Flexible machinery for the continuous processing of any axially centered masses; materials and sheeting in textiles, paper, plastics, metals; and combinations

A system and machine for processing substrates and axially centered masses, comprising;

• a plurality of diverse workstations, including multifunctional conveyor systems having a loading capacity and length with a variety of processing means, and diverse energy transferring means with instrumentation and controls defining processing environments ranging from cryogenic to near melting of masses, materials, and substrates, and the choice of vacuum- to atmospheric-, to pressurized- workstations;
• a variety of conveying means, consisting of highly flexible processing conveyors, used to transport loads and to rotate loads singly or in multiple sets, together with workstations selected from a group of applicators, loading, heating, winding and rewinding, dwelling, unloading, and discharge to the conveyor, the loading capacity and processing time approximately proportional to the lengths of the conveying means while the processing time of the loading capacity is also adjusted by speeding up,- or slowing down,- said conveying means being directed by a plurality of controlling means in a choice of single to multiple planes of transportation;
• a plurality of loads processed in said workstations, including restraining means and holding means, the loads consisting of any solid-, amorphous, pliable, or fibrous material, processed in any conceivable selection of materials and any conceivable sequence of the materials, the loads moving in any designated direction, and at any angle from zero degree to 360 degrees;
• a choice of energizing means applied controllably to said loads and selected from the group of infrared heaters, high frequency heaters, resistance heaters, electromagnetic heaters, ultrasound energizers, and energized fluids, plus convection and conduction.