Abstract: A refractory brick having a plurality of segments positioned along a longitudinal axis of the refractory brick. Each segment has at least two arcuate recesses and at least two arcuate ridges. The recesses of a first segment of the segments are positioned at a radial offset with respect to the recesses of a second segment which is adjacent the first segment. A plurality of refractory bricks are interlocked with respect to each other to form a refractory construction.

Abstract: A refractory hanger brick for high temperature industrial furnace roof construction having an elongated upwardly extending refractory portion having a generally rectangular cross section and a lower refractory base portion having a generally rectangular lower face, each side of the base portion having a base length greater than a corresponding side of the elongated upwardly extending refractory portion so as to provide support for insulating material and/or adjacent filler bricks. The upper end of the elongated upwardly extending refractory portion distal from the lower refractory base portion forms a hanger recess along opposite sides of the upper end. At least one generally laterally extending lug is disposed above each of the hanger recesses to retain the hanger in a fixed position and to provide at least one hanger position along the upper end opposite sides.

Abstract: A wet batch material charging apparatus having a charger screw housing having a batch material inlet and a batch material outlet, a dry batch material supply device adapted to deliver a dry batch material through the batch material inlet, a rotatable charger screw shaft having at least one screw flight disposed within the charger screw housing and adapted to convey the batch material from the batch material inlet to the batch material outlet, and a liquid supply apparatus for introducing at least one liquid into the charger screw housing. The liquid supply apparatus independently controls the liquid flow rate and the liquid flow duration based upon the batch material charging speed and rotation of the rotatable charger screw shaft.

Abstract: A high temperature industrial roof assembly having two refractory bricks with adjacent faces, opposing hanger recesses, a hanger rod extending from the recesses to the top of the assembly, the refractory bricks being held in an adjacent position by a securing device, a hanger rod with a locking mechanism at one end and a hook at the other end, a hanger having opposed refractory engaging projections adapted to engage the hanger recesses, a hanger rod hole allowing free rotation about the hanger rod end above the locking mechanism, and a locking mechanism engagement recess which when engaged with the locking mechanism prevents rotation of the hanger rod in relation to the hanger at 90 degree increments and provides that depression of the one end of the hanger rod into the locking mechanism engagement recess permits rotation of the hanger rod with respect to the hanger. The locking mechanism comprises opposing tabs.

Abstract: An adjustable vibrating plate cullet feeder for feeding recycle glass to melting furnaces. Independent control of the rate of cullet feed is obtained by adjustment of at least one of: the angle of the feeder plate, the intensity of the vibration, and the frequency of the vibration. The vibrating plate cullet feeder may be positioned to feed over a batch charger or may feed directly into the melting furnace and may be controlled by the batch charger or independently by a furnace level or composition controller.

Abstract: A modular solids charger for feeding granular solid material to a reactor, the charger comprising a chassis, a charger plate support frame vertically and angularly adjustable with respect to the horizontal secured to the chassis, a removable reciprocable charger plate reciprocably secured to the charger plate support frame, a removable solids supply chute disposed above the reciprocable charger plate for feeding solids to the reciprocable charger plate, spacers for adjusting the elevation of the chassis to accommodate a range of elevations of reactor feed openings, and charger plate support frame extensions to enable the charge plate support frame to accommodate a range of reciprocable charger plate widths.

Abstract: A refractory brick for high temperature industrial furnace roof construction which accommodates hanger attachment at a plurality of locations along the length of the hanger brick. A high temperature industrial roof system having alternate rows of hanger bricks, of the above configuration, and filler bricks which are at least 2 1/2 times as wide as the hanger bricks and can be individually removed by lifting from the top of the furnace. The high temperature industrial furnace roof may be constructed of two configurations of refractories with shortening of the length of either configuration of refractory to accommodate designs having a wide variety of roof widths. Electrically heated furnaces have bus bars which run along the length of the furnace and are fed through the top of the furnace.

Abstract: An in situ replaceable pusher bar for a batch charger pan of a blanket batch charger for a glass melter comprising a removable pusher bar assembly and a latching mechanism for securing the pusher bar assembly to the batch charger pan. The pusher bar assembly is provided with a slide mechanism which enables the pusher bar assembly to slide through guide mechanisms secured to the underside of the batch charger pan. The guide mechanisms are in the form of pan support tubes, inside of which are disposed latch brackets attached to the ends of rods for latching the pusher bar assembly to the batch charger pan.

Abstract: A solids charger of the type having a main support frame with a solids supply chute thereabove feeding solids to a vertically and angularly adjustable, with respect to the horizontal, reciprocable charger plate positioned under the solids supply chute for receiving solids toward its rear end and feeding the granular solid materials to a reactor from its front end. The improvement in such a solids charger of a reciprocable charger plate reciprocably mounted in fixed angular relation to a charger plate support, reciprocating drive means fixedly mounted to the charger plate support and connected by an adjustable connecting rod with the rear end of the reciprocable charger plate, the connecting rod reciprocating generally parallel to the plane of the charger plate.

Abstract: A self-positioning refractory structure having a generally cylindrical casing. A plurality of positioning refractories, a plurality of filler refractories and a plurality of wedge refractories are interlocked with respect to each other and positioned to form a structure having a curved cross section within the cylindrical casing. The positioning, filler and wedge refractories are interlocked with respect to each other. The length of each positioning refractory is greater than the length of each filler and wedge refractories thus defining an annular space between the casing wall and the refractories. Each positioning refractory has a cold end in positioning and supporting contact with an inside wall of the casing and a hot end directed toward a center of the self-positioning refractory structure.

Abstract: A high temperature furnace curved nose construction having refractories suspended from a support structure wherein a combination of radial filler refractories and rectangular filler refractories are supported by rectangular hanger refractories. Each radial filler refractory is supported by radially adjacent rectangular filler and/or rectangular hanger refractories. Each radial filler refractory has opposed converging tread sides while each rectangular filler refractory and rectangular hanger refractory have four tread sides. The tread sides of a radial filler refractory mates with the tread sides of a rectangular filler refractory or a rectangular hanger refractory. Any combination of at least one rectangular hanger refractory, at least one rectangular filler refractory and at least one radial filler refractories mate by their tread sides to form at least a section of the curved nose construction.

Abstract: Refractory bricks, suspended wall of refractory bricks, and a method for mounting refractory bricks for protection of membrane boiler tube walls. The pre-fired brick has a rectangular generally flat exterior face, a top face having an upper groove extending across the top face generally parallel to the exterior face, a bottom face having a lower groove extending across the bottom face generally parallel to the exterior face, the upper groove being deeper than the lower groove, the upper and lower grooves sized and spaced to accommodate mounting bars attached to the membrane boiler tube wall.

Abstract: A removable refractory shield toe assembly for a suspended refractory shield wherein a hanger suspension means extends substantially the length of the toe assembly suspending a plurality of adjacent refractories on at least one metallic refractory hanger, a toe assembly suspension means extending upwardly from the hanger suspension means and having lifting means positioned in an outer upward location outwardly from a vertical axis through the center of gravity of the removable toe assembly and having hanging means positioned in an inner upward location inwardly from the vertical axis whereby the removable toe assembly rotates outwardly spacing the inner face of the innermost of the plurality of refractories from the outer face of the outermost fixed refractory of a suspended refractory shield when the weight of the removable toe assembly is upon the lifting means and the removable toe assembly rotates inwardly urging the inner face against the outer face of the fixed refractory when the weight of the removabl

Abstract: An insulated refractory shield is provided to reduce heat loss through the exterior surface of the refractory shield while at the same time a cooling fluid is directed over the cast metallic refractory supports and hanger means through apertures in the hanger tube. Modular insulation units are provided and are retained between the exterior face of the refractory bricks and the hanger tube by means of specialized wedges and support clips.

Abstract: A vertically suspended refractory curtain wall having two courses of refractory shapes, the refractory shapes having flat exposed faces and an opposite face having a horizontal central recess, the portion of the refractory extending above the recess forming an upper hanger portion and the portion of the refractory extending below the recess forming a lower hanger portion, the lower hanger portions of one horizontal row of first course of refractory shapes fitting within the upper portion of the horizontal recess of an opposing horizontal row of side-by-side refractory shapes forming a second course and suspending that row, the next adjacent lower row of the first course of refractory shapes having their upper hanger portions fitting within the lower portion of the horizontal recess of the same second course refractory shapes and are suspended thereby, and so on, to form a vertically suspended refractory curtain wall.

Abstract: A refractory brick panel module and suspended roof construction for high temperature furnaces wherein the panel module has a refractory support frame of at least two substantially parallel support members with at least one end of the support members having extension and retraction means forming an extendable and retractable refractory support frame end portion. The refractory support frame end portion in retracted position allows passage of the refractory support frame between adjacent roof support beams and in extended position provides refractory brick suspension beneath the roof support beams to a proximity to adjacent roof panel modules. The extendable and retractable refractory support frame allows great flexibility in modular suspended roof construction, providing easy repair of either entire modules or replacement of a relatively small number of refractory bricks from the cold side of the furnace roof.

Abstract: A suspended nose construction for high temperature furnaces providing refractory replacement from the cold side of the refractory has a plurality of wedge-shaped refractories arranged to form a wedge row along the length of the nose adjacent, on at least one side, a plurality of rectangular-shaped refractories arranged to form a straight row along the length of the nose. The converging sides of the wedge-shaped refractories converge toward the cold side of the refractory. Both the wedge refractories and the rectangular refractories are suspended in pairs by suspension means from an exterior support structure, the suspension means and support structure providing space allowing removal of the refractories in pairs from the cold side of the nose construction. The suspended nose construction according to this invention provides for removal and replacement of a small number of refractories in the nose without disturbing the major portion of the nose construction.

Abstract: A suspended roof construction for industrial furnaces is disclosed having carrier bricks of generally rectangular configuration with a hanger recess in one side and shoulder means extending from the upper portion of sides adjacent the hanger recess for support of filler bricks. Thus, a single hanger suspends two carrier bricks which in turn support four filler bricks. Such assemblies of bricks may be fabricated into panel units which provide telescoping tubes on at least one end of hanger tubes for suspension of end bricks between adjacent panel modules. The telescoping tubes may be retracted, the panel unit lowered into place between the structural frame of the furnace roof, the telescoping tubes extended and filler bricks hung from cross bars at each end of the panel unit to fill the spaces between adjacent panels.