Sheet, Web, Or Strand Patents (Class 34/419)
  • Patent number: 8955957
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a dryer unit of a printer. In one embodiment, a dryer unit includes a light source having a plurality of lamps. The dryer unit further includes a controller that associates a target output power with each of the lamps of the light source. When in operation, the controller determines a speed of a printable medium that passes through the dryer unit. The controller is able to vary an intensity of light generated by the light source based on the speed of the printable medium by varying which of the lamps of the light source are energized to their target output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Stuart J. Boland, Scott Johnson, Constantino J. Tadiello, Casey E. Walker
  • Publication number: 20140298673
    Abstract: Method for manufacturing a fiber web, in which water is driven out of the fiber web. The method includes displacement dewatering using a clothing arrangement. The clothing arrangement, in the direction of a displacement fluid flow, includes: a membrane; an imprinting fabric, followed by the fiber web; and an anti-rewet fabric. The clothing arrangement is, in the direction of the displacement fluid flow, followed by a roll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Jeffrey HERMAN, David A. BECK, Thomas Thoröe SCHERB
  • Patent number: 8628188
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus including: a rotatable belt having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface partially coming into contact with a sheet; a plurality of rollers being arranged in a direction of movement of the sheet and including a first roller and a second roller adjacent to each other, the plurality of rollers being pressed against the outer surface and the moving sheet being nipped between the plurality of rollers and the outer surface; a blowing mechanism configured to blow hot air from between the first roller and the second roller toward the sheet; and a heating unit including a heater and a contact surface coming into contact with the inner surface, the heating unit being configured to be able to set the contact surface thereof to have a predetermined non-uniform temperature distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Tokisawa, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Kanto Kurasawa, Toshihide Wada
  • Patent number: 8601717
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid and an evaporator, a condenser of adjustable surface area, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a drum to receive clothes to be dried, a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and through the drum, a sensor located to sense at least one parameter, and a controller coupled to the sensor, condenser and/or the compressor. The controller is operative to adjust the condenser to increase surface area during a steady state drying rate period of the cycle, and adjust the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle, wherein adjusting the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle accelerates the start transient period of the cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David G. Beers, Nicholas Okruch, Jr., Brent Alden Junge, Amelia Lear Hensley
  • Patent number: 7805857
    Abstract: A dual-purpose, cooling/drying apparatus comprising a rotatable cooling/drying cylinder wherein air, steam, and water supplied from sources external of the cooling/drying cylinder are selectively introducible into and removable from a space defined inside the cylinder. The apparatus includes a first flow path through which the water is selectively introducible into the cylinder space, and a second, separate flow path through which either of the air and steam are selectively introducible into the cylinder space. The apparatus is characterized by a cooling mode, in which the water and air are selectively introducible into the cylinder space through the first and second flow paths, respectively, and a drying mode, wherein the steam is selectively introducible into the cylinder space through the second flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Kadant Johnson, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan T. Ives
  • Patent number: 7644716
    Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing a carbonaceous heat source chip, capable of drying an extrusion-molded carbonaceous heat source rod to proper hardness and supplying the same to a heat insulating material-wrapping device. The apparatus includes a hollow pipe that forms a conveying path for transporting the carbonaceous heat source rod continuously extrusion-molded by an extrusion molding machine, to the heat insulating material-wrapping device. The apparatus forms an airflow running through the hollow pipe by means of an air amplifier, and transports the carbonaceous heat source rod while drying the rod by using the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuo Hosoya, Hajime Ohinata, Yasuo Baba, Masaaki Kobayashi, Kazuei Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20080263892
    Abstract: A membrane air dryer is located inside a compressed air reservoir. A sweep air system includes a sweep control valve upstream of the dryer, and a sweep vent that is open to atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventor: Randall W. Nichols
  • Publication number: 20080155854
    Abstract: A dual-purpose, cooling/drying apparatus comprising a rotatable cooling/drying cylinder wherein air, steam, and water supplied from sources external of the cooling/drying cylinder are selectively introducible into and removable from a space defined inside the cylinder. The apparatus includes a first flow path through which the water is selectively introducible into the cylinder space, and a second, separate flow path through which either of the air and steam are selectively introducible into the cylinder space. The apparatus is characterized by a cooling mode, in which the water and air are selectively introducible into the cylinder space through the first and second flow paths, respectively, and a drying mode, wherein the steam is selectively introducible into the cylinder space through the second flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Alan T. Ives
  • Patent number: 6746163
    Abstract: A photographic processor and a dryer for drying photographic material. The dryer comprises a path through which the photographic material extends wherein at least one slack loop is provided in the photographic material. An adjustable roller is provided along the path to adjust a size of the slack loop and an air supply arrangement is adapted to provide drying air to the slack loop. The air supply arrangement supplies air to a frame member that has slots along at least one wall. A sliding member is provided within the frame member to open and close the slots in accordance with the size of the slack loop. This enables a supply of drying air directly on the media and further permits the automatic adjustment of the amount of air being supplied in accordance with the size of the slack loop or the length of the media being dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Ralph L. Piccinino, Jr., Daniel M. Pagano
  • Patent number: 6725567
    Abstract: A method of drying honeycomb structural bodies in which a dielectric drying is performed by moving the honeycomb structural bodies in a dielectric drying apparatus under a condition such that vapor is flowed in the dielectric drying apparatus, includes the steps of: covering a surrounding area of the honeycomb structural body by a sheet with a constant space; and performing the dielectric drying under such a condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Yano, Kenichi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20040003906
    Abstract: The energy efficiency of a primary drying papermaking process is improved by the use of auxiliary dryers to dry the wet tissue webs to a final moisture of about 5% or less and adjust the CD moisture profiles of the wet and partially-dried tissue webs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Wordwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Charlcie Christie Kay Leitner, Michael Joseph Garvey
  • Publication number: 20030115772
    Abstract: A high speed dryer section has single-wire draw drying groups (R1, RN). A paper or board web (W) is supported by a wire (F) as it meanders over drying cylinders (20) in an upper row and reversing cylinders/rolls (21) in a lower row. A first cylinder drying group (R1) has at least five drying cylinders. In the first cylinder drying group (R1) a runnability component (30) is placed in a pocket space defined by every two successive drying cylinders (20) and the reversing roll (21) between them and by the drying wire (F) for applying a high under-pressure of 1000-8000 Pa to an area (50Y) in which the web (W) separates from the drying cylinder (20), and by which runnability component (30) a lower under-pressure of 100-500 Pa is produced in at least part of the rest of the pocket space (T).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Kari Juppi, Antti Komulainen
  • Patent number: 6491761
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mothod for preventing the formation of additional surface stains on destained steel sheet processed in a continuous pickle line operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Bethlelem Steel Corporation
    Inventors: John W. Wray, Darrell E. Murphy, Michael Pilnock
  • Patent number: 6463674
    Abstract: A dryer uses a two-phase drying system having a brief water condensation interval, followed by impinging parallel laminar recirculating hot air jets which impinge on wet ink to increase the copy rate of inkjet printing and to increase the quality of the printed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Meyers, Roger G. Leighton, Dawn M. Api, Gerald A. Domoto, Elias Panides, Narayan V. Deshpande, Andrew W. Hays, S. Warren Lohr, Thomas N. Taylor
  • Patent number: 6446358
    Abstract: Disclosed is a drying nozzle for realizing a high-efficiency drying device capable of drying an object to be processed to a sufficient degree. The drying nozzle includes a drying gas supply portion having an air supply tube for supplying air for drying a substrate whose surface is wet with a liquid by being sprayed against the surface of the substrate, and a gas/liquid mixture discharge portion which is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate by a predetermined distance to thereby make the thickness of the liquid adhering to the surface of the substrate prior to the drying constant and which has a porous material having a large number of through-holes for discharging the air/liquid mixture consisting of air and the liquid,from the surface of the substrate, the drying gas supply portion and the gas/liquid mixture discharge portion being arranged along the surface of the object so as to be adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Mitsumori, Nobuaki Haga
  • Patent number: 6432267
    Abstract: A wet crepe, impingement-air dried process for producing absorbent paper sheet is disclosed. In preferred embodiments, the process utilizes recycle furnish and the web is delaminated as it is wet-creped from a Yankee dryer. Particular embodiments include high consistency (after-crepe) wet-shaping prior to impingement air drying on a drilled vacuum roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
    Inventor: Gary M. Watson
  • Patent number: 6401356
    Abstract: A method of drying veneer sheets by continuously shingling discrete wood veneer-sheets to form a layup where the leading edges of adjacent sheets are offset by a distance X with the lower, veneer sheet leading in the direction of movement the one there above and continuously feeding the so formed layup in the direction of movement into a drier where the veneer sheets while still in the layup are dried. The dried veneer sheets are then separated into discreet dried veneer sheets and are thereafter individually tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Weyerhaeuser Company
    Inventors: Mark Trelawny Churchland, Robert Leeson Pike, Norbert Kott
  • Patent number: 6365240
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for removal of VOCs from wood products prior to drying the wood products. The method of the invention includes the steps of providing a chamber having an opening for receiving wood and loading the chamber with green wood. The wood is loaded to an extent sufficient to provide a limited headspace in the chamber. The chamber is then closed and the wood is heated in the chamber for a time and at a temperature sufficient to saturate the headspace with moisture and to substantially transfer VOCs from the wood product to the moisture in the headspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Institute of Paper Sciences and Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sujit Banerjee, James Robert Boerner, Wei Su
  • Patent number: 6314659
    Abstract: A device and method for extending the useful life of a carrying fabric in a dryer by maintaining the edges of the fabric at a temperature below that at which thermal degradation occurs. This is achieved by applying a cooling liquid to the edges of the carrying fabric so that thermal energy can be transferred from the fabric to the liquid and thus maintain the edges of the fabric at moderate temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Valmet Inc.
    Inventor: Richard A. Parker
  • Patent number: 6263589
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of drying a fiber web and an arrangement in a fiber web drying apparatus, the fiber web being dried between two tight bands that move in parallel in the same direction and turn around turning rolls. The first band is heated and the second band is cooled. The fiber web is guided through a drying zone, defined by the bands, with at least one felt or wire, so that the fiber web comes into contact with the surface of the first, heated band and the felt or wire is between the fiber web and the second, cooled band. The position of the edge of the band is measured by means of a sliding block which is brought into contact with the edge of the band, the material of the sliding block being substantially harder than that of the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Metso Paper, Inc.
    Inventor: Veli-Matti Vainio
  • Patent number: 6169848
    Abstract: A cross-direction dryer for typically drying a continuous web of paper or paper to which coating has just been applied provides both for baseline drying and a linear moisture profile by the use of respectively gas and electric heating portions of the heater units. Profile control is normally provided by control of the voltage to electric heating lamps. Such heating lamps are suspended over a large area gas burner to provide a combined increased infrared heat output. Encapsulation of the heating lamps with quartz provides for reradiation of the medium wavelength radiation produced by the gas burner. Thyristor switching for the quartz halogen heat lamps may be located adjacent to each heater unit and cooled by the combustion air for the gas burners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Impact Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lee L. Henry
  • Patent number: 5933978
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for drying a fiber web, whereby the fiber web is dried in a cylinder drying unit (12) and in a band drier unit (11). The fiber web (5) is led from the cylinder drying unit (12) to the band drier unit (11) in such a way that it is easy to determine a desired dry content for the fiber web (5) in the cylinder drying unit (12) when the fiber web (5) is transferred to the band drier unit (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Valmet Corporation
    Inventors: Jukka Lehtinen, Elias Retulainen
  • Patent number: 5662760
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing high quality laminated veneer lumber from pre-flattened wood veneer, for such uses as in architecture and furniture, and a method of mass production thereof using veneer which is flattened in advance. A sheet of veneer is first obtained by cutting a log with a rotary lathe or the like, and flattening and cutting the veneer into a predetermined length. Sheets of veneer thus obtained are cut on both edges in the grain direction to form symmetrically diagonal end faces, and are bonded with one another at these end faces with their grain directions aligned to form an elongated sheet of veneer. The resultant elongated sheet veneer is cut into a predetermined length to form laminated veneer material having seams. Plural sheets thus formed laminated veneer material are laminated and bonded with their grain directions aligned to form laminated veneer core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Inventor: Sotaro Tsuda
  • Patent number: 5619806
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for high-intensity drying of fiber webs or sheets, such as newsprint, printing and writing papers, packaging paper, and paperboard or linerboard, as they are formed on a paper machine. The invention uses direct contact between the wet fiber web or sheet and various molten heat transfer fluids, such as liquified eutectic metal alloys, to impart heat at high rates over prolonged durations, in order to achieve ambient boiling of moisture contained within the web. The molten fluid contact process causes steam vapor to emanate from the web surface, without dilution by ambient air; and it is differentiated from the evaporative drying techniques of the prior industrial art, which depend on the uses of steam-heated cylinders to supply heat to the paper web surface, and ambient air to carry away moisture, which is evaporated from the web surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Inventor: David W. Warren
  • Patent number: 5620752
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for producing dried sized glass fibers wherein a drying device is used to produce current flow along sized fibers to thereby partially or fully dry the size on the fibers. The apparatus may include an applicator for applying a size to the fibers and a drying device which comprises a high voltage electrode connected to a high voltage source and at least one grounded electrode. Drying is performed by passing the sized fibers by the electrodes such that a current flows along the sized fibers from the high voltage electrode to the at least one grounded electrode. The grounded electrodes may comprise grounded gathering shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglass Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas B. Mann
  • Patent number: 5599398
    Abstract: For the purpose of cleaning parts (8), the invention comprises subjecting the latter to a prior treatment for lowering the temperature by means of a neutral gas, for example nitrogen, in an oxygen free medium, passing the parts into a cleaning chamber (4, 30) followed by subjecting the parts in succession to a partial reheating treatment in an oxygen free medium and to a treatment for drying and raising the temperature substantially to the ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Inventor: Jean-Luc Lenglen
  • Patent number: 5566472
    Abstract: The invention relates to seals for use at band edges in a Condebelt.RTM. apparatus described in Finnish Patent 54 514. In the apparatus, a material web to be dried passes in a substantially airless space between two metal bands (1, 7) or other similar bands or membranes of good thermal conductivity together with drying wires. One of the metal bands is arranged to heat and the other is arranged to cool; the heating band (1) evaporates moisture contained in the web to be dried, the moisture condensing on the surface of the cooling band (7), separated from the web (2) to be dried by drying wires. The drying space between the bands of the Condebelt.RTM. apparatus is sealed up at the edges by seal profiles (10, 11) attached to the heating band (1) or the cooling band (7). It is also possible to use a number of seal profiles positioned against each other or side by side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Valmet-Tampella Oy
    Inventors: Jukka Lehtinen, Paavo Rautakorpi, Seppo Haavisto