Abstract: A web dryer for use in the graphic arts industry or the like includes a dryer housing through which a printed web travels and which contains a plurality of nozzles, an air inlet, an air exhaust and a source of heat. The desired ventilation rate for purposes of maintaining the interior dryer environment at a required low percentage of the Lower Flammable Limit is designed to be dependent on the measured or calculated rate of ink application to the web. The ink application rate and information regarding the actual exhaust flow or ventilation rate is fed to a ventilation rate control and the exhaust flow or ventilation rate is then varied in response thereto, as by controlling a variable speed exhaust blower. At the same time, make-up air is provided to the dryer interior, preferably at a point remote from the exhaust discharge duct so that it thoroughly mixes with recirculating air within the dryer to reduce condensation problems.

Abstract: A large diameter rotary drum is horizontally supported upon a plurality of saddle like expansible liquid bearing pads of large effective contact area with the drum, and a fixed saddle adjacent each bearing saddle supports the drum when not floated upon the bearings. The bearings and the lower portion of the drum resting thereon are submerged in the liquid in a sump which is kept at a given temperature by passing the liquid therefrom to a cooling tower or through a heat exchanger. Separate adjustable values supply the activating liquid to each bearing pad and a separate pressure gage is provided between each valve and its associated pad.