Apparatus for heat treating spools of open-wound metal strip

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING OPEN COILS OF METAL STRIPS IN INDIVIDUAL CELLS COMPRISING, AT LEAST A PAIR OF CELLS, HEATING MEANS EXTERNALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO EACH CELL FOR SUPPLYING HEAT THERETO, A PAIR OF MANIFOLDS IN EACH CELL HAVING ORIFICES OPENING THERETO, SAID ORIFICES BEING SITUATED IN THE VICINITY OF RESPECTIVE SPACES THROUGH WHICH A GAS CAN BE INTERNALLY CIRCULATED IN SAID CELL, VENTILATING MEANS FOR INTERNALLY CIRCULATING SAID GAS IN SAID SPACES AND THROUGH THE TURNS OF SAID OPEN COILS, AND CONVEYING MEANS BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF SAID CELLS, SAID CONVEYING MEANS COMPRISING A DUCT SYSTEM AND A BLOWER FAN HAVING BOTH INLET AND OUTLET CONNECTIONS IN SAID DUCT SYSTEM, SAID CUT SYSTEM COMPRISING, FOR EACH MANIFOLD OF ONE CELL, A CONNECTING DUCT TO A CORRESPONDING MANIFOLD OF A SECOND CELL, ONE OF SAID DUCTS INCLUDING TWO BRANCH PORTIONS FOR CONVEYING GAS FROM SAID ONE DUCT, A DISTRIBUTOR COUPLED TO SAID BRANCH PORTIONS FOR RECEIVING GAS THEREFROM, SAID DISTRIBUTOR BEING FURTHER CONNECTED TO THE INLET OF THE FAN, A FURTHER BRANCH PORTION COUPLED TO THE OUTLET OF THE FAN AND SAID ONE DUCT AT A LOCATION BETWEEN THE FIRST SAID TWO BRANCH PORTIONS, SAID DISTRIBUTOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF GASES BETWEEN SAID BRANCH PORTIONS AND SAID FAN, A FIRST VALVE AT THE JUNCTION BETWEEN THE FIRST BRANCH PORTION AND SAID ONE CONNECTING DUCT AND A SECOND VALVE AT THE JUNCTION BETWEEN THE FURTHER BRANCH PORTION AND SAID ONE CONNECTING DUCT.