, transversely extending front and rear walls, a bottom wall, and several longitudinally extending ribs at the underside of the top wall. The walls define an air heating chamber which receives fresh air from a first opening below the rar wall and discharges heated air by way of a second opening which is provided in one of the sidewalls close to the front wall. The ribs divide the chamber into several elongated channels and a compartment which is located immediately behind the front wall and communicates with the channels as well as with the second opening. At least one of the ribs which are nearest to the one sidewall is spaced apart from the bottom wall so that the channels which flank such rib can communicate with one another along the upper side of the bottom wall.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading a furnace with semiconductor wafers is known, which has at least two heat treatment chambers (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D), each of them having an associated stationary loading unit (8) with a receptacle movable in the direction of the furnace axis via a feed apparatus and having a loading system (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D) for semiconductor wafers. In order to provide such an apparatus for automatically loading the furnace with semiconductors which facilitates loading and overcomes the disadvantages of the known apparatuses, the apparatus according to the invention has a common central loading station (9) for all the semiconductor loading systems (2), and these loading systems are removable from the loading unit (8).

Abstract: Wafers are unloaded from a hot wafer processing boat of the type having a plurality of elongated parallel electrodes defining elongated processing gaps therebetween with the wafers being serially spaced apart lengthwise of the gap. A wafer carrier, into which the wafers are to be unloaded from the hot boat, has elongated receiving means, preferably formed by folds of the wafer carrier, extending lengthwise of the elongated electrodes of the boat. The wafer carrier is positioned over the boat and the boat and the carrier are inverted so that the wafers drop from the hot boat into the receiving means of the wafer carrier. In a preferred embodiment, once the wafers have been unloaded onto the folded wafer carrier, the wafer carrier is unfolded to facilitate access to the wafers.

Abstract: A continuous rotary retort furnace includes an outer shell having first and second ends. A retort assembly extends through openings in the first and second ends. The retort assembly is supported by support devices at both ends external of the shell. The retort assembly is formed of an axial member and a spirally-wound conduit disposed on the exterior surface of the axial member. A drive assembly is coupled to the support device adjacent the first end for rotating of the retort assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for heating powder material charges to high temperatures at a fast rate, and for moving the charges through process operations, and for maintaining the temperatures of preheated charges and protecting the charges against contamination as they are moved through process operations.

Abstract: A turntable furnace for heating particulate material and which is particularly suited for the industrial production of litharge. The particulate material is heated inside the furnace on a turntable hearth and distributed radially outwardly from the center of the hearth to a discharge opening by a pair of water cooled screw augers. The rotational speed of the turntable hearth and the screw augers may be independently controlled to vary the amount of mixing and blending of the particulate material and to vary the length of time the particulate material is subjected to heat.

Abstract: A continuous heat treating furnace for heat treating a ferrous metal work in a protective atmosphere, including a furnace separated into a charge chamber and a heat treating chamber by a partition door and provided with a transport device for transporting the work. A first heating device, a recirculating fan and a gas purge device are provided in the charge chamber, while a second heating device is provided in the heat treating chamber supplied with the protective atmosphere, whereby the work is preheated through convectional heat transfer in the charge chamber simultaneously with high-temperature purging of the charge chamber and then, is heat treated under the protective atmosphere in the heat treating chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed is a furnace having a furnace chamber formed with a work inlet and a work outlet, and a work mount turntable rotatably provided within the furnace chamber, the furnace further comprising work carry-in means for carrying a work while mounting the work thereon into the furnace chamber through work inlet to transfer the work onto given one of work mount portions on the turntable, and work carry-out means for carrying a work mounted on one of the the work mounts out of the work outlet while mounting the work thereon. Each of the work mounts, the work carry-in means, and the work carry-out means is constituted by a plurality of strip members disposed at regular intervals. The respective strip members of each of the work carry-in means and the work carry-out means are arranged to move up and down passing through the gaps formed between the adjacent strip members of the work mounts.

Abstract: When pipes 8 are rollingly conveyed through a furnace along parallel rails 7, any lateral migrations of the pipes are periodically corrected by movable stops 18 which are extended inwardly in unison to abut the pipe ends and re-center them. The stops are mounted on elbowed arms 14 articulated about axes 15 disposed beneath the furnace bed together with fluid control cylinders 16 for the arms, thus providing unobstructed access around the side walls 2 of the furnace. The pipes roll over elevated slide runners 11 during their lateral re-centering by the stops, thereby avoiding the wear and abrasion of the rail crowns.

Abstract: A method of heat treating metallic workpieces using a continuous-heating, sher-type, or gravity-discharge furnace having at least two treatment chambers through which the workpieces successively pass. The chambers, which are provided with doors, serve to respectively heat treat a plurality of workpieces charges, with individual ones of the charges being cyclically received by the respective chambers, being conveyed through the latter while heat treatment is undertaken, and subsequently being released by the chambers. Charges requiring different treatment and/or duration, especially different case-hardening depths during carburization in a two-stage process, can be simultaneously treated while fully utilizing the capacity of the furnace by irregularly conveying the charges in at least one of the treatment chambers in such a way that the charges are released by the chamber or chambers after varying retention times.

Abstract: A conveyor belt having plural metal links arranged in rows which extend transversely of the belt. The links in adjacent rows are staggered to interfit with one another, and elongated rods extend transversely for joining the links together. The metal link comprises a central tubular body having a hollow interior and defined by top and bottom walls joined together by spaced sidewalls, the top wall being substantially planar and having planar wings which project outwardly beyond the sidewalls. Front and rear hinge portions are defined at opposite ends of the tubular body, and each hinge portion includes a substantially semi-cylindrical end wall which joins to the adjacent ends of the top and bottom walls, and also integrally connects to the adjacent end of the respective sidewall to define a substantially cylindrical, transversely extending opening.

Abstract: A tunnel kiln particularly adapted for firing ceramic workpieces has a firing channel including a heating zone, a firing zone, and a cooling zone, and has kiln cars and kiln sole sections which bear the workpieces to be treated and are movable through said firing channel. The kiln sole sections are separated from the kiln cars, and the kiln cars are constructed and arranged to be movable independently of the kiln sole sections.

Abstract: There is described a loading apparatus for conveying charging grates in heat treatment furnaces has one or more chain strands which run in guide rails which also extend into the heat treatment furnace; at the end of the chain strands facing toward the furnace, the chain links have pivoting rocker arms on which there are secured support segments; the raising and lowering of the support segments is carried out by means of support blocks and retaining cams.

Abstract: In a heat treatment furnace with a circular charge conveyor system, bar-shaped charge support elements are provided and said support elements are mobile with respect to each other both in a vertical direction and in the direction of charge travel. Said support elements are arranged substantially in a radial direction and/or in a circle or in sectors of a circle. Several such charge support elements arranged radially are preferably assembled to form fork-type elements. Said support elements may also be arranged in a plurality of vertical planes to form a continuous or a discontinuous helical-type charge conveyor system. The present invention increases throughput, if compared with a conventional furnace of the same size, reduces energy requirements and thus improves conventional pusher-type furnaces for heat treatment in a controlled atmosphere.

Abstract: A sheet of a cross-linkable and foamable polyolefin resin is thermally treated on an endless conveyor belt formed of a plain weave wire net. A plurality of parallel, spaced apart rolls are disposed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the conveyor belt runs for supporting engagement and rolling contact with the conveyor belt to maintain the flatness of the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A multi-zone furnace having one or more walking beam conveyors operative in association with movable isolation doors to provide selective isolation of furnace zones and efficient transport and processing of a product through successive furnace zones.

Abstract: A top-fired, lifting or walking, hearth-type furnace includes an upstream preheating zone and a downstream primary heating zone. Stock, such as billets or ingots, to be heated is passed sequentially through the preheating zone and primary heating zone. Each zone has therein support members for supporting the stock. The support members of the preheating zone are at a level higher than the support members of the primary heating zone, with a step therebetween, whereby hot flue gases in the preheating zone circulate upwardly around the support members therein and the stock supported thereby. A lowering and lifting apparatus is located at the step to transfer stock from the support members of the preheating zone to the support members of the primary heating zone.

Abstract: A feed chain mechanism for continuously feeding metal bars through an induction furnace has a pair of laterally spaced feed chains. Each feed chain includes a plurality of links with alternate links being formed from stainless steel and ceramic material, respectively. The stainless steel links are disposed in pairs and form a drive slot. The stainless steel links on one of said feed chains is laterally opposite the ceramic links on the other feed chain to prevent the creation of a continuous loop for conducting electrical current in adjacent metal bars which are laterally spanning the chains. The feed chains are driven by cogwheels which mesh with the drive slot formed between the stainless steel links.

Abstract: A melt recharge method is disclosed which uses a self-actuated charge container open at one end except for deformable support members which are positioned to support the charge material. The support members are formed of a material which has sufficient rigidity at room temperature to support the charge material but which when heated above its annealing temperature loses its rigidity and can no longer support the charge material which therefore falls into the existing melt. Upon cooling, the support members regain their rigidity and can be reformed for reuse.

Abstract: A cantilever tube for carrying loaded wafer boats into a diffusion furnace and confining flow of gas through the wafers includes an elongated slot extending from an open end of the tube to a predetermined region in which the wafer boats are positioned, the wafer boats abutting each other and forming a sealing cover for the elongated slot. A narrow boat carrier supported on a carriage system extends through the elongated slot and carries a wafer boat loaded with wafers into the open end and to the predetermined region in the cantilever tube without allowing either the carrier, or the wafer boat, or the wafers to touch the cantilever tube. The carrier lowers the boat onto the bottom inner surface of the tube, causing the boat to cover a portion of the elongated slot. The procedure is repeated for subsequent wafer boats, each of which abuts the previous one, to effectively close and seal the elongated slot when all of the wafer boats are positioned inside the cantilever tube.

Abstract: An installation for the fusion of metal ingots so as to provide a continuous supply of the metal ingots to an electric furnace in a safe fashion. The installation includes a rail on which can be suspended several metal ingots one behind the other. The rail is inclined towards the surface of the bath of molten metal so that its lower end is situated above the surface of the bath and so that the ingots slide along the rail under their own weight towards the lower end. A means of suspension is controlled so as to move from its higher position to its lower position by a mechanism activated by a float.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning a thermogravimetric furnace includes a furnace mounting bracket which is rotatable about and linearly translatable along a single axis. In addition, simultaneous rotational and linearly movement of the furnace is excluded.

Abstract: A device for supporting flat ceramic objects, particularly glazed floor or wall tiles, to be fired in a continuous heating furnace where the objects can be moved on rollers which are in the form of tubes. These tubes are equipped with raised and indented portions with the objects to be fired only being supported by the raised portions during transport through the furnace.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for heat treatment of material in pieces at high temperature, especially for firing ceramic material. In this apparatus supports in the form of elongated support elements are provided on carrier elements rotatable about fixed axes, the supports are guided in the transport direction and are spaced a clear distance from one another at right angles to the transport direction. This results in even heat treatment of the material, a reduction in the energy consumption, shortening of the transit time, and a significant reduction in the construction and running costs.

Abstract: Apparatus for introducing silicon wafers in magazines into a process tube of a furnace or diffusion oven. At least two spaced silica tubes closed at the end next adjacent the process tube constitute supporting members for the loaded magazines and a clamping device holds and supports said members cantilever-fashion by that end thereof remote from the process tube. Motor means are associated with the clamping device for moving the supporting members with the loaded magazines thereon into and out of the process tube in a substantially horizontal direction in such a manner that the magazines and their supporting members remain entirely suspended throughout the loading, processing and unloading operations: thus no part thereof comes into contact with the interior wall of the process tube.