Treated Material Handling Or Conveying Patents (Class 34/236)
  • Patent number: 4985956
    Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning objects such as eggs and fruit. The apparatus comprises a housing, a roller conveyor having an upper run extending through the housing, one or more rotary brushes disposed over the upper run, one or more sprayers directed towards the conveyor, and a liquid rceptacle underneath the upper run. To prevent, or at least substantially mitigate the production of vapor in the place where the apparatus is disposed, means are provided for exhausting vapor at the positions where the conveyors enters and leaves the housing. Preferably the housing is double-walled at least where the conveyor enters and leaves the housing, and the cavities between the walls are kept continuously under a subatmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: Staalkat B.V.
    Inventor: Jelle van der Schoot
  • Patent number: 4984439
    Abstract: A discontinuous system applies chemical solutions, dispersions, slurries and pastes to fibrous materials, paper, plastic and metal sheeting, or their composites, confined in one station and capable to wind, rewind and position rolls in sequence and to process sheeting with the ability to interrupt, inspect sections, and add additional windings of the same roll under varied conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Inventor: Richard K. Smejda
  • Patent number: 4958054
    Abstract: A dielectric method of drying a hot plastic food extrudate comprises extruding the hot plastic food material from a food extruder, passing the extruded hot plastic food material while the material is still plastic to a dielectric heating apparatus which is in close proximity to the food extruder, and subjecting the hot plastic food material to dielectric heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1990
    Assignee: Fritto-Lay Inc.
    Inventors: Lewis C. Keller, Cecil A. Bowles
  • Patent number: 4949472
    Abstract: A dryer for photographs sprayed with lacquer has an endless conveyor belt for transporting the photograph under infra red heaters enclosed in an exhaust hood. A second conveyor under the first receives the photo via an air transfer and returns it to the operator. Controls for preventing scorching of the photograph and for operating the device are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Inventor: Joseph A. Arnone
  • Patent number: 4949474
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for drying particulate material such as bark by forming a circulating bed of other material to be dried, which bed, being guided by wires, moves on an endless web around two wire turning rolls. Material to be dried is continuously fed onto the bed and dried material is continuously discharged from the innermost layers of the bed, such that the thickness of the bed remains constant. The material to be dried is discharged by means of a dosing cell roll, which is disposed in the opening between the horizontal section of the first wire loop and the horizontal section of the second wire loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventor: Eero Berg
  • Patent number: 4897932
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying optical disks heats a disk from the underside, and optionally blows clean air between the heater and the disk being dried in order to prevent contaminants from landing on the disk. Heat control is provided such that a surface temperature of the disk during drying is maintained uniform, preventing brittleness. The apparatus preheats the heater, placing the disk in a standby position during warm-up. The apparatus then moves the disk over the heater, and monitors the temperature of the disk, removing the disk back to the standby position when the disk reaches a predetermined temperature. In order to provide uniform heating, a radiant heat controlling plate having a suitably-shaped opening portion may be provided. Additionally, temperature distribution throughout the disk may be achieved as desired, in accordance with the heat control performed, and/or in accordance with the shape of the opening portion of the radiant heat controlling plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignees: Pioneer Electronic Corporation, Pioneer Video Corporation
    Inventor: Kazumi Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 4887366
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying articles having an adjustably movable drying head includes a housing having a drying chamber defined therein and a conveyor extending therethrough. The conveying means carries articles to be dried on the conveyor through the drying chamber next past adjacently positioned drying plenum devices. The plenum boxes are movably mounted with respect to the housing toward and away from the conveying means to facilitate drying of articles of different shapes and sizes. The drying plenums can be positioned to the sides of the conveyor or above or below or any combination of such positions. The drying plenums include air distribution controls such as air guides in the form of slots adapted to facilitate drying of articles by blowing of the water thereoff primarily and secondarily by evaporation. A conduit being flexible along at least a section thereof extends between the blower and the movably positioned drying heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1989
    Inventor: Henry Y. Kuhl
  • Patent number: 4850791
    Abstract: A flow processing system for processing disc-shaped articles such as discs to be used to produce video or audio disc masters, whereby a plurality of processing units for performing respectively different processing operations are combined into a single system in which each disc is moved only horizontally and in a continuously rotating condition, both during processing and while being moved between the processing units. In addition, the supporting structure of the processing units is implemented such as to produce no disturbances in a horizontally directed dust-excluding flow of air, to ensure maximum prevention of adherence of dust particles to the disc surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumi Kuriyama, Yutaka Takasu, Shigeru Kono, Chiharu Koshio, Kazuhiko Nagata
  • Patent number: 4827628
    Abstract: Apparatus and techniques are described for using air to remove moisture from particulate material such as hay (e.g., alfalfa, clover, grass, etc.), other roughage feedstuffs, straw, and even finely ground feedstuffs. The apparatus includes a housing with an air inlet in the bottom portion and an air outlet in the top portion. The particulate material is conveyed out of the housing at the bottom. A fan draws air through the housing from the bottom portion to the top in a manner such that the air passes through and around the particulate material to absorb moisture. This also cools the particulate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Raymond E. Bert
  • Patent number: 4817295
    Abstract: A hot air induction box is shown which includes an enclosure surrounding the point at which seed cotton or other fibrous material is sucked up from a belt conveyor or chute. The entrance into the enclosure through which the fibrous material passes is restricted by a horizontally pivoted door. This door is counterweighted in such a manner that it restricts the necessary entrance of the air used for conveying and induces a partial vacuum within the enclosure. The partial vacuum thus formed is adequate to pull hot air from an air heater into the enclosure where it becomes a substantial portion of the conveying air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Inventor: Samuel G. Jackson
  • Patent number: 4785553
    Abstract: A divider for a tunnel oven converts the moving surface of the oven into at least two lanes so that two or more different brands or types of articles can be dried without intermixing. The divider comprises at least one cable guide mounted to the tunnel oven housing at the inlet and the outlet of the oven. The cable guides extend downwardly to a point adjacent to and above the moving surface. A cable extends the length of the oven from one cable guide to the other and effectively divides the moving surface of the oven into two lanes. In a preferred embodiment there is a pulley wheel at one end for reversing the direction of the cable to provide a two strand divider and a ratchet wheel for adjusting the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Miller Brewing Company
    Inventor: Jimmie Williams
  • Patent number: 4781205
    Abstract: Guide elements are provided to be mounted on rotatable drive rods of a conveyor apparatus, preferably of the type for wet processing of thin electrical printed circuit boards or printed circuit film, as the same is subjected to acid, neutralizer, water, air, sprays, rinses or the like, as such thin materials are moved through the machine. The guides serve to keep the thin materials from falling out of their intended planar path of travel through the machine, but are readily removable, preferably in snap-on, snap-off fashion for ready conversion of the apparatus to handle thicker materials in which such guide elements are not needed. The guide elements may be mounted in staggered fashion across the apparatus and serially along the path of travel through the apparatus. The elements are configured to resist twisting and allow rotatable drive rods to continue to rotate while the elements are disposed on the drive rods, but without rotation of the guide elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Chemcut Corporation
    Inventor: Conrad D. Shakley
  • Patent number: 4777734
    Abstract: A method of drying eggs, fruits or the like articles, in which water or other moisture is removed from the articles by blowing air at high speed along the articles, after which the water drops are removed from this air, and the air being subsequently passed again along the articles. Said air, after removal of the drops therefrom, is diverted along a blower or the like where it is pre-heated with heat dissipated from the blower and is again passed as pre-heated, unsaturated air along the articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Staalkat B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrik Elferink
  • Patent number: 4757617
    Abstract: A method of drying a formed ceramic mass having an end face in which holes are open, including preparing a jig having at least one projection which protrudes from a surface of the jig, holding the jig in abutting contact with the end face of the formed ceramic mass such that the at least one projection pierces or penetrates a portion of the formed ceramic mass adjacent to the end face, and then drying the formed ceramic mass. The jig is effective to protect the formed ceramic mass against distortion in the drying process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatuya Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 4750277
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying of articles traveling upon a conveyor which utilizes a housing defining a plenum chamber and a drying chamber therein for use in cooperation with a conveyor which enters the drying chamber at a conveyor inlet position and exits the drying chamber at a conveyor exit position. The plenum chamber is separated from the drying chamber by a particularly constructed airflow device which achieves various specific desired airflow patterns depending upon the type of article being carried upon the conveyor traveling through the drying chamber. A blower is included supplying pressurized air for drying to the plenum chamber where the pressure is equalized and applied in this manner to a plurality of slots defined in the airflow control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Inventor: Henry Y. Kuhl
  • Patent number: 4734149
    Abstract: Improved apparatus for heat-treating gelatin capsules containing a medicament to cause heat-seal of the telescoped cap and body wall portions thereof, the apparatus comprising a housing defining an elongate generally cylindrical passageway sloping downwardly from inlet to outlet for receiving and discharging capsules passing therethrough, a capsule conveyor comprising an elongate rotatable shaft mounted on the longitudinal cylindrical axis of the passageway for rotation and carrying a plurality of generally circular conveyor plates, each plate supportably mounted in spaced relation along the shaft and having extending ramp portions communicating with the top surface of the next adjacent plate in the direction of the housing passageway outlet to define a generally Archimedean screw-shaped path for passage of gelatin capsules through the housing passageway from inlet to outlet, air-distributing means comprising an elongate manifold attached to the housing having a first section communicating with the passageway
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company
    Inventor: Charles F. Brown
  • Patent number: 4724621
    Abstract: A wafer is introduced into a processing chamber on a transport device. Lifting pins receive the wafer from the transport device and lower the wafer to the surface of a chuck. Clamping pins lower and hold the wafer by means of enlargements on the ends of the clamping pins. Grooves on the surface of the chuck and internal channels in the chuck are used to supply gas to the back of the wafer for temperature control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Varian Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip M. Hobson, Paul H. Dick
  • Patent number: 4703566
    Abstract: The lead finish can be greatly improved on leaded electronic components in a vapor phase reflow process without extra process steps by providing an improved conveyor belt having supports for carrying the components in bug down orientation while preventing the leads from substantially protruding through the plane of the conveyor mechanism and simultaneously allowing for the free flow of the heated vapor through the conveyor belt and on top of the belts such that the leads of the electronic components rest on the tape. The remaining portion of the belt is of a large grid mesh to permit the free flow of vapors in the upper portion of the reflow chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1987
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventor: Mark A. Kwoka
  • Patent number: 4699119
    Abstract: A heater cabinet which utilizes a source of steam heat to elevate to a predetermined working temperature various industrial containers and the contents thereof. Containers suitable for use with the heater cabinet include barrels, drums, pails, nondisposable and disposable liquibins, and the like. In a preferred embodiment the cabinet includes a plurality of insulated walls which define an enclosure. Access to the enclosure is provided by a pair of swinging doors hinged to the front wall of the cabinet. Mounted near the bottom of the enclosure is an open grate for supporting containers placed within the enclosure for heating. Beneath the grate and contiguous therewith is a steam coil for connection to a source of steam which imparts heat into the enclosure. Below the steam coil is a drip pan for collecting and containing any spillage or drippage which may inadvertently flow from the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Inventors: John C. Benko, Glen H. Blythe
  • Patent number: 4693017
    Abstract: A centrifuge installation comprises at least one centrifuge which is loaded and emptied automatically and has an axis, has a centrifuge drum which is provided with the receiving frame, the receiving frame which is rectangular in a plan view and has four corners spaced at equal distances from the centrifuge axis, a plurality of containers which can be filled with industrial piece goods and are insertable into the centrifuge, the container have walls with passages for centrifuged liquid and an upper edge are formed as boxes in a plan view insertable into the receiving frame, a fixing device provided in the centrifuge and arranged to hold the centrifuge drum after braking in a predetermined position, a cover arranged to close the boxes and provided with a locking device, and a gripping device for the boxes, the gripping device is provided with an actuating device for opening and closing the locking device of the cover, the gripping device is also provided with a cover holder which fixes the cover after opening o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1987
    Assignee: Gebr. Steimel
    Inventors: Henry Oehler, Norbert Peth, Hans W. Holpp, Wolfgang Sass
  • Patent number: 4690591
    Abstract: A method for transporting an article disposed on an upper surface of a stage in a vacuum. Gas is ejected through a plurality of inclined nozzles formed in the stage so that the article is transported in the direction of inclination of the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1987
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masayasu Nagashima, Nobuo Iijima
  • Patent number: 4689007
    Abstract: The thermal treatment is effected in that hot gases are passed through the charge bed. Hot gases are passed downwardly through the charge bed in heat treating zone, oxygen-containing cooling gases are passed upwardly through the charge bed in a cooling zone, and the cooling gases which have been heated are conducted under a continuous gas hood from the cooling zone into the heat treating zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1987
    Assignee: Dravo Corporation
    Inventor: Alois Kilian
  • Patent number: 4667419
    Abstract: A device for adjusting implements, such as blowing heads, rotary brushes and the like, to the glass sheet thickness in the continuous production of mirrors, where said sheets travel on a conveyor; the implements are mounted on a frame comprising rollers, cylinders and the like, which is suspended from articulated parallelograms and is at least partly counterweighted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Inventor: Vittorio Bov/o/ ne
  • Patent number: 4663860
    Abstract: A vertical progressive lumber dryer has a plurality of vertically spaced functional zones through which lumber formed into units pass. Each unit rests atop a base and each layer of boards in the stack is separated by sticker means. Predetermined appropriate operating conditions are selected for the drying medium as well as other parts of the process. After a car has completed the last step within the dryer, it is removed and the dryed lumber sent for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Weyerhaeuser Company
    Inventor: Frank C. Beall
  • Patent number: 4651441
    Abstract: A drying oven is disclosed including apparatus for transporting a shuttle (51) longitudinally in a drying conduit (5) arranged within an oven, characterized in that the transporting apparatus is at least partially contained within a housing (15) that hermetically seals one end of the drying conduit. The transporting apparatus includes a steel band (27) that is wound at one end of a disk (39) mounted for rotation within the housing, the other end of the band being releasably coupled with the shuttle by a pivotable latch (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Mettler Instrumente Ag
    Inventor: Jurg Daetwyler
  • Patent number: 4634000
    Abstract: A vapor phase processing system includes a vessel providing a processing chamber in which a two-phase treatment fluid bath is present. A conveyor for moving flat circuit boards on horizontal pallets down into, through and up out of the vapor phase of this treatment fluid includes two pairs of parallel rails. A first pair of rails supports a front end portion of each pallet and a second pair of rails supports a rear end portion thereof. Downward sections of each pair are parallel with downward sections of the other pair; and upward sections of each pair are parallel with upward sections of the other pair. These mutually parallel sections are spaced apart by the distance between the front and rear pallet supports. This results in the pallets and the circuit boards on them remaining horizontal while passing through the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Centech Corporation
    Inventors: Nile E. Plapp, Ray W. Willett
  • Patent number: 4628615
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process and to an installation for the heat treatment of cylindrical bodies, in particular pipes, of ceramic material. During the treatment, the pipes are dried, heated and sintered, and subsequently cooled, in successively arranged chambers.During transportation through the drying zone, the heating zone and the cooling zone, as well as in heat treatment during sintering, the objects are turned about their own axis independently of the transportation rate, so that they are not only evenly heated, but a possible deformation is also prevented. This type of transportation and heating with possible heat exchange between the individual zones makes possible a rapid heating-up without detriment to the cylindrical bodies, and thus a short design length of the installation. Above all, the sintering zone, which must consist of high-value, ceramic material due to the high temperatures, can be kept very small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Inventor: Gerardus M. C. Verheyden
  • Patent number: 4628620
    Abstract: Apparatus for contact drying or cooling of printed sheets in or adjacent to a screen printing machine has a rotor which is driven to rotate about a horizontal axis and carries a set of radially outwardly extending vane-like flat suction boxes each having a plate-like foraminous supporting member to which one or more objects to be dried and/or cooled are attracted by suction during travel of the respective box along a portion of one orbit or during one or more full orbits about the axis of the rotor. The suction boxes are connected to a source of compressed air when the objects on their supporting members reach the ejecting station. The rotor can carry a box-shaped nozzle with orifices oriented to direct jets of compressed air against the objects on the adjacent supporting members. Objects can be supplied by hand or by a conveyor and the treated objects gather in a receptacle or are deposited on a take-off conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Inventor: Gerhard Klemm
  • Patent number: 4616427
    Abstract: A vacuum conveyor system including a conveyor having plural mounting portions on which workpieces are mounted in spaced-apart relation along an endless track, comprising: plural enclosure devices provided on the plural mounting portions of the conveyor, respectively, for forming air-tight enclosed chambers in which the workpieces mounted on the mounting portions are accommodated, respectively; a vacuum source for drawing an atmosphere from the enclosed chambers; and a suction piping assembly disposed along the conveyor and travelling together with the conveyor along the endless track, the suction piping assembly being connected to the vacuum source and having connections which are adapted to communicate with the enclosed chambers to evacuate the enclosed chambers to a predetermined reduced pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1986
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsunezo Takeuchi, Isao Mizutani
  • Patent number: 4604814
    Abstract: The subject matter of the invention relates to apparatus for cooling or drying coarse-grained bulk material, comprising a plurality of trays mounted one above the other for rotation about a common axis, each tray being divided into a plurality of segments adapted to be tilted about a tilt axis extending in a radial direction of said common axis, means supporting said segments in the plane of the respective tray and permitting said segments to be tilted only within a determined angular range of rotation, and means for forcibly tilting each segment within said angular range. In prior art constructions, different means for forcibly tilting each segment in the said angular range have been required, depending on the time required by the feed material to pass through the cooling apparatus and on the number of trays employed in the cooling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Inventor: Alfred Klockner
  • Patent number: 4600491
    Abstract: A container comprising a bottom and walls extending therefrom forming a volume having an opening opposite from said bottom; and means for enclosing the volume, the enclosing means including means for supporting and suspending a workpiece within the enclosed volume apart from the walls and the bottom and means for circulating the heated air within said enclosed volume including an axial or radial flow fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1986
    Inventors: Thomas N. Urquhart, Gordon T. Urquhart
  • Patent number: 4593479
    Abstract: The turntable 1 bears eight rods 3 on which are mounted stacks of packages 4, which are brought on slides 20. The latter recoil each time to allow the stack to drop onto the table 19, then advance to push the lower package 14 towards a drying station where a jack 25 descends thereon and applies it on the rotating plate of an individual drying machine. This plate lowers inside a vessel; it rotates to ensure drying; finally, it rises and the dried package is pushed by the following one onto a corridor 28 which takes it to an evacuation conveyor 27. The drying stations may be disposed in a circle and various means are provided to ensure guiding of the packages between the turntable 1 or equivalent and the various stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Inventors: Maurice Pignal, Max Tridon, Michel Martin
  • Patent number: 4578880
    Abstract: An apparatus for curing ink screen print on articles, particularly large articles such as pails or barrels, includes a rotatable turntable having a plurality of spin table compartments each of which is to receive a pail and carry the same in a circular path past a radiation source covered by a housing at a curing station. Each article is spun as it reaches the curing station to assure complete irradiation about the circumference of each article. The housing is provided with a large opening to facilitate loading of articles onto the spin tables and removal of articles with cured ink from the spin tables. An ejector mechanism is mounted on the apparatus to automatically eject cured articles from the turntable to reduce the labor needed to operate the apparatus. The preferred ejecter mechanism includes a fluid cylinder having a pusher mounted centrally of the turntable, and operable to extend into a compartment to push an article therefrom onto a takeaway conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Assignee: American Screen Printing Equipment Company
    Inventors: Phil Motev, Melvin E. Green
  • Patent number: 4573277
    Abstract: Apparatus for ultraviolet light curing by photopolymerization of ultraviolet curable ink printings on the external surfaces of tubular articles, such as plastic, glass or metal bottles, jars or other containers. The tubular articles are placed in an upright position on a rotating disc in a housing which carries them through an ultraviolet radiation field emitted by an appropriate ultraviolet source, and reflected by specially shaped reflectors to provide intense ultraviolet radiation in the entire housing and thereby eliminating the need to stop and spin the articles in front of the ultraviolet source to achieve complete curing around the entire article. An elongated guide is mounted to extend partially across the upper surface of the table, and as the table rotates it serves to move the articles against the guide which causes them to rotate about their respective vertical axes so that the entire peripheral surface of each tubular article is exposed to the ultraviolet radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Inventor: Donald L. Sudduth
  • Patent number: 4562650
    Abstract: A board drying apparatus includes a pair of fork conveyors provided in a housing and disposed vertically with spacing therebetween. Each fork conveyor has a number of extension arms fixed at to said fork conveyor to extend substantially at right angles therewith. These extension arms of both of the fork conveyors are associated with each other in such a manner that each of the extension arms of one of the fork conveyors is arranged at the same level as the associated extension arm of the other of the fork conveyors and that the extension arms on the inner side of each fork conveyor are opposed to each other and move downwardly at the same speed. A board to be dried is supplied to the uppermost horizontal extension arms at the inner sides of the fork conveyors and is carried downwardly by the extension arms during which the board is dried by heated air circulated through space between the fork conveyors in the lengthwise direction of the boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Assignee: Hashimoto Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Nagasawa, Eiichi Itoh, Sadao Kato
  • Patent number: 4556444
    Abstract: A heating device for corrugated cardboard in a corrugated cardboard pasting machine, comprising several heating plates spaced in feeding direction and covering the maximum width of the corrugated cardboard strip while being adapted to be connected to a source of heat via a control device and against the upward facing heating surface of which the cardboard is guided under load by a weighting belt and/or compressed air, with two or more separate heating plates arranged side by side transversely of the direction of movement of the corrugated cardboard in at least one section and adapted to be separately heated by means of the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Assignee: Werner H.K. Peters Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Schommler
  • Patent number: 4553341
    Abstract: Apparatus for the heat treatment of lasted shoe uppers, e.g. for use in the curing of moisture-curable adhesive applied to the periphery of a shoe bottom. The apparatus comprises a treatment station (2), a conveyor belt (4) and drive means therefor, the belt being adapted to progressively present portions of lasted shoe uppers to the treatment station, and support means for the belt. The conveyor belt (4) comprises one or more rows of slots (10) extending in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, each slot (10) being so dimensioned that a lasted shoe upper can be supported bottom up by the conveyor belt (4) with the last cone projecting into the slot. The support means preferably comprises two portions, the first portion comprising lands (16) by which the belt (4) is supported adjacent the or each row of slots (10) and a trough aligned with said path of movement, and the second portion comprising a continuous support surface (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: USM Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond Hanson, Malcolm Tillyard
  • Patent number: 4538364
    Abstract: On the bottom surface of a store or silo for granular material is placed a system of air channels, which are at one end connected both with an outlet sluice for the grain material and with a blower housing, which is also connected with the free atmosphere. The blower housing is switchable between blowing drying air into the grain through the channels and through wall openings therein and sucking out air from the channels for outlet conveying the grain inwardly through the wall openings and further through the channels to the outlet sluice. By this suction emptying arrangement dust problems in the store are eliminated, and the necessary motor effect is surprisingly low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Inventor: Anton B. Jensen
  • Patent number: 4535552
    Abstract: Wet and pliable strands of freshly extruded spaghetti are draped over horizontally disposed rods whose respective ends rest in helical grooves in a first pair of mutually parallel, rotating shafts which carry the rods and the spaghetti through a drying oven, the rods being transferred to helical grooves in a second pair of mutually parallel, rotating shafts which carry the rods and spaghetti through the oven in a direction transverse to the direction in which they are carried by the first pair of shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1985
    Assignee: Microdry Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory K. McManus, Masato Otani
  • Patent number: 4532857
    Abstract: A tunnel for refrigerating, heating, or drying products of the foodstuffs and especially the confectionery industry. The hoods that constitute the tunnel are connected to its base by spreaders and can be lifted off it independently of one another to above the conveyer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Inventor: Helmut Sollich
  • Patent number: 4509275
    Abstract: A dryer for extracting moisture from wet goods, such as linens, of the type having a tumbler cylinder, an open side of the cylinder through which goods are inserted and removed, and a shell in which the cylinder is housed. The dryer has an external support frame including a portion extending above the shell. The shell is hingedly supported at its top to the support frame and is pivotable about the hinge to permit goods to be removed from the cylinder directly beneath the shell. A door is included for closing the open side of the tumbler cylinder and has a lower door segment which is fixed to the support frame and an upper door segment which is attached to the shell for shifting across the face of the shell to open and close an upper portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: Norman Dryer Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall R. Coffman, James E. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 4497120
    Abstract: A procedure and apparatus for charging and emptying the drying trays in a drying box containing pumpable, solvent-moist starting materials and end products which can be conveyed pneumatically, in which procedure, for filling, the drying trays are closed by means of cover plates and the solvent-moist starting materials are pumped into the filling spaces which are thus formed, these spaces being opened on commencing the drying process, and being closed again following completion of this process, after which the end products are conveyed away from the filling spaces by pneumatic means.This procedure enables drying boxes to be employed for drying even pumpable, solvent-moist products, the recommendations relating, respectively, to explosion protection and to maximum permissible concentrations of toxic materials at workplaces, being complied with, while the operations of charging and emptying the drying boxes are, at the same time, carried out by mechanical means, and hence at lower cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1985
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fritz Laemmermann, Werner Rindfleisch, Wolfgang Fabian, Rudolf Polster
  • Patent number: 4472887
    Abstract: A large scale, industrial system and method for dehydrating fruits, nuts or other produce. The system includes two long air tunnels which are placed end-to-end. Each air tunnel has a conveyor which is used to transport the produce through the air tunnel. As the produce exits one air tunnel, it is dropped from one conveyor onto the other, thus permitting the produce to be turned over before it enters the second air tunnel. Each air tunnel is divided into a number of separate air chambers in which the heated, circulating air is confined so as to reduce heat loss, thus increasing the energy efficiency of the system, and also providing for separate control of the air temperature and humidity levels in each air chamber. Countercirculation of air between adjacent air chambers aids in confining the air through the separate air chambers, as well as the use of resilient flaps which are used to enclose the ends of each air chamber through which the conveyor enters and exits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1984
    Assignee: Tagus Ranch
    Inventors: Aaron M. Avedian, Lonald H. Jensen
  • Patent number: 4472618
    Abstract: A lumber cart for use in a dielectric drying kiln, in which the cart is comprised of a wheeled, horizontal frame, a flat bed of electrically conductive material, preferably aluminum, carried on top of the frame, and one or more electrical leads or terminals connected to the bed, is improved to facilitate loading and unloading of the lumber, by the bed being formed of at least one set of three rectangular sections in side-by-side relationship, the two outside sections of the set being capable of being elevated to a level above the center section, and the cart being provided with means underneath the bed for temporarily elevating the two outside sections and for holding those sections in the elevated position while supporting a stack of lumber by its ends when the stack is laid lengthwise across and above the center section. A similarly constructed separate electrode is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1984
    Assignee: Power Dry Patent, Inc.
    Inventor: Nathaniel W. Cloer
  • Patent number: 4467530
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for batch continuous laundry processing involves a system for continuously centrifugally extracting fluids from sequentially received batches of washed laundry. The discrete batches of laundry are continuously received by a conveying apparatus that automatically loads the batches into the discrete compartments defined within the segmented drum of the extractor. While the extractor is rotating, the conveying apparatus arranges a plurality of laundry batches to be quickly loaded into the extractor upon completion of the processing of the previous batches so that the conveying and processing is completely continuous and automatic. The conveying apparatus is vertically, laterally and longitudinally translatable to receive the batches from a washer at one level, to arrange the batches in two rows, and then to automatically feed them, for example two at a time, into the compartments of the segmented extractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1984
    Assignee: Ellis Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Fesmire, Warren T. Hansen
  • Patent number: 4418482
    Abstract: A device for feeding hot articles and a method of feeding the same include transporting hot articles by a transporting element one after the other, and positively directing cooling air supplied by a blower toward the hot articles during their transportation so that the cooling air flows around the articles to cool and to prevent mutual adherence of the hot articles to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Inventors: Samuel S. Aidlin, Stephen H. Aidlin
  • Patent number: 4414756
    Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for treating strand-like material is described. The method comprises conveying loops of such strand-like material supported by conveyor means through a heating zone wherein provision is made for causing certain portions of said loop material to experience substantial peripheral sliding movement in their contact with and with respect to said conveyor means, which movement has been found to reduce irregularities in the subsequent dyeing of the strand-like material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: American Hoechst Corporation
    Inventors: Carroll Simpson, Ludwig Schierl
  • Patent number: 4414758
    Abstract: A conveyor used to move and if necessary cool objects from a multiple sections in-line production machine, such as a thermoforming machine. The design is sectional, each section comprising a cooling station with high-low control of the cooling media and a push-out device used to transfer the objects from the cooling plate onto the moving conveyor belt. The pusher consists of an arm swinging around a stud, the latter also moving on a circular path, the correct sequence being obtained from a control box timed by the corresponding production machine section. The sections are secured together in the number corresponding to the number of sections of the production machine thus providing a suitable conveyor for a machine with any number of sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Inventors: Fritz Peter, Gastonge Murialdo
  • Patent number: 4383378
    Abstract: A secondary dryer device comprising a drying oven, for subjecting open containers of water detector pads to a secondary drying operation. The oven has a pair of elongate channels disposed side by side with open, outer-most ends and blind inner-most ends. One channel holds a plurality of containers in single file, whereas the other channel holds a plurality of containers in double file, whereby the dwell time is greatly increased. A transfer structure interconnects the blind ends of the channels to provide transfer of the containers from the narrow channel to the wider channel. A powered pushing device applies force to the containers of the single file, to advance said containers inwardly into the oven, toward the blind end of the channel. The oven has means which provides heat to raise the temperature and expel moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Inventor: Harry A. Lockwood
  • Patent number: 4369587
    Abstract: This drier for serigraphic-process screen printing sheets comprises an endless conveyor supported by a frame structure associated with means for blowing non-heated air onto the sheets. The conveyor comprises in combination, a plurality of trays each comprising a solid air-tight support surface mounted on a frame, a deflector edge fixed to the side of the frame of a tray adjoining the conveyor, a plurality of nippers placed on said deflector edge, means for hinging each tray to the conveyor, said combination of means allowing a current of air coming from the deflector side to reach a very high speed without damaging or blowing away the sheets supported by the trays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1983
    Inventor: Bernard David