Abstract: Sand castings are removed from their molds before cooling and reheated in a heat treating booster furnace. The castings are transferred from the booster furnace to a rotary drum filled with agitation media. As the castings pass through the media drum, they are simultaneously cleaned of sand particles and down-quenched by the agitation media. The system is particularly suited for austempering cast iron parts.

Abstract: A closed mold assembly having a mold cavity therein, an ingate extending from the mold cavity through the mold assembly with an opening having an outer wall for immersion into a bath of molten metal, and an expendable cap fitting around the outer wall of the ingate having a continuously upward tapering dimension to urge the top larger of the molten metal in a bath away from the ingate opening during the immersion process to minimize impurity inclusion in the mold. The expendable cap is preferably made from a non-contaminating sacrificial material intended to be melted after immersion into the molten metal bath without being detrimental to the quality of the workpiece.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and process for the pyrolysis of used vehicular tires. The apparatus includes a reaction chamber supported internally of an insulated casing and heated by heating means interposed between the chamber and the casing. Tire fragments are introduced into and removed from the reaction chamber through airlock mechanisms to prevent the ingress of ambient air as the fragments are conveyed through the chamber by a chain and flight conveyor scraping any accumulated solids from the chamber and the conveyor. All portions of the apparatus contacting the pyrolysis reaction products are clad with a layer of aluminum oxide to prevent corrosion. The process includes shredding the used tires, preheating the tire fragments if desired, passing the fragments through the reaction chamber, separating solid and gaseous products, recycling a portion of the gaseous product to the heating means, and recoving salable gas, oil and carbon products.

Abstract: A heat treat furnace wherein the furnace top and side walls are each defined by an outer, gas-tight metallic structural wall, an intermediate perforate metal plate generally parallel to and coextensive with the exterior wall to define a plenum chamber therebetween, and an inner layer of non-metallic, gas permeable insulation, preferably a blanket insulation of appreciable thickness. The gaseous atmosphere of the furnace is injected into the plenum chambers defined between the exterior walls and the perforate plates, and the atmosphere passes through the insulation layer into the interior of the furnace. The inward flow of atmospheric gas (1) replenishes the atmosphere in the furnace, (2) preheats the atmosphere, and (3) reduces any heat loss through the wall structure.