Heat treating metals

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR IMPROVING THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF INDIVIADUAL METAL OBJECTS, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CONFINES TREATING ZONE A BED OF FINELY DIVIDED SOLID HEAT TRANSFER PARTICLES SUBSTANTIALLY INCOMBUSTIBLE UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE TREATMENT, PASSING A GASEOUS FLUIDIZING MEDIUM UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FER PARTICLES AND TO IMPART MOTION TO THE INDIVIDUAL SOLID PARTICLES IN SAID BED, INTRODUCING A METAL OBJECT TO BE TREATED INTO SAID TREATING ZONE AND SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY SUBMERGING SAID METAL OBJECT IN SAID BED OF FINELY DIVIDED FLUIDIZED SOLID HEAT TRANSFER PARTICLES IN SAID TREATING ZONE, MAINTAINING A PREDETERMINED HEAT EXCHANGE TEMPERATURE RELATION BETWEEN SAID HEAT TRANSFER SOLID PARTICLES OF SAID BED AND THE METAL OBJECT TO BE TREATED, SUBJECTING SAID METAL OBJECT WITHIN SAID TREATING ZONE TO DIRECT IMPRINGING CONTACT OF INDIVIDUAL PARTICLES OF SAID FINELY DIVIDED FLUIDIZED SOLID HEAT TRANSFER PARTICLES IN MOTION AND IN SAID HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION THERETO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMPLISH IMPROVEMENT OF THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SAID METAL OBJECT AND THEN WITHDRAWING SAID TREATED METAL OBJECT FROM SUCH CONTACT AND FROM SAID TREATING ZONE.