Patent ID: 7634860

Claim:
A steam box, comprising: a housing having a leading end and a trailing end positionable above and proximate to a moving web, said moving web flinging stock towards said housing; a supply header within the housing, said supply header in communication with a steam source; at least first and second steam chambers aligned in a direction of rotation of said web and positioned external to the housing, said first and second steam chambers positioned between said leading end and said trailing end, said first and second steam chambers able to receive steam from said supply header to apply steam through respective first and second steam discharge points to the moving web; and a screen plate securable to said housing, said screen plate including a horizontal plate with respect to the moving web and a first barrier vertically descending towards said web a first distance along the direction of rotation, the first barrier positioned between said first and second steam discharge points along the direction of rotation and extending below said first and second steam discharge points to form said first steam chamber therebetween, said descending barrier having a first trailing side positioned adjacent to said second steam discharge point proximal to the leading end and vertically extending upward from the first distance toward the horizontal plate to protect said second steam discharge point from said stock flung from the web while said web is moving.