Vacuum processing machine

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES: A CHAMBER IN WHICH A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT MAY BE MAINTAINED; MEANS FOR FEEDING FIRST MAGAZINES, EACH CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES, FROM THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE INTO THE CHAMBER IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE IS PREVENTED FROM ADVERSELY AFFECTING THE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE CHAMBER; MEANS IN THE CHAMBER FOR TREATING THE ARTICLES; MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY REMOVING ARTICLES FROM THE FIRST MAGAZINES, FEEDING THEM THROUGH THE CHAMBER WHEREIN THEY ARE TREATED AND THEN LOADING THE ARTICLES INDIVIDUALLY INTO SECOND MAGAZINES AT THE EXIT END OF THE CHAMBER, SAID MEANS EFFECTING THE REMOVING, FEEDING, AND LOADING OPERATIONS SUCH THAT, AS ONE ARTICLE IS REMOVED FROM A FIRST MAGAZINE, SIMULTANEOUSLY THEREWITH A SECOND ARTICLE IS TREATED AND A THIRD ARTICLE IS LOADED INTO A SECOND MAGAZINE; AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE SECOND MAGAZINES, AFTER LOADING THEREOF, FROM THE CHAMBER INTO THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE IS PREVENTED FROM ADVERSELY AFFECTING THE ENVIRONMENT WITH THE CHAMBER.