Press roll having components exhibiting approximately equal gravity induced flexure

In a press roll cooperating with a mating roll, the press roll and the mating roll defining a roll nip for treating a moving web of material and being oriented such that a median axis of the press roll and a median axis of the mating roll lie in a non-vertical pressing plane, said press roll comprising

• a hollow, rotatable roll casing being disposed adjacent to the roll nip;
• a stationary yoke located within the roll casing, the yoke and the roll casing defining an intermediate space;
• a shoe located between the yoke and the roll casing and being adapted to transmit a pressing force from the yoke to the roll casing;
• and
• a pressure chamber located between the yoke and the shoe and being adapted to receive a pressure medium for pressing the shoe against the roll casing;
• the improvement wherein at least one of the dimensions and material of the roll casing, the dimensions and material of the yoke, and the degree of filling of the intermediate space with a liquid are selected, such that gravity induced flexures of the roll casing and the yoke occurring in a median plane perpendicular to the pressing plane are approximately equal.