Tentor

Claim 2

A multiple zone oven apparatus for heating web stock to drive off volatilizable, combustible materials, comprising: a plurality of oven zones including an entry zone for preheating web stock, an exit zone, and one or more intermediate zones for volatilizing material from web stock, all having passage means for conveyance of web stock therethrough; gaseous outlet means into said oven for gases at elevated volatilizing temperatures; gaseous incineration and recycle means including burner means for combusting volatilized material and increasing the temperature thereof to incineration temperatures; duct means from said intermediate zones of said oven to said burner means to conduct material laden gases from said intermediate zones of said oven to said burner means for incineration; second duct means from said burner means back to said oven through said gaseous outlet means, and arranged for conducting at least part of the recycled gases back to said entry zone; and cool air inlet means in said second duct means to lower the elevated temperatures of the gases from incineration temperatures to volatilizing temperatures before re-entry into said oven.

Claim 3

The oven apparatus in claim 1 including recirculatory means for said zones to cause the gases at volatilizing temperatures to be recirculated; said second duct means communicating with said recirculatory means for supplementing recirculated gases with incineration gases from said burner means.

Claim 4

The oven apparatus in claim 2 including exhaust stack means for at least one of said entry and exit zones for exhausting a portion of the gases from said oven.

Claim 5

The oven apparatus in claim 3 including manifold means from said zones for said duct means to said burner means.

Claim 6

A multiple zone oven apparatus for heating web stock to drive off volatilizable, combustible materials, comprising: a plurality of oven zones having passage means for conveyance of web stock therethrough; gaseous outlet means into said oven for gases at elevated volatilizing temperatures; gaseous incineration and recycle means including burner means for combusting volatilized material and increasing the temperature thereof to incineration temperatures; duct means from said oven to said burner means to conduct material laden gases from said oven to said burner means for incineration; second duct means from said burner means back to said oven; cool air inlet means in said second duct means to lower the elevated temperatures of the gases from incineration temperatures to volatilizing temperatures before re-entry into said oven; recirculatory means for said zones to cause the gases at volatilizing temperatures to be recirculated; said second duct means communicating with said recirculatory means for supplementing recirculated gases with incineration gases from said burner means; exhaust stack means for at least one of said zones for exhausting a portion of the gases from said oven; said recirculatory means comprising a series of blowers, for the respective zones, and manifold means for said second duct means for ducting incineration product gases from said burner means to said series of blowers.

Claim 7

A multiple zone oven apparatus for heating web stock to drive off volatilizable, combustible materials, comprising: a plurality of oven zones having passage means for conveyance of web stock therethrough; gaseous outlet means into said oven for gases at elevated volatilizing temperatures; gaseous incineration and recycle means including burner means for combusting volatilized material and increasing the temperature thereof to incineration temperatures; duct means from said oven to said burner means to conduct material laden gases from said oven to said burner means for incineration; second duct means from said burner means back to said oven; cool air inlet means in said second duct means to lower the elevated temperatures of the gases from incineration temperatures to volatilizing temperatures before re-entry into said oven; recirculatory means for said zones to cause the gases at volatilizing temperatures to be recirculated; said second duct means communicating with said recirculatory means for supplementing recirculated gases with incineration gases from said burner means; exhaust stack means for at least one of said zones for exhausting a portion of the gases from said oven; said recirculatory means comprising a series of blowers, for the respective zones, and manifold means for said second duct means for ducting incineration product gases from said burner means to said series of blowers.

Claim 8

A multiple section tentor for treating cloth stock to drive off volatilizable residual materials thereon, including an entry section, an exit section, and at least one intermediate section; tentor means for conveyance of cloth stock through said tentor by passage into and through said entry section, through said intermediate sections, and through and out of said exit section; at least one of said intermediate sections having gaseous recycle means; said gaseous recycle means including a gaseous outlet from said intermediate section for flow of a stream of hot gases laden with volatilized materials from the cloth stock treated, a gaseous inlet back to said intermediate section, and a conduit from said gaseous outlet to said gaseous inlet; burner means in said conduit for increasing the gaseous temperature by combusting volatilized materials in the gaseous stream from said gaseous outlet; supplemental air inlet means to said conduit, downstream of said burner means for entry of cool air to lower the temperature of the gaseous stream; supplemental air control valve means at said supplemental air inlet means for regulation of cool air entry to said conduit; said conduit downstream of said supplemental air inlet means having split flow branches, one branch being to said gaseous inlet to said one intermediate section and the other branch comprising an input conduit to another one of said sections; and branch flow control valve means for regulation of gaseous flow into respective ones of said branches.

Claim 9

A multiple section tentor for treating cloth stock to drive off volatilizable residual materials thereon, including an entry section, an exit section, and at least one intermediate section; tentor means for conveyance of cloth stock through said tentor by passage into and through said entry section, through said intermediate sections, and through and out of said exit section; at least one of said intermediate sections having gaseous recycle means; said gaseous recycle means including a gaseous outlet from said intermediate section for flow of a stream of hot gases laden with volatilized materials from the cloth stock treated, a gaseous inlet back to said intermediate section, and a conduit from said gaseous outlet to said gaseous inlet; burner means in said conduit for increasing the gaseous temperature by combusting volatilized materials in the gaseous stream from said gaseous outlet; supplemental air inlet means to said conduit, downstream of said burner means for entry of cool air to lower the temperature of the gaseous stream; supplemental air control valve means at said supplemental air inlet means for regulation of cool air entry to said conduit; said conduit downstream of said supplemental air inlet means having split flow branches, one branch being to said gaseous inlet to said one intermediate section and the other branch comprising an input conduit to another one of said sections; and branch flow control valve means for regulation of gaseous flow into respective ones of said branches.

Claim 10

The tentor in claim 6 including an air inlet manifold adjacent said burner means for supplying oxygen for combustion.

Claim 11

The tentor in claim 6 wherein said split flow exhaust branch comprises an input to a section through which the web stock is conveyed prior to said one section, for preheating of the cloth stock.

Claim 12

The tentor in claim 6 wherein said split flow exhaust branch comprises an input to a section through which the web stock is conveyed subsequently to said one section, for post heating of the cloth stock.

Claim 13

A multiple section oven for heat treating web stock to drive off volatilizable and combustible residual materials thereon, including an entry oven section, an exit oven section, and at least one intermediate oven section; means for conveyance of web stock through said oven by passage into and through said entry oven section, through said intermediate oven sections, and through and out of said exit oven section; at least one of said oven sections having gaseous recycle means; said gaseous recycle means including a gaseous outlet from said oven for flow of a stream of hot gases laden with volatilized materials from the stock treated, a gaseous inlet back to said oven, and a duct from said gaseous outlet to said gaseous inlet; burner means in said duct for increasing the gaseous temperature by combusting volatilized materials in the gaseous stream from said gaseous outlet; supplemental cool air inlet means to said duct, downstream of said burner means for entry of cool air to lower the temperature of the gaseous stream; supplemental air control valve means at said supplemental cool air inlet means for regulation of cool air entry to said duct; said duct downstream of said supplemental air inlet means having split flow branches, one branch being to said gaseous inlet to said one intermediate section and the other branch being exhaust; and branch flow control valve means for regulation of gaseous flow into respective ones of said branches.

Claim 14

A multiple section oven for heat treating web stock to drive off volatilizable and combustible residual materials thereon, including an entry oven section, an exit oven section, and at least one intermediate oven section; means for conveyance of web stock through said oven by passage into and through said entry oven section, through said intermediate oven sections, and through and out of said exit oven section; at least one of said oven sections having gaseous recycle means; said gaseous recycle means including a gaseous outlet from said oven for flow of a stream of hot gases laden with volatilized materials from the stock treated, a gaseous inlet back to said oven, and a duct from said gaseous outlet to said gaseous inlet; burner means in said duct for increasing the gaseous temperature by combusting volatilized materials in the gaseous stream from said gaseous outlet; supplemental cool air inlet means to said duct, downstream of said burner means for entry of cool air to lower the temperature of the gaseous stream; supplemental air control valve means at said supplemental cool air inlet means for regulation of cool air entry to said duct; said duct downstream of said supplemental air inlet means having split flow branches, one branch being to said gaseous inlet to said one intermediate section and the other branch being exhaust; and branch flow control valve means for regulation of gaseous flow into respective ones of said branches.

Claim 15

The oven in claim 10 wherein said gaseous outlet is from at least one of said intermediate oven sections, and said split flow exhaust branch comprises an input duct to another one of said oven sections.