Apparatus for thermally treating metal components
OwnerAlfred Kreidler, Klaus Viessmanninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for thermally treating metal components. The metal components which are in a partially finished condition are annealed by being placed within a liquid bath which is at a temperature of between 200.degree. and 300.degree. C. The liquid bath is oil and is situated within an enclosure structure with which an inlet and outlet structure communicate for introducing and discharging the metal components from the treating bath. These inlet and outlet structures themselves contain liquid for sealing off the interior of the enclosure from the outer atmosphere.
Claims18
In an apparatus for thermally treating metal components, enclosure means having a hollow interior space for containing in said space a liquid at an elevated temperature in which the metal components are thermally treated, inlet means connected to and communicating with the interior of said enclosure means for introducing components to be treated into the interior space of said enclosure means, outlet means spaced from said inlet means and connected to and communicating with the interior of said enclosure means for discharging components out of the interior space of said enclosure means, said inlet and outlet means forming the only passages through which the components can travel into and out of the interior of said enclosure means and both having interior hollow spaces for receiving liquid extending completely across the latter spaces for preventing communication between the interior spaces of said enclosure means and the outer atmosphere, said inlet and outlet means both extending to an elevation higher than the hollow interior space in said enclosure means where the treating liquid is located, said enclosure means having a wall which at least substantially closes off the entire interior of said enclosure means except for said inlet and outlet means, and conveyer means situated in said enclosure means for conveying components to be treated along a predetermined horizontal path in a treating liquid contained in said hollow interior space of said enclosure means with said predetermined path being situated above the bottom of the treating liquid and having a predetermined length, and said enclosure means providing for the treating liquid a a depth which is less than the length of said path.
In an apparatus for thermally treating metal components, enclosure means having a hollow interior space for containing in said space a liquid in which the metal components are thermally treated, inlet means connected to and communicating with the interior of said enclosure means for introducing components to be treated into the interior space of said enclosure means, and outlet means spaced from said inlet means and connected to and communicating with the interior of said enclosure means for discharging components out of the interior space of said enclosure means, said inlet and outlet means forming the only passages into and out of the interior of said enclosure means and both having interior hollow spaces for receiving liquid extending completely across the latter spaces for preventing communication between the interior space of said enclosure means and at the outer atmosphere, said inlet and outlet means each including a receptacle for receiving a liquid and having an open top, and said enclosure means having wall portions which extend downwardly into the interior of said receptacles beneath the surface of a liquid therein for providing liquid seals at said inlet and outlet means, the components travelling through the receptacles into and out of the interior of said enclosure means, said enclosure means including in its interior a third receptacle situated between the receptacles of said inlet and outlet means and containing its own treatment path, and conveyer means in the form of an endless chain structure having an upper run extending sequentially through the receptacle of said inlet means, the receptacle in the interior of said enclosure means, and the receptacle of said outlet means for successively conveying work pieces therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.