US2916796A

US2916796A - Drying apparatus for web treating machine

Info

Publication number: US2916796A
Application number: US531535A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sibel Frank
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-08-30
Filing date: 1955-08-30
Publication date: 1959-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1976-12-15

Description

Dec. 15, 1959 F, slBE- L DRYING APPARATUS'FOR WEB "-IREATING 5 sheets-sheet :1

Filed Aug. l:5o. 1955 L I RM i -ma \\.m \\Q M. m \N w v N 1 l ON QM/MM ww NJ mw o uw E. \\w\\\ MH V||||L N 4, l N im mm mw .om\, mw Q El l .www w m. mw w uw aww Dec. 15, 1959 F. slBEl. 2,916,795

DRYING APPARATUS FOR WEB TREATING MACHINE Filed Aug. 30, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 :2: INVENTOR 7 FRAM/K SIBELl /9 lo BY a4/MM ATTORNEY Dec. 1 5, 1959A F. s|BE| DRYING APPARATUS FOR WEB TREATING MACHINE Filed Aug. so, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 |NvEN-roR FRANK S/BEL BY la) [Zl L; ATTQRNEY Dec. 15, 1959 F, slBEL DRYING APPARATUS FOR WEB TREATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 30, 1955 INVENTOR FRANK S/BEL WM/UAM ATTORNEY Dec. 15, l1959 F. slBEL 2,916,796

DRYING APPARATUS FOR WEB TREATING MACHINE 5 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Aug. 30, 1955 v mvEN-roR Hawk S/asz.

ATToRNEY United States Patent DRYING APPARATUS FOR WEB TREATING MACHINE This invention relates to improved apparatus for heating and drying webs of material, such as cloth. The lweb treating apparatus of the invention is advantageously used, for example, in combination with a tentering machine, and is particularly of advantage with tentering machines wherein the opposed side rails lcarrying web-engaging clips are adjustable toward and away from each other.

The web drying apparatus of the invention will be particularly discussed in connection with its application to a tentering machine, although it is to be understood that the apparatus of the invention may be used in various other applications. In the finishing of some types of cloth it is usual to mount the wet cloth on a tentering machine having edge-gripping clips on opposed chains which grip its opposite longitudinal edges. The thus held cloth is stretched transversely while it travels longitudinally of the tentering machine. During such travel of the cloth on the machine'it is usually heated to dry, set, and cure it, as by running the tentering chains of the machine through a drying oven or kiln. This organization, including the oven, is relatively expensive to build and run, due to the very substantial volume of the oven which' must be heated to dry the cloth.

It has been proposed to .eliminate the oven or kiln, and to mount a plurality of jet nozzles extending generally transverse to thedirection of travel of the cloth to direct streams of heated fluid such as air o-r dry steam against the cloth. Such prior proposed devices have not functioned altogether satisfactorily. The conventional tentering machinel is provided with longitudinally extending parallel rails which support and guide the clip-carrying chains. Such rails are adjustable toward and away. from each other to allow the tentering machine to treat webs of different widths. The presence of the rails has prevented the placing of the jet-providing nozzles close to the web, since clearance had to be maintained between the rails and the nozzle to allow the lateral adjustment of the rails. Such necessary appreciable spacing between the broad surface of the web and the jet-providing nozzles caused poor directional qualitiesof the jet streams, the force of the streams being dissipated in their travel through the path from the nozzles to the web.

Further, the pronounced spacing necessary between the nozzles and the surface ofthe web has caused back draft vacuum between `successive nozzles, thereby producingeddy currents in the streams of treating fluid, still further decreasing the efficiency of the action of the heated gas on the web. As a consequence of these difficulties, the atmosphere of rooms containing tentering machines provided with jet-providing nozzles for treating the web with heating and drying fluid, such as hot air or dry steam, was very hot and uncomfortable due to escape of treating fluid into the atmosphere.

The present invention provides a web heating and drying apparatus for use with web treating mechanism of which av tentering machine is an example, wherein a plurality of. web treating fluid-conducting nozzles are disposed close toA the surface of the traveling web' gen- ICC erally transverse to the direction of its travel. In tentering machines having laterally adjustable clip-carrying rails, the jet-providing nozzles are mounted between the rails, close to the web, and are so supported that their outer ends may move in and out as the tentering machine rails are adjusted toward or away from each other, the supply of heating and drying fluid to such nozzles being maintained at all times despite adjustment of the rails.

In the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention shown herein, a similar exhaust system is disposed immediately above the web, exhaust nozzles being disposed opposite the jet-providing nozzles, so that the web drying fluid travels in substantially a straight path directly through the web and into the exhaust nozzles. As a result, with the use of the apparatus of the first embodiment of the invention the web treating mechanism may be used, if desired, without an enclosure, the exhaust nozzles system insuring little contamination of the atmosphere of the tentering machine room. Ordinarily, however, especially on replacement installations, it will be preferred to retain the closure structure of what was the oven or kiln, and to exhaust such closure.

In the second preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention shown herein, the web is treated by jets of heated fluid, such as steam or hot air, directed upon it from both sides by the jet-providing means of the invention, the web treating mechanism as a whole being substantially contained in a closure from which the spent treating uid is exhausted.

The invention has among its objects the provision of an improved apparatus for treating web material with drying Huid.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved web drying apparatus for use with a tentering machine, such apparatus incorporating one or more jetproviding nozzles substantially spanning the web and lying close to a broad surface thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the web drying apparatus is used in combination With a tentering machine which is adjustable as towidth.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of apparatus of the type indicated, wherein the effective width of the jet-providing nozzle or nozzles, as measured transversely of the pathof travelv of the web, is automatically altered as required when the width of the web treating machine is adjusted.

A still further object of the invention, in a rst illustrated preferred embodiment thereof, lies in the provision of an improved web treating and drying system, in combination lwith a web treating machine, for subjecting a travelling web to the action of a stream or streams of drying fluid emitted by jet-providing nozzles spaced closely to the web, and for exhausting the fluid which has passed through the web by one or more suction nozzles confronting the jet-providing nozzles on the other side of the Web.

Another object of the invention, in a second illustrated preferred embodiment thereof, lies in the provision of an improved web drying system, in combination with a web treating machine, for subjecting the two sides of a ktravelling web to the action of opposed streams of drying iiuid.

The above and further objects relating to economies of use and manufacture will appear in the following description and drawings setting forth and illustrating preferred embodiments of the apparatus of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical section through a first embodiment of web treating apparatus in accordance with the invention, the ligure showing a tentering machine provided with web treating apparatus in accordance with the invention, the section being taken along the line 1--1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a view in plan, from the point of view of line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but omitting the exhaust system of the web treating apparatus for simplicity of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, somewhat schematic, View in perspective of a portion of the jet-providing nozzle portion of the first illustrated embodiment of web treating apparatus of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view in vertic'al section through a swivel joint between a longitudinally extending side manifold of the apparatus of Figs. l, 2, and 3 and one of the jetproviding nozzles or arms mounted thereon, and longitudinally through the nozzle of such arm.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the nozzle of Fig. 4, parts of the arm on which the nozzle is located being shown in perspective.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section through a second embodiment of web treating apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section through the apparatus of Fig. 6, the section being taken generally along the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan of the apparatus of Figs. 6 and 7.

As is evident from the above, there are shown and described herein two embodiments of the apparatus of the invention. The rst embodiment is that shown in Figs. 1-5, inclusive; the second is that illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the somewhat schematically illustrated tentering machine is designated as a whole by the character 10. Such machine has the parallel longitudinally extending side rails 11, each rail carrying a chain 12 supporting a series of aligned web-engaging clips 14. A web of cloth 15, gripped by the clips on the opposed confronting runs of the chains, is stretched between such clips on the opposite chains, and is carried longitudinally of the machine in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2. The longitudinally extending rails 11 are supported for lateral adjustment toward and away from each other on transverse rails 16 which are supported on vertical members 18. The rails are connected by a series of intergeared screws 17 (one shown) bearing screw threads of opposite hands at their two ends. By turning such screws, as by hand wheel 19, the rails 11 may be caused to approach or move away from each other, as required by the width of the particular web being treated.

As will be seen by considering Fig. 1, the rails 11 extend a substantial distance above the transverse members 16, and extend downwardly thereinto to some distance for guiding purposes. If a fixed jet-providing nozzle spanning the distance between opposed rails 11 were employed with the machine, such arm would have to lie a very substantial distance below the lower surface of the web 15. This construction, which has been discussed briefly above, results in the very inefficient treatment of the web by the jets rising from the jet-providing nozzles or arms.

In the apparatus of the present invention the jet-providing nozzles on arms 29 lie immediately beneath the web 15, substantially spanning the distance between its side edges. The one or more jet-providing arms are pivotally attached, preferably through the medium of interposed manifold means to be described, to one of the rails 11 of the machine, and are provided with means connecting them to a source of heated treating tiuid. The other ends of the arms 29 are indirectly hingedly or pivotally connected by an interposed link means to the other rail, whereby as the rails are adjusted toward or away from each other, `the angle which the arms make with `their respective manifold is automatically altered. In this manner the effective width of the arm as regards the width of the web is changed when the width of the tentering machine is adjusted. In the preferred embodiment of the device, now to be described, the arms are arranged in opposed sets of two, each arm reaching substantially to the center line of the machine, the otherwise free central ends of the arms being hinged together, whereby the combined effective width of the two arms of one set is automatically altered as the machine is adjusted. This preserves substantially full coverage of the entire width of the web by the jets of treating uid as the web travels therepast. In such preferred embodiment of the apparatus, therefore, each of such opposed arms of a set constitutes the link means interposed between its central end and the opposite rail.

Attached to the inner confronting face 21 of each of the longitudinal rails 11 of the machine is a longitudinally extending manifold 20, shown more clearly ,in Fig. 3. Each manifold 20 is symmetrical longitudinally from its center, and has a deeper central portion 22 into which heated fluid is fed from the tiexible conduit 24 extending from a central manifold 25 fixed to the frame of the machine. Manifold 25 is supplied with such uid through a central duct 26.

Each manifold 20 has a fiat upper surface 27 on which are pivotally mounted the ends of the respective hollow jet-providing arms 29. Each such arm has a short, vertical portion 31 rising above the surface 27 of the manifold, portion 31 being connected to the manifold by the swivel connection generally designated 30. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower end of vertical section 31 of each arm is provided with a guiding ring 32 fxedly connected thereto. Ring 32 has a rabbet 34 on its lower outer edge so as to receive the edge of the hole 35 in top member 27 of the manifold. A plurality of arm hold-down and swivelproviding means are provided spaced angularly about member 31, each such means consisting of a roller 36 mounted on a stud 37 screwed into the top 27 of the manifold. A washer 39, overlying the upper surface of the ring 32, stably holds the arm in position readily to pivot' on the manifold in a horizontal plane.

Each arm 29 is hollow, and tapers from a maximum diameter adjacent the vertical portion 31 thereof to a relative narrow vertically extending end at the center of the machine. The inner, otherwise free, ends of the arms of each set are hinged together to pivot about a vertical axs by hinge means 41. On the upper horizontal surface of each arm 29, as shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, there is provided a nozzle 40 which extends longitudinally of the arm throughout substantially the entire length of the arm, from the outer corner thereof, immediately adjacent the web-engaging clips, to a location immediately adjacent the hinges 41. The orifice of nozzle 40 les along a corner of arm 29 and a substantial. distance above the plane of the main extent of the top of arm 29, the nozzle being formed by bending back the edges of the top and side of the arm at the slot to form beads, as shown in Fig. 5. The appreciable space 38r (Fig. 5) at the side of nozzle 40 receives excess treating fluid, not immediately penetrating the web, which then bathes the lower surface of the web until it is eventually drawn through the web by the fluid-exhausting system, to

be described.

It will be apparent that the thus described apparatus allows the free adjustment of the rails 11 of the machine laterally from a position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, wherein the opposed jet-providing arms 29 of each set lie parallel with the respective arms of the other sets and make a slight angle with each other, to a second terminal position, indicated schematically in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, wherein the inner ends of the jet-providing arms there designated 29', make an acute angle with each other. In all adjusted positions ofthe rails 11 the arms 29 at the respective sides of the tentering machine remain parallel to each other, and the inner ends of successive arms remain equidistant from each other. The apparatus is such that no separate adjustment of the web treating or drying device need be made, lateral adjustment of the rails 11 of the tentering machine serving automatically to adjust 5. the effective rwidth vof -the opposed jet-providingarms of the web treating apparatus.

As above indicated, it is preferred, although not necessary, that the device of the invention can be provided with a treating fluid exhausting system. Such exhaust system is shown fragmentarily in Fig. l. Each of the rails 11 is provided `with a plurality of longitudinally spaced L-shapedsupports 42 (one shown on each rail). The vertical portion of support'42 is attached to rail 11 centrally thereof, the -upper horizontal portion of such members at each krail carrying an exhaust manifold. 44.

The opposed manifolds 44 are connected by flexible conduits 45 to a central manifold 46, which in turn is connected at 47 with a suitable source of vacuum or reduced pressure leading, for example, to an exhaust stack.

Preferably, the arms 49 of the exhaust system are substantially identical with the arms 29 of the jet-providing system above described. Arms 49 are swivelly connected to the bottom wall of -the manifolds 44 by swivel joints l, similar to joints 30, the arms 49 of each set of two opposed arms being connected together at their central, otherwise free, ends by thehinge 50. Preferably the arms 49 are Aspaced longitudinally of the rails so as to lie directly above the respective arms 29 of the jet-providing means, and are of substantially similar construction and size, so that when the rails 11 are adjusted laterally the vertically opposed

arms

29 and 49 remain in confronting parallel relation to each other.

`It will be apparent that, with the apparatus of the invention, the jet-providing arms 29 and the exhaust arms 49 substantially span the full width of the web 15 regardless of the adjustment of the rails 11 anywhere within the permissible range `of such adjustment. Both the jetproviding arms and the exhaust arms may be placed very close to the lower and upper surfaces of the web, respectively, for example a distance on the order of one-half inch, or even less, without interfering with the operations of the tentering machine. As a consequence, the action of the web treating jets is very ecient, the jets in the main proceeding directly through the cloth without substantial dissipation of their energy and without the creation of any substantial vacuum eddies. The exhaust arms 49, being placed in close opposition to the arms 29, will very efficiently exhaust allof the web treating fluid which passes through the-web.

The web-treating fluid may be a heated gas, such as hot air, or dry steam, although the invention is not limited thereto.-

In the second embodiment of the web treating apparatus disclosed herein, shown in Figs. 6,j7, and 8, parts which are structurally similar to those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference characters with an added prime.

The tentering frame of the second embodiment is generally designated 52. Such frame has side rails 11 supported for adjustment toward and away from each other by means not shown on cross rails supported by vertical members 18'. To the confronting inner sides of rails 11' are attached longitudinally extending confronting manifolds 20', on which are swivelly mounted, jet-providing arms 29'. The elongated nozzles 40 of arms 29' lie close to the lower face of web S6 which is stretched between tentering clips engaging its opposite edges.

Above the web 56 are similar swivelly mounted arms 49' having their elongated nozzles 43 lying close to the upper face of web 56. Arms 49' are mounted on upper longitudinally extending manifolds 44'; supported by the L-shaped brackets 42' rising from the tentering machine rail structure. arms are, inthis embodiment, supplied with drying uid from the same source, the tentering machine being substantially contained in a closure 54 which is exhausted through .duct S1, connected to a suction means, not shown.

The longitudinally extending

side manifolds

20 and 44.' maybe of varying. length as regards the total length Theupper and lower nozzle-providingv ofthe tenteringframe `A typical installation will have suchmanifolds 20 and 44'v with a length of 20 feet, and

located generally centrally longitudinallyof a tentering,

wall 6l is shown in fully extended-position, corresponding to a fully spread condition of rails 11' of the tentering machine. In such fully extended positionthe wall 61 lies generally parallel to outer wall 59. The inner wall 61 is provided with centrally located upper and lower double-walled portions '62, supported Y.by xed supporting means, such as upper and lower longitudinally extending rails 65 and 66. When therails'11 of the tentering machinerare adjusted inwardly from' their extended position shown in Fig. 6 the single wall portions 64 of inner wall 61 are slidingly received to an increasing depth within the double-walled portions 62, thereby to contract the upper and lower central portions of inner wall 61.

To allow a corresponding expansion of the outer edge portions of inner wall 61 of lmanifold 57,as the railsV 11' are brought closer together, the inner wall 61 is provided at both sides of manifold 57 with curved doublewalled portions 67, xedly mounted on a frame portion of the `machinetnot shown) which slidably receive within them the curved flexible single walled portions 69 of wall 61. In the position of Fig. 6, portions69 are fully inserted into portions 67. As the rails 11' are brought closer together, the portions 69 progressively slide outwardly from double-walled portions 67.

In such second embodiment of the apparatus, the

hinges

50 and 41 connecting the ends of opposed upper and lower jet-providing arms 49' and 29', respectively, are connected by upper and lower longitudinally slidable rods which insure the correct `spacing of the hinges at all timesand support the hinges to relieve them of strain.

The upper sliding rod 7.0 is mounted to `slide in guidey.

way `714 in rail .65, rod 70 being connected to the pintle pins of hinges 50 by vertical rods 72 which are, in effect, extensions of the pintle pins of hinges 50".l The lower sliding rod 74 is slidably mounted in guideway 75 in rail 66. A series of spaced vertical pins 76 connect the pintle pins of lower hinges 41 to rod 74.

The drying fluid, `such as hot air or dry steam, is supplied from a source not shown to a main lower duct 77 by inlet conduit 79, and is led upwardly into elliptical manifold 57 by flared duct portion 80. The upper longitudinal manifolds 44' and the lower longitudinal manifolds 20' communicate with manifold 57 as shown. To allow easy access to the tentering machine, closure 54 may be provided with sliding doors 55 (two shown).

Although for purposes of illustration I have shown and described preferred embodiments of the drying apparatus for web material of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, since it is capable of considerable variation as to details. The invention is, therefore, to be defined by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim as new the following:

1. Apparatus for treating a web of thin flexible porous ing rail members, means for adjusting the rail membersv laterally toward and away from each other, a series of web edge-grlppmg clips mounted on each of the respective rails for travel longitudinallythereof, and means: for subjecting said thus held travelling web to jets of Huid, said last named means comprising an elongated manifold mounted on a irst one of the rails of the machine parallel thereto and to the plane of the web, a plurality of parallel elongated hollow jet-providing arms spaced along the length of the machine and lying between the rails, a first end of each arm being pivotally connected to and extending inwardly from the manifold, the arms extending parallel and close to a broad surface of the web, each arm having means creating an elongated jet of fluid extending generally transversely of the length of the web and directed toward the web, means connecting the second end of each arm to the second one of the rails, whereby the arms may change their angular relationship to the manifold as the rails of the tentering machine are laterally adjusted.

2. Apparatus for treating a web of thin flexible porous material which comprises a tentering machine for stretching the web transversely and moving it longitudinally in a plane in such stretched condition, said tentering machine having two spaced parallel longitudinally extending rail members adjustable laterally toward and away from each other, a series of web edge-gripping clips mounted on each of the respective rails for travel longitudinally thereof, and means for subjecting said thus held travelling web to jets of uid, said last named means comprising an elongated manifold mounted in confronting relationship on each of the rails of the machine parallel thereto and to the plane of the web, a plurality of sets of two opposed elongated jet-providing arms spaced along the length of the machine, the arms of each set being connected to and extending inwardly from the respective manifolds generally to the longitudinal center line of the machine, the arms extending parallel and close to a broad surface of the web, each arm having means creating an elongated jet of fluid extending generally transversely of the length of the web and directed toward the web, means hingedly connecting the inner ends of the arms of each set together, and means pivotally connecting the arms to their respective manifolds whereby the arms may change their angular relationship to the manifolds as the rails of the machine are laterally adjusted.

3. Apparatus for treating a web of thin flexible porous ing the web transversely and moving it longitudinally in a horizontal plane in such stretched condition, said tentering machine having two spaced parallel longitudinally extending horizontal rail members adjustable laterally toward and away from each other, a series of web edgegripping clips mounted on each of the respective rails for travel longitudinally thereof, and means for subjecting said thus held travelling web to jets of heated fluid, said last named means comprising an elongated manifold mounted in confronting relationship on each of the rails of the machine parallel thereto and beneath the plane of the web, a plurality of sets of two opposed hollow jet-providing arms spaced along the length of the machine and lying between the rails, the arms of each set being swivelly connected to the top of the respective manifolds for pivotal movement parallel to the web, the arms extending angularly inwardly from the respective manifolds generally to the longitudinal center line of the machine, the arms extending parallel and close to the lower broad surface of the web, each arm having means creating an elongated jet of heated gas extending generally transversely of the length of the web and directed toward theweb, and means hingedly connecting the inner ends of the arms of each set together whereby the arms may change their angular relationship to the manifolds as the rails of the machine are laterally adjusted.

4. Apparatus for treating a web of cloth which comprises a tentering machine for stretching the web transversely and moving it longitudinally in a horizontal plane in such stretched condition, said tentering machine having two spaced parallel longitudinally extending horizontal rail members adjustable laterally toward and away from each other, a series of connected web edge-gripping clips mounted on each of the respective rails for travel longitudinally thereof, and means for subjecting said thus held travelling web to jets of heated fluid, said last named means comprising an elongated manifold mounted in confronting relationship on each of the rails of the machine parallel thereto, beneath the plane of the web and between the rails, a plurality of sets of two opposed hollow jet-providing arms spaced along the length of the machine, the arms of each set being swivelly connected to the top of the respective manifolds for pivotal movement parallel to the web, the arms extending angularly inwardly from the respective manifolds generally to the longitudinal center line of the machine, the arms extending parallel and close to the lower broad surface of the web, each arm having means creating an elongated jet of heated gas extending generally transversely of the length of the web and directed toward the web, means hingedly connecting the inner ends of the arms of each set together whereby the arms may change-their angular relationship to the manifolds as the rails of the machine are laterally adjusted, and conduit means connecting the manifolds to a source of heated Huid.

5. Apparatus for treating a web of cloth which comprises a tentering machine for stretching the web transversely and moving it longitudinally in a horizontal plane in such stretched condition, said tentering machine having two spaced parallel longitudinally extending horizontal rail members adjustable laterally toward and away from each other, a series of connected web edgegripping clips mounted on each of the respective rails for travel longitudinally thereof, and means for subjecting said thus held travelling web to jets of heated fluid, said last named means comprising an elongated manifold mounted in confronting relationship on each of the rails of the machine parallel thereto, parallel to the plane of the web, and laterally between the rails, a plurality of sets of two opposed hollow jet-providing arms spaced along the length of the machine, the arms of each set being swivelly connected to the respective manifolds for pivotal movement parallel to the web, the arms extending angularly laterally inwardly from the respective manifolds, the arms extending parallel and close to a broad surface of the web, and conduit means connecting the manifolds to a source of heated fluid.

6. Apparatus for treating a web of material as claimed in claim 5, comprising means including a telescopic laterally adjustable transverse manifold extending transversely of the side rail members and connected to the elongated manifolds to supply the arms with drying fluid.

7. Apparatus for treating a web of material as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transverse manifold comprises an inner wall connected to the elongated manifolds, said inner wall having curved end portions slidably telescopically received in curved guideways at the ends of the inner wall.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the transverse manifold comprises an inner wall connected to the elongated manifolds, said inner wall having intermediate upper and lower horizontal portions slidably telescopically received in straight guideways.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the inner wall of the manifold comprises curved end portions slidably telescopically received in curved guideways at the ends of the inner wall.

l0. Apparatus for treating a web of material which comprises a frame, the frame having longitudinally extending side frame members laterally adjustable toward and away from each other, means for moving the web longitudinally between the side frame members, means for subjecting the opposite broad surfaces of a zone of the travelling web to jets of uid, said last named means comprising two elongated opposed arms extending parallel, close to, and von opposite sides of the two broad surfaces of the web, respectively, each arm having means creating an elongated jet of uid extending generally transversely of the length of the Web and directed toward the web, a first, laterally outer, end of each of the opposed arms being pivotally connected to a first side frame member lor movement therewith, the other end of each arm being hingedly connected to the second side frame member by an interposed link member, and means for supplying the jet-providing means on each arm with a web drying fluid from a common source, said last named means comprising a fluid-supplying conduit at said rst side frame member, and a fiuid-conducting pivotal connection between said conduit and the first ends of the arms.

ll. Apparatus for treating a web of material as defined in claim 10, wherein the interposed link members are second arms similar to the first-recited opposite arms, the first, laterally outer, ends of the second arms are pivotally connected to the second side frame member, and the laterally inner ends of the corresponding lirst and second arms are hingedly connected together, and'means for supplying the jet-providing means on each second arm with a web drying liuid from a common source, said last named means comprising a fluid-supplying conduit at said second side frame member, and a fluid-conducting pivotal connection between said conduit and the rst ends of the second arms.

l2. Apparatus for treating a web of material as defined in claim ll, comprising means including a telescopic laterally adjustable manifold extending transversely of the side frame members and connected thereto at its ends to supply the first and second arms with web drying iiuid from said common source.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,373,396 Andrews Apr. 5, 1921 1,717,004 Buck .Tune 11, 1929 2,081,461 McCann May 25, 1937 2,270,155 Willen Jan. 13, 1942 2,440,648 Walter et al Apr. 27, 1948 2,495,163 Dungler Ian. 17, 1950 2,620,544 Mullen Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 715,715 France Sept. 29, 1931 970,366 France June 14, 1950