Heating apparatus and method

Claim 1

A METHOD OF HEAT TREATING A WORK PIECE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) ESTABLISHING FROM A SOURCE A BEAM IN INFRARED RADIATION; (B) MOVING A WORK PIECE THROUGH SAID BEAM TO HEAT SAID WORK PIECE; AND (C) EFFECTING A FLOW OF AIR AT HIGH VELOCITY BETWEEN BUT SUBSTANTIALLY OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE TO ESTABLISH AN INFRARED RADIATION TRANSPARENT SHIELD BETWEEN THE SOURCE OF THE INFRARED RADIATION AND THE PATH OF WORK PIECE MOVEMENT AND TO REMOVE VOLATILIZED SUBSTANCES FROM BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE WITHOUT COOLING SAID SOURCE OF SAID WORK PIECE AND WITHOUT PENETRATION OF SAID VOLATILIZED SUBSTANCED TO THE VICINITY OF SAID SOURCE BY: (1) EFFECTING A FLOW OF AIR WHICH IS AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE RADIANT ENERGY SOURCE BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID WORK PIECE FROM A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID BEAM; AND (2) EXHAUSTING SAID AIR AND EVOLVED SUBSTANCES FROM BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE AT AN OPPOSITE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID BEAM AT A GREATER RATE THAN SAID AIR IS SUPPLIED TO MAINTAIN SAID FLOW AT A HIGH VELOCITY AND IN A STREAM WHICH IS OUT OF SUBSTANTIAL CONTACT WITH SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF HEAT TREATING A WORK PIECE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) ESTABLISHING FROM A SOURCE A BEAM IN INFRARED RADIATION; (B) MOVING A WORK PIECE THROUGH SAID BEAM TO HEAT SAID WORK PIECE; AND (C) EFFECTING A FLOW OF AIR AT HIGH VELOCITY BETWEEN BUT SUBSTANTIALLY OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE TO ESTABLISH AN INFRARED RADIATION TRANSPARENT SHIELD BETWEEN THE SOURCE OF THE INFRARED RADIATION AND THE PATH OF WORK PIECE MOVEMENT AND TO REMOVE VOLATILIZED SUBSTANCES FROM BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE WITHOUT COOLING SAID SOURCE OF SAID WORK PIECE AND WITHOUT PENETRATION OF SAID VOLATILIZED SUBSTANCED TO THE VICINITY OF SAID SOURCE BY: (1) EFFECTING A FLOW OF AIR WHICH IS AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE RADIANT ENERGY SOURCE BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID WORK PIECE FROM A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID BEAM; AND (2) EXHAUSTING SAID AIR AND EVOLVED SUBSTANCES FROM BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE AT AN OPPOSITE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID BEAM AT A GREATER RATE THAN SAID AIR IS SUPPLIED TO MAINTAIN SAID FLOW AT A HIGH VELOCITY AND IN A STREAM WHICH IS OUT OF SUBSTANTIAL CONTACT WITH SAID SOURCE AND SAID WORK PIECE.