Importance

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Abstract

A convection diffuser and charge support system for an annealing furnace utilizes a diffuser base assembly to support a stack of coiled rolls of steel that are to be annealed inside a furnace enclosure. The coils are arranged in a vertical stack atop the base assembly. The furnace enclosure surrounds the base assembly and the stack to provide a 'closed' treatment environment. Convector plates are interposed between the ends of the coils, with a separate convector plate extending horizontally between each set of adjacent coil ends. Each of the convector plates includes an annular structure 1) that has an inner diameter, 2) that has an outer diameter that extends substantially concentrically about the inner diameter, and 3) that defines a plurality of radially extending air flow passages which extend from locations near the outer diameter to locations near the inner diameter for assisting in providing a desired type of convection flow of gases within the furnace enclosure. The annular structure of each convector plate is formed as a casting of nodular iron. Inner and outer diameter portions of each such annular structure are reinforced with inner and outer endless loops of steel chain, respectively. By providing endless loops of steel chain that are embedded within the cast annular structures of the conrection plates, if one of the cast structures should develop a crack, the endless loops of chain serve as safety devices to minimize the possibility that relatively large pieces of the broken plate will shatter or separate unexpectedly.

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First Claim