Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers to a wafer boat charging/discharging unit or to one of an array of vertical type dispersing furnaces via the wafer boat charging/discharging unit. The apparatus is operated by actuating the wafer boat charging/discharging unit adapted to charge a wafer boat having a mass of semiconductor wafers carried thereon in a vertical state in a furnace tube of the dispersing furnace by using a vertically displaceable wafer boat stage on which the wafer boat is charged in a furnace tube in cooperation with a wafer boat handler. After completion of a dispersing operation, the wafer boat is lowered away from the furnace tube and then returned to a wafer boat transferring passage with the aid of the wafer boat handler.

Abstract: A polyhedronal post terminal defining at least one polygonally-shaped cavity passing therethrough. The post terminal also defines at least one hole passing through one of the post terminal's outside wall surfaces, but does not pass through the post terminal outside wall surface which is aligned with and opposes the post terminal outside wall surface having the hole defined therein. The post terminal has at least one ledge portion protruding outwardly from its side wall surface.In one embodiment, the post terminal has a hook portion extending upwardly from its ledge portion. The hook portion is angularly oriented to the ledge portion's upper surface, and is laterally spaced from the terminal's side wall surface such that a channel is defined therebetween.In another embodiment, the post terminal has a claw portion extending downwardly from its ledge portion.

Abstract: A thermal treating apparatus includes a reaction tube having an opening end and storing an object to be treated, an annular manifold arranged at the opening end and having an inlet for supplying a gas to the reaction tube and an outlet for exhausting the gas from the reaction tube, and a cover arranged on the opening end of the manifold. The surfaces of the annular manifold and the cover exposed to the inside of the reaction tube are covered by a material which is not corroded by the gas supplied to the reaction tube.

Abstract: A casing for a kiln includes at least one casing unit comprising: vertical and horizontal frame members assembled according to the shape of a framework of the kiln; outer plates secured to at least one of the vertical and horziontal frame members for covering the spacings encircled by said vertical and horizontal frame members; guide fittings provided at the spacings between outer plates adjacent in a longitudinal direction of the kiln for slidably supporting the ends of said outer plates; and securing means for securing said outer plates to said vertical frame member or horizontal frame member so that the spacings between the adjacent outer plates are expandable in a longitudinal direction of the kiln.

Abstract: The present invention relates to kiln car refractory furniture. In combination, (a) a kiln car having chassis that carries a platform; (b) a curb of a row of a plurality of hollow load-bearing refractory modules aligned along the periphery of the platform of the kiln car; and (c) an insulating amount of refractory insulation dispersed between the modules and laying over the platform of the kiln car. Each load-bearing hollow refractory module further comprises: (i) a hollow body formed of a refractory material having spaced walls and a top wall defining a hollow insulating space; (ii) at least one socket means for supporting a refractory post where the post in turn supports a load of refractory ware; (iii) a securing means for supporting the socket means spaced apart from the platform of the kiln car; and (iv) surfaces on the body adapted to interlock with surfaces on another abutting module.

Abstract: A combustion furnace having a cylindrical filter arranged to pass gases between a combustion cylinder and a gas analyzer attached to an output port on the furnace. The gases to be analyzed are generated from a sample burned in the combustion cylinder and removed through the filter. A cleaning gas supply port and supply line for supplying a cleaning gas to the inside of the furnace are provided. The cleaning gas is under pressure and may be oscillated to assist in the removal of dust stuck to the filter and the interior of the furnace. The improved dust removal provides for a much cleaner furnace and a more accurate analysis of the sample.

Abstract: A movable car bottom furnace in which premature failure of the metallic components of the movable car bottom are avoided by moving a hinged lower portion of the side wall into engagement with the refractory portion of the car bottom whereby only a refractory to refractory contact is made between the walls and car bottom, with all said contact occurring at a level above the uppermost level of the metallic components of the car bottom.

Abstract: A melting and casting furnace (1) for the production of directionally solidified or monocrystalline structures includes a housing (2) having a heating apparatus (3), and a cooling ring (4) disposed thereunder, as well as a cooling table (5) for the placement of a mold (6). Numerous radiation shields (8) in a heating zone in the housing, at a distance apart from one another and steer the heat rays onto a small area (A) in order to prevent direct radiation onto the metal already solidified or solidifying. In this manner the temperature gradient between the solidified and the molten can be kept great.

Abstract: A hazardous waste incinerator is provided herein. The incinerator includes a sealed, inner incineration chamber which is either made from, or which is lined with a non-porous, impervious corrosion-resistant lining, the inner incineration chamber including a means for supporting hazardous waste to be incinerated, and a recirculating blower. An insulated outer combustion chamber is provided in sealed, spaced-apart relationship to the inner incineration chamber. The heat produced in the outer combustion chamber induces incineration of hazardous waste in the incinerator chamber, the products of incineration of the hazardous waste being separate and distinct from the products of combustion in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A wafer boats supporting wafers is loaded into and unloaded from a reaction tube with a lid therebelow in a vertical heat treatment apparatus, while holding the wafer boat vertical with respect to the lid. An arm is provided in a space below the reaction tube, for transferring wafer boats along a path, while holding the wafer boats vertical and in a substantially horizontal plane. Three stations are formed in the path. At the first station, unprocessed wafers are mounted on a first wafer boat located, while wafers mounted on a first wafer boat is being heat-treated in said reaction tube. Then, the first wafer boat is transferred from the first station to the third station, and is held at the third station. While the first wafer boat is held at the third station, the second wafer boat is lowered to the second station to unload the second wafer boat from the reaction tube, and then is transferred to the first station.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous furnace for the heat treatment of articles, more particularly ceramic pipes. The continuous furnace comprises an upper part which is stationary in the conveying direction, can more particularly be raised and lowered and comprises the furnace crown 11, 12, 13, and a lower portion which can move in the conveying direction and comprises at least the furnace bottom. The lower portion is made up of a plurality of carriages 4 which are disposed close one after the other and each bear on an underframe 9 a portion of the furnace bottom 16 and at one end an end face partition 17 subdividing the furnace space into individual chambers. During the heat treatment the articles 24 to be treated remain on the carriage 4, thus eliminating the need for expensive devices for transferring the articles from one conveying means to another conveying means.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers within a supporting vertical wafer tower are positioned within a vertical process chamber through a lower gate valve fixed to a supporting framework. The gate valve is sealed to a similar gate valve at the upper end of a movable load lock on the framework, within which the wafers are subjected to pre-treatment and post-treatment processes. Two load locks are alternately used in conjunction with the process chamber and a wafer loading station on the framework. In addition, a cleaning element is movably mounted on the framework for periodically maintaining the interior surfaces of the process tube within the process chamber.

Abstract: A furnace used for high-temperature processing of semiconductor wafers employs a scavenger arrangement for removing effluent reactant gases which provides radial symmetry of gas flow. A scavenger chamber surrounds one end of a cylindrical furnace, and draws exhaust gases outward by a pressure differential. The scavenger chamber has a cylindrical quartz liner having a number of openings therein, the openings being circumferentially spaced about the end of the furnace so that gas flow is uniform and symmetrical. Preferably, these openings are in a plurality of groups, spaced from one another.

Abstract: A system for under-cart cooling of furnace carts in tunnel furnaces comprises a plurality of closed cooling air channels which fill the under-cart channel to the largest possible extent and are only slightly spaced from the undersides of the tent and are only slightly spaced from the undersides of the furnace carts. The cooling air channels which are streamed through by cooling air provide for sufficient cooling of the furnace carts, while simultaneously an exchange of cooling air from the under-cart channel and of hot air from the burning channel can be avoided in a simple manner so that there is no need for additional sealing arrangements.

Abstract: A vertical type heat-treatment apparatus of the invention has an adjusting mechanism capable of setting the flow rate of clean air flowing out from a first clean room to a second clean room to be a predetermined value. With this arrangement, the apparatus can be reduced in size and can prevent impurities from adhering to objects to be treated, thereby improving the productivity.

Abstract: A process for firing ceramic shaped bodies is disclosed, which comprises the steps of placing the ceramic shaped bodies on a truck, and firing the shaped bodies with a combustion gas. Shield members are arranged on the truck such that a jet stream of the combustion gas will not directly contact the ceramic shaped bodies and that a path for the combustion gas jet stream may be formed on the truck. The shield member may be obliquely divided into two sections at the central portion thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat treatment apparatus comprises a body having an opening section on the clear room side, a furance disposed in the body, a process tube arranged elevatably relative to the furnace, and a preventing plate arranged closably at the opening section for shutting off the opening section when it is closed, thereby it is possible to prevent dust from entering into the clean room by closing the opening section with the preventing plate.

Abstract: A truck running on a rail laid in the firing furnace comprises a metallic frame body and a refractory base assembled thereon. At least an outside portion of the refractory base is comprised of car-top bricks each provided at its inward lower part with a foot portion and refractory base bricks located beneath the car-top bricks each provided with an engage portion engaging with a foot portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tunnel type garbage incinerator, which is characterized that the garbages are first classified into combustible and incombustible materials, then the combustible materials are loaded on a bogie and fed into the incinerating tunnel for incineration, the fore section of the incinerating tunnel is used for drying combustible materials, the middle section of the incinerating tunnel is used for the bleast incineration of the combustible material, the aft section of the incinerating tunnel is used for the cooling and output port of the incinerated materials or ashes. In which, the incinerating tunnel is furnished with blowers, flame igniting device, smoke processing device, and through proper arrangement of the components, the garbages can be completely combusted with minimal fuel oil consumption, furthermore, since the smoke is filtered before it is expelled, it does not produce air pollution.

Abstract: The invention proposes a process and equipment for the thermal treatment of semiconductor materials which contains an isothermal, all-round heated process tube in a so-called "closed-tube" process using a compact construction of the furnace, whereby a defined process gas atmosphere is present in the process chamber from the very start of the process and a reverse diffusion is prevented. A double-tube system is used here with an adjustable interspace rinsing, i.e. the use of the so-called "rapid cassette" in cold blowing. Applications for the invention are in particular the oxidation, diffusion, deposition and tempering of semiconductor discs.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus comprises a heat-treating furnace which include a process tube arranged so as to set its longitudinal direction vertically and having inlet and exhaust ports for a reaction gas, a heater arranged around the process tube, a capping member for capping an opening for allowing an heat-treating object to be loaded therethrough, which is formed in the lower end of the process tube, a case for covering a portion between the process tube and the capping member, and an exhaust nozzle, coupled to the the exhaust port formed in the process tube, for introducing the exhaust waste gas to the outside of the heat-treating apparatus. An exhaust nozzle is arranged in the case so as to introduce the waste gas leaking from between the process tube and the capping member to the outside of the heat-treating apparatus, thereby preventing the leaked gas from being diffused around the heat-treating apparatus.

Abstract: A tunnel kiln for firing molded ceramic green products includes a gate for feeding a kiln car into and out of the kiln. The gate located at low temperature parts of the kiln includes side walls made of a stainless steel having inclined surfaces and a ceiling made of a stainless steel and having inclined surfaces toward the side walls. The tunnel kiln further includes sand seals at connections between the side walls and the ceiling and receiving bases provided under lower ends of the side walls for receiving pyrolytically decomposed products. The side walls are formed with exhaust ports communicating with the receiving bases so that the pyrolytically decomposed products flow along the inclined surfaces of the ceiling and the side walls are once collected in the receiving bases and exhausted through the exhaust ports of the side walls to the outside of the kiln. With this arrangement, defective ceramic products due to decomposed products attached thereto are completely eliminated.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus includes a furnace for heat-treating wafers, installed so as to set its longitudinal direction vertically and having an opening which is formed in its lower end so as to allow a boat having semiconductor wafers mounted thereon to be loaded, a heat-insulating cylinder on which the boat is placed and which is adapted to keep the boat hot, a lifting unit for lifting and loading the boat and the heat-insulating cylinder into the furnace, and for lowering and unloading them from the furnace, a moving unit for pivoting the heat-insulating cylinder and retracting the cylinder from below the boat, and a handler unit for supporting and vertically moving the boat. After the wafers are heat-treated, the boat is moved downward by the lifting unit. The heat-insulating cylinder is retracted from below the boat by the moving unit while the boat is supported by the handler unit. Subsequently, the boat is further lowered by the handler unit so as to completely remove the boat from the furnace.

Abstract: An especially adapted kiln car transfer apparatus includes a transfer carriage for supporting at least one kiln car. The transfer carriage itself is supported upon transverse tracks (i.e., relative to the longitudinal dimension of the tunnel kilns with which the transfer apparatus is associated) so as to be capable of movements between adjacent ends of a pair of tunnel kilns. A generally inverted U-shaped housing is carried by the transfer carriage and defines an interior space sized and configured to accept a kiln car. A reciprocally movable wall structure is disposed within the housing's interior space. The wall structure may thus move between the opposing open ends of the housing in response to the continual advancement of the kiln car onto the transfer carriage, and hence, into the interior space defined by the housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading a refrigerator box which has a door along one side and insulation in all of the surfaces of the box including the bottom. The invention specifically relates to devices for loading the box using a pallet loaded with prepackaged material such as ice. The insulation in the bottom of the box is divided into three parts; the insulation along one side, the insulation along the opposite side and then the center insulation portion.The method is accomplished by removing the center insulated portion and rolling a pallet loaded with prepackaged material into the refrigerated box using an ordinary transportation vehicle such as a lift cart. Once the vehicle has moved the pallet of prepackaged material into the refrigerated ice box or container, the transportation device is then lowered so that the pallet will settle onto the pieces of insulation on each side of the box. The transportation device is then removed and a piece of insulation is inserted under the pallet.

Abstract: A truck for use in a tunnel kiln is disclosed. The tunnel kiln is used for firing shaped bodies by heating them with use of a plurality of combustion burners provided on sides inside the tunnel kiln. The truck comprises supports. Among them, at least supports with which a combustion stream from the combustion burners directly contacts have a streamlined shape with respect to the combustion stream. By so constructing, turbulence of the combustion stream can be minimized to make temperature distribution more uniform inside the kiln.

Abstract: A tunnel kiln for firing ceramic shaped bodies including a preheating zone, a firing zone and a cooling zone. Arranged in the preheating zone is a recovery circuit composed of a decomposition product receiving part and a discharge port for discharging the recovered decomposition product.

Abstract: A light-weight base structure for a kiln car comprises vertical, pillars (11,12,13) arranged around the periphery of the base with vertical wall plates (20 to 28) supported between adjacent pillars to define a hollow cavity filled with light-weight insulating material (32). A baffle which extends outwardly around the periphery of the base is formed from bats (15 to 19) of genreally T-shape in plan, each with an inner portion (15a to 19a) which extends between the facing sides of adjacent pairs of pillars and an outer portion (15b to 19b) which extends partially over the outwardly directed sides of the pillars so that such outer portions collectively form an effectively continuous baffle around the base. The peripheral wall is divided by such bats and the wall plates engage in grooves (15c to 19c) formed in the upper and lower faces of the inner portions of the bats, the bats being substantially balanced on the wall plates on which they rest.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved furnace oven for drying and firing porcelain dental workpieces. It has a plurality of worktables which can be inserted at a desired sequence into the muffle of the furnace oven. The workpiece to be processed is placed on, or prepared on one of the supports, the arm of such support is swung into a position beneath the opening of the muffle and lifted into the muffle. The furnace is of the vacuum type, and can be preprogrammed. It is possible to provide furnaces of this type where a number of programs can be prepared according to the number of supports and thus time is saved between the end of one firing cycle and the start of the next one with a new workpiece.

Abstract: A method of processing steel slabs in which the slabs are continuously routed through a furnace to a slabbing mill the slabs being sequentially charged through the bottom of the furnace by a reciprocating mechanism whereby on the upward stroke the slab charged engages and lifts the slabs piled above it and is then securely held (via jaws) until engaged itself in the next cycle by the succeeding slab. The top slab is discharged during each cycle whereby the number of slabs in the pile in consistent and all are heated on their exposed surfaces during their period in the furnace.This invention maximises the use of the residual heat from the cast slab where `sizing` is to be performed.

Abstract: A retractable, roller hearth for use in an industrial heat treat furnace is disclosed whereby the alloy rollers are retracted from their load bearing position when the furnace heat treat processes are underway thus maintaining the rated load capacity of the furnace. A plurality of guided rail support posts and guided, sealed lift posts accurately assure straight line vertical motion of the refractory base enabling contact between fibrous rope seals to seal the hearth from the cooler, lower portions of the furnace when the hearth is in a raised position.

Abstract: An automated installation for the rapid thermochemical treatment of parts, notably for the mechanical industry, characterized in that it includes: a transfer lock for the parts under a controlled atmosphere; a plurality of treatment modules of the parts, all said modules being connected to said transfer lock; a loading lock; an unloading lock, and a handling robot for the parts, disposed in said transfer lock in order to provide for the successive transfers of parts between the various modules.

Abstract: An apparatus for firing ceramic shaped products, particularly porcelian tableware, comprising a kiln provided with a through tunnel and a heating device, grid-like pallets for holding the shaped products during their passage through the through tunnel, feed means for feeding the unfired shaped products onto the pallets, and discharge means for discharging the fired shaped products from the pallets. The pallets are covered with product holder plates, preferably plane parallel product holder plates, adapted approximately to the format of the respective shaped products. More uniform action of the firing atmosphere on the shaped products is thereby acheived. The product holder plates are more easily produced than the kiln furniture hitherto used.

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: An oven for the heat treatment of semiconductor substrates, especially a diffusion oven, having an upright, heatable quartz tube and a support system made of up rods or tubes into which one or more diffusion racks can be inserted which accommodate the wafer-like substrates separated from one another and substantially parallel to one another. To create a vertically operated oven having a rheologically efficient construction in which the support system for holding the diffusion racks will be highly variable, the support system has at least two vertical supports arranged parallel to one another, on which at least one rack rest 9 is disposed, on which rack rest the diffusion rack is placed such that the substrate wafers 8 stand substantially on edge during the treatment.

Abstract: Cermic materials (i.e. architectural face-bricks) are fired in a tunnel kiln of the type having a firing zone and a downstream cooling zone. The cooling zone is segregated into indirect and direct cooling zones via a sealed gate structure therebetween. The heated gases in the indirect cooling zone are thus preliminarily cooled by suitable means (for example, a heat exchanger) and the cooled gases are returned via a closed-loop path to the indirect cooling zone. The fired ceramic materials in the direct cooling zone are finally cooled by the direct introduction of an oxygen-rich gas (i.e. ambient air). In such a manner, a reducing atmosphere may be maintained in the firing zone and in the indirect cooling zone while final cooling of the bricks occurs in the direct cooling zone. Thus, the oxygen-rich atmosphere of the direct cooling zone is prevented from entering the indirect cooling zone via the sealed gate structure thereby permitting frost-resistant bricks to be fired and cooled on a continual basis.

Abstract: A manufacturing method and apparatus is provided for making building and other types of brick. The apparatus requires a minimum of excess (or surge) production, utilizes automated equipment which is highly dependable and which is easily operated and controlled. The apparatus comprises an automated low profile dryer and kiln in conjunction with an automated brick handling system including specially designed lighweight kiln cars.

Abstract: Drying and baking installation in which the products pass through the drying oven (S) and the baking oven (C) on the same carriages (1) by means of a single, continuous path, without intermediate handling; the products are stacked without contact with one another by means of superposed ceramic supports; the outlet from the drying oven is connected to the entrance to the baking oven by an air-tight enclosure, the system thus forming a continuous and tight enclosure and the pressure of the gases as the products enter the baking oven is at least equal to the pressure of the gases as the products leave the drying furnace.

Abstract: An oven for heat treating, curing, stress relieving or otherwise treating objects within the oven has side walls that can be moved into contact and out of contact with side edges of a movable floor. All interior surfaces of the oven are insulated and, when the floor is located in the oven, the side walls can be moved so that the insulation on the side walls forms a sealed relationship with the insulation along the adjacent side edges of the floor. A door of the oven can then be closed. When the door is opened, the side walls can be moved out of contact with the floor and the floor can be removed. Preferably, the side walls are moved by the operation of pneumatic cylinders.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet which may be used in firing ceramic faced base plates, glass faced base plates and metal faced base plates. The sheet comprises a combustible sheet such as a pulp paper and a coating layer coated on at least one surface of the combustible sheet. The coating layer comprises a powder of a material with a high melting point and a powder of carbon which may be formed separately from the layer comprising the powder of a material having a high melting point. The coating layer comprising the powder of carbon effectively prevents shrinkage of the sheet during firing, and thus prevents adhesion between adjacent stacked base plates and between the base plates and the supporting base. The sheet of the present invention further provides a layer of a uniform breadth which prevents the formation of undulations and pin-holes in the base plates during firing.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for maintaining the lining of a furnace shell (1) comprising a bottom and a side wall and supported by a floor (2). The shell (1) is composed of two parts adapted to be separated and constituting respectively a bottom (11) and a cooled side wall (12). The side wall (12) is supported directly on a work floor (2) and the bottom (11) on a support (5) movable vertically between an upper operating position of the bottom (11), in line with the side wall (12), and a lower position. After the bottom (11) has been lowered into the lower position, it is moved out of the axis (10) of the furnace to a maintenance station, from which a new bottom (11') is then brought into the lower position, in the axis (10) of the furnace, in order finally to be raised to the upper operating position. The invention applies particularly to arc melting furnaces for steel production.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bakery and pastry oven, of the type which is capable of receiving therein a tray-carrying truck, and of subjecting the said truck to a rotatory motion during the cooking process, which oven has been substantially improved in order to achieve, on the one hand, a greater capacity or useful space inside the said oven, and, on the other, the possibility of coupling trucks of varying sizes to the rotating means.

Abstract: Intensive undercar cooling is achieved in the latter portion of a tunnel kiln by (a) a continuous undercar longitudinal cooling air flow or (b) by transverse undercar sub-chambers in which heat exchangers are used to set up local cooling connection currents within each sub-chamber. Air flows in the undercar channel are substantially prevented in the heat-up zone and up to about the middle of the firing zone. Pressure equalization is permitted with respect to the firing chamber thereabove but very little air will actually pass therebetween in the sensitive heat-up zone because there is no other substantial air passageway leading into or out of the sub-chambers formed by aprons depending from the kiln cars.

Abstract: Vertically oriented thermal processor, also known as a vertical diffusion furnace for the processing of silicon or gallium arsenide wafers or substrates including a vertically positionable furnace assembly, and a quartz bell-jar shaped element which positions coaxially over and about another quartz bell jar like vertically positionable process tube forming a dual wall contamination barrier. The furnace and the process tube bell jar can be moved up and down pneumatically as a unit or independently of one another during processing modes. Pneumatic cylinders provide for the lifting of the furnace element away from the wafers to ramp temperatures downwardly at an accelerated rate. An overhead track positions for accelerated removal of the furnace and process tube to the exterior of the cabinet without disconnection of electrical, pneumatic or gas connections for maintenance or component changeout.

Abstract: Transverse sub-chambers are defined beneath a train of kiln cars. Pressure equalization is permitted with respect to the firing chamber thereabove but very little air will actually pass therebetween because there is no other substantial air passageway leading into or out of the sub-chamber. Rather, heat exchange cooling apparatus is employed in each sub-chamber so as to set up convention air currents within the sub-chamber to cool the underside of the kiln car. The heat exchanger units in different sub-chambers are preferably individually controllable so as to provide a controllable degree of undercar cooling as a function of location along the tunnel kiln.

Abstract: There is disclosed a refractory, insulating assembly for preventing kiln car heat loss, said assembly consisting of dome-shaped, hollow modular members disposed in a row along each running edge of said kiln car, with the space therebetween covered with a layer of insulating refractory.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting and conveying ceramic wall and floor tiles through a kiln is provided. The tile support structure is mounted on a kiln car having a structural base supported on rotatable wheels adapted to travel along a set of rails running through the kiln. The support structure includes refractory support posts with recrystallized silicon carbide cross-beams mounted thereon. Pairs of refractory rods are hung from the cross-beams. Each of the rods has a plurality of tile supports along its length for supporting a plurality of tiles between the pair of adjacent rods.

Abstract: A kiln system for heat treating ceramic and metallic material. The system comprises an insulated housing having an open-ended through passageway, a plurality of kiln cars adapted to be received in and pass through the passageway, a plurality of spaced seals coupled to the housing and engageable with leading and trailing walls on each kiln car, and heating and cooling sources. The leading and trailing walls of each kiln car together with the spaced seals subdivide the passageway into zones of differing temperatures. By use of seals located at the ends of the passageway, outer doors for the passageway are unnecessary. By forming the zones of differing temperatures by use of the plurality of spaced seals, a plurality of kiln cars can be moved through the passageway in series one after the other and be subject to pre-heating, heating and cooling temperatures typically used in heat treating without the need of inner doors or a long housing.

Abstract: A bucket cooled by circulating water and scrap preheating apparatus incorporating the bucket are disclosed. The bucket comprises a bucket-shaped container which contains scrap to be preheated and through which an exhaust gas from an electric furnace is passed to preheat the scrap contained therein, a cooling water passageway which surrounds the periphery of said container, and water supply and exhaust ports which are connected to said cooling water passageway, cooling water being supplied to and exhausted from the bucket during preheating of the scrap contained therein.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for heating powder material charges to high temperatures at a fast rate, and for moving the charges through process operations, and for maintaining the temperatures of preheated charges and protecting the charges against contamination as they are moved through process operations.