Traveling infrared bell oven system

Abstract

A traveling oven system is adapted for use synchronously with an extrinsic conveyor, particularly for shrink wrapping purposes by heating an object such as a pallette, package, or other article of manufacture covered by a polyethylene film bag to shrink the bag about the same. The system includes a bell-type oven having a housing with side wall portions, front and rear wall portions, and a top wall, being open at the lower end and having infrared heating panels on predetermined wall portions. The oven is supported above the conveyor by a tram carried by a gantry extending along the conveyor for vertical movement of the oven with respect to the conveyor and also for horizontal movement in forward and reverse directions along a reach of the conveyor. A vertical drive is included for vertically reciprocally moving the oven between an upper position with the lower end of the oven above objects at least partially enclosing such objects for heating thereof. A horizontal drive is provided for horizontally moving the oven in forward and reverse directions. A control circuit causes the horizontal drive to move the oven forward in synchronism with the conveyor while causing the vertical drive to move the oven down to the lower position for heating of such objects and thereafter to move it to the upper position. The control circuit then causes the horizontal drive to move the oven in the reverse direction to turn it to a starting position for heating of further items upon the conveyor.