Importance

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Abstract

A single charge continuous rotary retort furnace for heat treating machine parts in a sealed atmosphere, including a rotary retort furnace housing having an inlet and outlet end with a feeder assembly at the inlet end that has a plurality of chambers for supplying the machine parts to the rotary retort furnace housing to be heat treated. In addition, the rotary retort furnace includes a locking collar assembly for connecting the feeder assembly to the inlet end of the rotary retort furnace housing having locking tabs for locking the feeder assembly to the locking collar assembly; pistons and cylinders for rotating the locking collar assembly relative to the feeder assembly; and a device for sealing the feeder assembly relative to the locking collar assembly to create an atmospheric seal in the retort furnace housing for enabling the machine parts to be heat treated. The rotary retort furnace further includes drive means for rotating as a unit the retort furnace housing, the feeder assembly and the locking collar assembly for heat treating the machine parts. The rotary retort furnace also includes an internal discharge chute assembly cooperating with the outlet end of the rotary retort furnace housing for removing therefrom the heat-treated machine parts, and an outer discharge chute assembly cooperating with the internal discharge chute assembly for receiving the heat-treated machine parts from the internal discharge chute assembly and for transferring the machine parts to a quench medium in a quench tank.

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First Claim