Patent ID: 8235712

Claim:
An elongated steam-heated processing zone comprising a first type heat source steam entering said heated processing zone by means of at least one steam discharge opening disposed substantially within said steam-heated processing zone, at least one second type heat source, other than steam disposed within said steam heated processing zone; said second type heat source substantially and advantageously retarding decay of one or more preferred heating characteristics of said first type heat source, said first heat source further comprising at least one steam manifold inclined vertically relative to and axially alongside a conveyor passing through said heated processing zone, said steam manifold admitting steam through a plurality of steam discharge nozzles into said elongated heated processing zone, said plurality of steam nozzles progressively heating a thermo-shrinkable material disposed around an object carried by said conveyor as said object progresses along said conveyor where said second type heat source comprises a plurality of variably controlled temperature heating devices where said heating devices of said second heat source in said steam-heated processing zone are selected from the group consisting of infrared heaters, electrical strip heaters, radiant heaters, hot air blowers, high frequency electromagnetic devices, high frequency sonic discharge devices and combinations of the above where said first type heat energy source steam, is in cooperative communication with at least said second type heat energy source wherein said second energy source augments said temperature of said first heat energy source, said second energy source disposed at spaced intervals above said conveyor, said augmentation drying said steam from said first energy source.