Web dryer

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR DRYING A STILL WET INK PRINTED WEB SURFACE, WHICH SYSTEM COMPRISES MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED HEATING CHAMBERS EACH HAVING AN OPEN SIDE, THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID CHAMBERS BEING IN LINEAR ARRAY, BURNER MEANS IN EACH CHAMBER, MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE WEB WITH THE STILL WET PRINTED SURFACE FACING AND ADJACENT SAID ARRAY OF OPEN SIDES IN DIRECT HEAT RECEIVING PROXIMITY TO SAID BURNER MEANS FROM A WEB ENTRY END OF SAID ARRAY TO A WEB EXIT END THEREOF, SAID DIRECTING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS BEYOND THE EXIT END OF SAID ARRAY FOR DIRECTING THE WEB AWAY THEREFROM, MEANS DEFINING AN EXHAUST CHAMBER SPACED FROM THE WEB OTHER SURFACE ADJACENT THE EXIT END OF SAID ARRAY, A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS IN THE EXHAUST CHAMBER EXTENDING ACROSS AND FACING THE WEB, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS FOR CONDUCTING AIR THROUGH THE OPENING FROM ADJACENT THE WEB SURFACE, SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY ADJUSTABLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE WEB SURFACE, MEANS CARRIED AT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS ADJACENT THE WEB SURFACE DEFINING AN OUTWARDLY FLARED LIP FOR PREVENTING CONTACT OF THE WEB WITH EXPOSED EDGES OF SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS, SAID OUTWARDLY FLARED LIP BEING OF A CONFIGURATION DIRECTING ENTRAINED AIR ADJACENT THE WEB SURFACE INTO SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS, ADDITIONAL OPENING MEANS IN SAID EXHAUST CHAMBER DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID WEB DIRECTING MEANS BEYOND SAID EXIT END FOR RECEIVING ENTRAINED AIR FROM SAID DIRECTING MEANS AND FROM THE WEB SURFACE, AND AIR EXHAUST DUCT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING AIR FROM SAID EXHAUST CHAMBERS.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR DRYING A STILL WET INK PRINTED WEB SURFACE, WHICH SYSTEM COMPRISES MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED HEATING CHAMBERS EACH HAVING AN OPEN SIDE, THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID CHAMBERS BEING IN LINEAR ARRAY, BURNER MEANS IN EACH CHAMBER, MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE WEB WITH THE STILL WET PRINTED SURFACE FACING AND ADJACENT SAID ARRAY OF OPEN SIDES IN DIRECT HEAT RECEIVING PROXIMITY TO SAID BURNER MEANS FROM A WEB ENTRY END OF SAID ARRAY TO A WEB EXIT END THEREOF, SAID DIRECTING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS BEYOND THE EXIT END OF SAID ARRAY FOR DIRECTING THE WEB AWAY THEREFROM, MEANS DEFINING AN EXHAUST CHAMBER SPACED FROM THE WEB OTHER SURFACE ADJACENT THE EXIT END OF SAID ARRAY, A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS IN THE EXHAUST CHAMBER EXTENDING ACROSS AND FACING THE WEB, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS FOR CONDUCTING AIR THROUGH THE OPENING FROM ADJACENT THE WEB SURFACE, SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY ADJUSTABLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE WEB SURFACE, MEANS CARRIED AT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS ADJACENT THE WEB SURFACE DEFINING AN OUTWARDLY FLARED LIP FOR PREVENTING CONTACT OF THE WEB WITH EXPOSED EDGES OF SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS, SAID OUTWARDLY FLARED LIP BEING OF A CONFIGURATION DIRECTING ENTRAINED AIR ADJACENT THE WEB SURFACE INTO SAID ASSOCIATED MEANS, ADDITIONAL OPENING MEANS IN SAID EXHAUST CHAMBER DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID WEB DIRECTING MEANS BEYOND SAID EXIT END FOR RECEIVING ENTRAINED AIR FROM SAID DIRECTING MEANS AND FROM THE WEB SURFACE, AND AIR EXHAUST DUCT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING AIR FROM SAID EXHAUST CHAMBERS.