Claims
- 1. A dryer apparatus for drying sheets of photosensitive material which comprises:
- a plurality of pairs of opposed drive rollers for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material in a generally planar sheet drying path including an upstream pair of opposed drive rollers and at least one downstream pair of opposed drive rollers, with, each pair of opposed drive rollers being spaced longitudinally along the sheet drying path;
- drive means for selectively rotating the drive rollers to move the sheet of photosensitive material in a first longitudinal direction along the sheet drying path;
- a plurality of pairs of opposed dryer nozzles facing the sheet drying path from each planar side thereof, each pair of opposed dryer nozzles being between adjacent longitudinally spaced pairs of drive rollers and each dryer nozzle including at least one laterally disposed air inlet;
- blower means for blowing air through the air inlet of each dryer nozzle toward the sheet of photosensitive material; and
- guide means for guiding the sheet of photosensitive material along the sheet drying path and toward each downstream pair of drive rollers, and the guide means having no obstruction to air flow from the air inlets of the dryer nozzles to the sheet of photosensitive material in the sheet drying path between adjacent pairs of opposed drive rollers to permit air from the blower means to flow longitudinally along each planar side of the sheet of photosensitive matarial in a non-turbulent fashion.
- 2. The dryer apparatus of claim 1 wherein each dryer nozzle has an air outlet downstream, relative to the first longitudinal direction of movement of the sheet of photosensitive material along the sheet drying path, from the air inlet of said dryer nozzle and wherein the sheet of photosensitive material is engaged and guided by the guide menas only adjacent the air outlet of each dryer nozzle.
- 3. The dryer apparatus of claim 2 wherein the air outlet of each dryer nozzle is proximate a next downstream drive roller.
- 4. A dryer apparatus for drying sheets of photosensitive material which comprises:
- a plurality of pairs of opposed drive rollers for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material in a generally planar sheet drying path, each pair of opposed drive rollers being spaced longitudinally along the sheet drying path;
- drive means for selectively rotating the drive rollers to move the sheet of photosensitive material in a first longitudinal direction along the sheet drying path;
- a plurality of pairs of opposed dryer nozzle facing the sheet drying path from each planar side thereof, each pair of opposed dryer nozzle being between adjacent longitudinally spaced pairs of drive rollers and each dryer nozzle including at least one laterally disposed air inlet;
- blower means for blowing air through the air inlet of each dryer nozzle toward the sheet of photosensitive material; and
- guide means for guiding the sheet of photosensitive material along the sheet drying path and toward selected pairs of drive rollers, the guide means including a plurality of generally parallel longitudinally extending fingers spaced laterally across a portion of each dryer nozzle, each finger having a first end and a second end with the first end being upstream, relative to the first longitudinal direction of movement of the sheet of photosensitive material along the sheet drying path, from the second end, and each finger defining a sheet guide ramp with its upstream end further from the sheet drying path than its downstream end and having no obstruction to air flow from the air inlets of the dryer nozzles to the sheet of photosensitive material in the sheet drying path between adjacent pairs of opposed drive rollers.
- 5. The dryer apparatus of claim 1 wherein each air inlet is a lateral air inlet slot in its respective dryer nozzle.
- 6. The dryer apparatus of claim 5 wherein a first lateral edge of each air inlet slot is closer to the sheet drying path than a second lateral edge of that air inlet slot, with the first end of the slot being upstream, relative to the first longitudinal direction of movement of the sheet of photosensitive material along the sheet drying path, from the second end of the slot.
- 7. A dryer comprising for drying sheets of photosensitive material which comprises:
- a plurality of pairs of opposed drive rollers for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material in a generally planar sheet drying path, each pair of opposed drive rollers being spaced longitudinally along the sheet drying path;
- drive means for selectively rotating the drive rollers to move the sheet of photosensitive material in a first longitudinal direction along the sheet Y
- drying path;
- a plurality of opposed dryer nozzles facing the sheet drying path from each planar side thereof, each pair of opposed dryer nozzle being between adjacent longitudinally spaced pairs of drive rollers and each dryer nozzle having first and second air inlet slots which are generally parallel and laterally disposed relative to the sheet drying path, the first lateral edge of each air inlet slot being closer to the sheet drying path than a second lateral edge of that air inlet slot, with the first end of the slot being upstream, relative to the first longitudinal direction of movement of the sheet of photosensitive material along the sheet drying path, from the second end of the slot with baffle means between the first and second air inlet slots of each dryer nozzle, the baffle means having a generally planar, smooth surface facing the sheet drying path with a first lateral edge of the surface defining the second edge of the first air inlet slot and a second lateral edge of the surface defining the first edge of the second air inlet slot;
- blower means for blowing air through the air inlet of each dryer nozzle toward the sheet of photosensitive material; and
- guide means for guiding the sheet of photosensitive material along the sheet drying path and toward each pair of drive rollers and having no obstruction to air flow from the air inlets of the dryer nozzles to the sheet of photosensitive material in the sheet drying path between adjacent pairs of opposed drive rollers.
- 8. The dryer apparatus of claim 7 wherein the smooth surface of the baffle means is inclined with its first edge further from the sheet drying path than its second edge.
- 9. The dryer apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:
- means for permitting one of the drive rollers of each pair of opposed drive rollers to move toward and away from the other drive roller of said pair.
- 10. The dryer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the guide means has no contact with the sheet of photosensitive material in the sheet drying path between opposed pairs of dryer nozzles.
- 11. A dryer apparatus for drying sheets of photosensitive material which comprises:
- (a) a housing
- (b) a plurality of spaced apart, generally parallel upper drive rollers rotatably mounted with respect to the housing;
- (c) a plurality of spaced apart, generally parallel lower drive rollers rotatably mounted with respect to the housing, each lower roller being aligned under a respective upper roller to define a photosensitive sheet path therebetween; (d) drive means for rotating the rollers to move a sheet of photosensitive material in a first downstream direction along the photosensitive sheet path;
- (e) an upper dryer nozzle between adjacent upper drive rollers having a plurality of upstream air inlets, wherein no obstruction to air flow from said air inlets to the photosensitive sheet exists between adjacent upper drive rollers, and further including at least one downstream air outlet adjacent thereto;
- (f) a lower dryer nozzle between adjacent lower drive rollers having a plurality of upstream air inlets, wherein no obstruction from said air inlets to the photosensitive sheet exists between adjacent lower drive rollers, and further including at least one downstream air outlet adjacent thereto;
- (g) blower means for blowing air through the air inlets of the dryer nozzles toward the photosensitive sheet path;
- (h) a plurality of generally parallel upper fingers extending over the air outlet immediately upstream of each upper drive roller, each finger defining an upper sheet guide ramp with its upstream end further from the photosensitive sheet path than its downstream end; and
- (i) a plurality of generally parallel lower fingers extending over the air outlet immediately upstream of each lower drive roller, each finger defining a lower sheet guide ramp with its upstream end further from the photosensitive sheet path than its downstream end.
- 12. The dryer apparatus of claim 11 wherein each air inlet is defined as a slot in its respective dryer nozzle which extends generally parallel to the photosensitive sheet path and generally perpendicular to a direction of sheet movement.
- 13. The dryer apparatus of claim 12 wherein an upstream edge of each air inlet slot is closer to the photosensitive sheet path than a downstream edge of that air inlet slot.
- 14. The dryer apparatus of claim 13 wherein the downstream edge of one of the air inlet slots is the upstream end of the fingers adjacent the next downstream drive roller.
- 15. The dryer apparatus of claim 12 wherein each dryer nozzle has a first upstream air inlet and a second downstream air inlet, and further comprising:
- baffle means between the first and second air inlets, the baffle means having a generally planar, smooth surface facing the photosensitive sheet path with a first upstream edge of the surface defining the downstream edge of the first air inlet and a second downstream edge of the surface defining the upstream edge of the second air inlet.
- 16. The dryer apparatus of claim 15 wherein the smooth surface of the baffle means is inclined with its upstream edge further from the photosensitive sheet path than its downstream edge.
- 17. The dryer apparatus of claim 11, and further comprising:
- means for permitting each upper drive roller to move toward and away from its respective lower drive roller.
- 18. A method for drying sheets of photosensitive material which comprises the steps of:
- (a) supporting a sheet of photosensitive material on a generally planar sheet drying path defined between each opposed rollers of a plurality of spaced pairs of rollers;
- (b) rotating the opposed rollers of the roller pairs to move the sheet along the sheet drying path;
- (c) blowing air from opposed air inlets between adjacent spaced roller pairs toward opposite sides of the sheet on the sheet drying path;
- (d) eliminating all obstructions to air flow from each air inlet to the sheet in the sheet drying path between adjacent spaced roller pairs to permit air flow in a smooth, non-turbulent manner longitudinally along the opposed sides of the sheet in the sheet drying path.
- 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sheet is moved along the sheet drying path in a first longitudinal direction and further comprising the step of:
- directing the blown air away from the sheet drying path through an air outlet spaced longitudinally downstream, relative to the first direction of sheet movement, from the air inlet.
- 20. The method of claim 18, and further comprising the step of:
- providing sheet guide means adjacent each air outlet for guiding the sheet toward opposed rollers without creating any air flow obstructions between the air inlet and the sheet drying path.
- 21. The method of claim 18, and further comprising the step of:
- providing sheet guide means immediately upstream from selected roller pairs for guiding the sheet toward opposed rollers without creating any air flow obstructions between the air inlet and the sheet drying path.
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 762,114, filed Aug. 2, 1985 (now abandoned).
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
762114 |
Aug 1985 |
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