Apparatus for processing materials in a controlled atmosphere

Claim 1

ONE-ENDED, CONTINUOUS PROCESSING APPARATUS, WHICH COMPRISES: AN ELONGATED, OPEN-ENDED, APERTURED CHANNEL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH THE APPARATUS, THE CHANNEL DEFINING A PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH MATERIAL TO BE PROCESSED ENTERS THE APPARATUS FROM AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE, PASSED THROUGH THE APPARATUS AND EXITS INTO AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE; A PLURALTY OF INTERCONNECTED, OPEN-ENDED CHAMBERS SUPPORTING THE CHANNEL, INDIVIDUAL CHAMBERS SURROUNDING APERTURED PORTIONS OF THE CHANNEL AND CONTAINING PROCESSING ATMOSPHERES TO WHICH THE MATERIAL IN THE CHANNEL IS EXPOSED THROUGH THE APERTURES THEREIN; MEANS CONNECTED TO THE CHAMBERS FOR MAINTAINING PREDETERMINED PRESSURES IN THE PROCESSING ATMOSPHERES IN THE CHAMBERS; GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING ALONG THE CHANNEL ON THE INSIDE SURFACE THEREOF; A PLURALITY OF IDENTICALLY SHAPED CARRIERS FOR CONVEYING THE MATERIAL THROUGH THE APPARATUS, THE CARRIERS HAVING PORTIONS PROJECTING TRANSVERSELY OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE ENTIRE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE MATERIAL CARRIED BY THE CARRIERS, SEGMENTS OF THE PROJECTING PORTIONS OF THE CARRIERS BEING COMPLEMENTARY IN SHAPE TO THE GUIDE MEANS AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO ALIGN THE CARRIERS AXIALLY AND ACCURATELY POSITION THE CARRIERS IN THE CHANNEL, THE AXIAL ALIGNMENT OF THE CARRIERS AND POSITIONING OF THE CARRIERS ACCURATELY IN THE CHANNEL PROVIDING UNIFORM, RESTRICTED CLEARANCES BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE ENLARGED PORTIONS OF THE CARRIES AND INSIDE SURFACES OF THE CHANNEL SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO ALLOW THE CARRIES TO MOVE FREELY THROUGH THE CHANNEL AND STILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT RESISTANCE TO THE FLOW OF FLUIDS TO AND FORM THE CHAMBERS TO PERMIT PREDETERMINED PRESSURES TO BE MAINTAINED IN THE CHAMBERS; AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE CARRIERS THROUGH THE CHANNEL.