Abstract: Chimney-like cooling passages that have opposite outlet and inlet end regions open to ambient air also have central regions that extend through heated components of industrial furnaces. The passages preferably are defined by conduits that are oriented and configured in a manner that enables thermally induced flows of ambient air to self establish through the conduits to cool the furnace components once the furnace components become heated. The passages function like chimneys, with each having its outlet located higher than its inlet so that ambient air will effectively rise as it flows from the inlet to the outlet. The passages may provide increases in cross-sectional area somewhere along their lengths so that heated ambient air expanding in the passages is encouraged to discharge from the less restrictive, larger area outlets rather than from the smaller area inlets.

Abstract: A cable system for raising and lowering a door of an industrial furnace utilizes a pair of vertically extending cables having lower ends connected to the door and upper ends connected to shaft-carried sheaves that are rotated concurrently to cause upper portions of the cables to be wound onto and off of the sheaves to raise and lower the furnace door to open and close a furnace opening defined in a vertical furnace face. The cables wind onto and off of sheave-defined tracks that are configured to cause lower portions of the cables to move the door a small distance horizontally during raising and lowering. This small distance horizontal movement capability may be utilized at the initiation of door raising to move the door away from the furnace face, and at the conclusion of door lowering to close the door against the furnace face to close the furnace opening.

Abstract: An annealing furnace inner cover cooperates with a furnace base to define a treatment chamber within which a charge of metal such as steel is housed for annealing, wherein the inner cover carries at least one interior cooling conduit through which cooling water from an exterior source is circulated to expedite the cooling of gas that is circulated within the treatment chamber during cooling portions of an annealing cycle. The water cooled inner cover is especially well suited for expediting the cooling of stacked coils of steel sheet from an annealing temperature, and preferably utilizes a helix of cooling coils that surround mid-height portions of the stack, wherein the cooling coils are protectively housed within an inwardly facing recess defined by an enlarged diameter mid-height portion of the inner cover both to prevent cooling coil damage due to impact during cover movement, and to ensure that gas circulation within the inner cover is not adversely restricted by the presence of the cooling coils.

Abstract: A rigid ceramic refractory base for a plural-stack annealing furnace--such as an eight-stack furnace that has two "four-stack rows" or "halves" arranged side by side--is assembled atop a base support structure utilizing a novel set of cast refractory segments, including spaced sets of inner segments, with each set of inner segments being surrounded by a sub-set of outer segments. Defined between each set of inner segments and its surrounding sub-set of outer segments is a circular inner seal positioning trough that opens upwardly, and that has a tapered cross section that narrows with depth. A resilient but reinforced inner seal of novel form is installed in each of the troughs, with each of these seals utilizing upper and lower blankets of refactory fiber material that sandwich a plurality of elongate refractory fiber modules arranged end-to-end to circumferentially fill the trough.

Abstract: A rigid ceramic refractory base for a single-stack annealing furnace is assembled atop a base support structure utilizing a novel set of cast refractory segments, including a pair of C-shaped inner segments and four arcuate outer segments. Defined between the assembled inner and outer segments is a circular inner seal positioning trough that opens upwardly, and that has a tapered cross section that narrows with depth. A resilient but reinforced inner seal of novel form is installed in the trough utilizing upper and lower blankets of refractory fiber material that sandwich a plurality of elongate refractory fiber modules arranged end-to-end to circumferentially fill the trough.

Abstract: A rigid ceramic refractory base for a plural-stack annealing furnace is assembled atop a base support structure utilizing a novel set of cast refractory segments, including spaced pairs of C-shaped inner segments that each are surrounded by a sub-set of outer segments. Defined between each set of inner segments and its surrounding sub-set of outer segments is a circular inner seal positioning trough that opens upwardly, and that has a tapered cross section that narrows with depth. A resilient but reinforced inner seal of novel form is installed in each of the troughs, with each of these seals utilizing upper and lower blankets of refractory fiber material that sandwich a plurality of elongate refractory fiber modules arranged end-to-end to circumferentially fill the trough.

Abstract: A rigid ceramic refractory base for a plural-stack annealing furnace is assembled atop a base support structure utilizing a novel set of cast refractory segments, including spaced pairs of C-shaped inner segments that each are surrounded by a sub-set of outer segments. Defined between each set of inner segments and its surrounding sub-set of outer segments is a circular inner seal positioning trough that opens upwardly, and that has a tapered cross section that narrows with depth. A resilient but reinforced inner seal of novel form is installed in each of the troughs, with each of these seals utilizing upper and lower blankets of refractory fiber material that sandwich a plurality of elongate refractory fiber modules arranged end-to-end to circumferentially fill the trough.

Abstract: A rigid ceramic refractory base for a single-stack annealing furnace is assembled atop a base support structure utilizing a novel set of cast refractory segments, including a pair of C-shaped inner segments and four arcuate outer segments. Defined between the assembled inner and outer segments is a circular inner seal positioning trough that opens upwardly, and that has a tapered cross section that narrows with depth. A resilient but reinforced inner seal of novel form is installed in the trough utilizing upper and lower blankets of refractory fiber material that sandwich a plurality of elongate refractory fiber modules arranged end-to-end to circumferentially fill the trough.

Abstract: An energy efficient wall panel for use together with other such panels to extend about selected peripheral portions of a thermal treatment chamber of a high temperature industrial furnace or the like includes a frame that supports an array of elongate cast refractory thermal insulating members 1) that extend side by side, 2) that have relatively wide flange portions that extend substantially contiguously to define a rigid, impact resistant inner surface that faces toward a thermal treatment chamber for absorbing, storing and re-radiating impingent heat energy back into the chamber, 3) that have relatively thin outer portions connected to the supporting frame, 4) that have central web portions that provide needed strength and rigidity while, at the same time, permitting only minimal conductive heat transfer therethrough, and 5) that have elongate, non-cast, fiber-type thermal insulating members compressively sandwiched between adjacent pairs of the cast refractory members for enhancing the panel's insulating c

Abstract: An insulated door or wall panel assembly utilizes a compressively sandwiched array of bodies of insulation that extend side-by-side to define a substantially contiguous interior surface that can withstand direct exposure to high heat energy, for example by being positioned to extend about peripheral portions of a treatment chamber of a high temperature furnace to cooperate with adjacent furnace structure to minimize loss of heat energy from the treatment chamber. A rigid frame, typically formed from steel, overlies exterior portions of the sandwiched bodies of insulation and is securely connected thereto for positioning and supporting the array, whereby a rugged panel assembly is provided that is well suited for use as a closure to selectively permit access through a furnace wall opening to the treatment chamber.

Abstract: An energy efficient closure system is provided for minimizing heat loss through an elongate, horizontally extending furnace opening that is utilized to admit elongate charges of material, to the interior of a furnace. The system utilizes a plurality of depending, individually mounted, independently pivoted, inwardly curved, insulated door components that are arranged in a side-by-side array and that are biased by gravity so as to normally close the furnace opening. In preferred practice, the system also utilizes a curtain of insulation that depends from a water-cooled support pipe that extends horizontally through the upper part of the door opening, with the curtain being formed by a plurality of depending bats of insulation arranged in a substantially contiguous, side-by-side array.

Abstract: A convection diffuser and charge support system for an annealing furnace utilizes a diffuser base assembly to support a stack of coiled rolls of steel that are to be annealed inside a furnace enclosure. The coils are arranged in a vertical stack atop the base assembly. The furnace enclosure surrounds the base assembly and the stack to provide a "closed" treatment environment. Convector plates are interposed between the ends of the coils, with a separate convector plate extending horizontally between each set of adjacent coil ends. Each of the convector plates includes an annular structure 1) that has an inner diameter, 2) that has an outer diameter that extends substantially concentrically about the inner diameter, and 3) that defines a plurality of radially extending air flow passages which extend from locations near the outer diameter to locations near the inner diameter for assisting in providing a desired type of convection flow of gases within the furnace enclosure.

Abstract: A convection diffuser and charge support system for an annealing furnace utilizes a diffuser base assembly that includes a vane-carrying center casting which underlies a charge support plate, and which is perimetrically surrounded by a pair of outer and inner cooling rings. The components of the diffuser base assembly cooperate to define an array of horizontally extending gas circulation passages that are shielded from above by the charge support plate. The horizontal passages extend among a plurality of upstanding heat exchange fins that are carried by the inner cooling ring, and terminate in upwardly extending outer end regions that are defined by grooves formed in the outer cooling ring. A centrifugal fan draws hot gases through a central opening in the charge support plate and conveys the gases radially outwardly through the horizontally extending gas flow passages.

Abstract: A structure such as a wall of a high temperature furnace door is lined with fibrous refractory insulation material which has structural fastening devices embedded therein or interleaved between planks thereof. In one embodiment, plank-like pieces of fibrous refractory material are arranged in a stack extending edgewise with respect to the wall, and sheets of expanded metal are positioned between the refractory planks and are anchored to the wall. The interleaved stack of refractory planks and expanded metal sheets are compressed such that the metal sheets become essentially embedded within the refractory material to securely grip large surface areas of the planks to hold the refractory planks in place. In preferred practice, rods extend through slots formed in the wall and connect with the expanded metal sheets to hold the sheets of expanded metal in place after the interleaved stack has been compressed.

Abstract: A structure such as a wall of a high temperature furnace door is lined with fibrous refractory insulation material which has structural fastening devices embedded therein or interleaved between planks thereof. In one embodiment, plank-like pieces of fibrous refractory material are arranged in a stack extending edgewise with respect to the wall, and sheets of expanded metal are positioned between the refractory planks and are anchored to the wall. The interleaved stack of refractory planks and expanded metal sheets are compressed such that the metal sheets become essentially embedded within the refractory material to securely grip large surface areas of the planks to hold the refractory planks in place. In preferred practice, rods extend through slots formed in the wall and connect with the expanded metal sheets to hold the sheets of expanded metal in place after the interleaved stack has been compressed.