US2189143A - Roller rail for industrial heating furnaces - Google Patents

Description

1940- H. H. HARRIS ROLLER RAIL FOR INDUSTRIAL HEATING FURNACES Original Fi led Dec.

a m 5 mr 8w MM Mi H A W m? Hflw 00 J i lh i q m E Patented Feb. 6, I940- ROLLER RAIL Fort mnnsmmn HEATING FURNACES PATENT OFFICE Henry H. Harris, Champaign, Ill.

Application December 1, 1937, Serial No. 177,428 Renewed July 13, 1939 2 Claims. (01.193 35) My invention relates to improvements in rails for use in industrial heat treating furnaces, such as carburizing furnaces or the like, through which the loaded work supports, such as trays, boxes or the like, are moved in tandem while supported on rollers mounted for rotation in rails.

Rails of this type are usually heavy, massive castings, and each installation and replacement involves the expenditure of considerable time and expense. The rails are subjected to the load bearing and travellingstresses as well as the'heat conditions which prevail within the furnace, and

thus have a relatively short effective life. Most of'the wear is taken up by the bearings, in which the roller journals rotate, and if any one bearing in a rail becomes worn or cracked, the entire rail is affected and must be replaced. as above stated, is expensive, and it is the object of the present inventionto provide a roller rail with separate, independent roller bearings. r

Another object of my invention is the provision of a roller rail with replaceable and renewable bearings. 1

Another object of my inventionis the provision of a roller bearing for roller rails which can beused in a number of diiferent positions to increase the normal life. of the rail construction.

My invention relates also to improvements in the roller rails themselves as well as in the roller bearings incorporated in the rails, and objects of my invention in addition to those pointed out hereinabove mill in part be pointed out specifically, and in part. will be apparent from the following description of several illustrative em bodiments thereof.

In the drawing annexedhereto and made a part hereof,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section along the broken line I-I of Fig.2; of one form of roller railconstructed according to and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, also partly in section, along the broken line 2--2 of Fig.

of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the form of bearing shown in combination with the rail and roller in Figs. 1-4 inclusive.

Referring to the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1-5 inclusive, the rail section III is substantially channel or U-shaped in cross sec- Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 tion, having a preferably flat base II, upon which the rail section is disposed within the furnace either on the furnace floor or other support therein, and vertical side walls I2, I2. I Rail section I0 may be cast, rolled or otherwise formed,

as desired, of heat and corrosion resisting metal alloy, preferably of nickel, chromium and iron composition. The bearing members I6 andthe rollers. I1 may also be formed of a similar, preferably higher grade, composition metal alloy.

In the upper edges of side walls I2, I2 of the rail I0, I form a number of pairs of transversely aligned, open notches I4, I4 of part polygonal shape, to receive the bearings. The pairs of notches I4 are preferably spaced at equidistant intervals along the length of the rail. I preferably form these notches 4, I4 as part of a regular polygon having an even number of sides, for example, notch I4 is shown having five sides, each of which is a side of an eight-sided polygon, -i. e., an octagon. If desired, notch I4 mightbe formed with. three sides, as part of a square, etc. The five sides of notch I4, which notch is open at the top, are of equal length, comprising vertical side walls I8, I8 angled walls 20, 20 and hori--;

zontal bottom wall 22 (see 2).

The bearing member I6 is shaped to fit and the upper edge of the track. Any of the sides of the bearingmember may be used as the bottom side.

Bearing member I6 is provided with enlarged end portions 24, 24, the peripheries of which end portions 24 correspond in outline to the periphery of bearing member I6, and said end portions 24 preferably have the same number of angled flat faces as does the bearing member I6. When the middle or recessed parts I 5 of the bearing members I6 are inserted and received in notches I4, the enlarged end portions 24, 24 of the bearing membersIG are disposed one on each side of the side wall I2 of the rail III adjacent to the notch I4 and this arrangement serves to secure the bearing member I 6 to the rail. Integral with and extending lengthwise'of the, rail walls I2 I provide a pair of shoulder portions 26, 26 which,

are located respectively on the inside, and on the outsideof the rail wall I2. The bottom faces of on top of these shoulder portions 26 as at 28, and distribute the load bearing stresses over the rail walls.

Bearing members l6 are provided with tapered central bores 30, to receive the correspondingly tapered trunnions 32, 32 which are formed integral with rollers, I8, and in .assembling the rail, the trunnions 32, 32 are fitted into'the bores 30 of members I6 and both the bearing members for a single roller can be placed within the aligned notches l4.

Most of the wear on the rail as a whole is borne by that portion of the bearing which is directly underneath the roller trunnions. Thus, referring to Fig. 2, most of the wear on bearing l6 occurs at region 50, underneath trunnion or pintle 32, and after extended use it is inevitable that the journal becomes affected, either worn, cracked,

warped, or otherwise rendered unusable. With my arrangement, I am enabled to remove the bearing members It from the rail notches, turn thebearing member l6 so that a new face is down andreplace the bearing member so that the adjacent angled face 52. of-the bearing now rests on the bottom .of notch I l, underneath pintle or journal 32. With an octagonal bearing, it is possible to use same in eight different positions, and the life of the bearing is multiplied correspondingly.

The advantagesof my invention reside in the fact that the bearing can be replaced and renewed, in effect, without affecting the rail itself. The rail. is usually the heaviest and most expensive part of the assembly, and since weight is a cost factor, it is an advantage that the life of the rail is increased because, with separate bearings, it takes no wear or stresses directly. The angled faces of the bearingmember make it possible to use the same bearing member in as many different positions as there are faces, .In

the end portions 24 of bearing members l6 rest Figures 1 to 5, I have shown an octagonal bearing which can be used in eight different positions.

In all the modifications of my invention, I form notches of such depth, that the trunnions or pintles of the rollers are below the upper edge of the rail walls. This arrangement prevents the bearing members from becoming dislodged from the notches. s I

With my renewable and replaceable bearings, I am enabled to use a permanent'rail body, since the rail body itself is usually affected to but a slight degree by ordinary furnace conditions.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A roller rail comprising a rail body portion having a floor portion and side walls, transversely aligned, open, part polygonal notches provided in said side walls, bearing members of similar polygonal formation adapted to be removably received within said notches, and means on and a part of the side walls below said notches bearing against the underside of the bearing members to sup-port said bearing members therewithin, and rollers mounted for rotation within said bearing members. ,1-

2. A roller railcomprising a rail body portion having a floor portion and side walls, trans-'- versely aligned, open, part polygonal notches provided in said side walls, bearing'members of regular polygonal formation similar in size and shape to the' notch formation disposed within said notches of the side walls, platforms on the side walls beneath the notches extending out from the walls and extending the, length thereof, en.-

largements on the ends ofsaid bearing members overlying the said side walls and resting on said platforms serving to removably secure said bearing members within said notches, and" rollers mounted for rotation in said bearing members.

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