Metal treatment – Process of modifying or maintaining internal physical... – Heating or cooling of solid metal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2001-07-24
Yee, Deborah (Department: 1742)
Metal treatment
Process of modifying or maintaining internal physical...
Heating or cooling of solid metal
C148S600000, C148S602000, C148S603000, C266S112000, C266S103000, C266S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264769
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to the heat treatment of metal product. More particularly, the invention concerns the conduct of various heat treatments of elongated rolled metal products formed into coils, which heat treatments are conducted in facilities which are in-line with the metal product rolling and coiling apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Various systems are known for the heat treatment of wire rod and coiled bars. Systems in which heat treatment is conducted on the metal product in a heating chamber disposed in-line with the product rolling apparatus, however, have the heating chamber disposed upstream from the coiler and suffer the disadvantages that the process is slow and is limited to heat treatment operations which do not require the metal product to reside in the heating chamber excessive amounts of time. In order to perform heat treatment operations requiring longer duration in the heating chamber, it has been the practice to wind the rod or bar product into coils following the rolling operation, removing the wound coils from the coiling apparatus and transferring the coils to a heat treatment facility which is disposed remotely from the coiling apparatus. This latter procedure suffers from the disadvantages that, even in instances in which it is not necessary to cool the coils prior to transferring them, the coils undergo a significant heat loss during the time required for their removal from the coiler and transfer to the heating chamber that an expense is incurred in adding reheat to the metal product. The practice of transferring coils to a remotely located heating chamber for heat treatment is additionally costly due to the time, manual effort and need for transport facilities, such as carts and rails, for transferring the coils.
It is to the amelioration of these problems therefore to which the present invention is directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an apparatus disposed downstream of the rolling mill and substantially contiguous therewith whereby a considerable variety of heat treatments can be conducted on stock which is immediately coiled and transferred in-line to facilities for conducting the heat treatment operations. Such heat treatments include workability annealing, spheroidizing-annealing, solubilization for austenitic steels, recrystallization for ferritic steels, coil quenching and tempering; patenting, and slow air cooling.
Specifically, according to a principle aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for processing hot rolled steel stock of small sectional shape, such as bars and rods, comprising apparatus for processing hot rolled steel stock of small sectional shape comprising a conveyor having a closed path, a heating chamber disposed interiorly of the path and having an inlet opening and an outlet opening communicating with the conveyor path, coiling means adjacent the conveyor for winding the steel stock into coils, means for transferring wound coils to the conveyor, and means for moving said wound coils about the conveyor path including movement selectively through said heating chamber.
The conveyor is arranged to receive stock coiled on a Garrett line or, alternatively, on a line wherein additional rolling can take place for the production of wire rod, or the like.
For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objectives obtained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and description which relate to a preferred embodiment thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4083218 (1978-04-01), Berz
patent: 4152919 (1979-05-01), Bald et al.
patent: 4834345 (1989-05-01), Kanbara et al.
patent: 5568744 (1996-10-01), Grotepass
patent: 5725696 (1998-03-01), Maresch et al.
patent: 0 862 954 A1 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 358164731A (1983-09-01), None
patent: 402133530A (1990-05-01), None
Tarif Korabi “New Developments Expand Coilbox Applications”Iron and Steel Engineer,Dec. 1, 1996, pp. 18-19, XP000642064.
European Search Report dated Apr. 4, 2000 and Annex.
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Danieli Technology Inc.
Yee Deborah
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