A threading apparatus for transporting an electrode plate includes an oven, a first guide rail and a second guide rail, and a threading assembly. The first guide rail and the second guide rail are spaced apart from each other inside the oven in a first direction. A first opening and a second opening are respectively provided on a surface of the first guide rail and a surface of the second guide rail that face each other. Two ends of the threading assembly in the first direction are movably disposed in the first guide rail and the second guide rail through the first opening and the second opening, respectively. The threading assembly is configured to be connected to the electrode plate for transporting the electrode plate inside the oven.

A billet pushout system is provided for an electric induction billet heating line with long length revolute jointed pushout rods forming a non-jamming pushout rod assembly that is stored in a linear enclosure connected to an arcuate enclosure that deploys and retracts the pushout rod assembly to and from the electric induction billet heating line.

A sample heating device includes: a rail-shaped disposal rail extending in one direction in a horizontal plane so that sample boats after heating are arranged and placed in a straight line; a disposal tray that houses the sample boat pushed-out from one end of the disposal rail; a sample boat conveying portion that places the sample boat after the heating at a predetermined placing position on the disposal rail; and a sample boat push-out portion that is positioned closer to the other end side of the disposal rail than the placing position when the sample boat is placed on the disposal rail and that is displaced toward the one end side of the disposal rail after the sample boat is placed at the placing position to slide the sample boats on the disposal rail toward the one end side.

A sample heating device includes: a rail-shaped disposal rail extending in one direction in a horizontal plane so that sample boats after heating are arranged and placed in a straight line; a disposal tray that houses the sample boat pushed-out from one end of the disposal rail; a sample boat conveying portion that places the sample boat after the heating at a predetermined placing position on the disposal rail; and a sample boat push-out portion that is positioned closer to the other end side of the disposal rail than the placing position when the sample boat is placed on the disposal rail and that is displaced toward the one end side of the disposal rail after the sample boat is placed at the placing position to slide the sample boats on the disposal rail toward the one end side.

A billet pushout system is provided for an electric induction billet heating line with long length revolute jointed pushout rods forming a non-jamming pushout rod assembly that is stored in a linear enclosure connected to an arcuate enclosure that deploys and retracts the pushout rod assembly to and from the electric induction billet heating line.

A heat treatment furnace may include: a furnace body including an entrance and an exit; a lower plate member disposed in the furnace body; an upper plate member disposed above the lower plate member, wherein the upper plate member is configured to allow the plurality of objects stacked in an up-down direction to be placed thereon; an intermediate member interposed between the lower plate member and the upper plate member in the up-down direction and attached to the lower plate member; and a pusher configured to push the upper plate member forward from the entrance toward the exit. The upper plate member may move forward above the lower plate member. A sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the intermediate member may be smaller than a sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the lower plate member.

A heat treatment furnace may include: a furnace body including an entrance and an exit; a lower plate member disposed in the furnace body; an upper plate member disposed above the lower plate member, wherein the upper plate member is configured to allow the plurality of objects stacked in an up-down direction to be placed thereon; an intermediate member interposed between the lower plate member and the upper plate member in the up-down direction and attached to the lower plate member; and a pusher configured to push the upper plate member forward from the entrance toward the exit. The upper plate member may move forward above the lower plate member. A sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the intermediate member may be smaller than a sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the lower plate member.

A sample heating device includes: a rail-shaped disposal rail extending in one direction in a horizontal plane so that sample boats after heating are arranged and placed in a straight line; a disposal tray that houses the sample boat pushed-out from one end of the disposal rail; a sample boat conveying portion that places the sample boat after the heating at a predetermined placing position on the disposal rail; and a sample boat push-out portion that is positioned closer to the other end side of the disposal rail than the placing position when the sample boat is placed on the disposal rail and that is displaced toward the one end side of the disposal rail after the sample boat is placed at the placing position to slide the sample boats on the disposal rail toward the one end side.

A sample heating device includes: a rail-shaped disposal rail extending in one direction in a horizontal plane so that sample boats after heating are arranged and placed in a straight line; a disposal tray that houses the sample boat pushed-out from one end of the disposal rail; a sample boat conveying portion that places the sample boat after the heating at a predetermined placing position on the disposal rail; and a sample boat push-out portion that is positioned closer to the other end side of the disposal rail than the placing position when the sample boat is placed on the disposal rail and that is displaced toward the one end side of the disposal rail after the sample boat is placed at the placing position to slide the sample boats on the disposal rail toward the one end side.

An industrial furnace (1) into which protective gas is admitted for the heat treatment of batches (5) of metal workpieces is described. The heat treating furnace includes an entrance lock (2) which can be sealed with respect to the surrounding environment by means of a first gas-tight closure device (2.2.1). The heat treating furnace also includes a third gas-tight closure device (3.1) disposed between a heat treatment chamber (3) of the furnace and a quenching facility (4) at the exit of the heat treatment chamber. With the foregoing arrangement a pressure of the protective gas admitted into the heat treatment chamber (3) can be maintained during loading and unloading of a batch of metal workpieces (5). The entrance lock may be configured as a dual-chamber vertical arrangement or as a single chamber horizontal arrangement.