Patent ID: 8246901

Claim:
A retort furnace ( 1 ) for heat treating metal workpieces, having a furnace housing ( 2 ) enclosing a metal retort ( 3 ), the retort ( 3 ) comprising a gastight closable treatment or batch space ( 10 ) for the heat treatment of a batch of the metal workpieces and a receptacle framework ( 8 ) as a batch receptacle for positioning thereof, wherein a) the weight of the batch of metal workpieces and the receptacle framework ( 8 ) is decoupled from the retort ( 3 ), b) the receptacle framework ( 8 ) is connected to means ( 5 ) for support on the furnace housing ( 2 ), c) the support means ( 5 ) are guided in gastight passages ( 6 ) through a wall ( 2 . 1 ) of the furnace housing ( 2 ) and a wall ( 3 . 1 ) of the retort ( 3 ), d) the gastight passages ( 6 ) comprising pipes ( 6 . 1 ) that extend through the walls ( 2 . 1 , 3 . 1 ), and length-compensating compensators ( 7 ) operably connected to said pipes ( 6 . 10 ).