Flexible conveyance and guidance roller for use in metalworking furnace structures

Roller apparatus for use in a heating furnace and for conveying and guiding a workpiece through said heating furnace, said apparatus comprising:

• arbor means, said arbor means being deflectable to a catenary configuration when the weight of a workpiece is supported thereon;
• bearing means for rotatably supporting and permitting limited deflection of opposite ends of said arbor means;
• means for rotating said arbor means, said means for rotating including motor means and flexible coupling means interconnecting said arbor means and said motor means;
• and
• workpiece supporting means secured to said arbor means,
• whereby said workpiece supporting means serve to center said workpiece on said roller apparatus to guide the workpiece through the furnace when the arbor means is rotated by said means for rotating and deflected by the weight of the workpiece.

Roller apparatus for conveying and guiding a workpiece through a heating furnace, said apparatus comprising:

• arbor means including fluid coolant passage means extending therethrough, said arbor means being deflectable to a catenary configuration when the weight of a workpiece is supported thereon;
• means associated with said fluid coolant passage means for circulating coolant fluid through said fluid coolant passage means;
• bearing means for rotatably supporting and permitting limited deflection of opposite ends of said arbor means;
• means for rotating said arbor means;
• wheel means spaced along the length of and secured to said arbor means, radially outermost surfaces of said wheel means serving to support a workpiece during conveyance thereof through said heating furnace;
• means for thermally insulating said arbor means, said means for insulating substantially covering all portions of said arbor means between adjacent ones of said wheel means and between said wheel means and wall portions of said furnace,
• whereby said wheel means serve to center a workpiece on said roller apparatus to guide the workpiece through the furnace when the arbor means is rotated by said means for rotating and deflected by the weight of the workpiece.

Roller system for conveying and guiding a workpiece through a heating furnace, said system comprising a plurality of roller means extending in spaced parallel relation along the length of said furnace, the axial length of each roller means being transverse to the direction of conveyance of said workpieces through said furnace, each of said roller means comprising:

• arbor means including fluid coolant passage means extending therethrough, said arbor means being deflectable to a catenary configuration when the weight of a workpiece is supported thereon;
• means associated with said fluid coolant passage means for circulating coolant fluid through said fluid coolant passage means;
• bearing means for rotatably supporting and permitting limited deflection of opposite ends of said arbor means;
• means for rotating said arbor means;
• wheel means spaced along the length of and secured to said arbor means, radially outermost surfaces of said wheel means serving to support a workpiece during conveyance thereof through said heating furnace, said wheel means of each of said plurality of roller means being arranged in staggered relation to the wheel means of a roller means positioned immediately adjacent thereto;
• and
• means for thermally insulating said arbor means, said means for insulating substantially covering all portions of said arbor means between adjacent ones of said wheel means and between said wheel means and wall portions of said furnace;
• whereby said wheel means serve to center a workpiece to guide the workpiece through the furnace when the arbor means is rotated by said means for rotating and deflected by the weight of the workpiece.