Method and apparatus for treating porous material with fluid

Claim 1

A method for treating porous material comprising the steps of providing an engaging means for engaging said material to at least assist in moving said material, causing said material to have a section thereof disposed between at least a part of a flexible wall means and said engaging means to move in unison with said part of said wall means and said engaging means, moving said part of said wall means to be disposed in substantially sealed relation with said section of material, forming said wall means with a plurality of opening means passing through said part thereof, said step of moving said part of said wall means also includes the step of creating a direct fluid flow between a plurality of opening means in said part of said wall means and said section of material aligned between said opening means and said engaging means to treat said section of material with said fluid, said step of moving said part of said wall means to be disposed in substantially sealed relation with said section of material comprising the step of creating a pressure differential across said part of said wall means to cause one side of said part of said wall means to tend to press against said material and thereby press said material against said engaging means, said steps for creating said pressure differential across said wall means and for causing said direct fluid flow comprising the step of directing fluid unDer pressure against the other side of said part of said wall means so that said fluid pressure causes said part of said wall means to press against said material and causes said fluid to pass through said opening means into said material, and heating said fluid before said fluid is directed to said other side of said part of said wall means.