Apparatus for reducing chill roll condensation

An apparatus for dispersing contaminant gases in a web processing system, said web processing system including a web processing structure, said web processing structure being in an environment having an ambient first pressure, said web approaching said web processing structure in a processing direction at a first velocity, said web being substantially planar and presenting a first surface and a second surface bounded by two edges, said first surface engaging said web processing structure before said second surface as said web moves in said processing direction, said contaminant gases being proximate to at least said first surface, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity;
• said cavity containing a fluid, said fluid being at a second pressure, said second pressure being greater than said first pressure;
• and
• a fluid exhaust means for exhausting said fluid from said cavity, said fluid exhaust means being disposed generally proximate to said first surface in spaced relation with respect to said first surface, said fluid exhaust means being in fluid communication with said cavity, said fluid exhaust means being configured to effect said exhausting in a manner establishing a stream of said fluid, said spaced relation being appropriate to effect direction of said stream against said first surface at a second velocity, said second velocity creating a zone of reduced static pressure adjacent said first surface and said fluid exhaust means, said reduced static pressure urging said web toward said fluid exhaust means, said second velocity having a velocity component substantially parallel with said first velocity, said second velocity being vectorally appropriate so that the vector sum of said first velocity and said velocity component yields a resulting velocity with respect to said web, said resulting velocity and said zone of reduced static pressure cooperating to disperse at least those of said contaminant gases proximate said first surface.