Abstract: A multi-operation wafer baking system includes a chassis; a wafer loading device mounted on the chassis for laterally moving a wafer; a cruciform transportation device mounted on the chassis for receiving a wafer from the wafer loading device and including a base, an elevation platform, and a rotation platform mounted on the elevation platform and having four carrier arms for carrying wafers; an annular baking device mounted on the chassis to oppose the cruciform transportation device and including a central turn table, a plurality of wafer racks, and a plurality of baking tray assemblies functioning to receive wafers from corresponding wafer racks for performing a baking operation on the wafer; and an unloading device mounted on the chassis for receiving baked wafers. This system allows for baking wafers in a multi-operation manner to thereby improve throughput.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hopper of an injection molding machine, which comprises a combined hopper, an electric heating air-blasting system and a temperature control system, wherein the combined hopper comprises two or more than two sub-hoppers; each sub-hopper is provided with an independent sub-feed inlet, an independent sub-discharge outlet and a branch air-blasting port capable of being controlled independently; all the sub-discharge outlets of the sub-hoppers are communicated with a thermostatic chamber arranged below the sub-discharge outlets; a main discharge outlet and a main air supply port are arranged at the lower part of the thermostatic chamber; and the thermostatic chamber and each sub-hopper are provided with independent temperature control systems respectively.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for improving gas distribution during thermal processing. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate comprising a chamber body defining a processing volume, a substrate support disposed in the processing volume, wherein the substrate support is configured to support and rotate the substrate, a gas inlet assembly coupled to an inlet of the chamber body and configured to provide a first gas flow to the processing volume, and an exhaust assembly coupled to an outlet of the chamber body, wherein the gas inlet assembly and the exhaust assembly are disposed on opposite sides of the chamber body, and the exhaust assembly defines an exhaust volume configured to extend the processing volume.

Abstract: An apparatus for carrying a plurality of vertically hanging trays includes a vertical rotating means comprising a first pair of rotating chains carrying the plurality of trays at respective top bars thereof and a second pair of rotating chains coupled to each top bar through linking bars, the first and second pairs of rotating chains being operatively coupled. The apparatus may be used in a furnace, a cleaning apparatus and a combined furnace/cleaning apparatus as well as in medical and other applications.

Abstract: An oven (10) has a rotatable portion (12, 14) comprising an outer chamber (20) and an inner treatment chamber (22) within the outer chamber. The inner treatment chamber is adapted to receive material for treatment and the oven has means (28, 32, 34, 36, 38, 42) to heat the inner treatment chamber externally. Preferably, the inner treatment chamber is heated by means of a flow of hot gases through the outer chamber, which passes over the external surfaces of the walls of the inner treatment chamber. The oven may also include means (44, 48) for introducing a flow of hot gasses through the inner treatment chamber. The flow rate of the hot gasses passing through the inner and outer chambers can be varied according to the nature of the material being treated. The oven is particularly suited to thermally de-coating scrap materials.

Abstract: A furnace for energy saving and space reduction used in electronic industry assembly, medical sterilization, or food process application is provided. In the furnace there is a number of trays hinged on a pair of continuous chains which movement is in a circle or oval trajectory, or on the rotating beam mechanism constituting as spider web form. A pair of rings is added to restrain the swing movement of each tray via the mechanical linkage during rotation. A dome formed at the top portion inside the furnace is used as an enclosure where the heated inert gas is almost kept. The electric power for heater and blower can be reduced by the natural convection. An opening is located at the lower portion of the furnace; so the operator can do loading and unloading performance.

Abstract: A process for manipulating workpieces, which are to be carburized, wherein the workpieces or workpiece magazines that are to be deposited on pallets are loaded in several rows, corresponding to a predefined number of rows of workpieces, into a rotating hearth furnace and, after carburization, are removed from the rotating hearth furnace and fed to a hardening press, exhibiting a predetermined number of press stations, and wherein on each pallet are deposited a number of workpieces or workpiece magazines, said number corresponding to the number of press stations. For better utilization of the capacity of the rotating hearth furnace and the hardening press, the pallets in the rotating hearth furnace are arranged in such a number of rows that the number of press stations is a divisor of the number of workpiece rows.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for loading, preheating and refining steel. The charging apparatus has a skirted charging section for introducing charge materials, a dynamic gas seal adjacent the charging section and a preheater, the preheater for preheating the charged materials, a connector adjacent the preheater and removably insertable into an electric arc furnace for feeding charged materials into a furnace bath for melting and refining metallic charge therein, and a vibrating conveyor which extends throughout the charging apparatus. The charging apparatus is positioned on rails to be movable by a drive engine between a charging position wherein the connector is fully inserted into the furnace, a retracted position where the connector is partially inserted into the furnace and a disconnected position where the connector is fully removed from the furnace.

Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly heating a plurality of parts to a desired temperature. The apparatus includes an oven within which is disposed a rotationally supported magazine for holding a plurality of parts to be heated. A plurality of heating elements and an air circulation system for circulating heated air are also disposed within the oven. A controller is operatively coupled to the magazine for controlling rotation of the magazine to enable parts to be loaded into, and unloaded from, the magazine through an input/output station. A user actuatable switch, such as a foot pedal operated switch, is operatively coupled to the controller to allow a user to send control signals to the controller during loading and unloading of parts to control rotation of the magazine such that the parts are presented at the input/output station for removal and/or loading. The air circulation system significantly reduces the time needed to heat the parts to a given temperature, thus reducing the operating cost of the oven.

Abstract: A furnace for thermal processing of substrates includes a substrate cassette that supports at least one substrate and a process chamber for thermal processing. A process chamber that includes a port for receiving a substrate, a heater that generates a thermal distribution, and a rotatable member having a substrate support. The rotatable member rotates a substrate positioned on the substrate support so that a temperature of the substrate is controlled according to a temperature profile. A transport mechanism transports substrates between the substrate cassette and the substrate support of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A fastener installing machine (10) comprising an oven (12) for heating fasteners, a carousel (14) for moving fasteners through the oven, a drive shaft (18) for rotating the carousel and means (32,38) for attaching the oven to the machine which means is disposed about the rotational axis of the drive shaft. A fastener installing machine (10) comprising an oven (12) for heating fasteners, a carousel (14) for carrying fasteners through the oven, an inlet to the oven for fasteners from a feeding mechanism, and an outlet from the oven to enable the heated fasteners to be attached to a substrate, wherein the inlet and outlet subtend an angle less than or approximately equal to 90.degree. with respect to the rotational axis of the carousel.

Abstract: A device for treating massage based products such as wafer materials for consumption or for packaging to cool and moisturize the same. The device has a channel through which the product can be moved in which the product path is flanked by a pair of air channels which have openings opposite one another so that the air can pass from one air channel to the other transversely to the direction of displacement of the products in the product channel. The walls between the air channels and the product channels are bearing walls and preferably massive plates having the aforementioned openings. The lining or housing can have removable walls or doors which open to offer access to the air channels and the product channel for cleaning purposes.

Abstract: A kiln or oven for producing ceramic products is described having a combustion chamber through which the ceramic products continuously pass, as well as a process for the operation and control of the kiln and the ceramic products perform a rotation about their own longitudinal axis in addition to the passage movement through the combusion chamber. The passage and rotation of the ceramic products takes place by means of a drive mechanism located in the kiln base with shafts projecting into the combustion chamber and located on an inventively designed receiving and holding device and can be regulated in infinitely variable and separate manner. The invention permits an effective, discontinuous operation of the kiln.

Abstract: Similar to a paddle wheel, a rotary magazine for storing and conveying articles is mounted to turn about a horizontal axis and has radially extending vanes spaced around and fixed to the periphery of a central cylinder. At an accessible region an article is loaded axially into the space between an adjacent pair of vanes. It is kept from falling out by support from a cylindrical surface separate from the magazine and spaced slightly beyond the outermost tips of the vanes. The surface partially encircles the magazine from its lowermost region up to the level where the article will not fall out. A single ejector ejects in the axial direction each article in turn as rotation of the magazine carries it from the loading region to an ejection location.Optionally, an article can be treated, e.g. cooled, heated, irradiated, etc. in a treating chamber located on the path between loading region and ejection location.

Abstract: An apparatus for flame treating an exterior surface of a plastic container such as a barrel includes a carriage mounted on a frame for rotatably supporting a plastic container, a first treatment station attached to the frame for flame treating a facing end of the container and a second treatment station attached to the frame for flame treating the sides of the container. The carriage is attached to a cable driven by a first actuator for moving the carriage from a starting position for loading the container onto the carriage past the first station to the second station and back to the starting position. The carriage, a burner at the second station and a roller for rotating the container at the second station are all adjustable for accommodating various diameter containers.

Abstract: A barbecue oven has a cooking compartment having a top, bottom and opposite sides. A first cooking apparatus is mounted in the cooking compartment and comprises a substantially vertical pair of spaced support brackets rotatable mounted about an axis of rotation. A drive shaft extends between the brackets and is coextensive with the axis of rotation. A plurality of spaced elongated horizontal cooking baskets are pivotally and removable secured to the brackets. Connecting elements connect the baskets to the brackets so that the baskets will maintain a lateral horizontal position as they are rotated about the axis of rotation. A power element is provided for rotating the brackets about the axis of rotation. A second cooking apparatus can also be mounted in the cooking compartment and can be either a conventional stationary horizontal grill, or can duplicate the structure of the first cooking apparatus. Vertically disposed fuel baskets are laterally positioned with respect to the food cooking area.

Abstract: A radiant wall (6) for heat exchangers, muffle kilns and similar equipment, consisting in a succession of rollers (11) suspended side by side in such a way as to create a physical barrier for the separation of two environments accommodating media between which an exchange of heat is brought about.

Abstract: The tunnel kiln establishes multiple kiln car train paths by a pedestal which upwardly projects from the kiln's foundation. Aprons which depend from the kiln cars and extend transversely between laterally adjacent pedestals (or a pedestal and a side wall of the tunnel) thus effectively form a seal thereat so that the undercar cooling techniques may be employed in multitrain tunnel kilns.

Abstract: A grilling apparatus comprising a plurality of confronting pairs of heat emitters, a continuous conveyor therebetween having a plurality of spaced suspended hooks for conveying meat. At predetermined spacings, ramps are provided for tilting and releasing the hooks and suspended meat only as to those having sufficient lengths of lateral arms as to be engageable with the ramps. Shorter length lateral arms will clear the ramps to enable longer cooking of the suspended meat.

Abstract: A plurality of rotatable containers has perforations for draining treated and untreated liquids while retaining nut product initially received therein either in a liquid slurry or dry. A closed, controllable oven environment, encloses said containers and has means for alternately evacuating liquids and nut products gravitationally from the containers to different locations, respectively to roast, dry, cool and dehydrate the nut product. Environmental temperature control for not only the oven but also cooling bins, controls heating and cooling to within certain ranges, and includes air percolation through drained and collected nut product. A process for preparing nut, bean and seed-like products is described for roasting, drying, dehydrating and cooling the products. The process includes a soaking of the product in a liquid solution at selected temperatures, agitation of the solution, draining of the liquids and maintenance of predetermined temperature in a closed environment.

Abstract: A kiln for curing or drying articles has a heated chamber having at least two wall sections which are formed by two vertical panesl which rotate as part of a roundabout device. This may have other panels which divide the roundabout into a desired number of sectors. Within each sector are article support means, so that the articles may be loaded outside the kiln and brought inside it by rotation of the roundabout. The panels seal the chamber at their edges so as to minimise heat loss.

Abstract: An end block adapted for use on a kiln car includes a refractory body having a transverse projection at a front end and a transverse recess at a rear end. The recess is dimensioned to receive therewithin a projection on the front end of another block with a loose fit therebetween. A sealing layer of resilient refractory material may be disposed within the recess for contact with the front end projection of another block.

Abstract: A molding apparatus which is provided with a frame including a bar acting as a mold support. The bar is pivoted between two angular limits and carries a gear wheel to be pivoted therewith. Planetary gears are engaged with the gear wheel and are displaced pivotally around the gear wheel to be rotated by the same. Molds are coupled to the planetary gears to be rotated therewith. Heating devices are located below the molds to heat the molds as they are being rotated simultaneously about their axes and about the axis of the gear wheel.