초록 ▼

Workpieces (e.g. valve seats, valve guides, or cylinder liners for an internal combustion engine) are chilled as they are supplied to a station on an assembly line, using a feeder/chiller that includes a passage to convey workpieces downwardly from a location at the top of the passage to an assembly

Workpieces (e.g. valve seats, valve guides, or cylinder liners for an internal combustion engine) are chilled as they are supplied to a station on an assembly line, using a feeder/chiller that includes a passage to convey workpieces downwardly from a location at the top of the passage to an assembly line station. The chiller/feeder is fed cryogen from a reservoir of liquid cryogen. Because cryogen fluid (chilled nitrogen vapor) entering the passage is denser than air, downward flow of cryogen fluid must be restricted. For example, the passage includes a constriction below the position at which cryogen is fed to the passage. The constriction is configured and sized to allow workpieces to move through the constriction, yet the constriction is small enough to restrict the downward flow of cryogenic fluid when a workpiece is positioned in the constriction. Above the constriction, the cooling passage is large enough to allow sufficient clearance around workpieces to permit an upward flow of cryogenic fluid. The cryogenic fluid flows up the passage, counter to the movement of workpieces down the passage.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for chilling workpieces with cryogenic fluid and for delivering chilled workpieces to an assembly line station, said apparatus comprising: (a) a reservoir of liquid cryogen; (b) a chiller comprising a passage conveying the workpieces downwardly from a location at the top of the passage to

Apparatus for chilling workpieces with cryogenic fluid and for delivering chilled workpieces to an assembly line station, said apparatus comprising: (a) a reservoir of liquid cryogen; (b) a chiller comprising a passage conveying the workpieces downwardly from a location at the top of the passage to the assembly line station, the chiller comprising means for restricting the downward flow of cryogenic fluid down the passage while simultaneously allowing passage of a workpiece therethrough, the passage above the means for restricting being sized and configured to allow sufficient clearance around workpieces to permit an upward flow of cryogenic fluid; (c) a conduit to feed cryogen fluid from the reservoir to the chiller, cryogen fluid being fed to the passage at a location between the top of the passage and the means for restricting; (whereby cryogenic fluid which is denser than the surrounding air flows from the reservoir to the passage, and under pressure, flows up the passage counter to movement of workpieces down the passage.