Paint drying oven

Claim 1

An apparatus for drying paint on metal strips, said apparatus comprising: an elongated oven having at opposite ends thereof inlet and outlet openings for the entrance and discharge, respectively, of a painted metal strip continuously moving through said oven; the interior of said oven, between said opposite ends thereof, including plural heating sections through the volumes of which said painted metal strip sequentially passes; each said heating section having therein a separate blower means for directing a gaseous mixture within the said volume of the respective said heating section against said painted metal strip, and for thereby drying said painted metal strip and evaporating solvents from the paint, whereby said solvents are released in gaseous form into said gaseous mixture in said volume; means for withdrawing from said interior of said oven a portion of the gaseous mixture therein, including said gaseous solvents; means for passing a first quantity of said withdrawn gaseous mixture, without any preliminary incineration thereof, directly to at least one first incinerator means directly mounted on said oven for thereby incinerating said gaseous solvents of said first quantity to form combustion gas, the discharge of said first incinerator means being in direct communication with at least one of said heating sections, to thereby discharge said combustion gas directly into the said volumes thereof, such that said gaseous mixture directed by the said blower means thereof includes said combustion gas; means for passing a second quantity of said withdrawn gaseous mixture directly to a second incinerator means, located separate from and external of said oven, for thereby incinerating said gaseous solvents of said second quantity, whereafter said second quantity may be discharged to the atmosphere; and means associated with said oven for introducing into said interior thereof a quantity of air to compensate for said second quantity discharged to the atmosphere.

Claim 2

An apparatus for drying paint on metal strips, said apparatus comprising: an elongated oven having at opposite ends thereof inlet and outlet openings for the entrance and discharge, respectively, of a painted metal strip continuously moving through said oven; the interior of said oven, between said opposite ends thereof, including plural heating sections through the volumes of which said painted metal strip sequentially passes; each said heating section having therein a separate blower means for directing a gaseous mixture within the said volume of the respective said heating section against said painted metal strip, and for thereby drying said painted metal strip and evaporating solvents from the paint, whereby said solvents are released in gaseous form into said gaseous mixture in said volume; means for withdrawing from said interior of said oven a portion of the gaseous mixture therein, including said gaseous solvents; means for passing a first quantity of said withdrawn gaseous mixture, without any preliminary incineration thereof, directly to at least one first incinerator means directly mounted on said oven for thereby incinerating said gaseous solvents of said first quantity to form combustion gas, the discharge of said first incinerator means being in direct communication with at least one of said heating sections, to thereby discharge said combustion gas directly into the said volumes thereof, such that said gaseous mixture directed by the said blower means thereof includes said combustion gas; means for passing a second quantity of said withdrawn gaseous mixture directly to a second incinerator means, located separate from and external of said oven, for thereby incinerating said gaseous solvents of said second quantity, whereafter said second quantity may be discharged to the atmosphere; and means associated with said oven for introducing into said interior thereof a quantity of air to compensate for said second quantity discharged to the atmosphere.