Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for cooling the exterior of a toaster oven. The toaster oven has a cooking chamber and a product slide within an exterior casing. Outside air is forced into a channel formed between (1) the product slide and the exterior casing and (2) the cooking chamber and a corresponding portion of the exterior casing. The forced air is then directed out of the channel into a food pre-heating area outside the cooking chamber.

Abstract: Food cooking apparatus comprises two conveyor belts, one of which is heated by a platen to provide a moving cooking surface. Since both belts are movable, they are operable to grip a bun heel or crown and convey it along a cooking path between the two belts without disfigurement of the bun. Also disclosed is a quick connect/disconnect feature that allows quick removal of one of the assemblies for cleaning, maintenance and/or belt replacement. This feature has a bracket member which when released allows the removable assembly to slidably disengage from the frame of the apparatus. The food cooking apparatus includes an electrical heating platen with a coil wound in a serpentine manner and spatially distributed to produce high temperature cooking in the early stage of cooking and lower temperature cooking in the later stages of cooking.

Abstract: An apparatus for baking powder coated parts comprises a housing having a top end and a bottom end, a heating element in the housing at the top end, defining an oven, a carrying arrangement in the housing for carrying the parts and a control station for controlling the heating element and the carrying arrangement such that the carrying arrangement carries the parts from the bottom end where the parts are attached to the carrying arrangement to the top end where the parts are heated by the heating element and to lower the carrying arrangement from the top end to the bottom end after the parts have been heated and a second batch of parts can be attached to the carrying arrangement. The control station has a first locator at the top end for indicating when the carrying arrangement is at the top and a second locator at the bottom end for indicating when the carrying arrangement is at the bottom end.

Abstract: A device for mutually connecting by laser welding of sheet-metal objects laid flat against each other at least in determined zones, for instance two or more flat or previously profiled plates, for instance stainless steel or other objects for mutual connection by laser welding, comprising: a welding station comprising a laser and an optical device for performing a laser welding operation using a laser beam via a preselected path consisting for instance of a plurality of sub-paths; clamping means, for instance a lower clamping plate and an upper clamping beam for clamping against each other at least said regions, of the objects at the location of the welding station; transporting means for supplying and carrying successive assemblies of objects laid on top of each other according to a chosen displacement pattern along the welding station, which transporting means comprise two separate conveyors, wherein the welding station is a collective one for both conveyors and respective individual clamping means are adde

Abstract: A device for toasting food items is provided. The device includes a toasting chamber for toasting food items by contact with a heated platen along which the food items are transported while in contact with the heated platen surface. The platen includes heating structure which heats the toasting surface by application of energy to the platen such that an energy gradient that decreases in the direction of transport of the food items is achieved.

Abstract: A method and an equipment for heating glass in a tempering furnace provided with rollers. In a tempering furnace glass (3) is heated from above with upper resistors (4) and from below with lower resistors (5). The heating resistors (4, 5) are dimensioned such that their combined power is greater than the maximum heating power needed by the furnace, and that the resistors are controlled such that the maximum amount of resistor power being used simultaneously corresponds to the maximum heating power needed by the furnace. This allows heat to be directed at a desired place in the furnace also at the initial stage of heating, and a single resistor is efficient and fast, allowing heat to be directed quickly at places where it is needed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to controls for a multi-zone reflow oven. In the present invention a plurality of infra red thermal scanners are located at critical points along the path which a substrate passes in a reflow oven so as to generate an actual solder paste time/temperature profile as a substrate passes through the zones of the reflow oven. The actual temperature of the solder paste is determined at critical zones for generating feedback control signals. The time/temperature profile is stored for transfer to a different reflow oven so as to effect the identical solder paste time/temperature curve on the same or a different oven.

Abstract: A cross-direction dryer for typically drying a continuous web of paper or paper to which coating has just been applied provides both for baseline drying and a linear moisture profile by the use of respectively gas and electric heating portions of the heater units. Profile control is normally provided by control of the voltage to electric heating lamps. Such heating lamps are suspended over a large area gas burner to provide a combined increased infrared heat output. Encapsulation of the heating lamps with quartz provides for reradiation of the medium wavelength radiation produced by the gas burner. Thyristor switching for the quartz halogen heat lamps may be located adjacent to each heater unit and cooled by the combustion air for the gas burners.

Abstract: Circuit chips, such as known good die (KGD) chips, are removed from an assembly including a plurality of circuit chips attached to at least one chip carrier, or substrate. The substrate is held within a top plate with the circuit chips positioned within successive chip cavities within a bottom plate. Each chip cavity includes a load surface separated by a cascade effect pitch with respect to adjacent chip cavities. A cascade effect shear force is sequentially applied to the circuit chips to remove them from the substrate. The chips may be heated to a temperature facilitating shear within a temperature range at which solder connections are solid, and the chips further heated following disassembly to a temperature at which the solder is liquid to facilitate reforming the solder for subsequent attachment of the chip into an electronic device.

Abstract: A microwave apparatus and system that monitors the amount of food products within a cavity and adjust the microwave power provided to the cavity. The apparatus and system uses a product sensor system and a movement sensor system to accurately determine the product load in the microwave cavity. A computer controller, based on the product load information provided by the product sensor system and the movement sensor system, operates to adjust the amount of power provide to the microwave cavities by the microwave transmitters.

Abstract: A plurality of small, low cost conveyor toaster/ovens can be stacked with substantially no physical spacing required between the units. In part the stackability results from a blower/fan that drives cooling air through a common plenum surrounding the conveyor. The cooling air is sucked into one side of the unit and then divided between the lower motor compartment and the upper air plenum flowing over the top and bottom of the oven. The air is then recombined to cool the rear compartment and exits the unit via several vents in the back and opposite side of the oven. A control panel enables the user to pre-select different menu schedules which can be modified, as required. Each selection is identified by a single digit on a key pad in the control panel. The actual temperature within the toaster/oven is sensed by a thermocouple in contact with the heater element sheath. The control converts the stored data via a mathematical function and in response to temperatures sensed on the heater.

Abstract: A hot shelf tower dryer includes a casing having substantially parallel shelves which alternately extend from opposite ends of the tower casing. As configured, the dryer includes a repetitively convoluted passage. At least one of the shelves has a hollow interior or chamber. Disposed in the chamber is at least one electrical heating element, where the power supplied to the heating element is regulated by a control system. As controlled, the electrical heating elements provide sufficient output to the tower casing which result in a substantially constant temperature throughout the passage. With the heating elements, the hot shelf tower dryer does not require the burning of natural gas or some other fossil fuel to heat the tower dryer unless such heating is desired to heat the forced air that conveys the cotton through dryer. As a result, in comparison with hot shelf tower dryer's that use fossil fuels as a heating source, pollutant emissions, such as nitrous oxide (NO.sub.

Abstract: An apparatus for the heat treatment of work pieces comprising comprising a plurality of evacuable chambers connected through airlocks, a conveyor, preferably a circular chain conveyor for the transport of the workpieces along a path through the chambers, an electric resistance heating device, a cooling blower, and a heat exchanger, a plurality of workpieces of equal size and configuration, in particular hacksaw blades, are placed tightly one on top of another and form a stack which is placed into a frame made of profile cuts, whereby the frame is capable of being coupled to a conveyor by means of suspension elements.

Abstract: A method and furnace for heating a glass sheet by lower electric resistance elements (50) supported by a furnace housing (12) below a roll conveyor (40) and by supplying a gas burner heated hot gas flow from a forced convection heater (56) that provides a dominant mode of external heat for heating the conveyed glass sheet from above. The furnace can also be manufactured by retrofitting an electric resistance heater type glass sheet furnace.

Abstract: A heat treatment furnace and conveyor with multi-conveyance, wherein the top of the furnace has a feeder and the bottom of which has a disposal. The inside of the furnace has a number of conveying units, each unit is in circular status lined up and move with the feeder at the top of the first pallet, and the end of each pallet is connected to the beginning of the next pallet, and the end of the last pallet is connected to the disposal. This reduces the width of the furnace and extend the length of conveying which enhances the heat treatment processing time. The furnace is also divided into several sections, as a heating section and a cooling section. The heating section is equipped with electric heating elements while the cooling section is not. The pallet belt is in a flat surface with some ribs to prevent objects from sticking or sliding off.

Abstract: A temperature control system for obtaining a desired soak temperature of a workpiece driven through the brazing and annealing system includes a convection muffle for heating the workpiece within a brazing zone of the brazing and annealing system. The temperature control system also includes a first thermocouple positioned above the workpiece and measures a first real-time temperature of an atmospheric convection current directed towards the workpiece before the workpiece absorbs heat from the atmospheric convection current. A second thermocouple is positioned beneath the workpiece and measures a second real-time temperature of the atmospheric convection current after the workpiece has absorbed the heat from the atmospheric convection current.

Abstract: A heating belt is laid along a conveying path for a recording medium moved after development, a halogen lamp is incorporated in a belt drive roller for driving the heating belt so as to heat the heating belt by heat generated by the halogen lamp, and accordingly, the heating belt whose temperature is controlled at a predetermined temperature heats the recording sheet. With this arrangement, the conveying speed of the recording sheet and the moving speed of the heating belt are set to be equal to each other. Alternatively, the heating belt may itself generate heat.

Abstract: A rapid thermal processing apparatus and a method of using such apparatus for the continuous heat treatment of at least one workpiece, which apparatus includes a cavity of generally elongated shape, a process chamber defined by interior walls inside the cavity, a device for delivering, regulating and extracting process gases from the chamber, a device for transporting at least one workpiece through the chamber in a substantially forward direction, a device for heating at least a section of the chamber, and a device for cooling the at least one workpiece downstream from the heating device. The cavity for the apparatus may also be provided in either a curved or a linear configuration for carrying out the present invention method.

Abstract: A temperature-controlled chamber, such as an inerted oven for soldering, in which the buoyancy-induced motion of gas at the opening of the chamber is suppressed by adjusting the densities of gases. In one embodiment the inertant gas is chosen to be a mixture of inert gases such that the density of warm gas inside the oven approximately equals the density of the external atmosphere. In another embodiment, a buffer region of density-matched warm air is provided between the warm inertant inside the oven and the external atmosphere. The result is reduction in the consumption of inertant.

Abstract: A package is provided with a lid and container that are heat sealed together. A multi-ply sheet material is provided for being thermoformed to define the container which has a tapering wall and bulge-resistant bottom end. Prior to thermoforming the container from the sheet, the sheet is heated with oval pads on a plurality of plates which are arranged in a configuration to facilitate control of the sheet temperature. A plug is used in the thermoforming process to contact the sheet and position the sheet within a die. A lid sheet is heat sealed to the container sheet over the thermoformed containers so as to produce a pair of spaced-apart, annular bead heat seals. The package is completed by severing the sealed-together sheets at the periphery of the container with a punch and die set that produces and clean, smooth cut surface.

Abstract: In the heat treating method and the heat treatment apparatus of the object, the object is heat treated while it is being floated by gas expelled toward the object from a position below the object in the heating chamber.

Abstract: A reflow solder convection oven with at least one heater element and at least one blower assembly in fluid communication with the heater element. The blower assembly includes a mount structure including at least one intake port and at least two supply ports, a housing connected to the mount structure, a fan wheel, and a motor attached to the fan wheel. The housing has an interior surface defining at least two pressurization zones, and at least two outtake regions, each outtake region proximate a supply port of the mount structure. The periphery of the wheel is positioned in the housing to form dual pressurization zones, the housing defining at least two spline curves along the interior surface thereof, each curve having a starting node proximate a pressurization zone and a terminating node proximate an outtake region.

Abstract: A hair curler set for heating a plurality of hair curling rollers includes an electric heater assembly. The set includes a housing having a rotatable shaft mounted therewithin. The longitudinal axis of the rotatable shaft is disposed substantially horizontally. The heater assembly comprises a generally circular disc and is mounted on the rotatable shaft at substantially the longitudinal mid-point thereof. A pair of mounting members are spaced at either end of the shaft. Each mounting member has a surface facing towards an opposed surface of the heater assembly. A plurality of rollers are mounted between the opposed surfaces of the mounting members and the heater assembly in a generally circular array.

Abstract: A toaster for everyday household use includes a conveyor which carries items to be toasted past electrical heating panels. The toaster has an entrance wherein the items are inserted horizontally from a feed tray onto the conveyor. The feed tray being a cover for the entrance way, when the toaster is not in use, automatically opens to become a feed mechanism which closes after the item to be cooked has entered the toaster. The apparatus further has another door which functions as a cover for the exit hole of the toaster which automatically opens to dispense the cooked food item upon the end of a cooking cycle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus heats a thin sheet of material prior to subjecting the sheet to a process for forming the sheet into a desired shape, such as by vacuum forming. The sheet is supported in a generally horizontal manner during transport through the apparatus, for example on a pair of conveyor chains or belts which carry and provide support to the longitudinal edges of the sheet by gripping same. The sheet is heated from above and below by heating elements and a diffuser plate is located between the upper and lower heating elements, and beneath the downwardly facing side of the sheet. The diffuser plate permits air flow therethrough from an air source and forms a film of heated air adjacent the downwardly facing side of the sheet to support the sheet and prevent excessive downward sagging thereof during heating thereof.

Abstract: A method of curing a die attach material for a semiconductor device which includes providing a carrier containing a plurality of stacked leadframe strips, each leadframe strip with a die attach material thereon. One leadframe strip is ejected from the carrier, travels into a chamber and is centered therein. The leadframe strip is then heated and the die attach material is cured selective to the leadframe strip using a tungsten-halogen lamp. Simultaneously volatile products of the cure are exhausted from the chamber. The leadframe strip is then returned to its original position in the carrier, the carrier is elevated so that a different leadframe strip is in position for ejection from the carrier and is ejected.

Abstract: A forced convective track oven comprises a track conveyor including first and second cylindrical spirals, the first cylindrical spiral for conveying bakery trays and dough products upwardly and the second spiral spiral portion for conveying bakery trays and dough products downwardly, thereby minimizing the number of changes of direction of the bakery trays as they travel along the track conveyor. A plurality of burners discharge heated air through discharge tubes and discharge nozzles into engagement with bakery trays carried by the track conveyor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the localization or focusing of heating in a tempering furnace for glass panels. Glass panels are carried and supported in a furnace (2) by rollers (11). The furnace is provided with upper and lower nozzle boxes (4, 14), including nozzle heads (5, 15) for blasting hot convection air to heat the glass panels to a tempering temperature. The arrival of a load in the furnace is preceded by reading a load picture and by controlling radiation heat resistances (10) present in the furnace in such a way that radiation heating can be focused on the central areas of critical glass panels to provide extra heating therefor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cartridge heater for a gas chromatography transfer device for substances which are to be analyzed, having a metal tube for accommodating a tube section to be heated and a heating coil arranged outside the metal tube, the metal tube bearing, on the outside, a groove which corresponds to the shape of the heating coil and in which a heating conductor is embedded in an electrically insulated manner with respect to the metal tube.

Abstract: A system and method for assembling components onto a circuit board is disclosed. The system includes: a thermal chamber for receiving a plurality of components therein and for heating the plurality of components at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined length of time; an outfeed slot located on a wall of the thermal chamber which allows at least one component from the plurality of components to pass therethrough and emerge externally of the thermal chamber; and a pick and place machine, located adjacent to the thermal chamber, which automatically retrieves the at least one component which has passed through the outfeed slot and automatically places the at least one component onto a designated circuit board.

Abstract: An impingement heat transfer device for transferring heat between a stream of temperature controlled air and a product wherein an air supply duct and an air return duct have a common wall. A tube has one end communicating with the inside of the air supply duct and another end extending through an opening in the air return duct. Air is circulated to reduce pressure in the air return duct and increase pressure in the air supply duct such that a stream of air flows through and out of the tube and spent air is drawn through the opening encircling the tube into the air return duct.

Abstract: An automatic heating oven system employs a cabinet containing a heating chamber with radiant heating elements and a turntable rotatable at a fixed slow angular speed. A thermocouple controls the heating elements to maintain the turntable above a minimum elevated temperature at all times. An entry chute with proximity switch extends into the chamber, and passage of a food-laden tray down the chute to the turntable triggers the switch, activating the turntable and an exhaust fan and, if not already on, the heating elements. A guide bar extending across the turntable at an oblique angle to all possible paths of travel of the food item on the turntable directs the food out an exit to a receiving rack outside the oven, before the food item completes a complete revolution on the turntable. A retriggerable timer turns off the heaters, fan and turntable a fixed time period after the most recent activation of the proximity switch.

Abstract: A kiln, useful for sintering basemetal capacitors comprises an inner zone having vertically oriented gas dispersion conduits for the inlet and radial dispersion of gas and vertically oriented electrical heating elements. Each gas dispersion conduit comprises a porous or perforated inner tube for a porous or perforated outer tube concentrically positioned around the inner tube. The annular space between is filled with a porous refractory medium, such as a bulk ceramic fiber. The temperature of the inner zone is controlled by the electrical heating elements. The gas is evenly heated as it passes radially from the inner tube through the porous refractory medium and then through the outer tube. Surrounding the inner zone is a multiplicity of stacks of substantially horizontally-oriented trays on which the material or articles to be sintered or otherwise treated are placed. The circle of stacks of trays is surrounded by an outer heating zone comprising an outer ring of electrical heating elements.

Abstract: A tower furnace for the heat treatment of metal strips comprises a muffle (3) extending over the entire furnace height, through which muffle passes the strip (6). At the top of the muffle (3) an insulated stopper (1) with an electric heater (2) has been inserted into the muffle (3). Below this stopper (1) a gas-heated preheating space (4) is provided in the muffle (3).

Abstract: A printing press having a plurality of laterally spaced printing stations is provided with an interstation dryer system, interposed between the printing stations, for effectively drying liquid printing substances, such as inks, coatings, and the like, on a moving printed sheet. The dryer system includes a plurality of infrared elements which are adapted to transmit infrared radiation toward the moving printed sheet to effectuate drying of liquid printing substances thereon and bonding thereto. In order to effectively dry a complete spectrum of ink colors and other liquid printing substances, the infrared elements comprise an alternating and repetitive series of shortwave infrared lamps and mediumwave infrared lamps which generate relatively short wavelength infrared radiation and relatively medium wavelength infrared radiation, respectively.

Abstract: The machine comprises a refrigerating store (2) which is provided with a series of columns (3) wherein are piled annular dishes (4) which contain the precooked product (1), columns(3) which are supported by a rotary platform (5) and which can rotate with respect to a fixed platform (7) situated at the bottom, the rotary platform (5) having a series of openings (6) wherein are located the extreme dishes corresponding to one column (3); parallel to the fixed platform (7) a sliding plate (8) is provided which has an opening (6) in which falls the plate (4) in a situation facing the opening (10) of the rotary platform (5), also having a lower fixed plate (9) on which the sliding plate (8) can move thereby displacing the plate, and which is provided with a cavity (11) for the passage of a vertically displaceable horizontal support (12) which pushes the product (1) till it is introduced into an oven (14).

Abstract: Apparatus which eliminates the risk of forming wrinkles on a strip conveyed through a cooling furnace of a continuous heat-treatment plant, especially an annealing or galvanizing furnace, through which the strip is conveyed by rolls, the latter being heated by contact with the strip over its width, the risk of forming wrinkles occuring during a change of strip width when the following strip is wider, the latter consequently passing over rolls that have preserved the imprint of the thermal expansion due to the previous strip, wherein the heating elements are positioned close to and beneath the rolls, over the entire width of the furnace, and, on the opposite side of the rolls from the said heating elements, panels are positioned which are aligned so as, together with the wall of the furnace, to form a warm chamber, the continuously moving strip serving as a heat shield so that only that part of the roll which is not covered by the strip is heated by the said heating elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for destroying pathogens on food, including a steam chamber having an entrance opening and an exit opening. An entrance door structure nominally closes the entrance opening in the steam chamber and an exit door structure nominally closes the exit opening of the steam chamber. Each of the entrance and exit door structures are composed of a plurality of closely vertically adjacent segments that are mounted to the entrance and exit openings to open and close independently of each other. Flanges extend horizontally from the upper and lower edges of the door segments to maintain a relatively close seal with the adjacent door segment even though the door segments are opened or closed a relatively differing amount.

Abstract: A method of conveying moieties through an infrared conveyor furnace with controllable point source radiation elements incorporating a clean room internal environment. The method comprises the steps of transporting moieties in an indexed manner through multiple heating zones heated by arrays of lamps; and dividing the lamps of each array into a plurality of groups which are separately controlled to maintain a constant temperature across the surface of the moiety. The method further comprises controlling the lamp groups through the use of a controller utilizing data from FTIR sensors mounted in a fused quartz barrier which is permeable by infrared radiation but which seals the lamp arrays from the heating zones.

Abstract: In reflow soldering systems the circuit boards are conventionally transported in horizontal direction from a feed portion through a preheating portion, a main heat-treatment portion, a cooling portion and a discharge portion in linear fashion in the longitudinal direction of the system. Such reflow systems, however, are relatively long and therefore require a lot of space.

Abstract: A pickup head 11 has a lower surface with absorbing holes 9 for picking up a plurality of soldering balls 1 from a soldering ball reservoir 15 by suction force of vacuum. Pickup head 11 mounts these soldering balls 1 on electrodes 5 formed on substrate 4 placed on a conveyor 8. Then, soldering balls 1 are transported below a camera 21. Camera 21 monitors the upper surface of substrate 4 to check whether each of electrodes 5 mounts a soldering ball 1. An absorbing head 31 mounts a supplemental soldering ball 1 on a faulty electrode 5 which lacks a soldering ball 1 to be mounted thereon when this faulty electrode 5 is detected by camera 21. After all of electrodes 5 mount soldering balls 1, substrate 4 is sent by conveyor 8 to a furnace 40 where each soldering ball 1 is heated and melted to form soldering bumps 1' on electrodes 5.

Abstract: An apparatus (400) used for indexing and affixing components to a substrate includes a vacuum conveyor and a controller (816) for controlling operation of the apparatus (400). The conveyor includes pallets (102), first and second tracks (414, 416), first and second motors (502, 503), a vacuum source, a plenum (110), and first and second elevators (404, 405). The pallets carry the substrate, while the first and second tracks guide the pallets. The first motor is used for driving a pallet in a first direction on the first track, while the second motor is used for driving a pallet in a direction opposite to the first direction on the second track. The plenum is coupled to the vacuum source and at least one pallet for applying adhering forces to the substrate. The first and second elevators are used for transferring a pallet between the first and second tracks.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for processing photothermographic elements. The apparatus thermally develops a photothermographic element by heating the photothermographic element between a heated member, having a resilient layer, and a plurality of rollers. The apparatus can be a component of other apparatus and systems including those having the ability to expose the photothermographic element to form a latent image.

Abstract: A preform heating device has a plurality of infrared heaters disposed horizontally and spaced apart in the axial direction of a preform carried along a carrying path which carries a preform in a state that the axial direction thereof is vertical. The preform is at least rotated when facing the infrared heaters. First and second insulating plates, and an insulating air layer formed therebetween are disposed facing the carrying path with the infrared heaters between. The infrared heaters are supported by a plurality of support members. Each of this plurality of support members is able to be moved upward and downward by a height adjustment means, and is fixed to the second insulating plate at a given vertical position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of connecting components (12) to at least one carrier (11), for example by soldering or gluing. Such a method is carried out in an oven (1) through which carriers are moved. Preferably, the carrier is a flexible foil. The carrier separates the oven into an upper part (2) and a lower part (3). In both parts a hot air stream (14) is created and directed toward the carrier. Owing to the separation by the foil the hot air stream in the upper part cannot reach the lower part and vice versa. The temperature of the hot air stream in the upper part differs from that (is, for example, higher than) in the lower part. The heating elements in the upper part of the oven may all have the same high temperature (for example, 240.degree. C.) and the heating elements in the lower part may all have the same low temperature (for example, 60.degree. C.).

Abstract: The baking apparatus of the present invention comprises a casing surrounding a substrate W having a pattern-exposed resist film, a hot plate for heating the substrate in the casing, gas supply mechanisms for supplying a H.sub.2 O component containing humidity gas into the casing. The H.sub.2 O component included in the humidity gas is allowed to react with the resist film by introducing the humidity gas into the casing while the substrate is being heated by the hot plate, thereby rendering either an irradiate portion or a non-irradiate portion of the resist film, soluble in alkali.

Abstract: A variable dwell heat and pressure belt fuser for imparting selectable gloss to color toner images. A hybrid belt/roll fuser which has both a roll/roll nip and a belt/roll nip where the size of the latter can be varied by adjusting the position of the fuser roll around the axis of the pressure roll or by varying the location of the belt transport idler roll relative to the heat and pressure fuser members. For any given speed and nip pressure, the high pressure dwell between the fuser and pressure rolls is fixed but the low pressure dwell between the fuser roll and fuser belt can be varied from zero to four (or more) times the high pressure dwell in a prescribed manner.

Abstract: A rotary conveyor comprising an annular array of a plurality of circumferentially spaced work piece support members for receiving a corresponding plurality of work pieces. They conveyor further include a first drive ring coaxially associated with the array for rotating the work pieces in the work piece support members. The drive ring is rotatable with respect to the array such that relative movement between the drive ring and the array causes the work pieces to rotate. The invention further includes a rotary oven for depositing and curing resin on work pieces having a shaft thereon. The oven comprises an annular array having a plurality of circumferentially spaced work piece support members. Each work piece support member has a sprocket mounted on its radially inward end and is shaped so as to receive a work piece in its radially outward end.

Abstract: A moistened towelette heating device for providing a moist hot towel for washing a user's body. The moistened towelette heating device includes a housing with a depression in the top of the housing forming a chute. The chute has an opening into a passage in the housing which, in turn, is connected to microwave oven disposed in the housing. The housing has a main opening into the microwave oven and an access door substantially closing the main opening. A plurality of canisters each with a moistened towelette disposed therein are positioned in the chute to permit passage of each canister through the passage and into the microwave oven where the canister may be heated to heat the towelette therein.

Abstract: A system and method for processing a substrate. The system includes a substrate heating station, a processing station, a conveyor for transporting the heated substrate from the substrate heating station to the processing station and a conveyor heating station. A substrate transfer station is located between the substrate heating station, the conveyor heating station and the processing station for the transfer of the heated substrate to the conveyor in a thermally controlled environment isolated from contaminants. The substrate transfer station includes a housing having an interior chamber, first and second inlets for the separate passage of a substrate and conveyor into the interior chamber, and an outlet for the egress of the substrate and conveyor. The transfer station also includes a heater and a guide assembly for directing the conveyor between the conveyor inlet and the outlet.