Heating apparatus

Claim 1

A heating apparatus for the continuous heat-treating of individual items, which comprises a framework, a central elongated source of heat energy mounted on said framework, a further pair of elongated sources of heat energy mounted on the framework, the further pair of sources of heat energy being arranged one on either side of said first source of heat energy and being substantially parallel thereto but spaced apart therefrom, a first moveable displacement means supported on said framework and adapted to be displaced past and between one spaced-apart pair of elongated sources of heat energy, a second moveable displacement means supported on said framework and adapted to be displaced paSt and between the other spaced-apart pair of sources of heat energy, driving means for causing the displacement means to be displaced past the elongated sources of heat energy, mounting means situated on said displacement means and adapted to receive a plurality of individual items to be heated, and means for enabling a current of air to be directed upwardly between adjacent sources of heat energy, said mounting means comprising a plurality of upright supports on bases attached to the displacement means to define a plurality of Lshaped members in side view, adjacent L-shaped members being so spaced apart as to be adapted to receive the end faces of a slice of bread between them, and a wire extending between the two extremities of each L-shaped member on the sides adjacent to both heating means to define diagonal side supports for said slice of bread.