Patent ID: 6306336
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: B22F,C21D,F27B,F27D

Abstract:
An apparatus for continuously sintering a web of media material with a sintering furnace, the sintering furnace having a furnace conveyor moving from a furnace input to a furnace output, comprising:a lower input refractory driver for unrolling a lower refractory material from an input refractory roll and feeding said refractory material to be disposed upon the furnace conveyor in proximity to the furnace input of the furnace;a lower output refractory driver for rolling said lower refractory material onto an output refractory roll from the furnace conveyor in proximity to the furnace output of the furnace;an input media drive for unrolling the media material from an input media roll and feeding said media material onto said lower refractory material;an output media drive for removing said media material from said lower refractory material and for rolling the media material onto an output media roll;an upper input refractory driver for unrolling an upper refractory material from an input refractory roll and feeding said refractory material to be disposed upon the media material disposed upon said lower refractory material in proximity to the furnace input of the furnace;an upper output refractory driver for rolling said upper refractory material onto an output refractory roll from said media material in proximity to the furnace output of the furnace;said upper refractory material providing a compressive force to said media material within the furnace; anda tension device cooperating with said upper and lower input refractory drivers for applying a tension acting upon opposed ends of said lower and upper refractory materials for maintaining a constant tension therebetween for maintaining a constant force on said upper and lower surfaces of said media material.