Patent ID: 8083895

Claim:
An air stabilization system for non-contact support of a flexible continuous web that is moving in a downstream machine direction (MD) that comprises: (a) a body having an operative surface facing the web, wherein the body is segmented into a central region with a central region upper surface, a first lateral region with a first lateral region upper surface and a second lateral region with a second lateral region upper surface, wherein the operative face, which is defined by the central region upper surface, the first lateral region upper surface and the second lateral region upper surface, has a web entry end and a web exit end that is downstream from the web entry end; (b) a first nozzle, positioned on the operative surface, that defines a first slot that extends across the surface of the operative surface along the MD and wherein a first elongated jet of pressurized gas is exhausted through the first slot and moves toward a first cross direction to impart a first controlled force on the web wherein the first slot has a first elongated opening at a first surface of the body wherein the first elongated opening is formed between the central region and the first lateral region, and has a first curved convex surface at the first elongated opening on its downstream side; and (c) a second nozzle, positioned on the operative surface, that defines a second slot that extends across the surface of the operative surface along the MD, wherein a second elongated jet of pressurized gas is simultaneously exhausted through the second slot and moves toward a second cross direction to impart a second controlled force on the web, wherein the second slot has a second elongated opening at a second surface of the body wherein the second elongated opening is formed between the central region and the second lateral region and has a second curved convex surface at the second elongated opening on its downstream side, wherein the direction of the first cross direction is perpendicular to the MD and opposite that of the second cross direction and whereby the first force and the second force maintain at least a portion of the moving web, that is located between the web entry end and the web exit end, at a substantially fixed distance to the operative surface, wherein the operative surface between the first slot and second slot defines a continuous planar surface and wherein the central region upper surface, the first lateral region upper surface and the second lateral region upper surface are coplanar so that the central region upper surface is substantially flush with the first lateral region upper surface and the central region is substantially flush with the second lateral region upper surface.