Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of introducing an elongated web of heat-sensitive material into an oven under tension in an arrangement in which the elongated web is generally continuously fed into and through a complex path within the oven comprising the steps of: feeding a leader in the form of an elongated web of heat-resistant material through at least a substantial portion of the complex path within the oven so that a trailing edge thereof remains outside of the oven and a nominal amount of tension is established in the leader; providing an elongated web of heat-sensitive material adjacent the oven, the web of heat-sensitive material having a leading edge; splicing the trailing edge of the leader to the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material; and continuing to feed the leader and then the web of heat-sensitive material into and through the oven.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of introducing an elongated web of heat-sensitive material into an oven under tension in an arrangement in which the elongated web is generally continuously fed into and through a complex path within the oven comprising the steps of: feeding a leader in the form of an elongated web of heat-resistant material through at least a substantial portion of the complex path within the oven so that a trailing edge thereof remains outside of the oven and a nominal amount of tension is established in the leader; providing an elongated web of heat-sensitive material adjacent the oven, the web of heat-sensitive material having a leading edge; splicing the trailing edge of the leader to the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material; and continuing to feed the leader and then the web of heat-sensitive material into and through the oven.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention set forth in claim 1, comprising the further step of separating the trailing edge of the leader from the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material after the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material has passed all of the way through the oven.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the oven is cool when the leader is fed through at least a substantial portion of the complex path within the oven and is heated prior to the step of continuing to feed the leader and then the web of heat-sensitive material into and through the oven.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
96 words
The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of splicing the trailing edge of the leader to the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material includes the steps of taping, stitching and folding the trailing edge of the leader and the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material, inserting rods into the trailing edge of the leader and the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material and inserting the trailing edge of the leader and the leading edge of the web of heat-sensitive material including the rods into a splice bar.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of introducing an elongated web of carbonizable tows into an oxidizing oven arrangement under tension in a process for continuously feeding the web through the oven arrangement to oxidize the carbonizable tows comprising the steps of: feeding an elongated leader of heat-resistant material having a trailing edge into an entrance of and through the oxidizing oven arrangement so that the trailing edge remains outside of the entrance to the oxidizing oven arrangement; providing an elongated web of carbonizable tows having a leading edge; splicing the trailing edge of the leader to the leading edge of the web of carbonizable tows; and continuing to feed the leader and then the web of carbonizable tows into the entrance of and through the oxidizing oven arrangement.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of introducing an elongated web of carbonizable tows into an oxidizing oven arrangement under tension in a process for continuously feeding the web through the oven arrangement to oxidize the carbonizable tows comprising the steps of: feeding an elongated leader of heat-resistant material having a trailing edge into an entrance of and through the oxidizing oven arrangement so that the trailing edge remains outside of the entrance to the oxidizing oven arrangement; providing an elongated web of carbonizable tows having a leading edge; splicing the trailing edge of the leader to the leading edge of the web of carbonizable tows; and continuing to feed the leader and then the web of carbonizable tows into the entrance of and through the oxidizing oven arrangement.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
64 words
The invention set forth in claim 5, wherein the oxidizing oven arrangement is heated to a desired oxidizing temperature range prior to the feeding of the leader therethrough and remains at the desired oxidizing temperature range during the steps of splicing and continuing to feed the leader and then the web of carbonizable tows into the entrance of and through the oxidizing oven arrangement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
The invention set forth in claim 5, wherein the oxidizing oven arrangement is cool during the feeding of the leader into the entrance of and through the oxidizing oven arrangement and is then heated to a desired oxidizing temperature range prior to the step of continuing to feed the leader and then the web of carbonizable tows into the entrance of and through the oxidizing oven arrangement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
77 words
The invention set forth in claim 5, wherein the step of splicing includes the steps of: forming loops in the trailing edge of the leader and the leading edge of the web; inserting elongated objects into the loops in the trailing edge of the leader and the leading edge of the web; and securing an elongated splice bar over the trailing edge of the leader and the leading edge of the web including the elongated objects therein.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
113 words
The invention set forth in claim 8, wherein the step of forming loops in the trailing edge of the leader and the leading edge of the web includes the steps of: applying a pair of tape lengths to opposite sides of the trailing edge of the leader and a pair of tape lengths to opposite sides of the leading edge of the web; trimming away portions of the web beyond the pair of tape lengths applied thereto; stitching along the taped trailing edge of the leader and the taped leading edge of the web; and folding the trailing edge of the leader onto itself and the leading edge of the web onto itself.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
155 words
A method of introducing an elongated web of carbonizable tows from a tension stand into an oxidizing oven comprising the steps of: feeding a leader comprised of a length of cloth of high temperature resistant material having a trailing edge through the tension stand and the oxidizing oven until the leader extends through the oxidizing oven and the trailing edge has passed through the tension stand; feeding a web of carbonizable tows at least partly into the tension stand; forming a portion of the web at the input to the tension stand into a leading edge for the web; feeding the trailing edge of the leader back through the tension stand until the trailing edge is at the input to the tension stand; splicing the trailing edge of the leader to the leading edge of the web; and continuing to feed the leader and the attached web through the tension stand and the oxidizing oven.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
155 words
A method of introducing an elongated web of carbonizable tows from a tension stand into an oxidizing oven comprising the steps of: feeding a leader comprised of a length of cloth of high temperature resistant material having a trailing edge through the tension stand and the oxidizing oven until the leader extends through the oxidizing oven and the trailing edge has passed through the tension stand; feeding a web of carbonizable tows at least partly into the tension stand; forming a portion of the web at the input to the tension stand into a leading edge for the web; feeding the trailing edge of the leader back through the tension stand until the trailing edge is at the input to the tension stand; splicing the trailing edge of the leader to the leading edge of the web; and continuing to feed the leader and the attached web through the tension stand and the oxidizing oven.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The invention set forth in claim 10, including the further step of detaching the leading edge of the web from the trailing edge of the leader after the leading edge of the web has passed through the oxidizing oven.