Apparatus for cooling wire on a roller conveyor

Abstract

A conveyor has a multiplicity of spaced rollers transporting a succession of overlapping wire loops in a transport direction. A cooling apparatus has side walls above and below the conveyor forming a vertical shaft, a cover displaceable between a closed position closing an upper end of the shaft and an open position clear of the upper shaft end, and a fan underneath the shaft for directing an air stream upward along the shaft through the conveyor. A floor plate is displaceable between a closed position at least partially closing a lower end of the shaft and blocking the air stream and a position clear of the lower shaft end.

1 . In combination with a conveyor having a multiplicity of spaced rollers transporting a succession of overlapping wire loops in a transport direction, a cooling apparatus comprising: 
 side walls above and below the conveyor forming a vertical shaft;    a cover displaceable between a closed position closing an upper end of the shaft and an open position clear of the upper shaft end;    means including a fan underneath the shaft for directing an air stream upward along the shaft through the conveyor;    a floor plate displaceable between a closed position at least partially closing a lower end of the shaft and blocking the air stream and a position clear of the lower shaft end; and    actuator means for shifting the floor plate between its open and closed positions.    
   
   
       2 . The combination defined in  claim 1  wherein the floor plate is formed by a plurality of independently operable floor sections.  
   
   
       3 . The combination defined in  claim 2  wherein there are a plurality of the fans each aligned with a respective floor section.  
   
   
       4 . The combination defined in  claim 2  wherein the floor sections are pivotal about horizontal axes and are horizontal in the closed positions and vertical in the open positions.  
   
   
       5 . The combination defined in  claim 4  wherein the sections are substantially identical and each cover half of the lower end of the shaft.  
   
   
       6 . The combination defined in  claim 4  wherein the axes extend parallel to the transport direction.  
   
   
       7 . The combination defined in  claim 2  wherein there are two pairs of sections all pivotal about respective parallel axes.  
   
   
       8 . The combination defined in  claim 7  wherein the sections to each side of a centerline of the shaft are ganged and connected together to the respective actuator.  
   
   
       9 . The combination defined in  claim 7  wherein the sections of one pair are slightly below and overlap the sections of the other pair.  
   
   
       10 . The combination defined in  claim 1 , further comprising 
 generally vertical air-guiding vanes between the floor plate and the conveyor.    
   
   
       11 . The combination defined in  claim 1  wherein there are a plurality of the fans spaced apart transversely of the transport direction.  
   
   
       12 . The combination defined in  claim 11  wherein each of the fans is provided with a respective upwardly open air conduit.  
   
   
       13 . The combination defined in  claim 12  wherein the floor plate is formed by a plurality of sections each in a respective one of the conduits.