Device for feeding material to a furnace

An article handling system for transferring an article to be heat treated from an article source onto a conveying surface of a heat treating furnace and from the conveying surface of the heat treating furnace to adjacent conveying means, said article handling system comprising:

• a first drum mounted adjacent the entrance end of said furnace for rotation about a first substantially horizontal axis between a first article receiving position and a first article discharge position, said first drum defining a longitudinal first drum transfer cavity including a first article receiving surface along which the article to be treated slides by gravity in the first article receiving position and a generally oppositely disposed first article discharge surface along which the article is discharged by gravity in the first article discharge position;
• at least one retractable stop which is associated with the first drum for movement between a stop position projecting into the first drum transfer cavity through the first article discharge surface in a displaced relationship from the first article receiving surface and a retracted position retracted at least level with the first article discharge surface, such that the article is slidably received by gravity in the first drum transfer cavity without interference with the stop when said retractable stop is in the stop position and the first drum is in the first article receiving position, the article is stopped from discharge by gravity from the first drum transfer cavity when the retractable stop is in the stop position and the first drum is in the first article discharge position, and the article is discharged by gravity from the first drum transfer cavity when the retractable stop is in the retracted position and the first drum is in the first article discharge position;
• a first arm defining a first arm transfer cavity adjacent one end thereof, said first arm being pivotally mounted for movement between a first article receiving position disposed above said furnace conveying surface adjacent the first article discharge surface for receiving the article to be heat treated from the first drum transfer cavity when said first drum transfer cavity is disposed in the first discharge position and a first article discharge position disposed below said first conveying surface;
• means for moving said first arm in a controlled manner between said first article receiving and discharge positions to lay the article to be heat treated generally on the furnace conveying surface;
• a second drum mounted adjacent the exit end of said furnace for rotation about a second substantially horizontal axis between a second article receiving position and a second article discharge position, said second drum defining a longitudinal second drum transfer cavity including a second article receiving surface which is disposed above the furnace conveying surface in said second article receiving position and slopes downwardly into the second drum transfer cavity such that the received article which has been heat treated slides by gravity along the second article receiving surface, said second drum further defining a second article discharge surface which slopes downwardly out of the second drum transfer cavity toward the roller table in the second article discharge position such that the heat treated article is discharged by gravity from the second drum transfer cavity to said adjacent conveying means;
• and,
• a second arm defining a second arm transfer cavity adjacent one end thereof, said second arm being pivotally mounted for movement between a second article receiving position wherein the second arm transfer cavity is disposed below the furnace conveying surface for receiving the heat treated article from the heat treating furnace and a second article discharge position wherein the second arm transfer cavity is disposed above the furnace conveying surface and adjacent the second drum transfer cavity, said second arm being tipped in said second article discharge position such that the heat treated article is transferred by gravity from the second arm transfer cavity to the article receiving surface of said second drum transfer cavity.