Drying rolls

Claim 1

A DRYING ROLL ASSEMBLY FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIAL WITH GAS WHICH IS INTRODUCED INTO THE ROLL AND IS IN CONTACT WITH THE SHEET MATERIAL ARRANGED THEREOVER COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED HOLLOW ROLL HAVING PERIPHERAL OPENING MEANS FOR THE PASSAGE OF GAS, (B) PLURAL PARTITION MEANS EXTENDING FROM AT LEAST ONE END OF SAID ROLL AND TERMINATING WITHIN SAID ROLL FOR DEFINING A PLURALITY OF COAXIAL ANNULAR CHANNELS ABOUT THE LONGITUDONAL AXIS OF SAID ROLL FOR THE PASSAGE OF GAS PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS, (C) TERMINAL MEANS SECURED TO THE TERMINATING PORTION OF SAID PARTITION MEANS, SAID TERMINAL MEANS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OF SAID AXIS FOR DIRECTING GASES RADIALLY THROUGH SAID PERIPHERAL OPENING MEANS AND TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLL, (D) A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FINS DISPOSED IN A CIRCULAR ARRAY ABOUT SAID AXIS EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM AND PASSING RADIALLY ACROSS EACH OF SAID CHANNELS, (E) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING GAS INTO SAID ROLL AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COAXIAL ANNULAR CHANNELS, AND (F) ADJUSTABLE DISTRIBUTOR PLATE VALVE MEANS DISPOSED COAXIALLY AND IN CLOSE JUXTAPOSED RELATION WITH AT LEAST ONE END OF SAID ROLL, SAID DISTRIBUTOR PLATE VALVE MEANS COMPRISING ADJUSTABLE APERTURE MEANS EACH BEING OF DIFFERENT RADIAL DIMENSION TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF GAS THROUGH SELECTED ONES OF SAID CHANNELS.