Importance

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Abstract

A treatment furnace having a longitudinally extending charging opening has a transversely extending furnace conveyor having an upstream end in the vicinity of the opening. A loading conveyor has an array of transversely extending approach rollers adjacent the charging opening so that a workpiece to be treated in the furnace can be rolled longitudinally along the approach rollers to a position transversely aligned with the charging opening. A loading apparatus for the furnace has at least two transversely extending arms each having an inner end pivoted inside the furnace about a longitudinal axis at the upstream end of the furnace conveyor and an outer end outside the furnace and an array of longitudinally extending loading rollers rotatable about horizontal and longitudinal axes is carried on the arms. The outer arm ends can be raised to move the loading rollers carried thereby from a lower position with the loading rollers below the approach rollers to an upper position with the loading rollers above the approach rollers so that a workpiece transversely aligned with the charging opening can move longitudinally on the approach rollers in the lower position of the arms and can move transversely on the loading rollers in the upper position, in which latter position it can be pushed through the charging opening into the furnace and onto the upstream end of the furnace conveyor.

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First Claim