Apparatus for the treatment of a web of material by a fluid

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TREATING MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF A CONTINUOUS FLAT RECTANGULAR WEB COMPRISING A PLURALITY OFALTERNATING HORIOZNTAL INCLINED ENCLOSURES WHICH ARE SUCCESSIVELY CONNECTED TO FORM A ZIG-ZAG TREATING ENCLOSURE HAVING AN UPPER AND LOWER OPENING OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERR, THE ENCLOSURE BEING OTHERWISE CLOSED, MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE MATERIAL TO BE TREATED AND PASSING THE SAME UNDER TENSION THROUGH THE TREATING ENCLOSURE IN AN UPWARDLY DIRECTION FROM THE LOWER OPENING TO THE UPPER OPENING, SAID ENCLOSURES EACH HAVING A RECTANGULAR CROSSSECTION CORRESPONDING TO THE CROSS-SECTION OF THE MATERIAL AND LARGER THEREOF WHEREBY THE WEB MAY PASS THROUGH THE ENCLOSURE WITH CLEARANCE ALL THE WAY THEREAROUND, MEANS FOR EXERTING A VARIABLE AND DETEMINABLE PRESSURE ON A TREATING LIQUID TO CAUSE THE LIQUID TO FLOW DOWNWARDLY IN THE TREATING ENCLOSURE, THE LATTER SAID MEANS COMPRISING A VERTICAL MOUTHPIECE PORTION ON SAID TREATING ENCLOSURE AT THE UPPER OPENING AND HAVINGA SUFFICIENT HEIGHT FOR CONTAINING TREATING LIQUID TO A PRESCRIBED LEVEL IN THE MOUTHPIECE PORTION FOR EXERTINGA DETERMINABLE PRESSURE HEAD ON LIQUID IN THE TREATING ENCLOSURE TO CAUSE