Abstract: An apparatus for drying a continuously moving web has a housing defining a vertical zigzag path having a succession of oppositely directed and inclined stretches each flanked by a pair of parallel and confronting walls each in turn provided with an array of nozzles. Rollers are provided at the ends of the stretches for reversal and guiding of the web, and a blower is provided whose pressure side is connected to the nozzles for creating a gas cushion to each side of the web which supports the web and guides it along the path. Each of the walls is corrugated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web, and the nozzles are provided on each side of the crests of the corrugations. The gas cushion is drawn off at the ends of the troughs of the corrugations.

Abstract: The drum of a dry-cleaning apparatus is provided with a circulating heater loop including a heat-exchanger which draws gas out of the drum at one location and reintroduces it at a higher temperature at another location in the drum. A pump is operated to maintain the pressure in the drum substantially uniformly at a subatmospheric pressure so as to compensate for the vapor generated by the heating of the atmosphere in the chamber. Temperature and pressure sensors are provided in the drum to shut off the heater if the pressure and/or temperature rises above a predetermined level. In the method aspects of the invention, the articles in contact with an organic solvent are maintained in a substantially airless atmosphere of the solvent vapor, a portion of which is drawn off at a rate corresponding to the rate of vaporization while the remaining solvent vapor is recirculated after warming.