Dielectric drying kiln material handling system

A dielectric drying kiln suitable for drying lumber and/or material requiring similar power application comprising a computer control, a bottom electrode and a top electrode each having a substantially horizontal electrode surface, means for applying power to said electrodes, said electrodes being vertically spaced to receive material to be dried therebetween and being mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other between a closed operative position wherein said electrodes contact said material over a majority of the surface area of said electrodes and an open inactive position wherein said top electrode is clear of said material, moving means for moving said electrode between said closed operative position and said open inactive position, a main conveyor overlying said bottom electrode and positioned to support and transport said material over said bottom electrode, said main conveyor having at least one moving element, said at least one movable element forming at least a major portion of said surface area of said bottom electrode, said at least one moving element operable to move said material through said kiln in a direction of travel along said bottom electrode under control of said computer control when said electrodes are in said inactive position, a grounding connection electrically connecting said at least one moveable element to said bottom electrode to ensure said at least one moveable element and said bottom electrode are at the same potential, said at least one movable element of said main conveyor forming edges of gaps in said electrode surface of said bottom electrode, said edges of said gaps being filleted with fillets having radiuses and said radius and said gaps being configured with dimensions selected so that said gaps do not significantly affect the uniformity of electromagnetic field and power distribution over said electrode surfaces of said top and bottom electrodes during the application of dielectric power to said material during drying when said electrodes are in said closed operative position and said computer control controlling operation of said kiln including said main conveyor to move said material only while said electrodes are in open inoperative position, said means for moving said electrodes, and to control application of power to said electrodes for drying said material to apply said power only when said electrode are in said closed operative position.