Abstract: The present invention provides a far-infrared radiation heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping configured to inhibit thermal deformation of the furnace body and furnace body parts. A far-infrared radiation heating furnace (10) includes heating units (13-1) to (13-6), a ceiling unit (19), and a furnace body frame (12) made of steel, the heating units including: blocks made of a thermal insulation material, the blocks being disposed around horizontal planes of spaces for accommodating the steel sheets for hot stamping; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the steel sheets for hot stamping to heat the steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace body frame being disposed around the heating units and the ceiling unit. The furnace body frame includes spacers (17-1) to (17-7) that space the heating units and the ceiling unit apart from the furnace body frame and support them.

Abstract: A multiple hearth furnace including a rabble arm with a tubular structure and a solid plug body. The latter is received in a socket arranged in an arm fixing node. It has an axial through boring and cooling fluid supply and return channels arranged around this through boring. A clamping bolt is rotatably fitted in the through boring. It has a bolt head, which can be brought by rotation into and out of hooking engagement with an abutment surface on the arm fixing node. A threaded end of the clamping bolt sticks out of the through boring at the rear end of the plug body. A threaded sleeve, which is screwed onto this threaded end, bears on an abutment surface at the rear end of the plug body for exerting a clamping force onto the clamping bolt.

Abstract: A multiple hearth furnace including a rabble arm with a tubular structure and a solid plug body. The latter is received in a socket arranged in an arm fixing node. It has an axial through boring and cooling fluid supply and return channels arranged around this through boring. A clamping bolt is rotatably fitted in the through boring. It has a bolt head, which can be brought by rotation into and out of hooking engagement with an abutment surface on the arm fixing node. A threaded end of the clamping bolt sticks out of the through boring at the rear end of the plug body. A threaded sleeve, which is screwed onto this threaded end, bears on an abutment surface at the rear end of the plug body for exerting a clamping force onto the clamping bolt.

Abstract: A rabble arm for a furnace includes an elongated metallic support core, at least one rabble tooth having a rabble portion and a fixing portion and a fixing device co-operating with the fixing portion for fixing the rabble tooth to the elongated metallic support core. The fixing portion includes a through hole through which the elongated metallic support core axially passes. The fixing device co-operates with the fixing portion around the through hole for fixing the rabble tooth to the elongated metallic support core.

Abstract: A vacuum heat-treatment apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece in a treating cell includes a hermetic chamber disposed at the center. A plurality of treating cells are disposed along the periphery of the hermetic chamber, and a workpiece transfer mechanism is disposed inside the hermetic chamber and transfers the workpiece from one of the treating cells to the hermetic chamber and from the hermetic chamber to one of the treating cells.

Abstract: A multiple hearth furnace includes an upright cylindrical furnace housing divided into a plurality of vertically aligned hearth chambers. A cleaning lance inlet port is sealingly connected to the cylindrical furnace housing and radially leads into one of the hearth chambers. A cleaning lance assembly is provided and includes an elongated mount arranged outside the furnace housing and the cleaning lance is slidably mounted on the elongated mount. The cleaning lance includes a cleaning nozzle and can be sealingly introduced through the lance inlet port along a radial trajectory into the hearth chamber by moving it along the elongated mount. The cleaning nozzle is arranged on the cleaning lance, so as to be capable of directing a jet of cleaning fluid onto a rabble arm that is positioned in a cleaning position in the vicinity of the radial trajectory when the cleaning lance is slidably moved along the elongate mount.

Abstract: A configuration of various chemical compound generators coupled to a furnace provides the environment for formation of extremely thin oxides of silicon on a wafer. Dichloroethylene is reacted with oxygen in a first heated reaction chamber and reaction products therefrom are diluted with a gas such as nitrogen and then introduced into a vertically oriented furnace maintained at an elevated temperature and having rotating wafers therein. Hydrogen and oxygen are catalytically reacted to form steam in a second heated reaction chamber, the steam is diluted with a gas such as nitrogen and introduced into the vertical diffusion furnace. In a further aspect of the present invention, MOSFETs having gate dielectric layers of extremely thin oxides of silicon are formed.

Abstract: A furnace body (10) houses a treatment rotor (30) which has charge locations (36) to take up a workpiece charge each and is supported so as to be driven in rotation around a central axis (A). The furnace body (10) communicates with side chambers (110, 110') equipped to receive a workpiece charge each from the treatment rotor (30) and to deliver it to the same, respectively. A lock rotor (60) likewise arranged in the furnace body (10) and adapted to be driven in rotation about the central axis (A) comprises at least two lock chambers (64) which are offset angularly relative to each other with respect to the central axis (A). The lock chambers (64) are opened alternately to the surroundings of the furnace body (10) and to a side chamber (110, 110') for reception and delivery of a workpiece charge each.

Abstract: A process for producing micropellets of lightweight aggregate having a substantially spheroidal configuration which includes continuously mixing ceramic clay and liquid in a high speed rotating pin mixer to encapsulate substantially all other non-volatile inorganic solid materials present in micropellets having a diameter not exceeding about six mesh. The spheroidal micropellets are then fired at a temperature of at least 2,000.degree. F. to oxidize all volatile organic compounds present. The lightweight aggregate of micropellets can advantageously be used to replace sand in a cement or concrete matrix, as a well as for numerous other uses.

Abstract: Disclosed is a furnace in which the inside of the furnace is enclosed by a furnace wall having an inner surface lined with a heat insulating material. Heaters for heating an inside of the upper furnace chamber to a predetermined temperature, and an upper turntable supported so as to be rotatable horizontally and arranged to mount works on an upper surface thereof are provided in the upper furnace chamber. Other heaters for heating the inside of a lower furnace chamber to a predetermined temperature, and a lower turntable supported so as to be rotatable horizontally independently of the upper turntable and arranged to mount works on an upper surface thereof are provided in the lower furnace chamber. Delivery of a work from/to the outside of the furnace to/from each of the upper and lower turntables is performed by insertion of a fork through an opening formed in a predetermined position of the furnace wall.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for gentle thermal treatment of flaky or granulated material with vapors in continuous operation, wherein the vapors are introduced from the bottom and conducted in countercurrent to the material falling downwardly by gravity and by the aid of additional mechanical means through one treatment stage or a plurality of treatment stages, the individual treatment stages being defined by perforated plates to which the material to be treated is fed by horizontal motion, the space below the lowermost, unheated perforated plate serving to distribute the gases or vapors and to admit the latter uniformly to the entire treatment space, the bores of the openings or perforations in the plates having a cross-section which allows the vapors, but not the material being treated, to pass therethrough, in order, on the one hand, to achieve optimum vapor exploitation and, on the other hand, to prevent any damage to the material being treated (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Cooling device for coal dust comprising a housing, a motor-driven conveyor system therein to transport the coal dust over coolable trays in the housing and conveyor-wheel arms of spiral curvature for moving the coal dust from one or more inlets to one or more outlets via a series of communicating passages in the trays over which the conveyor-wheel arms pass under actuation of a hydraulic motor mounted above the housing and driving a vertical shaft, to which the conveyor-wheel arms are attached, extending centrally downwardly through the housing.

Abstract: In a kiln for firing ceramic workpieces, which kiln is composed of two opposed side walls and a top wall enclosing an elongate kiln chamber, and elements for introducing jets of heating or cooling gases into the kiln chamber at locations spaced along the length of the kiln, the elements are located for directing the jets produced thereby vertically in the region of the side walls of the kiln, and deflector stones are disposed at a distance from the elements for deflecting the jets and gases within the chamber transversely of the length of the kiln.

Abstract: A novel kiln with overlying beds arranged about a central hollow shaft carrying rabble arms attached thereto and with alternate apertures formed in the floors between adjacent stories adjacent the hollow shaft and adjacent the periphery of the floor and with treatment gases being supplied through such orifices in a direction opposite to the direction in which the material moves through a furnace and further providing hot gas feed conduits located in the walls of the furnace in one or more stories and directed in a generally tangential direction relative to the story floors.

Abstract: The furnace comprises a hearth for the longitudinal displacement of pellet containers, means for injecting gas at both ends of the furnace, for sucking gas between preheating and sintering zones and for condensing the binder, means for displacing the containers from an introduction lock-chamber to an extraction lock-chamber, a conveyor belt which passes through a glove box and provides a leak-tight connection between the lock-chambers. A station for loading containers with pellet sub-containers prior to sintering and a station for unloading the pellet sub-containers after sintering are juxtaposed within the glove box.

Abstract: Heat treatment tunnel kiln for products having a circular cross-section, comprising a main heat treatment zone for circulating tubes or bars perpendicular to their axis, ensuring the rolling of the tubes or bars inside the supports, and zones for circulating the supports parallel to their axis, connected to flow circuits for gases different from those in the main zone.