Importance

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Abstract

A rigid ceramic refractory base for a plural-stack annealing furnace--such as an eight-stack furnace that has two 'four-stack rows' or 'halves' arranged side by side--is assembled atop a base support structure utilizing a novel set of cast refractory segments, including spaced sets of inner segments, with each set of inner segments being surrounded by a sub-set of outer segments. Defined between each set of inner segments and its surrounding sub-set of outer segments is a circular inner seal positioning trough that opens upwardly, and that has a tapered cross section that narrows with depth. A resilient but reinforced inner seal of novel form is installed in each of the troughs, with each of these seals utilizing upper and lower blankets of refactory fiber material that sandwich a plurality of elongate refractory fiber modules arranged end-to-end to circumferentially fill the trough. Each of the modules includes a serial array of compressed, cube-shaped blocks of fiber refractory material that are interspersed with thin, perforated metal members, with each of the arrays of fiber blocks and metal members being held together to form a module by metal rods that extend centrally therethrough and are welded to perforated metal members that cap opposite module ends. Associated methods of fabrication, assembly, use, maintenance, repair and replacement are disclosed.

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First Claim