Method and apparatus for supplying a anti-oxidizing gas to and simultaneously cooling a shaft and a fan in a heat treatment chamber

A shaft mounting structure for a shaft section that extends into a special atmosphere, heat treatment chamber and has a fan blade mounted on an outer end thereof in the heat treatment chamber, comprising a shaft cooling and protecting system including:

• an insulating jacket comprising a housing;
• an enclosure in said housing around said shaft section extending to said fan blade;
• a circulating fluid cooling jacket surrounding at least a portion of said enclosure;
• means for supplying anti-oxidizing filler gas through said enclosure to said heat treatment chamber;
• and means for directing the gas radially to said enclosure and radially to and axially along said shaft section to and through said fan blade and into said heat treatment chamber.

A method for supplying an anti-oxidizing gas to, and simultaneously cooling a shaft and a fan blade used in, a special atmosphere heat treatment chamber and for minimizing corrosion of the shaft and fan blade, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate enclosure around an end section of a shaft having an outer end mounting a fan blade;
• surrounding a portion of the enclosure surrounding a portion of the shaft section located inwardly of a point where the fan blade is mounted to the outer end of the shaft section with a water jacket;
• directing water into the water jacket surrounding said portion of the enclosure surrounding said portion of the shaft section within the shaft enclosure;
• supplying anti-oxidizing filler gas to the chamber through the enclosure;
• and
• directing the gas to and through the enclosure along the shaft section, into and through the fan blade and then into the chamber for establishing a preheated, special atmosphere in the chamber.

A shaft mounting structure for a shaft section that extends into a special atmosphere, heat treatment chamber and has a fan blade mounted on an outer end hereof in the heat treatment camber, comprising:

• a shaft cooling and protecting system including:
• an insulating jacket comprising a housing;
• an enclosure in said housing around said shaft section extending to said fan blade;
• a water jacket surrounding a portion of said shaft enclosure located inwardly of a point where said fan blade is mounted to said outer end of said shaft section;
• means for directing water into said water jacket surrounding said portion of said shaft enclosure;
• means for supplying anti-oxidizing filler gas through said enclosure to said heat treatment chamber;
• and means for directing the gas radially to said enclosure and radially to and axially along said shaft section to and through said fan blade and into said heat treatment chamber.