Patent ID: 6872918

Claim:
An autoclave for heat-treating an elongated load, that differs in mass, shape or cross-section alone its length, said autoclave comprising: a shell defining a pressurizable heating chamber; means within the shell defining a load space; at least one door for closure of the heating chamber and for permitting entry of loads into and discharge of loads from the load space; means for heating the gas within the load space a plurality of impellers and respective driving means spaced apart at intervals along the heating chamber each non-axial circulation of gas in a respective zone or zones of said load space; and temperature control means having inputs for thermocouples associated with the load and arranged to adjust the heat imparted to the load in the zone or zones individually to heat the load at different temperatures along its length and/or at different speeds of gas circulation so that the temperature of the load as a whole is raised at a uniform rate.