Abstract: For recovery of heat, aggregates of metallic articles through which gas can flow are carried in a succession of baskets through a preheat zone, a treatment zone and a cooling zone of a heat treatment furnace and a heat transfer gas is constrained to flow vertically through the baskets in succession, beginning with the basket farthest advanced through the furnace, so far as concerns the basket in the cooling and preheat zone, the baskets having bottoms through which the gas can flow into or out of the aggregates. The heat transfer gas flows directly from the cooling zone. This may be done through the treatment zone where it may pick up additional heat. Heat may be removed from the heat transfer gas in a return circulation path outside the furnace.

Abstract: A combination sintering-annealing furnace is provided, wherein the sintering furnace section and the annealing furnace section are arranged adjacent with each other and separated by a partition wall. A plurality of ventilation windows is provided through the partition wall to allow the waste combustion gas in the sintering furnace to flow into the annealing furnace. The opening area of each ventilation window is adjusted by an adjuster plate. The annealing furnace is also provided with a plurality of cold air inlet ports for introducing therethrough cold air from the atmosphere, the opening area of each cold air inlet port being adjusted by an adjuster plate. A desired temperature distribution in the annealing furnace may be established by controlling the opening areas of the respective ventilation windows and respective cold air inlet ports.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for quenching a hollow-bodied piece of steel with an opening at each end thereof, such as a steel pipe, which comprises exterior and interior quenching means. The exterior quenching means includes means for directing a cooling medium in a substantially circumferential flow pattern around the exterior of a steel pipe. In one embodiment the exterior quenching means includes means for separately directing a cooling medium in a substantially circumferential flow pattern at variable flow rates around the exterior segments of a steel pipe. The flow rate around each pipe segment may be varied with the thickness of the segment. The exterior cooling means may comprise a plurality of deflector plates to achieve the circumferentially directed flow of the cooling medium about the pipe.

Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly quenching substantially flat metal workpieces which have been heated during a heat treatment process is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a substantially flat plate having a plurality of vapor relief apertures therein, a wick element which overlies the plate so that it substantially covers the apertures, and means for supplying a coolant such as water, to the wick element so that the coolant is substantially evenly dispersed therein. The apparatus is operable for urging a heated workpiece into face to face engagement with the wick element to effect intimate contact between the workpiece and the coolant in the wick element. As soon as the workpiece contacts the coolant in the wick element, at least a portion of the coolant is substantially instantaneously vaporized to effect rapid cooling of the workpiece, the vaporized portion of the coolant escaping from the wick element through the relief apertures in the plate so that it does not impede the quenching process.

Abstract: An apparatus for quenching a butt-welded portion of a rail, includes an inverse U-shaped cooling box for covering from above and throughout a butt-welded portion of a rail, and for quenching the butt-welded portion by cooling air. The cooling box is divided into a head cooling chamber, a web left cooling chamber, and a web right cooling chamber each having a plurality of cooling air nozzles directed toward the butt-welded portion. A cooling air supply mechanism supplies cooling air to the cooling box, the cooling air supply mechanism including a cooling air source, a solenoid valve operatively arranged in a cooling air supply pipe, a head cooling air regulating valve, a web cooling air regulating valve, and a valve opening controlling mechanism which opens each of the head cooling air regulating valve and the web cooling air regulating valve according to a predetermined program.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for rapidly "pressure quenching" or reducing the pressure on samples from very high pressures at rates substantially in excess of 10.sup.6 up to 10.sup.10 bars, or atmospheres, per second, or more, while avoiding damage to the high pressure system. The high pressure system is comparable to that employed to make artificial diamonds, and includes optional arrangements for heating, cooling, and applying electric and magnetic fields to the pressure quenched sample. Special arrangements are provided for circulating cooling fluid in the vicinity of the metastable material to rapidly cool it, immediately prior to decompression.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided simultaneously to quench a tubular on the inside and outside surfaces during horizontal axial movement of the heated tubular into the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a generally cylindrical frame carrying two external and internal quench heads mounted 180.degree. apart on the cylindrical frame. The cylindrical frame is mounted for oscillatory motion about the axis of the frame through an angle of 180.degree.. A first heated tubular is delivered to the apparatus for simultaneous inside and outside quenching while the cylindrical frame is in a first position. Thereafter, the cylindrical frame and the first tubular is oscillated through 180.degree. to the second position where the first tubular may be withdrawn from the apparatus. In its second position, the second inside and outside quenching heads are in registry with the heating furnace so that a second tubular may be quenched while the first tubular is being withdrawn from the apparatus.

Abstract: A batch annealing apparatus comprises a bell-shaped furnace, a base plate, an inner cover, plus a bottom chamber that opens upward, has an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of a metal coil to be treated therein, is capable of accommodating the metal coil, and disposed below the furnace. A cylindrical stationary base coaxially extends upward from the bottom of the bottom chamber. The stationary base has a partition with an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the metal coil that is formed at a point corresponding to the opening of the bottom chamber. The base plate is annular in shape, equipped with cooling means, and supported by elevatable supporting means that passes through the bottom of the bottom chamber. The lower end of the supporting means is connected to an elevating device.

Abstract: An apparatus for distributing curtain walls of coolant around a passing hot rolled, extruded, or drawn round, metal article, and optimizing the cooling thereof. A circular liquid coolant header comprises an enclosure divided into two abutting annular compartments; the first compartment containing a smaller annular concentric compartment with openings communicating with the second abutting compartment, which, in turn, has several circumferentially positioned and evenly spaced nozzle assemblies for delivering the curtain walls. A nozzle assembly is located between two semi-round compartment inlets which receive coolant from the first compartment and diffuse and direct the coolant flow into a respective nozzle assembly.

Abstract: The quench severity of a molten salt bath is drammatically increased by adding substantial amounts of water to the bath while it is being vigorously agitated by two impellors submerged in the bath. One impellor causes an upward flow and the other a downward flow of molten salt which results in a quiescent condition at the surface of the quench zone of the bath.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling sheet metal panels has an elongated channel bounded by two side walls, a longitudinally slotted top wall and a longitudinally slotted bottom wall. These walls are immersed in a liquid containing vessel and the latter contains sets of horizontal driven shafts above the top wall and below the bottom wall. The shafts carry disc-shaped transporting members, portions of which extend through the slots of the top and bottom walls to engage a panel which is introduced into the channel and to transport the panel toward the outlet of the channel. The top wall and the shafts above the top wall are movable up and down to provide room for panels of different thicknesses. Two nozzles discharge water into the inlet of the channel at a level above as well as at a level below the panel between the upper and lower transporting members.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for receiving sucker rods as they emerge from an electric-induction normalizing furnace and conveying them to a cooling bed while both suitably supporting and suitably rotating them to prevent warpage.

Abstract: A vacuum furnace having a heating chamber for heat treating work parts under vacuum therein, and a cooling chamber located adjacent to the heating chamber for receiving the heat treated work parts for the rapid cooling thereof, the work parts being rapidly cooled in the cooling chamber by the circulation of a cooling gas therein, a high-velocity fan being provided in the cooling chamber for the rapid circulation of the cooling gas over the work parts, heat transfer means located in the cooling chamber and over which the cooling gas is circulated for withdrawing heat therefrom after the passage of the gas over the work parts, and a unique door arrangement being located in the cooling chamber to insure the sealing of the cooling chamber both during the evacuation thereof upon transfer of the work parts thereto and during the cooling cycle therein, whereby in the cooling cycle the pressurized cooling gas within the cooling chamber acts to seal an inner door so that the use of exterior clamps and/or locks for sea

Abstract: A continuous electric furnace for chemical heat treatment of steel parts comprises a parts heating chamber, a parts vertical supply chamber and a cooling chamber, all arranged in line. The parts vertical supply chamber is connected to a processing chamber wherein a hearth is equipped with a vacuum seal serving to separate the processing chamber from the other chambers in the process of chemical heat treatment of parts. The heating and cooling chambers comprise extension stops and heat screens located on the side of the parts vertical supply chamber, and the hearths movable reciprocally in a horizontal direction.

Abstract: A multi-pipe quenching apparatus for simultaneously quenching a plurality of steel pipes at a high speed. The apparatus comprises (a) a steel pipe holding table for holding a plurality of steel pipes arranged in parallel which table is provided with a plurality of sets each including a plurality of clamp means for clamping a steel pipe at a plurality of points in the lengthwise direction thereof, and cooling water supply means for supplying water into said pipe through a nozzle pressed thereagainst, and (b) a quenching tank capable of containing water up to a predetermined level as occasion demands; whereby the holding table is vertically moved into and out of the quenching tank and the supply of water into the steel pipes is controlled by the cooling water supply means thereby quenching the steel pipes.

Abstract: Metal articles are cooled continuously by means of a conical jet of liquid injected into a jet of gas projected at low pressure and high speed onto the articles. The injection is carried out in such a way that particles of liquid are distributed throughout the jet, thus forming a mist which is projected onto the articles. Variable high coefficients of heat exchange are obtained.

Abstract: Apparatus for coiling and cooling wire rod comprises a turn-laying head, a coil receiver below the head, movable downwards to maintain a constant distance between the head and the top of the coil, and a cooling tank which is vertically movable. In an upper position the cooling tank contains the coil receiver and coil, and in a lower position the cooling tank is lower than the coil receiver, so that the coil can be conveyed horizontally away from the coil receiver. A coil mandrel is mounted in the cooling tank. Two such devices can be provided side by side with a common drive arranged to raise one cooling tank while lowering the other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sintering furnace for powder metallurgy of cemented carbides, cermets and ceramics, which comprises a main furnace body, a heating chamber provided in the main body, a table having a moving means for carrying a workpiece in or out of the heating chamber and a means for cooling the interior of the furnace with a heat exchanger fitted to the exterior of the main furnace body, and a method for the sintering and heat treatment of cemented carbides in the sintering furnace as claimed in claim 1, which comprises sintering cemented carbides and cooling rapidly at a cooling rate of at least 30.degree. C./min from the sintering temperature being at least a temperature at which a liquid phase appears to at most 1000.degree. C. by the use of an inert gas as a coolant.

Abstract: A method for continuously treating an iron member wherein the iron member is first subjected to furnace-brazing in a controlled gas environment and subsequently to a soft-nitriding treatment by addition of ammonia gas (NH.sub.3) to the controlled gas for the brazing. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided, and includes three partitioned chambers for brazing, annealing and soft-nitriding the iron member, each chamber being partitioned by a member such as a stainless steel film curtain at opposite sides thereof. A controlled gas feed system communicates with each of the chambers, and an ammonia gas feed system is connected to the soft-nitriding chamber.

Abstract: The invention pertains to method and apparatus for controlling the rate of cooling of metal bars, particularly relating to a cooling bed for receiving metal bars at elevated temperatures resulting from a continuous bar casting and/or rolling operation wherein the rate of bar cooling may be sufficiently retarded that a soft bar results having few internal stresses. The apparatus includes a bed receiving the hot bars at one end and conveyor means laterally transport the bars slowly across the bed, and the heat content on the conveyor is controlled by the bar spacing and speed and a thermal insulated heat barrier means disposed below and above the bed controls the rate of bar cooling wherein a substantially normalized bar exits at the bed discharge end. Control of the rate of cooling is a combination of regulating bar spacing, conveyor velocity and convection and radiation cooling control, and these factors are utilized to produce the desired bar physical characteristics, such as hardness.

Abstract: An apparatus for hardening a steel pipe by quenching it with cooling water, comprises a cylindrical assembly including a casing and a cover, said casing being removably mated with said cover so that said cylindrical assembly may be selectively opened or closed, a plurality of supports disposed within said cylindrical assembly for supporting a steel pipe to be hardened so as to align the steel pipe with said cylindrical assembly, and nozzle means disposed at one end of said cylindrical assembly for injecting cooling water into said cylindrical assembly for cooling water to flow both outside and inside the steel pipe in the longitudinal direction thereof. The steel pipe is uniformly quenched over its entire length.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling rolled wire rod consists of a first part which guides the wire rectilinearly and cools it with water, a turn-laying unit which forms the wire into turns and lays the turns in staggerred disposition on a continuously running conveyor, and a second part comprising the conveyor which allows passage of an approximately vertically directed stream of air to the turns and conveys the wire turns to a coil forming station which collects them. In order to provide substantial adaptability to various cooling requirements by means of simple and inexpensive conversion, the two parts are composed of a plurality of modules of the same modular length or an integral multiple of the modular length. A base frame carries the modules and the turn-laying unit is fixed on the base frame in a longitudinally displaceable manner. Thus, the lengths of the first and second parts can be changed, and individual modules or groups can be replaced.

Abstract: Coils of metal strip are cooled by being placed on porous supports with the coil axes vertical. Water is introduced into the coil interiors and most of the water overflows the coil tops and thereby cools the coil tops and peripheries. A small proportion of the water flows out through the porous supports and thereby cools the bottom ends of the coils. The water is preferably introduced from below. Apparatus for performing cooling is disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for heat treatment of metal pieces such as billets, ingots, bars and the like, by pre-heating using hot gas impingement in a pre-heating furnace, and then transference into a holding furnace using forced hot air circulation where the metal pieces are held for the time required at the desired heat treatment temperature.

Abstract: A steel strip continuous annealing apparatus comprising: a steel strip feeder; a heating-soaking zone for heating and soaking a steel strip at a predetermined temperature; a first cooling zone for rapidly cooling the steel strip at a predetermined cooling rate; a second cooling zone for slowly cooling the steel strip or holding same at a predetermined temperature; a third cooling zone for cooling the steel strip to substantially room temperature; and a steel strip carryout device; wherein the first cooling zone incorporates therein forcible cooling means, the second cooling zone incorporates therein hot-cold change-over means and the third cooling zone incorporates therein forcible cooling means, while said steel strip continuous annealing apparatus further comprises: means for directly bypassing the steel strip from the heating-soaking zone through a first bypass passageway to the second cooling zone; and means for directly bypassing the steel strip from the first cooling zone through a second bypass passage

Abstract: A steel strip continuous annealing furnace comprises a heating zone, a soaking zone and cooling zones, wherein bridle rolls for isolating tension of a steel strip from those in adjacent sections of the steel strip are provided at the inlet and outlet of the furnace and in the furnace so as to define a plurality of tension control blocks and provide tension control mechanisms for controlling the tensions of the steel strip in the respective tension control blocks, so that appropriate tensions can be rendered to the steel strip in the respective zones of the furnace, thereby enabling to secure the safe and satisfactory operating conditions.

Abstract: In a plant for recovering the sensible heat of continuously cast slabs, the slabs are guided through a cooling chamber in which heat is given off from the slabs to a cooling medium. In order to achieve a high heat yield and a low exit temperature of the slabs, the cooling medium is brought into direct contact with the slab surfaces within the cooling chamber, and the heated cooling medium is used as a heating medium in a heat exchanger in contact with a recirculating medium.

Abstract: A plate quenching apparatus is described as having a horizontally elongated chamber in which a plurality of rows of metal, tire-like rollers are used to support an element, such as a number number of metal plates, as the element moves along a horizontal pathway between opposing rows of nozzles above and below the pathway. Unfortunately, the metal rollers create wakes when large quantities of quenching liquid are used. These wakes literally surround tear-shaped areas immediately downstream the rollers and prevent adequate amounts of quenching liquid from contacting the element in these areas, especially at the beginning of the quenching process wherein it is critical to uniformly contact the element with quenching material. A plurality of nozzles are specially positioned between adjacent rows of the metal rollers to break up the wakes and insure that the sheet of metal is uniformly contacted with quenching liquid to prevent the element from becoming buckled, warped, or twisted during the quenching operation.

Abstract: An air wipe nozzle for removing water from a rod as it emerges from a water cooling tube in a rod mill is provided. The air nozzle includes a tubular head through which the rod passes, the header having a plurality of passages terminating in openings spaced around the periphery of the tube interior and directed at an acute angle with respect to the tube axis. The passages are configured to receive compressed air and direct it through the openings against the movement of the rod through the housing toward the entry end of the housing. A second group of openings spaced downstream in the header from the other openings directs additional air against the rod to completely remove water from the rod surface. Direction of the air toward the upstream direction of travel of the rod creates a vacuum at the exit end of the header and draws air therein to prevent passage of water along the header itself.

Abstract: An industrial furnace, particularly a single-chamber vacuum furnace, for heat treatment of metallic workpieces, with a heating chamber which is formed in a housing, which heating chamber is heatable via heating elements and is provided on the bottom and on the ceiling with a closable chamber opening for the passage of a quenching gas which can be circulated by means of a blower. A flap is swingably mounted at the chamber opening underneath a closing slide, which chamber opening is provided for the entrance of the gas. The flap controls the incoming flow of gas within the range of the free cross-section of the chamber opening.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising a metal shell enclosing a spaced adapted to be heated, low heat retention, thermal shock resistant insulation on one substantially entire surface of the metal shell, a heater to heat the space enclosed by the metal shell, a vent for heated gases from the shell-enclosed space, a conduit and nozzle to supply atomized water into the shell-enclosed space to controllably cool the shell-enclosed space, and a vent for steam from the shell-enclosed space.A method comprising applying a low heat retention, thermal shock resistant insulation on one substantially entire surface of a metal shell enclosing a space, heating the space enclosed by the metal shell by means of hot gases with venting of the hot gases from the shell-enclosed space, supplying atomized water into the shell-enclosed heated space to controllably cool said space, and venting steam from the cooling shell-enclosed space.

Abstract: Apparatus for heat treatment of metal pieces such as billets, ingots, bars and the like, by pre-heating using hot gas impingement in a pre-heating furnace, and then transference into a holding furnace using forced hot air circulation where the metal pieces are held for the time required at the desired heat treatment temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for hot rolling and treating rod first by depositing the rod in spread-out ring form on a moving conveyor, then gathering it into a relatively loose somewhat offset bundle and thereafter subjecting it to batch treatments among which are conventional annealing, and/or coating and baking as well as new forms of annealing not heretofor practiced.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing low-oxygen iron-base metallic powder are disclosed. The low-oxygen iron-base metallic powder is produced by alloying and/or admixing iron-base metallic raw powder to be subjected to a final reduction, which has an apparent density in filled state corresponding to 16-57% of theoretical true density, an oxygen content of not more than 6% by weight and a particle size of not more than 1 mm, with carbon or carbonaceous granule in an amount corresponding to not more than an target alloying carbon content of a final product (% by weight) + an oxygen content of the powder just before the final reduction (% by weight) .times. 1.35 to form a starting powder, preheating the starting powder at a temperature of 780.degree.-1,130.degree. C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere having a theoretical oxygen partial pressure of not more than 2.1.times.10.sup.-1 mmHg and a dew point of not more than +5.degree. C.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for heat-treating parts in a furnace system which uses a minimum total amount of energy. The self-contained, continuous heat-treating system includes components such as a carburizer, a tempering furnace, and a part cooler. Energy transfer between these and other components operable at different temperatures and/or energy requirements are used to maximize thermal efficiency of the system.

Abstract: A shaft furnace for producing low-oxygen iron-base metallic powder for metallurgy is disclosed. The shaft furnace comprises a zone of storing and feeding a metallic raw powder, a preheating zone, an induction heating zone and a zone of cutting and cooling a product cake in a vertical array from top to bottom. The preheating zone and induction heating zone have a special structure for ensuring a smooth descent of the raw powder and the cake.

Abstract: A cooling bed for cooling and straightening rods or bars which are delivered hot from a rolling mill as side-by-side conveyor chains provided with projections between which pockets for the articles are defined. Reversal sprocket wheels at the infeed end are interconnected so that the pockets at the infeed end remain accurately in alignment, notwithstanding chain wear and differential expansion under the heat conditions. Reversal sprocket wheels at the discharge end are not drivingly interconnected, at least under normal operating conditions. Individual hydraulic drive motors drive the reversal wheels as shown or separate drive wheels which cooperate with the lower runs of the conveyor chains to keep the upper runs taut individually. The individually driven sprocket wheels are mounted with angular lost motion on a connection shaft to avoid one of the motors being overloaded under exceptional circumstances.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating a strip of briquets issuing from a briquetting machine into individual briquets by bending the briquet strip both longitudinally and transversely to break the connections between adjacent briquets. The apparatus includes a carrying conveyor having arcuate, waveform or sawtooth conveyor slats and a conforming conveyor having conveyor slats with a cross section which mates with that of the carrying conveyor. The conforming conveyor forces the briquet strip to conform to the slat configuration of the first conveyor and to pass around a pivot means which breaks or separates the strip into individual briquets.

Abstract: The invention provides means for processing novel heat treated parts, eliminating danger of contamination of the parts from contaminating ambient or other air and gases. The invention further assures uniform, maximum efficiency in achieving the special hardening and other characteristics of the parts, without contamination thereof, thus obviating the necessity for any supplementary procedures for elimination of warping and other defects which might otherwise occur. The invention automatically and economically achieves the above recited and other objectives, thus assuring uniformity of desired characteristics, qualities and properties in heat treatment procedures, the operations being performed at or above atmospheric pressure thus preventing vaporization of certain alloying elements in the work and container metals.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process and apparatus for recovering high temperature heat normally lost from materials that have been processed at high temperature, and for transferring this heat directly to materials about to be processed. The apparatus comprises a tunnel having an infrared radiation reflective interior surface through which cool incoming and hot exiting workpieces pass. The cross-sectional shape of the tunnel is elliptical, and the workpieces are moved along focal lines so that radiation emitted from hot workpieces is reflected at the interior surface, directed to cool workpieces, and absorbed. A furnace suitable for subjecting a workpiece to a controlled thermal cycle is also disclosed.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cooling heated metal items such as extrusion billets, and in particular billets of aluminum alloys is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a cooling chamber, means for transporting individual billets into and out of the cooling chamber, and inlet and outlet openings for the ingress and egress of a cooling medium from said chamber. A fan or the like is employed to produce a flow of air through the cooling chamber.

Abstract: A super conductor is made by first shaping a copper strip carrying a niobium layer into a corrugated tube; thereafter tin is deposited on the tube which is coiled, hung from a ceramic rod and placed into an annealing furnace being evacuated thereafter, the interior of the tube is sealed off from the interior of the furnace. After, e.g. two hours of heating for causing the tin to diffuse into the niobium, a sufficiently thick layer of Nb.sub.3 Sn has developed and a cold inert gas is flushed through the tube to rapidly cool the tube while retaining it in the evacuated but no longer heated furnace.

Abstract: The invention relates to controlled atmosphere heat treating furnaces and particularly to furnaces for bright annealing of copper or its alloys. A new concept is proposed for conserving energy uses by first having a separate atmosphere producing system that fires constantly, independent of the temperature control and secondly having a cooling system that only extracts the excess heat produced by the combustion for atmosphere. In this way the furnace may be maintained at the desired operating temperatures regardless of variation of the work load, yet all of the heat generated by the atmosphere producing device is released within the furnace thereby eliminating unnecessary heat losses.

Abstract: A vacuum furnace having a single chamber in which a workpiece is supported and heat treated. A unique cooling system is designed for adaption with the low pressure/high volume radial flow fan which is positioned interiorly of the furnace adjacent the vertically uppermost portion of the chamber. The system includes an exhaust opening in the top of the chamber and a plurality of small openings strategically located in the lower half of the chamber for improving the uniformity of the flow pattern of cooled gas circulated upwardly through the chamber for cooling a workpiece positioned in the chamber.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for rolling and cooling medium to high carbon steel rod is provided wherein the rod is rolled at high speed and laid in rings directly onto a conveyor at high temperature. Thereafter high velocity hot water is sprayed onto the rings to cool them to a temperature near to but above A.sub.3. Transformation is then started while applying air to the rod, and while substantial parts of the rod are transforming, further accelerated cooling is again applied to the rod.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating a sheet of briquets issuing from a briquetting machine into individual briquets by bending the briquet sheet both longitudinally and transversely to break the connections between adjacent briquets. The apparatus includes a carrying conveyor having arcuate, waveform or sawtooth conveyor slats and a conforming conveyor having conveyor slats with a cross section which mates with that of the carrying conveyor. The conforming conveyor forces the briquet sheet to conform to the slat configuration of the first conveyor and to pass around a pivot means which breaks or separates the sheet into individual briquets.

Abstract: Apparatus for heat treating the weld and heat affected zone between a steel pipe and a steel connector, the apparatus including an induction coil to heat the weld and weld heat affected zone to a selected temperature. A ring shaped manifold having nozzle means to direct flow outwardly is connected with pumping means to pump gas simultaneously against the interior and exterior of the weld and heat affected zone.

Abstract: A preheating furnace having a furnace chamber for preheating an extended metal piece, comprising a transportation means for the metal arranged in the furnace chamber, at least one treatment chamber in the furnace chamber for containing and treating the metal; at least one pressure chamber in the furnace chamber into which hot gas is blown under pressure; and a plurality of rows of slot-type nozzles arranged laterally symmetrically from the metal and extending through a partition which subdivides the furnace chamber into the treatment chamber and the pressure chamber. The slot-type nozzles adduct hot gas to the metal so that warping of the metal is prevented, and the nozzles have elongated openings disposed with the longer axis of each opening transverse to the longitudinal axis of the metal.

Abstract: An arrangement for the further treatment of sectional steel stock delivered by a rolling mill includes a coiler unit for coiling the stock emerging from the mill, a cooling conveyor for conveying the coils while cooling them, an uncoiling unit, a section straightening unit for straightening the stock after uncoiling, a cutting unit for cutting the stock into required lengths, a collection station and a collection unit for collecting the straightened, cut lengths of stock at the collection station. Packaging and loading equipment may be used with the collecting devices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for handling bar-shaped material, such as tubes, beyond a plant for manufacturing and/or machining same, comprising the steps of sub-dividing the material moving out of the plant by means of a severing device, sorting the cut lengths of material into at least two groups and feeding said sorted lengths to at least two cooling beds, conveying the cut lengths from the first cooling bed and subjecting them to substantially automatic continuous after-processing and conveying the cut lengths from the second cooling bed, after intermediate storage subjecting them at the second cooling bed to at least partially manual individual after-processing.