High temperature furnace for treating refractory materials with metals and intermetallic compounds

Claim 1

A FURNACE COMPRISING A HOUSING DEFINING A GAS TIGHT CHAMBER HAVING OPPOSITE WALL PORTIONS ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM EACH OTHER, PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING WITH SAID CHAMBER THROUGH WHICH A GASEOUS MEDIUM MAY BE MOVED TO OR FROM SAID CHAMBER, ELECTRIC CURRENT CONDUCTING RESISTANCE HEATING MEANS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER HAVING AN INTERIOR CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING MEANS TO BE ACTED UPON BY SAID FURNACE AND HAVING OPPOSITE GENERALLY TAPERING ENDS, A PAIR OF COAXIAL MOUNTS FOR SAID HEATING MEANS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND FREE OF FIXED CONNECTION WITH SAID HEATING MEANS, SAID MOUNTS BEING ARRANGED AND CONSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A SEATING MEMBER AXIALLY ADJACENT EACH OF SAID ENDS OF SAID HEATING MEANS HAVING A FACE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTARY IN SHAPE TO SAID TAPERING ENDS OF SAID HEATING MEANS AND COIL SPRING MEANS ACTING AXIALLY OF SAID HEATING MEANS TO RESILIENTLY AND RELEASABLY CLAMP THE SAID ENDS OF SAID HEATING MEANS BETWEEN SAID FACES IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT THEREWITH, ONE OF SAID MOUNTS BEING STRUCTURALLY CONNECTED WITH ONE OF SAID WALL PORTIONS AND INCLUDING MEANS PROVIDING AN ELECTRIC CURRENT CONDUCTING PATH BETWEEN SAID HEATING MEANS AND THIS ONE WALL PORTION,