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US 4,229,236 AGranted
Process and apparatus for heat treating steel using infrared radiation
AssigneeSamuel Strapping Systems, Inc.
InventorJames E. Heath
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AssigneeSamuel Strapping Systems, Inc.
InventorJames E. Heath
Estimating the term…
Process and apparatus for stress relieving steel sheet, strip, strapping, wire and the like involves the use of high intensity shortwave infrared radiation to heat the steel to the desired stress relieve temperature. The apparatus comprises a furnace having opposing spaced-apart parallel banks of infrared radiation lamps. An electronic programmable controller controls the intensity of the lamps along the banks' length. A roller arrangement is used in passing such steel through the furnace. A device measures the linear speed of the steel. The controller adjusts lamp intensity, as determined by a program based on the signal received from the line speed measuring device. The controller, according to its program, maintains a minimum lamp intensity when the steel is stationary. The controller increases the lamp intensity to a predetermined level to preheat the steel to ensure on line start-up that the steel emerges at the desired stress relieve temperature. The responsiveness of the infrared heating unit provides significant advances in the art of stress relieving steel and economines.
A furnace adapted for use in stress relieving a length of steel sheet, strip, strapping, wire and the like comprising opposing spaced-apart parallel banks of high intensity infrared radiation emitters having ceramic reflectors along said banks and located behind said emitters, each emitter being an elongate lamp having an electrode at each end, opposing spaced-apart suitable supports secured within said furnace and provided with aligned apertures to permit said lamp ends to extend through such apertures in supporting each lamp in a respective bank, each lamp electrode being external of a corresponding support, means defining a channel along the outside of each support and in which said lamp electrodes are disposed and fan means for forcing sufficient air through each channel to maintain said lamp electrodes at operating temperatures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.