Apparatus for spray quenching

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PROGRESSIVELY AND UNIFORMLY QUENCHING AN ELONGATED WORKPIECE HAVING A PLURALITY OF MAJOR SURFACES FROM A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE TRANSFORMATION RANGE, AS IT TRAVELS ALONG A PREDETEMINED PATH, WHICH COMPRISES MEANS FOR MOVING SAID WORKPIECE LONGITUDINALLY AND SUPPORTING IT AT SPACED POINTS, AT LEAST ONE NOZZLE BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT MEANS EFFECTIVE TO DISCHARGE A WIDE, FLAT BRUSH-LIKE SPRAY WHICH IS LONG AND NARROW IN CROSSSECTION ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO EACH MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID WORKPIECE, MEANS CONNECTING SAID NOZZLES TO A SOURCE OF QUENCHING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE WHEREBY SAID NOZZLES DELIVER JETS OF QUENCHING FLUID AGAINST SAID SURFACES THEREBY SURROUNDING SAID WORKPIECE WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS SPRAY TO QUENCH SAID WORKPIECE, AT LEAST ONE NOZZLE EFFECTIVE TO DISCHARGE A WIDE, FLAT BRUSH-LIKE SPRAY WHICH IS LONG AND NARROW IN CROSS SECTION AGAINST EACH MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID WORKPIECE, SAID SECOND NAMED NOZZLES BEING SPACED FROM SAID FIRST NAMED NOZZLE IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE APPROACHING WORKPIECE, EACH OF SAID LAST NAMED NOZZLES BEING ARRANGED AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN ABOUT 20* AND 40* TO THE ASSOCIATED MAJOR SURFACE, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID SECOND NAMED NOZZLES TO A SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE WHEREBY SAID SECOND NAMED NOZZLES DELIVER JETS OF FLUID AGAINST SAID WORKPIECE, THE AXIS OF EACH SAID SECOND NOZZLE BEIGN ARRANGED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF THE ASSOCIATED FIRST NOZZLE WHEREBY THE FLUID FROM SAID SECOND NOZZLES SURROUNDS SAID WORKPIECE WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS SPRAY TO SHIELD THE HOT PORTION OF SAID WORKPIECE FORM QUENCHING FLUID, THE FIRST AND SECOND NOZZLES BEING SO DIRECTED THAT THE RESPECTIVE JETS THEREFROM IMPINGE ON EACH SAID SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER SPACED APART BY NO MORE THAN ABOUT 1/2"