claim: 1. In a process for thermochemically scarfing metal bodies, discharging a sheet-like streani of oxidizing ga@ oiito a reaction zone extending across the entire transverse extent of the surface of a metal body and at an acute angle of impingement to the work surface of said metal body, confining said sheet-like stream of bxidizing gas between upper and lower spaced apart surfaces laterallycontinuous for the entire transverse extent of the surface of said body, discharging a row of jets of preheat fuel gas at an acute angle to said oxidizing gas stream onto said reaction zone from a row of orifices ahead of at least one of said surfaces, and supplying preheat oxidizing gas from said sheet-like stream of oxidizing gas to supportcombustion of said jets of fuel gas and produce post-mixed preheat flames therefrom. 2. In a process for thermochemically scarfing metal bodies, discharging a sheet-like stream of oxidizing gas onto a reaction zone extending across the entire width of a metal body and at an acute dihedral angle ofimpingement to the work surface of said metal body, confining said sheet-like stream of oxidizing gas between upper and lower spaced apart surfaces laterally continuous for the entire width of said body, discharging a row of jets of preheat fuel gas at an acute angle to said oxidizing gas stre-,im onto said reaction zone from a row of orifices below said lower surface, and stipplying preheat oxidizing gas from said sheet-like stream of oxidizing gas to support combustion of said jets of fuel gas and produce postmixed nreheat flames therefrom. 3. Tn a process for thermochemically scarfing metal bodies, discharging d sheet-like stream of oxidizing gas onto a reaction zone extending across the entire width of a metal body and at an acute dihedral angle ofimpingement to the work surface of said metal body, confining said sbeet-like stream of oxidizing gas between upper and lower uniformly spaced apart surfaces laterauy continiLio,Lis for t@e entire width of said body, discharging a row of jets of preheat fuel gas at an acute angle to said oxidizing gas stream onto said reaction zone from a row of orifices above said upper surface and impinging said stream of oxidizing gas a substantial distance ahead of the said lower surface and supplying preheat oxidizing gas from said sheet4ike stream of oxidizing gas to support combustion of said jets of fuel gas and produce postmixed preheat flames therefrom. 4. In a process for thermochemically scarfing metal bodies, discharging a sheet-like stream of oxidizing gas onto a reaction zone extending across the entire width of a metal body aiid at an acute dihedral angle of impingement to the work surface of said metal body, con.fining said sheet4ike stream of oxidizing gas between upper and lower uniformly spaced-apart surfaces laterally continuous for the entire width of said body, said upper surface extending smoothly and continuously forwardly beyond said lower surface along said inclined ox23838,431 4 idizing gas stream in overhanging relation to said lower surface for a length measured along said stream greater than the spacing of said surfaces toward the reaction zone to terminate the confinement of the top of said oxidizing gas stream closer to the reaction zone than the termination of confinement of the bottom thereof, and ttiereby discharge the stream of oxidizing gas directly onto the reaction zone of the work surface, discharging a transversely distributed flow of preheat fuel gas at an acute 1( dii-,edral an.@le to said oxidizing -,as stream from transversely arranged orifice means ahead of the termination of confinement of at least one of said oxidizin.- gas stream confining surfaces, and supplying preheat oxidizing gas from said sheet-like stream of oxidizing gas to support 1 '5 coiiibLIStion of said fuel gas to prodtice a transversely disti-ibLIted post-mixed preheat flame. 5. In apparatus for thermocliemically scarfing nietal bodies, a desurfacing head comprising a nozzle block, a skid plate secured to said nozzle block and liaving a (@O work engaging surface, said nozzle block havin.- a front seating surface at an angle of about 60' to said worl@ engaging surface, upper and lower lip plates Iiavin.- their rear ends abutting and secured to said scatin--. surface of said nozzle block in spaced apart relation, side walls 25 closing the space between said lip plates and forniing a cutting oxygen slot, transversely arran,@ed preheat fuel gas orifice means in the front face of at least onc of said lip plates, said one of said lip plates being free of an), internal oxygen passages, the preheat oxygen for said fuel 30 gas orifice means being supplied by said ctittin--- oxy@.en slot to form transversely distributed post-mixed preheat flame. 6, In apparatus for thermochemically sc,,ii-fing i-neta bodies, a desurfacing head comprising a nozzle bloc!,, a @o kid plate secured to said nozzle block and h,,tvin-, a ivork engaging surface, said nozzle bloclc havin@ @i f.,ont seiting surface at an angle of about 60' to said worl, engaging surface, upper and lower lip plates liaving their rear ends abutting and secured to said scatin.- surfice 40 of said nozzle block- in spaced apart relation, sitid lip plate extending integrally forwardly about a third of its length beyond said lower lip plate to brin-, the front bottom edge of said upper lip plate b-.Iow the front top 45 edge of said lower lip plate, side walls closinf,, the space between said lip plates and formin,, a cuttin,- 0-(3,f"cn FIot, and means in said nozzle block including orifice rneans in said front seating surface for supplying etitting ox@,gen to said slot. 5o 7. In apparatus for thermochemically searnn, rnetal bodies, a desurfacing head comprising a nozzle blocl,, a skid plate secured to said nozzle block and a @,orl, engaging surface, said nozzle blor-k having a T)ian@, front surface at an angle of about 60' to said work enp@iging r)5 surface, upper and lower lip plates havin.- their rcar ends abutting and secured to said plane front surface of said nozzle block in spaced apart relation, said upper lip plate ly about a third of its ]en-ti extending integrally forward I beyond said lower lip plate to bring the front bottoni ed2e (;o of said iipper lip plate below the ftont top edl-,,e of said lower lip plate, side walls closing the space betv@een said lip plates and forming a cutting oxy.-en slot, ineans in said nozzle block for supplying ciitting oxygen to said slot, transversely arranged preheat fuel gas orifice iiieans 65 in the front face of at least one of said lip plates, fuel gas passage means in said one of said lip plates lc,,tdin,,, to said orifice means and corresponding fuel gas passa.-c means in said nozzle block leading to registerin,@, al)crtui7c means in the abutting surface thereof for slipplying fuel 70 gas to said orifice means. 8. In apparatus for thermochemically scarfing nietat bodies, a desurfacing head comprising a nozzle block, a skid plate secured to said nozzle block having a work engaging surface, said nozzle block baving a front seat75 ing surface at an angle of abotit 60' to said work engag-

5 ing surface, tipper and lower lip plates having their rear ends abutting and secured to said seating surface of said nozzle block in spaced apart relation, side walls closing the space between said lip plates and forming a cutting oxygen sloi, the inner surfaces of said lip plates having longitudinal grooves, vertical partitions fitted into said grooves and dividing said slot into cuttin.- oxygen ways, said nozzle block having passage therein f-or supplying cutting oxygen to said ways. 9. In apparatus for thermocheinically scarfin.@ metal bodies, a desirfacing head comprising a rf@zzle block, upper and lower lip plates secured in the front of said nozzle block in spaced apart relation, both of said lip plates ex@lending forward from said nozzle block for a len.-th iiiany times the distance therebetween, and the front edge of said upper lip plate overhanging tilat of sa:id lower lip plate for a length greater than the distance therebetween, side walls closing the space between said lip plates and forining a cutting oxygen slot, means iii said nozzle block fer sii,.o lyin- oxidizi-.ig @as to said slot, a p row of preheat orif,.ces in the front r-,f at 'I-,ast one of said lip plates, fiiel gas pqssages in said lip plate leading to said row of preheat orifices,- corresponding fuel gas passages in said nozzle block leading to registering apertures of said lip plate to form continuous conduits for supplying fuel gas to said row of preheat orifices, said lip plate having a transverse bore near its front end, said row of prelieat orifices communicating with said bore, and a distributor inserted in said bore and having Liniformly spaced annular seals dividing said ports into equal groups. 10. In a desurfacing head for thermochemical metal removal, a nozzle block, upper and lower lip plates secured to said nozzle block in spaced apart relation, both of said lip plates extending forward from said nozzle block for a length many tirnes the distance therebetween, and the front edge of said upper lip plate overhanging that of said lower lip plate for a 'iength greater than the distancetherebetween, side walls closing the space between said lip plates and forming with the inner surface 2,838,431 of said lip plates a cutting oxygen slot, the inner surfaces of said lip plates having longitudinal grooves, vertical partitions fitted into said grooves and dividing said slot into ctitting oxygen ways, said nozzle block having passages therein for supplying cutting oxygen to said ways, at least one of said lip plates having a transverse bore near its front end, a row of preheat ports in the front of said plate communicating with said bore, and adistributor inserted in sai-d bore and having uniformly space annu10 lar seals dividing said ports into equal groups. 11. in a desurfacin.- head for thermochemical metal removal, a nozzle block, upper and lower lip plates secured to the front of said nozzle block in spacedapart relation, both of said lip plates extending forward from 15 @aid nozzle block for a length many times the distance tlcr-.'oetween, and the front edge of said upper lip plate 011erhan.-ing that of said lower lip plate for a length greater than the distance therebetween, side walls closing the space belween said lip plates and forming a cutting 20 oxygen slot, said nozzle block having a transverse b ore receiving a supply of cutting oxygen, a distributor in said bore having annular seals dividing said bore into chambers, and longitudinal bores in said nozzle block communicatinwith said chambers and opening into the front 25 face of said nozzle block between said lip plates, for supplying cutting oxygen to said slot. References Cited in the file of this patent 30 UNI TED STATES PATENTS 1,709 ,886 Smit h et at -------------- Apr. 23, 1929 2,266 ,834 Walk er et al - ----------- Dec. 23, 1941 2,347 ,758 Walk er et al ------------- May 2, 1944 2,425 ,710 Buch nam et al - --------- Aug. 19, 1947 35 2,483 ,479 Smit h et al - ------------- Oct. 4, 1949 2,532 ,103 Kier nan ----- --------- Nov. 28, 1950 2,536 ,609 Kem p ------------------ Jan. 2, 1951 2680, 608 Buch nam et al@ ---------- June 8, 1954 Y,74 5,475 Tho mp,on t al ---------- May 15, 1956

Util'ted States Patetit Office 2@838@431' 2,838,431 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THERMOCj,qEMICAL METAL SCARFING William Allmang, Bloomfield, Carl E. Hartmaun, Florham Park, and Ivan P Thompson, ElizaLeth, N. J., assignors to Union Ca;l@ide Corporatioi, -t corporit-ion of New York Appl May 26,1953, Seriql No. 357,496 11 Claims. (Cl. 148-9.5) This invention relates to thermocbemical nietal scarfing, more particularly to method and apparattis for post-mixed preheat continuous wide oxygen stream desurfacing. In such desurfacing, it has been iiecessary to provide three systems of gas supply. In addition to the main stream of oxidizing -as, the preheat flames to start and stabilize thD reaction have required a large number of fuel gas jets, and a supply of preheat oxidizing gas to support combustion thereof. The d-.velopment of postmixed preheat flames to eliminate flashbacks has required a correspondin.- number of individual oxidizing gas sixeams, a separate stream for each fuel gas jet to support combustion thereof. The supply and distribution of these preheat oxidizing gas streams has been expensive as to first cost and maintenance. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to eliminate the separate supply of preheat oxidiziiig gas. 'I'his we accomplish by utilizing the rnain stream of oxidizing gas as a source of supply of preheat ox@igen for the fuel gas preheat flames. It has also been desirable to bring the cuttiiig stream of oxidizing gas and the upper preheat flames close to the zone of reaction, but prior expedients have resulted in damage to the orifices by scabs and slivers projecting from the work. It is th-,refore another object to space the orifices above the wori@. to clear stich scabs and slivers, while confining the stream of oxidizing .- as and directing the preheat tlames close to the. zone of reaction. . This we accomplish by increasin.- the angle of impin ement to .9 about 30' and extending the iipper surface of the oxidizing gas slot beyond the lower surface thereof to bn'ng the upper stirface closer to the work than the lower surface thereof. fleretofore the nozzle slot.@for the cuttiiig stream of oxidizing gas has been manufactured as an insert, wliich was difficult and expensive to rqanufacture , iid replace. a It is therefore another object to facilitate and economize the manufacture of this slot. This we accompl@'.sh by a built-in construction. Another object is to provide a wide slot nozzle unit adapted to produce -,i flared stream,,whereby a plurality of such -anits placed side by side for scarfing slabs, will h,,ive their flared streams merge to prevent a ridge thei-ebetvveen. Other objects and features of novelty w.iu be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawin.-S, in which: Fig. I is a vertical section throtigh a desurfacing head accordinto, and for carrying out the method of, the preseni invention" Fig. 2 is an exploded view of parts shown in Fig. 1-1 Fi.-. 3 is a perspective view of the front and bottom of the nozzle blocks; Fig. 4 is similar view of the rear of the nozzle blocksFig. 5 is a section taken along the line,5-@-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section talien alon- the line 6--6 of Fi-@ 1; Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1; Patented June 10, 1958 2 Fig. 8 is a section thi-ough the preheat fuel gas ports; and Fig. 9 is a plan of the water cooled skid plate. Referring more particularly to the drawings, the desurfacing head compri.ses a nozzle base block 10, a skid block 12, an upper lip plate 14 and a lower lip plate 15. The nozzle base block 10 is bolted and gasketed to a man:fold block 16, which comprises a selector valve assembly as disclosed in the Miller and Kolody Patent No. 10 2,524,920, issued October 10, 1950. The skid block 12 is bolted to the bottom of the base block 10. The lip plates 14 and 15 are bolted to the, front face of the base block 10. This face is about 60' to the horizontal, so that the lip plates are at about 30'. 15 The lip platcs 14 and 15 are spaced apart by end walls 18 to form the elitting slot 20 for the oxidizing gas. The upper lip plate 14 extends forwardly as at 21 about a third of its length beyond the lower lip plate 15, to confine the stream of o,- jdizing -as close to the reaction zone. 20 The end walls 18 are tapered outnvardly at the forward portions of their iniler sides as at 19, to cause the oxidizing gas stream to expand laterally and thereby provide good coverage when scarfing the four sides of a bloom or billet, or to prevent ridges between adjaceiit 25 units when placed side by side in a slab scarfing machine. The opposed surfaces of the lip plates 14 and 15 are provided with uniformly laterally spaced corresponding grooves 22 extendin.- from the rear forward for abol-it two-thirds of the common extent of the lip plates. These '30 -rooves 22 receive partitions 23, dividing the slot 20 into parallel oxidizin.- gas ways 24. The oxidizin- gas ways 24 register with the outlet ends of corresponding grovps of bores 26 in the base block 10 and aligned with the central plane of the oxidiz35 ing gas slot 20. These bores are stipplied by a transverse bore 28, which, as shown, in Fig. 151 receives a divider comprising a stein 31 prov - ided with end waffs 32 and discs 33 spaced correspondin,g to the slot partitions 23 and dividing the bore 28 into equal oxidizing gas chambers 40 35. Each chamber 35 is @sppplied by a bore 36 leading to corresponding passa es 38 in the manifold block 16, 9 and receiving oxidizing gas therefrom in the customary manner. The upper lip plate 14 is provided with a row of closely@ 'to- spaced bores 40 for projecting jets of fuel gas down toward the reaction zone. These bores are supplied by a transverse b6re 41 as best shown in.Figs. 7 and 8. This bore 41 receives a dii@ider comprising a stem .42 provided 50 with end walls 43 and discs 4.4 spaced corresponding to the oxidizing gas partitions 23.and dividing the bore 41 into separate fuel gas chambers 45. T-lic chambers 45 are each su,pplied by separate fuel gas bores 46 registering with corresponding bores 47 in the base block 10, 55 which in turn receive fuel- gas from bores 48 registering with fuel gas supply bores -4-9 in the manifold block 16. For cooling the tipper lip plate 14, a'transverse bore 52 is provided, which receives cooling ffuid from a lbngitudinal bore 54 shown @in Fig. 6 in! turn receiving from pas60 sages 56 registering with holes 58 in@the slot end wall 18. From the bore 52 the cooling@fluid passes through lon.aitudinal bore 59 and r6gistering@bore.60 in the base block 10 which has a communicating @ bore 61'leading to itie oiitlet bore 62 in the manifold block:16. 65 The lower lip block 15 @is provided *ith a row of closely @paced bores 64 for preheat gas, similar to the bores 40 in the upper block. These are fed by a transverse bore 65, provided @with an identical,divider 42 which divides 70 the :bore 65 into chambers in the sariie Way as shown in Figurds 7 and 8 for the lower block. The@chamber4' formed thereb@@are fed by lbngittidinal botes 67'registe,-r-

ing with bores 68 in the base block 10 communicating with the supply bores 48 from the manifold passage 49. For cooling the lower lip block 15, a transverse bore 72 is provided, which receives cooling fluid from a longitudinal bore 73 @upplied by a vertical bore 74. From the transverse bore 72, the cooling fluid passes out through longitudinal bore 75 and passages 76 to the holes 58 in the end wall 18. The skid block 12 contains a cooling jacket 80 which receives cooling fluid from the supply passa,@e 81 in the manifold block 16, and registering vertical passage 82 in the base block 10, joining a transverse passage 83 leading to a vertical passage 84, which registers with the skid block entrance passage 85. The cooling jacket 80 by means of a passage 87 is in parallel relation to a bore 86 in the front of the skid block and having out passag88. Furthermore, the cooling fluid passes to outlet 89 which is in register with the lower lip plate inlet 74. We