Apparatus for entraining and directing a wet paper web

An apparatus for entraining and directing a wet paper web for use in a paper making process, the apparatus comprising first wall means having a width of the order of six inches and defining a curved airfoil surface having a center of curvature and a substantially planar directing surface, said airfoil surface being substantially curved and reducing a curvature from one end thereof spaced from said directing surface to an end joined to said directing surface, a pair of upstanding side walls each arranged at a respective edge of the wall means spaced by said width thereof and extending longitudinally of the directing surface, second wall means arranged in closely spaced relation to the first wall means at the airfoil surface so as to define a slot having a length extending across said width of the airfoil surface and a width at a position thereon adjacent said side walls of the order of 0.014 inch and a width at a central position thereon of the order of 0.018 to 0.022 inch, means for feeding compressed gas between the first and second wall means so as to pass through the slot and pass around the airfoil means under the Coanda effect to and along said directing surface, support means for mounting said airfoil surface adjacent a wet paper web to be directed, air jet means comprising three separate jet nozzles arranged at an end of said airfoil surface remote from said directing surface, one of said nozzles arranged adjacent one of said side walls, a second of said nozzles arranged adjacent an opposed one of said side walls and a third of said nozzles arranged intermediate said one and said second nozzles, said nozzles being arranged for stripping said wet paper web to be drawn onto said airfoil surface by said Coanda effect, said second wall means being arranged to define said slot at a position on said airfoil surface spaced there around toward said directing surface relative to an intersection between a line of symmetry of the air foil, which passes through the center of curvature of the air foil, and said airfoil surface.