Apparatus for surface treating metal billets

Apparatus for heat treating elongate metal billets, comprising:

• a heating chamber through which said billets sequentially and longitudinally pass along a generally vertical path of travel;
• a billet mold within said chamber adjacent said path of travel;
• billet heating means within said chamber adjacent said path of travel for heating said billets passing along said path of travel;
• said billet mold having an opening through which said billets pass during movement thereof along said path of travel, said opening having a shape complementary to the cross-sectional shape of said billets;
• said mold further having an area encircling and communicating with said path of travel of said billets for receiving molten material released from said billets during heating thereof by said heating means;
• said billet heating means including a plurality of plasma arc torches spaced from each other about the circumference of said path of travel and located above said mold;
• billet transporting means for transporting said billets to, generally vertically through, and from said heating chamber, said transporting means including two billet transporting assemblies, each of said assemblies being mounted for pivotal movement between a first position wherein said assembly extends generally vertically and is aligned with said path of travel of said billets through said heating chamber, and a second position wherein said assembly extends substantially horizontally;
• and
• drive means for moving said assemblies independently of each other between said positions thereof.

Apparatus for heat treating elongate metal billets, comprising:

• a heating chamber through which said billets sequentially pass along a substantially vertical path of travel;
• a billet mold within said chamber adjacent said path of travel;
• billet heating means within said chamber adjacent aid path of travel for heating said billets passing along said path of travel, said billet heating means including a plurality of plasma are torches located at circumferentially spaced intervals about and in adjacent relationship to said billet path of travel upstream from said mold;
• a billet cooling chamber underlying said heating chamber;
• billet transporting means for transporting said billets to, substantially vertically through, and from said heating chamber;
• said transporting means including at least one billet transporting assembly mounted for movement between a first position wherein said assembly extends generally vertically, and a second position wherein said assembly extends generally horizontally;
• said billet transporting assembly including a plurality of billet engaging rolls mounted in spaced relationship to each other along the length of said assembly for engagement with said billets transported by said assembly;
• drive means for moving said assembly between said positions thereof;
• and
• said billets being of substantially square cross sectional shape, and the number of said torches being four, with the four torches being positioned so as to be adapted to confront respective ones of the longitudinal edges of said billets.