Heat treatment furnace and conveyor with multi-conveyance

A heat treatment furnace and conveyor system, comprising:

• a heating section surrounded by an isolating material;
• a plurality of electric heating devices disposed in said heating section;
• a plurality of first conveyors vertically spaced within said heating section in parallel relationship, each of said first conveyors longitudinally displacing a corresponding conveyor belt in a direction opposite an adjacent one of said plurality of first conveyors;
• a feeder disposed at an upper portion of said furnace in open communication with said heating section for depositing material onto a first of said plurality of first conveyors;
• a cooling section disposed below said heating section and being devoid of electric heating devices;
• and, a second conveyor disposed in said cooling section in parallel relationship with respect to said plurality of first conveyors, said second conveyor having a conveyor belt for receiving material from a lowermost one of said plurality of said first conveyors for displacement through said cooling section to a discharge opening, said conveyor belts of said plurality of first conveyors and said second conveyor each including:
• (a) a plurality of longitudinally spaced stopper strips extending transversely across said conveyor belt;
• and,
• (b) a plurality of longitudinally extended ribs spaced longitudinally on each of two sides of said conveyor belt, said plurality of stopper strips and said plurality of ribs together defining a plurality of individual material receiving sections of said conveyor belt.