Heat treatment furnace for metal strip

摘要

A process for heating one or more bodies in a furnace in which heated gas is introduced into the furnace chamber through one or more injectors and are conveyed to the bodies in a manner involving appreciable resistance to gas flow to generate an air cushion for supporting the bodies. In a preferred arrangement a continuous metal strip is conveyed through the furnace on a gaseous support cushion, the gas being introduced into the furnace under pressure through injectors which communicate with the lower portion of the furnace. The injectors and the furnace internal wall structure generate a substantial recirculation of gas within the furnace.