Method of and apparatus for annealing

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF ANNEALING OPENED COILS OF STRIP METAL WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF MOVING A SERIES OF OPENED COILS WITH THEIR AXES VERTICAL THROUGH A SERIES OF TREATING SATIONS IN A FURNACE, REMOVING ANNEALED COILS AT ONE OF SAID STATIONS AND ADDING NEW COILS AT ANOTHER STATION, HEATING SAID COILS BY FORCING HEATED ATMOSPHERE VERTICALLY THROUGH THE OPENED LAPS OF THE COILS AT A STATION SPACED INTERMEDIATE SAID STATIONS WHERE COILS ARE REMOVED AND ADDED, CIRCULATING ATMOSPHERE VERTICALLY THROUGH A PAIR OF COILS, ONE OF WHICH HAS BEEN HEATED TO ANNEALING TEMPERATURE AND IS READY FOR COOLING AND THE OTHER OF WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN HEATED TO ANNEALING TEMPEATURE, WHEREBY SAID ONE COIL IS COOLED AND SAID OTHER IS PREHEATED, ALTERNATING THE DIRECTION OF VERTICAL FLOW OF ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE LAPS OF THE COILS AT SUCCEDDING STATIONS OF SAID SERIES WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID COILS IS EQUALIZED, AND MOVING SAID COILS IN STEP-BY-STEP MANNER WHERE-