US2145708A - Flexible tray for carburizing furnaces - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1939. F. J. BLANEY 2,145,708

FLEXIBLE TRAY FOR CARBURIZING FURNACES Filed April 6, 1938 JO 2? I 1 .2%

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4 .1412 25 20 v Q W? 24 m Zwezzor Patented Jan. 31, 1939 FLEXIBLE TRAY FOR CARBURJZIN FURNACES Fred J. Blaney, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Steel Foundry Company, Lima, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application April 6, 1938, Serial No. 200,340

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in work trays for carburizing furnaces and the like, on which material is supported for treatment under high heat conditions.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved form of heat-resisting tray having flexibility as one of its principal charac-- v teristics. Said tray is made of separate pieces, loosely joined together, so as to overcome the effects of unequal stresses ordinarily inducedby heat in rigid structures of the type previously employed for the purpose, which stresses usually resulting in warping, twisting and breakage of the tray, and shortening of its useful life. I

The invention may 'best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tray constructed in accordance therewith.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the tray illustrated in Fig. 1, showing it mounted on supporting rails.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the cross supports with the supporting bars removed and a part of a tie rod partially withdrawn from one end thereof.

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. I

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, the tray is indicated generally at It], and is designed to'be supported in sliding engagement along rails H, II which may pass as usual through a carburizing or other furnace of any suitable form, details of which need not be shown herein. The tray is provided to support work or material while it is being treated under high heat conditions in such furnaces. While especially adapted forprogression through a continuous furnace as'suggested, the tray can also be used with other types of furnaces.

The tray is made up of a plurality of parallel 4O equispaced supporting bars l2, l2 held together at their opposite ends by the tie bars l4, l4

passing loosely through an end hole in each of said bars, and also through hollow spacing tubes I6, I 6 which define the distance between adjacent 5 bars. The outer ends of said tie bars have heads M Hl suitably fixed thereon, as by welding, and

loosely engaging the outer faces of the outermost bars.

Adjacent each end of the't'ray and extending 50 the full width thereof is a support or runner l8 including a web I!) in supporting relation below the supporting bars l2. and a plurality of hollow rectangular bosses 20, 20 formed integral with said web. Said bosses project upwardly between 55 adjacent pairs of bars, but with the side faces of each pair of adjacent bosses spaced apart to form a channel to receive the intermediate bar in loosely fitting engagement therein. The runners l8 also have integral end pieces 2i, 2] loosely fitting against the outer face of the outermost 5 bars. In the form shown, the runners I8, 88 are designed to be slidably rnountedmon the"tracklmie rails, and therefore each of said runners is spaced apart to register with said rails, and also has an integral depending flange 22 along one edge 10 thereof to form guides for the tray.

The runners are connected to each of the supporting bars by tie bars 24, which as herein shown are relatively flat and extend in loosefltting engagement through registering holes or l5 slots 25, 25 in the bosses 20, and similar holes-or slots 26, 26 in the bars l2. The tie bars M are loosely fastened in place, as for instance by welding one end of each bar to one of the end pieces 2|, as indicated at 21, and providing the opposite 20 end with a head 28 in loose-fitting engagement in a countersunk recess 29 formed in the opposite end piece.

With the loose-fitting construction above described, the bars are permitted to have limited 25 universal movement in any direction with respect to the furnaces or supports.

One or more additional transverse supports may also be provided, as indicated at 30. In the form shown, the single support at the center 30 of the tray is similar in construction and arrangement to the runners i8, i8, excepting that it does not have a depending flange to engage a track.

The operation and advantages of the tray above described will now be understood. The bars [2, i2 35 form a substantial supporting surface for the work, but are flexibly supported and loosely connected together by the end tie bars M, II and intermediate supports l8 and 30, all affording a structure sufiiciently rigid for its intended purpose, and yet sufliciently flexible and loosely connected to accommodate itself to the differences in expansion and contraction, and thus be able to withstand the varying temperatures and, resulting stresses and shocks imposed thereon, without warping or breaking. It is also capable of compensating for unevenness of the supporting rails, when progressed therealong in a'continuous rurnace. The parts of the tray are simple and economical to manufacture. and broken parts can be readily replaced as required, rather than discarding the entire tray on account of failure of a single part thereof. I

Although I have shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention. it will be I understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.-

I claim as my invention:

1. In a work tray for'furnaces, a plurality oi? parallel supporting bars and a plurality of transversely disposed supporting members, each of said supporting members including a plurality of spacing members, and connecting-means passing through said spacing members and all of said supporting bars to provide loose fitting vertical and lateral engagement between said supporting bars and said supporting members at a plurality of points both along the margins and between opposite margins of the tray, whereby the tray structure can readily accommodate itself to stresses due to temperature changes imposed on the several parts thereof.

a plurality of points both along the margins and between opposite margins of the tray, and certain of said supporting members having depending guide means formed integral therewith for arearoe 3. In a work tray for furnaces, a plurality ofsimilar parallel supporting bars and a plurality of transversely disposed supports having loose connection therewith, at least some of which comprise continuous bottom webs each having integral upstanding projections with channels therebetween' adapted to receive said bars in loose fitting engagement therein, said bars and said projections having registering holes therethrough, and a tiebar passing in loose fitting engagement through said holes whereby each of said bars has limited universal movement relative to each of said supports.

4 In a work tray for furnaces, a plurality of similar parallel supporting bars and a plurality of transversely disposed supports having loose connection therewith, at least some of which comprise continuous bottom webs each having depending guide means adaptedfor engagement with a track rail, and integralupstanding projections with channels therebetween adapted to receive said bars in loose fitting engagement therein, said bars and said projections having registering holes therethrough,v and a tie bar passing in loose fitting engagement through said holes whereby each of said bars has limited universal movement relative to each of said supports.

FRED J. BLANEY.

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