Microwave applicator for continuous press

An apparatus for the simultaneous application of pressure and microwaves to curable assemblies comprising:

• a continuous press including two endless metal press belts forming a nip region, the press belts being disposed to apply pressure to curable assemblies inserted therebetween, and including an inlet and an outlet for the passage of curable assemblies,
• a press chamber defined by the two belt surfaces and by two side walls,
• means to apply microwaves to the curable assemblies from at least one microwave generator through a waveguide forming an interface with the press chamber located in an opening in at least one of said side walls, said waveguide spanning substantially the entire vertical spacing between said belts
• dam means at the interface between the waveguide and the press chamber to provide a solid interface between said curable assembly and said waveguide to withstand the lateral pressure exerted thereon by curable assemblies being pressed, and which effectively permits propagation of microwaves into the press chamber said microwaves having an electric vector substantially normal to the plane of said press belts,
• said dam means being selected from the group consisting of a solid ceramic member and a reinforced member containing spaced metal elements normal to the electric vector of the microwave field,
• said waveguide being positioned from the near-edge of the curable assembly at a distance sufficient to permit substantial equalization of fringing electric fields, and
• said waveguide including a 1/4 wave choke adjacent each moving belt for effectively establishing the point of contact between the waveguide and the press belts at a point (2n+1) (wavelength of the microwave energy being used)/4, from the microwave path entrance to the wave choke, where n is an integer.