Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
268 words
Apparatus for drying a moving flexible continuous web of material, said apparatus including a nozzle assembly comprising: (a) a horizontally disposed flat pressure plate adapted to be positioned in spaced relation to the moving web, said pressure plate having an upstream end portion and a downstream terminus portion generally coinciding with the downstream terminus portion of the nozzle assembly, (b) a primary gas discharge Coanda nozzle disposed at said upstream end portion of said pressure plate and forming means for continuously directing primary gas unidirectionally and horizontally downstream through a gas flow zone between said plate and the moving web, (c) a single secondary gas discharge nozzle disposed at the downstream terminus of said pressure plate, said secondary nozzle being of the impingement type and forming means for continuously directing secondary gas toward said web and into merging but generally separate interface relationship with said primary gas at a location downstream of said pressure plate terminus, (d) said impingement type secondary gas discharge nozzle cooperating with the web at said downstream location to form means for increasing the static pressure in said unidirectionally flowing primary gas in said gas flow zone for the full width of said pressure plate, (e) said secondary gas discharge nozzle being formed by a pair of plates disposed at the said downstream terminus of said pressure plate, with one of said pair of plates being generally vertically oriented and the other of said pair of plates being inclined from the vertical, (f) said pair of plates converging to form a discharge slot forming means for directing gas generally perpendicularly to said pressure plate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
268 words
Apparatus for drying a moving flexible continuous web of material, said apparatus including a nozzle assembly comprising: (a) a horizontally disposed flat pressure plate adapted to be positioned in spaced relation to the moving web, said pressure plate having an upstream end portion and a downstream terminus portion generally coinciding with the downstream terminus portion of the nozzle assembly, (b) a primary gas discharge Coanda nozzle disposed at said upstream end portion of said pressure plate and forming means for continuously directing primary gas unidirectionally and horizontally downstream through a gas flow zone between said plate and the moving web, (c) a single secondary gas discharge nozzle disposed at the downstream terminus of said pressure plate, said secondary nozzle being of the impingement type and forming means for continuously directing secondary gas toward said web and into merging but generally separate interface relationship with said primary gas at a location downstream of said pressure plate terminus, (d) said impingement type secondary gas discharge nozzle cooperating with the web at said downstream location to form means for increasing the static pressure in said unidirectionally flowing primary gas in said gas flow zone for the full width of said pressure plate, (e) said secondary gas discharge nozzle being formed by a pair of plates disposed at the said downstream terminus of said pressure plate, with one of said pair of plates being generally vertically oriented and the other of said pair of plates being inclined from the vertical, (f) said pair of plates converging to form a discharge slot forming means for directing gas generally perpendicularly to said pressure plate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: (a) said vertically oriented plate of said pair of plates forms a relatively sharp right angled corner with the downstream terminus of said pressure plate, (b) and the other of said pair of plates is spaced downstrem of and inclined upstream toward said vertically oriented plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said inclined plate terminates below said pressure plate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said impingement type secondary gas discharge nozzle directs secondary gas in a manner to form means along said interface to restrictively compress said flowing primary gas against the moving web to thereby increase the velocity of said primary gas at said location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said restrictively compressing means forms means to decrease the boundary layer of static gas moving with the web to thereby increase the rate of heat transfer between the web and horizontally moving gas at said location.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus of claim 4 or 5: (a) which includes a generally closed housing forming a web drying chamber within which said moving web and nozzle assembly are disposed, said chamber having gas inlet means therein and being connected to a gas discharge outlet, (b) and wherein said restrictively compressing means forms means to isolate the moving web in said gas flow zone from the effects of gas currents within said drying chamber remote from said zone.