Abstract: A dryer section of a paper machine including groups with single-wire draw that include a drying wire guided in a loop and reversing cylinders arranged in the drying-wire loop. Contact drying cylinders are arranged in gaps between the reversing cylinder and the drying wire is guided to press a web against heated faces of the contact drying cylinders. In addition to normal, small-diameter contact drying cylinders, one or more large-diameter contact drying cylinders (the diameter being greater than about 2200 mm and usually in a range from 2200 mm to 3600 mm), is/are used in one or more single-wire draw groups. An impingement-drying/ventilation hood is arranged above the large-diameter contact drying cylinders and extends on a large sector above the contact drying cylinder and above the drying wire and the web running over the cylinder. An impingement-drying/ventilation effect is applied to the drying wire through the impingement-drying/ventilation hoods on the large sector.

Abstract: A method for treating material comprising starch and starch-bearing products wherein the products are introduced to a thermal processor comprising a housing defining an inner wall surface, an inlet end, an outlet end, and an agitator rotatable within the housing adapted to direct the material into contact with the inner wall surface. The inner wall surface is heated and nozzles associated with the agitator are used for discharging fluid from the nozzles into contact with the material during rotation of the agitator. Heating to obtain treatment of the material is provided by contact with the inner wall surface and by controlling the fluid discharge from the nozzles to create turbulence for spreading the material over a broad surface area of the inner wall surface to enhance and render substantially uniform the heat exchange between the material, the fluid, and the inner wall surface, and to control mass transfer between the fluid and the material.

Abstract: A system and method for predicting the dryness of clothing articles in a clothes dryer. In one embodiment, the clothes dryer uses a temperature sensor, a phase angle sensor, and a humidity sensor to generate signal representations of the temperature of the clothing articles, the motor phase angle, and the humidity of the heated air in the duct, respectively. A controller receives the signal representations and determines a feature vector. A neural network uses the feature vector to predict a percentage of moisture content and a degree of dryness of the clothing articles in the clothes dryer. In another embodiment, the clothes dryer uses a combination of sensors to predict a percentage of moisture content and a degree of dryness of the clothing articles.

Abstract: An air heating and control system, which in one application controls the diameter of a calender roll in the paper making process, includes a row of heater packs proximate to the various zones of the calender roll. Each heater pack has a plurality of electrical heating coils which are at least partially connected in parallel so that failure of one coil does not interrupt power to the remaining coils. Air flowing through the heating coils is heated to a desired temperature and impinges upon the calender roll to expand it as desired. A control system senses a defective coil, which effectively reduces current in a heater pack, and increases the voltage imposed upon that heater pack to again produce the desired power level or heating effect. Thus failure of a heating coil is immediately compensated for.

Abstract: A multifunctional hand-held hair dryer is provided having a body section containing a motor and fan for generating a stream of air, a handle attached to the body in an essentially gun-type configuration, and a barrel attached to the body at a substantially right angle to the handle section, the interior walls of the barrel defining a central chamber through which air is transferred from the body to an end opening of the barrel and wherein there is attached to the exterior of the barrel styling attachments which together with the barrel surface form a chamber which may communicate hot air through holes in the styling attachment, the attachment and the holes together serving to facilitate styling of the hair.

Abstract: A method for the heat treatment of textiles, particularly advantageous for textiles wound on cops or bobbins, comprises applying a vacuum to a steamer chamber in which the textiles have been placed. When a sufficient vacuum has been reached a treatment liquid is introduced and the vacuum source shut off maintains the vacuums. The treatment liquid is then heated to generate a saturated steam treatment for the textiles. The liquid and steam are then pumped out of the chamber and a vacuum re-instituted for evacuation, cooling and drying, after which the chamber is returned to ambient. Subsequent cycles may be performed with other liquid treatments. An apparatus for carrying out the method may be in the form of a closed system in which the vessels from which the liquid treatment are drawn are coupled to the treatment chamber to allow return of the liquids when the liquids are pumped out. Liquid loss is thus minimized and efficiency increased.

Abstract: A present vacuum treating apparatus comprises a process chamber for subjecting an object to a predetermined process in a predetermined vacuum state, a stage located in the process chamber and on which the object is placed, a lamp unit provided at the lower side of the processing chamber and having a plurality of lamps as a light source and adapted to heat the object on the stage by a heat energy of light directed from these lamps to the stage for illumination, a rotation shaft connected to the lamp unit to rotate the lamp unit, a support body rotatably supporting the rotation shaft, and a thermo-module provided at a contacting area of the support body selective to the rotation shaft and, by absorbing heat on its rotation shaft side and dissipating heat on its support body side, transferring the heat on the lamp unit to the support body through the rotation shaft.

Abstract: A method for roasting legumes such as soybeans to enhance their nutritional properties. Raw legumes are introduced to a roaster having an oven section and a steeping section downstream of the oven section. The raw legumes are heated to a selected roasting temperature in the oven section as they are moved through the oven section to and through the steeping section. Throughout the passage of the legumes through the oven and steeping sections the legumes are mixed continuously.

Abstract: A method for injecting a liquid directly into a fluidised bed and a configuration of at least one twin nozzle in which a gas is used to atomise the liquid and each nozzle permits a dispersion of liquid into a vessel containing the fluidised bed.

Abstract: In a process for drying sewage sludge or sludges of similar consistency, use is made of a device (13) in which vapors arising during contact drying are introduced to at least one compression stage. This stage compresses the vapors to a higher pressure and impurities are separated therefrom. The cleaned and compressed vapors are introduced into the device (13) for contact drying as a heating medium. In this manner, the energy consumed inside the operated installation is used more efficiently to dry the sewage sludge and a considerably improved energy balance is thereby achieved.

Abstract: A hair dryer accessory (8), to be mounted on a tubular part (4) of a hair dryer from which a continuous air flow emerges, the hair dryer accessory having a hollow body (10) adapted to be mounted on a portion (6) of the tubular part (4) of the hair dryer, the body (10) having an end portion (12) through which the air flow emerges. The end portion (12) is constructed from a flexible material enabling it to be manually folded back on the tubular part (4) of the hair dryer to enable the selective modification of the exit cross section of the end portion (12).

Abstract: A Yankee hood is disclosed for use in drying wet paper webs. The Yankee will provide a manufacturer to operate at supply temperatures above 1000.degree. F. at lower total energy costs and at increased production. All major components, supply fans, flow concentrator, air flow equalization plenum and gas burner are consolidated and are mounted directly on the device to eliminate the need for additional space requirements. The hood assembly includes an internal high impingement air system which is supported on a floating structural support member. The nozzle impingement system which incorporates a plurality of nozzle boxes will cover approximately a 240.degree. wrap of a typical Yankee cylinder which will be decoupled from its main support end plate members to allow for increases in cross-machine expansion. The support structure for the externally located direct drive motor is designed to eliminate hood vibrations and operate above the natural building frequency.

Abstract: A dryer is provided which is adapted to receive and dry polymeric material. The dryer comprises a support structure, a drying hopper assembly, a polymeric material supply device and a controller. The drying hopper assembly includes a drying hopper having an inlet for receiving wet polymeric material to be dried and an outlet through which dry polymeric material exits the hopper, and load cell apparatus associated with the support structure and the drying hopper for sensing the weight of the drying hopper and any polymeric material contained therein. The load cell apparatus generates first signals representative of the weight of the drying hopper and any contents it may have. The polymeric material supply device is adapted to supply wet polymeric material to the drying hopper through the material inlet. The controller is coupled to the polymeric material supply device and the load cell apparatus.

Abstract: A garbage disposer for deodorizing and drying of garbage. A processing tank containing garbage is heated through the implementation of a heater, and thereby the temperatures in the processing tank and the heating chamber are raised and the water contained in the garbage is evaporated. When a predetermined period of time has passed, from the start of the heating of the processing tank, a fan and heater are prompted into operation and the gas in the heating chamber, which contains a large quantity of steam, flows into a condensing section where the gas is cooled as it flows through the fin tube and the dew point of the gas is lowered; and the steam contained in the gas is condensed into water. The remaining gas is then returned to the heating chamber through a returning pipe, where the gas is heated to a high temperature. The condensed water is collected in a condensing section and the collected water flows into a discharge pipe whereby the water is discharged to the outside of the garbage disposal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a stabilized vacuum apparatus for industrial hide driers with multiple evaporation beds. The apparatus includes a main vacuum source that can be connected to a series of evaporation beds to produce a negative pressure having a preset value in the beds, in steady-state operating conditions. There is a secondary vacuum source which is suitable to produce, in one bed at a time, a negative pressure which is close to the steady-state value, and there is a valve means to selectively connect each bed, which is initially at ambient pressure, first to the secondary vacuum source and then to the main vacuum source, so as to eliminate substantial pressure variations in the remaining beds when each bed is connected to the main vacuum source.

Abstract: A compressed air dryer assembly for an air braking system provides for uniform compression of a desiccant bed. Guidance of a housing urged into a dryer shell by a spring force is provided at radially inner and outer regions. This guidance allows for a wide range of movement so that the desiccant bed is maintained under uniform compression. In addition, a sliding seal effectively provides a wide range of movement and yet limits communication between the inlet and outlet openings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for cooling a substrate between high temperature thermal processing steps. In the disclosed embodiment, one or more cooling stations are located off-line within a wafer handling chamber, just outside the thermal processing chamber. After thermal processing, a hot wafer can be loaded on to the cooling station, where the wafer is subjected to forced convection cooling. In particular, the wafer is subjected to cooling gas from above and below through perforated upper and lower shower head assemblies. The wafer can thus be cooled rapidly on a cooling station while other wafers are transferred into and out of the processing chamber. Desirably, the wafer is cooled on the cooling station to a point at which it can be handled by a low temperature wafer handler and stored in a low temperature cassette.

Abstract: A control system reduces the amount of gas lost as sweep gas from a membrane gas dryer. The membrane gas dryer is of the type that features an inlet end that receives moisture laden gas from a compressor, an outlet end from which dried gas is discharged to a pneumatic component and a drain port from which permeate sweep gas inclusive of permeate water vapor is expelled from the gas dryer. The control system includes a purge valve that is connected to the drain port of the gas dryer and a mechanism that controls the purge valve. The purge valve has a pilot port that responds to pressure by closing the purge valve thereby preventing the permeate sweep gas from exhausting to atmosphere through the drain port.

Abstract: A shoe bar is useful for drying shoes in a conventional clothes dryer. The shoe bar has a relaxed length that is equal to or slightly greater than the inner diameter of the drum of the clothes dryer. The bar ends are inserted into the shoes. The bar is manually bent and placed in the drum. One shoe is placed against the drum inner diameter, and the other shoe is placed proximate the drum diametrically opposite the first shoe. The bar is released. The elastic material exerts a restoring force that tends to return the bar toward its relaxed configuration. The bar is too long to relax completely, so it remains at a working configuration whereat it urges the shoes against the drum. The shoes remain pressed against the drum, so they do not tumble when the clothes dryer is operated to rotate the drum.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for drying a microelectronic structure on wafer substrate using supercritical phase gas techniques and a unique pressure vessel locking mechanism. There is lid and a base with an open cavity to contain at least one microelectronic structure on wafer substrate. Clamping the lid to the base uses locking clamp rings with open jaws large to partially enclose the edge of the vessel. The clamp rings are supported symmetrically about the sides of the vessel. The rings are adjusted between an open position where the rings are clear of the vessel and a locking position where the jaws partially enclose the vessel. The jaws and the vessel share a tapered cam plate and roller system configured to bring the rings into vertically compressive locking engagement on the pressure vessel when the rings are moved into locking position. Mechanical interlocks provide security against back pressure opening the rings.