Flame treatment of polymeric film and apparatus

Claim 1

IN A PROCES FOR FLAME TREATING A POLYMERIC FILM WHEREIN CONTINUOUS FILM OR ORGANIC POLYMERIC MATERIAL IS BROUGHT CONTINUOUSLY INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH A RELATIVELY HIGHLY THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE SURFACE AND WHILE INCONTACT THEREWITH PASSES THROUGH THE FLAME OF AN ELONGATED BURNER SPACED FROM AND DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID FILM AND TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL THEREOF WHEREBY TO HEAT THE SURFACE OF SAID FILM EXPOSED TO SAID FLAME TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, SAID THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE SURFACE OPPOSITE SAID FLAME BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID ELEVATED TEMPERTURE; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, THE STEP OF DIRECTING A NARROW STREAM OF SUBSTANTIALLY INERT GAS THROUGH THE GAP BETWEEN SAID FILM AND SAID BURNER IN THE VICINITY OF THE EDGE OF SIAD FILM AND IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELING THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL THEREOF THROUGH SAID FLAME, WHEREBY TO COOL SAID FILM IN THE VICINITY OF THE EDGE THEREOF.