Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and process for transporting flat objects confined in a specific atmosphere. The device comprises at least one assembly provided with several thin, flat cells (31) that open onto a lateral face (33) of said assembly with the cells arranged in parallel and linked by the same ventilation system. Each cell is constructed to receive a flat object (10) and is closed by an independent door (33). The cells are arranged in tandem and the device includes assembly means for interlocking an upper cell to an adjacent lower cell in each successive pair and in a complementary arrangement.

Abstract: With the object of removing moisture from a system of N≳2 elongated hollow guiding members (20) for cable-like elements (27), in the system a gas flow (G) is maintained. The gas flow is supplied to the system by way of a gas-supply opening (29) of a coupling-in number (23) coupled to first ends (21) of a number of K hollow guiding members (20) and discharged from the system by way of a gas-discharge opening (30) of a coupling-out member (23) coupled to first ends (21) of the L=N−K remaining hollow guiding members. A coupling-through member (26) coupled to second ends (24) of the N hollow guiding members (20) provides a gastight coupling-through between the second ends (24) of the K hollow guiding members and the L second ends of the L remaining hollow guiding members. Preferably K=N−1, and the N−1 hollow guiding members are located within the Nth hollow guiding member.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying and storing an article, such as a baby bottle, after washing and rinsing includes a tray having a bottom face that is adapted to be supported by an underlying surface such as a counter-top, and an upper face. A plurality of pegs extend out from the upper face, and each peg is sized and arranged so as to be able to support an article, such as a baby bottle, after washing and rinsing. Each peg is mounted to the tray in such a manner as to be movable between a first storage position, wherein the entire peg is positioned relatively close to the upper face for storage and packaging, and a second, operative position. This permits the apparatus to be conveniently folded for packaging and storage purposes. Another aspect of the apparatus involves disk holding structure, connected to the upper face of the tray, for holding baby bottle disks in a location that is isolated from areas of the tray in which liquid may collect.

Abstract: With the object of removing moisture from a system of N.gtoreq.2 elongated hollow guiding members (20) for cable-like elements (27), in the system a gas flow (G) is maintained. The gas flow is supplied to the system by way of a gas-supply opening (29) of a coupling-in number (23) coupled to first ends (21) of a number of K hollow guiding members (20) and discharged from the system by way of a gas-discharge opening (30) of a coupling-out member (23) coupled to first ends (21) of the L=N-K remaining hollow guiding members. A coupling-through member (26) coupled to second ends (24) of the N hollow guiding members (20) provides a gastight coupling-through between the second ends (24) of the K hollow guiding members and the L second ends of the L remaining hollow guiding members. Preferably K=N-1, and the N-1 hollow guiding members are located within the Nth hollow guiding member.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying and storing an article, such as a baby bottle, after washing and rinsing includes a tray having a bottom face that is adapted to be supported by an underlying surface such as a counter-top, and an upper face. A plurality of pegs extend out from the upper face, and each peg is sized and arranged so as to be able to support an article, such as a baby bottle, after washing and rinsing. Each peg is mounted to the tray in such a manner as to be movable between a first storage position, wherein the entire peg is positioned relatively close to the upper face for storage and packaging, and a second, operative position. This permits the apparatus to be conveniently folded for packaging and storage purposes. Another aspect of the apparatus involves disk holding structure, connected to the upper face of the tray, for holding baby bottle disks in a location that is isolated from areas of the tray in which liquid may collect.

Abstract: A wafer transfer apparatus used during the processes of manufacturing semiconductor devices has a chuck assembly which includes at least a pair of retainers for accommodating a group of wafers, each wafer retainer having a wafer guide with a plurality of slots formed at regularly spaced intervals and a guide supporter for supporting the wafer guide. At least one nozzle is formed on the wafer guide and is connected to a gas supply member for supplying gas. When the chuck assembly moves downwardly so as to load wafers into a quartz boat, the nozzle sprays the gas so that quartz particles deposited in the slots can be blown off, thereby preventing contamination.

Abstract: An air blow apparatus peels wafers off and simultaneously removes grease and grindstone grains by blowing air into gaps formed between semiconductor wafers sliced by a wire saw from a semiconductor ingot. Two injection nozzles 1a, 1b are symmetrically mounted at predetermined positions with respect to the central line c of the semiconductor wafer 10. Air injections 11a, 11b are injected from the outer top of the semiconductor wafer 10. Injection nozzles 1a, 1b are arranged so that they are movable in the longitudinal direction of the semiconductor ingot. Air injections 11a, 11b are set to be blown out at a cone shape of about 30 degrees.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying and storing a plurality of baby bottles is provided including a housing with side faces defining an open bottom. Such housing has a top face integrally coupled to top edges of the side faces. The top face has a plurality of compartments coupled thereto which extend downwardly therefrom. Such compartments each define an open top that is flush with the top face of the housing. The compartments are adapted to allow the placement of a bottle therein. Each of the compartments have a plurality of slots formed therein for allowing the drying of the bottles.

Abstract: An automated stencil dryer includes a holder mechanism for holding a stencil, a discharge mechanism for discharging air against a stencil positioned in the holder, and a driver mechanism operatively coupled to the discharge mechanism for automatically moving the discharge mechanism so that compressed air can be discharged fully across the surface of the stencil. In one embodiment, the discharge mechanism includes a pair of air knives disposed parallel to one another on opposite sides of the holder so that the stencil is between the air knives when the stencil is positioned in the holder. The air knives are oriented inward toward the stencil when the stencil is positioned in the holder so that air discharged from the air knives is directed against the stencil. In another embodiment, the discharge mechanism includes a pair of air distribution pipes disposed parallel to one another on opposite sides of the holder so that the stencil is between the distribution pipes when the stencil is positioned in the holder.

Abstract: Hanging bar for drying long lengths of pasta, having in cross-section a profile which narrows from the top down, and the surface of which has a raised pattern with a repeating motif such that the lengths of pasta rest on several successive asperities of the pattern along their bent-over part in contact with the bar.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for maintaining sensitive articles such as IC wafers or the like contaminant-free including a base member having a removable cover defining a sealed unit having an interior in which a plurality of sensitive articles are supported and through which a particle-free ionizing gas from a source on a wheeled table is continuously passed, the sealed unit being movable from a storage position on the table to an access position on associated processing without interruption of the ionized gas flow and at which the cover is removed and the supported articles continuously bathed with a particle-free, ionized gas to permit the articles to be sequentially moved to a fabricating position in the processing equipment and back to the access position while being continuously bathed with a particle-free ionized gas for subsequent assembly of the cover and base member and return of the sealed unit to the storage position.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying and sterilizing kitchen utensils including two door panels with axial compression means at two opposite ends respectively moved in sliding grooves on the apparatus base relative to respective roller means at the sliding grooves, clamps adjustably fastened to tracks on an utensil carrying rack inside the apparatus base for holding down kitchen utensils, supporting tubes connected to stub tubes on the rack for holding containers upside-down for drying and sterilizing, and air conduits with air outlets for guiding hot currents of ozone to the rack and the supporting tubes in all directions.

Abstract: Plate-like workpieces such as thin ceramic plates which are ultrasonically cleaned are housed in a tray having an air-permeable bottom plate and a plurality of air-impermeable sidewall plates extending from peripheral edges of the bottom plate. To dry the cleaned workpieces, the tray is placed in a drying tank and supported on a support base on the bottom of the drying tank at an inclined attitude. The drying tank is combined with a hot-air duct which is detachably coupled to respective edges of the sidewall plates of the tray when the tray is supported on the support base. The hot-air duct supplies hot air into an interior space of the tray which is surrounded by the sidewall plates. A suction duct is coupled to the bottom plate of the tray supported on the support base and draws hot air supplied from the hot-air duct from within the interior space through the bottom plate.

Abstract: Microprocessor controlled isopropyl alcohol vapor dryer system for robotic drying of wafer cassettes containing wafers or substrates. A wetted wafer or substrate is robotically placed into a virgin isopropyl alcohol vapor zone. The wetted surface and free-moving contaminants are replaced by a layer of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) which condenses on the surface. The dryer then robotically moves the IPA coated wafer or substrate into an upper cooling zone causing the isopropyl alcohol layer to flash off of the substrate surface, leaving the surface completely dry to a molecular level. IPA vapors are heated at the bottom of a quartz tank and maintained as a vapor by electric heating panels surrounding the quartz tank.

Abstract: The blowing ramp formed by the blowing elements makes it possible to maintain under an ultra-clean atmosphere the planar services of objects during their transportion or conveying, whilst using a limited air flow; the blowing elements are mainly constituted by a plate 2 having a central orifice 6 facing which is located a pipe 4 supplied with ultra-clean air; the process consists of placing the surface (11) of the object (10) at a distance (d) of approximately 1 mm from the blowing surface (7). The flow of air between these two surfaces is easily regulated in such a way as to be laminar, thus providing protection against ambient particulate contamination, which application may be applied to the conveying of silicon wafers.

Abstract: The invention permits the ends of a hollow fiber bundle to be dried, without drying the intermediate portions of the bundles, thereby enabling the bundle to be potted. The apparatus includes at least one drying member having two couplings for coupling a source of forced hot air to respective ends of a sheath designed to contain a bundle of hollow fibers. At each of its ends, the sheath includes at least one axial opening through which the hot air penetrates into the sheath, and at least one lateral opening through which the hot air leaves the sheath after passing over the ends of the fibers. The inlet air flow rate to the sheath and the dimensions of the openings are selected so that all of the air entering each of the ends of the sheath leaves via a corresponding lateral opening.

Abstract: In stationary equipment including a system for successively conveying curved glass sheets in a linear horizontal pathway through washing and rinsing zones, and than a drying zone, upper and lower air knife assemblies are utilized in the drying zone for simultaneously directing pressurized air streams on the opposite broad surfaces of the glass sheets to effect drying action. Each air knife assembly comprises an elongated bendable casing formed into a plenum disposed transverse to the pathway, with each plenum having a longitudinally extending slot serving as an orifice for emitting the air stream against the glass surface. The slot is defined by parallel spaced flexible strips sealed in longitudinal disposition on the casing. The strips, with the casing to which they are sealed, are adapted to be selectively adjustably shaped to generally conform to various glass sheet configurations.

Abstract: A golf club handle drying device comprising a tubular piece that is closed at a first end and open at a second end, a cap, a desiccant, and means for removing desiccant from the golf club handle. A wet golf handle is dried by placing it in the tubular piece in contact with the desiccant.

Abstract: A by-pass device, adapted to be connected between lengths of cable through which fluid is being passed and electric current is being conducted, and a piece of electrical equipment through which the electric current is to be conducted, which permits the fluid being conveyed to by-pass the piece of electrical equipment includes: a first member and a second member, each of the members being fittings composed of an electricity-and-fluid passage section adapted to be connected to a cable; an electricity passage section adapted to be connected to a piece of electrical equipment; and a fluid conveying section adapted to convey fluid in a divergent path away from the current of electricity; and a conduit connecting each of the fluid conveying sections so as to permit the fluid flow between the fluid conveying sections of each member to by-pass the electrical device without interrupting the circuit of electric current.

Abstract: A toothbrush storage and dryer system is provided comprising an upright cylindrical housing having an open top end and closed sidewall, sized to receive at least one toothbrush inserted axially into the top end. A plate is positioned in the housing in a substantially horizontal orientation for separating the housing interior into an upper chamber for receiving the toothbrush and a lower chamber, adjacent and vertically below the upper chamber, for providing heated air to dry the toothbrush. The plate supports the toothbrush in the upper chamber while allowing air flow between the chambers. A heat source, such as a light bulb, for warming the surrounding air is disposed in the lower chamber.

Abstract: A closure mechanism (15) includes a pair of doors (25) biased in a closing direction and a cam (75) which symmetrically adjusts the position of the doors when drawn therethrough and asymmetrically adjusts the position of the doors when pivoted thereagainst.

Abstract: This invention relates to a cooling device for wire turns which, overlapping one another, are spread out on a horizontal conveyor and cooled by air which can be supplied through transverse slots below the conveyor in an intensity which can be modified over the width of the packet of turns. To create a precisely adjustable feed of cooling air on a generic cooling device for wire turns, which makes possible an optimal distribution of the cooling air for uniform cooling of a rolling program, the invention proposes that to adjust the opening of the transverse slots, the slots can be covered at least partly by horizontally movable shutters.

Abstract: The apparatus for handling a finished syringe bodies comprises a planar supporting plate and a mounting plate provided with foot members attached with the supporting plate substantially parallel thereto by a plurality of spacing pieces. Both supporting plate and mounting plate have a plurality of receiving openings for the injection molding devices positioned pairwise coaxial to each other and a retaining plate is provided with holes coaxial to the receiving openings and connected detachably to the supporting plate on the side of the supporting plate facing away from the mounting plate. The boundaries of the holes in the retaining plate form an axial contacting surface for the injection molding devices placed in the receiving openings.

Abstract: A heater for presenting an object to be heated on a carrier to a pair of heating structures which open from an initially closed position to receive same. The initial position of the carrier results in the heating structures being together initially and its motion then results in opening them to receive the object depending on the position reached by the carrier. The closing of the heating structures, due to further motion of the carrier, about the object to thereby envelop it reduces heating losses during the heating of the object.

Abstract: Dryer for drying washed glass plates as they travel in a housing having an entrance slot and an exit slot and contains a conveyor having bottom members and backing elements defining a plane of travel for the glass plates. Elongate front and rear blast nozzles are provided and which are respectively disposed on both sides of the plane of travel and are upwardly inclined opposite to the direction of travel and have air exit slots which face the plane of travel and extend upwardly from a level which is close to the level of the bottom edge supporting conveyor. Respective shields are provided between the blast nozzles and the adjacent walls of the housing. The housing has an exhaust air outlet. In one embodiment, the top end of each blast nozzle is spaced from the entrance end wall of the dryer and the exhaust air opening is formed in the top wall of the housing between the upper ends of the blast nozzles and the entrance end wall of the dryer.

Abstract: A sports racket handle drying device comprises an electrically operated fan (5), a tube (3) for receiving the handle of the sports racket and means (6,10,11 and 12) for actuating the fan, in response to the presence of the handle in the tube, to effect flow of air between the tube and the handle.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for biological fluid analysis involving radiation measurement. The apparatus includes a pipetting dispenser having means for directing radiation from the piston thereof generally axially through the liquid in the pipette tube such that the pipetting dispenser serves not only as a means for measuring and mixing liquids, but also serves as a cuvette. The apparatus and method provide maximum radiation path length to accommodate liquids of different optical density. Still another feature of the apparatus and method is the provision of means for removing liquid from the outer surface of a pipette tube, which means are readily adapted to automated procedures. The apparatus in one embodiment is adapted for absorbance measurement of analyte samples, and in another embodiment is adapted for measurement of fluorescent radiation from analyte samples.

Abstract: Disclosed is an air plenum for surrounding and cooling a tubular extruded film. The plenum has an annular air flow chamber defined in part by an apertured annular distribution plate to which is mounted an annular channel-like one-piece molded housing forming a main flow chamber and having a cross-sectional area which progressively decreases from an air inlet in said housing to a point farthest removed therefrom. The annular air flow chamber receives air from the main air flow chamber through the apertures of the distribution plate and redirects it to an annular outlet nozzle.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for drying and calcinating coated welding electrodes with the use of induction heating, which comprises a sectionalized slot induction heater provided with a vertically arranged slot and a plurality of electroconductive bus-bars. Each bus-bar has a different vertical width but is supplied an electric current of the same magnitude. The electrodes are conveyed through the slot induction heater using a chain conveyer carrying magnetic holders for holding magnetically the electrodes. Adjacent to the terminal areas of the chain conveyor are disposed an arrangement for loading the untreated electrodes into the above conveyor and an arrangement for unloading therefrom the thermally treated electrodes.

Abstract: A gas flows through a pipe employed for intensive heat and material transfer, wherein the pipe has a length equal to 0.5 to 100 meters. The pipe features a gas inlet and two gas outlets. A solid body charge interacting with the gas flow enters at an inlet position in the pipe, passes a plurality of baffles which reduce the cross section in the pipe, and emerges from the pipe at the end position. Together with the surface of the solid body charge, the baffles form gaps of 3-50 mm which reduce the boundary layer of gas on the charge limiting the heat or material transfer. Between each pair of neighboring baffles are chambers in which the gas rotates and thus strikes the charge repeatedly. As a result the efficiency of material and heat transfer is further improved. With this countercurrent system the solid body can take up and release heat during its passage through the pipe and can take up or release material according to the character of the gas flowing in the inlet.

Abstract: A drier cabinet for drying fire-hoses of other similar hoses comprises an elongated horizontal receptacle (10), in which a plurality of hoses (19) may be placed side by side in extended positions to undergo drying in said receptacle. In order to permit a continuous operation of the drier cabinet, the receptacle (10) is divided into two parallel drying chambers (11), extending in side by side relationship along the length of the receptacle. At their upper ends, the drying chambers (11) have longitudinally extending openings which are individually closable by means of appurtenant covers (13). The two covers (13) are rigidly mounted on a common rotatable shaft (14), located between them and connected to a single driving motor (16). Additionally, the two covers (13) act as counterweights for each other to reduce the required driving power.

Abstract: An air wipe nozzle for removing water from a rod as it emerges from a water cooling tube in a rod mill is provided. The air nozzle includes a tubular head through which the rod passes, the header having a plurality of passages terminating in openings spaced around the periphery of the tube interior and directed at an acute angle with respect to the tube axis. The passages are configured to receive compressed air and direct it through the openings against the movement of the rod through the housing toward the entry end of the housing. A second group of openings spaced downstream in the header from the other openings directs additional air against the rod to completely remove water from the rod surface. Direction of the air toward the upstream direction of travel of the rod creates a vacuum at the exit end of the header and draws air therein to prevent passage of water along the header itself.

Abstract: This invention relates to a heat-resistant air-distributing sheath foldable into encircling relation about a section of damaged cable or the like encased in a heat-shrinkable sleeve, said sheath being characterized by a tangentially-directed tubular inlet connectable to a source of forced hot air, cooperating pairs of arcuate rigid ribs housed within circumferential pockets adjacent opposite ends of said sheath movable from an open cable-receiving position into a closed cable-encircling one, means depending from said sheath for tying or otherwise hanging same from an overhead support, flexible tubular cuffs at opposite ends equipped with drawstrings for regulating the size of the openings through which the air exits the sheath, and a deflector at the point where the air enters the sheath effective to direct the airflow in a helical path towards the opposite open ends thereof.

Abstract: Process for drying products wrapped in a humid envelope, and, in particular, rod-shaped products wrapped in at least one tobacco envelope, which consists in bringing into contact with the product, air whose relative humidity is lower than that of the surrounding air, comprising the step of circulating said air at high speed, which is renewed in a continuous manner, in a zone closely surrounding at least part of the product envelope.

Abstract: A process for conditioning food strands in which food strands are formed from a dough of food material and each of the strands is passed individually through a separate zone of positive air pressure.

Abstract: A device in which a developability regulating apparatus employed in a multi-color electrophotographic printing machine is maintained substantially free from contaminating particles. This is achieved in the present invention by directing a substantially laminar fluid flow over the light source and photosensor used in the developability apparatus.