US20180030560A1 - Article processing fixture - Google Patents
Article processing fixture Download PDFInfo
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- US20180030560A1 US20180030560A1 US15/714,279 US201715714279A US2018030560A1 US 20180030560 A1 US20180030560 A1 US 20180030560A1 US 201715714279 A US201715714279 A US 201715714279A US 2018030560 A1 US2018030560 A1 US 2018030560A1
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- Prior art keywords
- elongate members
- fixture
- members
- fixture according
- aperture
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
- C21D9/0006—Details, accessories not peculiar to any of the following furnaces
- C21D9/0025—Supports; Baskets; Containers; Covers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D7/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal
- B65D7/12—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal characterised by wall construction or by connections between walls
- B65D7/14—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal characterised by wall construction or by connections between walls of skeleton or like apertured construction, e.g. baskets or carriers formed of wire mesh, of interconnected bands, bars, or rods, or of perforated sheet metal
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23G—CLEANING OR DE-GREASING OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY CHEMICAL METHODS OTHER THAN ELECTROLYSIS
- C23G3/00—Apparatus for cleaning or pickling metallic material
Definitions
- This application relates generally to a fixture and, more specifically, to a fixture for supporting articles in an industrial process.
- heat treating processes e.g., hardening, annealing, stress relieving, normalizing, solution annealing, aging, quenching, tempering, cryogenic treating, sintering, etc.
- surface treating processes e.g., coating, plating, carburizing, decarburizing, case hardening, nitriding, oxidizing, diffusion hardening, etc.
- joining processes e.g., brazing, diffusion bonding, and soldering, etc.
- articles can be placed on or within fixtures in controlled temperature and chemical environmental enclosures such as, for example, furnaces, ovens, cryogenic baths, molten metal baths, fluidized bed reactors, quench baths, molten salt baths, pickling tanks, passivation tanks, and others.
- Fixtures that are resistant to elevated temperatures, and highly corrosive atmospheres and environments, and have high mechanical strength, high thermal fatigue strength, and other durability factors can be used to contain, support, and transport the articles throughout the various processs(
- a fixture for supporting articles in an industrial process comprises a plurality of first elongate members extending longitudinally in a first direction.
- the plurality of first elongate members each comprise a rod member having a riveted portion at an end thereof.
- the fixture further comprises a plurality of second elongate members extending longitudinally in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction and a plurality of third elongate members extending longitudinally in a third direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.
- the rod member of one of the first elongate members extends through an aperture of one of the second elongate members and an aperture of one of the third elongate members and is movably coupled thereto by its riveted portion.
- the plurality of elongate members are movably coupled together to form a support platform for supporting articles that extends along a support plane.
- each of the plurality of second and third elongate members comprises a flat stock member having a first connecting portion with a first aperture extending therethrough, a second connecting portion with a second aperture extending therethrough, and an intermediate portion joining the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.
- the flat stock member is non-bent and comprises a substantially flat first major surface, a substantially flat second major surface, and a thickness between the first and second major surfaces.
- the substantially flat first major surface extends perpendicular to the support plane.
- the first connecting portion comprises a first width
- the second connecting portion comprises a second width
- the intermediate portion comprises an intermediate width that is less than both the first width and the second width.
- flat stock members for all of the second elongate members are identical to each other and flat stock members for all of the third elongate members are identical to each other.
- the first portion comprises an edge portion that partially circumscribes an axis of the first aperture and maintains a substantially constant thickness of material partially about the aperture in a radial direction.
- flat stock members for all of the second elongate members are substantially identical to each other and flat stock members for all of the third elongate members are substantially identical to each other.
- one of the first elongate members comprises a spacer that the rod member of the first elongate member is inserted through.
- the spacer defines a minimum or maximum distance between one of the plurality of second and third elongate members and another one of the plurality of second and third elongate members.
- all of the plurality of elongate members are movably coupled to each other without welding that forms a load-bearing joint between the plurality of elongate members.
- one of the plurality of elongate members comprises a first material and another one of the plurality of elongate members that is coupled thereto comprises a second material that is different from the first material.
- the first material comprises carbon and the second material comprises nickel alloy.
- the fixture further comprises at least one handle member movably coupled to the plurality of elongated members.
- the handle member comprises a first material and one of the plurality of elongate members that is coupled thereto comprises a second material that is different from the first material.
- the first material is lower in thermal strength than the second material.
- the first material comprises carbon and the second material comprises nickel alloy.
- the fixture further comprises a first stacking member comprising a first stacking portion and a second stacking member comprising a second stacking portion.
- the first and second stacking members are arranged such that when the fixture is stacked with an identical fixture with their first and second stacking portions aligned, the first stacking portion of the fixture will mate with the second stacking portion of the identical fixture.
- the first stacking portion of the fixture comprises a recess and the second stacking portion of the fixture comprises a projection that is receivable within the recess.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example fixture
- FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a first elongate member of the fixture
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example flat stock member of the fixture
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another example flat stock member of the fixture
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of yet another example flat stock member of the fixture
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of still yet another example flat stock member of the fixture.
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the example fixture taken along plane 7 in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the example fixture.
- FIG. 9 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the example fixture and an identical fixture.
- phrases “at least one of” and “one or more of”, as used herein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of the members, or a combination of more than one of the members.
- the phrase “at least one of a first widget and a second widget” means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, or the first widget and the second widget.
- “at least one of a first widget, a second widget and a third widget” means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, the first widget and the second widget, the first widget and the third widget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget and the second widget and the third widget.
- phrases “substantially parallel” and “substantially perpendicular” as used herein respectively mean within 15 degrees or less of parallel and perpendicular, and more preferably, within 10 degrees or less of parallel and perpendicular.
- references numerals in the 100's refer to structure that corresponds to structure referred to by reference numerals having the same last two numbers.
- reference numeral “125” refers to structure that corresponds to the structure referred to by reference numeral “25”.
- aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.
- FIG. 1 A fixture 10 for supporting, containing, and transferring articles in an industrial process is shown in FIG. 1 . More specifically, the fixture 10 may be used for supporting, containing, and transferring articles in industrial processes such as, for example, heat treating processes (e.g., hardening, annealing, stress relieving, normalizing, solution annealing, aging, quenching, tempering, cryogenic treating, sintering, etc.), surface treating processes (e.g., coating, plating, carburizing, decarburizing, case hardening, nitriding, oxidizing, diffusion hardening, etc.), and joining processes (e.g., brazing, diffusion bonding, and soldering, etc.).
- heat treating processes e.g., hardening, annealing, stress relieving, normalizing, solution annealing, aging, quenching, tempering, cryogenic treating, sintering, etc.
- surface treating processes e.g., coating, plating, carburizing, de
- Articles can be placed on or within the fixture 10 in controlled temperature and chemical environmental enclosures such as, for example, furnaces, ovens, cryogenic baths, molten metal baths, fluidized bed reactors, quench baths, molten salt baths, pickling tanks, passivation tanks, and others.
- controlled temperature and chemical environmental enclosures such as, for example, furnaces, ovens, cryogenic baths, molten metal baths, fluidized bed reactors, quench baths, molten salt baths, pickling tanks, passivation tanks, and others.
- the fixture 10 can comprise a plurality of elongate members 12 comprising a plurality of first elongate members 16 ( 16 a - 16 f ), a plurality of second elongate members 18 ( 18 a - 18 e ), and a plurality of third elongate members 20 ( 20 a - 20 k ).
- the plurality of first elongate members 16 each extend longitudinally in a first direction X
- the plurality of second elongate members 18 each extend longitudinally in a second direction Y that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction X
- the plurality of third elongate members 20 each extend longitudinally in a third direction Z that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction Y.
- the fixture 10 may comprise other elongated members that do not extend longitudinally in any of directions X, Y and Z and rather may extend longitudinally in a direction transverse to directions X, Y and Z without departing from the scope of the invention.
- the plurality of first elongate members 16 can each comprise a rod member 24 having a length L 1 and two end portions 26 , as shown in FIG. 2 . Furthermore, the plurality of first elongate members 16 can each comprise one or more spacers 28 that the rod member 24 is inserted through. For embodiments with multiple spacers 28 , the spacers 28 can have similar lengths or different lengths with respect to each other.
- the rod member 24 and the spacers 28 may be substantially cylindrical though in some embodiments, the rod member 24 and the spacers may comprise other shapes.
- the plurality of first elongate members 16 will preferably all have identical or substantially identical structure. By having identical or substantially identical structure, the manufacturing process for creating the plurality of first elongate members 16 is simplified because the same process can be used for all of the members, thus lowering manufacturing costs for the fixture 10 .
- the plurality of first elongate members 16 may have structure that is different with respect to one another without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the lengths of the rod member 24 and the one or more spacers 28 may vary for each first elongate member 16 .
- the plurality of second and third elongate members 18 , 20 can each comprise a flat stock member 32 , examples of which are shown in FIGS. 3-6 .
- the flat stock member 32 comprises a length L 2 , a first major surface 34 , a second major surface 36 , and a thickness T 1 between the first and second major surfaces 34 , 36 .
- the flat stock member 32 is made from flat stock and is preferably non-bent such that the first and second major surfaces 34 , 36 are substantially flat and without bends. By not bending the flat stock member 32 , manufacturing the flat stock member 32 is simplified and costs can be reduced. Moreover, improper bends in the flat stock member 32 can weaken the strength of the flat stock member 32 . It is to be noted, however, that in some embodiments, the flat stock member 32 may be bent without departing from the scope of the invention.
- the flat stock member 32 can comprise one or more connecting portions 40 , each connecting portion having an aperture 42 extending through the flat stock member 32 from the first major surface 34 to the second major surface 36 .
- the flat stock member 32 can further comprise one or more intermediate portions 44 joining the connecting portions 40 .
- the flat stock member 32 can comprise a first connecting portion 40 a having a first aperture 42 a extending therethrough along a first axis X 1 , a second connecting portion 40 b having a second aperture 42 b extending therethrough along a second axis X 2 , and an intermediate portion 44 a joining the first and second connecting portions 40 a, 40 b.
- the flat stock member 32 can comprise more than two connecting portions 40 and apertures 42 and more than one intermediate portion 44 .
- the axes of the apertures 42 can be substantially parallel to each other and aligned to intersect substantially perpendicular with a longitudinal axis Y 1 of the flat stock member 32 .
- the axes can be transverse to each other and/or non-intersecting with the longitudinal axis
- the flat stock member 32 can comprise a number of different shapes.
- the first and second major surfaces 34 , 36 of the flat stock member 32 can comprise a substantially rectangular shape having a width W 1 that is substantially constant along the length L 2 of the flat stock member 32 .
- the width W 1 can be selected to ensure that the flat stock member 32 meets minimum desired strength properties.
- the flat stock member 32 can comprise an alternative shape wherein the intermediate portion(s) 44 comprise a width that is less than the widths of each connecting portion 40 .
- the connecting portions 40 can each comprise an edge portion 52 that partially circumscribes the axis of its corresponding aperture 42 and maintains a substantially constant thickness T 2 of material partially about the aperture 42 in the radial direction.
- the first connecting portion 40 a can comprise a first edge portion 52 a that partially circumscribes the axis X 1 of the first aperture 42 a and the second connecting portion 40 b can comprise a second edge portion 52 b that partially circumscribes the axis X 2 of the second aperture 42 b, maintaining a substantially constant thickness T 2 of material about the first and second apertures 42 a, 42 b in their radial directions.
- the thickness T 2 can be selected to meet minimum desired strength properties for the first and second connecting portions 40 a of the flat stock member 32 .
- the first and second connecting portions 40 a, 40 b will respectively comprise a first and second width W a , W b that is defined by the selected thickness T 2 of material.
- the intermediate portion 44 a of the flat stock member 32 can comprise an intermediate width W c that is selected to meet minimum desired strength properties for the intermediate portion 44 a. Because the intermediate portion 44 a does not contain any apertures 42 , the intermediate portion 44 a can comprise an intermediate width W c that is less than both the first width W a and the second width W b while still maintaining a relatively high strength.
- the alternative shape thus permits the flat stock member 32 to be manufactured with less material than other shapes such as the rectangular shape described above wherein intermediate portions 44 have the same width as the connecting portions 40 . Thus, material costs and overall weight of the fixture 10 can be reduced using the alternative shape.
- the plurality of second and third elongate members 18 , 20 can each comprise the flat stock member 32 according to any of the configurations discussed above. Moreover, plurality of second and third elongate members 18 , 20 need not all comprise the flat stock member 32 according to the same configuration. For example, the shape, size, number of connecting portions 40 , and number of intermediate portions 44 for the flat stock member 32 can vary for each of the second and third elongate members 18 , 20 . For instance, as can be seen in FIG. 1 , the length of the plurality of second elongate members 18 can be greater than the length of the plurality of third elongate members 20 .
- the number of connecting portions 40 for the plurality of second elongate members 18 can be greater than the number of connecting portions 40 for the plurality of third elongate members 20 .
- the flat stock members 32 for all of the second elongate members 18 are identical or substantially identical to each other and the flat stock members 32 for all of the third elongate members 20 are identical or substantially identical to each other.
- the flat stock members 32 for all of the second elongate members 18 and the third elongate members 20 are identical or substantially identical to each other.
- the manufacturing process for creating the plurality of second and third elongate members 18 , 20 is simplified because the same process can be used for multiple elongate members, thus lowering manufacturing costs for the fixture 10 .
- the plurality of elongate members 12 are non-integral with each other and can be movably coupled together to form a support platform 50 for supporting articles that extends along a support plane P, as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the plurality of elongate members 12 can also be movably coupled together to form wall portions 54 extending substantially perpendicular to the support plane P to contain the articles on the support platform 50 .
- One or more of the second and third elongate members 18 , 20 can be arranged such that their first and second major surfaces 34 , 36 extend perpendicular to the support plane P. Such an arrangement will help improve the strength of the second and third elongate members 18 , 20 in the Z direction and thus permit the fixture 10 to carry heavier articles.
- all of the second and third elongate members 18 , 20 are arranged such that their first and second major surfaces 34 , 36 extend perpendicular to the support plane P.
- the plurality of elongate members 12 can be movably coupled together by extending the rod member 24 of one of the first elongate members 16 through the apertures 42 of a second elongate member 18 and a third elongate member 20 and then forming a riveted portion at one or both end portions 26 of the rod member 24 .
- the rod member 24 of first elongate member 16 a extends through the aperture 42 of second elongate member 18 a and the aperture 42 of third elongate member 20 a and is coupled to the second and third elongate members 18 a, 20 a by a riveted portion 58 formed at its end portion 26 .
- the riveted coupling is movable as it allows for differential movement between the elongate members 16 a, 18 a, 20 a, thus permitting the elongate members 16 a, 18 a, 20 a to expand, contract, warp, etc. during processing without damaging the coupling.
- the one or more spacers 28 can be used to help maintain the structure of the fixture 10 by defining a minimum and/or maximum distance between one of the plurality of second and third elongate members 18 , 20 and another one of the plurality of second and third elongate members 18 , 20 .
- the first elongate member 16 a comprises a first spacer 28 a and a second spacer 28 b.
- the first spacer 28 a defines a minimum distance between the second elongate member 18 a and third elongate member 20 b.
- the second spacer 28 b defines a minimum distance between the third elongate member 20 b and second elongate member 18 b.
- the minimum distances defined by the spacers 28 a, 28 b may be identical or substantially identical to each other or different.
- the fixture 10 can further comprise a handle member 60 .
- the handle member 60 may comprise one of the elongate members 12 discussed above or the handle member 60 may be a separate component of the fixture 10 .
- the handle member 60 is separate from the elongate members 12 discussed above and comprises a handle portion 62 and two connecting portions 64 .
- the handle member 60 may comprise just one connecting portion 64 or, alternatively, more than two connecting portions 64 .
- Each connecting portion 64 can comprise an aperture 66 extending through the connecting portion 64 .
- the handle portion 62 is preferably located above the plurality of elongated members 12 relative to the support plane P such that the handle portion 62 will experience relatively less severe thermal conditions than the lower positioned elongate members 12 during heat treatment processes.
- the handle member 60 can be movably coupled to the plurality of elongated members 12 by extending the rod member 24 of one of the first elongate members 16 through an aperture 66 of the handle member 60 and an aperture 42 of one of the second elongate members 18 and/or an aperture 42 of one of the third elongate members 20 .
- a riveted portion at the end portion 26 of the rod member 24 may then be formed to provide a riveted coupling. For example, as can be seen in FIG.
- the rod member 24 of first elongate member 16 a extends through both apertures 66 of the handle member 60 as well as apertures 42 in the second elongate members 18 a, 18 b and the third elongate members 20 a, 20 b, 20 c.
- Riveted portions 58 are provided at both end portions 26 of the rod member 24 , thereby movably coupling the handle member 60 to the first elongate member 16 a, the second elongate members 18 a, 18 b, and the third elongate members 20 a, 20 b, 20 c.
- some of the members 12 , 60 of the fixture 10 may be coupled together using a riveted coupling as described above while some of the members 12 , 60 may be coupled together using other forms of coupling such as, for example, bolting or welding.
- all of the members 12 , 60 can be movably coupled together using riveted couplings such that all of the members 12 , 60 are movably coupled to each other without any welding.
- the fixture 10 will have no welding that forms a load-bearing joint between any of its members 12 , 60 . Coupling the members 12 , 60 together with riveted couplings instead of welds can allow for members 12 , 60 of different materials to be coupled together that otherwise could not be coupled together via welds due to the differing properties of their materials.
- one of the plurality of elongate members 12 can comprise a first material and another one of the plurality of elongate members 12 that is coupled thereto can comprise a second material that is different from the first material.
- the first elongate member 16 a can comprise a first material and is coupled to the second elongate member 18 a and the third elongate member 20 a, either or both of which can comprise a second material that is different from the first material.
- the first material may comprise carbon steel while the second material comprises nickel alloy, though other materials such as for example, stainless steel, ceramic or some other dissimilar material to the first material may be used in different embodiments.
- the handle member 60 can comprise a first material and one of the plurality of elongate members 12 that is coupled thereto can comprise a second material that is different from the first material.
- the handle member 60 can comprise a first material and is coupled to the first elongate member 16 a, the second elongate members 18 a, 18 b, and the third elongate members 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, any or all of which can comprise a second material that is different from the first material.
- the second material for the elongate members 16 a, 18 a, 18 b, 20 a, 20 b, 20 c can comprise a high thermal strength material such as, for example, nickel alloy, that can withstand high thermal loads and/or highly corrosive applications/environments.
- the first material for the handle member 60 may comprise a material that is lower in thermal strength but less expensive than the first material (e.g., lower alloy metal or carbon steel).
- the fixture 10 can comprise a plane of demarcation D that divides the fixture 10 into a top portion 68 and a bottom portion 70 , the top portion 68 being above the bottom portion 70 relative to the support plane P.
- the members 12 , 60 located in the bottom portion 62 can comprise a first material while members 12 , 60 located in the top portion 60 can comprise a second material.
- the second material for the members 12 , 60 located in the bottom portion 62 can comprise a high thermal strength material such as, for example, nickel alloy, that can withstand high thermal loads or highly corrosive applications.
- the first material for the members 12 , 60 located in the top portion 60 may comprise a material that is lower in thermal strength but less costly than the first material (e.g., lower alloy metal or carbon steel).
- the members 12 , 60 may all comprise the same material without departing from the scope of the invention.
- one of the members 12 , 60 comprises a first material while another one of the members 12 , 60 comprises a second material
- other members 12 , 60 comprise one or more materials dissimilar to the first and second material without departing from the scope of the invention.
- every one of the members 12 , 60 comprises a material different from the rest of the members 12 , 60 .
- the fixture 10 can further comprise a plurality of stacking members 72 .
- Each stacking member 72 may be integral with one of the elongated members 12 described above or each stacking member 72 may be a separate component of the fixture 10 .
- some of the stacking members 72 may be integral with the elongated members 12 while some of the stacking members 72 may be separate components.
- all of the stacking members 72 are separate components that are coupled to the elongate members 12 .
- the plurality of stacking members 72 can comprise one or more first stacking members 74 and one or more second stacking members 76 .
- Each of the first stacking members 74 comprises a first stacking portion 78 while each of the second stacking members comprises a second stacking portion 80 .
- the first and second stacking portions 78 , 80 can comprise any structure that can mate and/or interlock with each other.
- the first stacking portion(s) 78 of the fixture 10 can comprise a recess while the second stacking portion(s) 80 of the fixture 10 can comprise a projection that is receivable within the recess and can interlock with the first stacking portion(s) 78 .
- the second stacking portion(s) 80 of the fixture 10 can comprise a recess and the first stacking portion(s) 78 of the fixture 10 can comprise a projection that is receivable within the recess and can interlock with the second stacking portion(s) 80 .
- the first and second stacking members 74 , 76 of the fixture 10 can be arranged to mate with stacking members of another fixture.
- the first and second stacking members 74 , 76 of the fixture 10 can be arranged such that when a fixture 110 having identical or substantially identical structure is stacked on top of the fixture 10 with the wall portions 54 , 154 and stacking portions 78 , 180 of both fixtures 10 , 110 being aligned, the first stacking portion(s) 78 of the fixture 10 will mate with the second stacking portion(s) 180 of the second fixture 110 .
- first and second stacking members 74 , 76 of the fixture 10 can arranged such that when the fixture 10 is stacked on top of the fixture 110 with the wall portions 54 , 154 and stacking portions 178 , 80 of both fixtures 10 , 110 being aligned, the first stacking portion(s) 178 of the identical fixture 110 will mate with the second stacking portion(s) 80 of the fixture 10 .
- the first and second stacking members 72 , 74 can assist in aligning the fixtures 10 , 110 when stacking them together by guiding the fixtures 10 , 110 into alignment with their structure.
- the fixture 10 may or may not comprise the plurality of stacking members 72 without departing from the scope of the invention. It is further to be noted that although the fixture 10 may comprise first and second stacking members 74 , 76 arranged to mate with the first and second stacking members 174 , 176 of the identical fixture 110 , it is not intended that the identical fixture 110 be present for the fixture 10 to be within the scope of the invention. For example, in some embodiments, the fixture 10 may be stacked with a non-identical fixture. As another example, in some embodiments, a second fixture may not even be present.
- the fixture 10 may be by itself but comprise first and second stacking members 74 , 76 arranged such that when the fixture 10 is stacked with an identical fixture with their wall portions aligned, the first stacking portion(s) 78 of the fixture 10 will mate with the second stacking portion(s) of the identical fixture.
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/892,871, filed Oct. 18, 2013, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
- This application relates generally to a fixture and, more specifically, to a fixture for supporting articles in an industrial process.
- In industrial processes such as, for example, heat treating processes (e.g., hardening, annealing, stress relieving, normalizing, solution annealing, aging, quenching, tempering, cryogenic treating, sintering, etc.), surface treating processes (e.g., coating, plating, carburizing, decarburizing, case hardening, nitriding, oxidizing, diffusion hardening, etc.), and joining processes (e.g., brazing, diffusion bonding, and soldering, etc.), articles can be placed on or within fixtures in controlled temperature and chemical environmental enclosures such as, for example, furnaces, ovens, cryogenic baths, molten metal baths, fluidized bed reactors, quench baths, molten salt baths, pickling tanks, passivation tanks, and others. Fixtures that are resistant to elevated temperatures, and highly corrosive atmospheres and environments, and have high mechanical strength, high thermal fatigue strength, and other durability factors can be used to contain, support, and transport the articles throughout the various processs(es).
- The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects described in the detailed description.
- In one embodiment, a fixture for supporting articles in an industrial process comprises a plurality of first elongate members extending longitudinally in a first direction. The plurality of first elongate members each comprise a rod member having a riveted portion at an end thereof. The fixture further comprises a plurality of second elongate members extending longitudinally in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction and a plurality of third elongate members extending longitudinally in a third direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The rod member of one of the first elongate members extends through an aperture of one of the second elongate members and an aperture of one of the third elongate members and is movably coupled thereto by its riveted portion.
- In one example of the embodiment, the plurality of elongate members are movably coupled together to form a support platform for supporting articles that extends along a support plane.
- In another example of the embodiment, each of the plurality of second and third elongate members comprises a flat stock member having a first connecting portion with a first aperture extending therethrough, a second connecting portion with a second aperture extending therethrough, and an intermediate portion joining the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.
- In yet another example of the embodiment, the flat stock member is non-bent and comprises a substantially flat first major surface, a substantially flat second major surface, and a thickness between the first and second major surfaces. In one example, the substantially flat first major surface extends perpendicular to the support plane.
- In still yet another example of the embodiment, the first connecting portion comprises a first width, the second connecting portion comprises a second width, and the intermediate portion comprises an intermediate width that is less than both the first width and the second width. In one example, flat stock members for all of the second elongate members are identical to each other and flat stock members for all of the third elongate members are identical to each other.
- In another example of the embodiment, the first portion comprises an edge portion that partially circumscribes an axis of the first aperture and maintains a substantially constant thickness of material partially about the aperture in a radial direction.
- In yet another example of the embodiment, flat stock members for all of the second elongate members are substantially identical to each other and flat stock members for all of the third elongate members are substantially identical to each other.
- In still yet another example of the embodiment, one of the first elongate members comprises a spacer that the rod member of the first elongate member is inserted through. The spacer defines a minimum or maximum distance between one of the plurality of second and third elongate members and another one of the plurality of second and third elongate members.
- In another example of the embodiment, all of the plurality of elongate members are movably coupled to each other without welding that forms a load-bearing joint between the plurality of elongate members.
- In yet another example of the embodiment, one of the plurality of elongate members comprises a first material and another one of the plurality of elongate members that is coupled thereto comprises a second material that is different from the first material. In one example, the first material comprises carbon and the second material comprises nickel alloy.
- In still yet another example of the embodiment, the fixture further comprises at least one handle member movably coupled to the plurality of elongated members. In one example, the handle member comprises a first material and one of the plurality of elongate members that is coupled thereto comprises a second material that is different from the first material. In another example, the first material is lower in thermal strength than the second material. In still another example, the first material comprises carbon and the second material comprises nickel alloy.
- In another example of the embodiment, the fixture further comprises a first stacking member comprising a first stacking portion and a second stacking member comprising a second stacking portion. In one example, the first and second stacking members are arranged such that when the fixture is stacked with an identical fixture with their first and second stacking portions aligned, the first stacking portion of the fixture will mate with the second stacking portion of the identical fixture. In another example, the first stacking portion of the fixture comprises a recess and the second stacking portion of the fixture comprises a projection that is receivable within the recess.
- The embodiment described above may be provided alone or in combination with any one or more of the examples of the embodiment discussed above.
- Embodiments of the invention are better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example fixture; -
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a first elongate member of the fixture; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example flat stock member of the fixture; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another example flat stock member of the fixture; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of yet another example flat stock member of the fixture; -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of still yet another example flat stock member of the fixture; -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the example fixture taken along plane 7 inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the example fixture; and -
FIG. 9 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the example fixture and an identical fixture. - Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language used herein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which like numerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in the drawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.
- It is to be noted that the phrases “at least one of” and “one or more of”, as used herein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of the members, or a combination of more than one of the members. For example, the phrase “at least one of a first widget and a second widget” means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, or the first widget and the second widget. Likewise, “at least one of a first widget, a second widget and a third widget” means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, the first widget and the second widget, the first widget and the third widget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget and the second widget and the third widget.
- It is further to be noted that the phrases “substantially parallel” and “substantially perpendicular” as used herein respectively mean within 15 degrees or less of parallel and perpendicular, and more preferably, within 10 degrees or less of parallel and perpendicular.
- It is still further to be noted that the phrase “substantially identical” as used herein when describing two or more features means that the features are manufactured to be identical but may have slight differences in composition, size, or shape due to manufacturing tolerances.
- Examples will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which example embodiments are shown. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Also, references numerals in the 100's refer to structure that corresponds to structure referred to by reference numerals having the same last two numbers. For example, reference numeral “125” refers to structure that corresponds to the structure referred to by reference numeral “25”. However, aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.
- A
fixture 10 for supporting, containing, and transferring articles in an industrial process is shown inFIG. 1 . More specifically, thefixture 10 may be used for supporting, containing, and transferring articles in industrial processes such as, for example, heat treating processes (e.g., hardening, annealing, stress relieving, normalizing, solution annealing, aging, quenching, tempering, cryogenic treating, sintering, etc.), surface treating processes (e.g., coating, plating, carburizing, decarburizing, case hardening, nitriding, oxidizing, diffusion hardening, etc.), and joining processes (e.g., brazing, diffusion bonding, and soldering, etc.). Articles can be placed on or within thefixture 10 in controlled temperature and chemical environmental enclosures such as, for example, furnaces, ovens, cryogenic baths, molten metal baths, fluidized bed reactors, quench baths, molten salt baths, pickling tanks, passivation tanks, and others. - The
fixture 10 can comprise a plurality ofelongate members 12 comprising a plurality of first elongate members 16 (16 a-16 f), a plurality of second elongate members 18 (18 a-18 e), and a plurality of third elongate members 20 (20 a-20 k). The plurality of firstelongate members 16 each extend longitudinally in a first direction X, the plurality of second elongate members 18 each extend longitudinally in a second direction Y that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction X, and the plurality of third elongate members 20 each extend longitudinally in a third direction Z that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction Y. Notably, thefixture 10 may comprise other elongated members that do not extend longitudinally in any of directions X, Y and Z and rather may extend longitudinally in a direction transverse to directions X, Y and Z without departing from the scope of the invention. - The plurality of first
elongate members 16 can each comprise arod member 24 having a length L1 and twoend portions 26, as shown inFIG. 2 . Furthermore, the plurality of firstelongate members 16 can each comprise one ormore spacers 28 that therod member 24 is inserted through. For embodiments withmultiple spacers 28, thespacers 28 can have similar lengths or different lengths with respect to each other. Therod member 24 and thespacers 28 may be substantially cylindrical though in some embodiments, therod member 24 and the spacers may comprise other shapes. - The plurality of first
elongate members 16 will preferably all have identical or substantially identical structure. By having identical or substantially identical structure, the manufacturing process for creating the plurality of firstelongate members 16 is simplified because the same process can be used for all of the members, thus lowering manufacturing costs for thefixture 10. However, the plurality of firstelongate members 16 may have structure that is different with respect to one another without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the lengths of therod member 24 and the one ormore spacers 28 may vary for each firstelongate member 16. - The plurality of second and third elongate members 18, 20 can each comprise a
flat stock member 32, examples of which are shown inFIGS. 3-6 . Theflat stock member 32 comprises a length L2, a firstmajor surface 34, a secondmajor surface 36, and a thickness T1 between the first and secondmajor surfaces flat stock member 32 is made from flat stock and is preferably non-bent such that the first and secondmajor surfaces flat stock member 32, manufacturing theflat stock member 32 is simplified and costs can be reduced. Moreover, improper bends in theflat stock member 32 can weaken the strength of theflat stock member 32. It is to be noted, however, that in some embodiments, theflat stock member 32 may be bent without departing from the scope of the invention. - The
flat stock member 32 can comprise one or more connectingportions 40, each connecting portion having anaperture 42 extending through theflat stock member 32 from the firstmajor surface 34 to the secondmajor surface 36. Theflat stock member 32 can further comprise one or more intermediate portions 44 joining the connectingportions 40. For example, theflat stock member 32 can comprise a first connecting portion 40 a having a first aperture 42 a extending therethrough along a first axis X1, a second connecting portion 40 b having a second aperture 42 b extending therethrough along a second axis X2, and an intermediate portion 44 a joining the first and second connecting portions 40 a, 40 b. In some examples, theflat stock member 32 can comprise more than two connectingportions 40 andapertures 42 and more than one intermediate portion 44. The axes of theapertures 42 can be substantially parallel to each other and aligned to intersect substantially perpendicular with a longitudinal axis Y1 of theflat stock member 32. However, in some examples, the axes can be transverse to each other and/or non-intersecting with the longitudinal axis - The
flat stock member 32 can comprise a number of different shapes. For example, as shown inFIGS. 3 & 4 , the first and secondmajor surfaces flat stock member 32 can comprise a substantially rectangular shape having a width W1 that is substantially constant along the length L2 of theflat stock member 32. The width W1 can be selected to ensure that theflat stock member 32 meets minimum desired strength properties. - Alternatively, as shown in
FIGS. 5 & 6 , theflat stock member 32 can comprise an alternative shape wherein the intermediate portion(s) 44 comprise a width that is less than the widths of each connectingportion 40. Moreover, the connectingportions 40 can each comprise anedge portion 52 that partially circumscribes the axis of its correspondingaperture 42 and maintains a substantially constant thickness T2 of material partially about theaperture 42 in the radial direction. For example, the first connecting portion 40 a can comprise a first edge portion 52 a that partially circumscribes the axis X1 of the first aperture 42 a and the second connecting portion 40 b can comprise a second edge portion 52 b that partially circumscribes the axis X2 of the second aperture 42 b, maintaining a substantially constant thickness T2 of material about the first and second apertures 42 a, 42 b in their radial directions. The thickness T2 can be selected to meet minimum desired strength properties for the first and second connecting portions 40 a of theflat stock member 32. As a result, the first and second connecting portions 40 a, 40 b will respectively comprise a first and second width Wa, Wb that is defined by the selected thickness T2 of material. Meanwhile, the intermediate portion 44 a of theflat stock member 32 can comprise an intermediate width Wc that is selected to meet minimum desired strength properties for the intermediate portion 44 a. Because the intermediate portion 44 a does not contain anyapertures 42, the intermediate portion 44 a can comprise an intermediate width Wc that is less than both the first width Wa and the second width Wb while still maintaining a relatively high strength. The alternative shape thus permits theflat stock member 32 to be manufactured with less material than other shapes such as the rectangular shape described above wherein intermediate portions 44 have the same width as the connectingportions 40. Thus, material costs and overall weight of thefixture 10 can be reduced using the alternative shape. - The plurality of second and third elongate members 18, 20 can each comprise the
flat stock member 32 according to any of the configurations discussed above. Moreover, plurality of second and third elongate members 18, 20 need not all comprise theflat stock member 32 according to the same configuration. For example, the shape, size, number of connectingportions 40, and number of intermediate portions 44 for theflat stock member 32 can vary for each of the second and third elongate members 18, 20. For instance, as can be seen inFIG. 1 , the length of the plurality of second elongate members 18 can be greater than the length of the plurality of third elongate members 20. Moreover, the number of connectingportions 40 for the plurality of second elongate members 18 can be greater than the number of connectingportions 40 for the plurality of third elongate members 20. Preferably, however, theflat stock members 32 for all of the second elongate members 18 are identical or substantially identical to each other and theflat stock members 32 for all of the third elongate members 20 are identical or substantially identical to each other. Still more preferably, theflat stock members 32 for all of the second elongate members 18 and the third elongate members 20 are identical or substantially identical to each other. By havingflat stock members 32 that are identical or substantially identical to each other, the manufacturing process for creating the plurality of second and third elongate members 18, 20 is simplified because the same process can be used for multiple elongate members, thus lowering manufacturing costs for thefixture 10. - The plurality of
elongate members 12 are non-integral with each other and can be movably coupled together to form asupport platform 50 for supporting articles that extends along a support plane P, as shown inFIG. 1 . The plurality ofelongate members 12 can also be movably coupled together to formwall portions 54 extending substantially perpendicular to the support plane P to contain the articles on thesupport platform 50. One or more of the second and third elongate members 18, 20 can be arranged such that their first and secondmajor surfaces fixture 10 to carry heavier articles. Preferably, all of the second and third elongate members 18, 20 are arranged such that their first and secondmajor surfaces - The plurality of
elongate members 12 can be movably coupled together by extending therod member 24 of one of the firstelongate members 16 through theapertures 42 of a second elongate member 18 and a third elongate member 20 and then forming a riveted portion at one or bothend portions 26 of therod member 24. For example, as can be seen inFIG. 7 , therod member 24 of firstelongate member 16 a extends through theaperture 42 of secondelongate member 18 a and theaperture 42 of thirdelongate member 20 a and is coupled to the second and thirdelongate members portion 58 formed at itsend portion 26. The riveted coupling is movable as it allows for differential movement between theelongate members elongate members - For embodiments wherein one or more of the first
elongate members 16 comprises one ormore spacers 28, the one ormore spacers 28 can be used to help maintain the structure of thefixture 10 by defining a minimum and/or maximum distance between one of the plurality of second and third elongate members 18, 20 and another one of the plurality of second and third elongate members 18, 20. For example, as can be seen inFIG. 1 , the firstelongate member 16 a comprises afirst spacer 28 a and asecond spacer 28 b. Thefirst spacer 28 a defines a minimum distance between the secondelongate member 18 a and thirdelongate member 20 b. Meanwhile, thesecond spacer 28 b defines a minimum distance between the thirdelongate member 20 b and secondelongate member 18 b. The minimum distances defined by thespacers - Turning now to
FIG. 8 , in some embodiments, thefixture 10 can further comprise ahandle member 60. Thehandle member 60 may comprise one of theelongate members 12 discussed above or thehandle member 60 may be a separate component of thefixture 10. In the present example, thehandle member 60 is separate from theelongate members 12 discussed above and comprises ahandle portion 62 and two connectingportions 64. In other examples, thehandle member 60 may comprise just one connectingportion 64 or, alternatively, more than two connectingportions 64. Each connectingportion 64 can comprise anaperture 66 extending through the connectingportion 64. Thehandle portion 62 is preferably located above the plurality ofelongated members 12 relative to the support plane P such that thehandle portion 62 will experience relatively less severe thermal conditions than the lower positionedelongate members 12 during heat treatment processes. - The
handle member 60 can be movably coupled to the plurality ofelongated members 12 by extending therod member 24 of one of the firstelongate members 16 through anaperture 66 of thehandle member 60 and anaperture 42 of one of the second elongate members 18 and/or anaperture 42 of one of the third elongate members 20. A riveted portion at theend portion 26 of therod member 24 may then be formed to provide a riveted coupling. For example, as can be seen inFIG. 8 , therod member 24 of firstelongate member 16 a extends through bothapertures 66 of thehandle member 60 as well asapertures 42 in the secondelongate members elongate members Riveted portions 58 are provided at bothend portions 26 of therod member 24, thereby movably coupling thehandle member 60 to the firstelongate member 16 a, the secondelongate members elongate members - In some embodiments, some of the
members fixture 10 may be coupled together using a riveted coupling as described above while some of themembers members members fixture 10 will have no welding that forms a load-bearing joint between any of itsmembers members members - For example, in some embodiments, one of the plurality of
elongate members 12 can comprise a first material and another one of the plurality ofelongate members 12 that is coupled thereto can comprise a second material that is different from the first material. For instance, as shown inFIG. 1 , the firstelongate member 16 a can comprise a first material and is coupled to the secondelongate member 18 a and the thirdelongate member 20 a, either or both of which can comprise a second material that is different from the first material. More specifically, the first material may comprise carbon steel while the second material comprises nickel alloy, though other materials such as for example, stainless steel, ceramic or some other dissimilar material to the first material may be used in different embodiments. - As another example, in some embodiments, the
handle member 60 can comprise a first material and one of the plurality ofelongate members 12 that is coupled thereto can comprise a second material that is different from the first material. For instance, as shown inFIG. 8 , thehandle member 60 can comprise a first material and is coupled to the firstelongate member 16 a, the secondelongate members elongate members elongate members handle member 60 will experience relatively less severe conditions than the alternately positionedelongate members handle member 60 may comprise a material that is lower in thermal strength but less expensive than the first material (e.g., lower alloy metal or carbon steel). - As yet another example, in some embodiments, the
fixture 10 can comprise a plane of demarcation D that divides thefixture 10 into atop portion 68 and abottom portion 70, thetop portion 68 being above thebottom portion 70 relative to the support plane P. In such embodiments, themembers bottom portion 62 can comprise a first material whilemembers top portion 60 can comprise a second material. More specifically, the second material for themembers bottom portion 62 can comprise a high thermal strength material such as, for example, nickel alloy, that can withstand high thermal loads or highly corrosive applications. Meanwhile, because themembers top portion 60 will experience relatively less severe conditions than the alternately positionedmembers bottom portion 62, the first material for themembers top portion 60 may comprise a material that is lower in thermal strength but less costly than the first material (e.g., lower alloy metal or carbon steel). - Although the above examples describe embodiments wherein some of the
members members members members other members members members - Turning now to
FIG. 9 , in some embodiments, thefixture 10 can further comprise a plurality of stacking members 72. Each stacking member 72 may be integral with one of theelongated members 12 described above or each stacking member 72 may be a separate component of thefixture 10. In some embodiments, some of the stacking members 72 may be integral with theelongated members 12 while some of the stacking members 72 may be separate components. In the present example, all of the stacking members 72 are separate components that are coupled to theelongate members 12. - The plurality of stacking members 72 can comprise one or more first stacking members 74 and one or more second stacking members 76. Each of the first stacking members 74 comprises a first stacking
portion 78 while each of the second stacking members comprises a second stackingportion 80. The first and second stackingportions fixture 10 can comprise a recess while the second stacking portion(s) 80 of thefixture 10 can comprise a projection that is receivable within the recess and can interlock with the first stacking portion(s) 78. As another example, the second stacking portion(s) 80 of thefixture 10 can comprise a recess and the first stacking portion(s) 78 of thefixture 10 can comprise a projection that is receivable within the recess and can interlock with the second stacking portion(s) 80. - The first and second stacking members 74, 76 of the
fixture 10 can be arranged to mate with stacking members of another fixture. For example, as shown inFIG. 9 , the first and second stacking members 74, 76 of thefixture 10 can be arranged such that when afixture 110 having identical or substantially identical structure is stacked on top of thefixture 10 with thewall portions portions fixtures fixture 10 will mate with the second stacking portion(s) 180 of thesecond fixture 110. Likewise, the first and second stacking members 74, 76 of thefixture 10 can arranged such that when thefixture 10 is stacked on top of thefixture 110 with thewall portions portions fixtures identical fixture 110 will mate with the second stacking portion(s) 80 of thefixture 10. Thus, the first and second stacking members 72, 74 can assist in aligning thefixtures fixtures - It is to be noted that the
fixture 10 may or may not comprise the plurality of stacking members 72 without departing from the scope of the invention. It is further to be noted that although thefixture 10 may comprise first and second stacking members 74, 76 arranged to mate with the first and second stacking members 174, 176 of theidentical fixture 110, it is not intended that theidentical fixture 110 be present for thefixture 10 to be within the scope of the invention. For example, in some embodiments, thefixture 10 may be stacked with a non-identical fixture. As another example, in some embodiments, a second fixture may not even be present. For instance, thefixture 10 may be by itself but comprise first and second stacking members 74, 76 arranged such that when thefixture 10 is stacked with an identical fixture with their wall portions aligned, the first stacking portion(s) 78 of thefixture 10 will mate with the second stacking portion(s) of the identical fixture. - Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations within the scope of the present invention.
Claims (21)
Priority Applications (1)
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US15/714,279 US20180030560A1 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2017-09-25 | Article processing fixture |
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US201361892871P | 2013-10-18 | 2013-10-18 | |
US14/518,725 US9869004B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2014-10-20 | Article processing fixture |
US15/714,279 US20180030560A1 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2017-09-25 | Article processing fixture |
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US14/518,725 Continuation US9869004B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2014-10-20 | Article processing fixture |
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Cited By (1)
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CN109055696A (en) * | 2018-09-12 | 2018-12-21 | 西安飞机工业(集团)有限责任公司 | A kind of heat-treatment furnace charging basket device |
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FR3050812B1 (en) * | 2016-04-28 | 2019-11-29 | Arianegroup Sas | LOADING TOOLS WITH HIGH MODULARITY |
WO2020012222A1 (en) * | 2018-07-11 | 2020-01-16 | Arcelormittal | Method to control the cooling of a metal product |
CN112725812A (en) * | 2020-12-18 | 2021-04-30 | 四川德兰航宇科技发展有限责任公司 | Preparation method for improving fatigue performance of upper anvil of hydraulic press |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US9869004B2 (en) | 2018-01-16 |
US20150108703A1 (en) | 2015-04-23 |
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