Heat treatment apparatus
AssigneeKawecki Berylco Industries, Inc.
InventorsWilliam W. Stephens, James F. McKeighen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for heat treating elongate articles including a furnace arranged above a quenching liquid reservoir and guide elements for guiding heated elongate articles from the furnace into the quenching liquid. In a preferred embodiment, the furnace utilizes a plurality of elongate tubes which receive detachably held elongate articles. Upon release, the elongate articles fall while oriented vertically by the guide elements into the quenching liquid. Warping or bending of the elongate articles is thereby prevented during the transfer from the furnace to the quenching liquid.
Claims9
An apparatus for heat treating an elongate article comprising:
- reservoir means for holding a quenching liquid;
- furnace means disposed above said reservoir means for applying heat to the article with the article releasably held therewithin;
- and
- guide means disposed between said furnace means and said reservoir means for orienting the article with its axis substantially vertical while conducting the article in a substantially vertical free-fall path extending into said quenching liquid upon release of said article from said furnace means.
An apparatus for heat treating an elongate article comprising:
- reservoir means for holding a quenching liquid;
- furnace means disposed above said reservoir means for applying heat to the article, said furnace means including means defining a chamber loosely receiving the article and including means for releasably holding the article within said chamber;
- an ambient air circulating zone defined between said reservoir means and said furnace means;
- and
- guide means disposed between said furnace means and said reservoir means operable to orient an article in a position where its axis is substantially vertical while conducting the article during free fall in a substantially vertical path extending from said furnace means through said zone and into said quenching liquid.
An apparatus for heat treating elongate articles comprising:
- reservoir means for holding a quenching liquid;
- furnace means having a plurality of first tubes disposed above said reservoir means, said tubes defining chambers adapted loosely to receive articles;
- and
- a plurality of second tubes disposed between said furnace means and said reservoir means registering with respective ones of said first tubes for guiding articles dropping from said first tubes into quenching liquid held by said reservoir means, said second tubes orienting articles whereby their axes are substantially verticle on dropping through the second tube into quenching liquid held by said reservoir means.
An apparatus for heat treating an elongate article comprising:
- reservoir means for holding a quenching liquid;
- furnace means disposed above said reservoir means for applying heat to the article, said furnace means including means defining a chamber loosely receiving the article and including means for releasably holding the article within said chamber;
- and
- guide means disposed between said furnace means and said reservoir means operable to orient the article in a position where its axis is substantially vertical while conducting the article during free fall in a substantially vertical path extending into such quenching liquid upon release of said article from said furnace means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.