Abstract: A travelling thermocouple dynamically profiles the actual temperature of a substrate passing through a vertical oven without entangling the thermocouple wires. Media components, such as microprocessor chips in a semiconductor wafer, are supported on a tray or plate on a driven conveyor. A thermocouple formed of two metal wires of extended length are connected at one end to the media component and at the other end to a stationary readout device and function as the temperature gauge for all trays of components passing through the oven. A C-shaped clamp or hook secured to the thermocouple wires resiliently engages a chain drive driven independently of the conveyor drive but in correlation therewith by a computer controller and pulls the wires through the oven keeping pace with the media component to which it is attached.