GB829192A - Process and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of an elongated body - Google Patents

Abstract

829,192. Making rods, sheets, strips, wire &c. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. Aug. 23, 1956 [Aug. 24, 1955], No. 25810/56. Class 83 (2). [Also in Groups II and XI] In a continuous process for making elongated products such as rod, sheet, strip, tube or wire, by passing an elongated body 1 through a mass of fluent material of the same composition as the body whereby its cross-sectional area is increased by accretion, the elongated body, after removal of surface oxidation, passes through an arrangement for preventing oxidation before entering the fluid mass, and it enters the latter at a point below the surface thereof. In the manufacture of copper rod, a supply of the rod is drawn from a reel 2, and passed through straightening rolls 4, electrolytic cleaning bath 5, washing bath 6, drying means 9, Fig. 3, supplied with a neutral atmosphere from a source 10, teed rolls 11 and vacuum entrance chamber 12, Fig. 4 (not shown), into a crucible 15 containing molten copper 33, Fig. 2, maintained at 1120‹ C. by a surrounding electric heating element 31. The molten copper is supplied through conduit 26, regulating valve 27 and heated conduit 28 from a furnace 25, Fig. 7, having a sloping hearth 74 surrounded by a heating element 77 and supplied with slabs 79 of copper by a conveyer 78. The molten copper flows from the hearth into a bath 80 feeding the conduit 26 and surrounded by another heating element 71. A neutral or reducing atmosphere, such as a mixture of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, is supplied to the furnace through conduit 81. The enlarged rod 16 leaving the crucible passes through sizing rolls 17 and a cooling duct or conveyer 18 to a temporary storage reel 19 from which it is subsequently withdrawn and passed through a drawing or rolling device 20 which reduces at least part of it to its original area and delivers it to a storage reel 21. Any remainder 23 passes to a supply reel 22 as the final product. If the enlarged rod 16 is to be drawn or rolled cold the duct 18 is supplied with a coolant coil and water may also be sprayed on the rod. If the rod is to be worked hot, the coolant function of duct 18 is omitted. To prevent oxidation of the rod 16 leaving the crucible, the latter with the sizing roll and duct 18 may be enclosed and provided with a neutral or reducing atmosphere such as nitrogen. If the body 1 is a flat strip or sheet it may be cut into lengths which are subsequently rejoined; the edges of the strip or sheet may also be trimmed. An example is given of the size of copper rod and its speed of movement through the cycle.