Abstract: In a heating furnace 10 where elongate workpieces fed into the heating furnace are sequentially transferred on fixed beams by walking beams from an inlet area to an outlet area, concaves to retain the workpieces are formed at least on the walking beams. A concave in the inlet area for heating the workpieces is increased in width in a transfer direction, while a concave in the outlet area where the heated workpieces are wholly heated to a uniform temperature and retained in position is formed in a corrugated configuration. Despite curving of an elongate workpiece being heat treated as transferred by walking beams in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the workpiece, this ensures that the curved workpiece is properly transferred and adequately corrected for the curving.

Abstract: A thermal processing system is disclosed. The thermal processing system includes a transfer stage, one or more thermal processing chambers and an interface to a deposition equipment. The transfer stage is provided to receive workpieces for thermal processing. Further the transfer stage is provided as a mechanism to move workpieces from one chamber to another chamber. The thermal processing chamber includes a heat manipulation system to heat up or cool down the workpieces. The thermal processing chamber is designed to accommodate a platform that positions each of the workpieces vertically. As a result, all workpieces are moved together with the platform to be transferred, for example, from one chamber to another chamber. Depending on implementation, the platform may be implemented to include a fixture or a plurality of fixtures, where all of the workpieces may be removably held up by the fixture or each of the workpieces is removably held up by one of the fixtures.

Abstract: A heating device provided with a cooling plate and a heating plate is formed in a low height, and floats a substrate above the cooling plate and the heating plate and moves the substrate horizontally between the cooling plate and the heating plate by the pressure of a gas. A heating device 2 includes a cooling plate 3 provided with flotation gas spouting ports 3a, and a heating plate provided with flotation gas spouting ports. The flotation gas spouting ports 3a and 3b are arranged along a wafer moving passage and are formed so as to spout the gas obliquely upward toward a first end of the wafer moving passage on the side of the cooling plate. A pushing member 51 is brought into contact with a back part of a wafer W with respect to a direction in which the wafer W is moved to move the wafer W in a direction toward the heating plate 6 opposite a direction in which the flotation gas is spouted.

Abstract: A positive pressure gradient is maintained across an open access port of an interface chamber such as a load lock chamber which provides an interface between a low pressure chamber such as a transfer or buffer chamber, and a high pressure area such as a staging area or factory interface area. When the access port of the interface chamber is open to the high-pressure area, the positive pressure gradient may be used in some applications to inhibit the flow of gasses from the high-pressure area into the interior of the interface chamber.

Abstract: A semiconductor exposure apparatus includes an exposure stage for holding a substrate when a predetermined exposure process is performed to the substrate, a transfer station for receiving a substrate from a resist coating unit, the transfer station having a temperature adjusting device for adjusting a temperature of the substrate, and a conveying device for conveying a substrate from the transfer station to the exposure stage.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for charging, preheating and refining steel. The charging apparatus has a skirted charging section for introducing charge materials, a dynamic gas seal adjacent the charging section and a preheater, the preheater for preheating the charged materials, a connector adjacent the preheater and removably insertable into an electric arc furnace for feeding charged materials into a furnace bath for melting and refining metallic charge therein, and a vibrating conveyor which extends throughout the charging apparatus. The charging apparatus is positioned on rails to be movable by a hydraulic cylinder between a charging position wherein the connector is fully inserted into the furnace, a retracted position where the connector is partially inserted into the furnace and a disconnected position where the connector is fully removed from the furnace.

Abstract: A load-lock mechanism according to the invention comprises a vacuum chamber 31 arranged between a vacuum first transferring chamber 20 and atmospheric second transferring chambers 40. The vacuum chamber 31 has a first opening 31A facing the first transferring chamber 20, a vertical pair of second openings 31B facing the second transferring chambers 40 and open-close mechanisms 34A, 34B to open and close each of the second opening 31B. One vertical pair of load-lock chambers 32, 33 are movably housed in the vacuum chamber 31. The supply-discharge passageways 31G, 31H are provided in the vacuum chamber 31 to supply and discharge air into and out of each of the load-lock chambers 32, 33. Each of the load-lock chamber 32, 33 has a first port 32A, 33A which can communicate with the first opening 31A, a second port 32B, 33B which can communicate with the corresponding second opening 31B.

Abstract: An apparatus for the heat treatment of workpieces comprising comprising a plurality of evacuable chambers connected through airlocks, a conveyor, preferably a circular chain conveyor for the transport of the workpieces along a path through the chambers, an electric resistance heating device, a cooling blower, and a heat exchanger, a plurality of workpieces of equal size and configuration, in particular backsaw blades, are placed tightly one on top of another and form a stack which is placed into a frame made of profile cuts, whereby the frame is capable of being coupled to a conveyor by means of suspension elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for the heat treatment of work pieces comprising comprising a plurality of evacuable chambers connected through airlocks, a conveyor, preferably a circular chain conveyor for the transport of the workpieces along a path through the chambers, an electric resistance heating device, a cooling blower, and a heat exchanger, a plurality of workpieces of equal size and configuration, in particular hacksaw blades, are placed tightly one on top of another and form a stack which is placed into a frame made of profile cuts, whereby the frame is capable of being coupled to a conveyor by means of suspension elements.

Abstract: A heat treatment furnace and conveyor with multi-conveyance, wherein the top of the furnace has a feeder and the bottom of which has a disposal. The inside of the furnace has a number of conveying units, each unit is in circular status lined up and move with the feeder at the top of the first pallet, and the end of each pallet is connected to the beginning of the next pallet, and the end of the last pallet is connected to the disposal. This reduces the width of the furnace and extend the length of conveying which enhances the heat treatment processing time. The furnace is also divided into several sections, as a heating section and a cooling section. The heating section is equipped with electric heating elements while the cooling section is not. The pallet belt is in a flat surface with some ribs to prevent objects from sticking or sliding off.

Abstract: A load lock chamber includes a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber. The load lock chamber is configurable in several configurations, including a base configuration for providing a transition between two different pressures, a heating configuration for heating the substrate and providing a transition between two different pressures, and a cooling configuration for cooling the substrate and providing a transition between two different pressures. Various features of the chamber configurations help increase the throughput of the system by enabling rapid heating and cooling of substrates and simultaneous evacuation and venting of the chamber, and help compensate for thermal losses near the substrate edges, thereby providing a more uniform temperature across the substrate.

Abstract: A kiln for ceramic products has a firing chamber including sidewalls with opposed slots. A transport device for transporting the ceramic products through the firing chamber in a transport direction is provided. The transport device includes rods for supporting the ceramic products. The rods extend perpendicularly to the transport direction and penetrate the opposed slots. The transport device includes a rail system and holders movably guided on the rail system. The rods have a first and second ends supported by a first and second sets of holders and a second set of holders. The first and second sets of holders are respectively detachably connected to one another. The holders within the opposed slots are arranged directly adjacent to one another to tightly seal the slots. The firing chamber has an upstream end and a downstream end in the transport direction.

Abstract: A tunnel oven contains a plurality of transversely extending radiant heating elements 17, 18 arranged at intervals along the length of the oven 1, the oven 1 being provided with conveyor band 10 for transporting material to be heated through the oven radiant heating elements 17, 18 supplying thermal energy, a sensing tube 31, 32 which extends within the oven 1 over a part of the length of the oven 1 that contains at least two radiant heating elements 17 or 18 that are spaced from each other along the length of the oven 1, the sensing tube 31 or 32 being arranged to absorb radiation from the said at least two heating elements 17 or 18 with pump 34 for causing a liquid to flow through the sensing tube 31 or 32 at a controlled rate with thermocouple junctions 35, 36 for producing a signal that provides a measure of the temperature increase of the liquid resulting from its passage through the sensing tube 31, 32 within the oven, and control means 29, 30 and with processor 29 and valve controller 30 arranged to co

Abstract: A conveying system for use in a continuous-type oven is provided. The conveying system comprises a machine unit on which are disposed at least a pair of opposed carriers spaced apart by a predetermined separation distance. The subject conveying system also comprises a mesh conveyor belt displaceably coupled to the machine unit in an endless loop configuration, about an axis directed substantially parallel to a longitudinal plane defined by the machine unit. The subject conveying system further comprises at least a pair of chain conveyor assemblies coupled to the machine unit, each including: a rail coupled to at least one of the carriers to be suspended thereby over the mesh conveyor belt; and, at least a pair of chain wheels coupled adjacent the opposing ends of the rail to rotate about respective axes of rotation transversely directed relative to the longitudinal plane. Each chain conveyor assembly also includes a chain engaging the chain wheels so as to advance thereabout through an endless loop.

Abstract: A belt conveyance baking furnace which can reduce the weight and size of a belt and can raise and lower the furnace temperature to desired levels in a shorter time. A workpiece is baked while it is on a conveyor belt and conveyed through the furnace therewith. A table roller (31) for driving a conveyor belt (30) is disposed at least one of an entry section and a delivery section of the furnace. A plurality of furnace bed rollers (15) supporting the lower surface of the conveyor belt (30) and driven at the same circumferential speed as the table roller (31) are arranged side by side in the furnace in the longitudinal direction. Since the conveyor belt (30) runs while rolling over the furnace bed rollers (15), the friction force between the conveyor belt and the furnace bed rollers is practically negligible. It is hence possible to considerably reduce the weight and heat capacity of the conveyor belt as compared with a conventional conveyor belt.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus having a heat treatment furnace into which a hydrocarbon gas and an oxidization gas are introduced, wherein an outlet opening of a valve through which a pusher for pushing a work to be heat treated in the heat treatment furnace is movable is hermetically connected to a pusher insertion port formed on a wall of the heat treatment furnace, and a seal box is connected hermetically to an inlet opening of the valve, the pusher being movable hermetically through the seal box. An elevator door for opening and closing the heat treatment furnace has a guide pin projected therefrom, and a jam having an upper hook surface for receiving the guide pin thereon, the jam being pivotally supported so that when the elevator door is lowered, the elevator door is moved by the jam toward a seal surface of the opening of the heat treatment furnace.

Abstract: A kiln or oven for producing ceramic products is described having a combustion chamber through which the ceramic products continuously pass, as well as a process for the operation and control of the kiln and the ceramic products perform a rotation about their own longitudinal axis in addition to the passage movement through the combusion chamber. The passage and rotation of the ceramic products takes place by means of a drive mechanism located in the kiln base with shafts projecting into the combustion chamber and located on an inventively designed receiving and holding device and can be regulated in infinitely variable and separate manner. The invention permits an effective, discontinuous operation of the kiln.

Abstract: A pusher cylinder for a tunnel kiln is used for moving kiln cars loaded with products such as molded ceramic green products to be sintered in the tunnel kiln. A piston rod of the pusher cylinder is made to have a length more than twice a stroke of the pusher cylinder. With such an arrangement, even if foreign substances such as tar are attached to the piston rod extended into the tunnel kiln, the substances do not enter the pusher cylinder in the fully retracted position of the piston rod. As a result, there is no longer any risk of the pusher cylinder itself and a packing for a piston of the cylinder being damaged by such foreign substances. Therefore, the life span of the pusher cylinder and packing until they need to be replaced is remarkably prolonged.

Abstract: A heat-resistant material having excellent high-temperature strength and high oxidation resistance at temperatures exceeding 1300.degree. C. The material is a heat-resistant Cr-Fe alloy including at least 60% of Cr and at least 5% of Fe, and having a mean grain size of at least 50 .mu.m and having a melting point of at least 1600 .degree. C., or a composite material composed of the said heat-resistant alloy serving as a metal matrix and a ceramic, and containing up to 40% by volume of a dispersed ceramic phase in the metal matrix.

Abstract: A dual belt furnace for heat-treating of small parts includes enclosure having a base, a pair of side walls, a top wall, front wall, and a rear wall all being connected together to form at least one heating zone. A plurality of gas burners are positioned throughout the enclosure for delivering a hot gaseous medium. A plurality of fans are mounted in the top wall of the furnace for circulating the heated gas medium within the enclosures. A first conveyor belt is arranged completely within the at least one heating zone and extends substantially between the front wall and the rear wall of the enclosure for transporting the small parts to be heat treated through the at least one heating zone to a drop zone. The second conveyor belt extends beyond the at least one heating zone and overlays the first conveyor belt so as to be supported by the first conveyor belt within the at least one heating zone for carrying the small parts to be heat treated into the at least one heating zone.

Abstract: A heating furnace for e.g. a hot rolling process of any object is disclosed. The furnace has a heat-resistant conveyer device for conveying a treatment object in a high-temperature atmosphere inside the furnace. The conveyer device includes an elongate cooling chamber, a rotary-member guiding passage, an endless rotary member, a drive unit and a roller. The elongate elongate cooling chamber is disposed along a direction of conveying the object inside the furnace and allowing flow of a cooling medium inside the chamber. The rotary-member guiding passage is constructed as a gutter-like recess formed along an entire length of the elongate cooling chamber. The endless rotary member includes a plurality of receivers interconnected with each other in the form of a loop. Each receiver has an object-receiving end thereof exposed from the guiding passage and the opposite end thereof disposed inside the guiding passage and the rotary member is driven by the drive unit to convey the object.

Abstract: A convection braze furnace for brazing aluminum heat exchangers in an inert gas rich atmosphere includes entrance and exit vestibules forming atmosphere barriers of suspended stainless steel strips. The interior of the braze furnace is divided into multiple zones for progressively heating the heat exchangers to a brazing temperature and then cooling the heat exchangers in the final zone. An impeller circulates the heated inert gas atmosphere within each zone to accelerate heat transfer. A chain type conveyor supports the heat exchangers as they are moved through the braze furnace. An isolated return tube surrounds the lower return side of the conveyor chain as it passes through the braze furnace. The braze furnace housing is comprised of inner and outer shells having an inert gas pressurized cavity interstitial therebetween. The inner shell includes a plurality of expansion strips having generally ellipsoidal corner expansion joints.

Abstract: An ingot pusher furnace includes means for reducing heat loss from the charging and discharging ends of the furnace so as to produce a more efficient and uniform heating of the ingots. The pusher furnace includes support rails which extend between a first opening in the front wall and a second opening in the rear wall and terminates inside of the charging and discharging doors. The charging and discharging doors extend below the support rails in their closed position so as to provide a positive seal. A first rail drawbridge is arranged adjacent the charging door to facilitate movement of the ingots into the furnace enclosure. The second rail drawbridge is arranged adjacent the discharging door to facilitate movement of the ingots out of the furnace enclosure.

Abstract: A walking beam furnace with a hearth of fixed beams and of walking beams arranged on supports passing through slots in the floor of the furnace in which, so as to avoid heat loss and undesired heating of the supports in the region of the floor slots, covers are provided for the floor slots that are movable with the supports in at least the feed direction.

Abstract: A light-weight base structure for a kiln car comprises vertical, pillars (11,12,13) arranged around the periphery of the base with vertical wall plates (20 to 28) supported between adjacent pillars to define a hollow cavity filled with light-weight insulating material (32). A baffle which extends outwardly around the periphery of the base is formed from bats (15 to 19) of genreally T-shape in plan, each with an inner portion (15a to 19a) which extends between the facing sides of adjacent pairs of pillars and an outer portion (15b to 19b) which extends partially over the outwardly directed sides of the pillars so that such outer portions collectively form an effectively continuous baffle around the base. The peripheral wall is divided by such bats and the wall plates engage in grooves (15c to 19c) formed in the upper and lower faces of the inner portions of the bats, the bats being substantially balanced on the wall plates on which they rest.

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 metal melting installation in which a movable carrier has a kiln door fixed at its front end for closing an entrance opening of the kiln and a crucible provided forwardly of the door so as to lodge in the kiln when the entrance opening is closed. A drive means for closing the carrier comprises: an electric motor in a control circuit that also includes a limit switch mounted adjacent the kiln entrance opening; a chain and sprocket gear for moving the carrier; a damper device interconnecting the drive shaft of the motor and one sprocket wheel of the gear for allowing it to keep on rotating to dissipate accumulated momentum energy when the motor is de-energized, a push button being provided on the carrier for contacting the limit switch to thus cut off the electric circuit and deenergize the motor when the door on the carrier closes the kiln opening.

Abstract: A continuous firing equipment for ceramics is disclosed. A furnace body is equipped with electrical heating elements and has a horizontally looped track extending therethrough. A plurality of cars made of a metal material having a small heat capacity and a high resistance to thermal shocks are arranged all along the track so as to travel on the track. A plurality of saggars made of a ceramic wool material are loaded on the cars. A drive system including a looped driving member arranged along the circumference of the track and coupled to the cars is provided for driving the cars along the track.

Abstract: A rotary continuous ash discharge stoker having a circular grate which is designed to support burning fuel as it distributes the fuel from the feedpoint over the entire grate, and at the same time provides for the controlled admission of air for combustion of the fuel and also automatically removes from the furnace the remaining ash. The upper grate surface consists of two zones, a central stationary section and an outer rotating section or ring. The central section is inclined and is the main air admitting zone. The outer rotating ring serves to distribute the fuel in the furnace with the aid of a stationary spreader arm, admits the air necessary to complete combustion of the fuel and removes the burned out ash from the furnace with the aid of a stationary ash plow.

Abstract: A cremator having a pivotable hearth and a secondary moveable hearth displaceable along a primary chamber and a secondary chamber is disclosed. The pivotable hearth is rotated by means of an exterior hydraulic cylinder coupled to a pivotable hearth. The primary and secondary chamber are separated by an interior wall having a lower portion in close contact with the secondary moveable hearth. Means are provided for moving the secondary hearth from an initial position to sequentially a downward position, a sideways position, an upward position and a final sideways position corresponding to the initial position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a truck for conveying ceramic articles through a tunnel kiln, comprising a baseplate or trolley, a frame of refractory material formed on the base and bearing a surface for loading ceramic articles. The frame is made up of box-shaped section members having a C cross-section open toward the interior of the frame. The loading surface is formed by a number of ceramic rollers rotatably held in corresponding bearing means resting on the side of the frame parallel to the direction of the motion of the truck through the tunnel kiln (FIG. 2).

Abstract: A furnace for the conversion of trash and garbage into useful energy, in which use is made of a movable grating system over which the trash and garbage is advanced for passage through the furnace, the means for driving the grating being located outside of the furnace with a heat sink in between and which includes means for disconnecting the grating from the drive means without the need to gain access into the interior of the furnace.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating billets and the like prior to hot extrusion is disclosed. The apparatus includes an elongated, insulated tunnel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening. A conveyor extends through the tunnel from the inlet to the outlet and conveys a plurality of equally spaced, transversely arranged billets in a step-like manner. The conveyor rotates the billets as they are conveyed through the tunnel. A source of high temperature air is connected to a plenum positioned above the conveyor. High temperature air is discharged from the plenum through a plurality of slot-like jets positioned above the billets so that the air directly impinges on the billets. Temperature probes are included for insuring that the billets are biased to one side of the conveyor upon discharge and for sensing the billet temperature to control the air temperature within the tunnel. An unloader is provided for receiving the billets discharged from the tunnel and rotating them through an angle of 90.degree.