Abstract: A ventilating and impingement air bar assembly for floatingly suspending a running web and comprising a direct impingement air bar for directing air directly against the coated side of the running web, a dilution air bar mounted along each side of the impingement air bar and in parallelism therewith. The dilution air bars have an air nozzle slot directed generally parallel to and along the web and in a direction away from the direct impingement air bar. The dilution air bars also have a coanda corner over which the air from the slot is directed away from the web. An air supply is provided for supplying air selectively to the impingement air bar or to the dilution air bars.

Abstract: A high velocity web dryer which has a series of upper and lower air bars for floatingly suspending a running web as the web moves through the dryer. A hot air supplying system provides hot air to the bars for drying the web. The system includes a gas fired burner and a source of combustion air for the burner. A valve control is provided for controlling the admission of combustion air to the gas fired burner, and includes a movable valve for controllably admitting combustion air to the burner. The said valve control includes an initial air admitting valve for providing initial air through the valve control prior to partial opening of the valve control, to thereby provide a relatively smooth and excessive surge-free supply of air to the burner, whereby a stable air supply system in provided without oxygen starvation and without blowing out a flame of the burner.

Abstract: A web dryer for floatingly suspending a running web and having a horizontal exit slot through which the web exits from the dryer, makeup air being drawn into the dryer through said slot and in a direction opposite to that of web exit movement. The running web is forced to move up or down based on the fluctuations in air movement and which cause the web to billow across its width, a rotatable roll arranged is in parallelism to the exit slot and located downstream from the web exit slot and around which roll the moving web is wrapped. The web, due to said tendency to billow across its width, thereby creates a tight side of the web around the roll and consequently transversely shifts to the tight side. An airfoil is located transversely across the web and adjacent and inside of the horizontal web exit slot, whereby the incoming makeup air is uniformly distributed transversely by the airfoil and across the web width to eliminate uncontrolled web billowing and consequent transverse shifting of the web.

Abstract: Apparatus for drying a running paper web and floatingly suspending it without contact during the drying process, including air bars which are spaced apart from one another along each side of the web and are fed with pressurized air for a supply duct. The air bars have an air supply opening, and the supply ducts have an air feed neck adapted to be inserted in said air bar supply openings for directing pressurized air thereto, O-ring type seals are located between the bar openings and the duct feed necks to permit relative sealing movement between the bars and supply duct an angular adjustment between said air bar and the duct permits tilting of the bars longitudinally relative to the web to vary the angle of the air discharge against the web.

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.