Heat treating apparatus

Claim 1

A HEAT TREATING APPARATUS, COMPRISING: (A) A CONVEYOR HAVING A WORK PIECE SUPPORTING SURFACE; (B) INFRARED GENERATORS LOCATED ABOVE THE CONVEYOR WITH SURFACES EMITTING VISIBLE RADIATION FACING THE WORK PIECE SUPPORTING SURFACE OF THE CONVEYOR AND EXTENDING OVER SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE WIDTH TO PROVIDE A BEAM OF RADIATION SPANNING THE CONVEYOR SURFACE; (C) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE TO SAID INFRARED GENERATORS; (D) MEANS FOR DIRECTING A CURTAIN OF AIR BETWEEN SAID INFRARED GENERATORS AND WORK PIECES ON SAID CONVEYOR SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT IMPINGING ON AND THEREBY REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE RADIATION EMITTING SURFACES OF SAID INFRARED GENERATORS, SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS INCLUDING AIR SUPPLY MEANS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID BEAM AND EXHAUST BLOWER MEANS, SAID EXHAUST BLOWER MEANS HAVING GREATER CAPACITY THAN SAID AIR SUPPLY MEANS AND BEING LOCATED AT THE SIDE OF THE BEAM OPPOSITE THE AIR SUPPLY MEANS; (E) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF PREMIXED GASEOUS FUEL AND AIR TO SAID GENERATORS; AND (F) MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SUCH SUPPLY ONLY SO LONG AS SAID GENERATORS ARE IGNITED AND AT A RATE NORMALLY DETERMINED BY THE TEMPERATURE AND PRESENCE OF AN OBJECT SUBJECTED TO IRRADIATION BY SAID GENERATORS.