(19)
(11) EP 1 010 484 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
28.06.2000 Bulletin 2000/26

(43) Date of publication A2:
21.06.2000 Bulletin 2000/25

(21) Application number: 99105668.0

(22) Date of filing: 19.03.1999
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: B22D 29/00, B22D 31/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 15.12.1998 US 112400 P

(71) Applicant: CONSOLIDATED ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.
Kennesaw, GA 30144-3651 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Crafton, Scott P.
    Marietta, Georgia 30064 (US)
  • Lewis, James L., Jr.
    Kennesaw, Georgia 30144 (US)

(74) Representative: Schurack, Eduard F. et al
Hofstetter, Schurack & Skora Balanstrasse 57
81541 München
81541 München (DE)

   


(54) Combination conduction/convection furnace


(57) A single furnace system (10) integrates, in combination, two or more distinct heating environments (which in the preferred embodiments include a conduction heating environment (23) and a convection heating environment (24)) integrated such that the multiple environments define a continuous heating chamber (14) through which a moving workpiece (such as a casting) transitions from one heating environment to the other without being exposed to the atmosphere. In accordance with the preferred methods, the transitioning of the casting from one environment to the other is accomplished with no meaningful change in temperature.






Search report