Heating apparatus for treating metals and including movable supports

Claim 1

A HEAT TREATING APPARATUS COMPRISING HEAT INSULATING WALLS DEFINING A HIGH TEMPERATURE, CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE HEAT TREATING FURNACE CHAMBER IN WHICH METAL WORK MAY BE HEAT TREATED, SAID CHAMBER HAVING AN OPENING PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAID CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCING WORK THEREIN AND REMOVING WORK THEREFROM, A CONVEYOR FOR SUPPORTING WORK BEING PROCESSED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND FOR MOVING SAID WORK ACROSS SAID CHAMBER, SAID CONVEYOR COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL TRACK SECTIONS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID CHAMBER, ROTATABLE SCREW MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER IN PARALLEL RELATION TO AND BETWEEN SAID TRACK SECTIONS, A WORK SUPPORT INCLUDING SPACED SUPPORT ELEMENTS DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID TRACK SECTIONS AND A SUPPORT ELEMENT DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY THERETO, SAID PARALLEL SUPPORT ELEMENTS RESTING UPON AND BEING MOVABLE ALONG SAID TRACK SECTIONS, SAID SCREW MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SCREW MEANS SAID WORK SUPPORT IS MOVED UPON AND OF SAID SCREW MEANS SAID WORK SUPPORT IS MOVED UPON AND ALONG SAID TRACK SECTIONS, SAID SCREW MEANS BEING SO DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID TRACK SECTIONS AND SAID WORK SUPPORT WHILE THE LATTER IS SUPPORTED ON SAID TRACK SECTIONS THAT THE SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRE LOAD OF THE WORK SUPPORT IS BORNE BY SAID TRACK SECTIONS, REVERSIBLE DRIVE MEANS OPERABLE FOR SELECTIVELY ROTATING SAID SCREW MEANS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, AND A CHANNEL MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID CHAMBER BETWEEN AND PARALLEL TO SAID TRACK SECTIONS AND FORMING AN UPWARDLY OPENING TROUGH IN WHICH SAID SCREW IS DISPOSED, SAID SCREW RESTING ON AND BEING ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID MEMBER.