Apparatus for annealing in a high vacuum

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR VACUUM-ANNEALING A STRIP OF REACTIVE METAL SUCH AS TITANIUM, WHICH INCLUDES A VACUUMANNEALING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR EVACUATING SAID ANNEALING CHAMBER, AND HEATING MEANS IN SAID ANNEALING CHAMBER FOR HEATING SAID STRIP TO ANNEALING TEMPERATURE WHILE SAID STRIP MOVES THROUGH SAID CHAMBER AND WHEREIN THE ANNEALING CHAMBER REQUIRES A LONG TIME FOR REACHING ANNEALING TEMPERATURE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A VACUUM-TIGHT LOADING CHAMBER, A VACUUM-TIGHT DOOR FOR SAID LOADING CHAMBER, AN INTERMEDIATE VACUUM CHAMBER, MEANS FOR EVACUATING SAID LOADING CHAMBER, SEPARATE MEANS FOR EVACUATING SAID INTERMEDIATE CHAMBER, MEANS DEFINING A FIRST OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE STRIP CAN BE PASSED BETWEEN SAID LOADING AND INTERMEDIATE CHAMBERS, MEANS FOR POSITIONING A COIL OF THE STRIP TO BE ANNEALED WITHIN SAID LOADING CHAMBER, A SECOND OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID STRIP IS PASSED INTO SAID VACUUM-ANNEALING CHAMBER, AT LEAST ONE LOW-FRICTION SEAL IN SAID SECOND OPENING, A PAIR OF SEALING SURFACES BETWEEN WHICH THE STRIP PASSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRST OPENING SAID SEALING SURFACES BEING FORMED OF COMFIG 01 PRESSIBLE MATERIAL ATTACHED IN FIXED RELATION TO NON-COMPRESSIBLE SUPPORT MEMBERS, ONE OF THE SUPPORT MEMBERS BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE OTHER SUPPORT MEMBER SO THAT THE COMPRESSIBLE SURFACE CARRIED BY THE MOVABLE SUPPORT MEMBER CAN BE SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTLY COMPRESSED TOWARDS THE OTHER SEALING SURFACE TO PERMIT MAINTENANCE OF A HIGH VACUUM OF LESS THAN ABOUT I MICRON HG ABS. IN SAID ANNEALING CHAMBER WHILE SAID LOADING CHAMBER IS OPENED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, MECHANICAL MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MOVEABLE SEALING SURFACE TO RELAX THE GRIP OF SAID SEAL ON THE STRIP SO AS TO PERMIT THE STRIP TO BE MOVED WITH NO MORE THAN SLIGHT FRICTIONAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE STRIP AND THE SEALING SURFACES DURING MOVEMENT OF THE STRIP, WHEREBY SUCCESSIVE ROLLS OF STRIP CAN BE SEQUENTIALLY ANNEALED WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF OPENING THE ANNEALING CHAMBER TO THE ATMOSPHERE.