US 5,683,651 A · Method and assembly for sealing up the entrance and exit of a heat-treating furnace operated in a gas atmosphere containing hydrogen gas

Abstract

A seal assembly of the invention located on entrance and exit sides of a heat treating furnace for a metallic strip. The seal assembly is formed of a housing having a furnace wall and a side plate, a seal sheet fixed at one end to the side plate and supported in place with flexibility, an elastic seal pad fixed to a surface of the seal sheet, and an elastic rotating roll held by the furnace wall at longitudinal ends and pressed against the elastic seal pad and a metallic strip to be treated. The elastic seal pad has a surface formed of a material with a limit oxygen index LOI of 26 or more and a hardness of 10 to 50 as measured according to JIS S6050. Also, a plurality of pressure applying mechanisms is attached to the side plate. Each pressure applying mechanism includes a holder fixed to each sleeve of the furnace wall, a pressure applying member situated in the holder to apply pressure to the seal sheet in the furnace, a coil spring situated in the holder for urging the pressure applying member to the furnace, and a bolt threadably engaging a thread of the holder for urging the coil spring toward the furnace. The elastic seal pad can closely contact the elastic rotating roll by the plurality of pressure applying mechanisms.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for sealing an entrance and an exit of a heat treating furnace for a metal strip using a furnace gas containing hydrogen gas and having a seal assembly located at the entrance and exit, said seal assembly including a seal sheet fixed at one end to a side plate of a furnace wall to be supported in place with flexibility, an elastic seal pad fixed to a surface of the seal sheet, and an elastic rotating roll held by the furnace wall at both sides thereof and pressed against the elastic seal pad and the metallic strip to prevent gas leakage,

wherein a plurality of pressure applying mechanisms is provided on the furnace wall parallel to the elastic roll, each of the pressure applying mechanisms being independently operated from an outside of the furnace wall to locally apply pressure to the elastic seal pad through the seal sheet in the furnace by a pressure applying member so that only a required portion of the elastic seal pad is urged toward the elastic rotating roll to thereby seal a gas leakage portion between the elastic seal pad and the elastic rotating roll;
a surface of the elastic seal pad is formed of a material having a limit oxygen index LOI of 26 or more;
and the elastic seal pad has as a whole a hardness of 10 to 50 as measured according to JIS S6050.

A seal assembly located on entrance and exit sides of a heat treating furnace for a metallic strip, comprising:

a housing having a furnace wall and a side plate, said side plate having through-holes and a plurality of sleeves surrounding the through-holes and located outside the housing;
a seal sheet fixed at one end to the side plate and supported in place with flexibility;
an elastic seal pad fixed to a surface of the seal sheet;
an elastic rotating roll held by the furnace wall at longitudinal ends and pressed against the elastic seal pad and a metallic strip to be treated, said elastic seal pad having a surface formed of a material with a limit oxygen index LOI of 26 or more and a hardness as a whole of 10 to 50 as measured according to JIS S6050;
and
a plurality of pressure applying mechanisms attached to the side plate, each pressure applying mechanism including a holder fixed to each sleeve of the furnace wall and having an internal thread at a portion away from the side plate;
a pressure applying member situated in the holder and having an intermediate stepped portion, said pressure applying member passing through one through-hole of the furnace wall and applying pressure to the seal sheet in the furnace;
a coil spring situated in the holder for urging the intermediate stepped portion of the pressure applying member to the furnace;
and a bolt threadably engaging the internal thread of the holder located away from the through-hole for urging the coil spring toward the furnace.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and assembly for sealing up the entrance and exit of a heat-treating furnace operated in a gas atmosphere containing hydrogen gas

Life of this patent

Method and assembly for sealing up the entrance and exit of a heat-treating furnace operated in a gas atmosphere containing hydrogen gas

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20