Transfer mechanism for heat-treating apparatus

Claim 1

IN A HEAT-TREATING APPARATUS, IN COMBINATION, A FURNACE HAVING A HEATING CHAMBER BENEATH WHICH THERE EXTENDS A HEARTH, A DOOR-CONTROLLED ENTRANCE OPENING, AND A DOOR-CONTROLLED EXIT OPENING TO PERMIT A WORK BASKET TO BE SLID REARWARDLY ALONG THE HEARTH AND OUT OF THE EXIT OPENING, A QUENCH TANK HAVING A TREATMENT CHAMBER ADJACENT TO SAID FURNACE AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE HEATING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID EXIT OPENING, AN ELEVATOR MOUNTED IN SAID TREATMENT CHAMBER TO MOVE VERTICALLY BETWEEN A LOWERED POSITION AND AN ELEVATED POSITION WHEREIN IT IS AT THE LEVEL OF SAID HEARTH, MECHANISM TO MOVE THE ELEVATOR BETWEEN ITS ELEVATED AND LOWERED POSITIONS, MEANS DEFINING AN ELONGATED GUIDE CHANNEL BELOW THE LEVE OF SAID HEARTH AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT OPENINGS, A RACK SLIDABLE ENDWISE IN SAID CHANNEL, SAID RACK BEING IN FORM OF A FLEXIBLE CHAIN LENGTH, THE END OF THE CHANNEL THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE EXIT OPENING OF THE HEATING CHAMBER BEING OPEN TO PERMIT THE FLEXIBLE CHAIN LENGTH TO PASS OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPEN END OF THE CHANNEL AND EXTEND INTO THE QUENCH TANK DURING ENDWISE SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE RACK, DETENT