Apparatus for the controlled cooling of rods

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STEEL ROD COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A MECHANISM FOR ROLLING STEEL TO ROD DIAMETER AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE TRANSFORMATION TEMPERATURE; A DELIVERY MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID ROD CONTINUOUSLY AND DIRECTLY FROM SAID MECHANISM; SPACED SUPPORTS POSITIONED TO RECEIVE SAID ROD FROM SAID DELIVERY MEANS; ROD LAYING MEANS FOR DIRECTING SAID ROD FROM SAID DELIVERY MEANS AND FOR CONTINUOUSLY DEPOSITING SAID ROD ON SAID SPACED SUPPORTS IN THE FORM OF DISCRETELY OFFSET RINGS WHILE SAID ROD IS STILL AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE TRANSFORMATION, SAID ROD LAYING MEANS AND SAID SUPPORTS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE AN OFFSET OF SAID RINGS AND A DIMENSION OF CONTACT BETWEEN SAID ROD AND SAID SUPPORTS WHICH ALLOWS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE EXPOSURE OF THE SURFACE OF SAID ROD TO A FLOWING CURRENT OF A GASEOUS COOLING MEDIUM; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DELIVERY MEANS FOR COOLING SAID ROD RAPIDLY FROM ROLLING TEMPERATURE ABOVE TRANSFORMATION DOWN TO A TEMPERATURE NEAR TO BUT ABOVE TRANSFORMATION DIRECTLY AFTER SAID ROD ISSUES FROM SAID ROLLING MECHANISM AND WHILE THE AUSTENITIC GRAINS THEREOF ARE STILL SMALL DUE TO THE MECHANICAL ACTION OF SAID ROLLING MECHANISM, WHEREBY AUSTENITIC GRAIN GROWTH FOLLOWING ROLLING IS INHIBITED; AND, MEANS FOR IMPARTING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM FINE GRAINED PEARLITIC STRUCTURE SUITABLE FOR EXTENSIVE COLD WORKING TO SAID ROD INCLUDING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SPACED SUPPORTS FOR DIRECTING A FLOWING CURRENT OF SAID GASEOUS COOLING MEDIUM AROUND SAID SPACED SUPPORTS THROUGH SAID RINGS AND TO SUBSTANTIALLY ALL EXPOSED SURFACES OF SAID ROD TO COOL SAID ROD THROUGH TRANSFORMATION SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY THROUGHTOUT THE LENGTH OF SAID ROD.