Electrostatic method and apparatus for treating material

Claim 2

In a method for drying material by disposing said material against a heated surface means, the improvement comprising the steps of disposing charged electrode means adjacent said surface means to cooperate therewith to define a plurality of alternately arranged non-uniform electrostatic fields extending between said electrode means and said surface means with each non-uniform field having the higher intensity portion thereof substantially oppositely located relative to the higher intensity portion of an adjacent non-uniform field so that said fields at least partially extend through said material while said material is disposed against said surface means and between said surface means and said electrode means, and causing relative movement between said electrode means and said material so that said non-uniform electrostatic fields serially act on at least a portion of said material while said portion of said material is being heated by said heated surface means.

Claim 3

A method as set forth in claim 1 and including the step of forming said heated surface means to comprise a heated drum-like member.

Claim 4

A method as set forth in claim 1 and including the step of forming said electrode means to comprise a plurality of large and small electrodes with each said small electrode creating its non-uniform electrostatic field with said surface means so that the intense portion of that field is adjacent that small electrode and with each large electrode creating its non-uniform electrostatic field with said surface means so that the intense portion of that field is adjacent said surface means.

Claim 5

A method as set forth in claim 3 and including the step of causing all of said small electrodes to have the same polarity.

Claim 6

A method as set forth in claim 4 and including the step of causing all of said large electrodes to have the same polarity.

Claim 7

A method as set forth in claim 5 and including the step of causing said polarity of said small electrodes to be opposite to said polarity of said large electrodes.

Claim 8

A method as set forth in claim 5 and including the step of causing said polarity of said small electrodes to be the same as said polarity of said large electrodes.

Claim 9

A method as set forth in claim 1 and including the step of causing said heated surface means to be at ground potential.

Claim 10

A method as set forth in claim 1 and including the steps of forming said heated surface means to comprise a rotatable metallic dryer drum means having a generally cylindrical outer peripheral surface against which a web of said material engages and rotates therewith, forming said electrode means to comprise a plurality of large and small stationary electrodes respectively arranged in spaced parallel relation to said outer peripheral surface of said drum means and transverse to the direction of rotation of said drum means, arranging said large and small electrodes to be in spaced relation to each other and with a large electrode disposed between each pair of adjacent small electrodes, disposing said electrodes to extend across at least the width of said web of material and generally define an arcuate configuration that is generally concentric with said outer peripheral surface of said drum means, and causing rotation of said drum means so that said material moves in unison therewith to cause said relative movement between said electrode means and said material.

Claim 11

A method as set forth in claim 1 and including the steps of disposing said charged electrode means adjacent said surface means so that said plurality of alternately arranged non-uniform electrostatic fields comprise a plurality of spaced apart substantially constant and non-current consuming electrostatic fields extending between said electrode means and said surface means, and moving said material in one direction to provide said relative movement and to cause at least said portion of said material to have the particles of liquid thereof serially moved through an electrostatic field into a non field area and then into the next electrostatic field in a repetitive manner whereby said particles of liquid of said portion of said material are subjected to a pumping action by said spaced apart substantially constant and non-current consuming electrostatic fields while said portion of said material is being heated by said heated surface means.

Claim 12

In a method for drying material by disposing said material against a heated surface means of a dryer drum-like member to have said heated surface means heat at least part of the liquid particles of said material, the improvement comprising the steps of disposing charged electrode means adjacent said surface means to define a plurality of spaced apart substantially constant and non-current consuming electrostatic fields extending between said electrode means and said surface means so that said fields at least partially extend through said material while said material is disposed against said surface means and between said surface means and said electrode means, and moving said material in one direction to cause at least a portion of said material to have the particles of liquid thereof serially moved through an electrostatic field into a non field area and then into the next electrostatic field in a repetitive manner whereby said particles of liquid of said portion of said material are subjected to a pumping action by said spaced apart substantially constant and non-current consuming electrostatic fields while said portion of said material is being heated by said heated surface means.

Claim 13

In a method for drying material by disposing said material against a heated surface means of a dryer drum-like member to have said heated surface means heat at least part of the liquid particles of said material, the improvement comprising the steps of disposing charged electrode means adjacent said surface means to define a plurality of spaced apart substantially constant and non-current consuming electrostatic fields extending between said electrode means and said surface means so that said fields at least partially extend through said material while said material is disposed against said surface means and between said surface means and said electrode means, and moving said material in one direction to cause at least a portion of said material to have the particles of liquid thereof serially moved through an electrostatic field into a non field area and then into the next electrostatic field in a repetitive manner whereby said particles of liquid of said portion of said material are subjected to a pumping action by said spaced apart substantially constant and non-current consuming electrostatic fields while said portion of said material is being heated by said heated surface means.

Claim 14

A method as set forth in claim 11 and including the step of forming said electrode means to comprise a plurality of spaced apart electrodes with each electrode creating its electrostatic field with said surface means.

Claim 15

A method as set forth in claim 12 and including the step of charging all of said electrodes to have the same polarity.

Claim 16

A method as set forth in claim 13 and including the step of grounding said surface means.

Claim 17

A method as set forth in claim 12 and including the step of charging said electrodes so that adjacent electrodes have opposite polarity.

Claim 18

A method as set forth in claim 15 and including the step of grounding said surface means.

Claim 19

A method as set forth in claim 12 and including the steps of forming said heated surface means and said dryer drum-like member to comprise a rotatable metallic dryer drum means having a generally cylindrical outer peripheral surface against which a web of said material engages and rotates therewith, disposing said electrodes so as to be arranged in spaced parallel relation to said outer peripheral surface of said drum means and transverse to the direction of rotation of said drum means, and disposing said electrodes to extend across at least the width of said web of material and generally define an arcuate configuration that is generally concentric with said outer peripheral surface of said drum means.

Claim 20

In a method for drying material by disposing said material against a heated surface means to have said heated surface means heat at least part of the liquid particles of said material, the improvement comprising the steps of disposing charged electrode means adjacent said surface means to define a plurality of alternately directed and oppositely charged electrostatic fields that are substantially constant and non-current consuming and that extend between said electrode means and said surface means so that said fields at least partially extend through said material while said material is disposed against said surface means and between said surface means and said electrode means, and moving said material in one direction to cause at least a portion of said material to have the particles of liquid thereof serially moved through an electrostatic field with its negative charge adjacent said electrode means and then into the next electrostatic field with its positive charge adjacent said electrode means in a repetitive manner whereby said particles of liquid of said portion of said material are subjected to an alternately directed pumping action by said electrostatic fields while said portion of said material is being heated by said heated surface means.

Claim 21

In a method for drying material by disposing said material against a heated surface means to have said heated surface means heat at least part of the liquid particles of said material, the improvement comprising the steps of disposing charged electrode means adjacent said surface means to define a plurality of alternately directed and oppositely charged electrostatic fields that are substantially constant and non-current consuming and that extend between said electrode means and said surface means so that said fields at least partially extend through said material while said material is disposed against said surface means and between said surface means and said electrode means, and moving said material in one direction to cause at least a portion of said material to have the particles of liquid thereof serially moved through an electrostatic field with its negative charge adjacent said electrode means and then into the next electrostatic field with its positive charge adjacent said electrode means in a repetitive manner whereby said particles of liquid of said portion of said material are subjected to an alternately directed pumping action by said electrostatic fields while said portion of said material is being heated by said heated surface means.

Claim 22

A method as set forth in claim 18 and including the step of forming said electrode means to comprise a plurality of spaced apart electrodes with each electrode creating its electrostatic field with said surface means.

Claim 23

A method as set forth in claim 19 and including the step of forming said electrodes to respectively form non-uniform electrostatic fields with said surface means.

Claim 24

A method as set forth in claim 20 and including the step of grounding said surface means.

Claim 25

A method as set forth in claim 19 and including the step of charging said electrodes so that adjacent electrodes have opposite polarity.

Claim 26

A method as set forth in claim 22 and including the step of grounding said surface means.

Claim 27

A method as set forth in claim 19 and including the steps of forming said heated surface means to comprise a rotatable metallic dryer drum means having a generally cylindrical outer peripheral surface against which a web of said material engages and rotates therewith, disposing said electrodes so as to be arranged in spaced parallel relation to said outer peripheral surface of said drum means and transverse to the direction of rotation of said drum means, and disposing said electrodes to extend across at least the width of said web of material and generally define an arcuate configuration that is generally concentric with said outer peripheral surface of said drum means.

Claim 28

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said drum-like member comprises a dryer drum of a paper making machine or the like and said material comprises a strip of paper or the like being made by said machine.

Claim 29

A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said heated surface means and said drum-like member comprise a dryer drum of a paper making machine or the like and said material comprises a strip of paper or the like being made by said machine.

Claim 30

A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said heated surface means comprises a dryer drum of a paper making machine or the like and said material comprises a strip of paper or the like being made by said machine.