Apparatus and method for drying can closures

Apparatus for exposing and drying the surfaces of a series of disc-shaped articles in abutting face-to-face contact comprising:

• a plurality of parallel guide surfaces defining a curved path for guiding said articles on edge therethrough;
• means for advancing said articles along said path;
• a series of retaining surfaces located longitudinally along said path, said retaining surfaces being spaced to prevent an opening greater than 2/3 the diameter of said disc-shaped articles from being presented to said path;
• and means for directing air over the outer radius of said curved path.

Apparatus for exposing and drying the surfaces of a series of disc-shaped articles in abutting face-to-face contact comprising:

• a plurality of parallel guide surfaces defining a curved path for guiding said articles, set on edge, therethrough;
• a series of retaining surfaces located longitudinally along said path, said retaining surfaces being spaced to prevent an opening greater than 2/3 the diameter of said disc-shaped articles from being presented to said path;
• means for directing air over the outer radius of said curved path;
• and means to rotate said disc-shaped articles while traversing said path wherein said means to rotate is a high velocity air nozzle directed to impinge said disc-shaped articles tangentially.

Apparatus for exposing and drying a series of closures in abutting face-to-face contact comprising:

• a trackwork through a drying station, said trackwork having a series of substantially uniform reversing curves;
• a linear nozzle running along each side of said trackwork, said nozzles directed toward the longitudinal axis of said trackwork at the points said nozzles are at a tangent to said trackwork;
• an air blowing and heating means in communication with said nozzles;
• and a means to push closures into said trackwork wherein said closures are oriented in a plane substantially perpendicular to said trackwork.

Apparatus for exposing and drying a series of closures in abutting face-to-face contact comprising:

• a trackwork through a drying station, said trackwork having a series of substantially uniform reversing curves, each of said curves having a center radius of about three times the diameter of a closure and covering a sector of about 45.degree.;
• a linear nozzle positioned on each side and running the length of said trackwork, said nozzles directed upward at about a 45.degree. angle from vertical toward the longitudinal axis of said trackwork at the points said trackwork is at a tangent to said nozzles;
• an air blowing and heating means in communication with said linear nozzles;
• and means to push closures into said trackwork, wherein said closures are oriented in a plane substantially perpendicular to said trackwork, and whereby closures traversing the curved portion of said trackwork will be tangentially impinged by air directed from the nozzle opposite said curve resulting in rotation of said closures.

A method of drying the coatings on closures comprising the steps of:

• continuously introducing closures, set on edge, into a drying station;
• allowing each of said closures to be pushed through said drying station by subsequently introduced closures;
• guiding said closures along a curvilinear path so as to expose said coatings;
• and directing heated air across the greater radius portion of said curvilinear path.

A method of drying the coatings on closures comprising the steps of:

• continuously introducing closures, set on edge, into a drying station;
• allowing each of said closures to be pushed through said drying station by subsequently introduced closures;
• guiding said closures along a curvilinear path;
• rotating said closures;
• and directing heated air across the greater radius portion of said curvilinear path.

A method of drying the coating on a closure comprising the steps of:

• accumulating a stack of closures;
• supporting said closures at spaced apart points;
• restraining said closures to substantially planar movement;
• pushing said stack of closures, set on edge, through a drying station;
• guiding said stack through a series of substantially uniform reversing curves;
• directing heated air over the outer radius portions of said curves so as to contact said coating;
• and rotating closures as they traverse a curve.

A method of drying the surfaces of a series of closures comprising the steps of:

• continuously introducing closures to a drying station;
• guiding said closures through a series of substantially uniform reversing curves with a trackwork, said closures being oriented in a plane substantially perpendicular to said trackwork;
• allowing each closure to be pushed through said drying station by subsequently introduced closures;
• maintaining the orientation of each closure at a substantially constant relative to the direction of travel;
• providing a linear nozzle along each side of said curves;
• directing high-velocity heated air toward said closures through said linear nozzles;
• and allowing rotation of said closures while being guided through said curves by tangential impingement of said closures with the high-velocity air directed from the linear nozzle on the shorter radius side of said curves.