Dielectric apparatus for and method of treating traveling paper webs and the like

Claim 2

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, means for vertically adjusting said frame, a source of radio frequency energy, a first capacitor plate mounted within said frame intermediate the top and bottom thereof, means independent of said first recited means for vertically adjusting said first capacitor plate relative to said frame, a second capacitor plate fixedly mounted on said movable frame above said first plate, a first series of horizontal electrode rods carried by said second capacitor plate above the latter and in electrical connection therewith, and a second series of parallel electrode rods interposed between and alternating with said first series of electrode rods but carried by and grounded to said frame, whereby when said web of dielectric material is caused to travel closely above said electrodes in a direction transversely of the latter and radio frequency current is applied to said movable capacitor plate, a voltage gradient and current flow will be established in the material in the regions between successive electrodes to heat such material.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1, further including a flexible electrical conductor electrically connected between said first capacitor plate and said source of radio frequency electrical energy, said flexible electrical conductor permitting vertical adjustment of said hot plate relative to said frame.

Claim 4

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, a first capacitor plate fixedly mounted on said frame, a first series of horizontal electrode rods disposed transversely to the direction of travel of said web and carried by said first capacitor plate above the latter and in electrical connection therewith, a second series of electrode rods interposed between and parallel to said first series of electrode rods and lying in the same horizontal plane, said second series of electrode rods being grounded to said frame, means for vertically adjusting said frame and thus said electrode rods to variably position the same relative to said traveling web, a second capacitor plate mounted on said movable frame below said first capacitor plate, said second capacitor plate being connected to a source of high frequency electrical energy, means for vertically adjusting said second capacitor plate relative to said first capacitor plate thereby to vary the current in said first capacitor plate and in said electrode rods.

Claim 5

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, a first capacitor plate fixedly mounted on said frame, a first series of horizontal electrode rods disposed transversely to the direction of travel of said web and carried by said first capacitor plate above the latter and in electrical connection therewith, a second series of electrode rods interposed between and parallel to said first series of electrode rods and lying in the same horizontal plane, said second series of electrode rods being grounded to said frame, means for vertically adjusting said frame and thus said electrode rods to variably position the same relative to said traveling web, a second capacitor plate mounted on said movable frame below said first capacitor plate, said second capacitor plate being connected to a source of high frequency electrical energy, means for vertically adjusting said second capacitor plate relative to said first capacitor plate thereby to vary the current in said first capacitor plate and in said electrode rods.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 3 further including flexible electrically conductive strap means interconnecting said electrical energy source and said second capacitor plate thereby to permit relative vertical movement of the latter relative to said frame.

Claim 7

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, a first capacitor plate fixedly mounted on said frame, a first series of horizontal electrode rods supported by and electrically connected to said first capacitor plate, a second series of horizontal electrode rods carried by and grounded to said frame, said second series of rods being interposed between the rods of said first series, a radio frequency generator, a second capacitor plate mounted within said frame and electrically connected to said generator, said first and second capacitor plates forming part of the tank circuit of said generator, and means for vertically adjusting said second capacitor plate relative to said first capacitor plate thereby to vary the current in said first capacitor plate and thus in said electrode rods.

Claim 8

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, a first capacitor plate fixedly mounted on said frame, a first series of horizontal electrode rods supported by and electrically connected to said first capacitor plate, a second series of horizontal electrode rods carried by and grounded to said frame, said second series of rods being interposed between the rods of said first series, a radio frequency generator, a second capacitor plate mounted within said frame and electrically connected to said generator, said first and second capacitor plates forming part of the tank circuit of said generator, and means for vertically adjusting said second capacitor plate relative to said first capacitor plate thereby to vary the current in said first capacitor plate and thus in said electrode rods.

Claim 9

Apparatus for treating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, a first series of electrode rods fixedly mounted on and grounded to said frame, an electrode plate carrying a second series of electrode rods interposed between the rods of said first series, a radio frequency generatOr, said electrode plate and rods carried thereby being electrically connected to and forming the tank circuit of said generator, means for vertically moving said plate and said electrodes carried thereby relative to said frame to vary the distance and thus the voltage gradient between the latter and the rods grounded to said frame, and means for vertically moving said frame for varying the distance of said grounded and electrically charged rods relative to said web of dielectric material thereby to vary the heat generated in the latter.

Claim 10

Apparatus for treating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, a first series of electrode rods fixedly mounted on and grounded to said frame, an electrode plate carrying a second series of electrode rods interposed between the rods of said first series, a radio frequency generatOr, said electrode plate and rods carried thereby being electrically connected to and forming the tank circuit of said generator, means for vertically moving said plate and said electrodes carried thereby relative to said frame to vary the distance and thus the voltage gradient between the latter and the rods grounded to said frame, and means for vertically moving said frame for varying the distance of said grounded and electrically charged rods relative to said web of dielectric material thereby to vary the heat generated in the latter.

Claim 11

Apparatus for treating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a frame, a first series of electrode rods, a second series of electrode rods interposed between the rods of said first series, means for maintaining said rods of said first and second series 180* electrically out of phase with each other to establish a voltage gradient therebetween, means for vertically moving one of said series of electrode rods relative to the other of said series thereby to vary the voltage gradient between the adjacent rods, and means for vertically moving said frame for varying the distance of said grounded and electrically charged rods relative to said web of dielectric material thereby to vary the heat generated in the latter.

Claim 12

Apparatus for treating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a frame, a first series of electrode rods, a second series of electrode rods interposed between the rods of said first series, means for maintaining said rods of said first and second series 180* electrically out of phase with each other to establish a voltage gradient therebetween, means for vertically moving one of said series of electrode rods relative to the other of said series thereby to vary the voltage gradient between the adjacent rods, and means for vertically moving said frame for varying the distance of said grounded and electrically charged rods relative to said web of dielectric material thereby to vary the heat generated in the latter.

Claim 13

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, means for vertically adjusting said frame, a source of high frequency energy, a first horizontal capacitor plate mounted on said frame, means for vertically adjusting said first capacitor plate relative to said frame, a second capacitor plate fixedly mounted on said frame above said first capacitor plate, a series of horizontal electrode rods carried by said second capacitor plate above the latter and in electrical connection therewith, and a series of parallel electrode rods interposed between and at a different electrical potential than said previously mentioned electrode rods carried by said frame, whereby when said web of dielectric material is caused to travel closely above said electrodes in a direction transversely of the latter and high frequency current is applied to said first capacitor plate, a voltage gradient and current flow will be established in the web in the regions between successive electrodes thereby to heat the web.

Claim 14

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material comprising a grounded metal frame, means for vertically adjusting said frame, a source of high frequency energy, a first horizontal capacitor plate mounted on said frame, means for vertically adjusting said first capacitor plate relative to said frame, a second capacitor plate fixedly mounted on said frame above said first capacitor plate, a series of horizontal electrode rods carried by said second capacitor plate above the latter and in electrical connection therewith, and a series of parallel electrode rods interposed between and at a different electrical potential than said previously mentioned electrode rods carried by said frame, whereby when said web of dielectric material is caused to travel closely above said electrodes in a direction transversely of the latter and high frequency current is applied to said first capacitor plate, a voltage gradient and current flow will be established in the web in the regions between successive electrodes thereby to heat the web.

Claim 15

Apparatus for treating a traveling web of dielectric material, comprising a grounded metal frame, a first planar series of generally horizontal parallel electrode rods carried by and grounded to said frame, second frame means mounted on and insulated from said grounded metal frame, a second series of electrodes carried by said second frame means, individual electrodes of said second series being interposed between and parallel to electrodes of said first series, generator means for establishing a voltage gradient between adjacent charged and grounded electrodes for heating said web, said generator means comprising cathode tube means laterally and remotely spaced from said metal frame, an external tank circuit electrically connected to said cathode tube means, said external tank circuit including said first and second series of electrodes, a tuning stub for tuning said circuit, and a variable vacuum capacitor means mounted on said second frame means in series with said tuning stub and electrically connected to said second series of electrodes, and means for controllably adjusting said variable vacuum capacitor means to vary the voltage gradient between adjacent electrodes thereby varying the heat developed in the dielectric web material passing close by said electrodes.

Claim 16

Apparatus for treating a traveling web of dielectric material, comprising a grounded metal frame, a first planar series of generally horizontal parallel electrode rods carried by and grounded to said frame, second frame means mounted on and insulated from said grounded metal frame, a second series of electrodes carried by said second frame means, individual electrodes of said second series being interposed between and parallel to electrodes of said first series, generator means for establishing a voltage gradient between adjacent charged and grounded electrodes for heating said web, said generator means comprising cathode tube means laterally and remotely spaced from said metal frame, an external tank circuit electrically connected to said cathode tube means, said external tank circuit including said first and second series of electrodes, a tuning stub for tuning said circuit, and a variable vacuum capacitor means mounted on said second frame means in series with said tuning stub and electrically connected to said second series of electrodes, and means for controllably adjusting said variable vacuum capacitor means to vary the voltage gradient between adjacent electrodes thereby varying the heat developed in the dielectric web material passing close by said electrodes.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 9 further including means for vertically moving said grounded metal frame to variably position said electrodes from said traveling web thereby to vary the heat generated therein.

Claim 18

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material, comprising a grounded metal frame, a first plate supported in fixed relation to said frame, a first series of eLectrode rods supported by and electrically connected to said first plate, a second series of electrode rods supported by and electrically connected to said frame, the rods of said second series of rods being interposed between the rods of said first series, a second plate supported on said frame for adjustment relative to said first plate, said first and second plates forming a capacitor for coupling electrical energy from a source of radio frequency to said series of rods, and means for adjusting said second plate relative to said first plate, thereby to vary the electrical energy applied to said series of electrode rods.

Claim 19

Apparatus for heating a traveling web of dielectric material, comprising a grounded metal frame, a first plate supported in fixed relation to said frame, a first series of eLectrode rods supported by and electrically connected to said first plate, a second series of electrode rods supported by and electrically connected to said frame, the rods of said second series of rods being interposed between the rods of said first series, a second plate supported on said frame for adjustment relative to said first plate, said first and second plates forming a capacitor for coupling electrical energy from a source of radio frequency to said series of rods, and means for adjusting said second plate relative to said first plate, thereby to vary the electrical energy applied to said series of electrode rods.

Claim 22

The method of drying of claim 12 wherein the material to be dried is in sheet form.

Claim 23

A drying apparatus: comprising a. a series of spaced electrodes; b. energizing means for energizing said electrodes to provide a high frequency field; c. support means adapted to position material for exposure to said high frequency electric field; and d. means for providing relative movement between said high frequency electric field and the material when disposed therewithin.

Claim 24

A drying apparatus: comprising a. a series of spaced electrodes; b. energizing means for energizing said electrodes to provide a high frequency field; c. support means adapted to position material for exposure to said high frequency electric field; and d. means for providing relative movement between said high frequency electric field and the material when disposed therewithin.

Claim 25

The drying apparatus of claim 14 wherein the high frequency field is moved.