Energy treatment apparatus for fabric webs

An energy treatment apparatus for a fabric web of a type having a width between two web edges, a top side and a bottom side, the energy treatment apparatus comprising:

• a tenter mechanism including a pair of opposing tracks through which a drive chain traverses, the tracks each having an inwardly-facing slot through which a plurality of web gripping elements project, each web gripping element fixed with the fabric web at one of the web edges thereof, a tenter drive connected with each drive chain through at least a pair of drive gears to move each drive chain through one of the tracks;
• at least six energy applying modules each having an enclosure with an opening at each of a first side and a second opposing side, each opening having a width sufficient to accommodate the width of a fabric edge and the opposing tracks such that the fabric web traverses the at least six energy applying modules from the first side through to the second side, the at least six energy applying modules including at least one energy applying element disposed on each side of the fabric web to apply energy either the top side and the bottom side of the fabric web as the fabric web traverses the energy applying module, each energy applying module adapted to be mutually stacked so that the fabric web exiting a first energy applying module enters a second energy applying module, three or more of the stacked energy applying modules forming a stack of the energy applying modules, two or more of the stacks being included in the energy treatment apparatus;
• an exhaust module fixed above a top energy applying module of the stack to convey hot exhaust from within the energy applying modules away from the stack;
• a web direction reversal apparatus fixed between two adjacent stacks such that the fabric web exiting one of the stacks is redirected into a next stack;
• at least one width drive adapted to adjust a width between each of the two tracks of the tenter mechanism through the energy treatment apparatus;
• at least one base module each adapted for supporting a stack of the energy applying modules thereon, the at least one base module including a frame that is adapted for resting on a horizontal support surface and at least one pulley around which the fabric web can be directed;
• whereby as the fabric web enters each energy applying module in turn, the fabric web is subjected to energy while the tenter mechanism maintains the width of the fabric web therethrough.