Patent ID: 6868592

Claim:
Stentering machine having a horizontal drying zone for continuous treatment of a strip of material ( 2 ) held spread out between tension chains ( 7 ) consisting of chain links ( 23 , 25 ), the two lengthwise edges ( 29 ) of which can be releasably attached to the chain links ( 23 , 25 ) in a coupling zone, wherein each of the chain links ( 23 ) possesses a connection bolt ( 22 ) to be coupled with an adjacent chain link ( 25 ), in each instance, in pivoting manner, and wherein the tension chains ( 7 ) have guide rails ( 8 ) with support guideways ( 32 ) for slide pads of the chain links ( 23 , 25 ) assigned to them, which are horizontal in the drying zone, wherein when there is a quarter-circle deflection zone ( 9 ) of the guide rails ( 8 ) and support guideways ( 32 ) placed between a vertical pretreatment zone and a horizontal drying zone, slide surfaces ( 31 ) of the slide pads that face the support guideways ( 32 ) possess a shaped center zone ( 52 ) adapted to the curvature of the deflection zone ( 9 ), for area contact, and a level partial slide surface ( 51 , 53 ) in the strip transport direction ( 33 ), ahead of and after the center zone ( 52 ), in each instance, for smooth contact with the horizontal parts of the support guideways ( 32 ).