Apparatus for imparting visual surface effects to relatively moving materials

Claim 1

An apparatus for pressurized heated fluid stream treatment of a relatively moving substrate material to impart a change in the appearance thereof, comprising an elongate fluid distributing manifold assembly disposed across the path of relative movement of the material and closely adjacent the surface thereof for discharging at least one uniform stream of heated pressurized fluid against the surface of the material, said manifold assembly comprising: first and second elongate manifold housings defining corresponding first and second fluid-receiving compartments extending across the path of relative movement of the material; said first housing including inlet means for introducing pressurized heated fluid into said first compartment generally uniformly along its elongate length, outlet means located remotely from said inlet means for discharging heated fluid from the compartment generally uniformly along its elongate length, said first housing inlet and outlet means defining a flow path through said housing which is generally perpendicular to its length; said second manifold housing including inlet means for receiving pressurized heated fluid into said second compartment generally uniformly along its length, fluid stream discharge outlet means in said second housing for directing uniformly at least one stream of fluid against the surface of the substrate material, said second housing inlet and outlet means defining a flow path of heated fluid through said housing which is generally perpendicular to its length, said flow path within said second manifold including a plurality of chambers in serial arrangement, one of said plurality of chambers including a plurality of support partitions positioned within said flow path, each of said chambers being followed by a throttling means, at least one of said throttling means allowing said fluid flowing past said partitions to expand and become more uniformly distributed along the length of said second housing, thereby promoting uniform treatment of said substrate by said fluid; and means attaching said second housing to said first housing, with said outlet means of said first housing communicating with said inlet means of said second housing, and with the axis of discharge of said fluid stream discharge outlet means disposed at a substantially right angle to the heated fluid flow path through said first manifold housing.

Claim 2

An apparatus for pressurized heated fluid stream treatment of a relatively moving substrate material to impart a change in the appearance thereof, comprising an elongate fluid distributing manifold assembly disposed across the path of relative movement of the material and closely adjacent the surface thereof for discharging at least one uniform stream of heated pressurized fluid against the surface of the material, said manifold assembly comprising: first and second elongate manifold housings defining corresponding first and second fluid-receiving compartments extending across the path of relative movement of the material; said first housing including inlet means for introducing pressurized heated fluid into said first compartment generally uniformly along its elongate length, outlet means located remotely from said inlet means for discharging heated fluid from the compartment generally uniformly along its elongate length, said first housing inlet and outlet means defining a flow path through said housing which is generally perpendicular to its length; said second manifold housing including inlet means for receiving pressurized heated fluid into said second compartment generally uniformly along its length, fluid stream discharge outlet means in said second housing for directing uniformly at least one stream of fluid against the surface of the substrate material, said second housing inlet and outlet means defining a flow path of heated fluid through said housing which is generally perpendicular to its length, said flow path within said second manifold including a plurality of chambers in serial arrangement, one of said plurality of chambers including a plurality of support partitions positioned within said flow path, each of said chambers being followed by a throttling means, at least one of said throttling means allowing said fluid flowing past said partitions to expand and become more uniformly distributed along the length of said second housing, thereby promoting uniform treatment of said substrate by said fluid; and means attaching said second housing to said first housing, with said outlet means of said first housing communicating with said inlet means of said second housing, and with the axis of discharge of said fluid stream discharge outlet means disposed at a substantially right angle to the heated fluid flow path through said first manifold housing.