Abstract: Improved method for internal heating of rotary driers consisting in the use of an unique snorkel (placed inside the rotary drum) made by two opposite snorkels connected by any type of joint. This unique snorkel extends from feed end to discharge end of the rotary drum along its axial line. Part of the heating gases of the fire box flow (equicurrent or countercurrent to the flow of the material being dried) inside the snorkel-controsnorkel system.

Abstract: A furnace for heating pipes each having an upset portion at least at one of its opposite ends includes a housing defining a heating chamber filled with high temperature gas, and a conveying apparatus for sequentially conveying the pipes in the housing in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the pipes. A blowing device is provided on one side of a path of the upset portion, and a waving plate is provided on the other side of the path, whereby the upset portion, when passing through a space between the blowing device and the plate, is heated locally by the high temperature gas blown out from the blowing device and also by the reflected high temperature gas and radiant heat from the plate.

Abstract: The cooling zone (24) for a kiln, more specially a roller kiln, made up of a preheating zone (21), a firing zone (22) and a cooling zone (24), through which the goods to be kilned (10), more specially ceramic tiles or plates are transported without any burning tools of refractory material supporting them, is (for the purpose of stopping any effect on the kilned goods in the cooling zone (24) and in the parts next to the cooling zone (24), because of the effect of the atmosphere in the cooling (24) and any reoxidation of the kilned goods (10) because of this, and for giving a simple way of producing effect on the outer face of the kilned goods (10) using a moving heat vehicle, more specially liquid heat vehicle) is indirectly cooled, and has inlet systems, able to undergo adjustment in their direction and their rate of inlet, for materials for producing an effect on the outer face of the kilned goods.

Abstract: A method for heat treating a material such as gypsum mineral, consists in burning a fuel in a combustion bed which is in heat exchange contact through bounding walls with beds of the material to be heated. Combustion gases are passed from the combustor through the heat treatment vessels containing beds and these gases then serve to fluidize at least partly and add heat to the beds through the agency of distributors.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for heating materials such as metal rods whereby hot combustion gases are blown against the material and allowed to pass through a gas-permeable partition located inside the heating apparatus so that the partition is heated to radiate a great amount of heat into the apparatus, further increasing the temperature of atmosphere in the apparatus heated by the hot combustion gases so as to accelerate the heating of the material. After the combustion gases have thus passed through the partition, heat is further transferred from the gases to a recuperator means located inside the apparatus so that the gases are then allowed to discharge into a flue under lowered temperatures.

Abstract: The combustion system includes a hearth lined with refractory, a combustion chamber formed in the refractory, an air manifold mounted on the hearth, a plurality of gas manifolds extending through the air manifold and into the combustion chamber, and a diffuser mounted on the manifolds to cause turbulence in the air/gas mixture. The gas manifolds include aspirating means for combining the air and gas. The combustion chamber is elongated and has an elongated neck with a flue gas exit slot over which the work piece passes. The flue gas from the combustion of the air/gas mixture in the combustion chamber increases in velocity as the flue gas passes through the elongated neck and exits the flue gas exit slot. The slot has a length sufficient to permit the work piece to rotate 360.degree. as the work piece rotates and travels through the hearth. This causes the work piece to be uniformly heated over every square inch of its surface.

Abstract: This invention provides an oven to produce a desired baking effect while simultaneously providing the bread with a desirable brown coloration in both its top and bottom surfaces. A unique feature of this oven is the provision of a top radiant refractory arch wall and top flame heating to effect a desired radiance to the refractory arch surface, and also to simultaneously produce a desired radiance to a horizontally disposed radiant plate suitably disposed above the bread travelling continuously there beneath. The oven of this invention provides for substantially flash baking of relatively thin bread discs with a suitable crust formation and coloration of both its top and bottom surfaces. This oven provides also a novel method of baking relatively thin bread material.

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: Apparatus for treatment of concrete articles having a pre-drying chamber where the articles are pre-treated by being blown with air having a temperature of from 40.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. The apparatus is provided with a treatment channel where the pre-dried articles are received and treated in a temperature-increase zone with a steam-air mixture for a period of 1-6 hours. The articles are treated in this first zone with a temperature increase and the temperature and humidity are gradually increased to their permissible values corresponding to the given type of articles. The articles are moved from the first zone to a second zone constituting an isothermal zone where the articles are treated for a period of 2-6 hours with an air-steam mixture and a temperature from 60.degree. to 90.degree. C. and a relative humidity close to 100%. From this latter zone in the tunnel the articles are moved into a cooling zone where the articles are cooled by blowing of air for a period of from 0.3 to 1.

Abstract: A process and arrangement for the continual zonal heating or cooling of perably elongate treatment members within at least one zone extending perpendicular or transverse to the longitudinal axis, which programmatically traverses the treatment member in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the ventilation effect on material dried in a tunnel drying plant, through which goods in the form of architectural ceramic structures, such as of bricks or tiles, to be dried and placed in layers, are moved in counter-current relation to an air current. The tunnel drying plant is designed with doors at the goods inlet and outlet ends. At the goods outlet end there is a pipe connection for blowing air under gage pressure into the plant, while at the goods inlet end and the top part of the tunnel drying plant there is an aspiration opening with an aspiration pipe connection. In the free cross-section of the flow tunnel drying plant, near the roof, there are air guiding bodies, which may be moved backwards and forwards in the length direction of the plant using cars on rails. These air guiding bodies are hollow and have a streamlined form.

Abstract: In order to improve the thermal efficiency of a multi-zone, indirect-heated, travelling baking oven, with a closed-circuit gas heating system which heats at least the major part of the length of the oven and which includes at least two heaters which are spaced apart in the direction of gas flow in the heating system, the gas flow is passed along the bottom of the oven to adjacent the delivery end of the oven and then back along the top of the oven, the temperature generally falling throughout the circuit so that the maximum bottom heat is adjacent the input end of the oven and the maximum top heat is adjacent the delivery end of the oven.

Abstract: An apparatus for the continuous porcelain enameling of sheet ware including the combination, in succession, of a drying zone for the incoming ware either integral or separate, a pre-heating zone for the ware following the drying zone, a heating zone for the ware after the pre-heating zone or zones, in which the porcelain enamel coating is fused onto the surface, and a cooling zone or zones. Burner means are provided for introducing hot combustion gases into a serpentine tube radiant heater which is in the heating zone to heat the ware by means of flameless radiation. After leaving the heating zone, the hot combustion gases are directed into the final pre-heating zone where they transfer some of their heat to the ware passing through that zone. Finally, the combustion gases leaving the pre-heating zone are directed into the drying zone where they transfer heat by convection to remove moisture and slightly pre-heat the ware, whereupon the relatively cool combustion gases are exhausted from the drying zone.

Abstract: A heating furnace, suitable for use in a continuous steel slab heating furnace, wherein slabs are heated by fuel combustion flames. Heat transfer converters each made of a heat-resistant material are disposed downstream of the flow of the combustion flames, more particularly, in the preheating zone of the furnace. These converters are heated through convection heat transfer from a high temperature and high speed flow of the combustion flames.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for processing products aligned on a tape. In the present embodiment, the products are shown to be heat recoverable sleeves which are conveyed to a control station for insertion of a terminal. The work is then released from the control station and allowed to pass across a heater which recovers the sleeve about the terminal. To accomplish the above, a drive having a friction coupling and a positive coupling are employed to convey the work through the apparatus. A conditioned atmosphere process apparatus is employed for the heating of the sleeves and a controlled product feed apparatus controls the feeding of the work to the control station.

Abstract: Means and method of operating a tunnel kiln in which green carbon articles are baked in the ware (article) space of a baking zone by heat produced by the combustion of fuel directed to chambers adjacent the zone. The combustion chambers are connected in fluid communication with flues extending lengthwise of the kiln, the flues having a pressure gradient that extends lengthwise of the flues. The method of the invention includes the step of changing the pressure gradient within the flues such that a pressure differential between the combustion chambers and the ware space is effected that causes products of combustion to flow into the ware space from the combustion chambers in amounts sufficient to impede and prevent the deposition of coke formations on the walls of the space without burning the carbon articles.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a plurality of extruders which feed parallel streams or ribbons of raw material or charge along rollers through successive chambers in a kiln and through an annealing lehr to zones where the material is cut. The surfaces of the raw material are coated on three sides with a parting or releasing agent and, on the side to be exposed, with a glaze or engobe, or left uncoated.The firing chamber of the kiln has opposed rows of fuel burners on the sides directed toward ports on the other side and refractory rollers which protrude through the side walls and are supported on circumferentially spaced wheels. Wheels between adjacent ends synchronize rotation of the rollers. Manifolds feed the stack gases from the firing chamber into the preheating chamber.The process includes using charges which are either a mixture of a small amount of soluble carbonaceous material and water to adjust the carbon and moisture content of the clay or silica with carbonaceous material and water.

Abstract: A kiln includes a hollow housing which has an upper and lower wall, an inlet and outlet. The lower wall of the housing is provided with a first set of baffles spaced from one another along the length of the housing and extending towards the upper wall of the housing. The upper wall of the housing is provided with a second set of baffles spaced from one another along the length of the housing and extending towards the lower wall. The first and second sets of baffles bound betweem them a gap defining a transport path for items to be treated. At least one set of baffles is adjustable so as to vary the width of the gap.

Abstract: A tunnel oven of elongated configuration and having at least one movable carriage therein for transporting ceramic products to be baked through the tunnel, is provided with a reversible blower operative to generate a stream of gas having reciprocating movement which passes through the tunnel in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the carriage. The opposing sides of the tunnel are provided with inwardly extending projections and intervening recesses which give the overall tunnel a zig-zag or wave configuration; and fire stations are located adjacent the various projections or recesses for heating the reciprocating stream of gas and for producing cross currents which cause the stream to flow along a generally sinuous path through the tunnel in a flow direction opposite to the direction of movement of the carriage.

Abstract: A tunnel kiln through which carriers carry ceramic ware to be fired includes an elongated tunnel having a closed bottom, a stationary flue at the bottom of the tunnel, and at least one transport way disposed in the tunnel above the stationary flue for carrying the carriers through the tunnel. The transport way comprises a support means and rolling means are provided between the support means and the carrier for rollably carrying the carriers along the transport way, whereby ceramic ware on the carriers are fired as the carriers traverse the tunnel kiln.

Abstract: The oven according to the invention comprises a plurality of heated superimposed channels and a plurality of rollers for supporting and advancing the ceramic materials, generally tiles, arranged transversely in each channel and closer to the ceiling than to the floor of the channel. Preferably the distance of the roller axes from the channel floor is not less than twice the pitch of the rollers and their distance from the channel ceiling is not more than such pitch. Preferably the channels are each constituted by a plurality of laterally juxtaposed chambers separated by partitions, the rollers extending through the channels without engaging the partitions. The superimposed adjacent channels are preferably separated by hollow slabs and slabs are located above the highest and below the lowest channels, hot gases being introduced into the cavities within the slabs and flowing out through apertures in the slabs to heat the tiles, or electrical resistances are provided in the slabs.

Abstract: Coils of strip to be annealed are placed in a furnace with their eye vertical and are heated to the annealing temperature by heating elements on the furnace side wall at the same elevation as the coils. An insulation shield is provided between the heating elements and the coil. This may be a cover surrounding the coil in spaced relationship therewith and extending the full height of the coil.

Abstract: This oven has a primary heating chamber containing heat-generating equipment producing hot gases. These gases pass from the primary heating chamber to a secondary heating chamber occupied by an indexing rotary magazine in object-exchanging relationship with a mechanism for inducing movement of the objects through the oven. The secondary heating chamber can be used for either pre-heating or heat-soaking the objects, depending on the direction of movement of the objects through the oven. The objects are loaded on the carrier (or removed, according to the application of the oven) radially at a position angularly spaced from the position of exchange with the movement-inducing means.

Abstract: An oven for treatment of solid foods includes an elongated, double-walled housing divided into a cooking chamber and a heating chamber containing heating means. Fan means in the heating chamber create a draft into which water vapor is introduced and the draft is circulated through both chambers. The product is carried on a vapor pervious conveyor through the cooking chamber.The cooking process comprises the steps of providing a food treatment chamber equipped with a vapor pervious conveyor; preparing a moving stream of a process vapor at a temperature above 212.degree.F.; circulating the stream along the conveyor; injecting water vapor into the moving stream of process vapor and supplying heat to the moving stream; placing the food product in discrete pieces upon the conveyor; and moving the product continuously in its original position on the conveyor through the treatment chamber.