Appeal No. 2003-0298 Page 7
Application No. 09/497,797
material 3, before passing through the first roller gap in roller stacks 6, 7, is passed over
a specified distance within the interior of the housing 32, so that it is exposed to the
housing's existing atmosphere. The sheet material is thus already heated before it
enters the roller gap of roller stack 6. The housing 32 is heat insulated and is provided
with a steam generator 40, shown diagrammatically, which blows steam into the interior
of the housing 32 through three feed nozzles 41, 42, 43. The housing 32 thus also
serves as a steam humidifier. The sheet material 3 passing through the housing 32 is
thus exposed not only to the pressure and temperature in the roller gaps of the roller
stacks 6, 7, but also to the correspondingly higher temperature and humidity of the
atmosphere within the housing 32. The moisture content of the sheet material can be
measured by measuring equipment 44, which is connected with and controls the steam
generator 40. This results in a closed control loop for controlling the moisture content
of the sheet material.
The interior of the housing 32 is connected through a pipeline 45 with the interior
of the chamber 22 in which conveying apparatus 46 may optionally be provided.
Transport of atmosphere from the treatment station 5 into the chamber 22 is provided
through pipeline 45. In this manner, the energy emitted by the heated rollers 8, 9 can
also be utilized for heating the chamber 22. If the steam generator 40 appropriately
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Last modified: November 3, 2007