Abstract: Methods and apparatus for rapidly drying and compacting wet fiber mats are disclosed. Rapid drying is produced by heating the wet fiber mats with a combination of radiowave energy and conductive heating. As the fiber mats are heated, three-dimensional compacting forces are applied by pressing the fiber mats between a flat surface press and a porous support on which is mounted a resilient mold insert. At high radio frequencies in the microwave range, power is transmitted from a multimode cavity through the porous support and resilient mold insert to the fiber mat. At low radio frequencies, differential radio-frequency voltages are applied directly to metal press plates which contain and compact the fiber mat. Methods and apparatus can be adapted to conveyorized or multi-opening press operations. Objects suitable for use with the invention are most commonly characterized by having a flat face surface on one side and webs or other features which may extend normal or generally normal to the flat surface.

Abstract: A device for both shipping and starting the growth of plant seeds. Two container portions are mutually engageable to form a receptacle for the transportion of plant seeds and cylindrical disks of plant growth mattter. The container portions are substantially identical and interchangeable as the repository and cover member of the receptacle. Each container portion has three compartments formed by three partitions rising orthogonally from the base of the container and abutting equiangularly about the center of the base. A pair of ribs is disposed in each compartment between adjacent abutting partitions, and a vertical projection extends upward from the side of the container within each compartment generally along a line bisecting the angle formed by adjacent abutting partitions. Preferably, an upright member is attached to the end of each of the partitions, rising from the base of the container to a height slightly less than that of the upper edge of the container.