Process of heat-treating metal work of elongated extent

Claim 1

IN THE ART OF PROCESSING METAL WORK OF ELONGATED EXTENT, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, COPPER, BRASS, BRONZE AND STAINLESS STEEL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE WORK THROUGH A PLACE OF HEATING, PROGRESSIVELY HEATING SUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS OF THE WORK BY DIRECTING A CLUSTER OF CONVERGING RADIANT HEAT RAYS IN SAID PLACE OF HEATING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE WORK IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE RAYS OVERLAP AT THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE WORK SO AS TO HEAT SATURATE SUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS OF THE WORK SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY ABOUT THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY THEREOF TO A DESIRED HIGH TEMPERATURE TO ANNEAL THE WORK BEFORE IT LEAVES THE PLACE OF HEATING, PRODUCING THE RADIANT HEAT RAYS BY COMBUSTION OF FUEL AT A NUMBER OF REGIONS AT CLOSE RANGE TO THE WORK IN SUCH AMANNER THAT FLAME IMPINGEMENT OF THE WORK IS AVOIDED AND SAID RADIANT HEATING OF THE WORK WILL BE AUGMENTED BY CONVECTION HEATING EFFECTED BY THE HIGH TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION GASES WHICH COMPLETELY ENVELOP THE WORK AND SWEEP AT A RELATIVELY HIGH VELOCITY OVER THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE THEREOF AND DISCHARGE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE REGIONS AT WHICH THE WORK ENTERS AND LEAVES THE PLACE OF HEATING, THE HIGH TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION GASES DISCHARGED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE REGION AT WHICH THE WORK LEAVES THE PLACE OF HEATING ENVELOPING THE WORK AT A VICINITY OUTSIDE THE PLACE OF HEATING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO SUCH REGION, RAPIDLY COOLING SUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS OF THE WORK IMMEDIATELY UPON LEAVING THE PLACE OF HEATING BY APPLYING A QUENCHING MEDIUM THERETO AT SAID VICINITY AT WHICH THE WORK IS ENVELOPED BY THE HIGH TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION GASES, AND PASSING THE WORK CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE PLACE OF HEATING.