Air press for dewatering a wet web

An air press for dewatering a wet web traveling in a machine direction, comprising:

• support fabrics adapted to sandwich the wet web therebetween and transport the wet web through the air press;
• an air plenum positioned on one side of the wet web and operatively connected to a source of pressurized fluid, the air plenum comprising a sealing assembly that is adapted to move between an operating position and a retracted position, the sealing assembly comprising a pair of machine direction sealing members and a pair of cross-machine direction sealing members that form an integral seal with the wet web when the sealing assembly is in the operating position;
• a collection device positioned on the opposite side of the wet web and operatively associated with the air plenum, the collection device defining therein a pair of sealing slots that extend across the width of the wet web and also defining therein a central passageway disposed between the sealing slots and adapted to receive pressurized fluid from the air plenum and water from the wet web, the collection device comprising deformable sealing members disposed within the sealing slots;
• means for moving the cross-machine direction sealing members into and out of contact with one of the support fabrics, the cross-machine direction sealing members positioned opposite and forming a seal against the deformable sealing members when the sealing assembly is in the operating position;
• and
• means for moving the machine direction sealing members into and out of contact with one of the support fabrics.