Patent ID: 6289604
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: A43D

Abstract:
An environmentally compliant, high productivity footwear drying and conveying apparatus comprising:a) a conveyor having a plurality of conveyance frames, each conveyance frame having a plurality of footwear placement rod supports for supporting a plurality of footwear upper coverings thereon, and a plurality of footwear placement trays for supporting a plurality of footwear soles thereon, the conveyor passing at least one work station;b) at least one heating box located downstream of the at least one work station and through which the conveyor passes, the at least one heating box having: an inverted U-shaped configuration with an air collector duct above the conveyor communicating with a plurality of air intake fans and having a plurality of venting holes disposed above and facing toward the conveyor, at least one heating element located in the air collector duct so as to heat air before it passes outwardly through the plurality of venting holes; a flow guide duct having an air inlet, an exhaust port and at least one flow guide duct fan to draw air in through the air inlet and out through the exhaust port whereby the air passing through the exhaust port is mixed with air in the air collector duct;c) an air baffling and convergence flow distribution system having air intake holes at the at least one work station, at least one air discharge port oriented towards the at least one heating box, and at least one flow distribution fan connected to the air intake holes and the at least one air discharge port to draw air in through the air intake holes and exhaust air out through the at least one air discharge port; and,d) at least one vacuum activation box located downstream of and spaced from the at least one heating box, the at least one vacuum activation box having upper and lower hoods movable between open positions wherein the hoods are spaced apart above and below the conveyor, respectively, and closed positions wherein the upper and lower hoods are in sealing contact with each other and enclose at least one conveyor frame and a vacuum pump connected to one of the upper and lower hoods so as to draw a vacuum within the hoods when in the closed positions.