Coating oven with catalytic incineration of volatiles

Claim 1

A COATING OVEN FOR HEAT TREATING ARTICLES TO EVAPORATE COATING SOLVENTS AND REMOVE COMBUSTIBLES FROM THE VAPORIZED SOLVENTS, SAID OVEN COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) AN ELONGATED HEAT TREATING CHAMBER, (B) MEANS FOR CONVEYING ARTICLES TO BE HEAT TREATED THROUGH SAID CHAMBER FROM AN ENTRANCE END TO AN EXIT END, (C) A PLENUM SECTION WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING OPENINGS IN A WALL THEREOF FOR DIRECTING HEATED GASES OVER THE PARTICLES PASSING THROUGH THE CHAMBER, (D) A VAPOR COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING HEAT SUPPLY MEANS AND A CATALYTIC VAPOR INCINERATOR DISPOSED THEREIN, (E) A VAPOR EXHAUST DUCT CONNECTING SAID TREATING CHAMBER WITH SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, (F) A CIRCULATING FAN IN SAID EXHAUST DUCT, (G) A HEAT EXCHANGER CONNECTED TO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, (H) MEANS FOR PASSING AIR THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH HOT GASES FROM SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, (I) A DOUBLE ENDED HEATED AIR DUCT CONNECTED TO SAID HEATED AIR OUTLET MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID HEATED AIR DUCT AND CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO SAID PLENUM SECTION AT THE OTHER END OF SAID HEATED AIR DUCT THEREBY TO PASS ONLY FRESH HEATED AIR TO SAID PLENUM SECTION, (J) DAMPER CONTROL MEANS AND A RECIRCULATING FAN IN SAID HEATED AIR DUCT, AND (K) ADJUSTABLE COOL AIR INLET MEANS TO SAID HEATED AIR DUCT BETWEEN SAID DAMPER CONTROL MEANS AND SAID RECIRCULATING FAN FOR INTRODUCING TEMPERING AIR TO THE HEATED AIR DUCT.