Apparatus for drying coated sheet stock

Claim 1

AND ENDLESS CONVEYOR FOR DRYING COATED SHEET STOCK, COMPRISING: MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYOR SO THAT ITS UPPER REACH ADVANCES FROM A RECEIVING STATION TO A TRANSFER STATION WHILE ITS LOWER REACH RETURNS FROM THE TRANSFER STATION TO A DELIVERY STATION; A PLURALITY OF OUTWARDLY PROJECTING SHEET CARRIERS MOUNTED ON SAID CONVEYOR, EACH OF SAID CARRIERS HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING COATED SHEETS DURING THE CONVEYOR''S ADVANCE TRIP AND OTHER MEANS FOR SUPPORTING COATED SHEETS DURING THE CONVEYOR''S RETURN TRIP, SAID CARRIERS BEING RIGIDLY AFFIXED TO SAID CONVEYOR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE ANGLE BETWEEN A SPECIFIED CARRIER AND THE PLANE CONTAINING THAT SEGMENT OF THE CONVEYOR TO WHICH SAID SPECIFIED CARRIER IS ATTACHED REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THROUGHOUT THE TRAVERSE OF SAID CONVEYOR, WHEREBY AS EACH SHEET ARRIVES AT THE TRANSFER STATION IT FALLS FROM ONE CARRIER ONTO THE NEXT PRECEDING CARRIER FOR THE RETURN TRIP SUCH THAT SAID SHEETS ARE CONTACTED BY SAID CARRIERS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE DURING THE RETURN TRIP FROM THE SIDE ON WHICH THEY WERE CONTACTED BY SAID CARRIERS DURING THE ADVANCE TRIP; AN ENDLESS TAPE MEANS MOUNTED AT SAID TRANSFER STATION ON GUIDE MEANS SO AS TO BE SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGED BY AND SPAN THE ENDS OF AT LEAST TWO ADJACENT CARRIERS DURING THE PERIOD IN WHICH A SHEET IS FALLING BETWEEN THEM; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TAPE MEANS IN ENDLESS FASHION AT A LINEAL SPEED EQUIVALENT TO THE LINEAL SPEED AT WHICH THE ENDS OF SAID SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGING CARRIERS ARE TRAVELING WHEREBY THE COATED SHEETS ARE RETAINED ON SAID CONVEYOR DURING THEIR FALL FROM ONE CARRIER TO THE NEXT PRECEEDING CARRIER AT SAID TRANSFER STATION.