US1829684A - Furnace - Google Patents

Description

N. R. STANSEL FURNACE Oct. 27, 1931. 1,829,684

Filed Aug. 21, 1929 2 25 ,S'naZZgr Inventor: Numan RStansel,

by WW His Attorney Patented Oct. 27,- 1931 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUMAN R. BTANSED, 0F SCHIENECIADY, NEW YORK, ASBIGNOB TO GENERAL ELM'I'RIO COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01 YORK FURNACE a lication ma August :1, ma Serial 30. 887,615.

My invention relates to furnaces, more particularl to furnaces of the continuous type in whic a selected atmosphere is maintained, and has for its object the provision of closure means for the furnace whereby the furnace is maintained tightly closed while the charge is being inserted and removed.

,As previously stated, my invention has especial application to continuous furnaces, i. e., furnaces in which the charge to be heated is of much greater length than the heating chamber so that it must be passed continuously through the furnace and heated by degrees. Such furnaces are particularly useful in the annealing of long metal sheets, rods, etc. In order to reduce the oxidation during the heating operation a selected gas, such as hydrogen, is often maintained in the heating chamber to the exclusion of the outside air. With the continuous furnace, however, this obviously necessitates the sealing of the furnace around the char e at the oint where it enters and leaves the eating c amber so that the gas will be retained.

In accordance with my invention I provide a substantially gas-tight closure around the charge, which closure in one form comprises a pair of rotary members between which the charge passes in entering and leaving the furnace.

For more complete understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1' of which is a fragmenta front elevation view of a furnace embo ying m invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side e evation view of the furnace shown in Fig. 1, while Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig.

. shown) w ich it will be understoo .as the opening '11, an

furnace and out through an opening at the opposite end, it will beunderstood that an- I haveshown a pair of rollers 12 an other opening similar to the opening 11' will be providedat that end; The furnace may be suitably heated such as by electric, gas or other in arallel relation one above the other directly in front of the opening 11 on the exterior of the furnace. It will be noted that, the point of engagement 14 between the rollers is directly opposite the openin 11 while the rollers extend upward and ownward respectively from this point. The rollers are mounted in an elongated channel-shaped member 15 rovided with a flanged edge by means of w ich it is secured to the front of the furnace by means of suitable screws or bolts 16. The ends of the channel member 15 are closed by means of plates 17 and '18 provided with bearings 19 and 20 respectivey for the lower roller 13.

In order to provide for a limited amount of'vertical movement of one roller away from the other, this roller, as shown the u per roller 12, has its bearm or journal ens 21 and 22, which are of re uced size, extending throu h vertically elongated slots 23 and 24 in en pieces 17 and 18 respectively. The roller 12 is also 'yieldingly biased in the downward direction directly into engagement with the lower roller by means of suitable springs acting on the bearing members 21 and 22. Since the arrangement with respect to journal 22 onl is shown in detail, it will be described, a though it is understood that the arrangement with ,respectfto journal 21 is identical in construction. As shown, a rec ,tan ar clamping member 25 is mounted at its ower end on the protruding shaft 26 of the lower roll. In the upper end of the member 25 a screw 27 is provided which extends downward into engagement with the upper end of spring 28 havin its lower end bearin inuturn on .a journalliox 29 for the jouma 22. Preferably a cylindrical guide 30 is provided for the spring and the lower end of the screw. It is also contem lated that the rollers will each be tapered slightly from the center to somewhat smaller ends of which the. roller 13- can to compensate for flenure of the rollers and thus assure a uniforrnenga ement of the rollers with each other or the c rge throughout their lengths. A gear wheel 31 is provided onthe end of the bearin 6 by means he turned if desired. I

Inside the channel member 15 is packing means cooperating with the upper'and lower sides of the rollers respectively so as to form tight seals between the rollers and the walls 0 the furnace at these points. As shown, the upper roller 12 is provided with an asbestos brush 32 extending across the front of i the furnace in a horizontal position and having its inner edgeengaging the furnace walls,

and its outere ge formed to fit on the upper side of the roller. To further assure a gastight seal, a second brush 33 is provided between. the roller and the outer wall of the channel member 15. The space between the brushes and the u er wall of the channel f member is filled wit asbestos or other suitable packin 34 which is sufficiently yieldable to rmit t e roller. and brushes to slide up an down a limited amount when the charge is passed between the rollers. A similar arrangement for the lower side of the lower roller is constituted by brushes 35 and 36 and asbestos packing 37.

Y The particular arrangement shown is especially suitable for sealing the furnaces I used in annealing long strips of sheet metal. I The strip'is passed into the furnace between r llers .12 and 1a, theupper roller being thereby lifted slightly against it bia d the two rollers fitting closely against the sheet, of metal so as to prevent the escape of gas. A similar roller seal will of course be provided at the discharge end of the furnace where the sheet of metal leaves the heating chamber. If desired the rollers maybe utithrough the furnace.

lized also as positive feeding means for dri-v ing one of the rollers, such as the lower,

' roller, by a suitable motor connected to the gear 31 whereby the sheet of metal is fed While I have described my invention as,

'embodiedin concrete formand as operating in a specific manner 1n accordance with the ovislons of the patent statute's, it. should he understood that -I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications thereof will suggest themselves vto those vskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States, is:

1. A closure for furnaces comprising a pair of coo erating rotary members between which the charge is passed into said furnace, at least one of said rotary members being tapered 'from its center to each end so that oppositely disposed sides of said rotary mem-.

bers closely a charge passing between them.

2. A furnace comprising walls forminga heating chamber provided with a charging opening, and a pair of rotary members forming a closure for. said openin between which 7 the charge is. passed into sai heating chamber, said rotary members each being tapered from its center to smaller ends so as to closely engage the charge. I

3. A furnace oomprisin walls forming a heating chamber provide with a chargin opening, a pair of rollers mounted in sai opening, sa1d-rollers being tapered so as toclosel en age a charge passing between them and t ere g form 'a closure for said opening, andv yielda 1e means for holding said rollers in engagement with each other to seal said opening, said means bein yieldable to allow the charge to be passed etween said rotary members into said furnace.

4. The combination in a contlnuous furnace for heating elongated articles, of a pair of rollers adjacent the charging opening of said furnace, at least one of said rollers being tapered from its center to each end so that adjacent sides of said rollers closely engage a charge. passed between them, and'means forming a as-tight seal between the outer.

sides of sai rollers and said furnace.

5. The combination in a furnace for continuously aniiealing sheet metal, of walls. forming a heating chamber provided with a charging opening, a air of cooperating rollers arranged in para elrelation adjacent said 0 ening, each of said rollers being tapere from itscenter to eachend so as to

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