Abstract: A smoke conducting apparatus for use particularly with continuous ring furnaces (e.g., Hoffman furnaces) wherein each furnace chamber is connected to the smoke channel, the latter being a metal pipe inclined slightly from horizontal and provided with one or more traps along the length of its bottom surface, each trap containing a removable receptacle, and heating means being disposed along the bottom of the channel to fluidize tarry deposits of combustion products so that such deposits will flow by gravity into the removable receptacle.

Abstract: An oven for firing ceramic materials which is provided with a firing chamber and with a plurality of rotatable transverse rollers for advancing the material to be fired along the chamber. The oven is provided with a horizontal auxiliary surface disposed in the lower part of the chamber, spaced from the material being fired, and with means for displacing the auxiliary surface longitudinally along the chamber in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the material being fired. The vertical distance from the auxiliary surface to the roller axes is preferably not less than twice the axis-to-axis spacing between the rollers and not more than twice such roller spacing plus the diameter of the rollers. The speed of travel of the auxiliary surface is a submultiple of the speed of travel of the material being fired. The auxiliary surface is preferably constituted by a plurality of plates bearing on the oven floor and actuated for displacement in a preferably intermittent manner by thruster devices.

Abstract: A hot roll fuser includes a heated roller and a substantially non-deformable backup roll forming a nip through which a carrier with unfused toner may pass, the toner becoming fused by virtue of the heating action from the hot roll. A cleaning arrangement for cleaning the backup roll comprises a support and a pair of scraping blades, each supported in contacting relationship with the backup roll. To insure good scraping action, each of the blades has a serrated or interrupted scraping edge, and the serrations or interruptions of the first and second blades are offset so that the entire surface area of the backup roll is scraped either by the first or second blades, or both.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an elongated boring bar having a cutting edge at its front end, an assembly coupled to the boring bar for reciprocally moving the boring bar axially of a rotary kiln, and an assembly for rotating the boring bar. The boring bar is advanced into the kiln with the cutting edge retracted from the kiln wall and, upon clearing the tuyere dam of the kiln, the cutting edge is brought close to the kiln wall by rotating the boring bar. The boring bar is then advanced again to scrape off and remove solid deposits from the kiln wall.

Abstract: An electrographic copier and process wherein an image-bearing support material has toner particles fused thereto by a heated pressure member, the pressure member being kept clean of contaminants by a fusible resinous powder distributed over the support material and toner particles prior to the fusing step.

Abstract: An apparatus in which heat settable particles are substantially permanently affixed to a sheet. The apparatus includes a fuser member having a supply of release material applied thereto from a chamber in a housing. The release material is a liquid when the fuser member is at its operating temperature. However, when the fuser member is de-energized, the release material solidifies. Baffles are provided in the chamber of the housing to facilitate solidification of the release material adjacent to the fuser member.

Abstract: A contact fuser assembly for use in electrostatic reproducing apparatus, said assembly including a heated fuser roll structure cooperating with a backup roll to form a nip through which copy sheets or substrate material having toner images thereon move with the toner images contacting the heated fuser roll structure. The fuser assembly is characterized by the provision of a cleaning arrangement comprising a roll having a tacky surface which is adapted to contact the fuser roll structure to thereby remove toner and other contaminants therefrom with subsequent embedding of the contaminants in the tacky surface. The cleaning arrangement is further characterized by the provision of means for maintaining the effectiveness of the cleaning arrangement.

Abstract: A contact fuser assembly for use in electrostatic reproducing apparatus including a heated fuser roll structure cooperating with a backup roll to form a nip through which copy sheets having toner images thereon move with the toner images contacting the heated fuser roll structure. The fuser assembly is characterized by the provision of a cleaning arrangement comprising a roll having a tacky surface which is adapted to contact the fuser roll structure to thereby remove contaminants therefrom. The cleaning arrangement is further characterized by the provision of means for rejuvenating the tacky surface of the cleaning roll wherein polymer material is applied to the cleaning roll and is tacky at the operating temperature of the fuser apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an improved apparatus for removing fallen slag from beneath a flame cutting table. A three-sided scoop is positioned below the table. Co-acting guide members are mounted along the sides of the scoop and the table. Chains are fastened to each side of the scoop and extend around vertically positioned sprockets at opposite ends of the table. The chain is located below a portion of the table guide member for protection from falling slag and heat. A motor engages the sprockets to drag the scoop from one end of the table to the other. A tube fastened to the table is positioned for carrying the returning chain.

Abstract: A heat seal, for a walking beam furnace, comprising a water trough with a pair of parallel skirts having their lower edge portions submerged in the trough. A row of paddles are mounted on each skirt, each paddle being connected pivotably on the skirt for upward and downward movement below the skirt.

Abstract: The arrangement comprises a working member formed by a pair of intercommunicating nozzles of which one nozzle comprises a bellmouth mounted above the oven platform with a certain spacing, facing with its enlarged portion the bottom part of the oven and intimately adjoining this part upon engaging the oven, and the second nozzle is of cylindrical shape and has an ejector communicated with a compressed gas source for reducing pressure within the nozzles, whereby the first nozzle functions as a suction nozzle to collect the remainders of coke from the platform, and the second nozzle functions as a delivery nozzle to project the collected remainders of coke into the oven chamber.

Abstract: A hearth cleaning apparatus includes a wheeled car movable along a floor at the side wall of a reheat furnace wherein metallic workpieces are heated while they are advanced along the furnace hearth. The car is latched to the side wall of the furnace at any one of the normally-closed openings therein. An inverted U-shaped spacer slab is passed through the furnace between two workpieces for access to the hearth. An elongated digging bar which may be cooled by the internal flow of water is supported by the car and advanced through an opening in the side wall of the furnace to engage and loosen slag or other materials adhered to the soaking hearth while exposed by the spacer slab. The car includes a vernier elevation adjustment for the digging bar at the point of support adjacent the furnace and a course elevation adjustment for the digging bar at the opposite end of the car. The digging bar is propelled along the furnace hearth by a pair of pinch rolls.

Abstract: An improved cleaning roller for cleaning the residual toner particles from the heated fuser roll of a heated pressure fusing system in an electrostatic copy machine. The cleaning roller is mounted on a carriage supporting one or more cleaning rollers in contact with the surface of the heated fuser roll. A pressure loading mechanism applies a force on the carriage and cleaning rollers against the surface of the heated fuser roll. Each cleaning roller has a core member which is covered with a sleeve of soft suitable material such that under the pressure loading condition the surface of the cleaning roller conforms to that of the heated fuser roll. The exterior surface of each cleaning roller has a toner coating mixed with silicone oil to insure proper release of the residual toner from the heated fuser roll onto the cleaning roller.

Abstract: An improved cleaning roll assembly for cleaning the residual toner particles from the heated fuser roll of a heated pressure fusing system in an electrostatic copy machine. A carriage supports a plurality of cleaning rollers in contact with the surface of the heated fuser roll. A pressure loading mechanism applies a force on the carriage and cleaning rollers against the surface of the heated fuser roll. Each of the cleaning rollers is rotatable on a shaft assembly which is connected to the carriage by a flexure member mounted on a shaft journaled in the carriage. The shaft assembly has a displaceable plunger member to receive and lockingly engage the cleaning roller on each end thereof.

Abstract: Fuser apparatus for fixing toner images to substrates comprising a heated fuser roll structure and a backup roll structure forming a nip through which the substrates pass with the toner images contacting the heated fuser roll structure to thereby soften the toner images. A cleaning structure for removing toner offset to said fuser roll structure comprises a plurality of flexible fingers supported for wiping contact with the fuser roll structure. Spaces between the finger serve as areas for collecting the toner to prevent the toner from re-applied to the fuser roll. The cleaning structure contacts areas of the fuser roll prior to such areas being contacted by a wick employed for applying offset preventing liquid to the fuser roll, such positioning of the fuser roll structure serving to prolong the life of the wick.

Abstract: An improved plural cleaning rolls assembly for cleaning the residual toner particles from the heated fuser roll of a heated pressure fusing system in an electrostatic copy machine. The improved assembly includes a carriage supporting a plurality of cleaning rollers in contact with the surface of the heated fuser roll. A pressure loading mechanism applies a force on the carriage and cleaning rollers against the surface of the heated fuser roll. Each of the cleaning rollers is rotatably supported on a shaft which is connected to the carriage by a flexure member mounted on a shaft journaled in the carriage to enable independent flexure and alignment of the cleaning rolls relative to the fuser roll surface.

Abstract: An apparatus in which release material is applied to a heated fuser member. A back up member is in communication with the fuser member and a sheet of support material having particles thereon passes therebetween. The particles on the sheet of support material contact the fuser member. The apparatus reciprocates a bar of release material into and out of contact with the fuser member.The foregoing abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A contact-heat fixing device for electrophotography, characterized in that said fixing device comprises a cleaning member impregnated with an offset preventive liquid and a means for feeding said cleaning member in a state compressedly contacted with a heated body by means of a predetermined compressive force.

Abstract: Contact fusing system for utilization in the process of forming toner images on support sheets. The system is characterized by the provision of structure for cleaning toner material from an elastomeric backup member cooperating with a heated fuser member to move support sheets bearing the toner images therebetween with the toner images contacting the heated member. The cleaning structure comprises a sleeve of tetrafluoroethylene which is heat shrunk onto an angular-shaped support member whereby approximately one-third of the sleeve forms a cleaning surface which is contacted intermediate the ends thereof by the elastomeric backup member.