Suction roll or cylinder and method for removing air from a suction roll or cylinder

In a suction roll including a roll mantle, end flanges arranged at ends of said roll mantle and axle journals connected to said end flanges for rotatingly supporting said roll mantle, at least one of said axle journals defining a suction duct in flow communication with an interior of said roll, said roll mantle having an outer face, an inner face and plurality of apertures extending from said outer face to said inner face, the improvement comprising

• suction means for drawing air into said interior of said roll through said apertures and from said interior of said roll through said suction duct,
• said suction means comprising a suction pipe system arranged in flow communication with said suction duct, said suction pipe system including at least one suction pipe extending within said interior of said roll to a location proximate said inner face of said roll mantle such that air is drawn from the location proximate said inner face of said roll mantle through said suction pipe system into said suction duct.