US3718983A — Sheet drying apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 180 words

A sheet drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber having first and second plenums, each of said plenums having an array of nozzles for directing high velocity air at the respectively opposite sheet surfaces, said nozzles being comprised of at least two frusto-conical sections, the largest section being located at the base of the nozzle and having a wall taper of not more than 4*, and the second section having a wall taper of 15*-20*, said nozzles being disposed in adjacent rows, the space L1, between adjacent nozzles within a row being no more than about 5 times the inside diameter of the discharge end of the nozzle, and the space L2 between adjacent rows of nozzles being no more than about 0.8 times L1, first and second sets of conveying rolls arranged so as to provide a path for sheet material between the respective arrays of nozzles of said plenums and spaced so as to contact sheet material moving through said path, and a plurality of filamentary guides for said sheet material on at least one side of said path.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 180 words

A sheet drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber having first and second plenums, each of said plenums having an array of nozzles for directing high velocity air at the respectively opposite sheet surfaces, said nozzles being comprised of at least two frusto-conical sections, the largest section being located at the base of the nozzle and having a wall taper of not more than 4*, and the second section having a wall taper of 15*-20*, said nozzles being disposed in adjacent rows, the space L1, between adjacent nozzles within a row being no more than about 5 times the inside diameter of the discharge end of the nozzle, and the space L2 between adjacent rows of nozzles being no more than about 0.8 times L1, first and second sets of conveying rolls arranged so as to provide a path for sheet material between the respective arrays of nozzles of said plenums and spaced so as to contact sheet material moving through said path, and a plurality of filamentary guides for said sheet material on at least one side of said path.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 180 words

A sheet drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber having first and second plenums, each of said plenums having an array of nozzles for directing high velocity air at the respectively opposite sheet surfaces, said nozzles being comprised of at least two frusto-conical sections, the largest section being located at the base of the nozzle and having a wall taper of not more than 4*, and the second section having a wall taper of 15*-20*, said nozzles being disposed in adjacent rows, the space L1, between adjacent nozzles within a row being no more than about 5 times the inside diameter of the discharge end of the nozzle, and the space L2 between adjacent rows of nozzles being no more than about 0.8 times L1, first and second sets of conveying rolls arranged so as to provide a path for sheet material between the respective arrays of nozzles of said plenums and spaced so as to contact sheet material moving through said path, and a plurality of filamentary guides for said sheet material on at least one side of said path.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 180 words

A sheet drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber having first and second plenums, each of said plenums having an array of nozzles for directing high velocity air at the respectively opposite sheet surfaces, said nozzles being comprised of at least two frusto-conical sections, the largest section being located at the base of the nozzle and having a wall taper of not more than 4*, and the second section having a wall taper of 15*-20*, said nozzles being disposed in adjacent rows, the space L1, between adjacent nozzles within a row being no more than about 5 times the inside diameter of the discharge end of the nozzle, and the space L2 between adjacent rows of nozzles being no more than about 0.8 times L1, first and second sets of conveying rolls arranged so as to provide a path for sheet material between the respective arrays of nozzles of said plenums and spaced so as to contact sheet material moving through said path, and a plurality of filamentary guides for said sheet material on at least one side of said path.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 1, at least one of said conveying rolls being driven.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 17 words

The apparatus of claim 2, said filamentary guides having a diameter of no more than 0.10 inch.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 3, said filamentary guides being substantially parallel to said path.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 37 words

The apparatus of claim 4, at least one of said conveying rolls having a plurality of circumferential grooves at spaced intervals along its length, said filamentary guides passing through the portions of said grooves nearest said path.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 5, said first and second conveying rolls being located at spaced intervals throughout the length of said path.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 66 words

The apparatus of claim 6, the filamentary guides having surfaces of polymeric material, being connected to spring tensioning means, and being located in two planes that are parallel to each other and to said path and are no more than 0.5 inch apart, one of said planes being on the bottom of said path, the other of said planes being on the top of said path.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 7 having at least one pair of coacting drive rolls, at least one of which has a surface of resilient polymeric material.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 66 words

The apparatus of claim 8, said nozzles having three frusto-conical sections, the section of smallest diameter being located at the discharge end of the nozzle and having a wall taper of not more than 4*, the intermediate section having a wall taper of 15*-20*, and the largest section being located at the base of the nozzle and having a wall taper of not more than 4*.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 3, said conveying rolls comprising two pairs of coacting drive rolls, one pair being located at the entrance of said drying chamber, the other pair being located at the exit of said drying chamber.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus of claim 10, at least one of said drive rolls having circumferential grooves at spaced intervals along its length, said filamentary guides being parallel to said path and passing through the portions of said grooves nearest said path.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 66 words

The apparatus of claim 11, the filamentary guides having surfaces of polymeric material, being connected to spring tensioning means, and being located in two planes that are parallel to each other and to said path and are no more than 0.5 inch apart, one of said planes being on the bottom of said path, the other of said planes being on the top of said path.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 12, at least one of said coacting drive rolls having a surface of resilient, polymeric material.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-03-05	1976-09-04	1977-03-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-03-05	1980-09-04	1981-03-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-03-05	1984-09-04	1985-03-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Sheet drying apparatus

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