Apparatus for conveying a web lead-in strip in a paper machine

Apparatus for conveying a reduced-width lead-in strip of a full width web in a paper machine, comprising:

• a conveyor belt arranged in a loop around at least one reversing roll and having a conveying run on which the lead-in strip is conveyed, said conveyor belt being formed of a fabric which is pervious to air;
• and
• means situated within said loop of said conveyor belt for creating a dynamic vacuum on said conveying run of said conveyor belt so that the web lead-in strip adheres thereto, said vacuum creating means comprising air jet equipment including a plurality of guide plates situated within said belt loop arranged consecutively with respect to each other proximate to and extending substantially parallel to said conveying run of said conveyor belt, each guide plate being spaced a short distance from the next consecutive guide plate and having a substantially planar guide surface proximate to and extending substantially parallel to said conveying run of said conveyor belt forming a space therebetween, said planar guide surface having a leading edge and a free trailing edge in the running direction of said conveying run, air distributing header means extending substantially tranversely with respect to the running direction of said conveying run and situated substantially at said leading edge of said guide surface, and air jet discharge means formed in said air distributing header means for directing air jets over at least a portion of the length of said guide plate substantially parallel thereto within said space between said guide plate and said conveying run of said conveyor belt;
• and
• means for adjustably mounting at least one of said plurality of guide plates with respect to said conveying run of said conveyor belt so that the distance between said guide plate and said conveying run can be varied whereby the distribution of pressure in the running direction of said conveying run can be adjusted.