Having Timing, Programming Or Cycling Control Means Patents (Class 432/51)
  • Patent number: 11558933
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward a control system for controlling a heater system. The control system includes a plurality of zone control circuits, at least two auxiliary controllers, and a primary controller. The zone control circuits are operable to provide power to a plurality of heater zones of the heater system and to sense performance characteristics of the zones. The auxiliary controllers are coupled to the plurality of zone control circuits to control power to the plurality of zones and to monitor operation of the heater zones based on the performance characteristics. The primary controller is coupled to the auxiliary controllers and is configured to provide an operation set-point for each of the heater zones based on the performance characteristics. The auxiliary controllers operate the zone control circuits to supply power to the heater system based on the operation set-point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: John Lemke, Martin Currie, William Bohlinger, Stanton H. Breitlow, Adam Kidney, Kurt Peterson, James Hentges
  • Publication number: 20150107462
    Abstract: A control device for gas appliances (1) comprises: a manual-control element (12, 22); a circuit arrangement (25a) that includes control elements, electrical-interconnection elements, detection elements for detecting actuation of the manual-control element (12, 22) and supplying corresponding signals to the control elements; and a supporting structure (21), which can be associated in a stationary way with respect to a gas tap, wherein the supporting structure (21) includes at least one first part of stationary structure (40, 41) that defines a housing for at least part of the circuit arrangement (25a), the first part of structure (40, 41) being in particular designed for being housed within a body of a gas appliance. The control elements are designed for counting the time, and the device includes optical warning elements (43?, LG).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Marco Moro, Paolo Savini
  • Publication number: 20150104753
    Abstract: Oven appliances and methods for operating oven appliances are provided. An oven appliance defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction that are each perpendicular to each other. The oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and including a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical direction. The oven appliance further includes a baking gas burner disposed adjacent the bottom wall and configured to heat the cooking chamber, and a broiling gas burner disposed adjacent the top wall and configured to heat the cooking chamber. The oven appliance further includes a controller in communication with the baking gas burner and the broiling gas burner, the controller operable to activate a preheat mode wherein the baking gas burner and the broiling gas burner are simultaneously on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul Bryan Cadima
  • Publication number: 20140120485
    Abstract: Provided are peptide analogues of PA-IL and compositions containing them. The PA-IL peptide analogues have altered carbohydrate binding specificity relative to a PA-IL of SEQ ID NO:1, and thus the analogues contain amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:1. The substitutions can be at positions 50, 52 and 53 of SEQ ID NO:1 and can include combinations of amino acid substitutions at those positions. Also included are methods for detecting changes in the glycosylation of carbohydrates and for separating biomolecules which contain glycoproteins or glycoconjugates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventor: Robert Grunenfelder
  • Publication number: 20130078587
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes, among other things, a method. The method may include determining, by a processor of a controller, a setting on a control, the setting corresponding to a type of connector. The method may include retrieving, by the processor, an algorithm for curing epoxy disposed within the type of connector. The method may include generating, by the processor, at least one control signal based at least in part on the algorithm. The method may include sending, by the controller, the at least one control signal to a heating dock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: kSARIA Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Christopher, George Ciolfi
  • Publication number: 20130029279
    Abstract: A dental oven comprising a firing chamber for the heat treatment of dental restoration parts. The firing chamber is connected to a negative pressure source via a suction line. A valve arrangement is located between the firing chamber and the suction line with the aid of which the suction line is closable towards the firing chamber in order to maintain a negative pressure in the firing chamber. The suction line between the valve arrangement and the negative pressure source is ventilatable via an ambient air connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: IVOCLAR VIVADENT AG
    Inventor: Rudolf Jussel
  • Patent number: 8317512
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a firing furnace, in particular for the dental sector, in which the temperature is measured and, based on the measured temperature, a temperature control is performed. If appropriate, the temperature integral, recorded at discrete points, is determined over the course of time and in particular stored, and is used, if appropriate in addition to the temperature, for controlling the firing furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ivoclar Vivadent AG
    Inventor: Rudolf Jussel
  • Publication number: 20120264072
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing reactive thermal treatment of thin film photovoltaic devices includes a furnace having a tubular body surrounded by heaters and cooling devices. The apparatus includes cooled doors at ends of the furnace separated from a central portion of the furnace by baffles. The cooled doors facilitate increased convection within the furnace and improve temperature uniformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Stion Corporation
    Inventor: Ashish Tandon
  • Patent number: 8175744
    Abstract: In order to plan the performance of heat treatment of metal workpieces before the beginning of the heat treatment in the particular industrial furnace and perform it autonomously thereafter, the invention proposes a method and computer program and an apparatus having a computer (1) for the automatic preparation of technological formulas for the heat treatment, firstly loading parameters of a selected material of the metal workpiece and a formula structure template of a selected treatment method from a material databank (10) and providing data from a user interface and compiling a formula structure, then establishing the parameters of the metal workpiece, the compiled formula structure, and the data from the user interface as values of formula segments, from which the technological formula for heat treatment is finally generated, this technological formula being able to be readjusted, stored in a program databank (12), and retrieved for the heat treatment of metal workpieces in industrial furnaces (5)(FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Ipsen, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Biester, Thomas Eversmann, Werner Schulte, Jörg Willeke, Regina Wolff
  • Publication number: 20110236845
    Abstract: A heat processing apparatus includes a heating plate configured to heat the substrate; a cover configured to surround a space above the heating plate; an exhaust gas flow forming mechanism configured to exhaust gas inside the cover to form exhaust gas flows within the space above the heating plate; a downflow forming mechanism configured to form downflows uniformly supplied onto an upper surface of the substrate placed on the heating plate; and a control mechanism configured to execute mode switching control between a mode arranged to heat the substrate while forming the downflows by the downflow forming mechanism and a mode arranged to heat the substrate while forming the exhaust gas flows by the exhaust gas flow forming mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeki AOKI, Yuichi Sakai, Mitsuo Yamashita, Hiroshi Shinya
  • Patent number: 7993075
    Abstract: A control system for heating a screed assembly of a paving machine is provided. The control system includes a plurality of resistive heating elements positioned adjacent to a screed plate of the screed assembly. An electrical power supply is selectively connected with the resistive heating elements via switches operated by a controller. The controller is responsive to inputs from at least manual switches and temperature sensors. The controller is configured to automatically adjust the temperature of the screed plate by selectively energizing fewer than all of the resistive heating elements at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20110147968
    Abstract: For a simplified method for heating a pre-warmed muffle used for dental ceramics in a dental furnace, wherein a saving of time in heating before the pressing and also a parallel heating of the muffles should be made possible, the following steps are suggested: a) heating of the muffle to a maximal temperature (Tmax), which is above the pressing temperature (Tpress), in which pressing is carried out, b) possibly keeping the muffle at a maximal temperature (Tmax) during a first pause (t-1), c) cooling of the muffle to a minimal temperature (Tmin), which is at most as high as the pressing temperature (Tpress), and d) keeping the muffle at a minimal temperature (Tmin) during a second pause (t2). In addition, a corresponding control device for the dental furnace and a furnace equipped with this kind of control device are produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: Zubler Geratebau GmbH
    Inventor: Kurt Zubler
  • Patent number: 7896649
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heating system, a heating method and a program, which can readily control processing temperature. A temperature calculating computer 4 of the heating system includes a device DB 42. The device DB 42 stores therein a temperature correcting table indicative of a relationship between an accumulated film thickness of extraneous matter attached to the interior of each heating apparatus and a temperature correcting amount, with respect to each heating apparatus, for each temperature (processing temperature) in the heating apparatus. Thus, the temperature correcting amount can be specified based on the temperature correcting table, the processing temperature and the accumulated film thickness, so that an optimized value can be calculated from the specified temperature correcting amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Noriaki Koyama, Wenling Wang
  • Publication number: 20090117504
    Abstract: The invention relates to a furnace assembly for dental technology, in particular for ceramic dental compositions, comprising a display device associated with a furnace assembly (10), which may be designed in the manner of a touchscreen, and comprising a control device, which has a data interface by way of which data for controlling the furnace assembly and/or image data (in the form of static images or moving images) can be transmitted. The control device has a packet module, in particular an EDGE, GSM, GRPS and/or UMTS module, by way of which control data and/or image data for presentation on the display device can be transmitted in the form of packets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventor: Robert Grunenfelder
  • Publication number: 20080048656
    Abstract: With a view toward implementing a thermal controlling method for making reversible a temperature characteristic of a magnetic field generator using permanent magnets small in Hcj, a magnetic field generator whose temperature characteristic is reversible, using permanent magnets small in Hcj, and an MRI apparatus provided with such a magnetic field generator, there is provided a method for controlling the temperature of a magnetic field generator having a pair of disc-shaped permanent magnets whose magnetic poles opposite in polarity to each other are opposed to each other with spacing defined therebetween, and a yoke that forms return passes for magnetic fluxes of the permanent magnets, comprising the steps of raising the temperature from room temperature to a temperature higher than the room temperature, maintaining the temperature higher than the room temperature, and lowering the temperature from the temperature higher than the room temperature to the room temperature, whereby the temperature characteristi
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Fengshun Tan, Weijun Shen, Yihe Hua, Liang Liu
  • Patent number: 7001178
    Abstract: An kiln for dental restoration components is provided, and comprises an indicator having an image screen for displaying information. The image screen is provided with at least two, and in particular at least three, surface areas with which optically distinguishable features, including colors, types and structures, can be represented. The surface areas together essentially form a front and/or side view of at least one tooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Ivoclar Vivadent A.G.
    Inventors: Robert Grunenfelder, Gottfried Rohner
  • Publication number: 20010054324
    Abstract: A sampling device comprising an elongate tube and an identification device. The identification device comprises a transponder which is removably attached to the tube by means of a clip. The identification device may thus be removed from the tube prior to analysis and/or replaced between successive sampling operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: Alun Cole, Elizabeth Angela Woolfenden
  • Publication number: 20010029888
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for baking-out and for cooling a vacuum chamber are provided. In a first aspect, an inert gas which conducts heat from the vacuum chamber's bake-out lamps to the shield and from the shield to the other parts within the vacuum chamber is introduced to the chamber during chamber bake-out. The inert gas preferably comprises argon, helium or nitrogen and preferably raises the chamber pressure to about 500 Torr during chamber bake-out. A semiconductor processing apparatus also is provided having a controller programmed to perform the inventive bake-out method. In a second aspect, a process chamber is provided having at least one source of a cooling gas. The cooling gas is input to the chamber and is allowed to thermally communicate with the chamber body and components. The cooling gas may reside in the chamber for a period of time or may be continuously flowed through the chamber. Once the chamber reaches a target temperature the cooling gas is evacuated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventors: Arvind Sundarrajan, Dinesh Saigal, Peijun Ding, James van Gogh
  • Patent number: 5967660
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of providing accelerated thermal fatigue testing of an engine component, comprising: (i) impinging one or more torch flames directly on a selected area of the test specimen (i.e. metallic engine cylinder head) to heat such area to a critical test temperature that exceeds the normal maximum loading temperature of the specimen in normal use by about 10-25%, and holding such temperature for a period of 0.01-2.0 minutes; (ii) at the end of the holding period (ie. Water jet water in head jacket, or air in ports) quenching the heated area of the test specimen to a temperature that is about 75% below that of the normal maximum loading temperature and holding such quenching temperature for about 1-3 minutes; and (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) until a crack is induced in the test specimen while recording the history of temperature and time involved in such repeated steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Akpan, Jeff Lee Branson, Blake Ross, John Loncke, Long T. Dinh, Richard Piekos
  • Patent number: 5857847
    Abstract: A method of controlling the feeding of part trays into a roller-hearth brazing furnace includes feeding a part tray into the furnace after the expiration of a time period. The temperatures in each heating zone of the furnace are monitored. After the expiration of the time period and before a part tray is fed into the furnace, these temperatures are compared to a specified temperature range for each zone. If all temperatures within the heating zones are within specification, the time period is decremented by a small amount. This process continues automatically until a temperature in a heating zone is not within specification when the time period expires. When this occurs, the time period is incremented by a small amount, which can be different from or the same as the amount used to decrement the time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventor: John D. Temme
  • Patent number: 5187670
    Abstract: A control system for heat-treating parts in a furnace structure is provided. A plurality of processing chambers, each having at least one part position, are adapted to simultaneously process a plurality of parts each for a respective predetermined processing time. A memory device stores first records representing processing times associated with each of the parts within each processing chamber, second records representing a desired processing path associated with each part through at least one processing chamber, and third records representing the number and location of occupied part positions within each processing chamber. A computerized control center calculates desired processing times associated with at least one processing chamber for a new part to be processed in the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Gary D. Keil, Gregory S. Holloway
  • Patent number: 5072360
    Abstract: A control arrangement for dental furnaces, especially microprocessor-controlled preheating furnaces or ovens with controlled heating and with limited rate in the rise of the heating temperature.The control arrangement for dental furnaces implements the temperature control or rise on one or more, preferably three program tiers or levels, with one or more temperature steps or phases being either unrestrictedly or controllably programmed, or implemented on one or more temperature steps in a controlled programming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1991
    Assignee: Kaltenbach & Voigt GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Ernst Knorpp, Manfred Gantner
  • Patent number: 5003160
    Abstract: A reflow furnace control system is contemplated to give an optimum time-temperature profile of an object intended to be heated. The object is carried on a conveyor to move along a conveyor path in the reflow furnace during which it is heated by heaters disposed along the conveyor path. A data table is provided to store sets of control data relating to the conveyor speed and the operating temperatures of the individual heaters. Each set of the control data is closely associated with various conditional parameters indicative of configuration and material characteristics of the object and the required temperature to which the object is heated. Control data assigning section is interfaced with the data table so that it responds to the entry of the conditional parameters for retrieving from the data table a relevant control data. Based upon the retrieved control data, the furnace is controlled by the system to give an optimum time-temperature profile of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shouichi Matsuo, Yasuo Kotou
  • Patent number: 4983811
    Abstract: An auxiliary control system for an oven or similar device that is separate from the primary control circuitry and operates independently when the condition occurs that could be hazardous or unsafe. The control acts to prevent the temperature of a known point to rise above a predetermined set point, or points, and the primary circuitry failed to take corrective action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1991
    Assignee: Appliance Control Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick L. Oppor, Timothy L. Braun
  • Patent number: 4897526
    Abstract: A kiln firing cycle controller is disclosed which automatically cycles a hobbyist kiln through its low, medium, and high power level phases. The exemplary embodiment includes a control panel having a firing cycle initiating control knob. Manipulation of the control knob appropriately supplies power to the kiln's heating elements and energizes a motor. The control knob is mounted on a shaft which is rotated by the energized motor. Also disposed on this shaft are a plurality of cams which rotates and act in concert to interconnect a set of contacts which appropriately connect the heating elements to a power supply to thereby control the kiln's power level settings. The rotation of the cams also controls the timely energization of control panel low, medium, and high power level indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1990
    Inventor: Frank Anthony
  • Patent number: 4737103
    Abstract: There is disclosed an environmental control system for a large volume structure (one horizontal dimension of at least 60 feet) having an air tempering unit including a horizontal cylindrical duct of about three feet diameter with an axial flow propeller fan and motor placed in one end to draw air through the duct and a gaseous fuel burner upstream from the fan with oxygen supplied from the air stream and with combustion products thereof being propelled through the fan. A series of propeller-fan air movers are placed in the structure near ceiling level with the first of the air movers placed about 25 to 50 feet in front of the air tempering unit. The air tempering unit and the air movers are operated by a control unit in response to a cycle timer and various sensor elements including an air velocity sensor for outside air supplied to the air tempering unit and an internal air temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Inventor: Frank J. Siccardi
  • Patent number: 4730101
    Abstract: A microcomputer control system for a furnace is disclosed which provides accurate control of the temperature of the furnace such that the temperature can be quickly increased to a predetermined desired temperature without overshooting the desired temperature. The control system determines the tuning constants of the furnace as a function of the system's response to a predetermined input and, thereafter, uses the determined tuning constants to accurately control the temperature of the furnace. The control system employs a novel method for increasing the temperature of a furnace wherein full power is applied to the furnace heat source until the microcomputer makes the determination, based upon the furnace tuning constants, that power supplied to the furnace must be reduced to prevent the temperature of the furnace from overshooting the desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1988
    Assignee: Edward Orton, Jr. Ceramic Foundation
    Inventors: Kenneth Mahon, Gary S. Sheffield, Gary L. Snider, Milan Vukovich, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4705930
    Abstract: A heating control apparatus for exciting the heating element of a kiln or the like. The heating control apparatus includes an interval timer that produces a pulse of electricity having a predetermined duration of time, a fixed timer adapted to open and close an electrical path, and a power relay connected to the heating element and which is adapted to excite the heating element for selected periods of time in response to the operation of the fixed and interval timers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Duncan Enterprises
    Inventors: Curtis J. Sathre, Jr., Mark R. Thornton
  • Patent number: 4688180
    Abstract: An apparatus controls the temperature of a multi-zone furnace based on a given temperature distribution pattern, which pattern is automatically switched zone by zone while considering inter-zone thermal interferences as the work being heat-treated is changed by using a memory storing a series of such patterns for different kinds of works.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1987
    Assignee: Ohkura Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takehiko Motomiya
  • Patent number: 4609346
    Abstract: There is disclosed an environmental control system for a large volume structure (one horizontal dimension of at least 60 feet) having an air tempering unit including a horizontal cylindrical duct of about three feet diameter with an axial flow propellor fan and motor placed in one end to draw air through the duct and a gaseous fuel burner upstream from the fan with oxygen supplied from the air stream and with combustion products thereof being propelled through the fan. A series of propeller-fan air movers are placed in the structure near ceiling level with the first of the air movers placed about 25 to 50 feet in front of the air tempering unit. The air tempering unit and the air movers are operated by a control unit in response to a cycle timer and various sensor elements including an air velocity sensor for outside air supplied to the air tempering unit and an internal air temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Inventor: Frank J. Siccardi
  • Patent number: 4480992
    Abstract: A heat-treatment furnace for thermally treating materials such as iron or steel products therein has a plurality of burners selectively actuable in different combinations at successive stages of a predetermined combustion control pattern or one of such patterns. At least one of the selected burners is alternately turned on and off during its operation in each stage. The combustion control pattern may be selected which corresponds to one of a plurality of temperature distribution patterns as sensed by temperature sensors located in the furnace at different positions. With the method of the invention, the furnace can be heated efficiently according to a predetermined optimum combustion pattern without consuming an excess amount of fuel and discharging unwanted exhaust pollutants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1984
    Assignee: Sanken Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4445848
    Abstract: A unit for heating initially solid asphaltic material to provide asphaltic concrete in a condition suitable for application. The unit is operated to heat initially cold material to a temperature between 275.degree. and 300.degree. F. and to maintain it at that temperature until it is used. A thermostatic control system produces heated air intermittently in accordance with a predetermined schedule, and the heated air is used to heat the asphaltic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1984
    Assignee: Poweray Infrared Corporation
    Inventor: Anton H. Heller
  • Patent number: 4425930
    Abstract: Apparatus and a method for controlling the flow of a fluid to a fluid-actuated system. The system is controlled by a sensor which senses a variable characteristic of the system, such as the air temperature. The apparatus includes a pair of solenoid valves, one valve being set to deliver a first volume of fluid per unit time and the other valve being set to deliver a second volume of fluid per unit time. The solenoid coil of one of the valves responds to the actuation and de-actuation of the sensor. The second valve has a solenoid coil controlled by a pair of switches. One of the switches is responsive to a first timing signal and the second switch is responsive to a second timing signal. One of the switches allows the second valve to be open for a first time interval during which the first valve is open; thereafter, the second valve is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1984
    Inventor: Donald Kruto
  • Patent number: 4354828
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically controlling a carbon bake furnace to thereby reduce uniformly baked anodes is disclosed. In its method aspects, the invention contemplates the use of flue and pit temperatures to produce a control signal to operate a valve for varying the air fuel mixture of a burner associated with said valve. In its apparatus aspects, the invention utilizes a plurality of infrared detectors to measure the pit and flue temperatures. The signals produced by these sensors are fed to a computer which produces a control signal for operating a valve associated with at least one of a plurality of burners which is to have its air/fuel ratio adjusted to thus adjust the temperature in the pit heated by the selected burner to a desired target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1982
    Assignees: Southwire Company, National Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Charles M. Benton, Homer M. Charlton, Wade L. Van Winkle, Jerry A. Meyer, Franklin D. Arnold, Anthony Kamalich
  • Patent number: 4338077
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method of controlling the temperature of a heating furnace which has at least one furnace zone capable of being controlled by heating means and which conveys materials to be heated, that are introduced thereinto, by conveyor means such as a walking beam or a pusher so that the materials are heated to a predetermined temperature until they are withdrawn from the discharge side.More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of controlling set furnace zone temperature of the heating furnace when the materials to be heated, that are introduced into the heating furnace, have different temperature elevation patterns. The method of the invention is specifically characterized in that the predetermined set temperatures of each zone is used when the temperature elevation patterns of slabs are different with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignees: Nippon Kokan Kabushiki Kaisha, Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shibayama, Shinya Tanifuji, Yasuo Morooka, Kozo Nakai, Nobuyuki Togashi
  • Patent number: 4313723
    Abstract: In a carbon black manufacturing process in which a carbon black dryer is utilized to produce a product carbon black having a specified dryness, method and apparatus is provided for controlling the flow of fuel to the carbon blackdryer so as to insure that the dryness of the carbon black product will meet predetermined specifications. Feedforward, predictive control of the flow rate of the fuel to the carbon black dryer is utilized to compensate for changes in the flow rate of wet carbon black or for changes in the moisture content of the wet carbon black. In this manner, the dryness of the carbon black product is maintained at a predetermined specification even though process variations may occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1982
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: Robert H. Kallenberger, John E. Anderson
  • Patent number: 4239483
    Abstract: A method of controlling steel strip temperature in a process of continuously heating steel strip in heating equipment having a preheating zone and a rapid-heating zone. The preheating zone has a number of gas-injecting preheating units that can be individually put into and taken out of operation. In normal operation, the in-operation length of the preheating zone is prefixed irrespective of strip thickness, and the temperature of the rapid-heating zone is preset depending on the strip thickness so that the strip acquires the desired temperature at the exit end thereof. In such operation, the strip is preheated in the preheating zone of the prefixed in-operation length and rapidly heated in the rapid-heating zone at the preset temperature. In irregular operation, such as treating a following strip the thickness of which has changed, the temperature of the rapid-heating zone is changed from the preset one to a second one optimum for the following strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1980
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iida, Ikuo Umehara, Yasuo Takeda
  • Patent number: 4223385
    Abstract: The present control system and method for a slab heating furnace is operative in relation to a predicted travel time of a theoretical control slab in the charge zone of the furnace and a predicted travel time of a theoretical control slab in the heat zone of the furnace as based upon the cycle time of an associated rolling mill. This operation is in relation to a desired distribution of heat content supplied by the charge zone and heat content supplied by the heat zone, and in consideration of a related temperature profile within each slab, for the determination of a temperature control setpoint for the charge zone and a temperature control setpoint for the heat zone such that a desired total heat content is provided within each slab before it enters the soak zone of the slab heating furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1980
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: William R. Miller, Clarence E. Peck
  • Patent number: 4208181
    Abstract: Flow control valves are mounted with corresponding axial rows of nozzles about the periphery of a rotary kiln. A metering cylinder is mounted on the kiln and rotates therewith. A piston member is moveable in the metering cylinder in alternately opposite directions to deliver a predetermined measured volume of a liquid hydrocarbon such as fuel oil from said cylinder equally in each direction of movement of said piston member. A first hydraulic circuit interconnects each of said liquid flow control valves with a liquid fuel supply and with one end of said metering cylinder on one side of said piston member, and a second hydraulic circuit interconnects each of said liquid flow control valves with an opposite end of said metering cylinder on an opposite side of said piston member and with a plurality of nozzles in the row of nozzles corresponding to the given flow control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1980
    Assignee: Allis-Chalmers Corporation
    Inventor: Eugene F. Rossi
  • Patent number: 4145179
    Abstract: A combustion control system applicable universally to various types of combustion apparatus operating with different control timing and different fuel is disclosed. The combustion control system includes a data selector circuit, a control circuit, and a control timer circuit using a counter as timing means. The data selector circuit includes a circuit section for providing pre-purge timing and another circuit section for providing ignition timing as required. The control circuit includes an R-S flip-flop controlled by the pre-purge timing produced by the data selector circuit section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1979
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Tanaka, Sumio Nakagawa, Motosi Miyanaka, Seiichi Tachi
  • Patent number: 4095645
    Abstract: A heat wrap control for a preheater in a paperboard corrugator adjusts the amount of wrap of a moving web about a heated drum as a linear function of web speed to effect uniform heat transfer to the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1978
    Assignee: Molins Machine Company, Inc.
    Inventor: William A. Massey
  • Patent number: 4092094
    Abstract: Both method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the distribution of powdered solid fuel to one or more burners. The powdered solid fuel is caused to pass downwardly through an air current passing from an air inlet to one or more outlet ports. The total rate at which fuel is distributed is controlled by the rate at which air is supplied to the air inlet. In addition, each outlet port is provided with an individual adjustment for controlling the relative rates at which fuel is supplied through the various individual outlet ports. The construction of the distributor is such that the system may be controlled to distribute fuel continuously or in successive controlled impulses while at the same time controlling both the total amount of distributed fuel as well as the relative amounts of fuel distributed in the various outlet lines to the burners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1978
    Assignee: Lingl Corporation
    Inventor: Hans Lingl, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4022569
    Abstract: In the calcination of petroleum coke or the like in a rotary kiln, utilizing controlled air supply intermediate the ends of the kiln to burn removed volatiles and thereby generate all or nearly all of the heat required, highly effective control procedure includes establishing and repeatedly re-establishing target values for temperatures of exit gas and discharging product respectively at opposite ends of the kiln, such target temperatures representing conditions of desired position of the calcining zone and desired physical character of the calcined product which is achieved by proper maximum temperature in said zone. The procedure further includes adjusting one or more of the variables of combustion air supply, RPM of the kiln, and green coke feed rate so as to keep the end temperatures at target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1977
    Assignee: Alcan Research and Development Limited
    Inventors: Frank John Farago, Dale Gordon Retallack, Raman Radha Sood
  • Patent number: 4004138
    Abstract: A method of and system for controlling the temperature of a continuous furnace through which steel bodies are transported at a constant speed, in which the temperature is controlled so as to keep the distance from the entry port of the furnace to a position in the furnace where the furnace temperature is substantially equal to the desired delivery temperature of a steel body to be heated at a predetermined value which is determined in accordance with the dwell time, shape and size of the steel body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1977
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Morooka, Mikihiko Onari, Hidehiro Kitanosono
  • Patent number: 4001557
    Abstract: A digital process control function generator wherein a timing clock, in conjunction with programmable read only memories controls variables in a process with respect to time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: Dwight L. Stephenson