Autoclave for thermally treating very long rubbery hose products, and the like

An autoclave, for the curing by heat and pressure treatment of rubber hose mounted on a core comprising:

• (i) a very elongated body of U-shaped transverse cross-section and defining a linear trough-shaped chamber which is horizontal and which opens at an upper face of the body and which is closed at each end of the body, said chamber being of such elongation as to receive the hose and core in linear condition without folding or doubling,
• (ii) a separate closure for sealing of the upper face opening of the chamber along the whole extent of said opening,
• (iii) a plurality of movable means disposed at intervals alongside said body for movement in a direction transverse to its length and vertically downward toward said open end,
• (iv) means suspending said closure from said movable means to lie in a horizontal plane,
• (v) first means for operating said movable means to selectively move the closure from a first location offset laterally from the body in a transverse direction toward said body and to a second location over the open end thereof and from said second location to said first location,
• (vi) and second means for selectively operating said movable means to move the closure downwardly from said second location to completely cover said open end and upwardly away from the open end to said second location.