초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for metalizing the surface of metal bodies, such as bars, rods and tubes is providing using a substantially enclosed chamber in which the metalizing is caused to occur. An elongated body to be metalized is moved axially into the chamber through an entrance opening while the b

An apparatus and method for metalizing the surface of metal bodies, such as bars, rods and tubes is providing using a substantially enclosed chamber in which the metalizing is caused to occur. An elongated body to be metalized is moved axially into the chamber through an entrance opening while the body is simultaneously rotated, and then passes through a first induction heating coil to pre-heat a portion of the body surface to a selected pre-heat temperature. The pre-heated portion is then advanced past the pre-heating coil to a point where it is subjected to, and bathed by, a flowing stream of metalizing powder entrained within a heated non-oxidizing gas, such as nitrogen, with the flowing stream directed against the pre-heated body portion so that the entrained metalizing powder impinges against and clings to and covers the entire surface of the pre-heated portion. The pre-heated body portion with metalizing powder clinging thereto then moves through a second induction heating coil which heats the body and metalizing powder to a fusing temperature greater than the pre-heat temperature, so as to fuse the metalizing powder to the body. The interior of the chamber is filled with the non-oxidizing gas to prevent entry of air. The moving body with fused metalized surface thereon then exits from the chamber and is arranged to pass through a water quenching station which quenches and cools the metalized body.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for metalizing the exterior of an elongated metal body substrate of finite length, comprising, in combination: a substantially enclosed treating chamber whose interior is pressurized above atmospheric pressure and filled by a nonoxidizing gas; a first opening in said chamber thro

1. An apparatus for metalizing the exterior of an elongated metal body substrate of finite length, comprising, in combination: a substantially enclosed treating chamber whose interior is pressurized above atmospheric pressure and filled by a nonoxidizing gas; a first opening in said chamber through which one end of the elongated body is adapted to enter moving axially of the body, a second opening in said chamber through which the said one end of the elongated body and the body is adapted to leave the chamber, moving axially; means for moving the entire length of said elongated body axially through said first opening into the chamber, and through the chamber, and then from said chamber outwardly through said second opening, while simultaneously rotating said body; a first induction heating means in the chamber for locally heating the body to a first elevated temperature at which metalizing powder will adhere to the exterior surface of the substrate body by reason of the heat imparted to the body; a second induction heating means in the chamber spaced for said first heating means and for locally heating the body to a second elevated temperature greater in degree of heat than said first elevated temperature; metalizing powder supply means arranged to discharge therefrom, and into said treating chamber, a metalizing powder stream of powder particles entrained in a non-oxidizing gas that moves transversely to the rotating body, and to the body's direction of axial movement, so as to wash over the entire exterior surface of the portion of the body that has been heated to said first elevated temperature, leaving on the exterior of said heated body portion an adherent layer of metalizing powder before the body is subjected to said second elevated temperature; and the temperature of the second elevated temperature being selected to be that at which the adherent metalizing powder layer fuses to the body. 2. An apparatus for metalizing the exterior of an axially moving elongated metal body comprising in combination: means defining an enclosing metalizing chamber having a first opening through which the elongated body is to move axially to enter the chamber, and a second opening through which the metalized elongated body is to move axially to exit from the chamber; the interior of the chamber being isolated from atmosphere by being pressurized therein above atmospheric pressure by a nonoxidizing gas; mean operatively associated with the elongated body for axially advancing the elongated body relative to said chamber while simultaneously rotating it about its longitudinal axis; means within said chamber for locally heating by induction a portion of the elongated body, after it enters the chamber, to a first selected pre-heat temperature, at which metalizing powder will adhere to the substrate body by reason of the heat of the body, as the body advances through the chamber; means providing, within the chamber, a washing stream, composed of a mixture of finely dispersed metalizing powder and a pressurized non-oxidizing gas, that is directed to flow transversely to and over the exterior of the axially advancing and rotating pre-heated body portion, whereby a portion of the metalizing powder in said washing stream is caused to cling to and coat, to a substantially uniform thickness, the exterior surface of said pre-heated body portion; and means within said chamber for locally heating by induction said coated body portion to fuse the coating of the metalizing powder to the body portion, at a fusing temperature which is greater in degree of heat than said pre-heat temperature, before said coated body portion exits from the chamber. 3. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the washing stream of metalizing powder and non-oxidizing gas is a mixture of metalizing powder and nitrogen that is heated to a temperature of at least approximately the same degree of heat as the pre-heated body portion. 4. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the chamber includes spaced inlet and outlet stream means, for effecting and directing movement of the washing stream of fine particles of a metalizing powder and gas, over a flowpath transverse to the direction of axial movement of the elongated body, and along a transverse path that is located axially of the elongated body between the pre-heat means and the fusing-heat means. 5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the inlet stream means includes a reservoir provided with a supply of heated metalizing powder therein; a constricted nozzle shaped outlet from the reservoir, and a source of heated gas under pressure directed into the reservoir upstream of the constricted nozzle for moving the heated powder through said nozzle into the chamber. 6. An apparatus as in claim 1 including liquid quench means located outside and adacent the chamber for quenching the heat of the metalized body as it leaves the metalizing chamber. 7. An apparatus for metalizing an elongated metal substrate comprising, in combination: means defining an enclosing heating chamber which is constructed and arranged to have the interior thereof isolated from an oxidizing gas, such as air, to provide therein a laterally elongated passageway through which an elongated substrate body, that is to be metalized, is adapted to be moved longitudinally; means defining an upright disposed flow passageway within the heating chamber which is arranged to intersect said laterally elongated passageway and the path of the body to be metalized moving longitudinally therethrough; means for effecting movement of a metalizing wash stream, of metalizing powder entrained in a non-oxidizing gas, along said flow passageway; a first induction heating means positioned in said chamber along the laterally elongated path of movement of the elongated body, and being constructed and arranged to pre-heat a portion of the body to be metalized, to a temperature at which metalizing powder will adhere to the substrate body by reason of the heat of the body, before said pre-heated body portion passes through that portion of said flow passageway in which the body is washed by the stream of metalizing powder to the extent that metalizing powder clings to the exterior surface of the pre-heated body; a second induction heating means positioned in said chamber along the path of movement of the elongated body and spaced from the first heating means and from the region in which the pre-heated body portion is washed by the stream of metalizing powder, and being constructed and arranged to heat the body portion which is coated with metalizing powder clinging thereto, to fuse the clinging metalizing powder to the exterior surface of the body in a continuous metalizing skin of a desired thickness; and means for moving the elongated body to be metalized longitudinally through the laterally elongated passagway while simultaneously rotating the elongated body, as the body moves longitudinally sequentially first into the chamber, then past the first pre-heating means, through the metalizing wash stream, past the second fusing-heat means, and then outwardly from said chamber. 8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the first, pre-heat, heating means includes an electrical induction heating coil means positioned to surround the laterally moving elongated body, and being of a length and power output to locally heat, by induction, the surface of the body to a temperature of about 900 degrees F. 9. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the second, fusing-heat, heating means includes an electrical induction heating coil means positioned to surround the laterally moving elongated body that has metalizing powder clinging thereto, and being of a length and power output to locally heat, by induction, the body to a fusing temperature of at least 1800 degrees F. at which the metalizing powder, that clings to the body, fuses to the body to provide a continuous metalized surface for the body. 10. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the heating chamber is purged of all gases other than a non-oxidizing gas maintained therein at a temperature approximately equal to the temperature developed in the body by the first, pre-heat, heating means. 11. An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein the non-oxidizing gas is nitrogen that is provided under a pressure that is above the pressure of gas surrounding the exterior of the chamber.