JP2022154856A - Continuous heating furnace - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve heating treatment efficiency of an object to be treated.SOLUTION: A continuous heating furnace 10 has at least one furnace body 12 forming a continuous transfer space 12a in which a heating container A is transferred. The transfer space 12a has a first heating chamber 10a, a stage number change chamber 10b, and a second heating chamber 10c. The first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c are configured such that the heating container A is transferred in different stages. The stage number change chamber 12b is arranged between the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c along a transfer direction T1, and includes stage number change means 11 of changing the number of stages of the heating container A to be transferred.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to continuous heating furnaces.

In the heat treatment equipment disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-48981, the transport trays containing the objects to be processed are stacked in multiple stages and carried into the decompression processing unit, and the decompression processing unit accommodates each transport tray. The object to be treated is subjected to reduced pressure treatment. Each of the depressurized carrier trays is carried into the carrier tray separating section. Then, some of the transport trays are separated from the multiple stages of transport trays carried into the transport tray separating section and transported to the thermal processing section in order. During this time, the transport trays containing the objects to be processed are newly carried into the decompression processing section in a state of being stacked in a plurality of stages. The multiple stages of transport trays carried into the transport tray separation unit are sequentially transported to the heat treatment unit, and the objects to be processed contained in the transport trays are sequentially heat treated in the heat treatment unit, and decompression processing is performed. In part, it is said that it will be possible to perform decompression treatment over a long period of time. The conveying tray separation unit disclosed in the publication has four rotary actuators on the ceiling via sealing materials, respectively, in the feeding direction of the conveying tray and in the width direction perpendicular to the feeding direction, with a required spacing therebetween. are provided. A rotating rod is introduced into the transport tray separator through the ceiling of the transport tray separator from each rotary actuator. A holding member is provided at the tip of each rotating rod so as to protrude in the horizontal direction. Each holding member rotates in the horizontal direction as each rotating rod rotates. Thus, the holding member can be operated between a state in which it holds the carrier tray and a state in which it does not hit the carrier tray.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-48981

By the way, when heat-treating an object to be processed, it is efficient to collectively process the objects in a state in which the transport trays are stacked in multiple stages, or to disassemble the transport trays and process them one by one or by a small number of stages. may be appropriate. However, when changing the number of stages during the heat treatment, it is necessary to temporarily cool the object to be processed in accordance with the operation of changing the number of stages, which prolongs the processing time.

One aspect of the continuous heating furnace disclosed herein is a continuous heating furnace having at least one furnace body forming a continuous transfer space in which the heating container is transferred. The transfer space has a first heating chamber, a stage number changing chamber, and a second heating chamber. The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber are configured such that the heating container is conveyed in different stages. The stage number changing chamber is arranged between the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber along the conveying direction, and includes stage number changing means for changing the number of stages of the heated containers to be conveyed.
According to such a continuous heating furnace, stacking and unstacking can be performed while the temperature of the object to be processed is maintained, and the object to be processed can be efficiently heat-treated.

The stage number changing chamber may be provided with a heater.
The continuous heating furnace may further have a replacement chamber between at least one of between the first heating chamber and the stage number changing chamber and between the stage number changing chamber and the second heating chamber.
The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber may each have an independent transport mechanism.
The stage number changing chamber may comprise a furnace wall, and the stage number changing means may comprise a lifter for raising and lowering the heating container, and a holding mechanism for holding the heating container lifted by the lifter. The holding mechanism includes a hollow shaft inserted through the furnace body, a holder attached to the shaft, a seal member attached to a portion of the furnace body where the shaft is inserted, and a hollow portion of the shaft connected to the shaft. and a coolant supply device for supplying a coolant to.
The furnace wall may have a pair of side walls on both sides in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and the shaft may be rotatably bridged over the pair of side walls. The retainer may have an arm portion extending from the shaft and a claw portion bent from the lower end of the arm portion.
The retention mechanism may comprise a plurality of retainers, the plurality of retainers being spaced apart on the shaft.
The lifter lifts the heating container to a predetermined height, and the holding mechanism is configured to hold a predetermined number of stages or more of the heating containers lifted by the lifter from the bottom. good.
The retainer may be constructed from a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-base alloy.
The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber may have a plurality of transport rollers arranged along the transport direction.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a continuous firing furnace 10. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the stage number changing chamber 10b of the continuous firing furnace 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the state of the first elevation position L1. FIG. 3B is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the state of the second elevation position L2. FIG. 3C is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the state of the third elevation position L3. 4 is a side view of the firing container A. FIG.

One typical embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings below, members and portions having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional relationships (length, width, thickness, etc.) in each drawing do not reflect the actual dimensional relationships.
A continuous firing furnace will be described below as an example of the continuous heating furnace, but the present invention is not intended to be limited to those described in the embodiments. As used herein, the term "continuous heating furnace" refers to a heating furnace that continuously heats objects to be treated. As used herein, the term "continuous firing furnace" refers to a heating furnace for continuously firing an object to be treated at a high temperature. Further, in this specification, the heating vessel used when firing the object to be processed is appropriately referred to as the "firing vessel".

<Continuous firing furnace 10>
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a continuous firing furnace 10. FIG. An arrow T1 in the drawing indicates the transport direction in which the baking container A is transported. FIG. 1 schematically shows a longitudinal section of the continuous firing furnace 10 along the transport direction T1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the stage number changing chamber 10b of the continuous firing furnace 10. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the transport containers A are transported while being arranged in three rows in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction.
The continuous firing furnace 10, as shown in FIG. 1, has at least one furnace body 12 forming a continuous transport space 12a in which firing containers are transported. In this embodiment, the object to be processed is conveyed in the conveying space 12a while being accommodated in the baking container A, and is continuously heat-treated. The transfer space 12a of the continuous firing furnace 10 has, in order along the transfer direction T1, a first heating chamber 10a, a stage number changing chamber 10b, and a second heating chamber 10c. Further, in this embodiment, a replacement chamber 10d is provided between the first heating chamber 10a and the stage number changing chamber 10b. A replacement chamber 10e is provided between the stage number changing chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c. The continuous firing furnace 10 will be described below in order. Further, the continuous firing furnace 10 further includes a transport mechanism for transporting the firing container A in the transport direction T1.

<Furnace body 12>
As shown in FIG. 1, the furnace body 12 has therein a transfer space 12a in which a plurality of firing containers A can be transferred in the transfer direction T1 in a stacked state. In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 is a tunnel-shaped furnace body surrounding the transfer space 12a. The transporting space 12a has a required height to transport the stacked baking containers A. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the transfer space 12a is set linearly. As shown in FIG. 2, the furnace body 12 is surrounded by furnace walls 12b to 12d made of a heat insulating material over the entire periphery in the transfer direction T1 (see FIG. 1) of the transfer space 12a. ing. In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 has a pair of side walls 12b, a ceiling 12c, and a floor wall 12d on both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. Each furnace wall 12b-12d is made of, for example, a ceramic fiberboard. A ceramic fiber board is, for example, a plate material formed by adding an inorganic filler and an inorganic/organic binder to a so-called bulk fiber and molding it into a plate shape. The ceramic fiber boards are cut into a predetermined shape and stacked to form a furnace wall with a required thickness. The thickness of the furnace walls 12b to 12d can be set to a required thickness that sufficiently insulates the heat in the transfer space 12a.

The furnace body 12 may be provided with various configurations for controlling the atmosphere of the transfer space 12a. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a gas supply pipe 12f may be provided to supply nitrogen, argon, or the like. A shield rod 12f2 may be appropriately provided at the ejection port 12f1 of the gas supply pipe 12f so that the ejected gas hits and suppresses the momentum. A gas exhaust pipe 12g may be provided so that the atmospheric pressure can be adjusted and the exhaust gas can be discharged. In this embodiment, the gas supply pipe 12f is provided on the floor wall 12d. 12 g of gas exhaust pipes are provided in the ceiling 12c. Further, a partition 12h may be provided in the furnace body 12 for switching the atmosphere for each space. The furnace body 12 is arranged on a base 18 set at a predetermined height. The base 18 (see FIG. 2) preferably has a space in which a gas supply pipe for adjusting the atmosphere in the continuous firing furnace 10, a driving device for the transport mechanism 15, and the like are provided.

<Transport Mechanism 15>
The transport mechanism 15 is a mechanism that transports the baking container A in the transport direction T1. In this embodiment, the transport mechanism 15 has a structure in which a plurality of transport rollers 16 are arranged in a transport space 12 a inside the furnace body 12 . The transport roller 16 is a roller for transporting the baking container A. As shown in FIG. The plurality of conveying rollers 16 are cylindrical rollers, are arranged in the conveying space 12a at a predetermined pitch, and have the same height so as to support the baking container A. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber 10b for changing the number of stages in the continuous firing furnace 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying rollers 16 pass through the insertion holes 12e of the side walls 12b on both sides of the furnace body 12 along the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. As the conveying roller 16, for example, a ceramic roller, a metal roller, or the like is used. The conveying rollers 16 are rotatably supported by support plates 16a and 16b provided outside the furnace body 12 via bearings (not shown).

In this embodiment, a sprocket 17 is attached to the end of the transport roller 16 on the support plate 16a side. A roller chain (not shown) is attached to the sprocket 17 . The roller chain is connected to a driving device such as a motor that rotates the conveying roller 16 . The roller chain further connects adjacent transport rollers 16 . No sprocket is attached to the end of the transport roller 16 on the side of the support plate 16b. The end of the transport roller 16 on the side of the support plate 16b rotates according to the rotation of the side of the support plate 16a. In this way, the conveying rollers 16 connected by the roller chain rotate at the same timing and at the same speed. A continuous kiln in which the product is conveyed by rollers is called a roller hearth kiln (RHK). Rollers used in roller hearth kilns generally have a high strength among transport mechanisms used in continuous firing furnaces, and can be suitably used, for example, when firing heavy objects to be processed. In addition, since there is a gap between the ceramic rollers, it is possible to efficiently heat from above and below, and for example, it can be suitably used when firing at a high firing temperature.

<Heater 14>
The heater 14 is a device that heats the object to be processed contained in the firing container A in the transfer space 12a (see FIG. 1). The heater 14 is arranged in the transfer space 12a of the furnace body 12, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the heaters 14 are arranged above and below the plurality of transport rollers 16 at predetermined intervals along the transport direction. In this embodiment, a cylindrical ceramic heater is used as the heater 14 . The heater 14 penetrates the sidewall 12b. In this embodiment, the heater 14 is arranged above the conveying roller 16, but is not limited to such a form. The heater 14 may also be arranged above or below the conveying roller 16 so that the object to be processed contained in the baking container A can be heated from one direction. Note that the illustration of the heater 14 is omitted in FIG. Various heaters can be used for the heater 14 depending on the heating temperature and the like. The heater 14 may be a ceramic heater, a metal sheath heater, or the like. Moreover, the shape of the heater 14 is not particularly limited, and for example, a plate-like panel heater or the like can be used.

<First Heating Chamber 10a, Second Heating Chamber 10c>
The first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c are booths for heating the workpieces housed in the firing container A, respectively. In this embodiment, the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c are configured such that the firing container A is conveyed in different stages. In the form shown in FIG. 1, the first heating chamber 10a is configured such that a plurality of firing containers A are transported in a stacked state. In the second heating chamber 10c, the firing container A is conveyed in a disassembled state. In the form shown in FIG. 1, the firing container A is conveyed step by step in the second heating chamber 10c. For example, the first heating chamber 10a is provided with a partition 12h. The partition 12h of the first heating chamber 10a is set to a height through which a plurality of baking containers A can pass in a stacked state. A partition 12h is similarly provided in the second heating chamber 10c. The partition 12h of the second heating chamber 10c extends to a position lower than that of the first heating chamber 10a so that the baking container A conveyed step by step passes through the partition 12h. In this way, the first heating chamber 10a is configured to transport the firing containers A stacked in multiple stages, and the second heating chamber 10c transports the firing containers A separated one by one. is configured as In this embodiment, the partition 12h is provided between the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c, but the configuration is not limited to this. A partition 12h may be provided in either one of the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c. Moreover, neither the first heating chamber 10a nor the second heating chamber 10c may be provided with a partition.

In this embodiment, in the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c, the heaters 14 are arranged above and below the conveying space 12a so as to sandwich the conveying roller 16 therebetween. The firing container A is heated under different conditions in the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c. For example, in the first heating chamber 10a, a plurality of firing containers A are transported in a stacked state and heated together. In the first heating chamber 10a, for example, processes such as a vapor removal process and preheating can be performed. In the second heating chamber 10c, the firing containers A are conveyed and heated one by one. Therefore, the object to be processed stored in the firing vessel A can be heated under more precise conditions. In the second heating chamber 10c, for example, main firing may be performed. In this embodiment, the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c are provided with a gas supply pipe 12f and a gas exhaust pipe 12g, respectively. Different atmospheric gases can be supplied to the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c.

<Substitution chamber 10d>
The replacement chamber 10d is provided between the first heating chamber 10a and the stage number changing chamber 10b. The calcination container A transported in a stacked state is introduced into the substitution chamber 10d. The replacement chamber 10d is provided with shutters 10d1 and 10d2 that partition the space on the upstream side (the first heating chamber 10a side) and the downstream side (the stage number changing chamber 10b side) in the transfer direction, respectively. The shutters 10d1 and 10d2 are made of heat insulating material. When the firing container A is introduced into the replacement chamber 10d, for example, the shutter 10d1 on the first heating chamber 10a side is opened while the shutter 10d2 on the stage number changing chamber 10b side is closed. In this state, the sintering containers A stacked in stacks are introduced from the first heating chamber 10a into the replacement chamber 10d. Next, the shutter 10d1 on the side of the first heating chamber 10a is closed, and the firing container A is held in the replacement chamber 10d.

<Substitution chamber 10e>
The replacement chamber 10e is provided between the stage number changing chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c. In this embodiment, the calcining container A that has been conveyed in a staged state in the stage number changing chamber 10b is introduced into the replacement chamber 10e. The replacement chamber 10e is provided with shutters 10e1 and 10e2 that partition the space on the upstream side (the stage number changing chamber 10b side) and the downstream side (the second heating chamber 10c side) in the transfer direction, respectively. The shutters 10e1 and 10e2 are made of heat insulating material. When the firing container A is introduced into the substitution chamber 10e, for example, the shutter 10e1 on the stage number changing chamber 10b side is opened while the shutter 10e2 on the second heating chamber 10c side is closed. In this state, the unstaged firing container A is introduced from the stage number changing chamber 10b into the replacement chamber 10e. Next, the shutter 10e1 on the stage number changing chamber 10b side is closed, and the firing container A is held in the replacement chamber 10e. In addition, the shutters 10e1 and 10e2 are not limited to those made of a heat insulating material, and may be, for example, metallic shutters into which cooling water is supplied.

The substitution chamber 10d and the substitution chamber 10e can be spaces in which the atmosphere in the room can be adjusted. For example, the gas composition, temperature, pressure, etc. of the replacement chambers 10d and 10e may be appropriately adjusted. A mechanism for adjusting the gas atmosphere may be appropriately incorporated in the replacement chambers 10d and 10e. After the atmosphere in the replacement chambers 10d and 10e is adjusted, the shutters 10d2 and 10e2 on the downstream side are opened, and the firing container A is carried out from the replacement chambers 10d and 10e. In this embodiment, the replacement chambers 10d and 10e are surrounded by furnace walls 12b-12d of the furnace body 12, respectively. The continuous firing furnace 10 preferably has at least one furnace body 12 forming a continuous transfer space 12a in which the firing container A is transferred, and part of the transfer space 12a has replacement chambers 10d and 10e. You may have In this case, the transfer space 12a of the replacement chambers 10d and 10e is formed by the furnace body 12. As shown in FIG. For this reason, the temperature of the firing container A conveyed in the replacement chambers 10d and 10e can be kept high.

By providing the replacement chamber 10d between the first heating chamber 10a and the stage number changing chamber 10b, it becomes difficult for the ambient gas in the first heating chamber 10a to reach the stage number changing chamber 10b. Further, since the replacement chamber 10e is provided between the stage number changing chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c, it becomes difficult for the ambient gas in the stage number changing chamber 10b to reach the second heating chamber 10c. In this embodiment, replacement chambers 10d and 10e are provided between the first heating chamber 10a and the stage number changing chamber 10b and between the stage number changing chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c, respectively. From the viewpoint of making it difficult for the atmosphere gas in the first heating chamber 10a and the atmosphere gas in the second heating chamber 10c to mix with each other, It is preferable that a substitution chamber is provided in at least one of between and. In this case as well, the substitution chambers 10d and 10e are configured in the transfer space 12a formed by the furnace body 12, so that the temperature of the firing container A can be maintained high.

In this embodiment, each of the first heating chamber 10a, the stage number changing chamber 10b, and the second heating chamber 10c includes a plurality of conveying rollers 16 arranged along the conveying direction. Of these, the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c may each have an independent transport mechanism. For example, the transport rollers 16 may be connected to different driving devices in the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c. That is, in the first heating chamber 10a, a plurality of firing containers A are conveyed in a stacked state. In the second heating chamber 10c, the firing container A is conveyed in a decomposed state. Therefore, the speed of conveying the firing container A may be different between the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c. That is, in the first heating chamber 10a in which a plurality of firing containers A are transported in a stacked state, they are slowly transported, and in the second heating chamber 10c in which the firing containers A are transported in an unstacked state, It is preferable that the firing container A is transported at a transport speed faster than that of the heating chamber 10a. As a result, the firing container A is smoothly transported between the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c without being jammed. Also, the replacement chambers 10d and 10e may have independent transport mechanisms. The replacement chambers 10d and 10e are preferably configured to appropriately interlock with the transfer mechanisms of the first heating chamber 10a, the stage number changing chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c sandwiching the replacement chambers 10d and 10e.

In addition, the transportation of the baking container A between the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c is not limited to the transportation rollers 16 . For example, the firing container A may be conveyed by a metal belt conveyor such as that used in a so-called mesh belt kiln (MBK).

<Stage change room 10b>
The stage number changing chamber 10 b includes a stage number changing means 11 , a stopper 50 , a width adjusting mechanism 70 (see FIG. 2), a heater 14 and a conveying roller 16 . The number-of-stages changing means 11 is a device for changing the number of stages of the baking container A to be transported. By the stage number changing means 11, firing containers A having different numbers of stages are conveyed to the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c. The stage number changing means 11 includes a lifter 20 and a holding mechanism 30 .

<Stopper 50>
The stopper 50 is a device that stops the firing container A transported in the transport space 12 a at a predetermined position in alignment with the lifter 20 . In this embodiment, the stopper 50 includes a stopper body 51 , a shaft 52 that supports the stopper body 51 , and an elevating device 53 that elevates the stopper body 51 through the shaft 52 . The stopper main body 51 is a plate-shaped member whose normal direction is oriented in the conveying direction, and is provided so as to protrude from the gap between the conveying rollers 16 above the conveying rollers 16 at a predetermined position corresponding to the lifter 20 . It is The shaft 52 is a shaft that supports the stopper main body 51 . The shaft 52 supports the lower end of the stopper body 51 and vertically penetrates the floor wall 12d of the furnace body 12 .

The elevating device 53 is a device for elevating the shaft 52, and is composed of, for example, a cylinder device. In this embodiment, the cylinder as the lifting device 53 is attached to the outer surface of the floor wall 12d of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod directed downward. A shaft 52 is connected to the tip of the piston rod of the cylinder. By pushing down the piston rod of the lifting device 53, the stopper body 51 is lowered. By pulling up the piston rod of the lifting device 53, the stopper body 51 is lifted, and the baking container A is stopped at a predetermined position.

<Width adjustment mechanism 70>
The width adjusting mechanism 70 is a mechanism for adjusting the position of the baking container A in the width direction, as shown in FIG. The width adjusting mechanism 70 adjusts the position of the baking container A stopped by the stopper 50 (see FIG. 1). The width adjusting mechanism 70 includes a width adjusting plate 71 , a shaft 72 that supports the width adjusting plate 71 , and a driving device 73 that drives the width adjusting plate 71 through the shaft 72 . The width adjusting plate 71 is a plate-shaped member parallel to the side wall 12 b of the furnace body 12 . The shaft 72 is vertically attached to the surface of the side wall 12b of the width adjusting plate 71 facing the side wall 12b. The shaft 72 penetrates the side wall 12 b and extends outside the furnace body 12 . The driving device 73 is a device that drives the shaft 72, and is configured by, for example, a cylinder device. In this embodiment, the cylinder as the driving device 73 is attached to the outer surface of the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod directed outward in the width direction. A shaft 72 is connected to the tip of the piston rod of the cylinder. As the piston rod is pulled inward, the width-shifting plate 71 inside the furnace body 12 is driven inward in the width direction. At that time, the position of the baking container A stopped by the stopper 50 is adjusted to a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the position is adjusted while the transport containers A arranged in three rows in the width direction are in contact with each other.
The transport containers A transported in three rows are aligned in the transport direction by the stoppers 50 (see FIG. 1), and aligned in the width direction by the width aligning mechanism 70 . The number of rows in which the transport container A is transported is appropriately set according to the size of the object to be fired, the size of the firing container A, and the like. The number of rows when transporting the transport container A may be a single row or a plurality of rows of two or more.

<Lifter 20>
The lifter 20 is a device for lifting and lowering the baking container A conveyed from the first heating chamber 10a (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the lifter 20 is provided on the furnace wall 12 at a position vertically facing the holding mechanism 30 . The lifter 20 includes a lifter body 21 , a lifting device 24 and guides 25 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the lifter body 21 is a member that protrudes upward from between the conveying rollers 16 arranged along the conveying direction and lifts the baking container A. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the lifter body 21 has a first plate 21a, a second plate 21b, and a connecting portion 21c. The first plate 21a and the second plate 21b are rectangular plates. The first plate 21a and the second plate 21b are arranged so that the normal direction of the plate faces the conveying direction, one long side faces upward and the other long side faces downward, and is inserted into the gap between the conveying rollers 16. It is The first plate 21a and the second plate 21b are wide enough to accommodate the firing containers A arranged in three rows.

In this embodiment, the first plate 21a is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction T1, and the second plate 21b is arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction. The connecting portion 21 c is a member that connects the lower ends of the first plate 21 a and the second plate 21 b below the conveying roller 16 . In other words, the first plate 21a and the second plate 21b rise upward from the connecting portion 21c. An operating rod 21d extending downward is attached to the connecting portion 21c. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, two operating rods 21d are attached to the coupling portion 21c with a gap in the width direction of the transfer space 12a. The operating rods 21d pass vertically through the floor wall 12d and extend downward from the floor wall 12d. The lower ends of the two operating rods 21d are connected by a connecting bar 21e. Both ends of the connecting bar 21e are preferably attached via linear bushes 25a to guides 25 extending downward from the outer surface of the floor wall 12d.

The lifting device 24 is a device for lifting and lowering the connecting bar 21e. The lifting device 24 is composed of, for example, a cylinder device. A cylinder as the lifting device 24 is attached to the outer surface of the floor wall 12d of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod directed downward. A connecting bar 21e is connected to the tip of the piston rod of the cylinder. By pulling up the piston rod of the lifting device 24, the connecting bar 21e rises and the lifter body 21 rises. As a result, the baking container A, which is stopped at a predetermined position by the stopper 50, is lifted. By pushing down the piston rod of the lifting device 24, the connecting bar 21e is lowered and the baking container A is lowered. In addition, in this embodiment, a cylinder device is used as the lifting device 24, but it is not limited to such a form. For example, an actuator that moves the lifter body 21 up and down may be used as the lifting device. Also, the shape of the lifter main body 21 is not limited to a plate shape, and may be, for example, a columnar shape.

<Up-and-down positions L1 to L3>
The lifter 20 is preset with three elevation positions L1 to L3. Here, FIG. 3A is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the state of the first elevation position L1. FIG. 3B is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the state of the second elevation position L2. FIG. 3C is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the state of the third elevation position L3.

The position of the lifter main body 21 is set so that the upper end of the lifter main body 21 is lower than the upper end of the conveying roller 16 at the first elevation position L1. At the elevation position L<b>1 , the lifter body 21 does not hit the baking container A conveyed on the conveying rollers 16 . For example, when the baking container A is transported by the transport rollers 16, the lifter 20 is preferably controlled to the elevation position L1.

At the second elevation position L2, the lifter body 21 is positioned so that the firing container A is lifted up to a predetermined height so as to be placed under the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30. At the elevation position L2, for example, the lifted firing container A is stacked on the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30 . At this time, the firing container A can be held by the lifter 20 even if the holding mechanism 30 is released.

At the third elevation position L3, the position of the lifter body 21 is set so that the firing container A can be lifted up to the height held by the holding mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. For example, when the holding mechanism 30 holds the firing container A lifted by the lifter 20, or when lowering the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30, the lifter 20 may be controlled to the elevation position L3.

<Holding Mechanism 30>
The holding mechanism 30 is a mechanism for holding the firing container A lifted by the lifter 20, as shown in FIG. The holding mechanism 30 has two shafts 31 , a plurality of holders 32 , a seal member 33 and a coolant supply device 40 . In this embodiment, three holders 32 are attached to one shaft 31 at required intervals. The three holders 32 are preferably attached at positions corresponding to the respective positions of the firing containers A arranged in three rows. Here, FIG. 4 is a side view of the firing vessel A, which is a substantially rectangular shallow case. At the periphery of the firing container A, a wall a1 is raised. The central portion of the wall a1 along the sides of the substantially rectangular shape is recessed. Such a recess a2 forms a gap through which the atmosphere gas flows when the firing containers A are stacked.

<Shaft 31>
The two shafts 31 are inserted through the insertion holes of the furnace body 12 . The shaft 31 has a hollow structure. The shaft 31 has a cylindrical shape. A hollow is formed in the shaft 31 from one end to the other end. A metal having excellent heat resistance and strength is used for the shaft 31. For example, stainless steel, a nickel-based alloy described later, and a nickel-based alloy containing 20 to 35% by mass of chromium or molybdenum in total may be used. In this embodiment, a shaft 31 made of stainless steel is used. The shaft 31 is provided before and after a predetermined position where the firing container A is lifted by the lifter 20 in the transport direction T1 (see FIG. 1). The shaft 31 passes through the pair of side walls 12b along the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction T1 and is rotatably bridged (see FIG. 2).

The holder 32, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, includes a base portion 32a, an arm portion 32b, and a claw portion 32c. The base 32 a is a cylindrical member and is attached to the shaft 31 . The arm portion 32b is a plate-like portion extending downward from the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 32a. In this embodiment, the arm portions 32b are provided on the inner side surfaces facing each other along the transport direction T1 among the outer surfaces of the base portions 32a attached to the shafts 31 provided on the front and rear sides in the transport direction T1. Thereby, the arm portion 32b extends so as to sandwich the baking container A lifted by the lifter 20 from the front and rear. The claw portion 32c is a portion bent inward from the lower end of the arm portion 32b. The claw portion 32c can support the bottom of the baking container A. As shown in FIG. Thus, in this embodiment, the shaft 31 is rotatably bridged between the pair of side walls 12b of the furnace body 12. As shown in FIG. The holder 32 has an arm portion 32b extending from the shaft 31 and a claw portion 32c bent from the lower end of the arm portion 32b.

A metal having high heat resistance and oxidation resistance is used for the holder 32, such as a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy. As used herein, a nickel-chromium-iron alloy refers to an alloy in which the total content of nickel, chromium and iron is 80% by mass or more when the entire alloy is 100% by mass. The total content of nickel, chromium and iron may be 90% by mass or more, for example, 95% by mass or more. The content of nickel contained in the nickel-chromium-iron alloy may be, for example, 20% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less. The content of chromium may be, for example, 20% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less. The iron content may be, for example, 40% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. In this specification, a nickel-based alloy refers to an alloy containing 50% by mass or more of nickel when the entire alloy is 100% by mass. The content of nickel may be 70% by mass or more. Metals other than nickel may include, for example, chromium and iron. The content of chromium may be 10% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less when the entire alloy is 100% by mass. The iron content may be 20% by mass or less, or may be 5% by mass or less.

<Seal member 33>
As shown in FIG. 2, the seal member 33 is attached to the portion of the furnace body 12 where the shaft 31 is inserted. In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 is provided with a housing 34 outside the portion through which the shaft 31 is inserted. A seal member 33 and a bearing 35 are mounted in the housing 34 . Shaft 31 is rotatably supported by bearing 35 within housing 34 . Also, the seal member 33 seals the gap between the shaft 31 and the housing 34 . As the sealing member 33, for example, a carbon fiber gland packing, a rubber oil seal, a silicon sealing material, or the like is used. The sealing member 33 prevents the atmosphere gas inside the furnace body 12 from leaking to the outside.

The shaft 31 extends further outwardly from the housing 34 and is attached to a drive 37 via an operating arm 36 extending radially of the shaft 31 . Here, the drive device 37 is a cylinder device, and one end of the cylinder is fixed to a support piece 38 provided on the housing of the furnace body 12 . The shaft 31 is rotatably operated by such a driving device 37 . A connector 39 connected to the coolant supply device 40 is provided at the end of the shaft 31 . The connector 39 preferably has a structure that is connected to the hollow portion of the shaft 31 and supplies coolant to the hollow portion of the shaft 31 .

The holding mechanism 30 is configured such that the holder 32 is opened and closed by rotating the shaft 31 in the circumferential direction by the driving device 37 so that the baking container A can be held. In this embodiment, the retaining mechanism 30 is configured such that rotating the shaft 31 opens and closes the three retainers 32 simultaneously. Therefore, the firing containers A arranged in three rows are held simultaneously.

As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the inward rotation of the front and rear shafts 31 in the conveying direction T1 causes the arms 32b attached to the shafts 31 to hold the firing vessel A closed. be done. Further, when the front and rear shafts 31 rotate outward, the arms 32b attached to the shafts 31 so as to hold the baking container A are opened.

In the closed state H1 in which the arm portions 32b of the front and rear shafts 31 are closed, the claw portions 32c support the bottom portion of the firing container A so that the firing container A is held. In the open state H2 in which the arm portions 32b of the front and rear shafts 31 are opened, the claw portions 32c are retracted to a position where they do not interfere with the bottom portion of the baking container A. By controlling the driving device 37 in this way, the holder 32 of the holding mechanism 30 can be operated between the closed state H1 and the open state H2. 3A to 3C are shown schematically. 3A to 3C, the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12 is omitted, and the driving device 37 of the holding mechanism 30 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 has the shaft 31 that spans the side walls 12b, and is configured so that the coolant is supplied from one end to the other end, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. . For example, a shaft passing through the ceiling 12c of the furnace body 12 may be used. Such a shaft may have, for example, a double-pipe structure, and may be configured so that the flow of refrigerant turns from the inner tube toward the outer tube. Such shafts may have retainers attached to their ends.

<Refrigerant supply device 40>
The coolant supply device 40 is a device that supplies coolant to the inside of the shaft 31, as shown in FIG. Water or the like can be used as the coolant. The temperature of the coolant supplied to the inside of the shaft 31 is, for example, normal temperature, which is lower than the ambient temperature of the transfer space 12a. The type and temperature of the coolant are not particularly limited, and are appropriately set according to the ambient temperature of the transfer space 12a and the like. In this embodiment, connectors 39 are attached to both ends of the shaft 31 . A refrigerant supply device 40 is connected to one end of the shaft 31 via a connector 39 . A coolant is supplied from one end of the shaft 31 toward the other end by the coolant supply device 40 . A method of supplying the coolant to the shaft 31 by the coolant supply device 40 is not particularly limited. For example, the two shafts 31 may be connected to separate coolant supply devices, and the coolant may be supplied to each shaft 31 individually. Alternatively, a circulation-type coolant supply device may be used as the coolant supply device, and the same coolant may be circulated through the two shafts 31 .

The coolant supply device 40 can appropriately supply coolant to the inside of the shaft 31 . For example, the later-described stacking work and stacking work can be performed while supplying the refrigerant to the shaft 31 . For example, when stacking work or destacking work is performed in a high-temperature environment, the refrigerant may be appropriately supplied to the shaft 31 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the lifter 20, the holding mechanism 30 and the stopper 50 (see FIG. 1) may be controlled by the controller 60. As shown in FIG. The control device may be configured, for example, to control the transportation of the baking container A, the lifting and lowering of the lifter 20, and the opening and closing of the holder 32 of the holding mechanism 30. Here, the control device 60 is connected to an elevating device 24 for elevating the lifter 20 and a driving device 37 for driving the holding mechanism 30 . As the control method, for example, various control methods such as sequence control can be adopted. Also, the supply of the coolant by the coolant supply device 40 may be controlled by the control device 60 .

By combining the operations of the lifter 20 and the holding mechanism 30 described above, it is possible to stack the firing containers A or separate a plurality of stacked firing containers A. Here, the operation of stacking a plurality of firing vessels A is appropriately referred to as "stacking". The operation of disassembling a plurality of stacked firing containers A is appropriately referred to as "dismantling". Here, the work of unstacking the baking containers A stacked in multiple stages transported from the first heating chamber 10a in the transport direction T1 will be described, and then the stacking work will be described.

<Step-down work>
In the unstacking work, a plurality of firing containers A are transported in a state of being stacked. The baking container A is dismantled by the predetermined number of pieces. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the work of disassembling and conveying the firing container A one by one will be described as an example.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the control device 60 (see FIG. 2) causes the lifter 20 to wait at the first elevation position L1 below the conveying rollers 16. As shown in FIG. Also, the holding mechanism 30 is put on standby in the open state H2 in which the arm portion 32b is open, as indicated by the chain double-dashed line. In this state, the control device 60 detects the firing container A at a predetermined position in the transfer space 12a, and raises the stopper 50 at a predetermined timing. Thereby, the firing container A stops at a predetermined position lifted by the lifter 20 .

The controller 60 raises the lifter 20 to the second elevation position L2 as shown in FIG. 3B. In this state, the arm portion 32b of the holding mechanism 30 is closed to the closed state H1, so that the holding mechanism 30 holds the baking container A above the lowest baking container A among the stacked baking containers A. be done. After that, the control device 60 lowers the lifter 20 and makes the lifter 20 stand by at the first elevation position L1 below the conveying roller 16, as shown in FIG. 3A. This lowers the lowest firing vessel A. By lowering the stopper 50 and opening it, the baking container A is conveyed by the conveying rollers 16 . As a result, the lowest firing container A among the stacked firing containers A is dismantled and transported.

Next, the controller 60 raises the lifter 20 to the third lifting position L3, as shown in FIG. 3C. As a result, the remaining stacked baking containers A held by the holding mechanism 30 are supported by the lifter 20 . The control device 60 puts the holding mechanism 30 in the open state H2, lowers the lifter 20 to the second elevation position L2 as shown in FIG. 3B, and then puts the holding mechanism 30 in the closed state H1. As a result, the lowermost baking container A among the stacked baking containers A is supported by the lifter 20 . Moreover, the firing container A above the lowest firing container A is held by the holding mechanism 30 . In this state, the control device 60 lowers the lifter 20 to the first elevation position L1 as shown in FIG. 3A. As a result, the lowermost firing vessel A is lowered and transported by the transport rollers 16 . In this way, the lowest firing container A among the stacked firing containers A is taken apart.

After that, the above processing is repeated by the control device 60 . As a result, the stacked baking containers A are separated in order from the bottom and conveyed by the conveying rollers 16 . When the firing containers A are separated by two stages, the height of the second lifting position L2 of the lifter 20 is preferably adjusted to the height lower than the third lifting position L3 by two firing containers A. As a result, the firing containers A are separated into two stages and conveyed in a state of being stacked in two stages. Similarly, the firing container A can also be dismantled in a state in which it is stacked in multiple stages (for example, three stages).

<Stacking work>
In the stacking operation of stacking the firing containers A transported in the transport direction, stopping the firing container A, lifting the firing container A, and holding the firing container A are repeated in the following procedure.

FIG. 3A shows a state in which the baking container A is stopped during the stacking operation. Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lifter 20 causes the lifter main body 21 to stand by at the elevation position L1 positioned below the conveying rollers 16 . Further, the holding mechanism 30 does not hold the baking container A, and makes it stand by in an open state H2 in which the arm portion 32b is open, as indicated by the two-dot chain line. In this state, when the control device 60 (see FIG. 2) detects the firing container A at a predetermined position in the transfer space 12a, it raises the stopper 50 at a predetermined timing. Thereby, the firing container A stops at a predetermined position lifted by the lifter 20 . At that time, the rotation of the transport roller 16 may be stopped, or the rotation of the transport roller 16 may be left idle.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the controller 60 raises the lifter 20 to the third elevation position L3. Thereby, the firing container A is lifted to a height that can be held by the holding mechanism 30 . Then, the control device 60 closes the arm portion 32b of the holding mechanism 30 to the closed state H1. As a result, the firing container A lifted is held by the holding mechanism 30 . After that, as shown in FIG. 3A , the control device 60 lowers the lifter 20 and makes the lifter 20 stand by at the first elevation position L1 below the conveying rollers 16 . Moreover, the holding mechanism 30 is made to stand by in the closed state H1 in which the baking container A is held. As a result, the firing container A is held by the holding mechanism 30 .

Next, the firing container A is stopped at a predetermined position by the stopper 50 again. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the lifter 20 is raised to the second elevation position L2, and the firing container A is stacked under the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. Then, while the firing container A is supported by the lifter 20, the holding mechanism 30 is set to the open state H2, and the claw portion 32c is pulled out from the firing container A. In this state, the control device 60 raises the lifter 20 to the third lifting position L3 as shown in FIG. 3C. As a result, the calcining container A held by the holding mechanism 30 and the calcining container A newly lifted by the lifter 20 are superimposed and raised to the height held by the holding mechanism 30 . After that, the control device 60 brings the holding mechanism 30 into the closed state H1. As a result, the lowermost firing container A among the firing containers A lifted by the lifter 20 is supported by the claw portions 32c of the holding mechanism 30, and the holding mechanism 30 holds the firing containers A in a stacked state. .

Then, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lifter 20 may be lowered and waited at the first elevation position L1 below the conveying rollers 16. Then, as shown in FIG. After that, the baking container A is stopped by the stopper 50 . The lifter 20 is raised to the second elevation position L2 to lift the baking container A and stack it under the baking container A held by the holding mechanism 30 (see FIG. 3B). The holding mechanism 30 is set to the open state H2, the claw portion 32c is pulled out, and the lifter 20 is raised to the third elevation position L3 (see FIG. 3C). The holding mechanism 30 is set to the closed state H1 to hold the stacked baking containers A. As shown in FIG. The lifter 20 is lowered to the first lifting position L1 and put on standby. The controller 60 repeats this. As a result, the baking containers A are stacked one by one.

When the sintering container A is conveyed by the conveying rollers 16 in two stages, the lifter 20 is arranged so that the sintering container A lifted by the lifter 20 is stacked under the sintering container A held by the holding mechanism 30 . 2, the height of the lifting position L2 may be adjusted. Thereby, the firing container A can also be stacked in two stages. Similarly, the firing container A can also be stacked in multiple stages (for example, three stages).

In this way, the lifter 20 lifts the sintering container A to a predetermined height, and the holding mechanism 30 selects the sintering containers A having a predetermined number of stages or more from the bottom among the sintering containers A lifted by the lifter 20. can be configured to hold In other words, it is possible to carry out the unstacking work and the stacking work for each desired number of tiers.

As described above, the continuous firing furnace 10 has at least one furnace body 12 forming a continuous transport space 12a in which the firing containers A are transported. The transfer space 12a has a first heating chamber 10a, a stage number changing chamber 10b, and a second heating chamber 10c. The first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c are configured such that the baking container A is conveyed in different stages. The stage number changing chamber 10b is arranged between the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c along the transport direction T1. The stage number changing chamber 10b includes a stage number changing means 11 for changing the number of stages of the calcining containers A to be transported. The stacking and unstacking operations in the stacking and unstacking chamber 10b take a long time, so the temperature of the firing container A tends to drop during the stacking and unstacking operations. It also takes time to heat the firing container A whose temperature has dropped to the heating temperature again. In this continuous firing furnace 10, the first heating chamber 10a, the stage number changing chamber 10b, and the second heating chamber 10c including the stage number changing chamber 10b are provided in a transfer space 12a formed by at least one furnace body 12. ing. Therefore, the firing container A can be maintained at a required temperature in the stage number changing chamber 10b. Therefore, the time required for the heat treatment can be shortened, and the object to be treated can be efficiently heat-treated. The stage number changing chamber 10 b may be provided with a heater 14 . In this case, for example, in the case of main firing in the second heating chamber 10c, the temperature of the firing container A can be made more difficult to drop while staying in the stage number changing chamber 10b.

In this embodiment, the continuous firing furnace 10 has a replacement chamber 10d between the first heating chamber 10a and the stage number changing chamber 10b. Further, the continuous firing furnace 10 has a replacement chamber 10e between the stage number changing chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c. Thus, by having the replacement chamber in at least one of between the first heating chamber 10a and the stage number changing chamber 10b and between the stage number changing chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c, the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c Even when the heating conditions are greatly different in the second heating chamber 10c, it is possible to prevent one atmosphere from leaking to the other.

In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 30 of the continuous firing furnace 10 is a hollow shaft and is connected to the coolant supply device 40 . Therefore, stacking and unstacking operations can be performed while cooling the shaft 31 . In this embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 is provided in a high-temperature environment inside the continuous firing furnace 10 . However, since the shaft 31 is cooled by the refrigerant supplied by the refrigerant supply device 40, the sealing performance of the seal member 33 (see FIG. 2) is maintained. Therefore, even if stacking and unstacking operations are performed in the high-temperature environment within the continuous firing furnace 10 , the atmosphere gas inside is less likely to flow out through the shaft 31 . Further, since deterioration of the seal member 33 is suppressed by cooling the shaft 31, the service life of the seal member 33 can be extended. Such a configuration is suitable for use in a continuous firing furnace that continuously fires objects to be processed at high temperatures.

In this embodiment, the holder 32 attached to the shaft 31 has an arm portion 32b extending from the shaft 31 and a claw portion 32c bent from the lower end of the arm portion 32b (see FIGS. 3A to 3C). ). In this case, since the firing container A is held by the claw portions 32c at the lower ends of the arm portions 32b, heat is less likely to be lost to the shaft 31 cooled by the refrigerant.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the retention mechanism 30 included multiple retainers 32 . A plurality of holders 32 are arranged at intervals on the shaft 31 . With such a configuration, it is possible to simultaneously heat-treat the firing containers A arranged in a plurality of rows and to change the number of stages, thereby shortening the processing time.

In this embodiment, retainer 32 is constructed from a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-base alloy. With such a configuration, the holder 32 has good durability even in an atmosphere such as an oxidizing atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere, or a nitriding atmosphere. Moreover, it has good durability even when used in a high-temperature environment.

In this embodiment, the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c are equipped with a plurality of transport rollers 16 arranged along the transport direction T1. With such a configuration, the heat treatment can be performed in a larger number of stages, and the space of the equipment can be saved. The continuous firing furnace 10 can also be used for heating at higher temperatures.

Although detailed descriptions have been given above with reference to specific embodiments, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. Thus, the technology set forth in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the above-described embodiments.

10 Continuous firing furnace (continuous heating furnace)
10a First heating chamber 10b Stage number changing chamber 10c Second heating chambers 10d and 10e Replacement chamber 12 Furnace body 12a Transfer space 12b Side wall (furnace wall)
12c ceiling (furnace wall)
12d floor wall (furnace wall)
12e insertion hole 12f gas supply pipe 12g gas exhaust pipe 12h partition 14 heater 16 transport rollers 16a, 16b support plate 17 sprocket 18 base 20 lifter 21 lifter body 21a first plate 21b second plate 21c connecting portion 21d operating rod 21e connecting bar 24 Lifting device 25 Guide 25a Linear bushing 30 Holding mechanism 31 Shaft 32 Holder 32a Base 32b Arm 32c Claw 33 Sealing member 34 Housing 35 Bearing 36 Operation arm 37 Driving device 38 Support piece 39 Connector 40 Refrigerant supply device 50 Stopper 51 Stopper body 52 Shaft 53 Lifting device 60 Control device 70 Width gathering mechanism 71 Width gathering plate 72 Shaft 73 Driving device A Firing container (heating container)
a1 wall a2 dent H1 closed state H2 open state L1 to L3 elevation position

Claims (10)

A continuous heating furnace having at least one furnace body forming a continuous transfer space in which the heating container is transferred,
The transfer space has a first heating chamber, a stage number changing chamber, and a second heating chamber,
The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber are configured such that the heating container is conveyed in different stages,
The stage number changing chamber is arranged between the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber along the conveying direction, and includes stage number changing means for changing the number of stages of the heating container to be conveyed,
Continuous heating furnace. 2. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 1, wherein said stage number changing chamber includes a heater. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a replacement chamber in at least one of between said first heating chamber and said stage number changing chamber and between said stage number changing chamber and said second heating chamber. continuous heating furnace. The continuous heating furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber each have an independent transfer mechanism. The stage number changing chamber includes a furnace wall,
The stage number changing means is
a lifter that raises and lowers the heating container;
and a holding mechanism that holds the heating container lifted by the lifter,
The holding mechanism is
a hollow shaft inserted through the furnace body;
a retainer attached to the shaft; and
a sealing member attached to a portion where the shaft is inserted through the furnace body;
The continuous heating furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a coolant supply device connected to the shaft and supplying a coolant to the hollow portion of the shaft. The furnace wall has a pair of side walls on both sides in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction,
The shaft is rotatably bridged over the pair of side walls,
The holder is
an arm portion extending from the shaft;
6. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 5, further comprising a claw portion bent from the lower end of said arm portion. The holding mechanism comprises a plurality of holders,
7. The continuous heating furnace of claim 5 or 6, wherein said plurality of retainers are spaced apart on said shaft. The lifter lifts the heating container to a predetermined height,
8. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, among the heating containers lifted by the lifter, the heating containers are configured to hold a predetermined number of stages or more of the heating containers from below. Continuous heating furnace. The continuous heating furnace according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein said holders are made of a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy. The continuous heating furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said first heating chamber and said second heating chamber are provided with a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along said conveying direction.

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