Drying rolls utilizing belts transparent to infrared radiation

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING A CONTINUOUS, MOVING, SHEET OF MATERIAL, COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF DRYING ROLLS ALTERNATELY LOCATED IN VERTICALLY SPACED APART UPPER AND LOWER DECKS AND ADAPTED TO HAVE A SHEET OF MATERIAL CONTACTING, ALTERNATELY, THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACE PORTIONS OF SUCCESSIVE ROLLS IN THE UPPER AND LOWER DECKS; (B) RADIANT HEATERS SPACED FROM AND SURROUNDING THE UPPER PORTIONS OF AT LEAST THE MAJORITY OF THE ROLLS IN THE UPPER DECK AND THE LOWER PORTIONS OF AT LEAST A MAJORITY OF THE ROLLS IN THE LOWER DECK; (C) FIRST BELT MEANS FOR PRESSING THE SHEET MATERIAL AGAINST THE ROLLS IN THE UPPER DECK, SAID FIRST BELT MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID RADIANT HEATERS AND SAID UPPER DECK ROLLS AND CONTACTING THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE UPPER DECK ROLLS; (D) SECOND BELT MEANS FOR PRESSING THE SHEET MATERIAL AGAINST THE ROLLS IN THE LOWER DECK, SAID SECOIND BELT MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID RADIANT HEATERS AND SAID LOWER DECK ROLLS AND CONTACTING THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID LOWER DECK ROLLS; (E) SAID FIRST AND SECOND BELT MEANS BEING FABRICATED OF OPEN MESH SYNTHETIC MATERIAL CAPABLE OF PASSING A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF RADIANT ENERGY IMPINGING THEREON WITH THE MESH OPENINGS CONSTITUTING NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 30% OF THE AREA OF SAID BELT MEANS, WHEREBY A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE ENERGY EMITTED FROM SAID RADIANT HEATERS WILL PASS THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND BELT MEANS AND IMPINGE ON SAID SHEET MATERIAL AND VOLATILES EVOLVED FROM THE SHEET BEING TREATED CAN ESCAPE FROM ADJACENT SAID SHEET THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN SAID BELT MEANS.