Annealing furnace seal

Claim 2

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said deformable filler being a ceramic woven fibre blanket, and said filler being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 3

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said deformable filler being a ceramic woven fibre blanket, said tube being a stainless steel mesh, and said filler being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 4

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said deformable filler being a ceramic woven fibre blanket, said tube being a stainless steel mesh, and said filler being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 5

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end iN said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, and having a ceramic woven fibre layer on the bottom of said trough on which said tube rests.

Claim 6

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end iN said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, and having a ceramic woven fibre layer on the bottom of said trough on which said tube rests.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 3 in which said deformable filler is a ceramic woven fibre blanket and said filler being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 8

The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said deformable filler is folded into a plurality of layers.

Claim 9

The combination recited in claim 3 wherein one end of said flexible tube is lapped over the other end of said flexible tube in sealing engagement.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 4 in which said tube is a stainless steel mesh, and said filler being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 11

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible woven tube which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket, the length and cross section of said flexible woven tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough and said deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 12

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible woven tube which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket, the length and cross section of said flexible woven tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough and said deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 13

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible woven tube which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket, the length and cross section of said flexible woven tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough and having a ceramic woven fibre layer on the bottom of said trough on which said flexible woven tube rests.

Claim 14

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible woven tube which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket, the length and cross section of said flexible woven tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough and having a ceramic woven fibre layer on the bottom of said trough on which said flexible woven tube rests.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 9 in which said deformable ceramic woven fiber blanket is in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 16

The combination recited in claim 9 wherein said deformable ceramic woven filler blanket is folded into a plurality of layers.

Claim 17

The combination recited in claim 9 wherein one end of said flexible woven tube is lapped over the other end of said flexible woven tube.

Claim 18

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said filler being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 19

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said filler being in the form of a roll having a plurality of convolutions.

Claim 20

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decompositiOn at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said filler being folded into a plurality of layers.

Claim 21

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible tube consisting of metal which resists decompositiOn at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable filler in said tube, said filler resisting permanent set and being relatively impermeable to the annealing atmosphere, the length and cross section of said filled tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said filler being folded into a plurality of layers.

Claim 22

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible woven tube which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket, the length and cross section of said flexible woven tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket being folded into a plurality of layers.

Claim 23

In a furnace having a base, a peripheral trough surrounding said base, said trough having inner and outer sides, and a cover adapted to surround said base with its lower end in said trough, the improvement comprising a flexible woven tube which resists decomposition at annealing temperatures in annealing atmospheres and which has little permanent set, and a deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket, the length and cross section of said flexible woven tube being such as to extend completely around the periphery of the trough in bearing engagement with the sides of the trough, said deformable ceramic woven fibre blanket being folded into a plurality of layers.