Abstract: An improved cooling cover is disclosed for use in bell shaped annealing furnaces. The cooling cover includes a jet nozzle orifice arrangement which develops jet streams from a low pressurized supply of air at ambient temperature in the plenum chamber of the cooling cover. A multitude of free standing jet streams thus impinge the inner cover of the bell shaped annealing stand to produce improved cooling times. Importantly, the plenum chamber includes strategically placed axial jet pump outlets which are effective to draw the jet streams from the cooling cover after they have been in heat transfer contact with the inner cover in a distribution pattern which is not altered so that the work or coils within the inner cover can be more uniformly cooled than heretofore possible.

Abstract: Modifications are provided to a standard, batch type industrial heat treat furnace of a hot wall design which permit the furnace to be operated efficiently at high temperatures. The furnace is of a cylindrical design having a forward heat treat chamber and a rearward plenum chamber with a flat bulkhead plate in-between the chambers. The bulkhead has exit and inlet openings permitting wind mass to flow to the heat treat chamber and back to the plenum chamber. The bulkhead has a plurality of radially extending slits formed therein which permit the bulkhead to remain flat despite temperature and pressure gradients resulting in expansion/contraction of the bulkhead. Additionally, the furnace includes a closed end muffle within the heat treat chamber into which work to be heat treated is placed. A water cooled spring biasing support is provided for the closed end of the muffle to resist downward deformation of the muffle at high temperatures.

Abstract: An industrial electrical, vacuum furnace for ion processing of work is provided with an improved feed-through interlock and insulator arrangement. A sealed interlock chamber on the furnace door is in fluid communication with the furnace's heat treat chamber. A bellows outside of the interlock chamber is in fluid communication therewith. When a vacuum is drawn in the heat treat chamber, the bellows distends into a collapsed position to provide a firmly clamped electrical connection with the feed-through which extends through the door into the interlock chamber. The feed-through is thus pinned by the bellows at one end and a V-shaped pulley guide arrangement within the furnace controls thermal distortion of the feed-through.