Wall member useful in quenching
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsGangshu Shen, Nathan J. Cooper, Nathan Wesley Ottow, Robert Louis Goetz, John F. Matlik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some examples, an apparatus includes a pallet supporting a plurality of workpieces, the pallet including through-holes structured to pass a quenching fluid. In some examples, the apparatus further includes a reservoir of quenching fluid configured to provide the quenching fluid, and a plurality of upturned wall portions extending from the pallet and substantially surrounding the exteriors of the plurality of workpieces. The plurality of upturned wall portions may be located in relative orientation to the plurality of workpieces to regulate heat transfer coefficients of the plurality of workpieces during a quenching operation.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a pallet supporting a plurality of workpieces, the pallet including through-holes structured to pass a quenching fluid;
- a reservoir of quenching fluid configured to provide the quenching fluid;
- and
- a plurality of upturned wall portions extending from the pallet and substantially surrounding the exteriors of the plurality of workpieces, the plurality of upturned wall portions located in relative orientation to the plurality of workpieces to regulate heat transfer coefficients of the plurality of workpieces during a quenching operation.
An apparatus comprising:
- a supply of quenching fluid defining a fluid surface;
- a heat treatment platform having a top structured to support a workpiece and constructed of a material that permits the heat treatment platform to be heated to relatively high temperatures in a first operation and submerged within the quenching fluid in a second operation, the heat treatment platform defining a hole that extends from a bottom of the heat treatment platform to a top of the heat treatment platform and through which the quenching fluid can pass while the heat treatment platform is disposed in the relatively cool liquid, the workpiece positioned on the top of the platform and defining a bore in communication with the hole in the platform;
- and
- a wall extending from the top of the heat treatment platform and located adjacent to the workpiece such that an interplay between the wall and the workpiece suppresses a cooling of the workpiece adjacent to the wall relative to a cooling in the bore of the workpiece, wherein the heat treatment platform and the fluid surface can be moved relative to each other to immerse the workpiece in the quenching fluid.
A method comprising:
- loading a pallet with a workpiece;
- moving the pallet with the workpiece to a furnace for a heat treatment process;
- locating the workpiece proximate to a wall member that extends from the pallet to control a heat transfer coefficient of the workpiece, wherein the proximity of the wall member and the workpiece slows circulation of quenching fluid in a region between the wall member and the workpiece to affect a heat transfer coefficient in the region;
- and
- immersing the wall member and the workpiece within a quenching fluid as part of a quenching operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.