Abstract: A coal charging car for a coke-oven battery has a screw-type feeder beneath the coal hopper shiftable on the chassis of the car to allow positioning of the outlet of that feeder over the hole communicating with the coking chamber without moving the car.

Abstract: A coke oven door extractor is mounted on the rail car and includes door engaging supports movable in individually differing amounts relative to a plane parallel to and including the door jamb and a door jamb height axis of symmetry and movable vertically, allowing the door extractor to compensate for front-to-back tilting and side-to-side leaning of the coke oven door jamb due to thermal distortion of the battery and variations in individual door heights. The extractor includes a first frame pivotally mounted to the car, a second frame horizontally translatably mounted to the first frame, and a third frame vertically translatably and pivotally mounted to the second frame, with the third frame including the door supports.

Abstract: A coke oven rail car with a drive control system for positioning the car and for spotting the functional equipment carried by the car. A sensor determines the relative position of the car with respect to a selected oven in a coke oven battery. The car includes a first drive for effecting gross movement of the car along the rails and gross positioning of the car relative to the selected oven. The car further includes a second automatically controlled drive for effecting fine movement of the caw along the rails and fine positioning of the car relative to the selected oven. In one embodiment the first drive is manually controlled, while in another embodiment the first drive is automatically controlled. The second automatically controlled drive can take the form of one or two disk clutch type mechanisms or a clutch band type mechanism.

Abstract: A charging appliance for melting units that work under vacuum or under protective gas atmosphere includes a charging shovel, for holding charging stock, attached to a carriage which transports the charging stock to an advanced position inside the melting unit. The charging appliance further includes an ejector that holds the charging stock in the advanced position while the charging shovel is being retracted, resulting in the charging stock being deposited in the melting unit. The rolling carriage which transports the charging stock runs along a rail set. The rail set is movable via lifting cylinders. By selective displacement of two lifting cylinders, the elevation and angle of tilt of the rail set can be adjusted. Accordingly, the charging shovel can be maneuvered in a wide variation of positions inside the melting chamber. The charging appliance can be quickly and accurately adapted for use to a particular melting unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for charging a melting furnace having a charging opening in its sidewall, in which a closed housing contains a vibrating pan having an intergal discharge chute adapted to extend into the charging opening in the furnace sidewall; and a truck-mounted carriage for moving the charging apparatus into the charging opening of the furnace and removing the apparatus to a position remote therefrom. A method for feeding the furnace over a predefined area, and continuously feeding the furnace during all phrases of operation, including slagging and tapping, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A lumber cart for use in a dielectric drying kiln, in which the cart is comprised of a wheeled, horizontal frame, a flat bed of electrically conductive material, preferably aluminum, carried on top of the frame, and one or more electrical leads or terminals connected to the bed, is improved to facilitate loading and unloading of the lumber, by the bed being formed of at least one set of three rectangular sections in side-by-side relationship, the two outside sections of the set being capable of being elevated to a level above the center section, and the cart being provided with means underneath the bed for temporarily elevating the two outside sections and for holding those sections in the elevated position while supporting a stack of lumber by its ends when the stack is laid lengthwise across and above the center section. A similarly constructed separate electrode is also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for delivering solid fuel into a fireplace safely and easily includes a fuel supporting rack which may be pivoted between a horizontal fuel supporting position to a downwardly angled unloading position by means of a control lever having its operating end positioned a substantial distance from the fireplace.