PURPOSE: To soak billets effectively in their vertical directions by turning the billets, which are being advanced in prescribed cycle times in an induction heating coil, upside down near the outlet of a coil and discharging the same after the lapse of the final cycle time.

CONSTITUTION: When a billet 1 is pushed and fed to the final cycle in an induction heating coil C, the manipulator 5 on a base table 7 is advanced, and the leading end parts of fingers 531 and 532 are inserted into the furnace. The billet 1 is gripped by the fingers 531 and 532, and an arm 52 is rotated 180° to turn the billet 1 upside down. The billet 1 in this state is induction heated until the final cycle ends, after which it is discharged from the outlet of a coil C by the next pushing and feeding, whereby it is dropped onto a chulator 9 and is moved to the next stage. Next, the succeeding billet 1 is successively turned upside down by the similar operation and is soaked, after which it is discharged from the coil C inside.