Curing oven for enameled wire and control system therefor

A curing oven for coated wire, comprising:

• casing means defining an elongate work chamber for receiving coated wire to be cured;
• partition means within said casing means for defining an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with said work chamber, and a lower chamber;
• a combustor tube having an inlet end located in said upper chamber and an outlet end located in said lower chamber;
• a burner disposed in the inlet end of said combustor tube;
• a hot air plenum;
• heat exchanger means defining a first flow path fluidly connecting said lower chamber with said hot air plenum, and a second flow path fluidly interconnecting said upper and intermediate chambers such that process air from the work chamber is preheated before oxidation by said burner;
• means defining a cold air intake in fluid communication with air outside said casing means;
• a mixing box fluidly connected between said cold air intake means and said hot air plenum;
• damper means for controlling the relative amounts of hot and cold air admitted to said mixing box for temperature control of the resultant mixture;
• means including a recirculation fan fluidly connected between said mixing box and work chamber for directing the resultant mixture into said work chamber;
• and
• means connected to said hot air plenum for exhausting hot air from the oven.

A curing oven for coated wire, comprising:

• casing means defining an elongate work chamber for receiving coated wire to be cured, said work chamber having an evaporating zone adjacent an inlet end and a curing zone adjacent an outlet end;
• partition means within said casing means for defining an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the evaporating curing zones of said work chamber, and a lower chamber;
• a combustor tube having an inlet end located in said upper chamber and an outlet end located in said lower chamber;
• a burner disposed in the inlet end of said combustor tube;
• a hot air plenum;
• heat exchanger means defining a first flow path fluidly connecting said lower chamber with said hot air plenum, and a second flow path fluidly interconnecting said upper and intermediate chambers such that process air from the work chamber is preheated before oxidation by said burner;
• means defining a cold air intake in fluid communication with air outside said casing means;
• a pair of mixing boxes fluidly connected between said cold air intake means and said hot air plenum;
• first damper means for controlling the relative amounts of hot and cold air admitted to each mixing box for temperature control of the resultant air mixture;
• means including a recirculating fan fluidly connected between each mixing box and associated zone of said work chamber for directing the resultant mixture into the curing and evaporating zones of said work chamber, respectively;
• means including an exhaust fan fluidly connected to said hot air plenum;
• and
• second damper means for controlling the amount of air exhausted from the oven.

Apparatus for automatically curing coated wire on a continuous basis, comprising:

• casing means defining an elongate work chamber for receiving coated wire to be cured;
• partition means within said casing means for defining an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with said work chamber, and a lower chamber;
• a combustor tube having an inlet end located in said upper chamber and an outlet end located in said lower chamber;
• a burner disposed in the inlet end of said combustor tube;
• a hot air plenum;
• heat exchanger means defining a first flow path fluidly connecting said lower chamber with said hot air plenum, and a second flow path fluidly interconnecting said upper and intermediate chambers such that process air from the work chamber is preheated before oxidation by said burner;
• means defining a cold air intake in fluid communication with air outside said casing means;
• a mixing box fluidly connected between said cold air intake means and said hot air plenum;
• a temperature sensor located in the work chamber;
• damper means for controlling the relative amounts of hot and cold air admitted to said mixing box for temperature control of the resultant mixture;
• means for controlling said damper means responsive to said temperature sensor to maintain predetermined temperatures in a zone of the work chamber;
• means including a recirculating fan fluidly connected between said mixing box and work chamber for directing the resultant mixture into said work chamber;
• and
• means connected to said hot air plenum for exhausting hot air from the oven.

Apparatus for automatically curing coated wire on a continuous basis, comprising

• casing means defining an elongate work chamber for receiving coated wire to be cured, said work chamber having an evaporating zone adjacent an inlet end and a curing zone adjacent an outlet end;
• partition means within said casing means for defining an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the evaporation curing zones of said work chamber, and a lower chamber;
• a combustor tube having an inlet end located in said upper chamber and an outlet end located in said lower chamber;
• a burner disposed in the inlet end of said combustor tube;
• a hot air plenum;
• heat exchanger means defining a first flow path fluidly connecting said lower chamber with said hot air plenum, and a second flow path fluidly interconnecting said upper and intermediate chambers such that process air from the work chamber is preheated before oxidation by said burner;
• means defining a cold air intake in fluid communication with air outside said casing means;
• a pair of mixing boxes fluidly connected between said cold air intake means and said hot air plenum;
• a pair of temperature sensor, one located in the curing zone and the other located in the evaporating zone of the work chamber;
• first damper means for controlling the relative amount of hot and cold air admitted to each mixing box for temperature control of the resultant air mixture;
• means for controlling said first damper means responsive to the associated temperature sensors to maintain predetermined temperatures in the curing and evaporating zones of the work chamber;
• means including a recirculating fan fluidly connected between each mixing box and associated zone of said work chamber for directing the resultant mixture into the curing and evaporating zones of said work chamber;
• means including an exhaust fan fluidly connected to said hot air plenum;
• and
• second damper means for controlling the amount of air exhausted from the oven.

A curing oven for coated product, comprising:

• casing means defining an elongated work chamber for receiving coated product to be cured, said work chamber having an evaporating zone adjacent an inlet end and a curing zone adjacent an outlet end;
• partition means within casing means for defining an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the evaporating and curing zones of said work chamber, and a lower chamber;
• a combustor tube having an inlet end located in said upper chamber and an outlet end located in said lower chamber;
• a burner disposed in the inlet end of said combustor tube;
• a heat exchanger means defining a first flow path fluidly connected to said lower chamber, and a second flow path fluidly interconnecting said upper and intermediate chambers such that process air from the work chamber is preheated before oxidation by said burner;
• means defining a cold air intake in fluid communication with air outside said casing means;
• means fluidly connected to said first flow path of said heat exchanger means and said cold air intake means for mixing outside air and combustion gases to separate predetermined temperatures and directing the resultant mixtures into the curing and evaporating zones of the work chamber;
• and
• means connected to the first flow path of said heat exchanger means for exhausting hot air from the oven.

A curing oven for coated wire, comprising:

• casing means defining an elongate work chamber for receiving product to be cured;
• partition means within casing means for defining an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with said work chamber, and a lower chamber;
• a combustor tube having an inlet end located in said upper chamber and an outlet end located in said lower chamber;
• a burner disposed in the inlet end of said combustor tube;
• a heat exchanger means defining a first flow path fluidly connected to said lower chamber, and a second flow path fluidly interconnecting said upper and intermediate chambers such that process air from the work chamber is preheated before oxidation by said burner;
• means defining a cold air intake fluid communication with air outside said casing means;
• a mixing box fluidly connected between said cold air intake means and the first flow path of said heat exchanger means;
• damper means for controlling the relative amount of hot and cold air admitted to said mixing box for temperature control of the restultant mixture;
• means including a constant speed recirculating fan fluidly connected between said mixing box and work chamber for directing the resultant mixture into said work chamber;
• and
• means connected to the first flow path of said heat exchanger means for exhausting hot air from the oven.

A curing oven for coated product, comprising:

• casing means defining an elongated work chamber for receiving coated product to be cured, said work chamber having an evaporating zone adjacent an inlet end and a curing zone adjacent an outlet end;
• partition means within casing means for defining an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the evaporating and curing zones of said work chamber, and a lower chamber;
• a combustor tube having an inlet end located in said upper chamber and an outlet end located in said lower chamber;
• a burner disposed in the inlet end of said combustor tube;
• heat exchanger means defining a first flow path fluidly connected to said lower chamber, and a second flow path fluidly interconnecting said upper and intermediate chambers such that process air from the work chamber is preheated before oxidation by said burner;
• means defining a cold air intake in fluid communication with air outside said casing means;
• a pair of mixing boxes fluidly connected to said cold air intake means;
• first damper means for controlling the relative amounts of hot and cold air admitted to each mixing box for temperature control of the resultant air mixture;
• means including a constant speed recirculating fan fluidly connected between each mixing box and associated zone of said work chamber for directing the resultant mixture into the curing and evaporating zones of said work chamber respectively;
• means including a constant speed exhaust fan fluidly connected to the first flow path of said heat exchanger means;
• and
• second damper means for controlling the amount of air exhausted from the oven.