Hybrid heat treating furnace
AssigneeAbar Ipsen Industries, Inc.
InventorMatthew D. Carter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid furnace includes a vacuum furnace for heat treating a workpiece and a transportable oven removably attached to the vacuum furnace for holding the workpiece and maintaining it at an elevated temperature. The workpiece is transferred from the vacuum furnace to the transportable oven under an inert atmosphere to prevent the workpiece from being exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere or from undergoing a phase transition. The transportable oven is adapted to be detached from the vacuum furnace and transported to a work station for further processing of the workpiece. Heating means is provided in the transportable oven to maintain the temperature of the workpiece above a preselected warming temperature while the workpiece is waiting to be processed.
Claims16
Apparatus for heat treating a workpiece comprising:
- a vacuum furnace for heating a metallic workpiece to a first elevated temperature, said vacuum furnace including a heating chamber and an opening for inserting a workpiece into or removing a workpiece from said heating chamber;
- sealing means connected to said vacuum furnace for closing the vacuum furnace opening and preventing the introduction of air into the heating chamber while the workpiece is being heated in said vacuum furnace;
- and
- an oven removably connected to said sealing means comprising:
- an oven chamber for holding the workpiece, said oven chamber having an opening at one end thereof for inserting a workpiece into or removing a workpiece from said oven chamber;
- oven closing means for closing the opening of said oven chamber and for preventing the introduction of air into the oven chamber while said oven is disconnected from said vacuum furnace;
- and
- heating means for maintaining the workpiece in said oven chamber above a second elevated temperature when said oven is disconnected from said furnace.
Apparatus for heat treating a metallic workpiece comprising:
- a vacuum furnace for heating a workpiece to a first elevated temperature, said vacuum furnace including a heating chamber and an opening for inserting a workpiece into or removing a workpiece from said heating chamber;
- sealing means connected to said vacuum furnace for closing the vacuum furnace opening and preventing the introduction of air into the heating chamber while the workpiece is being heated in said vacuum furnace;
- and
- an oven removably connected to said sealing means comprising:
- an oven chamber for holding the workpiece, said oven chamber having an opening at one end thereof for inserting a workpiece into or removing a workpiece from the oven chamber;
- oven closing means for closing the opening of said oven chamber and preventing the introduction of air into the oven chamber while said oven is disconnected from said vacuum furnace;
- transportation means for transporting said oven to an area remote from said furnace;
- insulating means for slowing the heat loss from said oven chamber.
A hybrid furnace comprising:
- a vacuum furnace for heating a workpiece to a first elevated temperature in an evacuated atmosphere, said furnace including a furnace chamber, and an opening providing access to said furnace chamber;
- an oven removably connected to said furnace comprising:
- an oven chamber for storing the workpiece, said oven chamber having an opening at one end thereof;
- an oven gas supply to introduce inert fluid to the oven chamber and to maintain the oven chamber atmosphere at a greater pressure than the pressure outside said oven chamber;
- oven closing means for covering the opening of said oven chamber, preventing the introduction of air into the oven chamber while said oven is disconnected from said furnace;
- and
- heating means for maintaining the workpiece in said oven chamber above a second elevated temperature when said oven is disconnected from said furnace;
- transportation means for transporting said oven to an area remote from said furnace;
- insulating means for slowing the heat loss from said oven chamber;
- and
- furnace sealing means connected to said furnace for preventing the introduction of air into the oven chamber and the furnace chamber while said oven is connected to said furnace.
A method for transferring a workpiece from a furnace to a processing station without exposing the workpiece to an oxidizing atmosphere comprising the steps of:
- heating a metallic workpiece to a first elevated temperature in a vacuum furnace;
- cooling the workpiece in the vacuum furnace to a second elevated temperature lower than said first elevated temperature;
- transferring the workpiece to a transportable oven while the workpiece is at the second elevated temperature, said transferring being conducted without exposing the workpiece to an oxidizing atmosphere;
- closing said transportable oven to prevent the workpiece from being exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere;
- moving said transportable oven to a work station for further processing;
- heating the workpiece in said transportable oven while it is at the work station to maintain the workpiece above the second elevated temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.