Textile drying machine having pass-through intake conduit for one drying fluid distribution means

A textile drying machine for applying a drying fluid to a traveling web of textile material, comprising:

• means for advancing a web of textile material along a generally planar travel path;
• lower side treatment means including lower side jet nozzle means for jetting drying fluid onto the web from a lower side thereof relative to a transverse axis transverse to the plane of the travel path of the web and a lower side housing, the lower side housing having a base portion and a distribution portion extending from the base portion in which the lower side jet nozzle means is mounted;
• upper side treatment means including upper side jet nozzle means for jetting drying fluid onto the web from the upper side thereof opposite to the lower side thereof, and an upper side housing, the upper side housing including a base portion and a distribution portion extending from the base portion in which the upper side jet nozzle means is mounted, the base portion of the upper side housing extending from above the upper side of the web to a location below the lower side of the web on one lateral side of the web and being laterally outward of the base portion of the lower side housing and the base portion of the lower side housing and the upper side housing being substantially co-extensive with one another relative to the travel path;
• a lower side exhaust outlet formed in the lower side housing for passage therethrough of exhaust drying fluid being drawn away from the web;
• an upper side exhaust outlet formed in the upper side housing for passage therethrough of exhaust drying fluid being drawn away from the web;
• first intake means for the intake of exhaust drying fluid, the first intake means including a first intake conduit extending into the base portion of the lower side treatment means and suction means for drawing exhaust drying fluid into the first intake conduit;
• first segregated return path means for constraining exhaust drying fluid passed through the lower side exhaust outlet to flow in a first segregated flow path from the lower side exhaust outlet to the first intake conduit;
• second intake means for the intake of exhaust drying fluid, the second intake means including a second intake conduit extending laterally completely through the base portion of the lower side housing and into the base portion of the upper side housing, and suction means for drawing exhaust drying fluid into the second intake conduit;
• and
• second segregated return path means for constraining exhaust drying fluid passed through the upper side exhaust outlet to flow in a second segregated flow path from the upper side exhaust outlet to the second intake conduit, the first and second segregated flow paths being completely separate from one another such that exhaust drying fluid drawn away from the web through the lower side exhaust outlet is only supplied to the lower side distribution housing and exhaust drying fluid drawn away from the web through the upper side exhaust outlet is only supplied to the upper side distribution housing.