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US 4,758,310 AGranted
Belt and drum-type pressing apparatus
OwnerRay R. Millerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A press belt arrangement in which none of the compressive forces on the central drum are transmitted to the supporting frame. It provides a method in which a greater compressive force in relationship to belt tension is applied to the drum. The invention makes it possible to construct the central drum so that large quantities of heat can be fluxed through it for purposes of achieving the fast drying rates long sought in the industry.
Claims21
A drum and belt-type press for compressing a moving web or mat which comprises:
- (a) a supporting frame for a drum, belt tensioning rolls, and belt tensioning means;
- (b) a pair of spaced apart first and second cylindrical belt tensioning rolls having essentially parallel axes of rotation;
- (c) a central drum adjacent said tensioning rolls, said drum having an axis of rotation essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rolls;
- (d) an endless flexible belt having an inner generally U-shaped course and an outer generally U-shaped course, the inner and outer courses meeting in loops which wrap around the tensioning rolls,
- the tensioning rolls each being contained within the body of the belt and the drum being outside of the body of the belt, the inner course of the belt being wrapped around more than half the circumference of the central drum,
- the tensioning rolls and drum being sized so that the inner and outer courses of the belt are spaced apart,
- each tensioning roll and any other rolls within the belt making nip contact with the drum through the interposed belt so that the total compressive forces of the belt and nips on the central drum are balanced and the summation of forces about the drum axis is essentially zero;
- (e) drive means for moving the belt through its endless path, so that a web or mat may be compressed by interposing it between the moving belt and drum,
- (f) tensioning means acting on the tensioning rolls to translate them relatively toward or away from each other to control belt tension while maintaining nip contact, and
- (g) the drum being mounted on the supporting frame, the tensioning rolls being free floating with respect to the drum for relative radial movement in response to tensioning adjustments, and the press is structured to maintain nip contacts without transmitting significant belt tensioning forces to the supporting frame or significant axial bending forces to the drum.
7 more elements
A drum and belt-type press for compressing a moving web or mat which comprises:
- (a) a supporting frame for a pair of nip rolls and a belt tensioning means;
- (b) first and second fixed spaced apart rotatable nip rolls mounted on the frame to form an assembly, said rolls having parallel axes of rotation;
- (c) a central drum adjacent the nip rolls, the drum having an axis of rotation essentially parallel to the nip rolls;
- (d) at least one idler nip roll having freedom of radial movement also located adjacent the drum;
- (e) an endless flexible belt having an inner generally U-shaped course and an outer generally U-shaped course, the inner and outer courses meeting in loops, one loop containing the first fixed nip roll and the other loop containing the second fixed nip roll,
- the fixed nip rolls and moveable idler nip roll on rolls being located within the body of the belt, the inner course of the belt being wrapped around more than one half of the circumference of the drum so that all the nip rolls make nip contact with the drum through the interposed belt,
- the drum, fixed nip rolls and idler nip rolls being sized to hold the inner and outer courses of the belt in spaced apart relationship;
- (f) at least one movable belt tensioning roll mounted to act against the belt to control belt tension, said tensioning roll or rolls not making nip contact with the drum;
- (g) tension control means to adjust the tensioning roll or rolls;
- and
- (h) means for rotating the belt through its endless path to compress a web or mat interposed between the moving belt and drum,
- the drum being free to move radially to the fixed nip rolls or the nip roll and frame assembly being free to move to the drum so that the nip rolls act through the belt against the drum with a force controlled by belt tension, and the press is structured to maintain nip contacts without transmitting significant axial bending forces to the drum.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.