US2664901A - Quenching device - Google Patents

Description

R- A. GEHR ET AL QUENCHING DEVICE Jan. 5, 1954 Filed May 9, 1947 Inventors Richard A. Gehr, Edmon 5. Freshwater;

Their Attorney.

Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

2,664,901 QUENCHING DEVICE Richard A. Gehr, Glenville, N. Y., and Edmon S.

Freshwater, Detroit, Mich.,, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 9, 1947, Serial No. 7 46,944

2 Claims. (01. 134 -105) Our invention relates to quenching devices, more particularly to devices for quenching a heated article as it is moved from a heater such as a high frequency induction heater, and has for its object simple and reliable means for providing a cooling fluid for quenching the article as it is moved through the quenching device.

More particularly, our invention relates to the 7 quenching of metallic articles such as'steel artibe kept out of the high frequency heater so as to prevent coolin of the article while it is in the heater.

In carrying out our invention in one form, we provide a tube which is mounted in an upright position directly below the heater so that the heated articles may be dropped fromthe heater through the tube, or passed continuously through the tube by suitable feeding means. The cooling water is supplied to the tube at its lower end by conduit means which directs the water upward under pressure so that the quenching tube is filled with water even though the tube is open at its lower end, and the water overflows from the top of the tube without coming into contact heater.-

For a more complete understanding of our invention, reference should be had to'the' accom;

panying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a simplified view mainly in section of high frequency heating and quenching means embodying our invention withthez and in which the heated articles are dropped one by one through the quenchin device; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing our invention as applied to. acontinuous type ofhcater; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along theline 3--3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, while Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing our invention as applied to the quenching of long shafts.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, in this form of our invention the metallic article I to be heated, which may be a cylindrical steel slug such as a wrist pin, is heated by means of a high frequency induction heating coil 2 and then dropped by moving to the right'hand a suitable sliding support 3 .for the article I. The slidable support 3' restson a' suitable supporting plate 4 provided with an aperture 5 directly below the article I and slightly larger than the article, through which aperture the article drops when the sliding support 3 is moved to one side. I

In accordance with our invention, we provide a tubular duct member 6 which is supported in a vertical position by the plate 4, which plate forms the top or cover of a tank 1 so that the tube is suspended from the plate 4 in the tank with the I upper end of the tube just below and in concentric relation with the aperture 5. A suitable cooling fluid, such as water, i fed into the tube at its lower end by means of two conduits or pipes 8 and 9 which are connected to the tube at diametri cally opposite points and extend at their points of junction with the tube at acute angles with the vertical. Water is supplied to the conduits 8 and 9 from a suitable pressure supply source by means of pipes I0 and I I which extend downward through the cover 4 and are connected respectively with the conduits. The pipes I0 and I I are secured to the cover 4 so as to form supports for the tube 6. A cross bracket support I2 is provided near the upper end of the tubebetween the pipes and the tube.

Preferably as shown, the conduits 8 and 9 extend upward at an angle of substantially thirty degrees with the vertical at their points of connection with the tube at its lower end whereby eachconduit supplies to the tube a jet of water directed upward and inward at that angle with the vertical toward the center line of the tube, the two jets engaging each other at the center of the tube. The upwardly directed jets producea flow of water upward through the tube and out over'the top into the tank. An overflow pipe I3 is provided for the tank in position to maintain a water level. I4, as indicated, in the tank which is somewhat below but substantially as high as the upper end of the tube 6. Some water will flow downward out of the lower end of thetube and this downward flow is restricted by reducing the: size of the pipe at its lower end as indicated by the reference numeral I5.

We have found that the water in the tank ofiers an appreciableresistance to the downward flow of water through the tube due to the water pressure at the bottom. By means of suitable valves (not shown) in the supply pipes I0 and '1 H, the pressure and the amount of Water supplied can be regulated as desired to producea uniform flow of water upward through the tube and out over the top of thetube into the tank. This smooth, even overflow from the top of the pipe prevents splashing as the articles I are dropped into it so that the water is prevented 1 from coming in contact with the top of the tank desired temperature the support 3 is moved to one side to drop the article into the quench tube 6. Suitable conveyor means 16 may be provided for removing the articles from the tank, the ar ticles being conveyed from the lower end of the tube 6 by means of a chute I! to the conveyor.

We have found that theupwardly n'u aving wa ter in the tube 6 effectively quenches the article and condenses and carries away the steam formed by the quenching. Splashing of' water is prevented by the movement and turbulence ofthe water at the top of the tube. By reason of the relatively large amount of water coming into contact with the articles, a verythorough and quick quenching action is obtained. The diameter of the tube is chosen with respectto the diameterof the articles so as to provide an abundance of rapidly moving water, its diameter as shown being somewhat more than twice the dimeter of the article. of the supply conduits 8 and 9' are selected to provide an adequate water supply with sufficient pressure to maintain the desired upward movement through the tube.

In the modified form of our invention shown in Fig; 2, the heated articles are fed downward continuously through a single turn heating coil or loop [3, the articles being stacked in end to end relation and the lowermost article resting on. a feed cam 19 which may be'turned continuously, as bya suitable motor (not shown) in. a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow. As the cam 19 turns, the stack of articles is feddownward gradually, and finally, when the radial face 20 on the cam engages the lowermost article 2 this article is carried by the cam toward the left hand into a chute 22. The lower end of the next article then rests on the point 23 of the can'iwhich is uppermost. Thus, as the cam rotates, the articles are gradually fed downward, each article being heated by the heating. coil and then quenched. The coil i8 is hollow and is supplied with cooling water by means of pipes 24 and 25- to which high frequency electric supply connections may be made.

When the tube is not immersed in water; as;

shown in Fig. 2', higher water supply pressures are required to maintain the upward flow of: water through the tube 6 and a greater amount of water escapes from the lower end. of. the tube.

Preferably, in the form of our invention shown in Fig; 2, the tube 3 is provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with four radial guide vanes 26, 2.1, 28' and. 29, which vanes are suitably secured, as by brazing, tothe inner wall of the tube and extend lengthwise thereof. The vanes are spaced apart atv their inner radial ends or edges to provide for free passage of the column of articles I while holding the articles in concentric relation with thetube. Preferably, as shown, two diametrically opposite vanes 21 and 29' extend across the orifices of the conduits 8 and 9 so that water is supplied to all four sections of the tube formed by. the vanes.

As shown in- Fig. 4, our quenching device may Likewise, the diameters also be used in the quenching of long shafts or rods. In this application. the shaft: 30,, which is upright, extends through a cylindrical container 3| in concentric relation therewith and through an aperture 32 in the bottom of the container, the. Walls of the aperture fitting closely around the shaft to prevent the escape of water around the shaft whileproviding for the desired freedom of axial movement of the shaft with respect to the container 3|. Water is fed into the bottom of the container 3| at suitable angles and pressure by'conduits 33 and 34 thereby to provide jets directed upward toward the center line of the container, the water flowing upward and out over the top of the container. A suitable high frequency heating coil 35 is provided just above the water level. In this form of our invention, relative movement between the shaft and the container 3| and heating coil may be obtained by moving either the shaft or the heating and quenchingapparatus as desired.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A quenching device comprising a tank for cooling fluid, a duct member open at each end mounted in an upright position in said tank, cooling fluid supply meansconnected to-the lower end of said member for supplying cooling fluid to said member so as to produce a flow of cooling fluid upward through: said member with overflow of cooling fluid from the top of said member,

overflow means for said tank for maintaining a level of cooling fluid in said' tank' at least substantially immersing said tubular member, and

means for moving a heated article to be quenched in a downward direction through said duct mem- 2. A quenching device comprising a tank for cooling fluid provided with a cover having an aperture through which heated articles may be dropped into the tank, a tubular member open at each' end mounted in an upright position in said tank with its upper end below said aperture, conduit' means connected to the lower end of said tubular member for supplying a plurality of up wardly directed jets of cooling fluid to said member' thereby to produce a. flow of cooling fluid upward through said tubular member with overflow of cooling fluid from the top of said tubular member and consequent turbulence of the cooling fluid at the top of said tubular member to prevent' splashing'of the cooling fluid by heatedarticlesdroppedthrough said aperture into the upper end of said tubularmembenand overflow means for-said tank for maintaining alevel of cooling fluid in said tank at least substantially as high as the" upper end of said tubular member.

RICHARD. A. GEHR. EDMON S. FRESHWATER.

References. cues in. the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,673 Meyers Mar. 15,1938 1,521,390 Reynolds Dec. 30, 1924 1,580,723 Hap'good Apr. 13, 1926' 2,141,382 Ferm Dec. 27-, 1938 2,191,255 Bonotto Feb. 20, 1940 2,301,601 Wittwer Nov. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 441,444 Great Britain Jan. 20, 1936

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