Gear and rack portable torch drive

A portable torch support and guide apparatus comprising:

• an elongated module including a support base for resting on stock to be cut, and retention magnets on said support base for retaining said support base to said stock;
• an upstanding elongated carriage guide track;
• a torch mounting carriage movable along said track, and having a drive mechanism for advancing said carriage, said drive mechanism including a drive gear;
• a gear rack on said module, being engageable by said drive gear;
• said gear rack being positioned longitudinally offset on said module with one end of said gear rack extending beyond said guide track at one end of said module;
• the opposite end of said gear rack being foreshortened on the end of said wide track to define an end space on said guide track, whereby the outwardly extending end of said gear rack overlaps onto the end space of an adjacent module in aligned relation to said elongated module, whereby said drive gear can transfer from said elongated module gear rack to the adjacent module gear rack to advance said carriage from said elongated module to the adjacent module;
• and
• interconnect alignment means for end to end interconnection and alignment of adjacent modules, whereby two or more like modules can be interconnected in an aligned relationship.