Abstract: A shallow vessel (50,52) for being horizontally disposed when containing a molten metal or metal alloy (66) for meniscus coating one side of a clean metal strip (34A) when the strip is moved vertically past one side of the vessel. The vessel includes a shell (68) such as austenitic stainless steel, a refractory lining (70), a molten metal departure lip (72) mounted on the upper surface of the side of the vessel, a spirally shaped induction coil (64) for maintaining the molten metal above its melting point and a flux concentrator (74). The induction coil is positioned below the refractory lining and the flux concentrator is positioned below the induction coil. The induction coil and the flux concentrator underlie the area occupied by the molten metal.

Abstract: A bake hardenable steel sheet ready for deep drawing is coated on at least one side with a continuous chromium bearing epoxy coating. The sheet is roll coated with continuous liquid film containing at least 2 wt. % of a water dispersible or emulsifiable epoxy resin or a mixture of resins containing the epoxy resin, at least 0.5 wt. % of a chromium compound and 25-97 wt. % of water. The liquid coated sheet is induction heated at a temperature of 149-227.degree. C. for sufficient time to form a coating resistant to dissolution of chromium and a steel base metal having a yield point elongation no greater than 0.3% and retaining good bake hardenability characteristics. The chromium bearing epoxy coating is impervious to moisture, can readily be welded and possesses sufficient toughness and lubricity to allow deformation of the sheet without additional external lubricant. A deeply drawn article formed from the sheet has enhanced painting characteristics.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for meniscus coating one or two sides of steel strip with a metal or metal alloy. The apparatus includes a horizontally disposed coating tray for containing molten coating metal, gas heaters for maintaining the temperature of the coating metal above the melting point of the coating metal, stabilizing rollers for moving steel strip transversely past a departure lip positioned on one side of the coating tray and adding solid or molten metal to the coating tray for maintaining the level of the coating metal in the coating tray relative to the upper elevation of the departure lip so that an uninterrupted flow of the coating metal can be delivered over the departure lip to a surface of the strip. The coating tray may be rotatably mounted for adjusting the level of molten metal in the coating tray. The coating tray also may include a sled for lateral displacement for positioning the departure lip a predetermined distance away from the strip.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for meniscus coating one or two sides of steel strip with a metal or metal alloy. The apparatus includes a horizontally disposed coating tray for containing molten coating metal, means for maintaining the temperature of the coating metal above the melting point of the coating metal, means for moving steel strip transversely past a departure lip positioned on one side of the coating tray and means for maintaining the level of the coating metal in the coating tray relative to the upper elevation of the departure lip so that an uninterrupted flow of the coating metal can be delivered over the departure lip to a surface of the strip. The coating tray may be rotatably mounted for adjusting the level of molten metal in the coating tray. The coating tray also may include means for lateral displacement for positioning the departure lip a predetermined distance away from the strip.

Abstract: A sheet metal blank positioned upon a lower die is wrapped around an upper die as the upper die is moved down to a closed position by an outer slide, the blank being clamped between the upper and lower dies whereby the periphery of the blank is gripped between a male and female bead mounted all around a part print cavity in the upper and lower dies, respectively. The outer slide then dwells while an inner slide moves down, engaging and actuating cylinder assemblies, causing hydraulic fluid to be forced into a region between the clamped blank and the lower die, the blank being formed into a part print cavity defined in the upper die. The male bead exerts varying control on the sheet to allow it to stretch across portions of the cavity while flowing into other portions of the cavity. A locking mechanism prevents the bending of the dies and holds the dies in a closed position thereby assisting the engagement of the male bead with the female bead.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a frame member for an automobile from a tube blank applies internal hydraulic pressure to the blank, tangent bends and preforms the internally pressurized blank into a preformed tube having a desired horizontal profile configuration, then forms the preformed tube into a finally formed frame member having a desired vertical profile configuration and a desired, varying cross-sectional configuration by placing the preformed tube in a stuffing ledge apparatus having a lower die with an upwardly facing ledge and vertically extending, punch engaging surfaces and a punch having a downwardly facing ledge and vertically extending, die engaging surfaces, internally pressurizing the tube, and then ramming the punch downwardly to form the tube into the finally formed frame member, the ledges and vertically extending surfaces substantially completely enclosing a portion of the tube before and while the punch and die come together to form the tube into the finally formed frame member.

Abstract: A shallow vessel (50,52) for being horizontally disposed when containing a molten metal or metal alloy (66) for meniscus coating one side of a clean metal strip (34A) when the strip is moved vertically past one side of the vessel. The vessel includes a shell (68) such as austenitic stainless steel, a refractory lining (70), a molten metal departure lip (72) mounted on the upper surface of the side of the vessel, a spirally shaped induction coil (64) for maintaining the molten metal above its melting point and a flux concentrator (74). The induction coil is positioned below the refractory lining and the flux concentrator is positioned below the induction coil. The induction coil and the flux concentrator underlie the area occupied by the molten metal.

Abstract: Zinc or zinc alloy plated steel sheet ready for deep drawing coated with 1-5 gm/m.sup.2 of a dry, tack free continuous thermoplastic acrylic coating. The coating is formed by inductively heating the sheet to a temperature of about 149.degree.-246.degree. C. for no more than 10 seconds after being roll coated with a continuous liquid film of an aqueous solution including an acrylic polymer. The acrylic coating forms a protective film that is impervious to moisture, oil, and dirt, is able to be welded and adhesively bonded and possesses sufficient toughness and lubricity to allow deformation of the sheet without additional external lubricant. A deep drawn article formed from the sheet has enhanced painting characteristics after the acrylic coating is removed and the article is coated with a phosphate coating.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a frame member for an automobile from a tube blank applies internal hydraulic pressure to the blank, tangent bends and preforms the internally pressurized blank into a preformed tube having a desired horizontal profile configuration, then forms the preformed tube into a finally formed frame member having a desired vertical profile configuration and a desired, varying cross-sectional configuration by placing the preformed tube in a stuffing ledge apparatus having a lower die with an upwardly facing ledge and vertically extending, punch engaging surfaces and a punch having a downwardly facing ledge and vertically extending, die engaging surfaces, internally pressurizing the tube, and then ramming the punch downwardly to form the tube into the finally formed frame member, the ledges and vertically extending surfaces substantially completely enclosing a portion of the tube before and while the punch and die come together to form the tube into the finally formed frame member.

Abstract: Steel sheet coated with a relatively insoluble, inorganic, corrosion resistant coating. A silicate coating is formed on a steel sheet by rinsing the sheet for at least 30 seconds in an alkaline aqueous solution containing 0.005 M silicate, 0.005 M metal salt and having a temperature of at least 25.degree. C. The sheet is dried to form an adherent silicate coating having a thickness of at least 2 nm prior to being treated with an aqueous solution containing 0.5-5 vol.-% silane. If the sheet is painted, the silane film forms an adherent bond between the paint and the silicate coating. A silane treated silicate coating minimizes red rusting on terne coated steel by sealing pin holes. A silane treated silicate coating also provides good corrosion protection and paint adherence on cold-rolled or galvanized steel.

Abstract: Acid concentrations are determined by the method and apparatus, particularly HCl acid for picking ferrous material. Specific gravity measurements are made on acid samples, diluted acid samples and water. Conductivity measurements are conducted on the diluted acid samples. The water dilution minimizes the influence of the metal salt in the sample to improve the conductivity measurements. The system calculates the acid concentration by a series of approximations using the conductivity data and the acid concentration - conductivity relationships to provide an accurate acid concentration which is easily automated by computer.

Abstract: Zinc or zinc alloy plated steel sheet ready for deep drawing coated with 1-5 gm/m.sup.2 of a dry, tack free continuous thermoplastic acrylic coating. The coating is formed by inductively heating the sheet to a temperature of about 149.degree.-246.degree. C. for no more than 10 seconds after being roll coated with a continuous liquid film of an aqueous solution including an acrylic polymer. The acrylic coating forms a protective film that is impervious to moisture, oil, and dirt, is able to be welded and adhesively bonded and possesses sufficient toughness and lubricity to allow deformation of the sheet without additional external lubricant. A deep drawn article formed from the sheet has enhanced painting characteristics after the acrylic coating is removed and the article is coated with a phosphate coating.

Abstract: Cold rolled, recrystallization annealed, high strength steel for porcelain enameling. The steel consists essentially of at least 0.005 wt. % niobium, at least 0.02 wt. % carbon, at least 0.10 wt. % manganese, at least 0.01 wt. % aluminum, nitrogen as an impurity, the ratio of acid sol. aluminum to total nitrogen being at least 2:1, all percentages by weight and the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities, whereby the annealed steel has a yield strength of at least 21 kg/mm.sup.2 after being strained at least 8% and when heated to at least 815.degree. C. The steel is produced by hot rolling a slab to a sheet having a finishing temperature at least A.sub.r3, coiling the hot rolled sheet at a temperature at least 677.degree. C. to precipitate residual nitrogen as aluminum nitride, removing scale from the hot rolled sheet, cold rolling the descaled sheet, annealing the cold rolled sheet without decarburization at a temperature less than 721.degree. C.

Abstract: A cold reduced, non-aging, aluminum killed steel characterized by an elongated grain structure and having an r.sub.m value at least 1.8 produced from a slab having a reduced hot rolling temperature. A slab consisting essentially of .ltoreq.0.08% carbon, .ltoreq.0.1% acid sol. aluminum, .ltoreq.0.2% manganese, all percentages by weight, the balance iron and unavoidable impurities, is hot rolled to a sheet from a temperature less than 1260.degree. C. Preferably, the slab is continuously cast from a melt consisting essentially of 0.03-0.08% acid sol. aluminum, 0.003-0.007% total nitrogen, <0.20% manganese, wherein % acid sol. aluminum.times.% total nitrogen is within the range of 1.times.10.sup.-4 to 5.times.10.sup.-4 and is hot rolled from a temperature of 1093.degree.-1175.degree. C. The hot rolled sheet is descaled, cold reduced, batch annealed and temper rolled. Preferably, the cold reduced sheet is annealed in the range of 538.degree.-649.degree. C.

Abstract: Continuous hot dip aluminum coated ferritic chromium alloy steel strip. Strip is cleaned by heating to a temperature no greater than about 650.degree. C. in a direct fired furnace. The cleaned strip is further heated in a protective atmosphere containing at least 95% by volume hydrogen, cooled in the protective hydrogen atmosphere to near or slightly above the melting point of an aluminum coating metal, and passed into a bath of the aluminum coating metal. The low direct fired furnace cleaning temperature and hydrogen protective atmosphere provides good wetting of a chromium alloy steel surface to prevent uncoated areas or pin holes in the aluminum coated layer.

Abstract: Steel sheet coated with a nontoxic, relatively insoluble, inorganic, corrosion resistant coating. A silicate coating is formed on a steel sheet by rinsing the sheet for at least 30 seconds in an alkaline aqueous solution containing 0.005 M silicate, 0.005 M metal salt and having a temperature of at least 25.degree. C. The sheet is dried to form an adherent silicate coating having a thickness of at least 2 nm prior to being treated with an aqueous solution containing 0.5-5 vol.-% silane. If the sheet is painted, the silane film forms an adherent bond between the paint and the silicate coating. A silane treated silicate coating minimizes red rusting on terne coated steel by sealing pin holes. A silane treated silicate coating also provides good corrosion protection and paint adherence on cold-rolled or galvanized steel.

Abstract: Caustic dezincing galvanized steel scrap. A dezincing plant includes a plurality of tanks interconnected in series with steel scrap sequentially being moved through each of the tanks. The tanks contain a caustic leaching solution including an oxidant with the leaching solution being circulated through each of the tanks in a direction opposite to the movement of the scrap. Fresh scrap initially is exposed to a partially depleted leaching solution with the oxidant concentration of the leaching solution increasing as the scrap moves through the series of tanks. Leaching solution depleted of its oxidant is transferred to an electrolytic cell where zinc is removed and plated as metallic zinc powder onto a cathode. The leaching solution is recycled by removing zinc. The chemistry of the leaching solution is controlled so that sufficient free caustic is present to prevent passivating zinc coating on the scrap.

Abstract: A device for systematic sampling coarse material sliding down an inclined chute. A bottom portion of the chute is removed and replaced by a sampling device mounted below the chute opening. The sampling device includes a drum for receiving the sample, a gate mounted to the bottom of the chute for rotation between open and closed positions and a motor for rotating the drum. The outer surface of the drum is provided with an opening. The drum is rotated until the drum opening is aligned with the chute opening causing the gate to be rotated to its open position. Material is diverted from the chute into the drum. After the sample is obtained, rotation of the drum is continued until the gate is closed so that the material continues to slide down the chute without passing into the drum.

Abstract: A non-aging, cold reduced, recrystallization annealed, low manganese, aluminum killed steel having an r.sub.m value greater than 1.8 produced from a slab having a reduced hot rolling temperature. A slab consisting essentially of .ltoreq.0.08% carbon, .ltoreq.0.1% acid sol. aluminum, <0.20% manganese, all percentages by weight, the balance iron and unavoidable impurities, is hot rolled from a temperature less than about 1260.degree. C. Preferably, the steel has an r.sub.m value of greater than 2.0 after batch annealing and is produced from a slab reheated to a temperature less than about 1175.degree. C.

Abstract: Continuous hot dip aluminum coated ferritic chromium alloy steel strip. Strip is cleaned by heating to a temperature no greater than about 650.degree. C. in a direct fired furnace. The cleaned strip is further heated in a protective atmosphere containing at least 95% by volume hydrogen, cooled in the protective hydrogen atmosphere to near or slightly above the melting point of an aluminum coating metal, and passed into a bath of the aluminum coating metal. The low direct fired furnace cleaning temperature and hydrogen protective atmosphere provides good wetting of a chromium alloy steel surface to prevent uncoated areas or pin holes in the aluminum coated layer.