Floating equipment and floating-type heat treating furnace for striplike works

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING With general reference to the drawing for like parts, and specific reference to FIGS.
1 and 2, there is shown an improved pressure pad B which is made in accordance with the invention and which is used in conjunction with another, confronting like pressure pad B' to produce between them, a static gas pressure upon which a strip W of material, such as aluminum or copper, is supported as it passes between the pads B, B', each of which pads comprises two rows or lines of jet nozzles 1a and 1b which face the strip W.
In this instance, the jet nozzles 1a and 1b in the confronting faces 2 of the pads B, B' are continuous slits or slots 3 which, as best seen in FIG.
1, extend longitudinally of the pads and are coextensive with the width of the strip W.
The slots 3 of a conventional pad A are parallel and normal to the direction in which the strip W travels past the pad.
The slots 3 of the improved pad B are also parallel and so disposed, except adjacent the opposing ends E, E' of the pad B, where the sections S,S' of the slots 3 converge towards each other and the longitudinal centerline of the pad, such that the distances 1 between the ends of the slots 3, or lines of jet nozzles 1a and 1b, gradually narrow compared to the constant distance L between the parallel center sections S" of the slots 3.
It can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the streams or jets of gas emitting from the outer side sections S,S' of the slots 3 will have a component of force in a laterally outwardly direction from the longitudinal centerline of the strip W, as the gas strikes the strip W.
Such components of force tend to stretch the strip W in a crosswise direction, so to speak, to eliminate, or substantially reduce, any waviness in the strip and flatten the strip to prevent distortion and consequent damage to the strip.
With particular reference to FIG.
4, there is shown another embodiment of the invention where one of the slots 3 is straight across the pad B and the other opposing slot 3 is provided with converging sections S,S', similar to those shown in FIG