Abstract: Apparatus for heating the recirculated air from a web dryer in such a manner that the recirculated air does not come in direct contact with the flame of the burner in which the fuel and air for combustion are mixed and burned. Because the solvent-laden recirculated air does not come in contact with the flame, alteration or partial incineration of the hydrocarbons does not occur. When printing inks are formulated with non-photochemically reactive solvents and used in conjunction with the present apparatus, other methods of solvent collection are available for air pollution control instead of energy-consuming incineration (thermal or catalytic); and in some cases no control method is required. The present apparatus provides an area for the complete combustion of the fuel/air mixture from the burner before leaving the containment tube and mixing with the recirculated air.

Abstract: Ultraviolet radiating means for curing and drying non-solvent ink which has been applied to a substrate during a printing or coating process, the radiating means including a plurality of elongated parallel ultraviolet lamp assemblies mounted to radiate against the non-solvent ink as the substrates are passed in front of the lamp assemblies. The lamp assemblies are slideably mounted in side by side relation in a module which is in turn slideably received in a housing. The lamp assemblies each include an ultraviolet lamp mounted in a elongated reflector shaped to reflect the ultraviolet radiation emitted from the lamp and to focus it to form a narrow band. The lamp assemblies are mounted in the housing so as to be freely rotatable from a curing position to a position where they are directed toward a heat exchanger. The lamp assemblies may also be mounted so that a pair of the lamps will direct ultraviolet radiation at the same area on the substrate.

Abstract: An air bar ssembly for floating and positioning a running web. The assembly includes an end fed header having a track means in which an air bar is removably slideable. An air distribution plate is also slideably removable in the header and is located between the air bar and the header proper and serves to evenly distribute air throughout the length and width of the air bar. The air bar assembly is easily disassembled for cleaning.