Device for cooling a web of material coming out of a drier

A device for cooling a web of material exiting from a drier and for absorbing solvents coming off the web, the device comprising:

• a drier for the web of material;
• a substantially closed housing having a web inlet side with an inlet slit formed therein for inlet of the web to the housing from the drier through the inlet slit, and having an outlet side with an outlet slit formed therein for outlet of the web from the housing through the outlet slit, the outlet slit being spaced from the inlet slit;
• a feed aperture at the outlet side of the housing for feeding in outside air;
• a discharge aperture at the inlet side of the housing and communicating into the drier for discharging air from the housing into the drier;
• at least one partition in the interior of the housing and placed for dividing the housing into a first compartment toward the inlet slit and a second compartment toward the outlet slit;
• the partition having a passage slit defined through it for the passage of the web of material from the first to the second compartments and having a passage aperture defined through it for conveying air through the partition from the second to the first compartments in a direction counter to the direction of movement of the web of material;
• a respective web cooling and solvent evaporating unit in each compartment for blowing the air feed into the respective compartment into contact with the web of material, the cooling and evaporating unit comprising a fan having an outlet side and a group of spray nozzles connected with the outlet side of the fan and the spray nozzles having respective outlets aimed toward at least one side of the web of material, whereby the fan blows air through the spray nozzles on the one side of material;
• the fan being positioned in the compartment for circulating air therein, the fan in the first compartment being so positioned and having an inlet that is so positioned as to partly draw in air from the second compartment through the air passage aperture and for the second compartment at the outlet slit, the respective fan and the fan inlet being so positioned as to partly draw air in through the feed aperture for feeding in outside air to the second compartment;
• whereby the cooling air moving counter to the direction of movement of the web of material from compartment to compartment cools the web and is correspondingly heated by the web and evaporates solvent from the web and is heated in successive compartments for enabling the progressively warmer air moving from compartment to compartment to hold more evaporated solvent.