Hot liner insertion/removal fixture

Abstract

A fixture (30) adapted to permit the heated exchange of a liner (14) from an operating vertical furnace (10). The fixture is adapted to secure to the base of the liner (14) to both unlock and lower the heated liner, such as a silicon carbide liner, at an controlled rate. The fixture is also adapted to elevate a new liner into the operating vertical furnace at a controlled rate to control the rate of heating of the liner as it is inserted into the operating vertical furnace. The fixture includes an inner ring (34), a low-friction Teflon® ring (36), and an outer ring (38) permitting the rotation of the inner ring within the outer ring. Advantageously, the low friction ring comprises a flanged portion and a vertical portion allowing rotation of the inner ring within the outer ring even when elevated at extreme temperatures exceeding 500° C.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.