Dewatering box cover
AssigneeFirst Quality Tissue, LLC
InventorsTheodore D. Kennedy, Donald Kenneth Zimmerman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dewatering box cover including a main body having a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, a first edge, a second side edge opposite the first side edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface. A first slot is formed within the main body having a first portion and a second portion angled relative to the first portion so as to form a V-shape. A plurality of second slots are formed within the main body at both sides of the first slot. The second slots and the first and second portions of the first slot extend from the top surface to the bottom surface of the main body at an angle relative to horizontal of 30° to 70° and at an angle relative to vertical of 20° to 45°.
Claims12
A dewatering box cover comprising:
- a main body having a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, a first side edge, a second side edge opposite the first side edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces defining a thickness of the main body;
- a first slot extending through the thickness of the main body, the first slot having a first portion and a second portion angled relative to the first portion so as to form a V-shape;
- and
- a plurality of second slots formed at both sides of the first slot and extending through the thickness of the main body;
- wherein the second slots and the first and second portions of the first slot extend from the top surface to the bottom surface through the thickness of the main body at an angle relative to horizontal of 30° to 70° and at an angle relative to vertical of 20° to 45°,
- wherein the angle relative to horizontal and the angle relative to vertical of the second slots and the first and second portions of the first slot provides an open area on the top surface of the cover that provides a larger, continuous dwell distance for translating fabric moving relative to the cover as compared to a dewatering box cover with vertically-cut holes.
A method of dewatering a fabric used in a papermaking process, comprising the steps of:
- passing the fabric traveling in a machine direction over a dewatering box, wherein the dewatering box comprises a dewatering box cover, and the dewatering box cover comprises:
- a main body having a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, a first side edge, a second side edge opposite the first side edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces defining a thickness of the main body;
- a first slot extending through the thickness of the main body, the first slot having a first portion and a second portion angled relative to the first portion from the trailing edge to the leading edge so as to form a V-shape, an apex of the V-shape being directed towards the leading edge;
- and
- a plurality of second slots extending through the thickness of the main body, the plurality of second slots comprising a first set of second slots arranged at one side of the first slot and a second set of second slots arranged at another side of the first slot, the first set of second slots being angled so as to be parallel to the first portion of the first slot and the second set of the second slots being angled so as to be parallel to the second portion of the first slot;
- wherein the second slots and the first and second portions of the first slot extend from the top surface to the bottom surface through the thickness of the main body at an angle relative to horizontal of 30° to 70° and at an angle relative to vertical of 20° to 45°, and
- wherein the dewatering box cover is positioned so that the leading edge of the dewatering box cover is upstream in the machine direction relative to the trailing edge, and the fabric traveling in the machine direction is spread towards the first and second side edges of the dewatering box cover as the fabric passes over the dewatering box cover due to the angled configuration of the first slot and the plurality of second slots, and
- wherein the angle relative to horizontal and the angle relative to vertical of the second slots and the first and second portions of the first slot provides an open area on the top surface of the cover that provides a larger, continuous dwell distance for the fabric moving relative to the cover as compared to a dewatering box cover with vertically-cut holes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.