Abstract: A drive roller assembly for a conveyor system includes a drive roller having a longitudinal axis, the drive roller having a roller body and a shaft. A support structure rotatably supports a second axial end portion of the shaft and a drive for rotatably driving the drive roller. A first axial end portion of the shaft and the drive are rotatably coupled in an axially engaged condition in which the drive roller is in rotatable engagement with the drive and in which the drive is axially releasable. The support is configured and adapted to be detachably attached to an attachment portion of the support structure to maintain the drive roller rotatably supported when attached and to allow the drive roller to be removed from the support structure when detached.

Abstract: Provided is a heat treatment apparatus capable of more reliably conveying a workpiece along a desired conveyance path by a simple configuration. A heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a heating chamber 7, a cooling chamber 8 disposed adjacent to the heating chamber 7, a conveyance tray 2 to support the workpiece 100, and a first conveyance mechanism 3 to convey the conveyance tray 2 along a conveyance path B1 from the outside of the heating chamber 7 to the outside of the cooling chamber 8 through the heating chamber 7 and the cooling chamber 8.

Abstract: Methods for producing a glass ribbon include drawing a quantity of molten material from a forming vessel into a glass ribbon with the forming vessel positioned within a first portion of a housing located within an upper chamber. The methods further include drawing the glass ribbon along a draw path passing through a second portion of the housing at least partially located within a lower chamber. The methods further include venting gas from an interior of housing through a wall of the second portion of the housing. In one example, the method further includes maintaining a pressure difference between the lower chamber and the upper chamber. In another example, the method includes maintaining a pressure difference between the interior of the housing and the upper chamber.

Abstract: Methods for producing a mono- or multilayer composite are provided in which one or several layers are applied onto a carrier material by coating, the coated mono- or multilayer composite is dried and rolled up, and the installation is subsequently cleaned. The air circuit in the drying oven is entirely set to fresh air supply, and the drying oven is configured to be cleaned in a controlled manner. All components of the drying oven that come into contact with the product do not have to be removed during cleaning, but can be cleaned-in-place using technology integrated into the drying oven. The drying oven Outer housing is designed so that it can be lifted upwardly. All assembly parts in the drying oven interior are designed to eliminate disassembling for cleaning purposes. Transport rollers within the drying oven are designed as hollow shafts and provided with spraying nozzles.

Abstract: Techniques for transferring workpieces from one chamber to another chamber are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, a treatment system includes a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber and one or more process chambers. The load lock chamber is provided to receive workpieces for treatment or process in one or more process chambers. The transfer chamber is provided as a mechanism to move workpieces from one chamber to another chamber. The process chamber includes a set of electrodes used to treat the workpieces with other materials. To facilitate the transfer of the workpieces, the process chamber is designed to position each of the workpieces vertically between a pair of electrodes, where each of the workpieces is removably held up by a fixture. Depending on implementation, the workpieces may be mounted on one fixture or multiple fixtures respectively. The fixture(s) is then mounted to a moving mechanism that facilitates the fixture(s) to move from one chamber to another chamber.

Abstract: An induction foil cap sealer of the present invention includes a cap foil sealer head installed along a conveyor. A controller is operatively connected to the cap sealer head. An infrared detector is adapted to obtain temperature data from a work piece on the conveyor. An electronic memory storage device is capable of storing electronic data, and is operatively connected to the controller. A comparator is in communication with the controller, the electronic memory and the infrared detector. The comparator compares the temperature data with pre-stored electronic data in the electronic memory storage and sends a signal to the controller based on the comparison.

Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a first load lock, a process chamber having a first opening to allow an exchange of a substrate between the first load lock and the first process chamber, first rollers in the process chamber; and second rollers in the first load lock, wherein the first rollers and the second rollers are configured to transport a substrate thereon through the first opening between the first load lock and the process chamber. The first rollers and the second rollers are not rotated by an active transport mechanism.

Abstract: The invention is an improved reflow tool for performing a reflow process on a wafer. An input robot may be used to transport wafers from an input carrier to an oven where a reflow process is performed. After processing the wafers in the oven, the wafers are transported to a storage carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the storage carrier includes a plurality of left and right slats that use chamfer tabs and centering tabs to precisely position the wafer as the wafer is loaded into the storage carrier. The storage carrier may be part of a buffer indexer that also includes an actuator for vertically positioning the storage carrier. An output robot may be used to sequentially remove the wafers from the storage carrier and to place the wafers in an output carrier. In another preferred embodiment, the power from a main power supply to the reflow tool is monitored and an uninterruptible power supply is used to power the oven and buffer indexer if power is lost.

Abstract: A heat shield arrangement (12) for a roller table (2) comprising respective upper and lower series of heat shield panels (32,34,36,18) above and below a hot material path (42) along the table. The lower series of panels (18) includes at least one panel that is displaceable to permit a greater radiation loss from a central region of the path (42) than from laterally outer regions to each side of the central region. The upper series of panels includes at least one central panel (34) and at least two laterally outer panels (32,36) on opposite sides of said central panel (34), the outer panels (32,36) being suspended from a primary support structure (26) and said central panel (34) being suspended from an auxiliary support structure (30) displaceable relative to the primary support structure (26) to raise said central panel (34) relative to the outer panels (32,36). By these means a more uniform lateral temperature profile can be obtained even for thick transfer bars.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for moving and thermally conditioning generally cylindrical containers in which the structure provides for movement of the containers about their axes and provides for a predetermined heat flow relative to the containers to change the temperature of the containers by a predetermined amount. The apparatus may be used for cooling of hot containers or for both heating the containers for sterilization and then subsequent cooling, if desired.

Abstract: When ceramic building materials are fired in a roller hearth kiln, they are stacked in a plurality of layers, and allowed to reside in the kiln for a time of at least three hours.

Abstract: Screens for limiting heat losses from heated material, e.g. bars and slabs in rolling mills. Screens are provided in the form of strings of heat insulating bodies composed of metal shells containing insulating material. These screens may form curtains and/or covers for the hot material. Containing chambers for the hot material may be provided with such strings of elements and the chambers may also comprise structure for limiting heat conduction losses through the material supports therein. The screens may be collapsed over the hot material thereby completely surrounding and insulating the material from loss of heat. A displaceable chamber installation may also be provided for limiting heat loss when holding and transferring hot material between processing stages.

Abstract: A fast tempo firing process for ceramic tiles is disclosed, in which material to be fired is exposed to a limited number of sharp rises and falls in temperature, occurring in quick succession and followed in each instance by a short stabilization period. The kiln adopted for such a process features a string of individual stages (2, 3, 4, 5), each held at a given set temperature, through which the tiles (8) are conveyed on a roller hearth (6) with transfer from one stage into the next being brought about at high speed.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for delivering materials such as comminuted rubber tires as a secondary fuel to a combustion chamber of a furnace or kiln. A hopper includes a variable speed electric motor-driven screw conveyor, and a control system provides a variable frequency alternating current to the motor of the screw conveyor to deliver a metered amount of fuel from the hopper. A blower and a nozzle assembly may be used to entrain the fuel in a stream of air and carry the fuel to the combustion chamber where it is required. The fuel is delivered in metered quantities in response to the required firing rate of the furnace or kiln. A second metering device provides metered quantities of material which can be carried by the fuel to be taken into a high temperature environment to be decomposed or burned. The apparatus is mounted on a transportable platform.

Abstract: A loading device for a horizontal continuous furnace for the heating of glass plates comprises a roller conveyer (6) as part of a continuous conveying system. Support strips (12-15, 32-35) can be lowered and are arranged between conveying rollers (7) of the roller conveyer at a feed station (A). The glass plates (2, 3, 4, 5) are placed on the raised support strips (12-15, 32-35) and are lowered onto the conveying rollers at a preset time by simultaneous lowering of all support strips. Each support strip (12-15, 32-35) is supported independently of the other support strips on separate lifting devices (16-19, 36-39). These lifting devices (16-19, 36-39) are controlled by reflecting photoelectric barriers (22-25, 42-45) respectively dedicated to each support strip such that each support strip (12-15, 32-35) is individually raised to an upper position as soon as a glass plate transferred to the conveying rollers (7) has left the area of that support strip.

Abstract: A treatment furnace having a longitudinally extending charging opening has a transversely extending furnace conveyor having an upstream end in the vicinity of the opening. A loading conveyor has an array of transversely extending approach rollers adjacent the charging opening so that a workpiece to be treated in the furnace can be rolled longitudinally along the approach rollers to a position transversely aligned with the charging opening. A loading apparatus for the furnace has at least two transversely extending arms each having an inner end pivoted inside the furnace about a longitudinal axis at the upstream end of the furnace conveyor and an outer end outside the furnace and an array of longitudinally extending loading rollers rotatable about horizontal and longitudinal axes is carried on the arms.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for heat treatment of material in pieces at high temperature, especially for firing ceramic material. In this apparatus supports in the form of elongated support elements are provided on carrier elements rotatable about fixed axes, the supports are guided in the transport direction and are spaced a clear distance from one another at right angles to the transport direction. This results in even heat treatment of the material, a reduction in the energy consumption, shortening of the transit time, and a significant reduction in the construction and running costs.

Abstract: A device and a process for feeding glass sheets at a predetermined rate to a furnace having a main conveyor moving at a constant speed and extending through the furnace where glass sheets are to be positioned on the main conveyor separated by a predetermined spacing. An auxiliary conveyor moves supply sheets to the entry side of the main conveyor until a supply sheet is temporarily positioned closer to a sheet on the main conveyor than the predetermined spacing at which point the auxiliary conveyor is stopped. A sheet transfer device is provided for then transferring a supply sheet to the main conveyor from the stopped auxiliary conveyor at the speed of the main conveyor when the distance between the last sheet on the main conveyor and the supply sheet is equal to the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A transport device in a preheating furnace for treating metallic material like bars, billets, blooms and the like of light metal, such as aluminum and its alloys, comprises a slide-in unit adapted to be pushed into and pulled out of the furnace chamber. The slide-in unit supports furnace rollers or slides for the material to be preheated. The slide-unit itself is displaceable preferably by sliding or rolling on rails. With the transport device the thermal efficiency is improved, as after charging the furnace all parts of the transport device are contained in the furnace chamber which may be in this manner completely sealed for the heat treatment of the material. Moreover, assembly and disassembly of the furnace rollers or slides is easy.

Abstract: A heating method of operating a furnace in a hot rolling line and a heating furnace therefor in which the reheating furnace is positioned between a continuous casting apparatus and a rolling apparatus rolling workpieces at a higher speed than they are cast by the casting process, the furnace serving as a heating and buffer zone. The reheating furnace includes at least three moving beams each having an independent driving mechanism, and coupling mechanisms which couple the neighboring moving beams for independent or synchronous movement, while the moving beams are so arranged that, by operating the driving mechanism, they are altered in their speeds to the discharging speed of the workpieces from the continuous casting process, or one or two of the moving beams are brought into idling state or driven at the rolling speed.