Walking hearth furnace

A walking hearth furnace comprising:

• a furnace muffle defining a chamber for containing heat generated by a heat source, said furnace muffle including an entrance aperture and an exit aperture;
• a first and a second support surface extending through said chamber, each said support surface having a first end portion protruding from said entrance aperture and a second end portion protruding from said exit aperture;
• a first movable support structure engaging only said first and said second end portion of said first support surface;
• a second movable support structure engaging only said first and said second end portion of said second support surface;
• and
• said first and said second support surface alternately advancing said work product from said entrance aperture toward said exit aperture in a linear manner without sliding said work product along either said first or said second support surface.

A walking hearth furnace comprising:

• a furnace muffle defining a chamber for containing heat generated by a heat source, said furnace muffle including an entrance aperture and an exit aperture;
• a first plurality of rods for supporting a work product, said first plurality of rods at least coextensive with said furnace muffle, a portion of said rods located within said chamber, said rods supported by a first support structure comprising an inner beam having two side members connected at a first end by a first inner rod mounting platform and at a second end by a second inner rod mounting platform;
• a second plurality of rods for supporting a work product, said second plurality of rods at least coextensive with said furnace muffle, interleaved with said first plurality of rods, supported by a second support structure comprising an outer beam having two side members connected at a first end by a first outer rod mounting platform and at a second end by a second outer rod mounting platform, and a portion of said rods located within said chamber;
• a vertical displacement device for alternately isolating said first and said second plurality of rods to form a hearth for said work product positioned thereon, by raising and lowering said first and said second plurality of rods with respect to each other, wherein each said plurality of rods moves in unison;
• and
• a horizontal displacement device for advancing in unison, either said first or said second plurality of rods comprising said hearth, from said entrance aperture toward said exit aperture, thereby translating said work product positioned thereon in a rectilinear manner.

A walking hearth furnace comprising:

• a heat source;
• a furnace muffle defining a chamber for containing heat generated by said heat source, said furnace muffle including an entrance aperture and an exit aperture;
• a first plurality of rods for supporting a work product, said first plurality of rods at least coextensive with said furnace muffle, a portion of said rods located within said chamber, said rods supported by an inner beam having two side members joined at a first end by a first inner rod mounting platform anchoring a first end portion of each rod of said first plurality of rods and joined at a second end by a second inner rod mounting platform anchoring a second end portion of each rod of said first plurality of rods;
• a second plurality of rods for supporting a work product, said second plurality of rods at least coextensive with said furnace muffle, interleaved with said first plurality of rods, supported by an outer beam, and a portion of said rods located within said chamber, said outer beam having two side members joined at a first end by a first outer rod mounting platform anchoring a first end portion of said second plurality of rods and joined at a second end by a second outer rod mounting platform anchoring a second end portion of said second plurality of rods;
• a first and a second bogie, each said bogie comprising a first and a second axle, each said first axle comprising a first and a second wheel, each said first and second wheel supporting a side member of said outer beam, each said second axle comprising a third and a fourth wheel, each said third and fourth wheel supporting a side member of said inner beam, wherein inclining said first and said second bogies to lower each said first axle, raises each said second axle, thereby raising said inner beam and said first plurality of rods attached thereto with respect to said outer beam and said second plurality of rods, thereby forming a hearth, and wherein inclining said first and said second bogies to lower each said second axle, raises each said first axle, thereby raising said outer beam and said second plurality of rods attached thereto with respect to said inner beam and said first plurality of rods thereby replacing said first plurality of rods as said hearth;
• a first crankshaft coupled to said inner beam and said outer beam, wherein rotation of said first crankshaft causes reciprocal, horizontal motion of said inner beam and said outer beam with respect to each other, for advancing either said first or said second plurality of rods comprising said hearth from said entrance aperture toward said exit aperture an increment corresponding to a throw length of said first crankshaft while simultaneously retracting either said first or said second plurality of rods in a lowered position, thereby translating said work product positioned on said hearth in a rectilinear manner;
• and
• a second crankshaft coupled to said first and said second bogies, wherein rotation of said second crankshaft causes said bogies to tilt back-and-forth in unison.