Skid mark erasure system

A method for removing skid marks from metal shapes transported through a reheat furnace, said furnace of the type having a plurality of parallel spaced-apart, water-cooled support rails longitudinally extending therein for supporting the metal shapes thereon as the metal shapes are moved through said furnace, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of high thrust burner means aligned in longitudinally extending, spaced-apart arrays positioned above each of the water-cooled support rails, wherein the high thrust burner means includes a plurality of spaced burner pairs, each of said burner paris being aligned in a converging manner such that a flame developed by each overlap one another to produce a higher temperature zone in the overlap region;
• sensing the presence of cold skid marks on the metal shapes and controlling said high thrust burner means for activating selected burners located above metal shapes having skid marks detected thereon and for deactivating other selected burners located above metal shapes having no skid mark detected thereon;
• directing a high velocity flame front from each of said activated burners to impinge directly upon a surface of said metal shapes at a location above said water-cooled support rails;
• heating the metal shapes in the location above said eater-cooled support rails and thereby removing a skid mark therefrom;
• and
• including the step of directing high velocity flame fronts from burner means positioned below said metal shapes and aligned along said support rails.