Air-tempering devices

Claim 1

AN AIR-TEMPERING DEVICE FOR TEMPORARILY HEATING THERMOPLASTIC OPHTHALMIC MOUNTINGS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: A HOUSING PART OF WHICH CONSTITUTES AN AIR INTAKE CHAMBER, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN AIR INTAKE OPENING ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHAMBER AND AN AIR EXHAUST OPENING IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, THE OPENINGS BEING IN THE TOP WALL OF THE HOUSING; AN EXHAUST CHAMBER AND A RESTRICTED PASSAGE LEADING INTO THE EXHAUST CHAMBER EMBODIED IN A CASING OF A MATERIAL HAVING LOW THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AND LINED WITH HEAT-REFLECTIVE MATERIAL, SAID CASING BEING MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING IN SPACED RELATION TO THE OUTER SIDE WALLS OF THE HOUSING WITH THE PASSAGE EXTENDING INTO SAID INTAKE CHAMBER AND WITH SAID EXHAUST CHAMBER FITTED AGAINST SAID EXHAUST OPENING, SAID EXHAUST CHAMBER AND OPENING AND SAID PASSAGE BEING OF A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY CORRESPONDING TO THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF AN OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING; AIR PASSAGES LEADING FROM SAID AIR INTAKE CHANNEL ALONG THE EXTERIOR OF SAID CASING AND OPENING OUTSIDE SAID HOUSING; GRID MEANS FITTED AT EACH OF SAID HOUSING OPENINGS FOR RECEIVING AN OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING THEREON; FAN MEANS FOR DRAWING AIR THROUGH THE INTAKE OPENING AND FOR FORCING AIR THROUGH THE MAJOR WIDTH OF SAID RESTRICTED PASSAGE AND EXHAUST CHAMBER TO THE EXHAUST OPENING; AND FOR FORCING AIR THROUGH SAID AIR PASSAGES TO BE VENTED OUTSIDE SAID HOUSING, THEREBY TO COOL THE EXTERIOR OF SAID CASING; HEATER MEANS DISPOSED ACROSS THE MAJOR WIDTH OF SAID RESTRICTED PASSAGE FOR UNIFORMLY HEATING AIR PASSED THERETHROUGH; HEAT-RESPONSIVE MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE EXHAUST CHAMBER FOR REGULATING SAID HEATER MEANS TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE OF AIR FORCED THROUGH SAID EXHAUST OPENING; AND BAFFLE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RESTRICTED PASSAGE FOR DEFLECTING HEATED AIR FORCED INTO THE EXHAUST CHAMBER SO THAT SAID AIR IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY MIXED WITHIN THE EXHAUST CHAMBER, SAID BAFFLE MEANS BEING POSITIONED FOR SHIELDING THE HEAT-RESPONSIVE MEANS FROM DIRECT RADIATION FROM SAID HEATER MEANS AND FOR DIRECTING SAID HEATED AIR UPON THE HEAT-RESPONSIVE MEANS.