Patent ID: 6015526
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: C21D,F27B,F27D

Abstract:
Vertical annealing furnace for the continuous bright annealing of a metal strip guided through said furnace, comprising:a vertically disposed muffle having a strip entry side and a strip exit side, said muffle having the freedom to expand in a longitudinal direction, and said muffle being disposed such that said strip entry side is situated at a top side of said muffle and said strip exit side is situated at an underside of said muffle;heating means for externally heating said muffle;bearing means for fixedly supporting the underside of said muffle such that it is delimited downwards in the longitudinal direction;an expansion section being provided on the top side of said muffle for taking up thermal expansion in the longitudinal direction of generally said entire muffle; andvertically movable support means for exerting an upwardly directed support force on said muffle, said vertically movable support means being connected to an upper part of said muffle.