Method and furnace for heat-treatment of surface coatings on continuously moved strips

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS HEAT TREATMENT OF COATINGS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A STRIP OF MATERIAL, THE STEPS INCLUDING PASSING THE STRIP FREELY CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH A CHAMBER FROM INLET TO DISCHARGE THEREOF, INTRODUCING HOT GAS IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION ACROSS THE STRIP ON EACH SIDE OF THE STRIP AND FROM OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID STRIP IMMEDIATELY UPON ITS ENTERING INTO SAID CHAMBER, FLOWING THE HOT GAS BY TURBULENCE OVER THE SURFACES OF THE STRIP AS IT ADVANCES SO APPROXIMATELY MID-LENGTH OF SAID CHAMBER, EXTRACTING SAID HOT GAS FROM THE SIDES OF SAID CHAMBER AT APPROXIMATELY MID-LENGTH THEREOF, FLOWING ADDITIONAL HOT GAS BY TURBULENCE OVER BOTH SURFACES OF THE STRIP AS IT CONTINUES TO ADVANCE FROM MIDLENGTH TO DISCHARGE OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID LAST MENTIONED TURBULENT FLOW BEING DERIVED FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF HOT GASES IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION ACROSS THE STRIP, ON EACH SIDE OF SAID STRIP AND FROM OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID STRIP, SAID GASES BEING EXTRACTED FROM SAID CHAMBER AT APPROXIMATELY MID-LENGTH THEREOF.