Abstract: The invention concerns an improvement in a suction or blowing pipe for a furnace having partition chambers intended for the firing of carbonaceous blocks. The pipe comprises a main body (3) provided with a plurality of nozzles (10) to which tubular nipples (2) are connected in a number equal to the number or partitions (5) forming the chambers of the furnace. Each of the nipples is connected to a transverse furnace wall (9) or a partition (5) by a taphole (8) disposed in the upper part of the wall or partition.

Abstract: An ingot pusher furnace of the vertical air flow type includes distributing means for preventing short circuiting of a gaseous medium around the ends of ingots to be heated so as to produce a more uniform heat transfer along the entire length of the ingots. The distributing means comprises a pair of air distribution baffles which force the gaseous medium contained in an enclosure to flow towards the center portions of the ingots so as to facilitate uniform heating throughout the ingots. In an alternate embodiment, the distributing means comprises a pair of movable side baffles which is movable to an angled position so that its lower ends are adjacent the ends of the ingots.

Abstract: An oven is described which is especially adapted to maintain accurate and uniform temperature control. The device of the invention includes a central treatment chamber surrounded by a plenum chamber which, through a number of spaced apart apertures introduces gases at a preselected temperature and elevated pressure into the treatment chamber. The plenum chamber is configured to insure a substantially uniform pressure at each of the apertures to provide a uniform flow of temperature regulated gases through each of the apertures.

Abstract: A rethermalization oven for heating food is disclosed, characterized by uniform distribution of heat and air through a heating chamber. The oven includes a housing and partitions for defining an outer U-shaped air plenum, a rectangular heating chamber, and a burner chamber. The side panels of the partition contain a plurality of spaced horizontal slots and the rear panel of the partition contains a plurality of spaced openings and horizontal slots of progressively increasing thickness in the directions toward the top and bottom of the housing. A heating element is arranged in the burner chamber for heating the air arranged therein.

Abstract: Improvements to machines for heating articles or products by condensation of primary vapor on said products or articles, the primary vapor isolated from the atmosphere by a secondary vapor mass. According to the invention, a first improvement is aimed at lowering the chlorine and fluorine ion contents in the primary and secondary vapors of the plant resulting from the decomposition of said vapors. To this effect, the invention provides an improved washing of the secondary liquid. Furthermore, a dry gas sweeping between damp atmospheric air and the secondary vapor prevents the introduction of atmospheric moisture. Another improvement relates to the automatic compensation of variations in operating conditions by controlling the power balance.

Abstract: A glass sheet tempering method and system (10) disclosed utilizes a heating chamber (22) and a quenching chamber (26) which contain ambients at superatmospheric pressure during both the heating and quenching. Forced convection heating is preferably performed in an improved furnace (14"). In one embodiment, heated gas flow is provided by centrifugal blowers which blow air across a plurality of spaced heat tubes. The heated gas flow is directed toward a glass sheet positioned within the heating chamber to provide rapid heating of the glass sheet. In a second embodiment, the heated gas flow is provided by upper and lower sets of opposed gas jet pumps connected to a gas supply. A pressure gas supply including a compressor maintains the superatmospheric pressure of the heating and quenching chambers (22,26). A recirculating gas supply (32) feeds compressed quenching gas to opposed blastheads (28,30) to perform the tempering.

Abstract: An ingot pusher furnace of the vertical air flow type includes distributing means for preventing short circuiting of a gaseous medium around the ends of ingots to be heated so as to produce a more uniform heat transfer along the entire length of the ingots. The distributing means comprises a pair of air distribution baffles which force the gaseous medium contained in an enclosure to flow towards the center portions of the ingots so as to facilitate uniform heating throughout the ingots. In an alternate embodiment, the distributing means comprises a pair of movable side baffles which is movable to be angled position so that its lower ends are adjacent the ends of the ingots.

Abstract: An improved preheater is provided suitable for use with gas or oil fired reverberatory melting furnaces for recycling aluminum scrap and other scrap metals. The improved preheater comprises a charge box having a bottom, and a chamber having a bed. The chamber is in communication with the charge box at one end, and, an exit at the other. A pusher is provided for pushing the contents of the charge box into the chamber and thus pushing the contents of the chamber towards the exit. The chamber is of uniform expanding dimensions from its one end in communication with the charge box towards the exit. The bed of the chamber carries openings therethrough from a gas chamber therebelow into which heated waste gas is passed for circulation through the openings in the bed through the contents of the chamber.

Abstract: A method and a device for scrap preheating by means of hot steel furnace exhaust gases. A scrap bucket permits passage of gaseous medium therethrough and is closed by a cover with an exterior waterseal by providing an intermediate annular space having a controlled inlet for a purging medium which is connected to a pressure sensing means in the intermediate space. Purging medium is supplied to the intermediate space at a pressure not substantially less than the pressure in the inlet space in the bucket, so that all leakage is primarily the purging medium which flows outwardly to an outlet space. In a preferred embodiment the purging medium is recycled from the outlet space.

Abstract: A drying furnace for drying a paint coating on each of automobile bodies successively transported therethrough comprises a generally tunnel-shaped housing having entry and exit openings defined at the opposite ends thereof respectively. This housing has an indirect drying zone defined therein adjacent the entry opening, and a direct drying zone defined therein adjacent the exit opening, and also has an intermediate drying zone defined therein between the indirect and direct heating zones that can be used as an extension of either the indirect drying zone or the direct drying zone depending on the speed of successive transportation of the painted automobile bodies.

Abstract: A furnace for preheating and homogenizing aluminum ingots prior to hot rolling same wherein the heating efficiency is improved thus reducing the time required to heat the ingots to the homogenizing temperature. The furnace comprises an elongated housing having a ceiling, a floor and a pair of side walls extending from the floor to the ceiling for defining a chamber which is divided into an upper fan section and a lower ingot heating section. A plurality of fans are disposed in the upper fan section for circulating hot gases to the ingot heating section of the chamber. Baffles are associated with the side walls of the furnace for directing the hot gases toward the lower portion of the ingot heating section so as to cause the hot gases to flow between the ingots to be heated so as to contact the entire side wall surfaces thereof improving heating efficiency.

Abstract: A continuous heat treating furnace in which independent sectioned chambers are provided at least in part of a pre-heating/pre-cooling zone in the furnace body, with a cooler or heater being provided in suction ducts of the sectioned chambers so as to rapidly heat or cool the metallic strip through operation of dampers disposed in the suction ducts, thus making it possible to alter heat curves as required for heat treatment of various metallic strips.

Abstract: A system for recovering resources from sludge in which sludge containing water in the amount of 90 to 70 percent is first supplied to a sludge concentrator through a forced supply equipment where the sludge is concentrated to contain a water content of a maximum of about 60 percent; then is sent to a drying furnace having a fluidized sand bed. The product obtained in the drying furnace is separated to gas and solid. After the separated gas is pressurized by a fan and is heated by a heat exchanger through a circulator passage, a portion thereof is supplied to the drying furnace as gas for drying and the remainder is sent to the sludge concentrator. The water content is then removed from the concentrated gas and the gas obtained from the sludge concentrator is used in the system as gaseous fuel.

Abstract: A furnace (10) has a preheater zone (12) into which exhaust gases from a combustion chamber (14) are recycled for preheating of articles passing through the furnace. The exhaust gases are supplied to the preheater zone (12) through jet pipes (18) which create a turbulent flow about the articles in the furnace (10). The exhaust gases are withdrawn by a fan (30) which is disposed in a duct (34) adjacent to the furnace entrance (13). To prevent the introduction of ambient air into the furnace (10), a pressure chamber (56), which is maintained at about atmospheric pressure, is provided within the preheater zone (12), with the chamber (56) pressurized by gases supplied by exhaust gases passing through a separate pipe (70) which has an adjustable valve (72) to adjust the pressure in the chamber (50). A sealing arrangement defined by the pressure chamber (56) and the articles passing through the furnace prevents the introduction of cool air through the preheater zone (12).

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a vacuum sintering furnace having a lubricant eliminating section, sintering section and cooling section which are aligned in series and connected by connecting hood means to each other so that a workpiece may be directly transferred to the following section without exposure of the workpiece to outside air. The connecting hood means comprises doors for selectively opening and closing the boundaries between the neighboring sections. Furthermore, the lubricant eliminating section is provided with a lubricant trapping device mounted on an exhaust line connecting a furnace body and a vacuum pump to each other, thereby the stable operation of the vacuum pump is ensured.

Abstract: Industrial oven providing air recirculation for heat treatment processes having temperature uniformity within a charge to be treated, including oven walls, spacers disposed between the oven walls for supporting the charge at a distance from the oven walls defining a space therebetween and for allowing a recirculated hot air flow around the charge from all sides, and elements disposed in the space between the charge and the oven walls for influencing the air flow.

Abstract: A conveyor is driven in a helical endless fashion within a horizontally annular baking chamber while carrying products to be baked. The air within the chamber is heated by means of burners disposed beneath the conveyor and in non-parallel relationship thereto. Heated air is drawn through an air permeable cover across the top of the chamber and into an upper air space thereabove. The air is circulated from that upper air space to a lower air space located beneath the chamber. The air is then circulated into the chamber through an air permeable floor disposed across the bottom of the chamber. The permeability of the cover and floor varies in order to assure a uniform passage of heated air therethrough.

Abstract: An oven with air convection combustion, particularly for bakehouses (bread, pastries, cakes), to achieve considerable economy of energy and to improve efficiency has primary and secondary air circuits sealed and closed, the secondary air being heated in ducts surrounding the fire-box and exhaust conduits and admitted into the baking chamber through adjustable nozzles. The cooled secondary air leaving oven is recycled by the a turbine. A vapor generator is formed from metal tubes extending into the exhaust gas conduit and the vapor is fed to a ramp pierced with calibrated holes disposed vertically in the baking chamber through which it is disposed into the chamber after being saturated by a water injector.

Abstract: The present invention provides, among other things, a plenum which is formed around the hot zone chamber of a vacuum furnace and which has a common wall with the hot zone chamber. The present arrangement includes having a plurality of apertures formed in the common wall and a plurality of baffles, or deflecting means, secured to the common wall within the chamber of the plenum. The baffles, or deflecting means, are formed to be angular with respect to the common wall and each deflecting means is disposed and formed to deflect gas (in all likelihood, inert gas), passing through the plenum, into and through an associated aperture and thereby into the hot zone chamber. By using the baffles, the inert gas, which is fed into the hot zone chamber from the plenum, is so fed with improved and significant uniformity.

Abstract: Apparatus adapted to deliver a temperature-controlled gas from a common plenum to at least two thermal treatment zones is provided. The subject apparatus is adapted to direct columnated jets of a temperature-controlled gas so as to impinge on at least one surface of food products passing through such zones, and is further adapted to convey food products through such zones in multiple passes in which the food products are subjected to different thermal energy transfer rates in at least two of such zones.

Abstract: An oven-broiler includes modular units each having a tunnel-form cooking chamber formed by a tubular inner member, a heating arrangement extending around at least portions of the inner member for heating same to predetermined temperatures for emission of infrared radiant energy into the chamber for heating of products conveyed therein from one end to the other. The heating arrangement is either electrically energized, thermostatically controlled panels or a gas combustion chamber. The heating arrangement and tubular inner member are enclosed by a tubular outer member supported by a caster-equipped base. Such a modular unit is joinable into a multiple-unit oven of various possible lengths by securement of flanges at opposite ends.

Abstract: A large scale, industrial system and method for dehydrating fruits, nuts or other produce. The system includes two long air tunnels which are placed end-to-end. Each air tunnel has a conveyor which is used to transport the produce through the air tunnel. As the produce exits one air tunnel, it is dropped from one conveyor onto the other, thus permitting the produce to be turned over before it enters the second air tunnel. Each air tunnel is divided into a number of separate air chambers in which the heated, circulating air is confined so as to reduce heat loss, thus increasing the energy efficiency of the system, and also providing for separate control of the air temperature and humidity levels in each air chamber. Countercirculation of air between adjacent air chambers aids in confining the air through the separate air chambers, as well as the use of resilient flaps which are used to enclose the ends of each air chamber through which the conveyor enters and exits.

Abstract: An oven-broiler of the humpback type includes a tunnel-form cooking chamber and a conveyor extending through it for conveying food products through the chamber for cooking of the products by emission of infrared radiation form the walls of the tunnel. An entrance and an exit are located at opposite ends of the chamber for continuous ingress and egress of the food products, with both entrance and exit being at a level lower than the chamber floor for causing the chamber to entrap a heated, oxygen-starved atmosphere in which flaming of the food products cannot freely occur. An elongated aperture extends along the bottom of the chamber for communication between the chamber and the external atmosphere. A control body, which may take one of different forms such as tubular, plate-form, or perforate, extends along the length of the aperture for controlling communication through the aperture.

Abstract: An infrared furnace has a firing chamber in which a source of infrared energy is disposed and an elongated envelope transparent to the infrared energy extending through the firing chamber. The envelope has first and second open ends outside the firing chamber. First and second baffle chambers surround the respective first and second ends of the envelope. A product conveyor travels through the furnace via the baffle chambers and the envelope. Gas flow is prevented from the exterior of the furnace into the baffle chambers and from the firing chamber into the baffle chambers. Non-atmospheric gas is supplied to the baffle chambers so as to create therein a superatmospheric pressure which prevents gas flow into the baffle chambers from the exterior of the furnace. The non-atmospheric gas is exhausted from one of the baffle chambers, thereby inducing flow of the non-atmospheric gas from the other baffle chamber through the envelope.

Abstract: A tunnel oven-broiler wherein food products of ordinarily flame-producing character such as steaks, chops or other greasy meats prone to burn or produce flame are broiled in a flame-controlled manner. In a tubular, tunnel-form heating chamber with a conveyor food products are broiled by direct infrared emission from the interior chamber surfaces, heated to a predetermined emission temperature which is maintained by direct, intimate temperature probe contact with the exterior surface of the tubular chamber surrounded by electrical heating panel elements. An outer tubular member surrounds the heating element. Downwardly angled end sections extend from opposite ends of the oven to define the entrance and exit to the chamber. The entrance and exit are open at all times except when plugged during self-cleaning and are lower than the heating chamber to provide an oxygen-starved atmosphere therein having a slight overpressure for suppressing flaming or flaring during broiling.

Abstract: A grain drier system is disclosed which includes means for collecting heated air which has passed through grain and conducting it to the inlet of the burners which supply the heated gas to dry the grain. The collected air is introduced into the inlet of the burner at the periphery of the air stream to the burner in an area where the contact between the collected air and the flame of the burner is minimized. This procedure enables the heat of the collected air to be utilized without the likelihood of subjecting any entrained material to the action of the flame of the burner.In order to further minimize the possibility of fire, prior to being conducted to the burner, the collected air is passed into a plenum where the velocity of the stream of collected air is decreased and its direction of movement changed so that a substantial portion of entrained dust and organic material is caused to fall out of the air stream.

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: An apparatus for preheating steel scrap comprises: a preheating vessel, having an open top and a bottom lid capable of being opened and closed, for receiving and preheating steel scrap, said preheating vessel being adapted to receive steel scrap to be preheated from said open top and to discharge the steel scrap preheated in said preheating vessel by opening said bottom lid; a hood downwardly flaring for covering said open top of said preheating vessel, said hood being movable from said open top of said preheating vessel and adapted to introduce high-temperature waste gases discharged from a steel-refining metallurgical furnace into said preheating vessel; a pit for housing said preheating vessel, said pit being provided with a duct for discharging to the outside said waste gases discharged into said pit from the bottom of said preheating vessel after preheating said steel scrap received in said preheating vessel; and, a canopy for sealing the gap between said pit and said preheating vessel housed in said pit

Abstract: A hot air recirculation oven for baking products of bakeries, Viennese bread bakehouses, pastry bakehouses and the like comprises a baking chamber (2), an open trolley (8) disposable in the baking chamber and having shelves (15, 16) for supporting products to be baked, and means (46, 47) for admitting heated air to the baking chamber so as to sweep over products on the trolley. The baking chamber (2) has at each corner a continuously rotatable cylindrical distributor (52, 53, 54, 55) connected into ducts (46, 47) which direct hot air from a fan (30) to the interior of the cylindrical distributor (52, 53, 54, 55) in order to be diffused into the baking chamber (2) by way of a vertical jet through a slot (62) located in the circumference of the cylindrical distributor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for condensation heating. Articles to be heated are conveyed into a heating chamber which is filled with vapors of a fluid having a relatively high boiling point. When the vapors contact the article to be heated they condense thereon and transfer the latent heat of vaporization, thus heating the object. Vapors escaping from the heating chamber are trapped by flows of carrier gas at the inlet and outlet of the heating chamber. The carrier gas, which is thus partially saturated with vapor, is channeled into a gas/vapor separator wherein the vapor is extracted and recycled back to the heating chamber.

Abstract: A carbottom furnace is described as having high velocity or high momentum-type stoichiometric burners, rather than excess air-type burners. Hot exhaust gas, removed from the furnace, is recirculated immediately back to the heat treatment chamber of the furnace, without reheating, in a manner which compliments and reinforces the swirling flow of gas created in the chamber by the high momentum burners. This recirculation of exhaust gas is especially useful during normal turndown of the burners to maintain sufficient volume of heated gas within the chamber to properly heat treat the articles or workpieces which are positioned within the chamber.

Abstract: A method of producing carbon fiber by making infusible and carbonizing pitch fiber which is obtained by melt-spinning petroleum-tar pitch or coal-tar pitch, and a method of making pitch fiber infusible in an air atmosphere containing NO.sub.2, at an elevated temperature by introducing a cross-sectionally U-shaped tray with pitch fiber suspended from bars placed across an upper portion thereof into an infusible material producing furnace having gas exchanging chambers in the inlet portion and outlet portion thereof as well as at least two gas circulating means each of which comprises a combination of a blower or a fan and a heat exchanger, and retaining said tray in said furnace.

Abstract: An industrial furnace, particularly a single-chamber vacuum furnace, for heat treatment of metallic workpieces, with a heating chamber which is formed in a housing, which heating chamber is heatable via heating elements and is provided on the bottom and on the ceiling with a closable chamber opening for the passage of a quenching gas which can be circulated by means of a blower. A flap is swingably mounted at the chamber opening underneath a closing slide, which chamber opening is provided for the entrance of the gas. The flap controls the incoming flow of gas within the range of the free cross-section of the chamber opening.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are disclosed for controlling losses in volatile working fluid systems. In accordance with the process, the object upon which a work operation is to be effected is sequentially moved from a first sealable chamber to a second such chamber and back to the first chamber. While in the second chamber the object is exposed to a working fluid vapor which elevates the temperature of the object to a level near the boiling point of the working fluid. Thereafter, while still in the second chamber, a substantial portion of the working fluid is drained from the object such that the sensible heat acquired by the object upon its elevation of temperature is sufficient to evaporate working fluid remaining on the object upon its removal to the first chamber. Upon removal of the object to the first chamber the object is thoroughly dried through control of the partial pressure of the working fluid vapor contained within the first chamber atmosphere.

Abstract: A calcining apparatus comprising a kettle, a heating chamber for heating the outside of the kettle, a stack for exhausting gas from the heating chamber, a duct connected at one end to the stack and having the other end extending for a limited distance into the contents of the reaction chamber of the kettle for introducing a portion of the stack gas directly into the calcining reaction mixture, and means for propelling the stack gas through the duct and into the reaction chamber of the kettle, thereby directly adding heat to the reaction mixture and accomplishing fuel conservation by recapturing and utilizing a portion of the heat from the stack gas.

Abstract: A continuous flow heating oven of the industrial type used for the heating of ingots, sheet material and the like, which may be of light metal or light metal alloy, includes a burner fired with a liquid or gaseous fuel disposed within a heating chamber. The material to be heated is placed within the oven with the convection air currents generated from the burners directed thereon, with the hot combustion gases produced by the flames. In addition, the exhaust gases are compressed and directed back onto the object to be heated interspersing with the convection air currents originally generated to increase the efficiency of heating the material.

Abstract: A housing having propeller type fans in the housing adjacent to an object or objects to be dried. Shafts, carried by sleeves projecting through the side walls or top wall, rotate the fans. Motors externally of the housing drive the shafts.In one form of the invention, the air circulated by the fans is heated by steam coils adjacent to the periphery of the blades of the fans. In another embodiment, an open flame gas or oil burner, disposed in a combustion chamber, heats air, which is subsequently directed by ducts to the fans. Exhaust blowers and exhaust ducts exhaust the fume laden air from the chamber. Still another embodiment shows pairs of juxtaposed oppositely blowing fans carried by shafts protruding through the walls of the oven and spaced heaters between the fans. Still another embodiment shows opposed fans for drying a cylindrical member passed through the chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides improvements in continuous ring furnaces which have sequentially arranged and communicating chambers and which are used for baking and rebaking carbon articles, wherein a movable bridge member is employed to connect a common smoke channel with a first chamber, so as to draw a portion of smoke flowing through said smoke channel and recycle the same through the furnace.

Abstract: A heating apparatus having doors mounted on the inlet and outlet of a furnace body to cover them and at least one additional door disposed in an intermediate portion of the furnace body to divide it into compartment furnace chambers forming a preheating chamber, a heating chamber and/or a warmth-keeping chamber, from the inlet side to the outlet side. A hot air circulating device is disposed in each of the compartment furnace chambers in a manner such that areas close to each door are much heated. When a material to be heated is charged from the preheating chamber, outer air is shut off from the heating chamber, and when the material to be heated is delivered into the heating chamber, outer air is shut off from the preheating chamber. When the material is shifted from the heating chamber to the warmth-keeping chamber or is discharged to the outside from the warmth-keeping chamber, outer air is shut off in the same manner as above.

Abstract: A device is provided for drying wide textile webs, and the like, by means of a circulating, heated, gas-like treatment medium which is blown laterally across the web of material by means of jet nozzle elements having upper and lower fingers which are symmetrically arranged with respect to the web of material and extend over the total width of the textile web. The fingers of each nozzle element are provided with one common inlet opening for charging the treatment medium, and the openings for the jet nozzles are alternatively positioned on one side, and on the other side of the web, so as to ensure an even distribution of the treatment medium over the total face of the textile web, after which, the treatment medium flows off the side of the web opposite the common inlet opening.

Abstract: A variable air flow oven is disclosed in which a variable air directing control means delivers varying amounts of heated air under various positive pressures in an alternating pattern to jet orifices in opposite side walls of the oven in an inverse ratio. Hot air jets from opposite sides of the oven meet at a region of common velocity in the processing chamber to produce a turbulent mixing of the hot air in a vertical plane. The turbulent heated air travels from one side of the oven to the other substantially throughout a heating period under the controlled operation of a motor driven mechanical linkage arrangement to assure even baking, cooking or drying of the products being processed through the entire processing chamber in the oven. The system operates at a positive pressure at all times, so that the main supply of heated air flows through one side duct and a smaller volume of heated air flows through the opposite side.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for controlling the thermal potential of an airstream containing combustible vapors such as is exhausted from a metal sheet treating oven. The system includes a sensing chamber into which the airstream is directed, a burner in the chamber for initiating oxidation of the vapors such that the temperature of the air in the chamber downstream from the burner is the sum of the temperature rise due to the heat added to the airstream by combustion of auxiliary fuel supplied to the burner and the thermal potential of the airstream. Means are shown for defining, over variations in airstream temperature and/or volumetric flow rate, the temperature rise which is due to combustion of auxiliary fuel so that a rise in the temperature of the airstream within the chamber which is due to a change in the thermal potential of the airstream introduced into said chamber is distinguishable.

Abstract: In a process for low particle sterilization of temperature resistant containers (glass bottles), the containers are continuously sterilized by radiant heat in a continuous heating furnace and then cooled by highly purified filtered air. One essential factor for obtaining the freedom from particles is the provision of a non-turbulent stream of highly purified air maintained in the continuous heating furnace in a direction parallel and opposite to the direction of movement of the containers.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating billets and the like prior to hot extrusion is disclosed. The apparatus includes an elongated, insulated tunnel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening. A conveyor extends through the tunnel from the inlet to the outlet and conveys a plurality of equally spaced, transversely arranged billets in a step-like manner. The conveyor rotates the billets as they are conveyed through the tunnel. A source of high temperature air is connected to a plenum positioned above the conveyor. High temperature air is discharged from the plenum through a plurality of slot-like jets positioned above the billets so that the air directly impinges on the billets. Temperature probes are included for insuring that the billets are biased to one side of the conveyor upon discharge and for sensing the billet temperature to control the air temperature within the tunnel. An unloader is provided for receiving the billets discharged from the tunnel and rotating them through an angle of 90.degree.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bulk tobacco curing and drying structure that comprises an elongated main housing having a cross sectional area substantially arcuate shaped and adapted to receive and support bulk tobacco or other crop material therein for curing and drying. In one embodiment disclosed herein, the elongated housing is of a generally cylindrical shape and supported by an underlying cradle support structure. Defined internally within the cylindrical housing is a drying chamber having laterally spaced supports for supporting a plurality of bulk tobacco containers or racks therein over a defined plenum area within the cylindrical housing. A forced air furnace system provided with the curing and drying structure acts to circulate air vertically through bulk tobacco contained within the drying chamber, and generally maintains a desired temperature level therein during the curing and drying process.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system for regenerating and manufacturing activated carbon wherein the exhaust gases and vapors from the upper portion of a multiple hearth furnace are passed to a gas cooling apparatus such as a quencher or scrubber, the clean gases from which system are exhausted and from which a slip stream of water saturated gases are conducted to a lower hearth portion of the furnace for reaction with the carbon in the furnace.

Abstract: An oven system useful for baking coatings on steel sheet and the like is disclosed. The system includes an oven through which material to be heated is conveyed. A hot air supply system provides substantially all of the heat requirements of the oven and air from the oven is passed into a fuel fired incinerator wherein incineration and heating of the air and combustion of any solvent present is effected. A regenerative heat interchange means such as a pebble bed regenerator is interposed between the exit of the incinerator and the hot air supply system and serves to effect of heating of the fresh air to provide at least a portion of the hot air for the hot air supply system using the heat content of the incinerated air from said incinerator.

Abstract: A bookbinding machine wherein stacks of signatures are transported by the holders of an endless conveyor which moves the stacks seriatim along a paster. The paster coats the backs of successive stacks with wet adhesive and the stacks are thereupon transported through a heating zone where the adhesive is heated in the space between two elongated electrodes of a high-frequency heater. A pipe which extends along the path of stacks in the region of one of the electrodes has orifices which discharge streamlets of preheated air across the path of holders to impinge against successive stacks and to thus prevent scorching of signatures by heat which is generated by the high-frequency heater. The rate of flow of air through the orifices of the pipe is adjustable, and such rate preferably increases in the direction of forward movement of the holders.

Abstract: An energy conserving process furnace has a recuperator to utilize heat derived from exhaust gases in order to reduce fossil fuel consumption of the furnace. Elongated, enhanced surface ceramic heat exchanger tubes are used in the recuperator to recover heat energy from the exhaust gas. A preferred sealing arrangement is used between the metal and ceramic tubes to contain the combustion air. Heat is added by the recuperator to combustion air used in a fluid fuel burner.A recirculating burner has a flame front outside of the burner in the combustion chamber. The recirculating burner means acts to reduce the combustion air requirements and to provide a combustion zone low in oxygen so as to prevent scale formation and oxidation of metals being treated in the furnace area.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying ceramic bodies in which a framework of horizontal pipes and spacer bars define vertical columns beneath which a platform is disposed. The drying medium is circulated through the chamber containing the rack and through the pipes of the rack which have outlets for the cooling medium therealong. The ceramic bodies are stacked on the platform and the stacks are held pneumatically when the platform is lowered to remove the bottom article from each stack, additional articles being fed to the stack from the top. Plates on opposite sides of the stack are shifted back and forth by a crank arrangement to impart a quasi-sinusoidal movement to the gases around the bodies in the stacks.