Lateral guide, in particular in a furnace

Abstract

A lateral guide (1, 50) for controlling a lateral position (22, 30) of a flat product (21) within a furnace (20), the lateral guide having: a base frame (2), a shaft (3), a displaceable carrier (4), a bearing unit (5) for the displaceable carrier (4), and a drive means (6) for the displaceable carrier (4), with the shaft (3) being rotatably mounted on the displaceable carrier (4). The drive means is suitable for driving the displaceable carrier (4) in such a way that a front end of the shaft (3) can be adjusted between a first, advanced position (22) and a second, retracted position (30) within the furnace (20). In order to allow a compact design, reliable operation and simple assembly or repair of the lateral guide, a stop element (15) is provided at the front end (14) of the shaft (3), which stop element is suitable for coming into contact with the flat product (21) to be supplied and, as a result, for setting or for changing the lateral position of the flat product (21). In addition, the axis of the shaft (3) is inclined obliquely downwards or obliquely upwards within the furnace by a defined negative or positive acute angle of inclination with respect to a horizontal reference plane (44).

Description

[0001] Side guidance, especially in an oven

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to a lateral guide and a method for controlling the lateral position of a flat product within an oven, in particular a tunnel oven. The lateral guide comprises: a base frame, a shaft, a movable support, a bearing unit for the movable support, and a drive element for the movable support, wherein the shaft is connected to the movable support, and wherein the drive element is suitable for driving the movable support such that a front end of the shaft is adjustable between a first advanced position and a second retracted position within the oven. The invention further relates to an oven with at least one of the lateral guides.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Several tunnel kilns are known from the prior art. EP 1 125 659 A1 discloses a method for controlling the axial position of slabs exiting the continuous casting process and the corresponding device, which is used in rolling mills with a rolling line. The method and the device serve to prevent and correct misalignment of the slabs exiting the continuous casting process with respect to the axis of the first downstream rolling stand. This is achieved by means of shear elements that act on the slabs.

[0006] EP 1 030 748 A1 discloses a method for controlling the axial position of slabs exiting the continuous casting machine, wherein the method provides to align the slab with its (longitudinal) axis according to the rolling axis (rolling axis direction) of a first rolling stand.

[0007] Page 1 EP 0 313 726 A2 discloses a method for heating slabs, blocks, billets, sheets, steel strips, and similar materials in a heating furnace with a single- or multi-zone furnace chamber, which is designed for the storage and discontinuous transport of the material by means of a roller and lifting hearth or walking beam system. During rest periods as the material passes through the heating zone of the furnace chamber, it is supported on the supports of the hearth or walking beam system. For transporting the material, conveyor rollers are arranged laterally outside the furnace chamber, transversely to the conveying axis, and can be moved through openings in the furnace wall into the furnace chamber and beneath the material.

[0008] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a side guide and a method for controlling the lateral position of a flat product, which allow for reduced heat transfer from the flat product to the side guide, reduced wear of the side guide, and simpler assembly and repair of the side guide. The object of the invention is also to provide an oven with such a side guide to enable the safe passage of the flat product through the oven.

[0009] This problem is solved with regard to the lateral guidance by the subject matter of claim 1. Accordingly, the lateral guidance according to the invention is characterized in that a stop element is provided at the front end of the shaft, which is suitable for coming into contact with the flat product to be guided and thereby adjusting or changing the lateral position of the flat product, and in that the axis of the shaft is mounted at an angle of inclination α with respect to a horizontal reference plane, wherein the inclined orientation of the shaft causes the front end of the shaft to be inclined downwards or upwards, for example within the oven.

[0010] Page 2 The term "flat product" refers to a metallic good, in particular a slab or a metal strip.

[0011] The term "reference plane" basically means any preferably horizontal plane, for example the underside of the flat product, the floor of the furnace floor on which the side guide or the oven stands, or the top of a transport path, in particular roller conveyor, in the oven on which the flat product passes through the oven.

[0012] The term "inclined downwards" means – with respect to the horizontal reference plane – that the drive-side end of the shaft is positioned higher than the end of the shaft opposite the stop. The inclination angle α is a negative acute angle relative to the horizontal reference plane; that is, it can, in principle, be arbitrarily small in the interval 0° > α > -90°. Preferably, however, α is less than -0.5°, more preferably less than -1°, more preferably less than -3°, and more preferably less than -5°.

[0013] The term "inclined upwards" means – with respect to the horizontal reference plane – that the drive-side end of the shaft is positioned lower than the end of the shaft opposite the stop. The inclination angle α is a positive acute angle relative to the horizontal reference plane; that is, it can, in principle, be arbitrarily large within the interval 0° < α < 90°. Preferably, however, α within this interval is: α > 0.5°, more preferably α > 1°, more preferably α > 3°, and more preferably α > 5°.

[0014] The positive or negative inclination angle refers to a fictitious coordinate system whose origin lies at the intersection of the shaft, in particular its central axis or its outer surface, with the preferably horizontal reference plane. A positive inclination angle then lies in the 1st quadrant and a negative inclination angle then lies in the 4th quadrant.

[0015] Page 3 The coordinate system is indicated in the figures by two arrows arranged at right angles to each other at the points of intersection.

[0016] The terms "oven wall" and "wall of the oven chamber" are used synonymously.

[0017] The statement that "...the stop element ...is suitable for coming into contact with the flat product being guided" implies contact, but does not necessarily imply it. The same applies to the formulation that "...the stop element is intended for direct (contacting) or indirect (spaced) guiding of the flat product." This means that the stop element is not always brought into contact with the flat product. Alternatively, the side guides or the stop elements can also be preset with a distance of, for example, 50 mm from the flat product, in order to prevent the flat product from drifting too far laterally from its transport direction.

[0018] One advantage of this lateral guidance is that the inclined shaft, combined with the corresponding tilt of the stop element, results in only line contact and thus line guidance of the flat product. This reduces the contact area between the stop element and the flat product, resulting in less heat being transferred from the flat product to the stop element. Furthermore, the smaller contact area minimizes friction, or "lubrication," between the stop element and the flat product. Additionally, wear on the stop element is reduced because the relative movement between the flat product and the stop element is minimized due to the line contact.

[0019] A further advantage is that the side guide according to the invention can be retrofitted to existing ovens by creating a lateral opening for the

[0020] Page 4 Side guide is provided in a wall of the oven chamber and the corresponding side guide is mounted in it or guided through it.

[0021] Finally, the side guide is easy to assemble and repair because many of its parts or components are easily accessible.

[0022] According to a first embodiment, the stop element is designed in the form of a disc to establish line contact with the edge of the flat product. This line contact arises from the inclination of the shaft and the stop element relative to the flat product, particularly its edge. Due to the shaft's inclination, the stop element exerts a force component of both horizontal and a smaller vertical force component against the upper or lower edge or corner of the flat product's edge. The disc represents a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

[0023] According to a second embodiment, the stop element has a raised section in its center, for example in the form of a hemisphere, serving as a centering aid or support element for supporting and / or guiding the flat product. This section is designed so that the raised section extends under the flat product, and its upper edge rests against or slides past the stop element above the raised section. Due to the inclination of the shaft, the stop element is positioned obliquely from above with line contact against the edge of the flat product. Particularly with thin flat products, there is a risk that the edge of the flat product will be pressed downwards, causing an undesirable curvature in its profile. To prevent this, the raised section supports the edge of the flat product from below.

[0024] Advantageously, the stop element can be in the form of a disc. In its center, the stop element can have a raised section, for example in the form of a hemisphere, a cone, or a...

[0025] Page 5 features a truncated cone, optionally in the form of a truncated trapezoid. The raised section serves as a centering element for supporting and / or guiding the flat product so that the edge of the flat product makes line contact with the disc, and so that the raised section extends under the flat product and its edge rests against the stop element above the raised section. In another case, the raised section can also be positioned above the flat product, and its edge can then rest against the stop element, in particular the disc, below the raised section.

[0026] Advantageously, the drive means for the movable carrier can be a hydraulically driven linear drive means. The shaft can be driven by a second drive means, preferably an electric motor, wherein the direction and speed of rotation of the shaft can be synchronized with the direction and speed of transport of the flat product.

[0027] Advantageously, the shaft of the side guide and / or a bearing of the shaft can have a cooling system, preferably a water cooling system.

[0028] Cooling can be integrated into the shaft and / or bearing in the form of water cooling. A connection for the water supply and a connection for the water discharge are provided on the shaft so that water can circulate through a channel between the two connections within the shaft to ensure the required cooling capacity. The water supply and discharge connections can be integrated into the bearing of the shaft or be separate components. The water supply and discharge connections can be integrated into an annular seal, allowing water to be supplied to and discharged from the rotating shaft. The cooling channel can also be positioned as close as possible to the stop element, for example, at the transition between the shaft and the bearing.

[0029] Page 6: The stop element should be arranged to protect it as effectively as possible from the heat transferred by the flat product and to dissipate as little heat as possible from the flat product. Alternatively or additionally to cooling, the shaft can also be insulated against the heat from the flat product.

[0030] Advantageously, the lateral guide can have a load-bearing safety device, preferably in the form of a bolt, which is designed to trigger or break when a specified load is exceeded by the flat product on the stop element. In this case, the front end of the shaft with the stop element would be lowered further below the flat product, thereby breaking the contact between the flat product and the stop element.

[0031] Advantageously, the stop element can include a ring element that can be detachably connected to it, preferably via screw connections, optionally with a conical seat. The ring element comes into direct contact with the hot flat product and is subject to considerable wear due to the heat transferred and the friction. The ring element is an inexpensive wear part and, because it can be detached from the stop element, can be replaced quickly and easily when worn.

[0032] The ring element can have cooling bores suitable for improving its own cooling and the cooling of the stop element.

[0033] A further object of the invention for solving the above problem is a furnace, in particular a tunnel furnace, comprising: a furnace chamber with an inlet and an outlet for heating a flat product conveyed through the furnace chamber; a transport path within the furnace chamber, for example in the form of a roller conveyor, for connecting the inlet with the

[0034] Page 7 Exit and for conveying a flat product through the oven; and at least one side guide, as described above, for guiding the flat product, wherein the side guide is arranged on one side of the transport path.

[0035] One advantage of this oven is that the at least one side guide with the inclined wheel enables only linear guidance of the flat product, thereby minimizing the unwanted heat transfer from the flat product to the stop element and its wear.

[0036] Advantageously, only the shaft with the stop element of the first side guide and / or the second side guide can be arranged inside a furnace chamber of the furnace, while the other components of the side guide, in particular the base frame, the sliding support, the bearing unit, the first drive means for the sliding support, the cooling and the second drive means for the shaft, can be arranged outside the furnace chamber of the furnace.

[0037] This design heats only the shaft with the stop element inside the furnace chamber. The remaining moving parts and drive units are located outside the furnace chamber, thus preventing potential damage from the flat product and the furnace heat, and extending the service life of the side guide. Therefore, preferably no bearings and / or actuators are located within the actual hot furnace atmosphere. Furthermore, this design requires less cooling capacity.

[0038] Page 8 Safe operation of the oven is achieved by effectively preventing the flat product from swarming laterally away from the oven's longitudinal axis through the contacting and / or spaced-apart side guides. In the case of spaced side guides, the flat product is allowed a limited amount of clearance for lateral swarming.

[0039] The components of the side guide, which are located outside the furnace chamber, are easily accessible there and therefore easy to install and repair.

[0040] Advantageously, the shaft of the first side guide can be guided through a first opening in a wall of the furnace chamber and / or the shaft of the second side guide through a second opening in the wall of the furnace chamber. The side guides are thus arranged at the level of the furnace. With this arrangement according to the invention, the side guides no longer need to be positioned in front of or behind the furnace in the transport direction of the flat product, as is sometimes customary in the prior art. The entire arrangement of side guides and furnace can therefore be advantageously shorter or more compact in the transport direction.

[0041] This allows the side guide to be easily mounted through the opening. The opening in the oven wall can be sealed to minimize heat loss through the opening.

[0042] Advantageously, the stop element can be detachably connected to the shaft, preferably by means of screw connections, optionally with a conical seat. For assembly, disassembly, or repair purposes, the stop element can be separated from the shaft. The shaft can be easily removed from or inserted into the furnace through a suitable opening in the furnace wall.

[0043] Page 9 Finally, the side guide is advantageously designed and built as a single structural unit, making integration or retrofitting to / into an existing furnace straightforward. The structure of the existing furnace is only minimally affected – apart from the aforementioned necessary opening in the furnace wall. This is particularly true because the shafts, possibly with the stop elements, fit between the furnace rollers.

[0044] A further object of the invention for solving the above problem is a method for controlling a lateral position of a flat product within an oven according to one of claims 8 to 12 by means of a lateral guide according to one of claims 1 to 7. The lateral guide has a base frame, a shaft, a movable support, a bearing unit for the movable support, and a drive means for the movable support, wherein the shaft is connected to the movable support and wherein the drive means drives the movable support such that a front end of the shaft is adjusted between a first position and a second position within the oven.The method is characterized in that a stop element is provided at the front end of the shaft for direct or indirect guidance of the flat product by adjusting or changing the lateral position of the flat product; and that, for guiding the flat product, the shaft is moved or positioned within the furnace chamber at an oblique downward or oblique upward angle with respect to a horizontal reference plane at a defined negative or positive acute angle of inclination, transversely to the direction of the transport path or towards the flat product.

[0045] The advantages of the claimed furnace and method correspond to the advantages previously mentioned regarding the claimed side guide. The position in which the stop element is positioned as the front end of the shaft can be controlled by either position or force. Position control means that the actual position of the stop element is regulated to a predetermined target position and held there as stably as possible. Force control means that the

[0046] Page 10 Actual force with which the stop element presses against the flat product, regulated to a predetermined target force and kept as constant as possible at the value of the target force.

[0047] Further advantageous embodiments of the side guide, the furnace and the method are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0048] Brief description of the drawings

[0049] The invention is explained with reference to the following drawings: These show:

[0050] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a side guide in perspective view;

[0051] Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a section of a furnace in a first advanced position;

[0052] Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional representation of the section of the oven in a second retracted position;

[0053] Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of the side guide in side view before the load protection is triggered;

[0054] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of the side guide in the side view after the load securing device has been triggered;

[0055] Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of the furnace with a first side guide from Fig. 1 and a second side guide; and

[0056] Fig. 7 shows the side guide with a positive tilt or angle of attack.

[0057] Page 11 Examples of Implementation

[0058] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a side guide 1 for controlling the lateral position of a flat product within an oven. The side guide comprises a base frame 2, a shaft 3, a sliding support 4, a bearing unit 5 for the sliding support 4, a first drive element 6 in the form of a hydraulic cylinder for driving the sliding support, and a second drive element 7 in the form of an electric motor for rotating the shaft 3.

[0059] The shaft 3 is rotatably mounted on the support 4 by a first bearing 8 and a second bearing 9. The shaft 3 has a cooling system 10 in the form of a water cooling system with a first connection 11 for water supply, a second connection 12 for water discharge, and a channel 13 connecting the connections within the shaft 3 for effective cooling of the shaft 3. A stop element 15, for example in the form of a disc 16, is arranged at the front end 14 of the shaft 3. The stop element 15 can be detachably connected to the shaft as a separate part or be formed integrally with the shaft 3. Preferably, the stop element has a centering element, for example in the form of a hemispherical projection 17. A ring element 18 is preferably detachably arranged on the stop element 15 as a wear part.

[0060] The shaft 3 is mounted in such a way that the axis of the shaft 3 has a negative acute inclination angle α of, for example, -5° with respect to a horizontal reference plane 44.

[0061] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a section of an oven 20 with the side guide 1 from Fig. 1 for checking the lateral position of the flat product 21. The movable support 4 on the bearing unit 5 is moved forward to its stop, so that the front end 14 of the shaft 3

[0062] Page 12 with the stop element 15 and the elevation 17 in the form of a hemisphere was adjusted to a first advanced position 22 within a furnace chamber 23 of the furnace 20.

[0063] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of the section of the furnace 20 from Fig. 2, wherein the movable support 4 on the bearing unit 5 was moved backwards to a stop, so that the front end 14 of the shaft 3 with the stop element 15 was retracted to a second position 30 inside the furnace chamber 23 of the furnace 20.

[0064] Between the first position and the second position, the shaft of the side guide can be adjusted with the stop element against the flat product 21, thus allowing the flat product to be aligned in the oven perpendicular to its transport direction.

[0065] Fig. 4 shows a schematic side view of the side guide 1 from Fig. 1, where the first cooling connection 11 is connected to a water connection 42 via a first hose 40 and the second cooling connection 12 is connected to a water connection 42 via a second hose 41. The angle of inclination α between the axis of the shaft 3 with respect to the horizontal reference plane 44 is, by way of example, -5°. Furthermore, the side guide 1 has a load-protection device 45 in the form of a shear bolt, which breaks as soon as a defined load force is exceeded.

[0066] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of the side guide 1 from Fig. 4, where the load-bearing safety device 45 in the form of the shear bolt has broken because the specified load force was exceeded. As a result, the shaft 3 with the stop element 15 has tilted about an axis of rotation D and been lowered, so that the angle of inclination α of the longitudinal axis of the shaft 3 with respect to the horizontal reference plane 44 is, for example, -12°. Consequently, the contact between the flat product 21 and the ring element 18 of the

[0067] Page 13 of the stop element and / or the elevation 17 is interrupted, thus preventing damage to the side guide 1.

[0068] Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of the furnace 20, for example, a tunnel furnace with a furnace chamber 23 in cross-section. Inside the furnace chamber 23, a transport path in the form of a roller conveyor 25 with furnace rollers is visible, leading into the plane of the drawing. The flat product 21 to be heated rests on the support rings 26 of the furnace rollers. A first side guide 1 from Fig. 1 and a second side guide 50 are arranged on opposite sides of the furnace 20. The first side guide 1 guides a first lateral edge 51, and the second side guide 50 guides a second lateral edge 52 of the flat product 21. The shaft 3 of the first side guide 1 is supported in or passes through a first opening 53 in the first furnace wall 54 of the furnace 20. The shaft 3 of the second side guide 50 is supported in or passes through a second opening 55 in the second, opposite furnace wall 56.The shafts 3 with the stop elements 15 of the first side guide 1 and the second side guide 50 are both arranged at least partially inside the furnace chamber 23. The remaining components of the two respective side guides 1, 50, in particular the base frames 2, the sliding supports 4, the bearing units 5, the first drive means 6 for the sliding supports, the cooling elements 10, the bearings 8 and / or the second drive means 7 for the shaft 3, are each arranged outside the furnace chamber 23 of the furnace 20.

[0069] Fig. 7 shows the side guide 1 according to the invention, positioned with a positive inclination angle α, here for example +12°. The shaft 3 of the side guide is inclined obliquely upwards, i.e. its drive-side end lies lower than the stop element 15.

[0070] Page 14 Reference List

[0071] 1 side guide

[0072] 2 basic frames

[0073] 3 Worlds

[0074] 4 sliding supports

[0075] 5 storage units

[0076] 6 first means of propulsion

[0077] 7 second means of propulsion

[0078] 8 first camp

[0079] 9 second camp

[0080] 10 Cooling

[0081] 11 first connection

[0082] 12 second connection

[0083] Channel 13

[0084] 14 front end of the wave

[0085] 15 Stop element

[0086] 16 discs

[0087] 17 Survey

[0088] 18 ring element

[0089] 19 cooling bores

[0090] 20 oven

[0091] 21 Flat product

[0092] 22 first position

[0093] 23 Oven chamber

[0094] 25 Roller conveyor with oven rollers

[0095] 26 Support ring oven roller

[0096] 27 Drive for oven rollers

[0097] 30 second position

[0098] 40 first hose

[0099] 41 second hose

[0100] Page 15 42 Water connection

[0101] 44 Reference plane

[0102] 45 Load protection

[0103] 50 second side guide 51 lateral edge of the flat product

[0104] 52 second lateral edge of the flat product

[0105] 53 first opening

[0106] 54 first oven wall

[0107] 55 second opening 56 second oven wall

[0108] D axis of rotation a tilt angle (positive or negative)

[0109] Page 16

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Lateral guide (1, 50) for controlling a lateral position (22, 30) of a flat product (21), for example inside an oven (20), wherein the lateral guide comprises: a base frame (2), a shaft (3), a movable support (4), a bearing unit (5) for the movable support (4), a drive means (6) for the movable support (4), wherein the shaft (3) is rotatably mounted on the movable support (4), and wherein the drive means (6) is suitable for driving the movable support (4) such that a front end of the shaft (3) is adjustable between a first advanced position (22) and a second retracted position (30), for example inside the oven (20), characterized in that a stop element (15) is provided at the front end (14) of the shaft (3), which is suitable forto come into contact with the flat product (21) to be guided and thereby to adjust or change the lateral position of the flat product (21), and that the axis of the shaft (3) is inclined with respect to a horizontal reference plane (44) by a specified negative or positive acute angle of inclination α, wherein, due to the inclined orientation of the shaft (3), the front end (14) of the shaft (3) is inclined downwards or upwards, for example, inside the furnace (20).

2. Side guide (1 , 50) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the stop element (15) is designed in the form of a disc (16) to create a line contact with the edge of the flat product. Page 17 3. Lateral guide (1 , 50) according to claim 2, characterized in that the stop element (15) has in its center a projection (17), for example in the form of a hemisphere, as a centering aid for supporting and / or guiding the flat product such that the projection gets under the flat product and its edge rests on the stop element above the projection.

4. Lateral guide (1, 50) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive means (6) for the movable carrier (4) is preferably a hydraulically driven linear drive means; and that the shaft (3) is rotary-driven by a second drive means (7), preferably an electric motor, wherein the direction of rotation and the rotational speed of the shaft (3) and the stop element (15) can be synchronized with the transport direction and the transport speed of the flat product in the oven.

5. Lateral guide (1 , 50) according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the shaft (3) of the lateral guide (1 , 50) has a cooling (10), preferably a water cooling.

6. Lateral guide (1, 50) according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the lateral guide (1, 50) has a load securing device (45), preferably in the form of a bolt, which is suitable to trigger or break when a specified load is exceeded by the flat product (21) on the stop element (15), so that the front end (14) of the time (3) with the stop element (15) is lowered further downwards, so that the angle of inclination (a) between the axis Page 18 the angle of the shaft (3) and the horizontal alignment of the base frame (2) is reduced to at least -8°, preferably to at least -12°, thereby interrupting the contact between the flat product (21) and the stop element (15).

7. Lateral guide (1 , 50) according to one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the stop element (15) has a ring element (18) as a wear part, which is separably connected to the stop element (15), preferably via screw connections.

8. Oven (20), in particular tunnel oven, comprising: an oven chamber with an inlet and an outlet for heating a flat product conveyed through the oven chamber; a transport path within the oven chamber of the oven, for example in the form of a roller conveyor, for connecting the inlet with the outlet and for conveying a flat product through the oven; and at least one side guide (1, 50) according to one of claims 1-7 for guiding the flat product, wherein the side guide is arranged on one side of the transport path.

9. Oven (20) according to claim 8, characterized in that a first side guide (1) is arranged on one side of the transport path for guiding the flat product (21) at a first edge; and / or that a second side guide (50) is arranged on the opposite side of the transport path for guiding the flat product (21) at a second edge opposite the first edge. Page 19 10. Oven (20) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that only the shaft (3) with the stop element (15) of the first side guide (1 , 50) and / or the second side guide (1 , 50) are arranged inside the oven chamber (23) of the oven (20); and that the remaining components of the side guide(s), in particular the base frame (2), the movable support (4), the bearing unit (5), the first drive means (6) for the movable support (4), the cooling (10) and the second drive means (7) for the shaft (3) are arranged outside the oven chamber (23) of the oven (20).

11. Oven (20) according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the shaft (3) of the first side guide (1 , 50) is guided through a first opening (53) in a wall (54) of the oven chamber (23) and / or the shaft (3) of the second side guide (1 , 50) is guided through a second opposite opening (55) in the wall (56) of the oven chamber (23).

12. Oven (20) according to one of claims 8-11 , characterized in that the stop element (15) is separably connected to the shaft (3), preferably by means of screw connections, optionally with a conical seat.

13. Method for controlling the lateral position of a flat product (21) within an oven (20) according to any one of claims 8 to 12 by means of a lateral guide (1, 50) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a base frame (2), a frame (3), a movable support (4), a bearing unit (5) for the movable support (4), a drive means (6) for the movable support (4), wherein the shaft (3) is connected to the movable support (4), wherein the drive means (6) moves the movable support (4). Page 20 The carrier (4) is driven in such a way that a front end (14) of the shaft (3) is adjusted between a first position (22) and a second position (30) inside the oven (20), characterized in that a stop element (15) is provided at the front end of the shaft (3) for direct or indirect guidance of the flat product (21) by adjusting or changing the lateral position of the flat product (21); and in order to guide the flat product, the shaft (3) is moved or positioned within the oven chamber at an oblique downward or oblique upward angle to a horizontal reference plane (44) with a defined negative or positive acute angle of inclination (a), transversely to the direction of the transport path or towards the flat product.

14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the position in which the stop element is positioned as the front end of the shaft is controlled by position or force. Page 21

Images