Hot wire drying

Claim 1

An apparatus for drying a traveling fibrous moisture containing web which comprises in combination: first and sEcond flexible pervious looped wire belts formed of highly heat conductive metal; means for guiding a fibrous moisture containing web between the wire belts for heating the web by conduction and convection from the wires of the belts; a plurality of dryer drums over which the wire belts are trained to travel in a serpentine path for carrying the web through a drying path sandwiched firmly between the wire belts insuring heat conducting drying contact between the wire belts and the web; a first heating chamber positioned in advance of the drying path with said first wire belt passing therethrough; a second heating chamber positioned in advance of the drying path with said second wire belt passing therethrough; a first heating means for said first chamber; a second heating means for said second chamber; each of said heating means heating each of said wires to a high temperature sufficient to heat the web by contact with the wire belt to evaporate the moisture and dry the web; and an enclosure surrounding the web and wire belts in said dryihg path for receiving moisture evaporating from the web.

Claim 2

An apparatus for drying a traveling fibrous moisture containing web which comprises in combination: first and sEcond flexible pervious looped wire belts formed of highly heat conductive metal; means for guiding a fibrous moisture containing web between the wire belts for heating the web by conduction and convection from the wires of the belts; a plurality of dryer drums over which the wire belts are trained to travel in a serpentine path for carrying the web through a drying path sandwiched firmly between the wire belts insuring heat conducting drying contact between the wire belts and the web; a first heating chamber positioned in advance of the drying path with said first wire belt passing therethrough; a second heating chamber positioned in advance of the drying path with said second wire belt passing therethrough; a first heating means for said first chamber; a second heating means for said second chamber; each of said heating means heating each of said wires to a high temperature sufficient to heat the web by contact with the wire belt to evaporate the moisture and dry the web; and an enclosure surrounding the web and wire belts in said dryihg path for receiving moisture evaporating from the web.

Claim 9

The method of drying a traveling fibrous moisture containing web comprising the steps: tightly sandwiching the web between a pair of looped traveling flexible pervious wire belts of highly heat conductive metal for a drying run so that the web will be heated and moisture evaporated therefrom due to conduction and convection from the belts; directing the belts through a sinuous path so that the tension in the belts firmly holds the web in heat transferral intimate contact therewith during the drying path; heating each of the belts in advance of the drying path and in advance of contact with the web to a temperature sufficient to heat the web by contact therewith to evaporate moisture and substantially completely dry the web.

Claim 10

The method of drying a traveling fibrous moisture containing web comprising the steps: tightly sandwiching the web between a pair of looped traveling flexible pervious wire belts of highly heat conductive metal for a drying run so that the web will be heated and moisture evaporated therefrom due to conduction and convection from the belts; directing the belts through a sinuous path so that the tension in the belts firmly holds the web in heat transferral intimate contact therewith during the drying path; heating each of the belts in advance of the drying path and in advance of contact with the web to a temperature sufficient to heat the web by contact therewith to evaporate moisture and substantially completely dry the web.