US 5,295,311 A · Dryer section

Abstract

A dryer section of a machine for manufacturing fiber webs, which includes a plurality of heatable drying cylinders arranged to form at least a first dryer group and a second dryer group, and arranged in horizontal cylinder rows, and including a plurality of suction rolls each being disposed between two adjacent cylinders. The cylinders of the first group have axes disposed in a first plane I, the suction rolls of the first group have axes disposed in a second plane II, the cylinders of the second group have axes disposed in a third plane III, and the suction rolls of the second group have axes disposed in a fourth plane IV. In accordance with different embodiments planes I and II may be coplanar, planes II and III may be coplanar; planes I and III may be disposed between planes II and IV; and the axes of the first drying cylinders and its associated suction roll of the second group may be disposed below the axes of the other drying cylinders and suction rolls of the second group.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A dryer section of a machine for manufacturing fiber webs, wherein:

(a) the dryer section comprises a plurality of heatable drying cylinders arranged to form at least a first dryer group and a second dryer group, and arranged in horizontal cylinder rows, and including a plurality of suction rolls each being disposed between two adjacent cylinders;
(b) each dryer group has a respective one of first and second endless support belts for supporting a fiber web, with the support belt and the fiber web traveling alternately over the drying cylinders and over the suction rolls so that the fiber web comes into direct contact with the drying cylinders and the support belt comes into direct contact with the suction rolls;
(c) in the first dryer group, a first side of the web contacts the drying cylinders, and a second side of the web contacts the support belt;
(d) in the second dryer group, following the first dryer group, the second side of the web contacts the drying cylinders, and the first side of the web contacts the support belt;
and
(e) the cylinders of the first group have axes disposed in a first plane I, the suction rolls of the first group have axes disposed in a second plane II, the cylinders of the second group have axes disposed in a third plane III, and the suction rolls of the second group have axes disposed in a fourth plane IV, and at least planes I and IV are coplanar.

3 more elements

A dryer section of a machine for manufacturing fiber webs, the dryer section comprising:

a first dryer group comprising a first plurality of heatable first drying cylinders arranged in series along the path of the fiber web through the first dryer group;
a respective first suction roll between each pair of first drying cylinders;
and
a first endless support belt passing alternately over the first plurality of drying cylinders and then over the adjacent first suction rolls, such that the fiber web comes into direct contact with the first drying cylinders and the first support belt comes into direct contact with the adjacent first suction rolls;
the first support belt being so oriented that in the first dryer group, a first side of the fiber web contacts the first drying cylinders while a second side of the web contacts the first support belt;
a second dryer group comprising a second plurality of heatable second drying cylinders arranged in series along the path of the fiber web through the second dryer group;
a respective second suction roll between each pair of second drying cylinders;
and
a second endless support belt passing alternately over the second plurality of drying cylinders and then over the adjacent second suction rolls, such that the fiber web comes into direct contact with the second drying cylinders and the second support belt comes into direct contact with the adjacent second suction rolls;
the second support belt being so oriented that in the second dryer group, the second side of the fiber web contacts the second drying cylinders while the first side of the web contacts the second support belt;
the second dryer group having an upstream end with respect to the path of the web through the dryer section so that the web passes from the first dryer group to the upstream end of the second dryer group;
a third suction roll at the upstream end of the second dryer group before a first one of the second drying cylinders in the second dryer group, the third suction roll being positioned to function as a pickup roll for transferring the fiber web from the first dryer group to the second dryer group;
means supporting the first support belt for adjustment between positions where the first support belt is selectively one of further toward and spaced further away from the pickup roll selectively enabling the formation of a gap between the first support belt and the second support belt at the pickup roll,
wherein the first and the second support belts are supported to extend to converge toward each other to form a wedge-like gap which narrows smaller toward the pickup roll and
wherein the pickup roll includes a suction zone that wraps around the pickup roll to define a first zone which acts through the second support belt and into the wedge-like gap to draw boundary layers of air out of the gap in the region of the pickup roll so that air present in the gap might not interfere with the transfer of the web from the first support belt to the second support belt.

12 more elements

A dryer section of a machine for manufacturing fiber webs, the dryer section comprising:

a first dryer group comprising a first plurality of heatable first drying cylinders arranged in series along the path of the fiber web through the first dryer group;
a respective first suction roll between each pair of first drying cylinders;
and
a first endless support belt passing alternately over the first plurality of drying cylinders and then over the adjacent first suction rolls, such that the fiber web comes into direct contact with the first drying cylinders and the first support belt comes into direct contact with the adjacent first suction rolls;
the first support belt being so oriented that in the first dryer group, a first side of the fiber web contacts the first drying cylinders while a second side of the web contacts the first support belt;
a second dryer group comprising a second plurality of heatable second drying cylinders arranged in series along the path of the fiber web through the second dryer group;
a respective second suction roll between each pair of second drying cylinders;
and
a second endless support belt passing alternately over the second plurality of drying cylinders and then over the adjacent second suction rolls, such that the fiber web comes into direct contact with the second drying cylinders and the second support belt comes into direct contact with the adjacent second suction rolls;
the second support belt being so oriented that in the second dryer group, the second side of the fiber web contacts the second drying cylinders while the first side of the web contacts the second support belt;
the second dryer group having an upstream end with respect to the path of the web through the dryer section so that the web passes from the first dryer group to the upstream end of the second dryer group;
a third suction roll at the upstream end of the second dryer group before a first one of the second drying cylinders in the second dryer group, the third suction roll being positioned to function as a pickup roll for transferring the fiber web from the first dryer group to the second dryer group;
means supporting the first support belt for adjustment between positions where the first support belt is selectively one of further toward and spaced further away from the pickup roll selectively enabling the formation of a gap between the first support belt and the second support belt at the pickup roll,
wherein the pickup roll includes a suction zone that wraps around the pickup roll to define a first zone which acts through the second support belt and between the first and second belts to draw out boundary layers of air in the region of the pickup roll so that air present between the first and second belts might not interfere with the transfer of the web from the first support belt to the second support belt.

11 more elements

A dryer section of a machine for manufacturing fiber webs, wherein:

(a) the dryer section comprises a plurality of heatable drying cylinders arranged to form at least a first dryer group and a second dryer group, the cylinders in each dryer group being arranged in respective horizontal cylinder rows;
a respective suction roll disposed between each two adjacent cylinders in each dryer group;
(b) each dryer group has a respective endless support belt for supporting a fiber web, with the support belt and the fiber web traveling alternately over the drying cylinders and over the suction rolls of that group so that the fiber web comes into direct contact with the drying cylinders and the support belt comes into direct contact with the suction rolls;
(c) in the first dryer group, the drying cylinders and the suction rolls are arranged so that a first side of the web contacts the drying cylinders and a second side of the web contacts the support belt;
(d) in the second dryer group, following the first dryer group, the drying cylinders and the vacuum rolls are so arranged that the second side of the web contacts the drying cylinders and the first side of the web contacts the support belt;
(e) within the second dryer group, at an upstream end thereof, one of the suction rolls functions as a pick-up roll for transferring the fiber web from the first to the second dryer group;
the first support belt is movable to be capable of contacting the second support belt only at a portion of the periphery of the pick-up roll or is movable so that the second support belt is separated from the first support belt, and then the first and second support belts extending to converge toward each other and to form a wedge-like gap toward the pick-up roll of a predetermined angle;
and
(f) adjusting means for the first belt, the adjusting means comprising a belt roll, leading the first support belt and positioned downstream in the path of the first belt form the pick-up roll and being shiftable to move the first belt the pick-up roll having a suction zone at the side where the second support belt is received to suction off air layers carried into the wedge-like gap by the belts.

6 more elements

A dryer section of a machine for manufacturing fiber webs, wherein:

(a) the dryer section comprises a plurality of heatable drying cylinders arranged to form at least a first dryer group and a second dryer group, the cylinders in each dryer group being arranged in respective horizontal cylinder rows;
a respective suction roll disposed between each two adjacent cylinders in each dryer group;
(b) each dryer group has a respective endless support belt for supporting a fiber web, with the respective support belt and the fiber web traveling alternately over the drying cylinders and over the suction rolls of that group so that the fiber web comes into direct contact with the drying cylinders and the respective support belt comes into direct contact with the suction rolls;
(c) in the first dryer group, the drying cylinders and the suction rolls are arranged so that a first side of the web contacts the drying cylinders and a second side of the web contacts the support belt;
(d) in the second dryer group, following the first dryer group, the drying cylinders and the vacuum rolls are so arranged that the second side of the web contacts the drying cylinders and the first side of the web contacts the support belt;
(e) within the second dryer group, at an upstream end thereof, one of the suction rolls functions as a pick-up roll for transferring the fiber web from the first to the second dryer group;
the first support belt being movable to either contact the second support belt at only a portion of the periphery of the pick-up roll or to be spaced from the second support belt;
and
(f) the pick-up roll having a pre-suction zone preceding the location where the second support belt is received at and contacts the pick-up roll, to suction off air layers carried by the belts toward the pick-up roll.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dryer section

Life of this patent

Dryer section

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20