Jet-conveyor box for floatingly guiding a conveyed strip or sheet material

Claim 2

A jet conveyor box for floatingly guiding a conveyed strip of material, said box having a slit-type jet having at least one orifice for ejecting propelling medium therefrom; a guide surface adjoining said slit-type jet for guiding and directing the medium ejected through said jet, said guide surface including a substantially plane region adjacent said jet and a bent region disposed at an angle of from 30° to 60° relative to said plane region to define a bend therewith, said bent region being disposed on a side of said plane region opposite said jet; and a plurality of jet holes along said bend for ejecting additional propelling medium therefrom.

Claim 3

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bent region defines an angle of 45° with said plane region.

Claim 4

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said jet holes have a cross-sectional area equal to one third the cross-sectional area of said slit.

Claim 5

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said jet has a width equal to from 1/20th to 1/10th of the distance between said jet and said jet holes.

Claim 6

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said jet includes a plurality of laterally disposed orifices.

Claim 7

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 1 which further has a second plurality of jet holes in said plane region and in staggered relation to the first plurality of jet holes.

Claim 8

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 6 wherein said jet holes have a cross-sectional area equal to one third the cross-sectional area of said slit.

Claim 9

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 6 wherein said jet has a width equal to from 1/20th to 1/10th of the distance between said jet and said jet holes.

Claim 10

A jet conveyor box as set forth in claim 1 further having a feed pipe for receiving a propelling medium, said feed pipe being disposed opposite said plane region.

Claim 11

In combination, a plurality of jet conveyor boxes, each said box having a slit-type jet having at least one orifice for ejecting propelling medium therefrom; a guide surface adjoining said slit-type jet for guiding and directing the medium ejected through said jet, said guide surface including a substantially plane region adjacent said jet and a bent region disposed at an angle of from 30° to 60° relative to said plane region to define a bend therewith, said bent region being disposed on a side of said plane region opposite said jet; and a plurality of jet holes along said bend for ejecting additional propelling medium therefrom; said boxes being disposed in longitudinally spaced relation on alternating sides of a conveying path, said plane regions of said boxes on one side of said path extending in a plane spaced a distance less than double the width of a jet from a corresponding plane on the other side of said path containing said plane regions of said boxes thereat, said boxes on opposite sides of said path being offset from each other a distance equal to one-half the spacing between said boxes on each side of said path.

Claim 12

In combination, a plurality of jet conveyor boxes, each said box having a slit-type jet having at least one orifice for ejecting propelling medium therefrom; a guide surface adjoining said slit-type jet for guiding and directing the medium ejected through said jet, said guide surface including a substantially plane region adjacent said jet and a bent region disposed at an angle of from 30° to 60° relative to said plane region to define a bend therewith, said bent region being disposed on a side of said plane region opposite said jet; and a plurality of jet holes along said bend for ejecting additional propelling medium therefrom; said boxes being disposed in longitudinally spaced relation on alternating sides of a conveying path, said plane regions of said boxes on one side of said path extending in a plane spaced a distance less than double the width of a jet from a corresponding plane on the other side of said path containing said plane regions of said boxes thereat, said boxes on opposite sides of said path being offset from each other a distance equal to one-half the spacing between said boxes on each side of said path.

Claim 13

A jet box for floatingly supporting strip and sheet material and having a flat plane guide surface adapted to face in a direction towards the material, the guide surface on one side edge portion thereof bending at an obtuse angle away from said direction so as to form a corner, means for jetting a flow of pressurized fluid transversely over said guide surface towards said corner, and means for ejecting fluid jets outwardly directly through said corner.

Claim 14

A jet box for floatingly supporting strip and sheet material and having a flat plane guide surface adapted to face in a direction towards the material, the guide surface on one side edge portion thereof bending at an obtuse angle away from said direction so as to form a corner, means for jetting a flow of pressurized fluid transversely over said guide surface towards said corner, and means for ejecting fluid jets outwardly directly through said corner.