US1351495A - Steel-treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Description

D. J. SIMPSON. STEEL TREATMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AFR.5, 191.5. RENEWED DEC. 29. T919. 1,351,495.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETSl-SHEET l.

gmventoz or n.

D. 1. SIMPSON. STEEL TREATMENT APPARATUS. APPLIcATloN FILED APR. 5. |915. nenswso Dsc. 29. m9.

Patented Aug. 31; 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.-

D. J. SIMPSON.

STEEL TREATMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILEDAPH. 5'. 1915.l RENEwEn nic. 29. 1919.

1,35 1,495, A Patented Aug. 31,1920.

I 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

D. l. SIMPSON.

STEEL TREATMENT APPARATUS.

APPucATmN man APR. 5. 1915. nENEwEn Dsc. 29. 1919.

1,35 1 ,495, v Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l figli,

. nl "TMS or v AtrAiaAIso, INDIANA.

T 0 all whom it may Concern Be it lrnown that l., DAVID J. SIMPSON, c1t1- Zen of the United States, residing at Chiv cago, in the county of Cook and lState of Illinois.1 have invented oertainnew and use fulr Improvements in Steel-Treatment Apparatusfof which the following is a speciication.

Myinvention relates .to improvements in steel treatment apparatusl and itconsists more especially of the Vfeatures, hereinafter pointed out in the annexed claims. A'

kThe purpose of my invention is to Vprovide. apparatus for the treatment of steel which will give Asuperior results to those obtained byl means Ofordinaryquenching methods; to provide means for controllably hastening the .cooling Yof the Wheat treated steel.; to handle alarge quantity of material at one time; to Veffect economics in production; insure uniformity 'of results, and simf plify the handling ofl bulky'qinaterial; andY to provide means/for'efficiently heat treating the `steel before cooling the same.

lith these and other ends in viewl illus,

.trate in the aceompvanying drawings such v instances of adaptationfavs'will disclosev the broad features withoutlimitingv myself tothe specific details shown. .e

Figure lis a diagrammatic elevation ofv la partfof a heat treating installation;

Fig. 2 is a'nend'ele'vation partly diagrammatic of the `Cooling apparatus shown in Fig. l; A v 1 Fig. 3 's a diagrammatic. elevation of a complete installation. Y f ff Fig. el is a transverse elevation of-an outletl chamber. Y

. Fig. is a ycross section VelevationV of a heatingfurnace. j e .l

Per 1g. G-'is aplan vlewgpartly 1n section 0I Fig. 5.

f l? -7- is anelevation'of manuallyrop'- eratecll distance blocks. Fig. 8 isa side'V elevation of Fig. 7. 9.- is an elevation of sectional hoods. Fig. l0--. isa-plan viewof Fi'gAj v Figll israfplan View showing the trans'` verse relation of thetracks; etc.

v Fig.v l2 is a dtail elevation howingfa removable rail partly in the furnace.

lis a detailed elevation of l the part oflig. 2 showing lifting eccentric of the out hindrance. llhen4 rails 78 are no'lon nsablenew ones canbe substituted.IV 'lhe STEELLTREATMENT.APPARATIIS., l

Renewed December :29, 191e; serial No. 348,050.

buggy placedfoutside of the range of the shaftbearing. j Q A. e The steel' after having been heatedas aV billet and hammered into'shapel is allowedy toycool on suitable racks v1,81vl1e1fe the axles" are stored preparatory tov being lreh'ea'ted e and treated in carrying out myinventionL T he reheating is done vin furnace .1in any1' f orma.

. DAVID '.I. sII/IrsoN; or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGfNon r11o NOAH Ys'rnrivnn A-Ivis'rurz,

Specification of Letters Patent. i :iPaJgI-)Irtd Allg'. 31,1920.

desired manner so long as provisionl is made f to control the intensity and distributionfof ,the heat; VThis mayrcomprise rany desired',

system of dampers etc. ln the Vinstance shown in Figs. 11 and'12 the,` floor of VYthe Y heating chamber 3, outside the .range ofthe axles hastwo lengthwisechannels 73 which may be linedwith ireproof cement if found desirable.` Removable rails V78 are placed in these channels,.` after the heating is complete and doors 6 are opened, with the'leading-in end alined with ythe buggy tracks .66. A

transferbuggy 22 is quickly run' onto` vrails 78 so that la lifting channely'l willV haveits lower flange 7 5 under each vvend of axles 2te be vraised by eccentrics on shaft 7 6 and Vthe axles carried to the cooling chamber. Ow-V ing tol the prolonged intense heat track rails for the. buggy cannot be permanently placed` inthe furnace'flrids on which'thega'xles l rest while-being heatedare ynot fastened to the floor so areffreeto twist s'idew-isewith#V (reg:

buggy tracksV 66 as stated.Y TheeXact spac-r ingo'f the a'Xle's 2, on the skids' 77 is immateriahin fact notfpractical asftheaxles are Arolled into the furnace Afrom ra'clrs 18 overyshort well known bridging rails by hand. Certain.special'features whichrelate to thedeta'ils of the transferringbuggy etc..7

its loading, unloading etc.; are made'the i subject of aseparate application'kledApril 5, i915' ser. #19,312

lThe materials to betreated may beplaced on suitablesupports 7.7 slightly above the furnace floor' to allowf for underneath `cir-` culation. In the instance" of ladaptation shown ',theaXles 2 areV placed .on longitudifnalvbars 77, but with materialsyof other ies shapes'theymay be placed in vanylrii'idiof L i suitable holder adaptedV to easy transfer.

VVThe heating chamber 3 has bridge walls 4 and 5 to form the lengthwise side walls and sliding doors 6 at each end. VThese are counterbalanced in any suitable manner. I

The combustion chamber 7 ,is separated from the heating chamber 3 bybridge wall 4. Y An opening 8 below the roof 9 forms a Y passage way `between them and a Vsimilar opening 10 above bridge wall 5 .leads the heat to a distributing chamber 1l 'from where passages 12 formed in the floor of the furnace lead to lengthwise passage 13V and .by a common return 14 to the stack 15.'

Dampers 16 attached to external levers 17 control passages or flues 12 so'asv to regulate theY h'eatof different portions of the furnace as may be required. 'The volume of Y heat is controlled by the quantity of fuel Y quired low heat according to its percentagev of carbon. It is then held for ashort timev Y to the required high heat corresponding'to used and ythe regulation of the drafts in thev usual manner.

The steel is first slowly heated to the rewithout change, afterwhichit is subjected its given carbon content, then as quickly as possible transferred to the cooling chamber where the heat rapidly radiates. From this 'it is seen that both the heating and cooling must be carefully controlled. Indicating or recording pyrometers should be used in allv cases so as to be able to exactly note the conditions at any step in the treatment and suitable inspection windows some of which may loe made to serve for the introduction of the pyrometer points should be provided.

' The steel from the hammers is stored on racks or horsesV Yat.18 from where the furnace 1 'is' charged in any desired manner. At thisY y pointY buggy rails V7 8 shown on Fig. v12 are stored with one end supported by asuitable hoist traversableron an overhead runway.V

The track rails when made removable are provided with wheels at the ends nearest the furnace. as shown in Fig. 12. They run in the channels 7 3 and when through the'furnace they engage suitable guides-which lead themv into alinement with the tracks 66V lying between the furnace and the cooling chamber wherethey are rigidly, yet removably held in any desired manner. n

A suitable elevated structure 20 reaches from the4 cooling chamber to storage space 18 so that any steel which may require re`l .treatment can be taken from the cooling r chamber and stored on tracks 19 from where it can be lifted over the furnace by overhead crane 21 totheracks 18 without interfering with another batch of steel that may be un dertreatment in the furnace. -Y

As soon as a charge hasl gone through 'A the required heating the doors 6 are, opened,

and when removable tracks 7 8 are used they are quickly inserted and the buggy 22 moved on to the same and into the furnace so as to leave its motor 23 on the outside; Should'it however be found desirable itis probable theV motor could be sufficiently.insulated'againstY heat to passthroughpthe furnace. ."Under ordinary circumstances the buggy need not pass through the furnace at all. The propelling motor 23 also serves to raiseY all'the pieces sumultaneously from the furnace floor the requiredl distance -to clear` any obstruc-V tion through a rotation of-eccentric'shafts 76 placed near each end of the axles.l From the shafts 7 6 channels 74 depend so as to have their lower flanges underneath all Vthe axles. The buggy 22 rapidly carries -the'material to the cooling chamber, quickly lowers it to the supporting rails 48 and Vpasses out at the otherend. The hood 24 `is lowered into the Hood 24 is supported on counter balancing V' weighted cables fromVV elevated structure 25 so that it may be easily raised and lowered.

VTo quickly effect this, racks26 are fastened near each corner of the hood of the requiredI Y length. These mesh with gears 27 suitably supported on projecting brackets 28 placed on each side of the hood; In order that the hood may beraised from either side a shaft Vis provided for a pairof gears 27. and on this suitablesprocket wheels may be placed.v

Two of these, one on eachshaft,V are connected with a crossed sprocket chain 29 so as toV cause both shafts, attached gears 27 and racks 26 to move in unison. `The shafts may be operated by hand or motor asdesired.

` Sprocket chains 30 lead from thegear shafts to suitablecranked. wheels 31 placed at each side ofthe hood and attached to the support- Vingposts of elevated structure 25'` sov as'to Ypermit of hand manipulation. The motor 32 may be connected toeither one of wheels 31 so as to raise and lower hood 24 byV power if required. y Y

. The hood- 24 has a perforated partition 33 horizontally secured therein below the cover thereof thus serving'to evenly distribute the cooling agent which may beibrought in by pipe 34 under anyV required temperature and pressure.` A deflector may beplaced at 35V to 'direct'the 'cooling media toward the ends of the hoodand a damper 36 is placed above the deflector so as to confine the heat to either d end vof Vthe hood., Transverse partition y37 helps to isolate the ends from veach other if desired. lVhen both ends of the hood are to be vused Vdamper 36V would be placed .in a mid position leaving passage ways open to` both sides of the deflector 35. Y

The coolingV agentis brought to vpipe 3 4 by means of a suitably pivoted telescopic .pipe

38 connected to a main supply 39 in any desired manner. If needed the pipe 38 ymay be counterweighted. -As thehood rises or falls pipe 38 will retain connection with 39 and 34.4 In order to prevent hoodV 24 from Y swaying I may place guide bars 40`oneither side having Vsuitable wheels to engage both faces'of'the liangesof adjacent supporting posts 41. Suitable inspection 'windows 42 and pyrometer openings 43 are provided.

Any desired vform of limit stop may be used' to prevent hood 24 from lengaging the floor lof the water-sealing tank 44. This may com'- prise a number of corner blocks placed on the floor of the proper height lto leave the hood rest thereon.

Tank 44 has inlet'pipe 46 and outlet pipe l4'? which keep the water level uniform and also provide for continuous circulation.

NVithin this tank a ygiven distance away Y are properly spaced withA respect to the air rmay be used.

outlet chambers 58 vsuspended from the tracks.` If the axles as deposited by the buggy should happen to rest on the top of anyof the distance blocks they are shifted into position between block ends by pinch bars, manipulated by hand, before the hood is lowered. In the case of other'forms of materials, they may be Vplaced in suitable metal baskets that can be similarly spaced on the tracks or any other form of container ShouldV the steelv however be rolled inV by hand other distancing arrange, ments would need tol be provided. These are shown in Figsj8and9. They comprise swinging yblocks 52 suitably pivoted to a fish plate attached to the web and'resting ,on the side flange of the rail. One end of each block has a depending arm to which a connecting rod 53 is attached. A suitableV pendant 54 enables an operator to move the same with a hook in either direction, to move the block into place or remove it so as to leave the tracks free for the passage of the axles. Parts 52 and 54 are locked together'by baleA 67 pivoted to 54 so that blocks 52 will remain on rails 48. Y

Shouldait be found desirable to treat ismaller groups of axles or material con? tainers, I may use the expedient shown in Fig. 9 wherein the hood is divided into independent sections, in which case the tracks, Y 48 would have Vto besimilarly`-separated so as to allow the adjacent hood walls'to kpass into the water of the tank. Under these rconditions thev discontinuous tracks lwould have to be made so Vas to automatically or otherwise restore their continuity when needed to roll axles `on or off the tracks. y

Onewayy in which this may be accomplished (see Fig. 9) is to counterweight swinging bars 56 attached to'feach other-by a transversevshaft and normally held, fopen by a suitably Vplaced counterweight 57. If the materials'are to be` moved both-"ways on the track special manually operated track gates may be provided so to operate in any v desired manner.

Thepassing of the cooling agent from hood 24 may be provided for" as follows, a series of detachablechambers "58 are suspended from'rails 48 `by suitable brackets. They are. 4water proof andare connected with a header 59 which leads to outlet pipe 60. Suitable dampers 6l are* pivoted-'at 62 so as to swing` horizontally and they-fare so shaped asy to open more rapidly at the'cen-y ters thanat-the ends. Rock shafts 63' are pivotedfon both sides near the bottom; `To

these, vrock'arms 64 are secured so'that pins projecting from their free ends pass through openings-of dampers 61'.

are attached to both ends of rock shafts 63 and are accessible fromk the outsidefofvthe hood even" when entirel-y'lowered. i1 Shafts 63 4pass through under the bottom-edges of the hood vconsequently there is no interference between them and the dampers 6l. may be Amoved independently" of eachother from both sides of the hood'24. I 7" I-Iand levers 65 0n each side of tank 44 buggy tracks'266 are placed and suitable trolley wires may be carried outside of the line ofhood movement and insulated in any desired manner.

The controlling switchl yand rheosta'ts, etc-.7,

being at any desired point of control. v Y With the apparatus instancedin thedrawing and description, or its'substantial equivalent IV am able to secure a greater uni formity-of product than has hitherto been attainable, withy the highest "elastic limit,

tensile strength, percentage of elongationl and reduction of area,v securing `the'linest granular structure of the steel without sacrificing toughness andductility.A The results are far superior to those secured*V with v H quenching processes becausev the sudden coolingof a hot section of steel -willfcon-V tract the-outside inwardly encountering "the expanding stresses ofthe inner layer of material' thus Vproducing'. dangerous internal strains which are liable to jeopardizehuman lives and incur serious material, damages. Y I may use any kind of cooling agentthat will give methe desiredresult without de .Y stroylng the vgood quality secured-gbythel staged heat treatments. IThis,mayfbelairfatYV various temperatures, dry. steam' or iany quenching.

In case the materials are conveyed to and '125,` other media which does ,not require bodily callevel, a support within the tank rising rails 48Vwould not extend beyond the pillars 49 thus leaving an unobstructedspace for the Vhood to drop into. Shouldk however recourse behad to hand transference of the axles then z such rails would need/to have automatically `raised bridges which may be formed by hinged track'sections 68 attached to cables V69. which pass over sheaves 70, through eyes 71 fastenedVV to hood 24 ending with counterweights 72. The slack on the descent of the hood is 'first taken up and .then `the track sections 68 Aare'raised before the hood reaches them. Any other expedient such as bridges 56, etc., may be used.

TvVl'iat I claim is, Y Vl.k A suitable furnace, kmeans for supplying heat thereto in a controllable manner, a cooling device, suitable trackagesltherebetween, means for transferring material from one -to the other, means for hermetically sealing the cooling device, means for-causingthe rapid traverseof a cooling medium therethrough, and means fory varying such traverse in different parts of said device.

2. A cooling chamber comprising a movable hood, a water seal tank therefor, a suitable isolatedV .support within, the tank, a

Vflexible conduit `leading' to the hood, a series of Voutlets attached to said support, and

i means fory controlling the inlet and outlets thereof.

3. Av suitable furnace, oppositelyplaced openings therefor constituting charging and delivery ends, a storage space adjacent each end, a cooling chamber beyond one of the storage spaces, a conveyer traversing the furnace, the inter-space and the chamber, and a second conveyor adapted totraverse overl both storage spaces and the furnace on a dierent plane whereby materials requiring reheating-may be delivered from the chamber to the space adjacent the charging end of the furnace without interfering with materials being heated in saidfurnace and their subsequent transfer tothe cooling chamber.

4L. VA cooling chamber ycomprising a suitabletank or container, means for maintain- Y ing a sealing medium in circulation therein,

means for holding such medium at a critiabove the sealing liquid, a vclear space all raround said support, a hood, means for supporting'the same, means for imparting movement Ythereto so that its depending side and end walls 'may `pass into the clear space ofthe tank, and means for supplying acool- Y able tank, a water circulatingYV system in,y

ves

trollable `manner.

ing agent tothe hood, means for variably .controlling the exit of said agent whereby heated. materials mayv be cooled in a con- 5. A cooling chamber comprising a suiteonnection. therewith, a suitablehood adapted to be lowered into the tank-with its bottom edges below the .water line, a stationary support withinV the hood butindependent thereof, the saidA support extending above Vthewater Vline and a'traversing buggy adaptedto move onto andl off from the support.V .I I j A 6. A cooling chamber comprising aT suit- `able tank, .means for maintainingV circulating water therein, a support extending above the water level, a series of exitchambers suspended therefrom, a common outlet for the same, a vertically movable hood adapted toj inclosev the support and theexits, suitable yindependent. dampers for Ythe severalexit chambers, and. means forvoperating said dampers when the hood is lowered.-

7, An inclosing hood, a water holding tank, meansfforrlowering Aand. raising .the hood within and abovethetank, a Vsuitable inlet to the top ofthe hood, a deflector adsoY jacent the entrance, a'perforated partition extending across thel hood, and means for directing .movement vof Vatfraversing media to either or both ends of the hood.

8.' An inclosingsupporting structure divided into one or more sections, an independent inclosure` forv each simultaneously n or independently operable, Vmeans for imi parting jvertical movement Vthereto, independent linlets to each inclosure and an outlet common to all'. y l Y A water containing tank, a series of separatesupports therein, a plurality of hoods movable withinand above the Vtank adapted to independently inclose the supports, and means for connecting theV supports tofeach 'other' when the hoods are raised. .e p Y 10, A suitable tank, aV support therein comprising suitable bars'or rails, and pil'- lars therefor, movableand independently movable rails connectingthe tracks with.. s Y

the inside of the furnace, a portable buggy traversable on the rails .and tracks, and

means for propelling the same to discharge the furnace and transfer the materials to the treatment Ychamber and after treatment therein vtoremove the same therefrom.

12. A furnace, a separate treatment cham- `ber, transfer trackageadapted to serve the furnace and the chamber, a movable hoodV to isolate-said chamber, an airsupply to theV hood, an airjexit from thechamber, Supports therein to hold materials, tracks on the supports independent of the transfer trackage, a buggy traversable on the latter,

means for propelling the same, and stationary means for controlling the movement of the bu gy.

13. an isolated support therein, a movable hood to inclose the support, an air inlet to lthe hood, an air outlet from the tank, trackage on the support, independent trackage external of the hood and tank, a buggy traversable on the external tracks, and means for,

propelling the same. v

14. In steel treatment apparatus, a treatment chamber comprising a tank, adapted to hold a liquid, isolated supports therein, tracks on supports for holding the. articles to be treated, a `movable hood to inclose vthe tracks and supports, an vair inlet to the hood;

cooling chamber comprising a tank,

an air exit from the tank, independent the supports and from" the tank, jointed seci tions in@ said tracks where they approach and recede from the tank, ameans adapted to raise said sections before the hood'islowered and vice versa lower the same afterthe hood has been raised.

' In testimony whereof I aiX my signature `in presence of two witnesses.

rWitnesses: T. W. AMSTUTZ,

A. L.v AMsTUTz,

DAVID J. SIMPSON., Y

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