An apparatus feeds raw material bars to a furnace body of a melting furnace, and includes an enclosure body provided with a vertical feed passage to be disposed above an open top side of the furnace body. A feeding unit includes a push mechanism extending into an upper part of the feed passage, and a material retarder extending into a lower part of the feed passage. A transferring unit transfers a raw material bar to the feed passage in a manner that the raw material bar extends vertically in the feed passage. The push mechanism pushes the raw material bar in the feed passage downwardly, and the material retarder retards downward movement of the raw material bar out of the feed passage and into the furnace body.

An apparatus feeds raw material bars to a furnace body of a melting furnace, and includes an enclosure body provided with a vertical feed passage to be disposed above an open top side of the furnace body. A feeding unit includes a push mechanism extending into an upper part of the feed passage, and a material retarder extending into a lower part of the feed passage. A transferring unit transfers a raw material bar to the feed passage in a manner that the raw material bar extends vertically in the feed passage. The push mechanism pushes the raw material bar in the feed passage downwardly, and the material retarder retards downward movement of the raw material bar out of the feed passage and into the furnace body.

A furnace system includes a furnace and a preheater configured to preheat material before it enters the furnace. The system further includes a duct system including a mixing chamber disposed between the furnace and preheater. The duct system further includes an exhaust duct in fluid communication with an exhaust fluid outlet of the furnace and configured to vent fluid exhausted from the furnace. The exhaust duct is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to redirect a portion of the fluid exhausted from the furnace to the mixing chamber. The duct system further includes a preheater duct in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and a fluid inlet of the preheater and configured to direct fluid from the mixing chamber to the preheater. The system further includes a duct scraper configured for movement within the mixing chamber to move particulates from the mixing chamber into the exhaust duct.

A furnace system includes a furnace and a preheater configured to preheat material before it enters the furnace. The system further includes a duct system including a mixing chamber disposed between the furnace and preheater. The duct system further includes an exhaust duct in fluid communication with an exhaust fluid outlet of the furnace and configured to vent fluid exhausted from the furnace. The exhaust duct is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to redirect a portion of the fluid exhausted from the furnace to the mixing chamber. The duct system further includes a preheater duct in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and a fluid inlet of the preheater and configured to direct fluid from the mixing chamber to the preheater. The system further includes a duct scraper configured for movement within the mixing chamber to move particulates from the mixing chamber into the exhaust duct.

A furnace system includes a furnace and a preheater configured to preheat material before it enters the furnace. The system further includes a duct system including a mixing chamber disposed between the furnace and preheater. The duct system further includes an exhaust duct in fluid communication with an exhaust fluid outlet of the furnace and configured to vent fluid exhausted from the furnace. The exhaust duct is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to redirect a portion of the fluid exhausted from the furnace to the mixing chamber. The duct system further includes a preheater duct in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and a fluid inlet of the preheater and configured to direct fluid from the mixing chamber to the preheater. The system further includes a duct scraper configured for movement within the mixing chamber to move particulates from the mixing chamber into the exhaust duct.

A processing line material clear out devices and methods are disclosed. The device is particularly useful for clearing metal billets from induction heating units, but may be used for many other processes having sequentially ordered materials traveling down a conveyor or other processing line. In one example of the invention, a reciprocating push rod rack is used to sequentially deposit and remove at least two push rods used to abut and clear the downstream billets. A push rod advance device is used to interlink independent, sequential push rods positioned on the billet track. On clearing of the billets, the push rods are retracted, removed from the billet track and stored on the push rod rack for ready use.

A processing line material clear out devices and methods are disclosed. The device is particularly useful for clearing metal billets from induction heating units, but may be used for many other processes having sequentially ordered materials traveling down a conveyor or other processing line. In one example of the invention, a reciprocating push rod rack is used to sequentially deposit and remove at least two push rods used to abut and clear the downstream billets. A push rod advance device is used to interlink independent, sequential push rods positioned on the billet track. On clearing of the billets, the push rods are retracted, removed from the billet track and stored on the push rod rack for ready use.

An apparatus for manufacturing molten metal has a stationary electric furnace, a raw material charging chute, and exhaust duct and a secondary combustion burner in the furnace top, and a shock generator. The raw material charging chute is in one end of the furnace in a width direction and an electric heating region is spaced from the raw material charging chute in the width direction. A raw material layer having a sloping surface extends downward from the one end of the furnace having the raw material charging chute toward the electric heating region, the sloping surface supporting a metal agglomerate raw material layer. The shock generator is provided at least partially within the raw material and extends to the sloping surface, to be in contact with the metal agglomerate raw material layer, and to mechanically overcome hanging of the metal agglomerate raw material layer on the sloping surface.

An apparatus for manufacturing molten metal has a stationary electric furnace, a raw material charging chute, and exhaust duct and a secondary combustion burner in the furnace top, and a shock generator. The raw material charging chute is in one end of the furnace in a width direction and an electric heating region is spaced from the raw material charging chute in the width direction. A raw material layer having a sloping surface extends downward from the one end of the furnace having the raw material charging chute toward the electric heating region, the sloping surface supporting a metal agglomerate raw material layer. The shock generator is provided at least partially within the raw material and extends to the sloping surface, to be in contact with the metal agglomerate raw material layer, and to mechanically overcome hanging of the metal agglomerate raw material layer on the sloping surface.

A conveyance device for a heat treatment device presses a conveyed body to convey the conveyed body in a linear direction, and includes a cylinder mechanisms having a retractable rod that presses the conveyed body, in which: an abutting member is disposed at a tip part of the rod of the cylinder mechanism so that the abutting member abuts locations, which are different from each other in a circumferential direction, on an outer peripheral surface of the conveyed body; a guide rail configured to guide the abutting member is provided; and the abutting member is provided with a traveling roller that travels on the guide rail.