Back to results
US 5,435,686 AGranted
Bearing race hardening line
AssigneeSterling Systems, Inc.
InventorHerman M. Canner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pusher furnace for heating workpieces has an elongate and generally horizontally extending chamber housing a plurality of trays to receive workpieces thereon to be heated within the chamber. The chamber is divided into at least two generally parallel rows of a plurality of trays and pusher mechanisms are provided adjacent each end of the chamber to push the trays along the rows to circulate them within the chamber. In one embodiment, the chamber is divided into three rows of trays wherein a pusher mechanism alternately transfers work trays from one row to the other rows. Each work tray is provided with a plurality of opposed slots at the upper and lower surface thereof so that work engaging fingers can be inserted into the slots for engaging underneath the workpieces for transfer to and from the furnace.
Claims17
A pusher furnace for heating workpieces comprising:
- an elongate and generally horizontally extending chamber,
- plurality of trays for receiving workpieces being heated and located within said chamber,
- a first row of a plurality of the trays in edge abutting relationship and extending longitudinally in the chamber from one end to the other end of the first row,
- at least one second row of a plurality of the trays in edge abutting relationship extending longitudinally of the chamber from one end to the other end of the at least one second row and adjacent to and generally parallel with the first row of trays,
- a first pusher adjacent said one end of said first row for intermittently advancing substantially in unison all of the trays in said first row toward the other end thereof,
- a second pusher adjacent said other end of said first row for intermittently transferring trays from the first row to said at least one second row,
- a third pusher adjacent said other end of said at least one second row for intermittently advancing substantially in unison all the trays of said at least one second row toward the one end thereof,
- a fourth pusher adjacent said one end of said at least one second row for intermittently transferring trays from said at least one second row to said first row,
- a loading opening for horizontal entry into said chamber adjacent said one end of said first row of trays, a loading door for opening and closing said loading opening into said chamber,
- an unloading opening for horizontal exit from said chamber adjacent said one end of said at least one second row of trays, an unloading door for opening and closing said unloading opening from said chamber,
- an actuator for opening and closing said loading and unloading doors, for loading and unloading workpieces from the trays,
- a workpiece loader outside the chamber and immediately adjacent said one end of said first row for engaging, lifting and carrying at least one workpiece to be heated horizontally through the loading opening when said loading door is open and placing the workpiece on an empty tray in the chamber and while such tray remains within the chamber, and
- a workpiece unloader outside the chamber and immediately adjacent said one end of said at least one second row for engaging, lifting and carrying horizontally at least one heated workpiece from a tray within the chamber and removing the workpiece from the chamber horizontally through the unloading opening when said unloading door is open and while such tray remains within the chamber.
10 more elements
A pusher furnace for heating workpieces comprising:
- an elongate and generally horizontally extending chamber,
- a plurality of trays for receiving workpieces being heated and located within said chamber,
- a first row of a plurality of the trays in edge abutting relationship and extending longitudinally in the chamber from one end to the other end of the first row,
- at least one second row of a plurality of the trays in edge abutting relationship extending longitudinally of the chamber from one end to the other end of the at least one second row and adjacent to and generally parallel with the first row of trays,
- a first pusher adjacent said one end of said first row for intermittently advancing substantially in unison all of the trays in said first row toward the other end thereof,
- a second pusher adjacent said other end of said first row for intermittently transferring trays from the first row to said at least one second row,
- a third pusher adjacent said other end of said at least one second row for intermittently advancing substantially in unison all the trays of said at least one second row toward the one end thereof,
- a fourth pusher adjacent said one end of said at least one second row for intermittently transferring trays from said at least one second row to said first row,
- a workpiece loader outside the chamber and immediately adjacent said one end of said first row for horizontal entry for loading at least one workpiece to be heated onto an empty tray in the chamber and while such tray remains within the chamber,
- a workpiece unloader outside the chamber and immediately adjacent said one end of said at least one second row for engaging and removing horizontally at least one heated workpiece from a tray within the chamber and while such tray remains within the chamber, and
- each tray has an upper surface and a lower surface, and
- a plurality of diametrically opposed evenly spaced slots in said upper and lower surfaces to accommodate said workpiece loader and said workpiece unloader.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.