Furnace with refractory longitudianl members and with central charging for heating and storing hot products

A furnace for heating and storing hot products, comprising:

• a first furnace portion extending along a longitudinal axis having an inlet at an upstream end for introduction of a cold charge;
• a second furnace portion extending along said longitudinal axis downstream of said first furnace portion and having an outlet at a downstream end for discharge of a heated charge;
• a plurality of parallel spaced stationary longitudinal members extending along said longitudinal axis within said first and second furnace portions;
• a first set of parallel spaced movable longitudinal members extending along said longitudinal axis and interposed between said plurality of parallel spaced stationary longitudinal members within said first furnace portion;
• a second set of parallel spaced movable longitudinal members extending along said longitudinal axis and interposed between said plurality of parallel spaced stationary longitudinal members within said second furnace portion;
• a central intake and guide channel extending substantially normal to said longitudinal axis and provided between said first and second furnace portions for introduction of charge from a continuous casting plant or from a previous hot process in a feed direction substantially normal to said longitudinal axis, a bed of said central intake and guide channel being defined by said plurality of parallel spaced stationary longitudinal members, and a width of said central intake and guide channel being defined by a space between facing downstream ends of said first set of parallel spaced movable longitudinal members and upstream ends of said second set of parallel spaced movable longitudinal members when said first and second sets of parallel spaced movable longitudinal members are in a raised position, said width of said central intake and guide channel being in proportion to a cross-section of said charge from said continuous casting plant or from said previous hot process, wherein sides of said downstream end of said first set of parallel spaced movable longitudinal members and sides of said upstream end of said second set of parallel spaced movable longitudinal members facing said feed direction comprise an initial bevelled segment thereby forming a funnel-like guide to position said charge.