Cover for use with a furnace during a heating operation
OwnerHarry E. Laughery, Werner Niehausinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved cover for use in conjunction with a furnace in performing a heating operation on a workpiece includes a support and an emission apparatus. The emission apparatus advantageously is in the form of a ceramic layer that has an emissivity value greater than that of the surface to which the emission layer is applied. In other embodiments, an emission layer can be applied to both the heated and non-heated surfaces of a cover. The emission apparatus reduces costs due to one or more factors such as a less costly material requirement, a reduced heating requirement, and an increased service life.
Claims18
A cover structured to be disposed between the furnace and a workpiece to at least partially enclose the workpiece during a heating operation performed on the workpiece by the furnace, the cover comprising:
- a support having a first surface that has an emissivity value and that is disposed adjacent and facing generally toward the workpiece;
- and
- an emission apparatus comprising an emission layer disposed on the first surface and having an emissivity value greater than that of the first surface.
A method of performing a heating operation on a workpiece with a furnace, the method comprising:
- at least partially enclosing the workpiece within a cover that is disposed between the workpiece and the furnace, the cover comprising:
- a support having a first surface that has an emissivity value and that is disposed adjacent and facing generally toward the workpiece, and
- an emission apparatus comprising an emission layer disposed on the first surface and having an emissivity value greater than that of the first surface;
- and
- operating the furnace at a given temperature range for a given period of time.
A method of retrofitting a furnace with a cover that is structured to be disposed between the furnace and a workpiece to at least partially enclose the workpiece during a heating operation performed on the workpiece by the furnace, the method comprising:
- removing a cover that is substantially free of ceramic coatings;
- installing a cover that comprises a support and an emission apparatus;
- the support having a first surface that has an emissivity value and that is disposed adjacent and facing generally toward the workpiece;
- and
- the emission apparatus comprising an emission layer disposed on the first surface and having an emissivity value greater than that of the first surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.